Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; Indiana; Redesignation of Vigo County 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area to Attainment for Ozone, 70751-70761 [05-23221]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 23, 2005 / Proposed Rules
without prior proposal because we
believe these SIP revisions are not
controversial. If we receive adverse
comments, however, we will publish a
timely withdrawal of the direct final
rule and address the comments in
subsequent action based on this
proposed rule. Please note that if we
receive adverse comment on an
amendment, paragraph, or section of
this rule and if that provision may be
severed from the remainder of the rule,
we may adopt as final those provisions
of the rule that are not the subject of an
adverse comment.
We do not plan to open a second
comment period, so anyone interested
in commenting should do so at this
time. If we do not receive adverse
comments, no further activity is
planned. For further information, please
see the direct final action.
Dated: October 26, 2005.
Jane Diamond,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 05–23089 Filed 11–22–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Parts 52 and 81
[R05–OAR–2005–IN–0010; FRL–8001–5]
Approval and Promulgation of
Implementation Plans and Designation
of Areas for Air Quality Planning
Purposes; Indiana; Redesignation of
Vigo County 8-Hour Ozone
Nonattainment Area to Attainment for
Ozone
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to make a
determination that the Vigo County
ozone nonattainment area has attained
the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air
Quality Standard (NAAQS). This
proposed determination is based on
three years of complete, quality-assured
ambient air quality monitoring data for
the 2002–2004 seasons that demonstrate
that the 8-hour ozone NAAQS has been
attained in the area.
EPA is proposing to approve a request
from the State of Indiana to redesignate
Vigo County to attainment of the 8-hour
ozone NAAQS. This request was
submitted by the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management (IDEM) on
July 5, 2005 and supplemented on
October 20, 2005 and November 4, 2005.
In proposing to approve this request,
EPA is also proposing to approve the
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State’s plan for maintaining the 8-hour
ozone NAAQS in this area through 2015
as a revision to the Indiana State
Implementation Plan (SIP). EPA is also
finding adequate and is proposing to
approve the State’s 2015 Motor Vehicle
Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for this area.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before December 23, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments,
identified by Regional Material in
EDocket (RME) ID No. R05–OAR–2005–
IN–0010, by one of the following
methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
2. Agency Web site: https://
docket.epa.gov/rmepub/. RME, EPA’s
electronic public docket and comments
system, is EPA’s preferred method for
receiving comments. Once in the
system, select ‘‘quick search,’’ then key
in the appropriate RME Docket
identification number. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
3. E-mail: mooney.john@epa.gov.
4. Fax: (312) 886–5824.
5. Mail: You may send written
comments to: John M. Mooney, Chief,
Air Programs Branch Criteria Pollutant
Section, (AR–18J), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West
Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois
60604.
6. Hand delivery: Deliver your
comments to: John M. Mooney, Chief,
Air Programs Branch Criteria Pollutant
Section, (AR–18J), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West
Jackson Boulevard, 18th floor, Chicago,
Illinois 60604. Such deliveries are only
accepted during the Regional Office’s
normal hours of operation. The Regional
Office’s official hours of business are
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. excluding Federal holidays.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
RME ID No. R05–OAR–2005–IN–0010.
EPA’s policy is that all comments
received will be included in the public
docket without change, including any
personal information provided and may
be made available online at https://
docket.epa.gov/rmepub/, unless the
comment includes information claimed
to be Confidential Business Information
(CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do
not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected through RME, regulations.gov,
or e-mail. The EPA RME Web site and
the federal regulations.gov Web site are
‘‘anonymous access’’ systems, which
means EPA will not know your identity
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70751
or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment.
If you send an e-mail comment directly
to EPA without going through RME or
regulations.gov, your e-mail address
will be automatically captured and
included as part of the comment that is
placed in the public docket and made
available on the Internet. If you submit
an electronic comment, EPA
recommends that you include your
name and other contact information in
the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA
cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact
you for clarification, EPA may not be
able to consider your comment.
Electronic files should avoid the use of
special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or
viruses.
Docket: All documents in the
electronic docket are listed in the RME
index at https://docket.epa.gov/rmepub/.
Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available,
i.e., CBI or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, is not placed on
the Internet and will be publicly
available only in hard copy form.
Publicly available docket materials are
available either electronically in RME or
in hard copy at the Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, Air and
Radiation Division, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604. We
recommend that you telephone Steve
Rosenthal, Environmental Engineer, at
(312) 886–6052 before visiting the
Region 5 office. This Facility is open
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday, excluding Federal
holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steve Rosenthal, Environmental
Engineer, Criteria Pollutant Section, Air
Programs Branch (AR–18J), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,
Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886–6052,
rosenthal.steven@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document whenever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
EPA.
Table of Contents
I. What Actions Is EPA Proposing to Take?
II. What Is the Background for These
Actions?
III. What Are the Criteria for Redesignation?
IV. Why Is EPA Proposing to Take These
Actions?
V. What Would Be the Effect of These
Actions?
VI. What Is EPA’s Analysis of the Request?
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A. Attainment Determination and
Redesignation
B. Adequacy of Indiana’s Motor Vehicle
Emission Budgets (MVEBs)
VII. Proposed Actions
VIII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. What Actions Is EPA Proposing to
Take?
EPA is proposing to take several
related actions. EPA is proposing to
make a determination that the Vigo
County, Indiana nonattainment area has
attained the 8-hour ozone standard and
that Vigo County has met the
requirements for redesignation under
section 107(d)(3)(E). EPA is thus
proposing to approve the request to
change the legal designation of the Vigo
County area from nonattainment to
attainment for the 8-hour ozone
NAAQS. EPA is also proposing to
approve Indiana’s maintenance plan SIP
revision for Vigo County (such approval
being one of the CAA criteria for
redesignation to attainment status). The
maintenance plan is designed to keep
Vigo County in attainment of the ozone
NAAQS for the next 10 years.
Additionally, EPA is announcing its
action on the Adequacy Process for the
newly-established 2015 MVEBs. The
Adequacy comment period for the 2015
MVEBs began on July 12, 2005, with
EPA’s posting of the availability of this
submittal on EPA’s Adequacy Web site
(at https://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/
conform/adequacy.htm). The Adequacy
comment period for these MVEBs ended
on August 11, 2005. No requests for this
submittal or adverse comments on this
submittal were received during the
Adequacy comment period. Please see
the Adequacy Section of this
rulemaking for further explanation on
this process. Therefore, we are finding
adequate and proposing to approve the
State’s 2015 MVEBs for transportation
conformity purposes.
II. What Is the Background for These
Actions?
Ground-level ozone is not emitted
directly by sources. Rather, emissions of
nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) react in the
presence of sunlight to form groundlevel ozone. NOX and VOCs are referred
to as precursors of ozone.
The CAA establishes a process for air
quality management through the
NAAQS. Vigo County was designated
unclassifiable/attainment under the 1hour ozone NAAQS, which was revoked
on June 15, 2005. On July 18, 1997, EPA
promulgated a revised 8-hour ozone
standard of 0.08 parts per million
(ppm). This new standard is more
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stringent than the previous 1-hour
standard.
On April 30, 2004 (69 FR 23857), EPA
published a final rule designating and
classifying areas under the 8-hour ozone
NAAQS. These designations and
classifications became effective June 15,
2004. The CAA required EPA to
designate as nonattainment any area
that was violating the 8-hour ozone
NAAQS based on the three most recent
years (2001–2003) of air quality data.
The CAA contains two sets of
provisions—subpart 1 and subpart 2—
that address planning and control
requirements for nonattainment areas.
(Both are found in title I, part D.)
Subpart 1 (which EPA refers to as
‘‘basic’’ nonattainment) contains
general, less prescriptive, requirements
for nonattainment areas for any
pollutant—including ozone—governed
by a NAAQS. Subpart 2 (which EPA
refers to as ‘‘classified’’ nonattainment)
provides more specific requirements for
ozone nonattainment areas. Some ozone
nonattainment areas are subject only to
the provisions of subpart 1. Other ozone
nonattainment areas are also subject to
the provisions of subpart 2. Under
EPA’s 8-hour ozone implementation
rule, signed on April 15, 2004, (69 FR
23951) an area was classified under
subpart 2 based on its 8-hour ozone
design value (i.e., the 3-year average
annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8hour average ozone concentration), if it
had a 1-hour design value at or above
0.121 ppm (the lowest 1-hour design
value in Table 1 of subpart 2). All other
areas are covered under subpart 1, based
upon their 8-hour design values. Vigo
County was designated as a subpart 1,
8-hour ozone nonattainment area by
EPA on April 30, 2004, (69 FR 23857)
based on air quality monitoring data
from 2001–2003.
Under EPA regulations at 40 CFR part
50, the 8-hour ozone standard is
attained when the 3-year average of the
annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8hour average ozone concentrations is
less than or equal to 0.08 ppm (i.e.,
0.084 ppm) when rounding is
considered. 40 CFR 50.10 and Appendix
I. See 69 FR 23857 (April 30, 2004) for
further information. The data
completeness requirement is met when
the average percent of days with valid
ambient monitoring data is greater than
90%, and no single year has less than
75% data completeness as determined
in Appendix I of Part 50.
On July 5, 2005, Indiana requested
that EPA redesignate Vigo County to
attainment for the 8-hour ozone
standard. This request was
supplemented with submittals dated
October 20, 2005 and November 4, 2005.
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The redesignation request included
three years of complete, quality-assured
data for the period of 2002 through
2004, indicating the 8-hour NAAQS for
ozone had been attained for Vigo
County. Under the CAA, nonattainment
areas may be redesignated to attainment
if sufficient complete, quality-assured
data are available for the Administrator
to determine that the area has attained
the standard and the area meets the
other CAA redesignation requirements
in section 107(d)(3)(E).
III. What Are the Criteria for
Redesignation?
The CAA provides the requirements
for redesignating a nonattainment area
to attainment. Specifically, section
107(d)(3)(E) allows for redesignation
providing that: (1) The Administrator
determines that the area has attained the
applicable NAAQS; (2) the
Administrator has fully approved the
applicable implementation plan for the
area under section 110(k); (3) the
Administrator determines that the
improvement in air quality is due to
permanent and enforceable reductions
in emissions resulting from
implementation of the applicable SIP
and applicable Federal air pollutant
control regulations and other permanent
and enforceable reductions; (4) the
Administrator has fully approved a
maintenance plan for the area as
meeting the requirements of section
175A; and (5) the state containing such
area has met all requirements applicable
to the area under section 110 and part
D.
EPA provided guidance on
redesignation in the General Preamble
for the Implementation of Title I of the
CAA Amendments of 1990, on April 16,
1992 (57 FR 13498), and supplemented
this guidance on April 28, 1992 (57 FR
18070). EPA has provided further
guidance on processing redesignation
requests in the following documents:
‘‘Ozone and Carbon Monoxide Design
Value Calculations’’, Memorandum
from William G. Laxton, Director
Technical Support Division, June 18,
1990;
‘‘Maintenance Plans for Redesignation
of Ozone and Carbon Monoxide
Nonattainment Areas,’’ Memorandum
from G. T. Helms, Chief, Ozone/Carbon
Monoxide Programs Branch, April 30,
1992;
‘‘Contingency Measures for Ozone
and Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Redesignations,’’ Memorandum from G.
T. Helms, Chief, Ozone/Carbon
Monoxide Programs Branch, June 1,
1992;
‘‘Procedures for Processing Requests
to Redesignate Areas to Attainment,’’
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Memorandum from John Calcagni,
Director, Air Quality Management
Division, September 4, 1992;
‘‘State Implementation Plan (SIP)
Actions Submitted in Response to Clean
Air Act (ACT) Deadlines,’’
Memorandum from John Calcagni,
Director, Air Quality Management
Division, October 28, 1992;
‘‘Technical Support Documents
(TSD’s) for Redesignation Ozone and
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Nonattainment
Areas,’’ Memorandum from G. T. Helms,
Chief, Ozone/Carbon Monoxide
Programs Branch, August 17, 1993;
‘‘State Implementation Plan (SIP)
Requirements for Areas Submitting
Requests for Redesignation to
Attainment of the Ozone and Carbon
Monoxide (CO) National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS) On or After
November 15, 1992,’’ Memorandum
from Michael H. Shapiro, Acting
Assistant Administrator for Air and
Radiation, September 17, 1993;
‘‘Use of Actual Emissions in
Maintenance Demonstrations for Ozone
and CO Nonattainment Areas,’’
Memorandum from D. Kent Berry,
Acting Director, Air Quality
Management Division, to Air Division
Directors, Regions 1–10, dated
November 30, 1993.
‘‘Part D New Source Review (part D
NSR) Requirements for Areas
Requesting Redesignation to
Attainment,’’ Memorandum from Mary
D. Nichols, Assistant Administrator for
Air and Radiation, October 14, 1994;
and
‘‘Reasonable Further Progress,
Attainment Demonstration, and Related
Requirements for Ozone Nonattainment
Areas Meeting the Ozone National
Ambient Air Quality Standard,’’
Memorandum from John S. Seitz,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning
and Standards, May 10, 1995.
IV. Why Is EPA Proposing To Take
These Actions?
On July 5, 2005, Indiana requested
redesignation of Vigo County to
attainment for the 8-hour ozone
standard. Indiana supplemented this
request with submittals dated October
20, 2005 and November 4, 2005. EPA
believes that the area has attained the
standard and has met the requirements
for redesignation set forth in section
107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA.
V. What Would Be the Effect of These
Actions?
Approval of the redesignation request
and maintenance plan would change the
official designation of the area for the 8hour ozone NAAQS found at 40 CFR
part 81. It would also incorporate into
the Indiana SIP a plan for maintaining
the 8-hour ozone NAAQS through 2015.
The maintenance plan includes
contingency measures to remedy future
violations of the 8-hour NAAQS, and
establishes MVEBs for the year 2015 of
2.48 tons per day (tpd) VOC and 3.67
tpd NOX for Vigo County.
VI. What Is EPA’s Analysis of the
Request?
