Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§7502 Nonattainment plan provisions in general
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 85— - AIR POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES › Part Part D— - Plan Requirements for Nonattainment Areas › Subpart subpart 1— - nonattainment areas in general › § 7502
Summary
When the EPA decides an area is not meeting a national air quality standard, EPA can put the area into a class based on how bad the problem is and how hard it will be to control pollution there. EPA will announce that classification and allow at least 30 days for written comments, but the classification won’t follow the usual notice-and-comment rules and cannot be challenged in court until EPA takes final action on the required state plans or on sanctions. Areas already covered by other special rules are not affected by this part. EPA sets an “attainment date” for getting clean air. For health-based (primary) standards, the date must be as soon as possible but no later than 5 years after designation, and EPA can extend it up to 10 years if needed because of severity or feasibility. For secondary standards, the date is as soon as practicable after designation. A State can ask for one extra year if it has followed its plan and had only minimal violations in the prior year. EPA gives the State a schedule to submit a plan or plan update within 3 years of designation. Plans must require all reasonably available controls quickly, show reasonable further progress, include a current emissions inventory, identify and limit emissions from major new or changed sources and require permits for them, include enforceable limits and other measures (including economic tools) with schedules, and add contingency measures if progress fails. EPA can allow equivalent methods if they work as well. If EPA finds a plan is deficient, the State must fix it and meet all plan rules, and EPA will provide guidance. If EPA relaxes a primary standard after November 15, 1990, it must, within 12 months, issue controls for areas still not meeting that standard that are at least as strict as the old controls.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §7502
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)(A)On or after the date the Administrator promulgates the designation of an area as a nonattainment area pursuant to section 7407(d) of this title with respect to any national ambient air quality standard (or any revised standard, including a revision of any standard in effect on November 15, 1990), the Administrator may classify the area for the purpose of applying an attainment date pursuant to paragraph (2), and for other purposes. In determining the appropriate classification, if any, for a nonattainment area, the Administrator may consider such factors as the severity of nonattainment in such area and the availability and feasibility of the pollution control measures that the Administrator believes may be necessary to provide for attainment of such standard in such area.
(B)The Administrator shall publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing each classification under subparagraph (A), except the Administrator shall provide an opportunity for at least 30 days for written comment. Such classification shall not be subject to the provisions of sections 553 through 557 of title 5 (concerning notice and comment) and shall not be subject to judicial review until the Administrator takes final action under subsection (k) or (l) of section 7410 of this title (concerning action on plan submissions) or section 7509 of this title (concerning sanctions) with respect to any plan submissions required by virtue of such classification.
(C)This paragraph shall not apply with respect to nonattainment areas for which classifications are specifically provided under other provisions of this part.
(2)(A)The attainment date for an area designated nonattainment with respect to a national primary ambient air quality standard shall be the date by which attainment can be achieved as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than 5 years from the date such area was designated nonattainment under section 7407(d) of this title, except that the Administrator may extend the attainment date to the extent the Administrator determines appropriate, for a period no greater than 10 years from the date of designation as nonattainment, considering the severity of nonattainment and the availability and feasibility of pollution control measures.
(B)The attainment date for an area designated nonattainment with respect to a secondary national ambient air quality standard shall be the date by which attainment can be achieved as expeditiously as practicable after the date such area was designated nonattainment under section 7407(d) of this title.
(C)Upon application by any State, the Administrator may extend for 1 additional year (hereinafter referred to as the “Extension Year”) the attainment date determined by the Administrator under subparagraph (A) or (B) if—
(i)the State has complied with all requirements and commitments pertaining to the area in the applicable implementation plan, and
(ii)in accordance with guidance published by the Administrator, no more than a minimal number of exceedances of the relevant national ambient air quality standard has occurred in the area in the year preceding the Extension Year.
(D)This paragraph shall not apply with respect to nonattainment areas for which attainment dates are specifically provided under other provisions of this part.
