EPA approves Kentucky’s Ozone Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan for the Northern Kentucky portion of the Cincinnati OH-KY 2015 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Nonattainment Area
FRANKFORT (October 5, 2023) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published EPA’s approval of the Kentucky Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan, redesignating the Kentucky portion of the Cincinnati OH-KY 2015 8-Hour ozone NAAQS Nonattainment Area to Attainment.
“This approval is a key milestone that the state of Kentucky, along with its neighboring state of Ohio can celebrate,” said Acting EPA Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Standards and breathing cleaner air is one of this administration's top priorities and is a win- win for citizens and the economy."
“This is great news for public health, the environment, and the economy,” said Energy & Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman. “Today’s announcement means northern Kentuckians are breathing cleaner, healthier air. It’s also a win for our economy, as redesignation to attainment means fewer regulatory burdens on local businesses.”
“Air quality continues to improve in northern Kentucky and across the commonwealth,” said Division for Air Quality Director Michael Kennedy. “From better business practices to cleaner buses and cars, our efforts to reduce pollutants that contribute to ground-level ozone have paid off.”
This action redesignates the previous Kentucky portion of the Cincinnati OH-KY 2015 Ozone NAAQS Nonattainment Area, consisting of partial counties of Boone, Campbell, and Kenton in Kentucky to Attainment for the 2015 8-Hour ozone NAAQS and approves implementation of a maintenance plan to keep the area in attainment for the next 10 years. A second 10-year maintenance plan is due to be submitted to the EPA by Kentucky in 2031. The Ohio side of the Cincinnati OH-KY 2015 Ozone NAAQS Nonattainment Area, composed of Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren Counties in Ohio, was redesignated to attainment in a prior action. See 87 FR 35104 (June 9, 2022).
Background
Effective August 3, 2018, EPA designated areas as nonattainment, attainment/unclassifiable or unclassifiable for the 2015 8-Hour ozone NAAQS that was promulgated on October 1, 2015. See 80 FR 65292 (October 26, 2015). The Cincinnati OH-KY Area was designated as nonattainment for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS and classified as a marginal nonattainment area. Subsequently, after the area did not meet its original deadline to attain the 2015 ozone NAAQS, the EPA reclassified this area to a higher classification which required more prescriptive controls. On September 21, 2022, after achieving acceptable levels of the ozone NAAQS, the Commonwealth of Kentucky requested that the EPA redesignate the Kentucky portion of the Cincinnati OH-KY Area to attainment for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Kentucky also submitted the Commonwealth’s plan for maintaining attainment of the 2015 8-hour ozone standard in the Area.
In a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on July 28, 2023, see 88 FR 48772, EPA proposed to approve Kentucky’s plan, and to redesignate the Area to attainment for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Today, the EPA is announcing that EPA signed a final action on September 28, 2023, to approve Kentucky’s plan, and to redesignate the Kentucky portion of the Area to attainment for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS.