Coachella Valley Breathes Easy: Ozone Standards Met on Time
Published Date: 1/15/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA says Coachella Valley in Riverside County met the 1997 ozone pollution standards by June 15, 2025, thanks to cleaner air from 2022 to 2024. This means the area is on track to keep the air healthier, and folks living or working there can breathe a little easier. The EPA is asking for public comments until February 17, 2026, before making this official.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
EPA: Coachella Valley Met 1997 Ozone Standard
The EPA is proposing that Coachella Valley (Riverside County, CA) attained the 1997 ozone standard by its June 15, 2025 attainment date based on quality-assured monitoring from 2022 through 2024. If finalized, this means people living or working in the Coachella Valley experienced air quality that met the 1997 ozone limit as of June 15, 2025.
Contingency Measures Would Not Be Triggered
If the EPA finalizes the finding that Coachella Valley attained the 1997 ozone standard by June 15, 2025, attainment contingency measures and Reasonable Further Progress contingency measures for the 1997 ozone NAAQS would never be required to be implemented for that area. That means measures that would have been automatically triggered after a failure to attain would not be needed in the Coachella Valley for this standard.
No CAA Section 185 Fees Will Be Collected
If the EPA finalizes the proposed determination that Coachella Valley attained the 1997 ozone NAAQS by June 15, 2025, the Coachella Valley would not collect Clean Air Act (CAA) section 185 fees for that standard. In other words, liable sources in the Coachella Valley would not be required to pay those section 185 fees tied to failure to attain the 1997 ozone NAAQS.
Tribal Lands Not Covered by This Determination
The EPA's proposed determination applies to parts of the Coachella Valley under State jurisdiction and would not apply to Tribal land; areas of Indian country within the Coachella Valley remained classified as Severe rather than Extreme. Tribal areas therefore are not covered by this proposed attainment determination for the 1997 ozone NAAQS.
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