Court Settlement Puts EPA on a Schedule to Complete NAAQS Reviews, May 19, 2003
EPA has agreed to a schedule for reviewing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter and ozone in a court settlement with the American Lung Association® and a coalition environmental groups.
The settlement agreement compels EPA to complete its review of the particulate matter standards by December 2005 and to complete the review of the ozone standards by December 2006.
The air quality standards were last revised in 1997, and the Clean Air Act requires EPA to re-examine them every five years in light of the latest science.
Health and environmental groups sued EPA in March 2003 contending that the Agency had missed the deadlines for publication of the revised Criteria Documents and for completion of the reviews for particulate matter and ozone.
The settlement agreement filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia lays out a detailed schedule for the completion of the reviews for each pollutant. EPA obligations under the court order are shown in italics.
Particulate Matter
By June 30, 2003 — 4th draft Criteria Document issued
By August 31, 2003 — 1st Draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment issued
By August 31, 2003 — CASAC meeting to review 4th draft Criteria Document
By November 30, 2003 — CASAC meeting to review 1st draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment
December 19, 2003 — Final Criteria Document issued
By April 30, 2004 — 2nd draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment issued
By July 31, 2004 — CASAC meeting to review 2nd draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment
By September 30, 2004 — Final Staff Paper and Risk Assessment issued
March 31, 2005 — Proposed rule (including review of PM standards, any revisions, and new standards) signed for Federal Register
December 20, 2005 — Final Rule signed for Federal Register
Ozone
By September 30, 2003 — 1st draft Criteria Document
By January 31, 2004 — CASAC meeting to review 1st draft Criteria Document
By June 30, 2004 — 2nd draft Criteria Document and 1st draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment
By October 31, 2004 — CASAC meeting to review 2nd draft Criteria Document and 1st draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment
December 20, 2004 — Final Criteria Document issued
By March 31, 2005 — 2nd draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment
By June 30, 2005 — CASAC meeting to review 2nd draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment
By September 30, 2005 — Final Staff Paper and Risk Assessment issued
March 31, 2006 — Proposed rule signed for Federal Register
December 20, 2006 — Final rule signed for Federal Register
Proposed and Final rules must be published in Federal Register ten days after the rules are signed.
A copy of the proposed consent decree is attached.
Attachments
- NAAQS Consent Decree
- consentdecree-1.pdf
May 19, 1003 Consent Decree on NAAQS Review Deadlines
