Countywide air quality protection; authority of counties designated as nonattainment areas; preemption of municipal ordinances.

(1) The board of county commissioners of any county which is designated, in whole or in part, as a nonattainment area for air quality pursuant to state and federal law is hereby authorized and empowered, in its discretion, to provide by ordinance for countywide protection of air quality. In furtherance of this purpose, the board of county commissioners of such county shall have the following powers:

(a) To act as the local implementing authority of a nonattainment plan promulgated and adopted pursuant to state and federal law.

(b) To adopt, revise, and amend, from time to time, appropriate ordinances, rules, and regulations reasonably necessary to maintain air quality standards established pursuant to state and federal law, including the federal Clean Air Act.

(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the authority granted in subsection (1) shall vest in such county, and, when exercised by the county, any municipality is hereby preempted from adoption of an ordinance pertaining to air quality upon the designation set forth in subsection (1).

(3) No county is authorized by this act to promulgate any air quality standard more stringent than any state or federal standard as to any particular pollutant. Nothing herein shall be construed to modify any authority granted by an existing special act pertaining to air quality control.