Determination of Nonattainment and Reclassification of the Atlanta, GA, 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area, 58572-58577 [E7-20342]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 16, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 58572-58577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20342]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 81

[EPA-R04-OAR-2007-0958-200744; FRL-8482-6]


Determination of Nonattainment and Reclassification of the 
Atlanta, GA, 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to find that the Atlanta, Georgia marginal 8-
hour nonattainment ozone area has failed to attain the 8-hour ozone 
national ambient air quality standard (``NAAQS'' or ``standard'') by 
June 15, 2007, the attainment deadline set forth in the Clean Air Act 
(CAA) and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for marginal nonattainment 
areas. If EPA finalizes this finding, the Atlanta, Georgia area will 
then be reclassified, by operation of law, as a moderate 8-hour ozone 
nonattainment area. The moderate area attainment date for the Atlanta, 
Georgia area would then be ``as expeditiously as practicable,'' but no 
later than June 15, 2010. Once reclassified, Georgia must submit a 
State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision that meets the 8-hour ozone 
nonattainment requirements for moderate areas, as required by the CAA. 
In this action, EPA is also proposing the schedule for Georgia's 
submittal of the SIP revision required for moderate areas once the area 
is reclassified.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 15, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R04-
OAR-2007-0958, by one of the following methods:
    1. https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
    2. E-mail: harder.stacy@epa.gov.
    3. Fax: 404-562-9019.
    4. Mail: EPA-R04-OAR-2007-0958, Regulatory Development Section, Air 
Planning Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management Division, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street, SW., 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960.
    5. Hand Delivery or Courier: Stacy Harder, Regulatory Development 
Section, Air Planning Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management 
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth 
Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. 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 to 4:30, excluding Federal holidays.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R04-OAR-
2007-0958. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit through www.regulations.gov or e-
mail, information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected. 
The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
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 www.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

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viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the 
EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: All documents in the electronic docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. 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 www.regulations.gov or 
in hard copy at the Regulatory Development Section, Air Planning 
Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management Division, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street, SW., 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960 or the Air Planning Branch, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency. EPA requests that if at all possible, 
you contact the persons listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section to schedule your inspection. The Regional Office's official 
hours of business are Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:30, excluding 
Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stacy Harder, Air Planning Branch, 
Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management Division, U.S. EPA Region 4, 61 
Forsyth Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. Phone: (404) 562-
9029. E-mail: harder.stacy@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents

I. What Is the Background for This Proposed Action?
    A. What Are the National Ambient Air Quality Standards?
    B. What Is the Standard for 8-Hour Ozone?
    C. What Is a SIP and How Does It Relate to the NAAQS for 8-Hour 
Ozone?
    D. What Is the Atlanta, Georgia Nonattainment Area, and What Is 
Its Current 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Classification?
    E. What Are the CAA Provisions Regarding Determinations of 
Nonattainment and Reclassifications?
II. What Is EPA's Evaluation of the Atlanta Area's 8-Hour Ozone 
Data?
III. What Action Is EPA Proposing?
A. Determination of Nonattainment, Reclassification of Atlanta 
Nonattainment Area and New Attainment Date
    B. Proposed Date for Submitting a Revised SIP for the Atlanta 
Area
IV. Proposed Action
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. What Is the Background for this Proposed Action?

A. What Are the National Ambient Air Quality Standards?

    The CAA requires EPA to establish a NAAQS for pollutants that ``may 
reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare'' and 
to develop a primary and secondary standard for each NAAQS. The primary 
standard is designed to protect human health with an adequate margin of 
safety and the secondary standard is designed to protect public welfare 
and the environment. EPA has set NAAQS for six common air pollutants 
referred to as criteria pollutants: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen 
dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. These standards 
present state and local governments with the air quality levels they 
must meet to comply with the CAA. Also, these standards allow the 
American people to assess whether or not the air quality in their 
communities is healthful.

B. What Is the Standard for 8-Hour Ozone?

    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 ozone standard. 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 
ambient air quality ozone concentration is less than or equal to 0.08 
ppm (i.e., 0.084 ppm when rounding is considered). (See, 69 FR 23857 
(April 30, 2004) for further information.) Ambient air quality 
monitoring data for the 3-year period must meet a data completeness 
requirement. The ambient air quality monitoring data completeness 
requirement is met when the average percent of days with valid ambient 
monitoring data is greater than 90 percent, and no single year has less 
than 75 percent data completeness as determined in Appendix I of part 
50. Specifically, section 2.3 of 40 CFR part 50, Appendix I, 
``Comparisons with the Primary and Secondary Ozone Standards'' states:
    ``The primary and secondary ozone ambient air quality standards are 
met at an ambient air quality monitoring site when the 3-year average 
of the annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone 
concentration is less than or equal to 0.08 ppm. The number of 
significant figures in the level of the standard dictates the rounding 
convention for comparing the computed 3-year average annual fourth-
highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration with the level 
of the standard. The third decimal place of the computed value is 
rounded, with values equal to or greater than 5 rounding up. Thus, a 
computed 3-year average ozone concentration of 0.085 ppm is the 
smallest value that is greater than 0.08 ppm.''