A. Attainment Determination and
Redesignation
EPA is proposing to making a
determination that the Vigo County
nonattainment area has attained the 8hour ozone standard and that the area
has met all other applicable section
107(d)(3)(E) redesignation criteria. The
basis for EPA’s determinations is as
follows:
1. The Area Has Attained the 8-hour
Ozone NAAQS (Section 107(d)(3)(E)(i))
EPA is proposing to make a
determination that Vigo County has
attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. For
70753
ozone, an area may be considered to be
attaining the 8-hour ozone NAAQS if
there are no violations, as determined in
accordance with 40 CFR 50.10 and
Appendix I, based on three complete,
consecutive calendar years of qualityassured air quality monitoring data. To
attain this standard, the 3-year average
of the fourth-highest daily maximum 8hour average ozone concentrations
measured at each monitor within an
area over each year must not exceed
0.08 ppm. Based on the rounding
convention described in 40 CFR Part 50,
Appendix I, the standard is attained if
the design value is 0.084 ppm or below.
The data must be collected and qualityassured in accordance with 40 CFR part
58, and recorded in Aerometric
Information Retrieval System (AIRS).
The monitors generally should have
remained at the same location for the
duration of the monitoring period
required for demonstrating attainment.
IDEM submitted ozone monitoring
data for the 2002 to 2004 ozone seasons.
The State quality assures monitoring
data in accordance with 40 CFR 58.10
and the Indiana Quality Assurance
Manual and records the data in the
AIRS database, thus making the data
publicly available. IDEM operates two
ozone monitors in Vigo County: Terre
Haute and Sandcut. The data for 2002–
2004 have been quality assured and are
recorded in AIRS. For the Terre Haute
monitor, data completeness averaged
98%, 98%, and 100% in 2002, 2003 and
2004, respectively. For the Sandcut
monitor, data completeness averaged
96%, 93% and 97% in 2002, 2003 and
2004, respectively. The annual fourth
highest 8-hour average ozone
concentrations and the three-year
average fourth-high 8-hour average
ozone concentrations are summarized in
Table 1.
TABLE 1.—ANNUAL FOURTH-HIGH 8-HOUR AVERAGE OZONE CONCENTRATION AND THREE-YEAR AVERAGE FOURTH-HIGH
8-HOUR AVERAGE OZONE CONCENTRATIONS IN VIGO COUNTY, INDIANA
Site
Year
Terre Haute ..............................................................................................................................
Terre Haute ..............................................................................................................................
Terre Haute ..............................................................................................................................
Sandcut ....................................................................................................................................
Sandcut ....................................................................................................................................
Sandcut ....................................................................................................................................
It should be noted that preliminary
2005 monitoring data show that Vigo
County continues to attain the 8-hour
ozone standard.
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In addition, as discussed below with
respect to the maintenance plan, IDEM
has committed to continue monitoring
in these areas in accordance with 40
CFR part 58. In summary, EPA believes
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4th high 8-hour
average
(ppm)
2002
2003
2004
2002
2003
2004
0.082
0.066
0.057
0.099
0.080
0.072
3-year average
for ending year
(ppm)
NA
NA
0.068
NA
NA
0.084
that the data submitted by Indiana
provide an adequate demonstration that
Vigo County has attained the 8-hour
ozone NAAQS. Therefore, we are
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proposing to find that Vigo County has
attained the 8-hour ozone standard.
2. For Purposes of Redesignation the
Area Has Met All Applicable
Requirements Under Section 110 and
Part D; and the Area Has a Fully
Approved SIP Under Section 110(k)
(Sections 107(d)(3)(E)(v) and
107(d)(3)(E)(ii))
We are proposing to determine
Indiana has met all currently applicable
SIP requirements for purposes of
redesignation for Vigo County under
Section 110 of the CAA (general SIP
requirements). We are also proposing to
determine that the Indiana SIP meets all
SIP requirements currently applicable
for purposes of redesignation under Part
D of Title I of the CAA (requirements
specific to Subpart 1 nonattainment
areas), in accordance with section
107(d)(3)(E)(v). In addition, we are
proposing to determine that the Indiana
SIP is fully approved with respect to all
applicable requirements for purposes of
redesignation, in accordance with
section 107(d)(3)(E)(ii). In making these
proposed determinations, we have
ascertained what SIP requirements are
applicable to the areas for purposes of
redesignation. As discussed more fully
below, SIPs must be fully approved only
with respect to currently applicable
requirements of the CAA.
a. Vigo County has met all
requirements applicable for purposes of
redesignation under section 110 and
part D of the CAA. The September 4,
1992 Calcagni memorandum (see
‘‘Procedures for Processing Requests to
Redesignate Areas to Attainment,’’
Memorandum from John Calcagni,
Director, Air Quality Management
Division, September 4, 1992) describes
EPA’s interpretation of section
107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA. Under this
interpretation, to qualify for
redesignation of an area to attainment,
the state and the area must meet the
relevant CAA requirements that come
due prior to the state’s submittal of a
complete redesignation request for the
area. See also the September 17, 1993
Michael Shapiro memorandum and 60
FR 12459, 12465–66 (Mar. 7, 1995)
(redesignation of Detroit-Ann Arbor,
Michigan to attainment of the 1-hour
ozone NAAQS). Applicable
requirements of the CAA that come due
subsequent to the state’s submittal of a
complete request remain applicable
until a redesignation to attainment is
approved, but are not required as a
prerequisite to redesignation. See
section 175A(c) of the CAA. Sierra Club
v. EPA, 375 F.3d 537 (7th Cir. 2004). See
also 68 FR 25424, 25427 (May 12, 2003)
(redesignation of the St. Louis/East St.
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15:39 Nov 22, 2005
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Louis area to attainment of the 1-hour
ozone NAAQS).
General SIP requirements. Section
110(a) of title I of the CAA contains the
general requirements for a SIP. General
SIP elements and requirements are
delineated in section 110(a)(2). These
requirements include, but are not
limited to, the following: submittal of a
SIP that has been adopted by the state
after reasonable public notice and
hearing; enforceable emission
limitations and other control measures,
means or techniques; provisions for
establishment and operation of
appropriate devices, methods, systems
and procedures necessary to monitor
ambient air quality; implementation of a
source permit program; provisions for
the implementation of part C,
Prevention of Significant Deterioration
(PSD) and part D, New Source Review
(NSR) permit programs; criteria for
stationary source emission control
measures, monitoring, and reporting;
provisions for air quality modeling; and
provisions for public and local agency
participation in planning and emission
control rule development.
Section 110(a)(2)(D) of the CAA
requires that SIPs contain certain
measures to prevent sources in a state
from significantly contributing to air
quality problems in another state. To
implement this provision, EPA has
required certain states to establish
programs to address transport of air
pollutants (NOX SIP Call,1 Clean Air
Interstate Rule (CAIR)(70 FR 25162)).
However, the section 110(a)(2)(D)
requirements for a state are not linked
with a particular nonattainment area’s
designation and classification. EPA
believes that the requirements linked
with a particular nonattainment area’s
designation and classification are the
relevant measures to evaluate in
reviewing a redesignation request. The
transport SIP submittal requirements,
where applicable, continue to apply to
a state regardless of the designation of
any one particular area in the state.
We believe that these requirements
should not be construed to be applicable
requirements for purposes of
redesignation. Further, we believe that
the other section 110 elements
1 On October 27, 1998 (63 FR 57356), EPA issued
a NOX SIP call, requiring the District of Columbia
and 22 states, including Indiana, to reduce their
statewide emissions of NOX in order to reduce the
transport of ozone and ozone. In compliance with
EPA’s NOX SIP call, IDEM has developed rules
governing the control of NOX emissions from
Electric Generating Units (EGUs), major non-EGU
industrial boilers, and major cement kilns. EPA
approved Indiana’s rules as fulfilling Phase I of the
NOX SIP Call on November 8, 2001 (66 FR 56465).
On December 11, 2003 (68 FR 69025) EPA approved
revisions to these rules.
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described above that are not connected
with nonattainment plan submissions
and not linked with an area’s attainment
status are also not applicable
requirements for purposes of
redesignation. A state remains subject to
these requirements after an area is
redesignated to attainment. We
conclude that only the section 110 and
part D requirements which are linked
with a particular area’s designation and
classification are the relevant measures
in evaluating a redesignation request.
This approach is consistent with EPA’s
existing policy on applicability of
conformity and oxygenated fuels
requirements for redesignation
purposes, as well as with section 184
ozone transport requirements. See
Reading, Pennsylvania, proposed and
final rulemakings (61 FR 53174–53176,
October 10, 1996), (62 FR 24826, May 7,
1997); Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, Ohio,
final rulemaking (61 FR 20458, May 7,
1996); and Tampa, Florida, final
rulemaking (60 FR 62748, December 7,
1995). See also the discussion on this
issue in the Cincinnati ozone
redesignation (65 FR 37890, June 19,
2000), and in the Pittsburgh ozone
redesignation (66 FR 50399, October 19,
2001).
We believe that section 110 elements
not linked to the area’s nonattainment
status are not applicable for purposes of
redesignation. Any section 110
requirements that are linked to the part
D requirements for 8-hour ozone
nonattainment areas are not yet due,
since, as explained below, no part D
requirements applicable for purposes of
redesignation under the 8-hour standard
became due prior to submission of the
redesignation requests. Therefore, as
discussed above, for purposes of
redesignation, they are not considered
applicable requirements.
Part D Requirements. EPA has
determined that the Indiana SIP meets
applicable SIP requirements under part
D of the CAA since no requirements
applicable for purposes of redesignation
became due for the 8-hour ozone
standard prior to submission of the Vigo
County redesignation request. Under
part D, an area’s classification
determines the requirements to which it
will be subject. Subpart 1 of part D,
found in sections 172–176 of the CAA,
sets forth the basic nonattainment
requirements applicable to all
nonattainment areas. Section 182 of the
CAA, found in subpart 2 of part D,
establishes additional specific
requirements depending on the area’s
nonattainment classification. Vigo
County was classified as subpart 1
nonattainment area, and therefore
subpart 2 requirements do not apply.
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Part D, Subpart 1 applicable SIP
requirements. For purposes of
evaluating this redesignation request,
the applicable part D, subpart 1 SIP
requirements for Vigo County are
contained in sections 172(c)(1)–(9). A
thorough discussion of the requirements
contained in section 172 can be found
in the General Preamble for
Implementation of Title I (57 FR 13498,
April 16, 1992).
No requirements applicable for
purposes of redesignation under part D
became due prior to submission of the
redesignation request, and, therefore,
none is applicable to the area for
purposes of redesignation. Since the
State of Indiana has submitted a
complete ozone redesignation request
for Vigo County prior to the deadline for
any submissions required for purposes
of redesignation, we have determined
that these requirements do not apply to
the Vigo County area for purposes of
redesignation.
Furthermore, EPA has determined
that areas being redesignated need not
comply with the requirement that a NSR
program be approved prior to
redesignation, provided that the area
demonstrates maintenance of the
standard without part D NSR, since PSD
requirements will apply after
redesignation. A more detailed rationale
for this view is described in a
memorandum from Mary Nichols,
Assistant Administrator for Air and
Radiation, dated October 14, 1994,
entitled, ‘‘Part D New Source Review
Requirements for Areas Requesting
Redesignation to Attainment.’’ Indiana
has demonstrated that the area will be
able to maintain the standard without
part D NSR in effect, and therefore, EPA
concludes that the State need not have
a fully approved part D NSR program
prior to approval of the redesignation
request. The State’s PSD program will
become effective in Vigo County upon
redesignation to attainment. See
rulemakings for Detroit, Michigan (60
FR 12467–12468, March 7, 1995);
Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, Ohio (61 FR
20458, 20469–20470, May 7, 1996);
Louisville, Kentucky (66 FR 53665,
October 23, 2001); and Grand Rapids,
Michigan (61 FR 31834–31837, June 21,
1996).
Section 176 conformity requirements.
Section 176(c) of the CAA requires
states to establish criteria and
procedures to ensure that Federallysupported or funded activities,
including highway projects, conform to
the air quality planning goals in the
applicable SIPs. The requirement to
determine conformity applies to
transportation plans, programs and
projects developed, funded or approved
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under Title 23 U.S.C. and the Federal
Transit Act (transportation conformity)
as well as to all other Federallysupported or funded projects (general
conformity). State conformity revisions
must be consistent with Federal
conformity regulations relating to
consultation, enforcement and
enforceability that the CAA required the
EPA to promulgate.
EPA approved Indiana’s general
conformity SIP on January 14, 1998 (63
FR 2146). Indiana does not have a
Federally approved transportation
conformity SIP. However, conformity
analyses are performed pursuant to
EPA’s Federal conformity rules. Indiana
has submitted on-highway motor
vehicle budgets for Vigo County of 2.84
tpd of VOC and 3.67 tpd of NOX, based
on the area’s 2015 level of emissions.
Vigo County must use the motor vehicle
emissions budgets from the
maintenance plan in any conformity
determination that is effective on or
after the effective date of the
maintenance plan approval.
EPA believes that it is reasonable to
interpret the conformity SIP
requirements as not applying for
purposes of evaluating the redesignation
request under section 107(d) for two
reasons. First, the requirement to submit
SIP revisions to comply with the
conformity provisions of the CAA
continues to apply to areas after
redesignation to attainment since such
areas would be subject to a section 175A
maintenance plan. Second, EPA’s
Federal conformity rules require the
performance of conformity analyses in
the absence of Federally-approved state
rules. Therefore, because areas are
subject to the conformity requirements
regardless of whether they are
redesignated to attainment and must
implement conformity under Federal
rules if state rules are not yet approved,
EPA believes it is reasonable to view
these requirements as not applying for
purposes of evaluating a redesignation
request. See Wall v. EPA, 265 F.3d 426
(6th Cir. 2001), upholding this
interpretation. See also 60 FR 62748
(Dec. 7, 1995) (Tampa, Florida). Thus,
the area has satisfied all applicable
requirements under section 110 and part
D of the CAA.
b. For purposes of redesignation Vigo
County has a fully approved applicable
SIP under section 110(k) of the CAA.
