Vtc 1997

[Rosita Westhouse]

July12, 2021 - Final Rule - EPA issues a final rule to confirm for the public and state air agencies that nine areas attained the1997 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by their respective attainment dates. This action recognizes the effort these areas took to address ozone air quality and ensures that they will not be subject to consequences for not attaining the standards as required. The areas are:

December 3, 2020 - Withdrawal of Direct Final Rule - EPA is withdrawing its direct final rule published on October 9, 2020, intended to codify in 40 CFR part 52 and confirm for the public and state air agencies that nine areas in four states attained the revoked 1997 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards by their respective attainment dates. EPA will consider an adverse comment received on the parallel proposal published on the same day, and will include a written response to the comment in a subsequent final rule. Read the withdrawal notice.

August 31, 2020 - Direct Final Rule with Parallel Proposal - EPA confirms for the public and state air agencies that nine areas attained the1997 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by their respective attainment dates.

Implementing the 1997 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

April 27, 2012 - This final action revises the 2004 rule that specified the first phase of requirements that state, tribal and local air pollution control agencies would follow to meet the 1997 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards. As a result of this action, the Clean Air Act classifications for 16 areas of the U.S. will be revised.

EPA proposes revisions to the reasonable further progress requirements for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard.

December 15, 2010 - EPA is proposing to revise an earlier interpretation of its rule regarding requirements for Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) State Implementation Plans, and is also seeking comment on retaining the existing RFP approach.

EPA Issues Guidance for Fee Collection Programs - 1997 1-hour Ozone Standard

January 5, 2010 - EPA issued a guidance memorandum to help states develop fee collection programs for the 1-hour standard.

EPA Completes Revisions to 1997 8-Hour Ozone Implementation Phase 2 Rule to Address Vacatur and Remand of Reasonable Further Progress Credits

August 5, 2009 - This final rule will allow states to take credit for reductions of Volatile Organic Compound and nitrogen oxides emissions outside of a nonattainment area if the state can demonstrate that those reductions would help the nonattainment area meet its reasonable further progress goals.

SUMMARY: By this Notice, OMB is announcing its decision concerning the revision of Statistical Policy Directive No. 15, Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting. OMB is accepting the recommendations of the Interagency Committee for the Review of the Racial and Ethnic Standards with the following two modifications: (1) the Asian or Pacific Islander category will be separated into two categories -- "Asian" and "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander," and (2) the term "Hispanic" will be changed to "Hispanic or Latino."

The revised standards will have five minimum categories for data on race: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White. There will be two categories for data on ethnicity: "Hispanic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic or Latino."

The Supplementary Information in this Notice provides background information on the standards (Section A); a summary of the comprehensive review process that began in July 1993 (Section B); a brief synopsis of the public comments OMB received on the recommendations for changes to the standards in response to the July 9, 1997, Federal Register Notice (Section C); OMB's decisions on the specific recommendations of the Interagency Committee (Section D); and information on the work that is underway on tabulation issues associated with the reporting of multiple race responses (Section E).

EFFECTIVE DATE: The new standards will be used by the Bureau of the Census in the 2000 decennial census. Other Federal programs should adopt the standards as soon as possible, but not later than January 1, 2003, for use in household surveys, administrative forms and records, and other data collections. In addition, OMB has approved the use of the new standards by the Bureau of the Census in the "Dress Rehearsal" for Census 2000 scheduled to be conducted in March 1998.

For more than 20 years, the current standards in OMB's Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 have provided a common language to promote uniformity and comparability for data on race and ethnicity for the population groups specified in the Directive. They were developed in cooperation with Federal agencies to provide consistent data on race and ethnicity throughout the Federal Government. Development of the data standards stemmed in large measure from new responsibilities to enforce civil rights laws. Data were needed to monitor equal access in housing, education, employment, and other areas, for populations that historically had experienced discrimination and differential treatment because of their race or ethnicity. The standards are used not only in the decennial census (which provides the data for the "denominator" for many measures), but also in household surveys, on administrative forms (e.g., school registration and mortgage lending applications), and in medical and other research. The categories represent a social-political construct designed for collecting data on the race and ethnicity of broad population groups in this country, and are not anthropologically or scientifically based.

Particularly since the 1990 census, the standards have come under increasing criticism from those who believe that the minimum categories set forth in Directive No. 15 do not reflect the increasing diversity of our Nation's population that has resulted primarily from growth in immigration and in interracial marriages. In response to the criticisms, OMB announced in July 1993 that it would undertake a comprehensive review of the current categories for data on race and ethnicity.

This review has been conducted over the last four years in collaboration with the Interagency Committee for the Review of the Racial and Ethnic Standards, which OMB established in March 1994 to facilitate the participation of Federal agencies in the review. The members of the Interagency Committee, from more than 30 agencies, represent the many and diverse Federal needs for data on race and ethnicity, including statutory requirements for such data. The Interagency Committee developed the following principles to govern the review process:

1. The racial and ethnic categories set forth in the standards should not be interpreted as being primarily biological or genetic in reference. Race and ethnicity may be thought of in terms of social and cultural characteristics as well as ancestry.

2. Respect for individual dignity should guide the processes and methods for collecting data on race and ethnicity; ideally, respondent self-identification should be facilitated to the greatest extent possible, recognizing that in some data collection systems observer identification is more practical.

3. To the extent practicable, the concepts and terminology should reflect clear and generally understood definitions that can achieve broad public acceptance. To assure they are reliable, meaningful, and understood by respondents and observers, the racial and ethnic categories set forth in the standard should be developed using appropriate scientific methodologies, including the social sciences.

5. Foremost consideration should be given to data aggregations by race and ethnicity that are useful for statistical analysis and program administration and assessment, bearing in mind that the standards are not intended to be used to establish eligibility for participation in any federal program.

6. The standards should be developed to meet, at a minimum, Federal legislative and programmatic requirements. Consideration should also be given to needs at the State and local government levels, including American Indian tribal and Alaska Native village governments, as well as to general societal needs for these data.

7. The categories should set forth a minimum standard; additional categories should be permitted provided they can be aggregated to the standard categories. The number of standard categories should be kept to a manageable size, determined by statistical concerns and data needs.

9. Any changes in the categories should be based on sound methodological research and should include evaluations of the impact of any changes not only on the usefulness of the resulting data but also on the comparability of any new categories with the existing ones.

10. Any revision to the categories should provide for a crosswalk at the time of adoption between the old and the new categories so that historical data series can be statistically adjusted and comparisons can be made.

11. Because of the many and varied needs and strong interdependence of Federal agencies for racial and ethnic data, any changes to the existing categories should be the product of an interagency collaborative effort.

13. The new directive should be applicable throughout the U.S. Federal statistical system. The standard or standards must be usable for the decennial census, current surveys, and administrative records, including those using observer identification.

The principal objective of the review has been to enhance the accuracy of the demographic information collected by the Federal Government. The starting point for the review was the minimum set of categories for data on race and ethnicity that have provided information for more than 20 years for a variety of purposes, and the recognition of the importance of being able to maintain this historical continuity. The review process has had two major elements: (1) public comment on the present standards, which helped to identify concerns and provided numerous suggestions for changing the standards; and (2) research and testing related to assessing the possible effects of suggested changes on the quality and usefulness of the resulting data.

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