(b)At the time the Administrator promulgates the designation of an area as nonattainment with respect to a national ambient air quality standard under section 7407(d) of this title, the Administrator shall establish a schedule according to which the State containing such area shall submit a plan or plan revision (including the plan items) meeting the applicable requirements of subsection (c) and section 7410(a)(2) of this title. Such schedule shall at a minimum, include a date or dates, extending no later than 3 years from the date of the nonattainment designation, for the submission of a plan or plan revision (including the plan items) meeting the applicable requirements of subsection (c) and section 7410(a)(2) of this title.
(c)The plan provisions (including plan items) required to be submitted under this part shall comply with each of the following:
(1)Such plan provisions shall provide for the implementation of all reasonably available control measures as expeditiously as practicable (including such reductions in emissions from existing sources in the area as may be obtained through the adoption, at a minimum, of reasonably available control technology) and shall provide for attainment of the national primary ambient air quality standards.
(2)Such plan provisions shall require reasonable further progress.
(3)Such plan provisions shall include a comprehensive, accurate, current inventory of actual emissions from all sources of the relevant pollutant or pollutants in such area, including such periodic revisions as the Administrator may determine necessary to assure that the requirements of this part are met.
(4)Such plan provisions shall expressly identify and quantify the emissions, if any, of any such pollutant or pollutants which will be allowed, in accordance with section 7503(a)(1)(B) of this title, from the construction and operation of major new or modified stationary sources in each such area. The plan shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Administrator that the emissions quantified for this purpose will be consistent with the achievement of reasonable further progress and will not interfere with attainment of the applicable national ambient air quality standard by the applicable attainment date.
(5)Such plan provisions shall require permits for the construction and operation of new or modified major stationary sources anywhere in the nonattainment area, in accordance with section 7503 of this title.
(6)Such plan provisions shall include enforceable emission limitations, and such other control measures, means or techniques (including economic incentives such as fees, marketable permits, and auctions of emission rights), as well as schedules and timetables for compliance, as may be necessary or appropriate to provide for attainment of such standard in such area by the applicable attainment date specified in this part.
(7)Such plan provisions shall also meet the applicable provisions of section 7410(a)(2) of this title.
(8)Upon application by any State, the Administrator may allow the use of equivalent modeling, emission inventory, and planning procedures, unless the Administrator determines that the proposed techniques are, in the aggregate, less effective than the methods specified by the Administrator.
(9)Such plan shall provide for the implementation of specific measures to be undertaken if the area fails to make reasonable further progress, or to attain the national primary ambient air quality standard by the attainment date applicable under this part. Such measures shall be included in the plan revision as contingency measures to take effect in any such case without further action by the State or the Administrator.
(d)Any plan revision for a nonattainment area which is required to be submitted in response to a finding by the Administrator pursuant to section 7410(k)(5) of this title (relating to calls for plan revisions) must correct the plan deficiency (or deficiencies) specified by the Administrator and meet all other applicable plan requirements of section 7410 of this title and this part. The Administrator may reasonably adjust the dates otherwise applicable under such requirements to such revision (except for attainment dates that have not yet elapsed), to the extent necessary to achieve a consistent application of such requirements. In order to facilitate submittal by the States of adequate and approvable plans consistent with the applicable requirements of this chapter, the Administrator shall, as appropriate and from time to time, issue written guidelines, interpretations, and information to the States which shall be available to the public, taking into consideration any such guidelines, interpretations, or information provided before November 15, 1990.
