A new direction for implementing new source review under the revised national ambient air quality standard for ozone

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of developing flexible, common sense approaches for implementing the New Source Review (NSR) program under the new 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone. Consistent with the implementation framework set forth in the President`s July 16, 1997 Directive, the EPA intends to minimize the changes States will need to make to their existing programs in areas that will be redesignated as ozone nonattainment areas. This paper describes the EPA`s initial thinking about how to address the NSR requirements under part D of title I of the Clean Air Act (Act) consistent with the President`s Directive and taking into account the regional nature of the ozone problem and its potential control strategies. Currently, the EPA is considering pre-proposal comments on these approaches from the Agency`s stakeholders. Provisions reflecting the approaches the EPA decides to propose will be incorporated in a forthcoming rulemaking that the Agency expects to propose by April 1998 and promulgate by December 1998. This paper does not represent official EPA policies or positions on the subject matter it addresses.