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Air Actions, California
Air Actions in the San Joaquin Valley - Ozone
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San Joaquin Valley - Fact Sheet
Wildfires and Clean Air Act Nonattainment Fees in the SJV (PDF) (1 pp, 71 K)
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Actions on this page:
- July 2016: Final Rulemaking on San Joaquin Valley Revised Transportation Conformity Budgets
- June 2016: Determination of Attainment of the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
- May 2016: Proposed Rulemaking on Ozone and Particulate Matter Revised Transportation Conformity Budgets
- May 2016: Proposed Determination of Attainment of the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
- February 2016: Approval of the San Joaquin Valley Plan for the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
- December 2015: Proposed Approval of the San Joaquin Valley Plan for the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
- November 2012: Withdrawal of Approval of San Joaquin Valley's Extreme 1-Hour Plan and the VMT Emissions Offset Requirement in the San Joaquin Valley's 8-Hour Ozone SIP
- August 2012: 1-Hour Ozone Plan Proposals
- June 2012: Final Approval of San Joaquin Valley Air District's "Federally Mandated Ozone Nonattainment Fee” and its equivalent alternative program
- Older Actions
July 2016: Final Rulemaking on San Joaquin Valley Revised Transportation Conformity Budgets
On July 8, 2016, the EPA approved revised transportation conformity budgets ("budgets") for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard and conditionally approved revised budgets for the PM10 standard. This action will be effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
- Federal Register Notice: Final Rule (published August 12, 2016)
Contact Information
John Ungvarsky (ungvarsky.john@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3963
June 2016: Determination of Attainment of the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
On June 30, 2016, the EPA finalized a determination of attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard in the San Joaquin Valley. The rule will become effective 30-days after the date of publication in the Federal Register.
- Federal Register Notice: Final Rule
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 52 K)
Contact Information
Anita Lee (lee.anita@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3958
May 2016: Proposed Rulemaking on Ozone and Particulate Matter Revised Transportation Conformity Budgets
On May 9, 2016, the EPA proposed to approve revised transportation conformity budgets for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standard and conditionally approve revised budgets for the PM10 standard. EPA is providing a 30-day public comment period from the date of publication in the Federal Register.
Contact Information
Karina O'Connor (oconnor.karina@epa.gov)
(775) 434-8176.
May 2016: Proposed Determination of Attainment of the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
On May 3, 2016, the EPA proposed a determination of attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard in the San Joaquin Valley. EPA is providing a 30-day public comment period from the date of publication in the Federal Register.
- Federal Register Notice: Proposed Rule (published on 05/18/2016)
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 66K)
Contact Information
Anita Lee (lee.anita@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3958
February 2016: Approval of the San Joaquin Valley Plan for the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
On February 25, 2016, the EPA approved the San Joaquin Valley 2013 Ozone Plan, which address Clean Air Act requirements for the 1-hour ozone standard, including demonstrations relating to vehicle miles traveled for the 1-hour ozone standard and 1997 8-hr ozone standard. EPA's action will be effective thirty days after publication in the Federal Register.
- Federal Register Notice: Final Rule (published 04/05/2016)
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 74K)
Contact Information
John Ungvarsky (ungvarsky.john@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3963
December 2015: Proposed Approval of the San Joaquin Valley Plan for the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
December 24, 2015: EPA is proposing to approve the San Joaquin Valley 2013 Ozone Plan, which address Clean Air Act requirements for the 1-hour ozone standard. EPA is providing a 30-day public comment period from the date of publication in the Federal Register.