C. What Is a SIP and How Does It Relate to the NAAQS for 8-Hour Ozone?

    Section 110 of the CAA requires states to develop air pollution 
regulations and control strategies to ensure that state air quality 
meets the NAAQS established by EPA. Each state must submit these 
regulations and control strategies to EPA for approval and 
incorporation into the federally-enforceable SIP. Each federally-
approved SIP protects air quality primarily by addressing air pollution 
at its point of origin. They may contain state regulations or other 
enforceable documents and supporting information such as emission 
inventories, monitoring networks, and modeling demonstrations.

D. What Is the Atlanta, Georgia Nonattainment Area, and What Is Its 
Current 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Classification?

    The Atlanta 8-hour ozone nonattainment area is located in Northern 
Georgia and consists of Barrow, Barton, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, 
Cobb, Coweta, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, 
Henry, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spaulding, and Walton 
Counties. For areas subject to Subpart 2 of the CAA, such as the 
Atlanta nonattainment area, the maximum period for attainment runs from 
the effective date of designations and classifications for the 8-hour 
ozone NAAQS and will be the same period as provided in Table 1 of CAA 
Section 181(a): Marginal--3 years; Moderate--6 years; Serious--9 years, 
Severe--15 or 17 years; and Extreme--20 years. The Phase I Ozone 
Implementation Rule (April 30, 2004, 69 FR 23951) provides for 
classification of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS (40 CFR 51.903). The effective 
date of designations and classifications for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS was 
June 15, 2004. See, April 30, 2004, 69 FR 23858.
    The Atlanta area was initially designated nonattainment for the 8-
hour ozone standard on April 30, 2004, and classified ``marginal'' 
based on a design value of .091 parts per million (ppm), with an 
attainment date of June 15, 2007. The design value of an area, which 
characterizes the severity of the air quality concern, is represented 
by

[[Page 58574]]

the annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone 
concentration measured at each monitor averaged over any three-year 
period.

E. What Are the CAA Provisions Regarding Determinations of 
Nonattainment and Reclassifications?

    Section 181(b)(2) prescribes the process for making determinations 
upon failure of an ozone nonattainment area to attain by its attainment 
date, and for reclassification of an ozone nonattainment area. Section 
181(b)(2)(A) of the CAA requires that EPA determine, based on the 
area's design value (as of the attainment date), whether an ozone 
nonattainment area attained the ozone standard by that date. For 
marginal, moderate and serious areas, if EPA finds that the 
nonattainment area has failed to attain the ozone standard by the 
applicable attainment date, the area must be reclassified by operation 
of law to the higher of (1) the next higher classification for the 
area, or (2) the classification applicable to the area's design value 
as determined at the time of the required Federal Register notice. 
Section 181(b)(2)(B) requires EPA to publish in the Federal Register a 
notice identifying any area that has failed to attain by its attainment 
date and the resulting reclassification. Different circumstances apply 
to severe and extreme areas.

II. What Is EPA's Evaluation of the Atlanta Area's 8-Hour Ozone Data?

    EPA makes attainment determinations for ozone nonattainment areas 
using available quality-assured air quality data. Within the Atlanta 
area, ground-level ozone is measured at various monitors. In recent 
years, the Confederate Avenue monitor has measured some of the highest 
8-hour average ozone concentrations in the Atlanta area. The fourth-
highest daily maximum readings for 2004, 2005, and 2006 in Atlanta are 
.092, .092, and .099 ppm, respectively. The 2004 fourth-highest daily 
maximum reading was from the Gwinnett Tech monitor, the 2005 fourth-
highest daily maximum reading was from the Confederate Avenue monitor 
in Fulton County and the 2006 fourth-highest daily maximum reading was 
from the Conyers Monastery monitor in Rockdale County. For the Atlanta 
ozone nonattainment area, the attainment determination is based on 
2004-2006 air quality data. The area has a 2004-2006 design value of 
.091 ppm. Therefore, the Atlanta area did not attain the 8-hour ozone 
NAAQS by the June 15, 2007, deadline for marginal areas.

