Yesterday, June 6, 2017, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt
announced a one-year delay of EPA's final designation of areas
under the 2015 ozone standard. The 2015 standard was issued on
October 26, 2015 and tightened the existing 2008 standard from 75
ppb to 70 ppb. In general, EPA is required to issue designations
within two years of publication of a new standard. Designations for
the 2015 standard were originally due by this October, and EPA
would have been required to preview for the states its intended
designations at least 120 days in advance of the October deadline
– by this August.
Section 107(d) of the Clean Air act explicitly authorizes EPA to
extend the timeframe for final area designations by up to one year
"in the event the Administrator has insufficient information
to promulgate the designations." Pruitt sent a letter to state
governors announcing the extension of the designation deadline that
states, "I have determined that there is
