Contact EPA Pacific Southwest Air Program
Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations
Air Actions, California
Air Actions in Imperial County
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- January 2017: Direct Final Notice Approving Emissions Inventories and Making a Clean Data Determination for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS
- September 2014: Direct final notice for the 2002 ozone emissions inventories, Imperial County
- March 2013: Revision to California State Implementation Plan, Imperial County APCD Regulation 8
- March 2013: Clarification of Nonattainment Area Boundary: Imperial Valley Planning Area for PM10
- January 2013: Interim Final Determination to Stay Sanctions, Imperial County Air Pollution Control District
- January 2013: Revision to the California SIP, Imperial County Air Pollution Control District - Proposed
- August 2012: Imperial County Federal Highway Funding Restrictions
- July 2012: Settlement between EPA, California State Parks and Imperial County: Imperial's Fugitive Dust Regulations
- Older Actions
Direct Final Notice Approving Emissions Inventories and Making a Clean Data Determination for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS for the Imperial County Nonattainment Area
January 03, 2017: EPA issued a direct final Federal Register notice approving the 2008 emissions inventories for PM2.5 and its precursors for the Imperial County PM2.5 nonattainment area. The notice also makes a clean data determination for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS based on 2013-2015 air quality data.
- Federal Register Notice: Proposed Rule (prepublication version) (PDF) (3 pp, 153 K)
- Federal Register Notice: Direct Final Rule (prepublication version) (PDF) (20 pp, 279 K)
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (1 pp, 360 K)
Contact Information
Ginger Vagenas (vagenas.ginger@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3964
Direct Final Notice for the 2002 Ozone Emissions Inventories, Imperial County
September 24, 2014: EPA issued a direct final Federal Register notice for the 2002 ozone precursor emissions inventories for the Imperial County nonattainment area.
- Federal Register Notice: Proposed Rule (published October 23, 2014)
- Federal Register Notice: Direct Final Rule (published October 23, 2014)
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (1 pp, 111K)
Contact Information
Jerry Wamsley (wamsley.jerry@epa.gov)
(415) 947-4111
Revision to California State Implementation Plan, Imperial County APCD Regulation 8
March 28, 2013: EPA approved improvements to Imperial County Air Pollution Control District's (ICAPCD) rules that regulate emissions of inhalable particulate matter. This action terminates highway sanctions that went into effect in the County on August 9, 2012 and were stayed on January 7, 2013. Today's action is consistent with EPA's commitments made in a Settlement Agreement reached with ICAPCD and California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) on July 27, 2012.
- Federal Register Notice: Final Rule
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 27K)
Clarification of Nonattainment Area Boundary: Imperial Valley Planning Area for PM10
March 6, 2013: EPA issued a direct final Federal Register notice clarifying the description of the Imperial Valley planning area, an area designated as nonattainment for the national ambient air quality standard for PM10.
Interim Final Determination to Stay Sanctions, Imperial County Air Pollution Control District
January 7, 2013: EPA made an interim final determination to stay imposition of sanctions based on a proposed approval of revisions to the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District (ICAPCD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP).
Proposed Rule: Revision to the California State Implementation Plan, Imperial County Air Pollution Control District
January 7, 2013: EPA proposed to approve revisions to the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District (ICAPCD) portion of the California Implementation Plan (SIP).
Settlement between EPA, California State Parks and Imperial County Regarding Imperial's Fugitive Dust Regulations
July 27, 2012: EPA, Imperial County Air Pollution Control District and California Parks Department announced a settlement to enhance Imperial's regulations for inhalable particulate matter (PM-10). The settlement agreement will be published in the Federal Register in about two weeks. There will be a 30-day public comment period on the agreement upon publication in the Federal Register.
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 82K)
Contact Information
Andy Steckel (steckel.andrew@epa.gov)
Imperial County Federal Highway Funding Restrictions
August 6, 2012: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Division Administrator sent a letter to the Director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to provide notice that highway sanctions will be imposed on August 9, 2012 in Imperial County for highway construction projects whose funds have not yet been awarded to the County by FHWA by that date. Projects that have already received approval and had funds awarded before August 9, 2012 may proceed, if no other FHWA action is required to proceed. We do not expect any job loss or project delays as a result of this action.