               Table 1.--Atlanta Area Fourth Highest 8-Hour Ozone Concentrations and Design Values
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                                                      Fourth highest daily maximum              Design value  3-
                  Site                   ------------------------------------------------------   year average
                                                2004              2005              2006           (2004-2006)
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GA National Guard--Cobb Co..............             0.073             0.081             0.093             0.082
U. of W.GA at Newnan--Coweta Co.........             0.083             0.078             0.086             0.082
S. Dekalb--Dekalb Co....................             0.084             0.087             0.096             0.089
Idlewood Rd.--Dekalb Co.................             0.088             0.084             0.094             0.088
Douglasville W.--Douglas Co.............              0.08             0.089             0.095             0.088
Fayetteville--Fayette Co................             0.084             0.086              0.09             0.086
Confederate Ave.--Fulton Co.............             0.089             0.092             0.092             0.091
Gwinnett Tech--Gwinnett Co..............             0.092             0.082             0.096             0.090
Henry Co. Ext. Office--Henry Co.........             0.085             0.089             0.095             0.089
Yorkville--Paulding Co..................             0.073             0.082             0.084             0.091
Conyers Monastery--Rockdale Co..........             0.087             0.088             0.099             0.091
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Under Sections 172(a)(2)(C) and 181(a)(5) of the CAA, an area can 
qualify for up to two 1-year extensions of its attainment date based on 
the number of exceedances in the attainment year and whether the state 
has complied with all requirements and commitments pertaining to the 
area in the applicable SIP. For the 8-hour standard, if an area's 
fourth-highest daily 8-hour average in the attainment year is 0.084 ppm 
or less (40 CFR 51.907), the area is eligible for up to two 1-year 
attainment date extensions. The attainment year is the year immediately 
preceding the nonattainment area's attainment date. For Atlanta, the 
attainment year is 2006. In 2006, the maximum fourth-highest daily 8-
hour average value was 0.99 ppm. Based on this information, the Atlanta 
area currently does not qualify for a 1-year extension of the 
attainment date.
    Section 181(b)(2)(A) of the CAA provides that, when EPA finds that 
an area failed to attain by the applicable date, the area is 
reclassified by operation of law to the higher of: the next higher 
classification, or the classification applicable to the area's ozone 
design value at the time of the required notice under Section 
181(b)(2)(B). Section 181(b)(2)(B) requires EPA to publish a notice in 
the Federal Register identifying the reclassification status of an area 
that has failed to attain the standard by its attainment date. The 
classification that would be applicable to the Atlanta area's ozone 
design value at the time of this notice is ``marginal'' because the 
area's 2006 calculated design value, based on quality-assured ozone 
monitoring data from 2004-2006, is 0.091 ppm. By contrast, the next 
higher classification for the Atlanta area is ``moderate.'' Because 
``moderate'' is a higher nonattainment classification than ``marginal'' 
under the CAA statutory scheme, upon the effective date of a final 
rulemaking, the Atlanta area would be reclassified by operation of law 
as ``moderate,'' for failing to attain the standard by the marginal 
area applicable attainment date of June 15, 2007.

III. What Action Is EPA Proposing?

A. Determination of Nonattainment, Reclassification of Atlanta 
Nonattainment Area and New Attainment Date

    Pursuant to section 181(b)(2), EPA is proposing to find that the 
Atlanta area has failed to attain the 8-hour ozone NAAQS by the June 
15, 2007, attainment deadline prescribed under the CAA for marginal 
ozone nonattainment areas. When EPA finalizes this finding, and it 
takes effect, the Atlanta area will be reclassified by operation of law 
from marginal nonattainment to moderate nonattainment. Moderate areas 
are required to attain the standard ``as expeditiously as 
practicable,'' but no later than 6 years after designation or June 15, 
2010. The ``as expeditiously as practicable'' attainment date will be 
determined as part of the action on the

[[Page 58575]]

required SIP submittal demonstrating attainment of the 8-hour ozone 
standard. EPA is proposing a schedule by which Georgia will submit the 
SIP revision necessary for the proposed reclassification to moderate 
nonattainment of the 8-hour ozone standard.

