Air Plan Approval; Maryland; Clean Data Determination for the Baltimore, MD Nonattainment Area for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Document 2026-10755 is a Final Rule published by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register on May 29, 2026, with an effective date of June 29, 2026. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that the Baltimore, Maryland (MD) nonattainment area (the Baltimore Area or the Area) has clean data for the 2015 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or standard). This determination is based upon quality-assured, quality-controlled, and certified ambient air monitoring data for the 2022-2024 design value (DV) period showing that the Baltimore Area attained the 2015 ozone NAAQS, with the exclusion of certain monitoring data impacted by exceptional events. The EPA is taking final agency action on portions of three exceptional event (EE) requests submitted by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) on February 2, 2024, on behalf of MD, and concurred on by the EPA on November 12, 2025. As a result of the clean data determination (CDD), under the EPA's Clean Data Policy, the EPA is suspending the requirements for the Baltimore Area to submit attainment demonstrations and associated Reasonably Available Control Measures (RACM), Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) plans, contingency measures, and other planning SIPs related to attainment of the 2015 ozone NAAQS, for as long as the Baltimore Area continues to attain the standard. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10755/air-plan-approval-maryland-clean-data-determination-for-the-baltimore-md-nonattainment-area-for-the.

No. Document 2026-10755 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.