Air Plan Approval; Arizona; Maricopa County Air Quality Management Department

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making an interim final determination that the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has submitted a rule and other materials on behalf of the Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD or "County") that correct deficiencies in its Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act") state implementation plan (SIP) provisions concerning ozone nonattainment requirements. This determination is based on a proposed approval, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, of MCAQD's reasonably available control technology (RACT) demonstration for the aerospace coating category ("aerospace operations RACT certification") and negative declarations for the 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or "standards") in the portion of the Phoenix-Mesa ozone nonattainment areas regulated by the MCAQD, as well as a rule covering emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from surface coatings and industrial adhesives. The effect of this interim final determination is that the imposition of sanctions that were triggered by a previous partial disapproval by the EPA in 2021 is now deferred. If the EPA finalizes its approval of MCAQD's submission, relief from these sanctions will become permanent.