EPA Faces Suits After Rejecting Bid For More Ozone Nonattainment Areas

摘要

Environmentalists say they are likely to sue EPA after it rejected their request to expand the number of areas deemed out of attainment with the agency's 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS), a decision that will help several states avoid having to impose more aggressive pollution controls required in nonattainment areas. In a Jan. 7 Federal Register notice, EPA formally denied multiple petitions for administrative reconsideration of its ozone attainment designations for numerous parts of the country. EPA informed the petitioners by letter Dec. 14, the agency says, but publication in the Register starts a 60-day clock for suits over the denial.