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Pacific Southwest, Region 9

Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations

Air Actions, California

Air Actions in the San Joaquin Valley - PM2.5

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November 2016: Final Finding of Failure to Attain the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS

On November 14, 2016, the EPA finalized its determination that the San Joaquin Valley Serious nonattainment area failed to attain the 1997 PM2.5 standards by the applicable attainment date of December 31, 2015.

Contact Information

Rory Mays (mays.rory@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3227

September 2016: Proposed Finding of Failure to Attain the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS 

On September 23, 2016, the EPA proposed to find that the San Joaquin Valley Serious nonattainment area failed to attain the 1997 PM2.5 standards by the applicable attainment date of December 31, 2015.

Contact Information

Rory Mays (mays.rory@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3227

September 2016: Final Rule to Deny Requested Extension of Attainment Date for 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS 

On September 23, 2016, the EPA denied the State of California's request to extend the December 31, 2015 attainment deadline for the San Joaquin Valley Serious nonattainment area for the 1997 PM2.5 standards.

Contact Information

Rory Mays (mays.rory@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3227


August 2016: Final Approval of 2012 San Joaquin Valley Plan and 2014 Supplement for the 2006 PM2.5 Standard 

On August 16, 2016, the EPA approved most of the San Joaquin Valley 2012 PM2.5 Plan and 2014 Supplement that addresses Clean Air Act requirements for the 2006 PM2.5 standard.

Contact Information

Wienke Tax (tax.wienke@epa.gov)
(415) 947-4192


April 2016: Withdrawal of EPA's 2014 Approval of San Joaquin Valley's (SJV) PM2.5 Contingency Measures and Disapproval

On Apri 29, 2015, Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld signed a final rule withdrawing EPA's 2014 approval of the SJV's PM2.5 contingency measures and simultaneously disapproving the contingency measures. This final rule is effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

March 2016: Update Regarding Consideration of Public Comments on the Proposed Rule on the San Joaquin Valley 2015 PM2.5 Plan

On March 9, 2016, the EPA received a request to extend the comment period for our proposed action on the San Joaquin Valley 2015 PM2.5 Plan, which ends March 10, 2016. The EPA will consider all public comments on this proposed action that are submitted by Thursday, March 17, 2016.

January 2016: Proposed Rule on the San Joaquin Valley 2015 PM2.5 Plan

On January 28, 2016, Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld signed a Federal Register notice proposing to approve most of the San Joaquin Valley 2015 PM2.5 Plan to attain the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS, to conditionally approve the plan's quantitative milestones, and to approve an extension of the attainment deadline from December 31, 2015 to December 31, 2018 for the 1997 24-hour PM2.5 standards, and to December 31, 2020 for the 1997 annual PM2.5 standards. Simultaneously, the EPA proposes to disapprove the 2015 PM2.5 Plan's contingency measures, which, if finalized, will trigger clocks for sanctions and a federal implementation plan for PM2.5 contingency measures in the San Joaquin Valley. The notice will be published in the Federal Register and provide for a 30-day public comment period.

Contact Information
Rory Mays (mays.rory@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3227


December 2015: Final Reclassification to Serious for the 2006 PM2.5 Standard 

December 22, 2015: the EPA reclassified the San Joaquin Valley area as a Serious nonattainment area for the 2006 PM2.5 standards.

Contact Information
Wienke Tax (tax.wienke@epa.gov)
(415) 947-4192.


August 2015: Proposed Withdrawal of EPA's 2014 Approval of San Joaquin Valley's (SJV) PM2.5 Contingency Measures and Proposed Disapproval

On August 6, 2015: Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld signed a Federal Register notice proposing to withdraw EPA's 2014 Approval of the SJV's PM2.5 contingency measures, and simultaneously proposing to disapprove the contingency measures. EPA is also proposing that the disapproval will not trigger sanctions or FIP clocks. The notice will be published in the Federal Register and provide for a 30-day public comment period.

Contact Information

Doris Lo (Lo.Doris@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3959

Niloufar Nazmi (Nazmi.Niloufar@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3684


March 2015: Final Reclassification as Serious Nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5 Standards 

March 27, 2015: EPA is taking final action to reclassify the San Joaquin Valley Moderate nonattainment areas, including areas of Indian country within it, as Serious nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5o standards.

December 2014: Proposed Reclassification as Serious Nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5 Standards

December 18, 2014: EPA is proposing to reclassify the San Joaquin Valley Moderate nonattainment areas, including areas of Indian country within it, as Serious nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5 standards.


December 2014: Proposed Approval of San Joaquin Valley Plan and Supplement for the 2006 PM2.5 Standard and Proposed Reclassification to Serious for the 2006 PM2.5 Standard

December 29, 2014: EPA is proposing to approve the San Joaquin Valley PM2.5 Plan and Supplement, which address Clean Air Act requirements for the 2006 PM2.5 standard, and proposed to reclassify the area as a serious nonattainment area for the 2006 PM2.5 standard. EPA is providing a 45-day public comment period from the date of publication in the Federal Register.


May 2014: Final Approval of the San Joaquin Valley 1997 PM2.5 Contingency Measures

May 22, 2014: EPA approved the San Joaquin Valley's 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS contingency measures. The sanctions and FIP clocks that were triggered by the EPA's 2011 disapproval of these PM2.5 contingency measures will be terminated upon the effective date of this action.

August 2013: Proposed Approval of the San Joaquin Valley 1997 PM2.5 Contingency Measures and Interim-Final Rule to Stay and Defer Sanctions

August 15, 2013: EPA signed a proposal to approve the San Joaquin Valley’s 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS contingency measures. EPA has also signed an Interim Final Rule to stay off-set sanctions currently in place in the San Joaquin Valley and defer the start of highway sanctions in the area.


September 2011: Final Action on San Joaquin Valley 2008 PM2.5 Plan

September 30, 2011: EPA approved nearly all elements of the San Joaquin Valley 2008 PM2.5 plan.

June 2011: Proposed Partial Approval/Partial Disapproval of San Joaquin Valley 2008 PM2.5 Plan

June 29, 2011: EPA proposed action on the San Joaquin Valley 2008 PM2.5 plan.

November 2010: Partial Approval and Disapproval of the San Joaquin Valley 2008 PM2.5 Plan

November 8, 2010: EPA's Regional Administrator signed a proposed rule to approve in part and disapprove in part the San Joaquin Valley 2008 PM2.5 plan. The parts of the plan; prepared by the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District and the California Air Resources Board that we proposed to approve; strengthen the SIP. The portions of the plan we proposed to disapprove; do not meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act and EPA regulations.

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