(e)If the Administrator relaxes a national primary ambient air quality standard after November 15, 1990, the Administrator shall, within 12 months after the relaxation, promulgate requirements applicable to all areas which have not attained that standard as of the date of such relaxation. Such requirements shall provide for controls which are not less stringent than the controls applicable to areas designated nonattainment before such relaxation.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1990—Pub. L. 101–549 amended section generally, substituting present provisions for provisions which related to: in subsec. (a), expeditious attainment of national ambient air quality standards; in subsec. (b), requisite provisions of plan; and in subsec. (c), attainment of applicable standard not later than July 1, 1987. 1977—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 95–190, § 14(a)(55), substituted “subsection (a)” for “paragraph (1)”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–190, § 14(a)(56), substituted “December 31” for “July 1”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Nonattainment Areas Pub. L. 95–95, title I, § 129(a), Aug. 7, 1977, 91 Stat. 745, as amended by Pub. L. 95–190, § 14(b)(2), (3), Nov. 16, 1977, 91 Stat. 1404, provided that: “(1) Before
July 1, 1979, the interpretative regulation of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency published in 41 Federal Register 55524–30,
December 21, 1976, as may be modified by rule of the Administrator, shall apply except that the baseline to be used for determination of appropriate emission offsets under such regulation shall be the applicable implementation plan of the State in effect at the time of application for a permit by a proposed major stationary source (within the meaning of section 302 of the Clean Air Act) [section 7602 of this title]. “(2) Before
July 1, 1979, the requirements of the regulation referred to in paragraph (1) shall be waived by the Administrator with respect to any pollutant if he determines that the State has—“(A) an inventory of emissions of the applicable pollutant for each nonattainment area (as defined in section 171 of the Clean Air Act [section 7501 of this title]) that identifies the type, quantity, and source of such pollutant so as to provide information sufficient to demonstrate that the requirements of subparagraph (C) are being met; “(B) an enforceable permit program which—“(i) requires new or modified major stationary sources to meet emission limitations at least as stringent as required under the permit requirements referred to in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 173 of the Clean Air Act [section 7503 of this title] (relating to lowest achievable emission rate and compliance by other sources) and which assures compliance with the annual reduction requirements of subparagraph (C); and “(ii) requires existing sources to achieve such reduction in emissions in the area as may be obtained through the adoption, at a minimum of reasonably available control technology, and “(C) a program which requires reductions in total allowable emissions in the area prior to
July 1, 1979, so as to provide for the same level of emission reduction as would result from the application of the regulation referred to in paragraph (1). The Administrator shall terminate such waiver if in his judgment the reduction in emissions actually being attained is less than the reduction on which the waiver was conditioned pursuant to subparagraph (C), or if the Administrator determines that the State is no longer in compliance with any requirement of this paragraph. Upon application by the State, the Administrator may reinstate a waiver terminated under the preceding sentence if he is satisfied that such State is in compliance with all requirements of this subsection. “(3) Operating permits may be issued to those applicants who were properly granted
Construction
permits, in accordance with the law and applicable
Regulations
in effect at the time granted, for
Construction
of a new or modified source in areas exceeding national primary air quality standards on or before the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 7, 1977] if such
Construction
permits were granted prior to the date of the enactment of this Act and the person issued any such permit is able to demonstrate that the emissions from the source will be within the limitations set forth in such
Construction
permit.” State Implementation Plan Revision Pub. L. 95–95, title I, § 129(c), Aug. 7, 1977, 91 Stat. 750, as amended by Pub. L. 95–190, § 14(b)(4), Nov. 16, 1977, 91 Stat. 1405, provided that: “Notwithstanding the requirements of section 406(d)(2) [set out as an
Effective Date
of 1977 Amendment note under section 7401 of this title] (relating to date required for submission of certain implementation plan revisions), for purposes of section 110(a)(2) of the Clean Air Act [section 7410(a)(2) of this title] each State in which there is any nonattainment area (as defined in part D of title I of the Clean Air Act) [this part] shall adopt and submit an implementation plan revision which meets the requirements of section 110(a)(2)(I) [section 7410(a)(2)(I) of this title] and part D of title I of the Clean Air Act [this part] not later than
January 1, 1979. In the case of any State for which a plan revision adopted and submitted before such date has made the demonstration required under section 172(a)(2) of the Clean Air Act [subsec. (a)(2) of this section] (respecting impossibility of attainment before 1983), such State shall adopt and submit to the Administrator a plan revision before
July 1, 1982, which meets the requirements of section 172(b) and (c) of such Act [subsecs. (b) and (c) of this section].”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 7502
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73