Comments on EPA Proposal to Designate New Nonattainment Areas]
Gao ID: B-208593.3 August 2, 1988In response to a congressional request, GAO commented on an amendment to a continuing resolution, specifically whether it supported the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposals to: (1) redesignate some attainment areas as nonattainment; and (2) expand the boundaries of existing ozone and carbon monoxide nonattainment areas to encompass the outlying portions of some larger metropolitan areas. GAO believes that: (1) EPA should present its proposed list of nonattainment areas to the state governors and request action under the Clean Air Act statutory process; and (2) the amendment contained no authority for EPA to attach nonattainment status to localities whose air quality met the standards by annexing them to nonattainment areas.