- Information Sheet (PDF) (1 pp, 177K)
Contact Information
Wienke Tax (tax.wienke@epa.gov)
Karina O'Connor (oconnor.karina@epa.gov)
Historical Actions
Imperial County Final Finding of Attainment for the 1997 8-hour Ozone Standard
November 11, 2009: EPA has signed a final rule determining that the Imperial Valley has attained the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. The finding is based on certified air quality monitoring data from 2006-2008.
Contact Information
Wienke Tax (tax.wienke@epa.gov)
Office of Air Planning
EPA Region 9
(415) 947-4192
Imperial County Proposed Finding of Attainment for the 1997 8-hour Ozone Standard
September 15, 2009: EPA has signed a propose rule determining that the Imperial Valley has attained the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. The finding is based on certified air quality monitoring data from 2006-2008.
Imperial County Finding of Failure to Attain the 8-hour Ozone Standard
February 13, 2008: EPA signed a final rule finding that the Imperial County failed to attain the national ambient air quality standard for the 8-hour standard by the statutory attainment date, June 15, 2007. The monitored air quality data for 2004-2006 shows the area is not attaining the standard. The Imperial County is reclassified as a moderate 8-hour ozone nonattainment area with a maximum attainment date of June 15, 2010. The State will need to submit a State Implementation Plan revision that meets the requirements for moderate areas no later than December 31, 2008.
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (1 pg, 25K)
- Federal Register Notice: Final Rule
Imperial Valley PM-10 Failure to Attain Final Action
December 4, 2007: EPA has signed a final rule determining that the Imperial Valley failed to attain the national PM-10 standard for serious nonattainment areas by December 31, 2001. We are finalizing this action based on a 2004 proposed rule that used air monitoring data from 1999-2001. The final rule requires the State to submit a plan to EPA within one year of the rule's publication.
Final Rule to Reclassify the Imperial Valley from Moderate to "Serious" PM-10 Nonattainment area and Proposed Failure to Attain the National PM-10 Standard
August 3, 2004: EPA signed two rules to help bring cleaner air to California's Imperial Valley. First, prompted by a recent Ninth Circuit Court Order, EPA signed a final rule to reclassify the Imperial Valley from a moderate to a "serious" PM-10 nonattainment area. Second, EPA has signed a proposed rule that would find that the Imperial County failed to attain the national PM-10 standard for serious nonattainment areas by December 31, 2001.
- Press Release (August 4, 2004)
- Fact Sheet for the Final and Proposed Actions (PDF) (2 pp, 820K)
- Federal Register Notice: Final Rule (published August 11, 2004)
- Federal Register Notice: Proposed Rule (published August 11, 2004)
Imperial County Finding of Attainment
October 9, 2001: EPA signed a final notice finding that the Imperial County attained the PM-10 standard by the statutory attainment date, December 31, 1994. This finding is based on a technical analysis provided to EPA by the State of California, which EPA has found adequate. EPA received adverse comments on the finding of attainment from the Sierra Club. All of the other commenters (including the Imperial County Air District, the agricultural community and mining industry) supported EPA's finding of attainment. EPA's response to comments is provided in the final Federal Register notice.
This final action allows Imperial County to retain its classification as a moderate PM-10 nonattainment area.
- Fact Sheet on Final Action (PDF) (2 pp, 173K, About PDF)
- Press Release on Final Action (October 10, 2001)
- Federal Register Notice: Final Rule
Imperial County Proposal on Finding of Attainment
August 6, 2001: EPA signed a proposal that finds that Imperial County, California, attained the standard for PM-10 -- particulate matter, or dust, 10 microns in size or smaller -- by the statutory deadline of December 31, 1994. This proposed finding is based on a technical analysis provided to EPA by the State of California, which EPA has found adequate.
- Fact Sheet on Proposed Actions
- Press Release (August 6, 2001)
- Federal Register Notice: Proposed Rule (August 10, 2001)