EPA has fully approved the Indiana SIP
for Vigo County under section 110(k) of
the CAA for all requirements applicable
for purposes of redesignation. EPA may
rely on prior SIP approvals in approving
a redesignation request (See the
September 4, 1992 John Calcagni
memorandum, page 3, Southwestern
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70755
Pennsylvania Growth Alliance v.
Browner, 144 F.3d 984, 989–990 (6th
Cir. 1998), Wall v. EPA, 265 F.3d 426
(6th Cir. 2001)) plus any additional
measures it may approve in conjunction
with a redesignation action. See 68 FR
25426 (May 12, 2003). Since the passage
of the CAA of 1970, Indiana has adopted
and submitted, and EPA has fully
approved, provisions addressing the
various required SIP elements
applicable to Vigo County under the 1hour ozone standard. No Vigo County
area SIP provisions are currently
disapproved, conditionally approved, or
partially approved. As indicated above,
EPA believes that the section 110
elements not connected with
nonattainment plan submissions and
not linked to the area’s nonattainment
status are not applicable requirements
for purposes of redesignation. EPA also
believes that since the part D
requirements applicable for purposes of
redesignation did not become due prior
to submission of the redesignation
request, they also are, therefore, not
applicable requirements for purposes of
redesignation.
3. The Improvement in Air Quality Is
Due to Permanent and Enforceable
Reductions in Emissions Resulting From
Implementation of the SIP and
Applicable Federal Air Pollution
Control Regulations and Other
Permanent and Enforceable Reductions
(Section 107(d)(3)(E)(iii))
EPA believes that Indiana has
demonstrated that the observed air
quality improvement in Vigo County is
due to permanent and enforceable
reductions in emissions resulting from
implementation of the SIP, Federal
measures, and other State-adopted
measures.
In making this demonstration, the
State has calculated the change in
emissions between 1999 and 2004, one
of the years Vigo County monitored
attainment. The reduction in emissions
and the corresponding improvement in
air quality over this time period can be
attributed to a number of regulatory
control measures that Indiana has
implemented in recent years.
a. Permanent and enforceable
controls implemented. The following is
a discussion of permanent and
enforceable measures that have been
implemented in the area:
Reasonably Available Control
Technology (RACT). Vigo County was
not previously required to be covered by
RACT regulations for existing sources
under the CAA. However, Indiana has
implemented statewide RACT controls
through the following regulations:
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326–IAC 8–2 Surface Coating Emission
Limitations;
326–IAC 8–3 Organic Solvent
Degreasing Operations;
326–IAC 8–4 Petroleum Sources;
326–IAC 8–5 Miscellaneous
Operations; and
326–IAC 8–6 Organic Solvent
Emission Limitations.
NOX rules. In compliance with EPA’s
NOX SIP call, Indiana developed rules
to control NOX emissions from Electric
Generating Units (EGUs), major nonEGU industrial boilers, and major
cement kilns. These rules required
sources to begin reducing NOX
emissions in 2004, with emission
reductions increasing to 31 percent
statewide by 2007. It should be noted
that statewide NOX emissions actually
began to decline in 2002 as sources
phased in emission controls needed to
comply with the State’s NOX emission
control regulations. From 2004 on, NOX
emissions from EGUs are capped at a
statewide total well below pre-2002
levels. It should be noted that NOX
emissions are expected to further
decline as the State meets the
requirements of EPA’s Phase II NOX SIP
call (69 FR 21604).
Federal Emission Control Measures.
Reductions in VOC and NOX emissions
have occurred statewide as a result of
Federal emission control measures, with
additional emission reductions expected
to occur in the future as additional
emission controls are implemented.
Federal emission control measures have
included: the National Low Emission
Vehicle (NLEV) program, Tier 2
emission standards for vehicles,
gasoline sulfur limits, and heavy-duty
diesel engine standards. In addition, in
2004, EPA issued the Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Rule (69 FR 38958). This
rule will reduce off-road diesel
emissions through 2010, with emission
reductions starting in 2008.
Indiana commits to maintain the
implemented emission control measures
after redesignation of Vigo County to
attainment of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS.
Any revisions to emission control
regulations and emission limits will be
submitted to the EPA for approval as
SIP revisions.
b. Emission reductions. Indiana is
using 1999 for the nonattainment year
inventory, emissions from which are
used to compare to the 2004 attainment
year inventory to demonstrate that
emission reductions (from 1999 to 2004)
have contributed to the improvement in
air quality. Emissions estimates were
taken directly from the National
Emissions Inventory (NEI), with the
following exception. Point source
emissions information was compiled
from IDEM’s 1999 annual emissions
statement database.
For comparison, IDEM developed an
inventory for 2004, one of the years the
area monitored attainment of the 8-hour
NAAQS. The point source sector
information was compiled from IDEM’s
2004 annual emissions statement
database and the 2004 EPA Air Markets
acid rain database. The area source
sector information was taken from the
Indiana 2002 periodic inventory
submitted to EPA. These projections
were made from the U.S. Department of
Commerce Bureau of Economic
Analysis growth factors with some
updated local information. The nonroad
sector emission estimates were
developed using NONROAD with the
following modifications. Emissions
were estimated for two nonroad
categories not included in NONROAD,
commercial marine vessels and
railroads. Recreational motorboat
population and spatial surrogates (used
to assign emissions to each county) were
updated. The populations for the
construction equipment category were
reviewed and updated based upon
surveys completed in the Midwest and
the temporal allocation for agricultural
sources was also updated. The onroad
sector emissions were calculated using
MOBILE 6.2.
Based on the inventories described
above, Indiana’s submittal documents
changes in VOC and NOX emissions
from 1999 to 2004 for Vigo County.
Indiana also documented the change in
emissions for the surrounding Western
Indiana Counties of Clay, Parke,
Sullivan and Vermillion. Emissions data
are shown in Tables 2 and 3 below.
TABLE 2.—COMPARISON OF 1999 AND 2004 VOC AND NOX EMISSIONS FOR VIGO COUNTY (TPSD)
VOC
Sector
1999
NOX
Net change
(1999–2004)
2004
1999
2004
Net change
(1999–2004)
Point .........................................................................................
Area ..........................................................................................
Nonroad ...................................................................................
Onroad .....................................................................................
7.36
14.18
2.32
8.30
4.84
6.48
2.76
6.22
¥2.52
¥7.70
0.44
¥2.08
26.65
1.45
5.28
12.29
28.67
0.99
3.39
9.42
2.02
¥0.46
¥1.89
¥2.87
Total ..................................................................................
32.16
20.30
¥11.86
45.67
42.47
¥3.20
TABLE 3.—COMPARISON OF 1999 AND 2004 VOC AND NOX EMISSIONS FOR SURROUNDING COUNTIES (TPSD)
VOC
Sector
1999
NOX
Net change
(1999–2004)
2004
1999
2004
Net change
(1999–2004)
Point .........................................................................................
Area ..........................................................................................
Nonroad ...................................................................................
Onroad .....................................................................................
5.52
19.18
2.70
7.20
3.22
6.76
4.11
6.12
¥2.30
¥12.42
1.41
¥1.08
82.39
0.94
9.17
9.87
62.90
0.54
6.93
11.56
¥19.49
¥0.40
¥2.24
1.69
Total ..................................................................................
34.60
20.21
¥14.39
102.37
81.93
¥20.44
Table 2 shows that Vigo County
reduced NOX emissions by 3.20 tpd and
VOC emissions by 11.86 tpd between
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1999 and 2004. Table 3 shows emissions
in the surrounding counties decreased
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by 14.39 tpd for VOC and 20.44 tpd for
NOX.
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Based on the information summarized
above, Indiana has adequately
demonstrated that the improvement in
air quality is due to permanent and
enforceable emissions reductions.
4. The Area Has a Fully Approved
Maintenance Plan Pursuant to Section
175a of the CAA. (Section
107(d)(3)(E)(iv))
In conjunction with its request to
redesignate the Vigo County
nonattainment area to attainment status,
Indiana submitted a SIP revision to
provide for the maintenance of the 8hour ozone NAAQS in Vigo County for
at least 10 years after redesignation.
a. What is required in a maintenance
plan? Section 175A of the CAA sets
forth the required elements of a
maintenance plan for areas seeking
redesignation from nonattainment to
attainment. Under section 175A, the
plan must demonstrate continued
attainment of the applicable NAAQS for
at least ten years after the Administrator
approves a redesignation to attainment.
Eight years after the redesignation, the
State must submit a revised
maintenance plan which demonstrates
that attainment will continue to be
maintained for ten years following the
initial ten-year maintenance period. To
address the possibility of future NAAQS
violations, the maintenance plan must
contain contingency measures with a
schedule for implementation as EPA
deems necessary to assure prompt
correction of any future 8-hour ozone
violations.
The September 4, 1992 John Calcagni
memorandum provides additional
guidance on the content of a
maintenance plan. An ozone
maintenance plan should address the
following items: The attainment VOC
and NOX emissions inventories, a
maintenance demonstration showing
maintenance for the ten years of the
maintenance period, a commitment to
maintain the existing monitoring
network, factors and procedures to be
used for verification of continued
attainment of the NAAQS, and a
contingency plan to prevent or correct
future violations of the NAAQS.
b. Attainment Inventory. The State
developed an inventory for 2004, one of
the years the area monitored attainment
of the 8-hour NAAQS. Inventory
methodology is described in section 3
above. The attainment level of
emissions is summarized along with the
2010 and 2015 projected emissions for
Vigo County in Table 3 below.
c. Demonstration of Maintenance. As
part of the redesignation request, IDEM
submitted revisions to the 8-hour ozone
SIP to include a 10-year maintenance
plan as required by section 175A of the
CAA. For Vigo County, this
demonstration shows maintenance of
the 8-hour ozone standard by assuring
that current and future emissions of
VOC and NOX remain at or below
attainment year emission levels. A
maintenance demonstration need not be
based on modeling. See Wall v. EPA,
265 F.3d 426 (6th Cir. 2001), Sierra Club
v. EPA, 375 F. 3d 537 (7th Cir. 2004).
See also 66 FR 53094, 53099–53100
(October 19, 2001), 68 FR 25430–25432
(May 12, 2003).
IDEM developed projected emissions
inventories for 2010 and 2015. Onroad
mobile source emissions were projected
using Mobile 6.2 in accordance with
‘‘Procedures for Preparing Emissions
Projections,’’ EPA–45/4–91–019.
Emissions for the point, area and
nonroad sectors were projected using
growth and control files developed by
the Midwest Regional Planning
Organization. This method was used to
ensure that the inventories used for
redesignation are consistent with
modeling performed in the future. These
emission estimates are presented in
Tables 4 and 5 below.
TABLE 4.—COMPARISON OF 2004–2015 VOC AND NOX EMISSIONS FOR VIGO COUNTY (TPSD)
VOC
NOX
Sector
2004
2010
2015
Net change
2004–2015
2004
2010
2015
Net change
2004–2015
Point .................................................
Area ..................................................
Nonroad ...........................................
Onroad .............................................
4.84
6.48
2.76
6.22
7.24
6.94
1.93
3.84
8.42
7.32
1.60
2.58
3.58
0.84
¥1.16
¥3.64
28.67
0.99
3.39
9.42
12.91
1.05
2.01
5.76
12.93
1.08
1.53
3.34
¥15.74
0.09
¥1.86
¥6.08
Total ..........................................
20.30
19.95
19.92
¥0.38
42.47
21.73
18.88
¥23.59
TABLE 5.—COMPARISON OF 2004–2015 VOC AND NOX EMISSIONS FOR SURROUNDING COUNTIES (TPSD)
VOC
NOX
Sector
2004
2010
2015
Net change
2004–2015
2004
2010
2015
Net change
2004–2015
Point .................................................
Area ..................................................
Nonroad ...........................................
Onroad .............................................
3.22
6.76
4.11
6.12
3.50
7.16
2.98
7.40
3.98
7.57
2.54
4.48
0.76
0.81
¥1.57
¥1.64
62.90
0.54
6.93
11.56
36.80
0.58
3.60
4.31
36.97
0.59
2.98
3.09
¥25.93
0.05
¥3.95
¥8.47
Total ..........................................
20.21
21.04
18.57
¥1.64
81.93
45.29
43.63
¥38.30
The emission projections show that in
Vigo County emissions are not expected
to exceed the level of the 2004
attainment year inventory during the 10year maintenance period. Vigo County
VOC and NOX emissions are projected
to decrease by 0.38 tpd and 23.59 tpd,
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respectively. Surrounding County VOC
and NOX emissions are projected to
decrease by 1.64 tpd and 38.30 tpd,
respectively.
IDEM notes that, although ozone
modeling is not required to support
ozone redesignation requests, a
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significant amount of ozone modeling
data exist that support the connection
between emissions reductions and air
quality improvement, including
modeling data that support a
demonstration of maintenance for Vigo
County. IDEM notes that the available
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modeling data demonstrate that Vigo is
significantly impacted by ozone and
ozone precursor transport and that NOX
emission reductions are significantly
beneficial for reducing 8-hour ozone
concentrations in Vigo County. IDEM
draws the conclusions discussed below
from the various ozone modeling
analyses that have addressed the
Midwest.
EPA modeling analyses for the Heavy
Duty Engine rule. EPA conducted ozone
modeling for Tier II vehicle and lowsulfur fuels to support the final
rulemaking for the Heavy Duty Engine
(HDE) and Vehicle Standards and
Highway Diesel Fuel Rule. This
modeling, in part, addressed ozone
levels in Vigo County and the West
Central Indiana Counties. A base year of
1996 was modeled, and the impacts of
fuel changes and the NOX SIP call were
addressed for high ozone episodes in
1995. The modeling supports the
conclusion that the fuel improvements
and the NOX SIP call result in
significant ozone improvements (lower
projected ozone concentrations) in Vigo
County and in the West Central Indiana
Counties. Using the modeling results to
determine Relative Reduction Factors
(RRFs)2 and, considering the 2001–2003
ozone design value at the Terre Haute
ozone monitor (76 ppb) and at the
Sandcut monitor (87) ppb, IDEM
projected the 2007 ozone design value
to be 66.1 ppb and 80.4 ppb, at Terre
Haute and Sandcut, respectively.
