Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; Kentucky: Redesignation of Boyd County, Kentucky Portion of the Huntington-Ashland 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area to Attainment for Ozone

EPA is taking final action to approve a request, submitted on September 29, 2006, from the Commonwealth of Kentucky (Kentucky), through the Kentucky Division for Air Quality (KDAQ), to redesignate the Kentucky portion of the bi-state Huntington-Ashland 8-hour ozone nonattainment area to attainment for the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The Kentucky portion of the bi-state Huntington-Ashland 8-hour ozone nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as ``Boyd County'') is comprised of one county in Kentucky (Boyd County) and two counties in West Virginia (Cabell and Wayne Counties). EPA's approval of Kentucky's redesignation request is based upon the determination that Kentucky has demonstrated that Boyd County has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment specified in the Clean Air Act (CAA), including the determination that the entire (including both the Kentucky and West Virginia counties) bi-state Huntington-Ashland 8- hour ozone nonattainment area has attained the 8-hour ozone standard. Additionally, EPA is approving a revision to the Kentucky State Implementation Plan (SIP) including the 8-hour ozone maintenance plan for Boyd County that contains the new 2018 motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Through this action, EPA is also finding the 2018 MVEBs adequate for the purposes of transportation conformity. On May 17, 2006, the State of West Virginia submitted a redesignation request and maintenance plan through a separate action. The final rulemaking approving the West Virginia submittal was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2006. MVEBs for Cabell and Wayne Counties in West Virginia were approved through EPA's September 15, 2006, action.