- Federal Register Notice: Proposed Rule (published 01/15/2016)
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (1 pp, 139K)
Contact Information
John Ungvarsky (ungvarsky.john@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3963
November 2012: Withdrawal of Approval of San Joaquin Valley’s Extreme 1-Hour Plan and the VMT Emissions Offset Requirement in the San Joaquin Valley’s 8-Hour Ozone SIP
November 9, 2012: EPA withdrew its March 8, 2010 approval of the San Joaquin Valley’s 2004 1-Hour Ozone Plan. EPA has also withdrawn its March 1, 2012 determination that the San Joaquin Valley’s 8-Hour Ozone Plan satisfied the Clean Air Act requirement to provide for transportation control strategies and transportation control measures to offset growth in emissions from growth in vehicle miles traveled or numbers of vehicle trips, a requirement known as the VMT Emission Offset Requirement. EPA has also issued findings of failure to submit for these Clean Air Act requirements. These findings of failure to submit start an 18 month clock for the imposition of sanctions. California may turn off this clock and avoid the imposition of sanctions by submitting a complete SIP revision addressing the Clean Air Act’s 1-hour ozone plan requirements and VMT emissions offset requirement for the 8-hour ozone standard for the San Joaquin Valley.
August 2012: 1-Hour Ozone Plan Withdrawal Proposals
August 30, 2012: EPA proposed to withdraw our March 2010 approval of the SJV 2004 1-hour Ozone Plan and our March 2012 approval of the CAA section 182(d)(1)(A) VMT offset demonstration for the 8-hour standard.
June 2012: Final Approval of San Joaquin Valley Air District's "Federally Mandated Ozone Nonattainment Fee” and its equivalent alternative program
June 11, 2012: EPA finalized approval of San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJV) Rule 3170, “Federally Mandated Ozone Nonattainment Fee” and its equivalent alternative program as meeting the Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 185 fee program requirements for the 1-hour ozone standard.
- Federal Register Notice: Final Rule
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 150K)
December 2011: Final Determination of Failure to Attain the 1-hour Ozone Standard for San Joaquin Valley, South Coast and Southeast Desert
December 16, 2011: EPA finalized its determination that the South Coast, San Joaquin Valley and the Southeast Desert 1-hour ozone nonattainment areas have failed to attain the 1-hour ozone standard by their applicable attainment date. This final action includes response to public comments.
September 2011: Proposed Determination of Failure to Attain the 1-hour Ozone Standard for San Joaquin Valley, South Coast and Southeast Desert
September 1, 2011: EPA proposed to find that the South Coast, San Joaquin Valley and the Southeast Desert 1-hour ozone nonattainment areas failed to attain the 1-hour ozone standard by their applicable attainment date.
Contact Information
Doris Lo (lo.doris@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3959
December 2011: Final Approval of San Joaquin Valley 8-hour Ozone Attainment Plan
December 15, 2011: EPA approved California's plan to attain the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard of 0.08 ppm in the San Joaquin Valley extreme ozone nonattainment area. The plan consists of the SJV Air Pollution Control District's 2007 Ozone Plan and related portions of the California Air Resources Board's 2007 State Strategy.
September 2011: Proposed Approval of San Joaquin Valley 8-hour Ozone Attainment Plan
September 7, 2011: EPA proposed to approve the 8-hour ozone attainment plan for San Joaquin Valley.
June 2011: Proposed Approval of Rule 3170 "Federally Mandated Ozone Nonattainment Fee" and Interim Final Rule to Defer Sanctions
July 19, 2011: EPA proposed to approve San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJV) Rule 3170, "Federally Mandated Ozone Nonattainment Fee" and its alternative equivalent program as meeting the Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 185 fee program requirements for the 1-hour ozone standard. EPA also issued an Interim Final Rule to defer imposing offset and highway sanctions in SJV.
Contact Information
Andy Steckel (steckel.andrew@epa.gov)
(415) 947-4115
April 2010: Final Rule Granting Reclassification Requests for Four 8-hour Ozone Nonattainment Areas in California
April 15, 2010: EPA's Region 9 Regional Administrator signed a final rule to grant requests from the State of California to reclassify four 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas as follows: San Joaquin Valley from "serious" to "extreme", South Coast Air Basin from "severe-17" to "extreme", and Sacramento Metro and Coachella Valley from "serious" to "severe-15". As part of this action, we are also reclassifying the tribal lands of 20 affected Tribes within these nonattainment areas, and are deferring the reclassification of tribal lands pertaining to the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians pending our final decisions on boundary change requests from each Tribe. These reclassifications set later attainment deadlines for each area while also requiring the State to meet more stringent requirements. While the State has already submitted most of the required revisions to the state implementation plan (SIP), this rule sets a schedule for the submission of the remaining SIP revisions.
