Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed revisions to portions of the Biden EPA’s January 2025 final rule, which required states to keep certain State Implementation Plan (SIP) requirements tied to an area’s prior ozone nonattainment classification under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), even after that area had been reclassified. The Trump EPA’s proposed changes will realign the agency’s approach to SIPs with the intent of the Clean Air Act (CAA), allowing states to focus their planning on further air quality improvements rather than on unnecessary paperwork.
“Part of cooperative federalism means listening to our regulatory partners about what is working and what is not. Unsurprisingly, the Biden-era rule is causing more confusion, more headaches, more pointless paperwork, but not cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “If finalized, our proposal will help state, local, and Tribal air regulators focus resources on measured, relevant Clean Air Act requirements. This proposal is working to ensure EPA is implementing the best reading of the law in a way that is firmly grounded in statute and that provides cleaner air for all Americans.”
Under the Biden-era final rule, upon reclassification, states were still required to continue with certain planning requirements of a SIP associated with the previous lower classification of an area. This forced states to dedicate time and resources towards burdensome legacy requirements instead of obtaining tangible new results. The Trump EPA’s changes would ensure that states are no longer punished for improving air quality by clarifying that an area’s current ozone classification level, not a previous one, is the only determinant of SIP requirements. Specifically, the agency is proposing that planning requirements are cumulative upon reclassification and do not need to be duplicated each time.
The proposed changes are consistent with the CAA that states an area can only be subject to a single classification at a given time. If finalized, EPA’s state, local, and Tribal air regulatory partners will be given renewed flexibility to better tailor their air quality strategies to current conditions, enhancing protections for human health and the environment, while reducing administrative confusion.
Today’s proposal applies to all past and future reclassifications associated with the 2008, 2015, and any future ozone NAAQS. EPA is not proposing to reconsider any of the SIP submittal or implementation deadlines established in the Biden EPA’s January 2025 rulemaking. EPA will hold a 30-day public comment period. The proposal can be found on EPA’s website.
