Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that the Baltimore, Maryland (MD) nonattainment area (the Baltimore Area or the Area) has clean data for the 2015 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or standard). This determination is based upon quality-assured, quality-controlled, and certified ambient air monitoring data for the 2022-2024 design value (DV) period showing that the Baltimore Area attained the 2015 ozone NAAQS, with the exclusion of certain monitoring data impacted by exceptional events. The EPA is taking final agency action on portions of three exceptional event (EE) requests submitted by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) on February 2, 2024, on behalf of MD, and concurred on by the EPA on November 12, 2025. As a result of the clean data determination (CDD), under the EPA's Clean Data Policy, the EPA is suspending the requirements for the Baltimore Area to submit attainment demonstrations and associated Reasonably Available Control Measures (RACM), Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) plans, contingency measures, and other planning SIPs related to attainment of the 2015 ozone NAAQS, for as long as the Baltimore Area continues to attain the standard.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R03-OAR-2025-2532; FRL-13045-02-R3] AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. ( printed page 31915) SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that the Baltimore, Maryland (MD) nonattainment area (the Baltimore Area or the Area) has clean data for the 2015 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or standard). This determination is based upon quality-assured, quality-controlled, and certified ambient air monitoring data for the 2022-2024 design value (DV) period showing that the Baltimore Area attained the 2015 ozone NAAQS, with the exclusion of certain monitoring data impacted by exceptional events. The EPA is taking final agency action on portions of three exceptional event (EE) requests submitted by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) on February 2, 2024, on behalf of MD, and concurred on by the EPA on November 12, 2025. As a result of the clean data determination (CDD), under the EPA's Clean Data Policy, the EPA is suspending the requirements for the Baltimore Area to submit attainment demonstrations and associated Reasonably Available Control Measures (RACM), Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) plans, contingency measures, and other planning SIPs related to attainment of the 2015 ozone NAAQS, for as long as the Baltimore Area continues to attain the standard. DATES: This final rule is effective on June 29, 2026. ADDRESSES: The EPA has establishe…
Other Federal Register documents from the same docket.
Citation: 91 FR 31914
