EPA has proposed to determine that the Milwaukee-Racine, Wisconsin area had attained the 2006 24-hour fine particle (2006 PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and to more clearly explain EPA’s interpretation on the applicability of CFR 51.1004(c) to the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS.
As background, on April 24, 2012, EPA published a proposed determination that the Milwaukee-Racine, Wisconsin area had attained the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA received comments on the original proposal suggesting that the suspension of certain Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements cannot be applied in this instance because it only pertains to the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS and not to the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS. As a result, EPA has reproposed portion of the original proposed determination to address this issue. EPA plans to address all comments received on the original proposal and the current reproposal in the Federal Register final notice. Comments must be received on or before January 28, 2013.