Therefore, the NOX SIP call and the fuel
modifications considered in the ozone
modeling were found to significantly
improve the ozone levels in Vigo
County.
Lake Michigan Air Directors
Consortium (LADCO) modeling analysis
for the 8-hour ozone standard
assessment. LADCO has performed
ozone modeling to evaluate the effect of
the NOX SIP call and Tier II/Low Sulfur
Fuel Rule on 2007 ozone levels in the
Lake Michigan area, which includes
Vigo County and the West Central
Indiana Counties. Like the EPA
modeling discussed above, this
modeling indicates that the 2001–2003
ozone design values for the Vigo County
monitoring sites would be reduced to
below-standard levels in 2007 as the
result of implementing the NOX SIP call
and the Tier II/Low Sulfur Fuel Rule.
2 Relative Reduction Factors are fractional
changes in peak ozone concentrations projected to
occur as the result of assumed changes in precursor
emissions resulting from the implementation of
emission control strategies. Relative Reduction
Factors are derived through ozone modeling and are
applied to monitored peak ozone concentrations to
project post-control peak ozone levels.
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EPA modeling analysis for the Clean
Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). EPA
conducted modeling in support of the
CAIR rulemaking. The modeling was
based on 1999–2003 design values.
Future year modeling was conducted for
Vigo County and future year design
values for 2010 and 2015 were
evaluated for attainment of the 8-hour
ozone NAAQS. Results of the CAIR
modeling show that Vigo County should
continue to attain the 8-hour ozone
NAAQS in 2010. With additional CAIR
reductions in 2015, design values
continue to decrease.
As part of its maintenance plan, the
State elected to include a ‘‘safety
margin’’ for the areas. A ‘‘safety margin’’
is the difference between the attainment
level of emissions (from all sources) and
the projected level of emissions (from
all sources) in the maintenance plan
which continues to demonstrate
attainment of the standard. The
attainment level of emissions is the
level of emissions during one of the
years in which the area met the NAAQS.
For example, Vigo County attained the
8-hour ozone NAAQS during the 2002–
2004 time period. Indiana uses 2004 as
the attainment level of emissions for the
area. The emissions from point, area,
nonroad, and mobile sources in 2004
equaled 20.30 tpd of VOC for Vigo
County. Projected VOC emissions out to
the year 2015 equaled 19.92 tpd of VOC.
The SIP demonstrates that Vigo County
will continue to maintain the standard
with emissions at this level. The safety
margin for VOC is calculated to be the
difference between these amounts or, in
this case, 0.38 tpd of VOC for 2015. By
this same method, 23.59 tpd (i.e., 42.47
tpd less 18.88 tpd) is the safety margin
for NOX for 2015. The emissions are
projected to maintain the area’s air
quality consistent with the NAAQS. The
safety margin, or a portion thereof, can
be allocated to any of the source
categories, as long as the total
attainment level of emissions is
maintained.
d. Monitoring Network. Indiana
currently operates two ozone monitors
in Vigo County. IDEM has committed to
continue operating and maintaining an
approved ozone monitor network in
accordance with 40 CFR part 58.
e. Verification of Continued
Attainment. Continued attainment of
the ozone NAAQS in Vigo County
depends, in part, on the State’s efforts
toward tracking indicators of continued
attainment during the maintenance
period. The State’s plan for verifying
continued attainment of the 8-hour
standard in Vigo County consists of
plans to continue ambient ozone
monitoring in accordance with the
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requirements of 40 CFR part 58. In
addition, IDEM will periodically revise
and review the VOC and NOX emissions
inventories for Vigo County to ensure
that emissions growth is not threatening
the continued attainment of the 8-hour
ozone standard. Emissions inventories
will be revised for 2005, 2008, and 2011,
as necessary to comply with the
emissions inventory reporting
requirements of the CAA. The updated
emissions inventories will be compared
to the 2004 emissions inventories to
assess emission trends and assure
continued attainment of the 8-hour
ozone standard.
f. Contingency Plan. The contingency
plan provisions are designed to
promptly correct or prevent a violation
of the NAAQS that might occur after
redesignation of an area to attainment.
Section 175A of the CAA requires that
a maintenance plan include such
contingency measures as EPA deems
necessary to assure that the State will
promptly correct a violation of the
NAAQS that might occur after
redesignation. The maintenance plan
should identify the contingency
measures to be adopted, a schedule and
procedure for adoption and
implementation of the contingency
measures, and a time limit for action by
the state. The state should also identify
specific indicators to be used to
determine when the contingency
measures need to be adopted and
implemented. The maintenance plan
must include a requirement that the
state will implement all measures with
respect to control of the pollutant(s) that
were contained in the SIP before
redesignation of the area to attainment.
See section 175A(d) of the CAA.
As required by section 175A of the
CAA, Indiana has adopted a
contingency plan for Vigo County to
address a possible future ozone air
quality problem. The contingency plan
adopted by Indiana has two levels of
responses, depending on whether a
violation of the 8-hour ozone standard
is only threatened (Warning Level) or
has occurred or is imminent (Action
Level).
A Warning Level response will occur
when an annual (1-year) fourth-high
monitored daily peak 8-hour ozone
concentration of 88 ppb or higher is
monitored in a single ozone season at
any monitor within the ozone
maintenance area. A Warning Level
response will consist of Indiana
performing a study to determine
whether the high ozone concentration
indicates a trend toward high ozone
levels or whether emissions are
increasing. If a trend toward higher
ozone concentrations exists and is likely
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to continue, the emissions control
measures necessary to reverse the trend
will be determined taking into
consideration ease and timing of
implementation, as well as economic
and social considerations. The study,
including applicable recommended next
steps, will be completed within 12
months from the close of the ozone
season with the recorded high ozone
concentration. If emission controls are
needed to reverse the adverse ozone
trend, the procedures for emission
control selection under the Action Level
response will be followed.
An Action Level response will occur
when a two-year average annual fourthhigh monitored daily peak 8-hour ozone
concentration of 85 ppb occurs at any
monitor in the ozone maintenance area.
A violation of the standard (a 3-year
average of the annual fourth-highest
daily maximum 8-hour average ozone
concentration of 85 ppb or greater) also
triggers an Action Level response. In
this situation, IDEM will determine the
additional emission control measures
needed to assure future attainment of
the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. IDEM will
focus on emission control measures that
can be implemented in a short time, and
selected emission control measures will
be adopted and implemented within 18
months from the close of the ozone
season with ozone monitoring data that
prompted the Action Level Response.
Adoption of any additional emission
control measures will be subject to the
necessary administrative and legal
procedures, including publication of
notices and the opportunity for public
comment and response. If a new
emission control measure is adopted by
the State (independent of the ozone
contingency needs) or is adopted at a
Federal level and is scheduled for
implementation in a time frame that
will mitigate an ozone air quality
problem, IDEM will determine whether
this emission control measure is
sufficient to address the ozone air
quality problem. If IDEM determines
that existing or soon-to-be-implemented
emissions control measures should be
adequate to correct the ozone standard
violation problem, IDEM may determine
that additional emission control
measures at the State level may be
unnecessary. Regardless, IDEM will
submit to the EPA an analysis to
demonstrate that proposed emission
control measures are adequate to
provide for future attainment of the 8hour ozone NAAQS in a timely manner.
EPA notes that it is construing this
provision to require that any nonFederal control measure relied upon in
lieu of a contingency measure be
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15:39 Nov 22, 2005
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included in the State SIP or be
submitted to EPA for approval into the
SIP.
Contingency measures contained in
the maintenance plan are those
emission controls or other measures that
Indiana may choose to adopt and
implement to correct possible air quality
problems. These include, but are not
limited to, the following:
i. Lower Reid vapor pressure gasoline
requirements;
ii. Broader geographic applicability of
existing emission control measures;
iii. Tightened RACT requirements on
existing sources covered by EPA Control
Technique Guidelines (CTGs) issued in
response to the 1990 CAA amendments;
iv. Application of RACT to smaller
existing sources;
v. Vehicle Inspection and
Maintenance (I/M);
vi. One or more Transportation
Control Measure (TCM) sufficient to
achieve at least a 0.5 percent reduction
in actual area wide VOC emissions, to
be selected from the following:
A. Trip reduction programs,
including, but not limited to, employerbased transportation management plans,
area wide rideshare programs, work
schedule changes, and telecommuting;
B. Transit improvements;
C. Traffic flow improvements; and
D. Other new or innovative
transportation measures not yet in
widespread use that affect State and
local governments as deemed
appropriate;
vii. Alternative fuel and diesel retrofit
programs for fleet vehicle operations;
viii. Controls on consumer products
consistent with those adopted elsewhere
in the United States;
ix. VOC or NOX emission offsets for
new or modified major sources;
x. VOC or NOX emission offsets for
new or modified minor sources;
xi. Increased ratio of emission offset
required for new sources; and,
xii. VOC or NOX emission controls on
new minor sources (with VOC or NOX
emissions less than 100 tons per year).
g. Provisions for Future Updates of the
Ozone Maintenance Plan. As required
by section 175A(b) of the CAA, Indiana
commits to submit to the EPA an update
of the ozone maintenance plan eight
years after redesignation of Vigo County
to cover an additional 10-year period
beyond the initial 10-year maintenance
period.
EPA has concluded that the
maintenance plan adequately addresses
the five basic components of a
maintenance plan: attainment
inventory, maintenance demonstration,
monitoring network, verification of
continued attainment, and a
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70759
contingency plan. The maintenance
plan SIP revision submitted by Indiana
for Vigo County meets the requirements
of section 175A of the CAA.
B. Adequacy of Indiana’s Motor Vehicle
Emissions Budgets (MVEBs)
1. How Are MVEBs Developed and
What Are the MVEBs for Vigo County?
Under the CAA, states are required to
submit, at various times, control strategy
SIP revisions and ozone maintenance
plans for applicable areas (for ozone
nonattainment areas and for areas
seeking redesignations to attainment of
the ozone standard). These emission
control strategy SIP revisions (e.g.,
reasonable further progress SIP and
attainment demonstration SIP revisions)
and ozone maintenance plans create
MVEBs based on onroad mobile source
emissions for criteria pollutants and/or
their precursors to address pollution
from cars and trucks. The MVEBs are
the portions of the total allowable
emissions that are allocated to highway
and transit vehicle use that, together
with emissions from other sources in
the area, will provide for attainment or
maintenance.
Under 40 CFR part 93, a MVEB for an
area seeking a redesignation to
attainment is established for the last
year of the maintenance plan. The
MVEB serves as a ceiling on emissions
from an area’s planned transportation
system. The MVEB concept is further
explained in the preamble to the
November 24, 1993, transportation
conformity rule (58 FR 62188). The
preamble also describes how to
establish the MVEB in the SIP and how
to revise the MVEB if needed.
Under section 176(c) of the CAA, new
transportation projects, such as the
construction of new highways, must
‘‘conform’’ to (i.e., be consistent with)
the part of the SIP that addresses
emissions from cars and trucks.
Conformity to the SIP means that
transportation activities will not cause
new air quality violations, worsen
existing air quality violations, or delay
timely attainment of the NAAQS. If a
transportation plan does not conform,
most new transportation projects that
would expand the capacity of roadways
cannot go forward. Regulations at 40
CFR part 93 set forth EPA policy,
criteria, and procedures for
demonstrating and assuring conformity
of such transportation activities to a SIP.
When reviewing SIP revisions
containing MVEBs, including
attainment strategies, rate-of-progress
plans, and maintenance plans, EPA
must affirmatively find that the MVEBs
are ‘‘adequate’’ for use in determining
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 23, 2005 / Proposed Rules
transportation conformity. Once EPA
affirmatively finds the submitted
MVEBs to be adequate for transportation
conformity purposes, the MVEBs are
used by state and federal agencies in
determining whether proposed
transportation projects conform to the
SIP as required by section 176(c) of the
Clean Air Act. EPA’s substantive criteria
for determining the adequacy of MVEBs
are set out in 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4).
EPA’s process for determining
adequacy of a MVEB consists of three
basic steps: (1) Providing public
notification of a SIP submission; (2)
providing the public the opportunity to
comment on the MVEB during a public
comment period; and (3) EPA’s finding
of adequacy. The process of determining
the adequacy of submitted SIP MVEBs
was initially outlined in EPA’s May 14,
1999 guidance, ‘‘Conformity Guidance
on Implementation of March 2, 1999,
Conformity Court Decision.’’ This
guidance was finalized in the
Transportation Conformity Rule
Amendments for the ‘‘New 8-Hour
Ozone and PM2.5 National Ambient Air
Quality Standards and Miscellaneous
Revisions for Existing Areas;
Transportation Conformity Rule
Amendments—Response to Court
Decision and Additional Rule Change,’’
published on July 1, 2004 (69 FR
40004). EPA follows this guidance and
rulemaking in making its adequacy
determinations.
Vigo County’s 10-year maintenance
plan submission contains new VOC and
NOX MVEBs for 2015. The availability
of the SIP submission with these 2015
MVEBs was announced for public
comment on EPA’s Adequacy Web page
on July 12, 2005, at: https://
www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/conform/
currsips.htm. The EPA public comment
period on adequacy of the 2015 MVEBs
for Vigo County closed on August 11,
2005. No requests for this submittal or
adverse comments on this submittal
were received during the Adequacy
comment period. In an October 25,
2005, letter, EPA informed IDEM that
we had found the 2015 MVEBs to be
adequate for use in transportation
conformity analyses.
EPA, through this rulemaking, is
proposing to approve the MVEBs for use
to determine transportation conformity
in Vigo County because EPA has
determined that the areas can maintain
attainment of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS
for the relevant 10-year period with
mobile source emissions at the levels of
the MVEBs. IDEM has determined the
2015 MVEBs for Vigo County to be 2.84
tpd for VOC and 3.67 tpd for NOX. It
should be noted that these MVEBs
exceed the onroad mobile source VOC
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15:39 Nov 22, 2005
Jkt 208001
and NOX emissions projected by IDEM
for 2015, as summarized in Table 3
above (‘‘onroad’’ source sector). IDEM
decided to include safety margins
(described further below) of 0.26 tpd of
VOC and 0.33 tpd for NOX in the
MVEBs to provide for mobile source
growth. Indiana has demonstrated that
Vigo County can maintain the 8-hour
ozone NAAQS with mobile source
emissions of 2.84 tpd of VOC and 3.67
tpd of NOX in 2015, including the
allocated safety margins, since
emissions will still remain under
attainment year emission levels.
