The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a final guidance document to assist air agencies in preparing State Implementation Plans for areas that do not meet air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter. This guidance focuses on ensuring that plans include contingency measures, which are required actions that will be implemented if a state fails to meet air quality goals. The document includes updated methods for calculating these measures, provides guidance on creating justifications if feasible measures cannot be found, and suggests changes to the timing of implementing these measures after a triggering event. Public comments were considered in finalizing this guidance.
Simple Explanation
The EPA has shared a guide to help states make plans for places with dirty air, like too much smoke or smog, and these plans must include backup actions just in case the air doesn't get cleaner as planned. The guide explains new ways to handle these backup actions but uses some tricky words and ideas that might be hard for everyone to understand.