EPA adopts final phase of nitrogen oxide rule for eastern states

WASHINGTON (April 2) -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Leavitt signed a rule April 1 that will reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions, helping eastern states achieve air quality standards for ground-level ozone.

The rule completes the second and final phase of the Nitrogen Oxides State Implementation Plan Call. The NOx SIP Call, as it is also known, is intended to reduce about one million tons of nitrogen oxide, according to the EPA. The rule requires states that submitted plans to meet the first phase of NOx SIP Call budgets to submit phase two revisions to achieve necessary additional nitrogen oxide reductions.

Georgia and Missouri must meet the full budgets since they were not required to submit phase one State Implementation Plans. For a copy of the rule, visit www.epa.gov/airlinks/airlinks2.html.