EPA is also proposing to approve the
maintenance plan SIP revision for Vigo
County. The proposed approval of the
maintenance plan is based on Indiana’s
demonstration that the plan meets the
requirements of section 175A of the
CAA, as described more fully above.
Additionally, EPA is finding adequate
and proposing to approve the 2015
MVEBs submitted by Indiana in
conjunction with the redesignation
requests.
2. What Is the Vigo County Safety
Margin?
As noted in Table 4, Vigo County
VOC and NOX emissions are projected
to have safety margins of 0.38 tpd for
VOC and 23.59 tpd for NOX in 2015 (the
difference between the attainment year,
2004, emissions and the 2015 emissions
for all sources in Vigo County). Even if
emissions reached the full level of the
safety margin, the County would still
demonstrate maintenance since
emission levels would equal those in
the attainment year.
The MVEBs requested by IDEM
contain safety margins for mobile
sources significantly smaller than the
allowable safety margins reflected in the
total emissions for Vigo County. The
State is not requesting allocation of the
entire available safety margins reflected
in the demonstration of maintenance.
Therefore, even though the State is
requesting MVEBs that exceed the
onroad mobile source emissions for
2015 contained in the demonstration of
maintenance, the increase in onroad
mobile source emissions that can be
considered for transportation
conformity purposes is well within the
safety margins of the ozone maintenance
demonstration. Further, once allocated
to mobile sources, these safety margins
will not be available for use by other
sources.
Executive Order 12866; Regulatory
Planning and Review
VII. Proposed Actions
EPA is proposing to make a
determination that Vigo County has
attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS, and
EPA is proposing to approve the
redesignation of Vigo County from
nonattainment to attainment for the 8hour ozone NAAQS. After evaluating
Indiana’s redesignation request, EPA is
proposing to determine that it meets the
redesignation criteria set forth in section
107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA. Any final
approval of this redesignation request
would change the official designation
for Vigo County from nonattainment to
attainment for the 8-hour ozone
standard.
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VIII. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR
51735, October 4, 1993), this proposed
action is not a ‘‘significant regulatory
action’’ and therefore is not subject to
review by the Office of Management and
Budget.
Executive Order 13211: Actions That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use
Because it is not a ‘‘significant
regulatory action’’ under Executive
Order 12866 or a ‘‘significant energy
action,’’ this proposed action is also not
subject to Executive Order 13211,
‘‘Actions Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use’’ (66 FR 28355, May
22, 2001).
Regulatory Flexibility Act
This action merely approves state law
as meeting Federal requirements and
imposes no additional requirements
beyond those imposed by state law.
Redesignation of an area to attainment
under section 107(d)(3)(E) of the Clean
Air Act does not impose any new
requirements on small entities.
Redesignation is an action that affects
the status of a geographical area and
does not impose any new regulatory
requirements on sources. Accordingly,
the Administrator certifies that this
proposed rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities under the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601
et seq.).
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Because this rule proposes to approve
pre-existing requirements under state
law and does not impose any additional
enforceable duty beyond that required
by state law, it does not contain any
unfunded mandate or significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, as
described in the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4).
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 23, 2005 / Proposed Rules
Executive Order 13175 Consultation
and Coordination With Indian Tribal
Governments
This proposed rule also does not have
tribal implications because it will not
have a substantial direct effect on one or
more Indian tribes, on the relationship
between the Federal Government and
Indian tribes, or on the distribution of
power and responsibilities between the
Federal Government and Indian tribes,
as specified by Executive Order 13175
(65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
Executive Order 13132
Federalism
This proposed action also does not
have federalism implications because it
does not have substantial direct effects
on the states, on the relationship
between the National Government and
the States, or on the distribution of
power and responsibilities among the
various levels of government, as
specified in Executive Order 13132 (64
FR 43255, August 10, 1999).
Redesignation is an action that merely
affects the status of a geographical area,
does not impose any new requirements
on sources, or allows a state to avoid
adopting or implementing other
requirements, and does not alter the
relationship or the distribution of power
and responsibilities established in the
Clean Air Act.
Executive Order 13045 Protection of
Children From Environmental Health
and Safety Risks
National Technology Transfer
Advancement Act
In reviewing SIP submissions, EPA’s
role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of
the Clean Air Act. In this context, in the
absence of a prior existing requirement
for the state to use voluntary consensus
standards (VCS), EPA has no authority
to disapprove a SIP submission for
failure to use VCS. It would thus be
inconsistent with applicable law for
EPA, when it reviews a SIP submission,
to use VCS in place of a SIP submission
that otherwise satisfies the provisions of
the Clean Air Act. Redesignation is an
action that affects the status of a
geographical area but does not impose
any new requirements on sources. Thus,
the requirements of section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C.
272 note) do not apply.
15:39 Nov 22, 2005
Jkt 208001
List of Subjects
40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Intergovernmental
relations, Nitrogen oxides, Ozone,
Volatile organic compounds.
40 CFR Part 81
Air pollution control, Environmental
protection, National parks, Wilderness
areas.
Dated: November 15, 2005.
Bharat Mathur,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 05–23221 Filed 11–22–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 271
[FRL–8001–4]
Michigan: Final Authorization of State
Hazardous Waste Management
Program Revision
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
This proposed rule also is not subject
to Executive Order 13045 ‘‘Protection of
Children from Environmental Health
Risks and Safety Risks’’ (62 FR 19885,
April 23, 1997), because it is not
economically significant.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed rule does not impose
an information collection burden under
the provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.).
SUMMARY: Michigan has applied to the
EPA for final authorization of the
changes to its hazardous waste
management program under the
Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA). EPA has determined that
these changes satisfy all requirements
needed to qualify for final authorization
and is proposing to authorize the state’s
changes through this proposed final
action.
Written comments must be
received on or before December 23,
2005.
DATES:
Send written comments to
Ms. Judy Feigler, Michigan Regulatory
Specialist, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Waste, Pesticides
and Toxics Division (DM–7J), 77 W.
Jackson Blvd., Chicago, Illinois 60604,
phone number: (312) 886–4179. We
must receive your comments by
December 23, 2005. You can view and
copy Michigan’s application from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. at the following addresses:
Waste Management Division, Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality,
Constitution Hall—Atrium North,
ADDRESSES:
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70761
Lansing, Michigan (mailing address P.O.
Box 30241, Lansing, Michigan 48909),
contact Ronda Blayer (517) 353–9548;
and EPA Region 5, contact Judy Feigler
at the following address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judy
Feigler, Michigan Regulatory Specialist,
U.S. EPA, DM–7J, 77 W. Jackson Blvd.,
Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 886–4179.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Why Are Revisions to State
Programs Necessary?
States which have received final
authorization from EPA under RCRA
section 3006(b), 42 U.S.C. 6926(b), must
maintain a hazardous waste program
that is equivalent to, consistent with,
and no less stringent than the federal
program. As the federal program
changes, states must change their
programs and ask EPA to authorize the
changes. Changes to state programs may
be necessary when federal or state
statutory or regulatory authority is
modified or when certain other changes
occur. Most commonly, states must
change their programs because of
changes to EPA’s regulations in 40 Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR) parts 124,
260 through 266, 268, 270, 273 and 279.
B. What Decisions Have We Made in
This Rule?
We conclude that Michigan’s
application to revise its authorized
program meets all of the statutory and
regulatory requirements established by
RCRA. Therefore, we propose to grant
Michigan final authorization to operate
its hazardous waste management
program with the changes described in
the authorization application. Michigan
has responsibility for permitting
treatment, storage, and disposal
facilities (TSDFs) within its borders
(except in Indian country) and for
carrying out the aspects of the RCRA
described in its revised program
application, subject to the limitations of
the Hazardous and Solid Waste
Amendments of 1984 (HSWA). New
federal requirements and prohibitions
imposed by federal regulations that EPA
promulgates under the authority of
HSWA take effect in authorized states
before they are authorized for the
requirements. Thus, EPA will
implement those requirements and
prohibitions in Michigan, including
issuing permits, until the State is
granted authorization to do so.
C. What Is the Effect of Today’s
Authorization Decision?
This decision means that a facility in
Michigan subject to RCRA will now
have to comply with the authorized
state requirements (listed in section F of
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 23, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 70751-70761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23221]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Parts 52 and 81
[R05-OAR-2005-IN-0010; FRL-8001-5]
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation
of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; Indiana; Redesignation of
Vigo County 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area to Attainment for Ozone
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to make a determination that the Vigo County
ozone nonattainment area has attained the 8-hour ozone National Ambient
Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). This proposed determination is based on
three years of complete, quality-assured ambient air quality monitoring
data for the 2002-2004 seasons that demonstrate that the 8-hour ozone
NAAQS has been attained in the area.
EPA is proposing to approve a request from the State of Indiana to
redesignate Vigo County to attainment of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. This
request was submitted by the Indiana Department of Environmental
Management (IDEM) on July 5, 2005 and supplemented on October 20, 2005
and November 4, 2005. In proposing to approve this request, EPA is also
proposing to approve the State's plan for maintaining the 8-hour ozone
NAAQS in this area through 2015 as a revision to the Indiana State
Implementation Plan (SIP). EPA is also finding adequate and is
proposing to approve the State's 2015 Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets
(MVEBs) for this area.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 23, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments, identified by Regional Material in EDocket
(RME) ID No. R05-OAR-2005-IN-0010, by one of the following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
2. Agency Web site: https://docket.epa.gov/rmepub/. RME, EPA's
electronic public docket and comments system, is EPA's preferred method
for receiving comments. Once in the system, select ``quick search,''
then key in the appropriate RME Docket identification number. Follow
the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
3. E-mail: mooney.john@epa.gov.
4. Fax: (312) 886-5824.
5. Mail: You may send written comments to: John M. Mooney, Chief,
Air Programs Branch Criteria Pollutant Section, (AR-18J), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,
Chicago, Illinois 60604.
6. Hand delivery: Deliver your comments to: John M. Mooney, Chief,
Air Programs Branch Criteria Pollutant Section, (AR-18J), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,
18th floor, Chicago, Illinois 60604. Such deliveries are only accepted
during the Regional Office's normal hours of operation. The Regional
Office's official hours of business are Monday through Friday, 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. excluding Federal holidays.
Instructions: Direct your comments to RME ID No. R05-OAR-2005-IN-
0010. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in
the public docket without change, including any personal information
provided and may be made available online at https://docket.epa.gov/
rmepub/, unless the comment includes information claimed to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through RME, regulations.gov,
or e-mail. The EPA RME Web site and the federal regulations.gov Web
site are ``anonymous access'' systems, which means EPA will not know
your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body
of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without
going through RME or regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of
any defects or viruses.
Docket: All documents in the electronic docket are listed in the
RME index at https://docket.epa.gov/rmepub/. Although listed in the
index, some information is not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet
and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly
available docket materials are available either electronically in RME
or in hard copy at the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, Air
and Radiation Division, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois
60604. We recommend that you telephone Steve Rosenthal, Environmental
Engineer, at (312) 886-6052 before visiting the Region 5 office. This
Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Rosenthal, Environmental
Engineer, Criteria Pollutant Section, Air Programs Branch (AR-18J),
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886-6052,
rosenthal.steven@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.
Table of Contents
I. What Actions Is EPA Proposing to Take?
II. What Is the Background for These Actions?
III. What Are the Criteria for Redesignation?
IV. Why Is EPA Proposing to Take These Actions?
V. What Would Be the Effect of These Actions?
VI. What Is EPA's Analysis of the Request?
[[Page 70752]]
A. Attainment Determination and Redesignation
B. Adequacy of Indiana's Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs)
VII. Proposed Actions
VIII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. What Actions Is EPA Proposing to Take?
EPA is proposing to take several related actions. EPA is proposing
to make a determination that the Vigo County, Indiana nonattainment
area has attained the 8-hour ozone standard and that Vigo County has
met the requirements for redesignation under section 107(d)(3)(E). EPA
is thus proposing to approve the request to change the legal
designation of the Vigo County area from nonattainment to attainment
for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA is also proposing to approve Indiana's
maintenance plan SIP revision for Vigo County (such approval being one
of the CAA criteria for redesignation to attainment status). The
maintenance plan is designed to keep Vigo County in attainment of the
ozone NAAQS for the next 10 years. Additionally, EPA is announcing its
action on the Adequacy Process for the newly-established 2015 MVEBs.
The Adequacy comment period for the 2015 MVEBs began on July 12, 2005,
with EPA's posting of the availability of this submittal on EPA's
Adequacy Web site (at https://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/conform/
adequacy.htm). The Adequacy comment period for these MVEBs ended on
August 11, 2005. No requests for this submittal or adverse comments on
this submittal were received during the Adequacy comment period. Please
see the Adequacy Section of this rulemaking for further explanation on
this process. Therefore, we are finding adequate and proposing to
approve the State's 2015 MVEBs for transportation conformity purposes.
II. What Is the Background for These Actions?
Ground-level ozone is not emitted directly by sources. Rather,
emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) react in the presence of sunlight to form ground-level
ozone. NOX and VOCs are referred to as precursors of ozone.
The CAA establishes a process for air quality management through
the NAAQS. Vigo County was designated unclassifiable/attainment under
the 1-hour ozone NAAQS, which was revoked on June 15, 2005. On July 18,
1997, EPA promulgated a revised 8-hour ozone standard of 0.08 parts per
million (ppm). This new standard is more stringent than the previous 1-
hour standard.
On April 30, 2004 (69 FR 23857), EPA published a final rule
designating and classifying areas under the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. These
designations and classifications became effective June 15, 2004. The
CAA required EPA to designate as nonattainment any area that was
violating the 8-hour ozone NAAQS based on the three most recent years
(2001-2003) of air quality data. The CAA contains two sets of
provisions--subpart 1 and subpart 2--that address planning and control
requirements for nonattainment areas. (Both are found in title I, part
D.) Subpart 1 (which EPA refers to as ``basic'' nonattainment) contains
general, less prescriptive, requirements for nonattainment areas for
any pollutant--including ozone--governed by a NAAQS. Subpart 2 (which
EPA refers to as ``classified'' nonattainment) provides more specific
requirements for ozone nonattainment areas. Some ozone nonattainment
areas are subject only to the provisions of subpart 1. Other ozone
nonattainment areas are also subject to the provisions of subpart 2.
Under EPA's 8-hour ozone implementation rule, signed on April 15, 2004,
(69 FR 23951) an area was classified under subpart 2 based on its 8-
hour ozone design value (i.e., the 3-year average annual fourth-highest
daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration), if it had a 1-hour
design value at or above 0.121 ppm (the lowest 1-hour design value in
Table 1 of subpart 2). All other areas are covered under subpart 1,
based upon their 8-hour design values. Vigo County was designated as a
subpart 1, 8-hour ozone nonattainment area by EPA on April 30, 2004,
(69 FR 23857) based on air quality monitoring data from 2001-2003.
Under EPA regulations at 40 CFR part 50, the 8-hour ozone standard
is attained when the 3-year average of the annual fourth-highest daily
maximum 8-hour average ozone concentrations is less than or equal to
0.08 ppm (i.e., 0.084 ppm) when rounding is considered. 40 CFR 50.10
and Appendix I. See 69 FR 23857 (April 30, 2004) for further
information. The data completeness requirement is met when the average
percent of days with valid ambient monitoring data is greater than 90%,
and no single year has less than 75% data completeness as determined in
Appendix I of Part 50.
On July 5, 2005, Indiana requested that EPA redesignate Vigo County
to attainment for the 8-hour ozone standard. This request was
supplemented with submittals dated October 20, 2005 and November 4,
2005. The redesignation request included three years of complete,
quality-assured data for the period of 2002 through 2004, indicating
the 8-hour NAAQS for ozone had been attained for Vigo County. Under the
CAA, nonattainment areas may be redesignated to attainment if
sufficient complete, quality-assured data are available for the
Administrator to determine that the area has attained the standard and
the area meets the other CAA redesignation requirements in section
107(d)(3)(E).
III. What Are the Criteria for Redesignation?
The CAA provides the requirements for redesignating a nonattainment
area to attainment. Specifically, section 107(d)(3)(E) allows for
redesignation providing that: (1) The Administrator determines that the
area has attained the applicable NAAQS; (2) the Administrator has fully
approved the applicable implementation plan for the area under section
110(k); (3) the Administrator determines that the improvement in air
quality is due to permanent and enforceable reductions in emissions
resulting from implementation of the applicable SIP and applicable
Federal air pollutant control regulations and other permanent and
enforceable reductions; (4) the Administrator has fully approved a
maintenance plan for the area as meeting the requirements of section
175A; and (5) the state containing such area has met all requirements
applicable to the area under section 110 and part D.
EPA provided guidance on redesignation in the General Preamble for
the Implementation of Title I of the CAA Amendments of 1990, on April
16, 1992 (57 FR 13498), and supplemented this guidance on April 28,
1992 (57 FR 18070). EPA has provided further guidance on processing
redesignation requests in the following documents:
``Ozone and Carbon Monoxide Design Value Calculations'', Memorandum
from William G. Laxton, Director Technical Support Division, June 18,
1990;
``Maintenance Plans for Redesignation of Ozone and Carbon Monoxide
Nonattainment Areas,'' Memorandum from G. T. Helms, Chief, Ozone/Carbon
Monoxide Programs Branch, April 30, 1992;
``Contingency Measures for Ozone and Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Redesignations,'' Memorandum from G. T. Helms, Chief, Ozone/Carbon
Monoxide Programs Branch, June 1, 1992;
``Procedures for Processing Requests to Redesignate Areas to
Attainment,''
[[Page 70753]]
Memorandum from John Calcagni, Director, Air Quality Management
Division, September 4, 1992;
``State Implementation Plan (SIP) Actions Submitted in Response to
Clean Air Act (ACT) Deadlines,'' Memorandum from John Calcagni,
Director, Air Quality Management Division, October 28, 1992;
``Technical Support Documents (TSD's) for Redesignation Ozone and
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Nonattainment Areas,'' Memorandum from G. T.
Helms, Chief, Ozone/Carbon Monoxide Programs Branch, August 17, 1993;
``State Implementation Plan (SIP) Requirements for Areas Submitting
Requests for Redesignation to Attainment of the Ozone and Carbon
Monoxide (CO) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) On or
After November 15, 1992,'' Memorandum from Michael H. Shapiro, Acting
Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, September 17, 1993;
``Use of Actual Emissions in Maintenance Demonstrations for Ozone
and CO Nonattainment Areas,'' Memorandum from D. Kent Berry, Acting
Director, Air Quality Management Division, to Air Division Directors,
Regions 1-10, dated November 30, 1993.
``Part D New Source Review (part D NSR) Requirements for Areas
Requesting Redesignation to Attainment,'' Memorandum from Mary D.
Nichols, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, October 14,
1994; and
``Reasonable Further Progress, Attainment Demonstration, and
Related Requirements for Ozone Nonattainment Areas Meeting the Ozone
National Ambient Air Quality Standard,'' Memorandum from John S. Seitz,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, May 10, 1995.
IV. Why Is EPA Proposing To Take These Actions?
On July 5, 2005, Indiana requested redesignation of Vigo County to
attainment for the 8-hour ozone standard. Indiana supplemented this
request with submittals dated October 20, 2005 and November 4, 2005.
EPA believes that the area has attained the standard and has met the
requirements for redesignation set forth in section 107(d)(3)(E) of the
CAA.
V. What Would Be the Effect of These Actions?
Approval of the redesignation request and maintenance plan would
change the official designation of the area for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS
found at 40 CFR part 81. It would also incorporate into the Indiana SIP
a plan for maintaining the 8-hour ozone NAAQS through 2015. The
maintenance plan includes contingency measures to remedy future
violations of the 8-hour NAAQS, and establishes MVEBs for the year 2015
of 2.48 tons per day (tpd) VOC and 3.67 tpd NOX for Vigo
County.
VI. What Is EPA's Analysis of the Request?
A. Attainment Determination and Redesignation
EPA is proposing to making a determination that the Vigo County
nonattainment area has attained the 8-hour ozone standard and that the
area has met all other applicable section 107(d)(3)(E) redesignation
criteria. The basis for EPA's determinations is as follows:
1. The Area Has Attained the 8-hour Ozone NAAQS (Section
107(d)(3)(E)(i))
EPA is proposing to make a determination that Vigo County has
attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. For ozone, an area may be considered
to be attaining the 8-hour ozone NAAQS if there are no violations, as
determined in accordance with 40 CFR 50.10 and Appendix I, based on
three complete, consecutive calendar years of quality-assured air
quality monitoring data. To attain this standard, the 3-year average of
the fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentrations
measured at each monitor within an area over each year must not exceed
0.08 ppm. Based on the rounding convention described in 40 CFR Part 50,
Appendix I, the standard is attained if the design value is 0.084 ppm
or below. The data must be collected and quality-assured in accordance
with 40 CFR part 58, and recorded in Aerometric Information Retrieval
System (AIRS). The monitors generally should have remained at the same
location for the duration of the monitoring period required for
demonstrating attainment.
IDEM submitted ozone monitoring data for the 2002 to 2004 ozone
seasons. The State quality assures monitoring data in accordance with
40 CFR 58.10 and the Indiana Quality Assurance Manual and records the
data in the AIRS database, thus making the data publicly available.
IDEM operates two ozone monitors in Vigo County: Terre Haute and
Sandcut. The data for 2002-2004 have been quality assured and are
recorded in AIRS. For the Terre Haute monitor, data completeness
averaged 98%, 98%, and 100% in 2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively. For
the Sandcut monitor, data completeness averaged 96%, 93% and 97% in
2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively. The annual fourth highest 8-hour
average ozone concentrations and the three-year average fourth-high 8-
hour average ozone concentrations are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1.--Annual Fourth-High 8-Hour Average Ozone Concentration and Three-year Average Fourth-High 8-Hour
Average Ozone Concentrations in Vigo County, Indiana
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-year average
Site Year 4th high 8-hour for ending year
average (ppm) (ppm)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terre Haute.................................................... 2002 0.082 NA
Terre Haute.................................................... 2003 0.066 NA
Terre Haute.................................................... 2004 0.057 0.068
Sandcut........................................................ 2002 0.099 NA
Sandcut........................................................ 2003 0.080 NA
Sandcut........................................................ 2004 0.072 0.084
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It should be noted that preliminary 2005 monitoring data show that
Vigo County continues to attain the 8-hour ozone standard.
In addition, as discussed below with respect to the maintenance
plan, IDEM has committed to continue monitoring in these areas in
accordance with 40 CFR part 58. In summary, EPA believes that the data
submitted by Indiana provide an adequate demonstration that Vigo County
has attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Therefore, we are
[[Page 70754]]
proposing to find that Vigo County has attained the 8-hour ozone
standard.
2. For Purposes of Redesignation the Area Has Met All Applicable
Requirements Under Section 110 and Part D; and the Area Has a Fully
Approved SIP Under Section 110(k) (Sections 107(d)(3)(E)(v) and
107(d)(3)(E)(ii))
We are proposing to determine Indiana has met all currently
applicable SIP requirements for purposes of redesignation for Vigo
County under Section 110 of the CAA (general SIP requirements). We are
also proposing to determine that the Indiana SIP meets all SIP
requirements currently applicable for purposes of redesignation under
Part D of Title I of the CAA (requirements specific to Subpart 1
nonattainment areas), in accordance with section 107(d)(3)(E)(v). In
addition, we are proposing to determine that the Indiana SIP is fully
approved with respect to all applicable requirements for purposes of
redesignation, in accordance with section 107(d)(3)(E)(ii). In making
these proposed determinations, we have ascertained what SIP
requirements are applicable to the areas for purposes of redesignation.
As discussed more fully below, SIPs must be fully approved only with
respect to currently applicable requirements of the CAA.
a. Vigo County has met all requirements applicable for purposes of
redesignation under section 110 and part D of the CAA. The September 4,
1992 Calcagni memorandum (see ``Procedures for Processing Requests to
Redesignate Areas to Attainment,'' Memorandum from John Calcagni,
Director, Air Quality Management Division, September 4, 1992) describes
EPA's interpretation of section 107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA. Under this
interpretation, to qualify for redesignation of an area to attainment,
the state and the area must meet the relevant CAA requirements that
come due prior to the state's submittal of a complete redesignation
request for the area. See also the September 17, 1993 Michael Shapiro
memorandum and 60 FR 12459, 12465-66 (Mar. 7, 1995) (redesignation of
Detroit-Ann Arbor, Michigan to attainment of the 1-hour ozone NAAQS).
Applicable requirements of the CAA that come due subsequent to the
state's submittal of a complete request remain applicable until a
redesignation to attainment is approved, but are not required as a
prerequisite to redesignation. See section 175A(c) of the CAA. Sierra
Club v. EPA, 375 F.3d 537 (7th Cir. 2004). See also 68 FR 25424, 25427
(May 12, 2003) (redesignation of the St. Louis/East St. Louis area to
attainment of the 1-hour ozone NAAQS).
General SIP requirements. Section 110(a) of title I of the CAA
contains the general requirements for a SIP. General SIP elements and
requirements are delineated in section 110(a)(2). These requirements
include, but are not limited to, the following: submittal of a SIP that
has been adopted by the state after reasonable public notice and
hearing; enforceable emission limitations and other control measures,
means or techniques; provisions for establishment and operation of
appropriate devices, methods, systems and procedures necessary to
monitor ambient air quality; implementation of a source permit program;
provisions for the implementation of part C, Prevention of Significant
Deterioration (PSD) and part D, New Source Review (NSR) permit
programs; criteria for stationary source emission control measures,
monitoring, and reporting; provisions for air quality modeling; and
provisions for public and local agency participation in planning and
emission control rule development.
Section 110(a)(2)(D) of the CAA requires that SIPs contain certain
measures to prevent sources in a state from significantly contributing
to air quality problems in another state. To implement this provision,
EPA has required certain states to establish programs to address
transport of air pollutants (NOX SIP Call,\1\ Clean Air
Interstate Rule (CAIR)(70 FR 25162)). However, the section 110(a)(2)(D)
requirements for a state are not linked with a particular nonattainment
area's designation and classification. EPA believes that the
requirements linked with a particular nonattainment area's designation
and classification are the relevant measures to evaluate in reviewing a
redesignation request. The transport SIP submittal requirements, where
applicable, continue to apply to a state regardless of the designation
of any one particular area in the state.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ On October 27, 1998 (63 FR 57356), EPA issued a
NOX SIP call, requiring the District of Columbia and 22
states, including Indiana, to reduce their statewide emissions of
NOX in order to reduce the transport of ozone and ozone.
In compliance with EPA's NOX SIP call, IDEM has developed
rules governing the control of NOX emissions from
Electric Generating Units (EGUs), major non-EGU industrial boilers,
and major cement kilns. EPA approved Indiana's rules as fulfilling
Phase I of the NOX SIP Call on November 8, 2001 (66 FR
56465). On December 11, 2003 (68 FR 69025) EPA approved revisions to
these rules.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We believe that these requirements should not be construed to be
applicable requirements for purposes of redesignation. Further, we
believe that the other section 110 elements described above that are
not connected with nonattainment plan submissions and not linked with
an area's attainment status are also not applicable requirements for
purposes of redesignation. A state remains subject to these
requirements after an area is redesignated to attainment. We conclude
that only the section 110 and part D requirements which are linked with
a particular area's designation and classification are the relevant
measures in evaluating a redesignation request. This approach is
consistent with EPA's existing policy on applicability of conformity
and oxygenated fuels requirements for redesignation purposes, as well
as with section 184 ozone transport requirements. See Reading,
Pennsylvania, proposed and final rulemakings (61 FR 53174-53176,
October 10, 1996), (62 FR 24826, May 7, 1997); Cleveland-Akron-Lorain,
Ohio, final rulemaking (61 FR 20458, May 7, 1996); and Tampa, Florida,
final rulemaking (60 FR 62748, December 7, 1995). See also the
discussion on this issue in the Cincinnati ozone redesignation (65 FR
37890, June 19, 2000), and in the Pittsburgh ozone redesignation (66 FR
50399, October 19, 2001).
We believe that section 110 elements not linked to the area's
nonattainment status are not applicable for purposes of redesignation.
Any section 110 requirements that are linked to the part D requirements
for 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas are not yet due, since, as
explained below, no part D requirements applicable for purposes of
redesignation under the 8-hour standard became due prior to submission
of the redesignation requests. Therefore, as discussed above, for
purposes of redesignation, they are not considered applicable
requirements.
Part D Requirements. EPA has determined that the Indiana SIP meets
applicable SIP requirements under part D of the CAA since no
requirements applicable for purposes of redesignation became due for
the 8-hour ozone standard prior to submission of the Vigo County
redesignation request. Under part D, an area's classification
determines the requirements to which it will be subject. Subpart 1 of
part D, found in sections 172-176 of the CAA, sets forth the basic
nonattainment requirements applicable to all nonattainment areas.
Section 182 of the CAA, found in subpart 2 of part D, establishes
additional specific requirements depending on the area's nonattainment
classification. Vigo County was classified as subpart 1 nonattainment
area, and therefore subpart 2 requirements do not apply.
[[Page 70755]]
Part D, Subpart 1 applicable SIP requirements. For purposes of
evaluating this redesignation request, the applicable part D, subpart 1
SIP requirements for Vigo County are contained in sections 172(c)(1)-
(9). A thorough discussion of the requirements contained in section 172
can be found in the General Preamble for Implementation of Title I (57
FR 13498, April 16, 1992).
No requirements applicable for purposes of redesignation under part
D became due prior to submission of the redesignation request, and,
therefore, none is applicable to the area for purposes of
redesignation. Since the State of Indiana has submitted a complete
ozone redesignation request for Vigo County prior to the deadline for
any submissions required for purposes of redesignation, we have
determined that these requirements do not apply to the Vigo County area
for purposes of redesignation.
Furthermore, EPA has determined that areas being redesignated need
not comply with the requirement that a NSR program be approved prior to
redesignation, provided that the area demonstrates maintenance of the
standard without part D NSR, since PSD requirements will apply after
redesignation. A more detailed rationale for this view is described in
a memorandum from Mary Nichols, Assistant Administrator for Air and
Radiation, dated October 14, 1994, entitled, ``Part D New Source Review
Requirements for Areas Requesting Redesignation to Attainment.''
Indiana has demonstrated that the area will be able to maintain the
standard without part D NSR in effect, and therefore, EPA concludes
that the State need not have a fully approved part D NSR program prior
to approval of the redesignation request. The State's PSD program will
become effective in Vigo County upon redesignation to attainment. See
rulemakings for Detroit, Michigan (60 FR 12467-12468, March 7, 1995);
Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, Ohio (61 FR 20458, 20469-20470, May 7, 1996);
Louisville, Kentucky (66 FR 53665, October 23, 2001); and Grand Rapids,
Michigan (61 FR 31834-31837, June 21, 1996).
Section 176 conformity requirements. Section 176(c) of the CAA
requires states to establish criteria and procedures to ensure that
Federally-supported or funded activities, including highway projects,
conform to the air quality planning goals in the applicable SIPs. The
requirement to determine conformity applies to transportation plans,
programs and projects developed, funded or approved under Title 23
U.S.C. and the Federal Transit Act (transportation conformity) as well
as to all other Federally-supported or funded projects (general
conformity). State conformity revisions must be consistent with Federal
conformity regulations relating to consultation, enforcement and
enforceability that the CAA required the EPA to promulgate.
EPA approved Indiana's general conformity SIP on January 14, 1998
(63 FR 2146). Indiana does not have a Federally approved transportation
conformity SIP. However, conformity analyses are performed pursuant to
EPA's Federal conformity rules. Indiana has submitted on-highway motor
vehicle budgets for Vigo County of 2.84 tpd of VOC and 3.67 tpd of
NOX, based on the area's 2015 level of emissions. Vigo
County must use the motor vehicle emissions budgets from the
maintenance plan in any conformity determination that is effective on
or after the effective date of the maintenance plan approval.
EPA believes that it is reasonable to interpret the conformity SIP
requirements as not applying for purposes of evaluating the
redesignation request under section 107(d) for two reasons. First, the
requirement to submit SIP revisions to comply with the conformity
provisions of the CAA continues to apply to areas after redesignation
to attainment since such areas would be subject to a section 175A
maintenance plan. Second, EPA's Federal conformity rules require the
performance of conformity analyses in the absence of Federally-approved
state rules. Therefore, because areas are subject to the conformity
requirements regardless of whether they are redesignated to attainment
and must implement conformity under Federal rules if state rules are
not yet approved, EPA believes it is reasonable to view these
requirements as not applying for purposes of evaluating a redesignation
request. See Wall v. EPA, 265 F.3d 426 (6th Cir. 2001), upholding this
interpretation. See also 60 FR 62748 (Dec. 7, 1995) (Tampa, Florida).
Thus, the area has satisfied all applicable requirements under section
110 and part D of the CAA.
b. For purposes of redesignation Vigo County has a fully approved
applicable SIP under section 110(k) of the CAA. EPA has fully approved
the Indiana SIP for Vigo County under section 110(k) of the CAA for all
requirements applicable for purposes of redesignation. EPA may rely on
prior SIP approvals in approving a redesignation request (See the
September 4, 1992 John Calcagni memorandum, page 3, Southwestern
Pennsylvania Growth Alliance v. Browner, 144 F.3d 984, 989-990 (6th
Cir. 1998), Wall v. EPA, 265 F.3d 426 (6th Cir. 2001)) plus any
additional measures it may approve in conjunction with a redesignation
action. See 68 FR 25426 (May 12, 2003). Since the passage of the CAA of
1970, Indiana has adopted and submitted, and EPA has fully approved,
provisions addressing the various required SIP elements applicable to
Vigo County under the 1-hour ozone standard. No Vigo County area SIP
provisions are currently disapproved, conditionally approved, or
partially approved. As indicated above, EPA believes that the section
110 elements not connected with nonattainment plan submissions and not
linked to the area's nonattainment status are not applicable
requirements for purposes of redesignation. EPA also believes that
since the part D requirements applicable for purposes of redesignation
did not become due prior to submission of the redesignation request,
they also are, therefore, not applicable requirements for purposes of
redesignation.
3. The Improvement in Air Quality Is Due to Permanent and Enforceable
Reductions in Emissions Resulting From Implementation of the SIP and
Applicable Federal Air Pollution Control Regulations and Other
Permanent and Enforceable Reductions (Section 107(d)(3)(E)(iii))
EPA believes that Indiana has demonstrated that the observed air
quality improvement in Vigo County is due to permanent and enforceable
reductions in emissions resulting from implementation of the SIP,
Federal measures, and other State-adopted measures.
In making this demonstration, the State has calculated the change
in emissions between 1999 and 2004, one of the years Vigo County
monitored attainment. The reduction in emissions and the corresponding
improvement in air quality over this time period can be attributed to a
number of regulatory control measures that Indiana has implemented in
recent years.
a. Permanent and enforceable controls implemented. The following is
a discussion of permanent and enforceable measures that have been
implemented in the area:
Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT). Vigo County was not
previously required to be covered by RACT regulations for existing
sources under the CAA. However, Indiana has implemented statewide RACT
controls through the following regulations:
[[Page 70756]]
326-IAC 8-2 Surface Coating Emission Limitations;
326-IAC 8-3 Organic Solvent Degreasing Operations;
326-IAC 8-4 Petroleum Sources;
326-IAC 8-5 Miscellaneous Operations; and
326-IAC 8-6 Organic Solvent Emission Limitations.
NOX rules. In compliance with EPA's NOX SIP
call, Indiana developed rules to control NOX emissions from
Electric Generating Units (EGUs), major non-EGU industrial boilers, and
major cement kilns. These rules required sources to begin reducing
NOX emissions in 2004, with emission reductions increasing
to 31 percent statewide by 2007. It should be noted that statewide
NOX emissions actually began to decline in 2002 as sources
phased in emission controls needed to comply with the State's
NOX emission control regulations. From 2004 on,
NOX emissions from EGUs are capped at a statewide total well
below pre-2002 levels. It should be noted that NOX emissions
are expected to further decline as the State meets the requirements of
EPA's Phase II NOX SIP call (69 FR 21604).
Federal Emission Control Measures. Reductions in VOC and
NOX emissions have occurred statewide as a result of Federal
emission control measures, with additional emission reductions expected
to occur in the future as additional emission controls are implemented.
Federal emission control measures have included: the National Low
Emission Vehicle (NLEV) program, Tier 2 emission standards for
vehicles, gasoline sulfur limits, and heavy-duty diesel engine
standards. In addition, in 2004, EPA issued the Clean Air Non-road
Diesel Rule (69 FR 38958). This rule will reduce off-road diesel
emissions through 2010, with emission reductions starting in 2008.
Indiana commits to maintain the implemented emission control
measures after redesignation of Vigo County to attainment of the 8-hour
ozone NAAQS. Any revisions to emission control regulations and emission
limits will be submitted to the EPA for approval as SIP revisions.
b. Emission reductions. Indiana is using 1999 for the nonattainment
year inventory, emissions from which are used to compare to the 2004
attainment year inventory to demonstrate that emission reductions (from
1999 to 2004) have contributed to the improvement in air quality.
Emissions estimates were taken directly from the National Emissions
Inventory (NEI), with the following exception. Point source emissions
information was compiled from IDEM's 1999 annual emissions statement
database.
For comparison, IDEM developed an inventory for 2004, one of the
years the area monitored attainment of the 8-hour NAAQS. The point
source sector information was compiled from IDEM's 2004 annual
emissions statement database and the 2004 EPA Air Markets acid rain
database. The area source sector information was taken from the Indiana
2002 periodic inventory submitted to EPA. These projections were made
from the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis growth
factors with some updated local information. The nonroad sector
emission estimates were developed using NONROAD with the following
modifications. Emissions were estimated for two nonroad categories not
included in NONROAD, commercial marine vessels and railroads.
Recreational motorboat population and spatial surrogates (used to
assign emissions to each county) were updated. The populations for the
construction equipment category were reviewed and updated based upon
surveys completed in the Midwest and the temporal allocation for
agricultural sources was also updated. The onroad sector emissions were
calculated using MOBILE 6.2.
Based on the inventories described above, Indiana's submittal
documents changes in VOC and NOX emissions from 1999 to 2004
for Vigo County. Indiana also documented the change in emissions for
the surrounding Western Indiana Counties of Clay, Parke, Sullivan and
Vermillion. Emissions data are shown in Tables 2 and 3 below.
Table 2.--Comparison of 1999 and 2004 VOC and NOX Emissions for Vigo County (TPSD)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VOC NOX
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector Net change Net change
1999 2004 (1999-2004) 1999 2004 (1999-2004)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point............................... 7.36 4.84 -2.52 26.65 28.67 2.02
Area................................ 14.18 6.48 -7.70 1.45 0.99 -0.46
Nonroad............................. 2.32 2.76 0.44 5.28 3.39 -1.89
Onroad.............................. 8.30 6.22 -2.08 12.29 9.42 -2.87
------------
Total........................... 32.16 20.30 -11.86 45.67 42.47 -3.20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 3.--Comparison of 1999 and 2004 VOC and NOX Emissions for Surrounding Counties (TPSD)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VOC NOX
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector Net change Net change
1999 2004 (1999-2004) 1999 2004 (1999-2004)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point............................... 5.52 3.22 -2.30 82.39 62.90 -19.49
Area................................ 19.18 6.76 -12.42 0.94 0.54 -0.40
Nonroad............................. 2.70 4.11 1.41 9.17 6.93 -2.24
Onroad.............................. 7.20 6.12 -1.08 9.87 11.56 1.69
------------
Total........................... 34.60 20.21 -14.39 102.37 81.93 -20.44
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 2 shows that Vigo County reduced NOX emissions by
3.20 tpd and VOC emissions by 11.86 tpd between 1999 and 2004. Table 3
shows emissions in the surrounding counties decreased by 14.39 tpd for
VOC and 20.44 tpd for NOX.
[[Page 70757]]
Based on the information summarized above, Indiana has adequately
demonstrated that the improvement in air quality is due to permanent
and enforceable emissions reductions.
4. The Area Has a Fully Approved Maintenance Plan Pursuant to Section
175a of the CAA. (Section 107(d)(3)(E)(iv))
In conjunction with its request to redesignate the Vigo County
nonattainment area to attainment status, Indiana submitted a SIP
revision to provide for the maintenance of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS in
Vigo County for at least 10 years after redesignation.
a. What is required in a maintenance plan? Section 175A of the CAA
sets forth the required elements of a maintenance plan for areas
seeking redesignation from nonattainment to attainment. Under section
175A, the plan must demonstrate continued attainment of the applicable
NAAQS for at least ten years after the Administrator approves a
redesignation to attainment. Eight years after the redesignation, the
State must submit a revised maintenance plan which demonstrates that
attainment will continue to be maintained for ten years following the
initial ten-year maintenance period. To address the possibility of
future NAAQS violations, the maintenance plan must contain contingency
measures with a schedule for implementation as EPA deems necessary to
assure prompt correction of any future 8-hour ozone violations.
The September 4, 1992 John Calcagni memorandum provides additional
guidance on the content of a maintenance plan. An ozone maintenance
plan should address the following items: The attainment VOC and
NOX emissions inventories, a maintenance demonstration
showing maintenance for the ten years of the maintenance period, a
commitment to maintain the existing monitoring network, factors and
procedures to be used for verification of continued attainment of the
NAAQS, and a contingency plan to prevent or correct future violations
of the NAAQS.
b. Attainment Inventory. The State developed an inventory for 2004,
one of the years the area monitored attainment of the 8-hour NAAQS.
Inventory methodology is described in section 3 above. The attainment
level of emissions is summarized along with the 2010 and 2015 projected
emissions for Vigo County in Table 3 below.
c. Demonstration of Maintenance. As part of the redesignation
request, IDEM submitted revisions to the 8-hour ozone SIP to include a
10-year maintenance plan as required by section 175A of the CAA. For
Vigo County, this demonstration shows maintenance of the 8-hour ozone
standard by assuring that current and future emissions of VOC and
NOX remain at or below attainment year emission levels. A
maintenance demonstration need not be based on modeling. See Wall v.
EPA, 265 F.3d 426 (6th Cir. 2001), Sierra Club v. EPA, 375 F. 3d 537
(7th Cir. 2004). See also 66 FR 53094, 53099-53100 (October 19, 2001),
68 FR 25430-25432 (May 12, 2003).
IDEM developed projected emissions inventories for 2010 and 2015.
Onroad mobile source emissions were projected using Mobile 6.2 in
accordance with ``Procedures for Preparing Emissions Projections,''
EPA-45/4-91-019. Emissions for the point, area and nonroad sectors were
projected using growth and control files developed by the Midwest
Regional Planning Organization. This method was used to ensure that the
inventories used for redesignation are consistent with modeling
performed in the future. These emission estimates are presented in
Tables 4 and 5 below.
Table 4.--Comparison of 2004-2015 VOC and NOX Emissions for Vigo County (TPSD)
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VOC NOX
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector Net change Net change
2004 2010 2015 2004-2015 2004 2010 2015 2004-2015
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Point................................................. 4.84 7.24 8.42 3.58 28.67 12.91 12.93 -15.74
Area.................................................. 6.48 6.94 7.32 0.84 0.99 1.05 1.08 0.09
Nonroad............................................... 2.76 1.93 1.60 -1.16 3.39 2.01 1.53 -1.86
Onroad................................................ 6.22 3.84 2.58 -3.64 9.42 5.76 3.34 -6.08
------------
Total............................................. 20.30 19.95 19.92 -0.38 42.47 21.73 18.88 -23.59
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Table 5.--Comparison of 2004-2015 VOC and NOX Emissions for Surrounding Counties (TPSD)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VOC NOX
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector Net change Net change
2004 2010 2015 2004-2015 2004 2010 2015 2004-2015
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point................................................. 3.22 3.50 3.98 0.76 62.90 36.80 36.97 -25.93
Area.................................................. 6.76 7.16 7.57 0.81 0.54 0.58 0.59 0.05
Nonroad............................................... 4.11 2.98 2.54 -1.57 6.93 3.60 2.98 -3.95
Onroad................................................ 6.12 7.40 4.48 -1.64 11.56 4.31 3.09 -8.47
�������������������������������������������������������
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The emission projections show that in Vigo County emissions are not
expected to exceed the level of the 2004 attainment year inventory
during the 10-year maintenance period. Vigo County VOC and
NOX emissions are projected to decrease by 0.38 tpd and
23.59 tpd, respectively. Surrounding County VOC and NOX
emissions are projected to decrease by 1.64 tpd and 38.30 tpd,
respectively.
IDEM notes that, although ozone modeling is not required to support
ozone redesignation requests, a significant amount of ozone modeling
data exist that support the connection between emissions reductions and
air quality improvement, including modeling data that support a
demonstration of maintenance for Vigo County. IDEM notes that the
available
[[Page 70758]]
modeling data demonstrate that Vigo is significantly impacted by ozone
and ozone precursor transport and that NOX emission
reductions are significantly beneficial for reducing 8-hour ozone
concentrations in Vigo County. IDEM draws the conclusions discussed
below from the various ozone modeling analyses that have addressed the
Midwest.
EPA modeling analyses for the Heavy Duty Engine rule. EPA conducted
ozone modeling for Tier II vehicle and low-sulfur fuels to support the
final rulemaking for the Heavy Duty Engine (HDE) and Vehicle Standards
and Highway Diesel Fuel Rule. This modeling, in part, addressed ozone
levels in Vigo County and the West Central Indiana Counties. A base
year of 1996 was modeled, and the impacts of fuel changes and the
NOX SIP call were addressed for high ozone episodes in 1995.
The modeling supports the conclusion that the fuel improvements and the
NOX SIP call result in significant ozone improvements (lower
projected ozone concentrations) in Vigo County and in the West Central
Indiana Counties. Using the modeling results to determine Relative
Reduction Factors (RRFs)\2\ and, considering the 2001-2003 ozone design
value at the Terre Haute ozone monitor (76 ppb) and at the Sandcut
monitor (87) ppb, IDEM projected the 2007 ozone design value to be 66.1
ppb and 80.4 ppb, at Terre Haute and Sandcut, respectively. Therefore,
the NOX SIP call and the fuel modifications considered in
the ozone modeling were found to significantly improve the ozone levels
in Vigo County.
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\2\ Relative Reduction Factors are fractional changes in peak
ozone concentrations projected to occur as the result of assumed
changes in precursor emissions resulting from the implementation of
emission control strategies. Relative Reduction Factors are derived
through ozone modeling and are applied to monitored peak ozone
concentrations to project post-control peak ozone levels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium (LADCO) modeling analysis
for the 8-hour ozone standard assessment. LADCO has performed ozone
modeling to evaluate the effect of the NOX SIP call and Tier
II/Low Sulfur Fuel Rule on 2007 ozone levels in the Lake Michigan area,
which includes Vigo County and the West Central Indiana Counties. Like
the EPA modeling discussed above, this modeling indicates that the
2001-2003 ozone design values for the Vigo County monitoring sites
would be reduced to below-standard levels in 2007 as the result of
implementing the NOX SIP call and the Tier II/Low Sulfur
Fuel Rule.
EPA modeling analysis for the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). EPA
conducted modeling in support of the CAIR rulemaking. The modeling was
based on 1999-2003 design values. Future year modeling was conducted
for Vigo County and future year design values for 2010 and 2015 were
evaluated for attainment of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Results of the CAIR
modeling show that Vigo County should continue to attain the 8-hour
ozone NAAQS in 2010. With additional CAIR reductions in 2015, design
values continue to decrease.
As part of its maintenance plan, the State elected to include a
``safety margin'' for the areas. A ``safety margin'' is the difference
between the attainment level of emissions (from all sources) and the
projected level of emissions (from all sources) in the maintenance plan
which continues to demonstrate attainment of the standard. The
attainment level of emissions is the level of emissions during one of
the years in which the area met the NAAQS. For example, Vigo County
attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS during the 2002-2004 time period.
Indiana uses 2004 as the attainment level of emissions for the area.
The emissions from point, area, nonroad, and mobile sources in 2004
equaled 20.30 tpd of VOC for Vigo County. Projected VOC emissions out
to the year 2015 equaled 19.92 tpd of VOC. The SIP demonstrates that
Vigo County will continue to maintain the standard with emissions at
this level. The safety margin for VOC is calculated to be the
difference between these amounts or, in this case, 0.38 tpd of VOC for
2015. By this same method, 23.59 tpd (i.e., 42.47 tpd less 18.88 tpd)
is the safety margin for NOX for 2015. The emissions are
projected to maintain the area's air quality consistent with the NAAQS.
The safety margin, or a portion thereof, can be allocated to any of the
source categories, as long as the total attainment level of emissions
is maintained.
d. Monitoring Network. Indiana currently operates two ozone
monitors in Vigo County. IDEM has committed to continue operating and
maintaining an approved ozone monitor network in accordance with 40 CFR
part 58.
e. Verification of Continued Attainment. Continued attainment of
the ozone NAAQS in Vigo County depends, in part, on the State's efforts
toward tracking indicators of continued attainment during the
maintenance period. The State's plan for verifying continued attainment
of the 8-hour standard in Vigo County consists of plans to continue
ambient ozone monitoring in accordance with the requirements of 40 CFR
part 58. In addition, IDEM will periodically revise and review the VOC
and NOX emissions inventories for Vigo County to ensure that
emissions growth is not threatening the continued attainment of the 8-
hour ozone standard. Emissions inventories will be revised for 2005,
2008, and 2011, as necessary to comply with the emissions inventory
reporting requirements of the CAA. The updated emissions inventories
will be compared to the 2004 emissions inventories to assess emission
trends and assure continued attainment of the 8-hour ozone standard.
f. Contingency Plan. The contingency plan provisions are designed
to promptly correct or prevent a violation of the NAAQS that might
occur after redesignation of an area to attainment. Section 175A of the
CAA requires that a maintenance plan include such contingency measures
as EPA deems necessary to assure that the State will promptly correct a
violation of the NAAQS that might occur after redesignation. The
maintenance plan should identify the contingency measures to be
adopted, a schedule and procedure for adoption and implementation of
the contingency measures, and a time limit for action by the state. The
state should also identify specific indicators to be used to determine
when the contingency measures need to be adopted and implemented. The
maintenance plan must include a requirement that the state will
implement all measures with respect to control of the pollutant(s) that
were contained in the SIP before redesignation of the area to
attainment. See section 175A(d) of the CAA.
As required by section 175A of the CAA, Indiana has adopted a
contingency plan for Vigo County to address a possible future ozone air
quality problem. The contingency plan adopted by Indiana has two levels
of responses, depending on whether a violation of the 8-hour ozone
standard is only threatened (Warning Level) or has occurred or is
imminent (Action Level).
A Warning Level response will occur when an annual (1-year) fourth-
high monitored daily peak 8-hour ozone concentration of 88 ppb or
higher is monitored in a single ozone season at any monitor within the
ozone maintenance area. A Warning Level response will consist of
Indiana performing a study to determine whether the high ozone
concentration indicates a trend toward high ozone levels or whether
emissions are increasing. If a trend toward higher ozone concentrations
exists and is likely
[[Page 70759]]
to continue, the emissions control measures necessary to reverse the
trend will be determined taking into consideration ease and timing of
implementation, as well as economic and social considerations. The
study, including applicable recommended next steps, will be completed
within 12 months from the close of the ozone season with the recorded
high ozone concentration. If emission controls are needed to reverse
the adverse ozone trend, the procedures for emission control selection
under the Action Level response will be followed.
An Action Level response will occur when a two-year average annual
fourth-high monitored daily peak 8-hour ozone concentration of 85 ppb
occurs at any monitor in the ozone maintenance area. A violation of the
standard (a 3-year average of the annual fourth-highest daily maximum
8-hour average ozone concentration of 85 ppb or greater) also triggers
an Action Level response. In this situation, IDEM will determine the
additional emission control measures needed to assure future attainment
of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. IDEM will focus on emission control measures
that can be implemented in a short time, and selected emission control
measures will be adopted and implemented within 18 months from the
close of the ozone season with ozone monitoring data that prompted the
Action Level Response. Adoption of any additional emission control
measures will be subject to the necessary administrative and legal
procedures, including publication of notices and the opportunity for
public comment and response. If a new emission control measure is
adopted by the State (independent of the ozone contingency needs) or is
adopted at a Federal level and is scheduled for implementation in a
time frame that will mitigate an ozone air quality problem, IDEM will
determine whether this emission control measure is sufficient to
address the ozone air quality problem. If IDEM determines that existing
or soon-to-be-implemented emissions control measures should be adequate
to correct the ozone standard violation problem, IDEM may determine
that additional emission control measures at the State level may be
unnecessary. Regardless, IDEM will submit to the EPA an analysis to
demonstrate that proposed emission control measures are adequate to
provide for future attainment of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS in a timely
manner. EPA notes that it is construing this provision to require that
any non-Federal control measure relied upon in lieu of a contingency
measure be included in the State SIP or be submitted to EPA for
approval into the SIP.
Contingency measures contained in the maintenance plan are those
emission controls or other measures that Indiana may choose to adopt
and implement to correct possible air quality problems. These include,
but are not limited to, the following:
i. Lower Reid vapor pressure gasoline requirements;
ii. Broader geographic applicability of existing emission control
measures;
iii. Tightened RACT requirements on existing sources covered by EPA
Control Technique Guidelines (CTGs) issued in response to the 1990 CAA
amendments;
iv. Application of RACT to smaller existing sources;
v. Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I/M);
vi. One or more Transportation Control Measure (TCM) sufficient to
achieve at least a 0.5 percent reduction in actual area wide VOC
emissions, to be selected from the following:
A. Trip reduction programs, including, but not limited to,
employer-based transportation management plans, area wide rideshare
programs, work schedule changes, and telecommuting;
B. Transit improvements;
C. Traffic flow improvements; and
D. Other new or innovative transportation measures not yet in
widespread use that affect State and local governments as deemed
appropriate;
vii. Alternative fuel and diesel retrofit programs for fleet
vehicle operations;
viii. Controls on consumer products consistent with those adopted
elsewhere in the United States;
ix. VOC or NOX emission offsets for new or modified
major sources;
x. VOC or NOX emission offsets for new or modified minor
sources;
xi. Increased ratio of emission offset required for new sources;
and,
xii. VOC or NOX emission controls on new minor sources
(with VOC or NOX emissions less than 100 tons per year).
g. Provisions for Future Updates of the Ozone Maintenance Plan. As
required by section 175A(b) of the CAA, Indiana commits to submit to
the EPA an update of the ozone maintenance plan eight years after
redesignation of Vigo County to cover an additional 10-year period
beyond the initial 10-year maintenance period.
EPA has concluded that the maintenance plan adequately addresses
the five basic components of a maintenance plan: attainment inventory,
maintenance demonstration, monitoring network, verification of
continued attainment, and a contingency plan. The maintenance plan SIP
revision submitted by Indiana for Vigo County meets the requirements of
section 175A of the CAA.
B. Adequacy of Indiana's Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets (MVEBs)
1. How Are MVEBs Developed and What Are the MVEBs for Vigo County?
Under the CAA, states are required to submit, at various times,
control strategy SIP revisions and ozone maintenance plans for
applicable areas (for ozone nonattainment areas and for areas seeking
redesignations to attainment of the ozone standard). These emission
control strategy SIP revisions (e.g., reasonable further progress SIP
and attainment demonstration SIP revisions) and ozone maintenance plans
create MVEBs based on onroad mobile source emissions for criteria
pollutants and/or their precursors to address pollution from cars