- Proposed Rule Granting Reclassification Requests for Four 8-hour Ozone Nonattainment Areas in California
- Final Rule
December 2009: Final approval of San Joaquin Valley’s 2004 extreme area plan to attain the 1-hour ozone standard
December 11, 2009: EPA’s acting Regional Administrator, Laura Yoshii, signed the final approval of San Joaquin Valley’s 2004 Extreme Ozone Attainment Demonstration Plan. The plan, prepared by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, shows that the area will have in place the controls necessary to meet the 1-hour ozone standard by the area’s Clean Air Act deadline of 2010. EPA proposed to approve the plan as meeting the Clean Air Act’s requirements on July 14 and October 2, 2009.
- Federal Register Notice: Final Rule (published March 8, 2010)
- Technical Support Document (PDF) (139 pp, 1.3M)
June 2009: Proposed approval and partial disapproval of San Joaquin Valley's 2004 extreme area plan to attain the 1-hour ozone standard
June 30, 2009: EPA’s Regional Administrator signed a proposal to approve in part and disapprove in part the San Joaquin Valley’s 2004 Extreme Ozone Attainment Demonstration Plan. The plan, prepared by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, shows that the area will have in place the controls necessary to meet the 1-hour ozone standard by the area’s Clean Air Act deadline of 2010. EPA is proposing to approve the plan as meeting the Clean Air Act’s requirements for rate of progress, control measures, and rate of progress contingency measures. EPA is proposing to disapprove the plan as not meeting the Clean Air Act’s requirement for attainment contingency measures.
EPA will be accepting comments on the proposed approval for 30 days following the publication of the proposal in the Federal Register.
The following documents summarize the action.
April 2004: Final rule granting California's request to reclassify the San Joaquin Valley ozone non-attainment area from "severe" to "extreme" for the 1-hour federal standard
April 8, 2004: EPA’s Regional Administrator signed a final rule that grants the State of California’s request to reclassify the San Joaquin Valley nonattainment area (SJV) from severe to extreme for the national 1-hour ozone standard. EPA proposed the rule in February 2004 with a 30-day public comment period.
EPA’s final rule requires the State to submit:
- within 12 months from the effective date of the rule, revisions to the State Implementation Plan to incorporate the extreme area requirements; and
- by November 15, 2004, a plan that demonstrates attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard by no later than 2010.
In addition, once our rule is effective, the federal offset sanction that had been in place for the SJV since mid-March will terminate. The federal highway sanction that would be imposed in September will not be imposed.
The following documents summarize the action.
- Press release (April 8, 2004)
- Fact sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 12K) (April 8, 2004)
- Federal Register Notice: Final Rule (April 15, 2004)
February 2004: Proposed rule announcing intent to grant California's request to reclassify the San Joaquin Valley ozone non-attainment area from "severe" to "extreme" for the 1-hour federal standard
February 13, 2004: EPA’s Regional Administrator signed a Federal Register notice to inform the public that EPA intends to grant the state of California’s request to reclassify the San Joaquin Valley from severe to extreme non-attainment for the 1-hour ozone standard.
EPA seeks comments on when the state, on behalf of the District, must submit:
- Revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) to incorporate the extreme area requirements; and
- A plan that demonstrates attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard by no later than 2010.
EPA proposes that these submittals occur on October 1, 2004, and 12 months after the effective date of the rule, respectively.
The following documents summarize the action.
