(a) The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality submitted to the EPA on August 5, 1994, a petition requesting that the nonclassifiable ozone nonattainment areas in the State of Louisiana be exempted from the requirement to meet the NO_X provisions of the Federal transportation conformity rule. The exemption request was based on monitoring data which demonstrated that the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone had been attained in this area for the 3 years prior to the petition. The parishes for which the NO_X exemption was requested include: Beauregard, Grant, Lafayette, Lafourche, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, and St. Mary. The EPA approved this exemption request on March 2, 1995.

(b) The LDEQ submitted to the EPA on November 17, 1994, a petition requesting that the Baton Rouge serious ozone nonattainment area be exempted from the NO_X control requirements of the CAA. In addition, supplemental information was submitted to the EPA by the LDEQ on January 26, 1995, June 6, 1995, and June 16, 1995. The Baton Rouge nonattainment area consists of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee, Livingston, Iberville, and Ascension Parishes. The exemption request was based on photochemical grid modeling which shows that reductions in NO_X would not contribute to attainment in the nonattainment area. On January 18, 1996, the EPA approved the State's request for an areawide exemption from the following requirements: NO_X new source review, NO_X reasonably available control technology, NO_X general conformity, and NO_X inspection and maintenance requirements.

(c) The LDEQ submitted to the EPA on July 25, 1995, a revision to the SIP, pursuant to section 182(b)(1), requesting that the Baton Rouge serious ozone nonattainment area be exempted from the transportation conformity NO_X requirements of the CAA. The Baton Rouge nonattainment area consists of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee, Livingston, Iberville, and Ascension Parishes. The exemption request was based on photochemical grid modeling which shows that additional reductions in NO_X would not contribute to attainment in the nonattainment area. On February 12, 1996, the EPA approved the State's request for an areawide exemption from the transportation conformity NO_X requirements.

(d) The LDEQ submitted to the EPA on October 28, 1994, a petition requesting that the Lake Charles marginal ozone nonattainment area be exempted from the NO_X control requirements of the Act. The Lake Charles nonattainment area consists of Calcasieu Parish. The exemption request was based on photochemical grid modeling which shows that reductions in NO_X would not contribute to attainment in the nonattainment area. On May 27, 1997, the EPA approved the State's request for an area-wide exemption from the following requirements: NO_X new source review, NO_X general conformity, and NO_X transportation conformity requirements. The waiver was granted on the basis of modeling, and ambient air quality data demonstrating the area has attained the ozone NAAQS.

(e) On September 24, 2001, and on December 31, 2001, the LDEQ requested that EPA rescind the Baton Rouge section 182(f) and 182(b)(1) NO_X exemptions that were approved by EPA, and published in the Federal Register on January 26, 1996 (61 FR 2438), and February 27, 1996 (61 FR 7218). The State based its request on photochemical grid modeling recently performed for the Baton Rouge State Implementation Plan (SIP) which indicates that controlling NO_X sources will assist in bringing the Baton Rouge area into attainment with the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone. On May 7, 2002, EPA proposed approval of the State's request to rescind both NO_X exemptions. Based on our review of the State's request and the supporting photochemical grid modeling the NO_X exemptions are rescinded on May 5, 2003.