A California county bit off more than it could chew on its ozone implementation plan, and the federal EPA is giving it a reprieve.

The EPA on Monday announced it has finalized approval of a revision to the California State Implementation Plan, in response to a request from the California Air Resources Board, to gradually reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from pesticides in Ventura County.

The decision is important to other U.S. counties because it signifies the federal agency could show a little leniency with state implementation plans when the new, stricter ozone rules go into effect. Some observers have estimated as many as 80 percent of U.S. counties could be out of attainment under the new proposed levels.

The board had requested that the EPA revise the Ventura County portion of its California State Implementation Plan for ozone  because the state was unable to achieve by 2005 all of the pesticide VOC reductions it had committed to. The board believes it will be able to achieve the full commitment by 2012.

The agency said it will publish the final approval in the Federal Register within a few weeks.

For more information, visit: www.epa.gov/region09/air/actions/ca.html and scroll down to "Ventura."