- Press release (February 13, 2004)
- Fact sheet (PDF) (February 13, 2004) (2 pp, 26K)
- Federal Register Notice: Proposed Rule (February 23, 2004)
September 2002: Finding of Failure to Submit "Severe Area" Ozone Requirements
September 18, 2002: Following its reclassification to "severe," the San Joaquin Valley adopted rules to address several of the Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for severe areas; however, not all the requirements have been met. EPA issued a "finding of failure to submit" for the requirements which have not been met.
October 2001: Reclassification of Nonattainment Area as "Severe"
October 23, 2001: EPA reclassified ("bumped up") the San Joaquin Valley ozone nonattainment area from "serious" to "severe" because the area failed to attain the health-based, 1-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone by its Clean Air Act deadline of November 15, 1999.
EPA also finalized its designation of Eastern Kern County as a separate ozone planning area which will remain a "serious" area. If the area remains clean, Eastern Kern County will be eligible for redesignation to attainment.
The following documents summarize the action. Note: The contact information in these documents has changed. Direct comments and questions to David Wampler (wampler.david@epa.gov) at (415) 972-3975.
- News release (October 23, 2001)
- Fact sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 174K) (October 23, 2001)
- Federal Register Notice of Final Rule (November 8, 2001)
May 2001: Designation of Eastern Kern County as a Separate Nonattainment Area, and Reproposal to Reclassify San Joaquin Valley Ozone Nonattainment as "Severe"
May 10, 2001: EPA proposed to exclude eastern Kern County from the San Joaquin Valley ozone nonattainment area and reproposed to downgrade the entire San Joaquin Valley ozone nonattainment area from "serious" to "severe."
The proposed boundary line follows the Tehachapi Mountain Range and reflects the natural division of the San Joaquin Valley and South East Desert air basins. The air quality in the two regions is distinguishable. While the San Joaquin Valley as a whole was one of the five smoggiest areas in the country over the last few years, eastern Kern County has not exceeded the federal ozone standard since 1998.
This reproposal would limit the air quality downgrade to the newly defined San Joaquin Valley nonattainment area and would keep East Kern County classified as "serious."
The proposal, finalized in October of 2001, required the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District to submit a new attainment plan that demonstrates attainment by 2005. The attainment deadline for East Kern County was extended from November 15, 1999, to November 15, 2001.
EPA requested public comment for 30 days following the publication of this proposal in the Federal Register. Note: the public comment period for this decision is now closed.
The following documents summarize the action:
- Federal Register Notice of proposed East Kern redesignation and San Joaquin Valley reclassification (May 18, 2001)
- Fact sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 17K)
- Technical support document (PDF) (11 pp, 48K)
- News release (May 10, 2001)
October 2000: Announcement of Intention to Exclude Eastern Kern County from the San Joaquin Valley Ozone Nonattainment Area
October 20, 2000: After receiving more than 400 comment letters requesting that EPA exclude eastern Kern from the June 19, 2000, action in San Joaquin Valley, EPA announced its intention to designate eastern Kern County as a separate ozone nonattainment area.
- News Release (October 20, 2000)
June 2000: Proposed "Bump Up" of the San Joaquin Valley Nonattainment Area from "Serious" to "Severe"
June 19, 2000: EPA proposed to find that the San Joaquin Valley serious ozone nonattainment area did not attain the federal 1-hour ozone standard by November 15, 1999 (the attainment deadline for serious ozone nonattainment areas, according to the Clean Air Act). This finding would downgrade the area's status from "serious" to "severe." A "severe" designation would require the area to develop a new air quality plan for ozone and to attain the 1-hour standard by November 15, 2005.
The proposed finding was based on San Joaquin Valley air monitoring data from 1997 through 1999. During this three-year period, the nonattainment area experienced 80 days of unhealthy levels of ozone pollution.
The following documents summarize the action:
- Fact Sheet on Proposed Reclassification (June 12, 2000)
- Federal Register Notice: Proposed Rule (June 19, 2000)
- News Release on EPA's Reclassification of San Joaquin air from Serious to Severe (June 12, 2000)