B. Proposed Date for Submitting a Revised SIP for the Atlanta Area

    When an area is reclassified, EPA has the authority under section 
182(i) of the Act to adjust the Act's submittal deadlines for any new 
SIP revisions that are required as a result of the reclassification. 
Pursuant to 40 CFR 51.908(d), for each nonattainment area, the state 
must provide for implementation of all control measures needed for 
attainment no later than the beginning of the attainment year ozone 
season. The attainment year ozone season is the ozone season 
immediately preceding a nonattainment area's attainment date, in this 
case, 2009 (40 CFR 51.900(g)). The ozone season is the ozone monitoring 
season as defined in 40 CFR part 58, Appendix D, section 4.1, Table D-3 
(October 17, 2006, 71 FR 61236). For the purposes of this 
reclassification for the Atlanta, Georgia area, March 1st is the 
beginning of the ozone monitoring season. As a result of discussions 
with the State, EPA proposes that the required SIP revision be 
submitted as expeditiously as practicable, but not later than December 
31, 2008.
    A revised SIP must include the following moderate area 
requirements: (1) An attainment demonstration (40 CFR 51.908); (2) 
provisions for reasonably available control technology and reasonably 
available control measures (40 CFR 51.912); (3) reasonable further 
progress reductions in volatile organic compound (VOC) and/or nitrogen 
oxides (NOX) emissions in Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, 
Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding 
and Rockdale Counties (the 13 counties included in the Atlanta 1-hour 
ozone nonattainment area) and reasonable further progress reductions in 
VOC emissions in Barrow, Barton, Carroll, Newton, Pickens, Spaulding, 
and Walton Counties (40 CFR 51.910); (4) contingency measures to be 
implemented in the event of failure to meet a milestone or attain the 
standard (CAA 172(c)(9)); (5) a vehicle inspection and maintenance 
program (40 CFR 51.350); and (6) nitrogen oxide and VOC emission 
offsets of 1.15 to 1 for major source permits (40 CFR 51.165(a)). (See 
also, the requirements for moderate ozone nonattainment areas set forth 
in CAA section 182(b).)

IV. Proposed Action

    Pursuant to CAA section 181(b)(2), EPA is proposing to find that 
the Atlanta marginal 8-hour ozone area has failed to attain the 8-hour 
ozone NAAQS by June 15, 2007. If EPA finalizes its proposal, the area 
will, by operation of law, be reclassified as a moderate 8-hour ozone 
nonattainment area. Pursuant to section 182(i) of the CAA, EPA is also 
proposing the schedule for submittal of the SIP revision required for 
moderate areas once the area is reclassified. EPA proposes that the 
required SIP revision for Georgia be submitted as expeditiously as 
practicable, but not later than December 31, 2008.

V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review

    This action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under the 
terms of Executive Order (EO) 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), and 
is therefore not subject to review under the EO. The Agency has 
determined that the finding of nonattainment would result in none of 
the effects identified in the Executive Order. Under section 181(b)(2) 
of the CAA, determinations of nonattainment are based upon air quality 
considerations and the resulting reclassifications must occur by 
operation of law.

B. Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule does not impose an information collection burden under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. 
This proposed action to reclassify the Atlanta area as a moderate ozone 
nonattainment area and to adjust applicable deadlines does not 
establish any new information collection burden. Burden means the total 
time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, 
maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a 
Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; 
develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the 
purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying information, 
processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing 
information; adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously 
applicable instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to 
respond to a collection of information; search data sources; complete 
and review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a 
person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless 
it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations in 40 CFR 
are listed in 40 CFR part 9.

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) generally requires an agency 
to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to 
notice and comment rulemaking requirements under the Administrative 
Procedures Act or any other statute unless the agency certifies the 
rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities. Small entities include small businesses, 
small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions.
    For purposes of assessing the impacts of this action on small 
entities, small entity is defined as: (1) A small business that is a 
small industrial entity as defined in the U.S. Small Business 
Administration (SBA) size standards, see, 13 CFR 121; (2) a small 
governmental jurisdiction that is a government of a city, county, town, 
school district or special district with a population of less than 
50,000; and (3) a small organization that is any not-for-profit 
enterprise which is independently owned and operated and is not 
dominant in its field. Determinations of nonattainment and the 
resulting reclassification of nonattainment areas by operation of law 
under section 181(b)(2) of the CAA do not in and of themselves create 
any new requirements. Instead, this rulemaking only makes a factual 
determination, and does not directly regulate any entities. After 
considering the economic impacts of today's action on small entities, I 
certify that this proposed rule will not have a significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities.

D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public 
Law 104-4, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the 
effects of their regulatory actions on state, local, and Tribal 
governments and the private sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA, EPA 
generally must prepare a written statement, including a cost-benefit 
analysis, for proposed and final rules with ``Federal mandates'' that 
may result in expenditures to state, local, and Tribal governments, in 
the aggregate, or to the private sector, of

[[Page 58576]]

$100 million or more in any one year. Before promulgating an EPA rule 
for which a written statement is needed, section 205 of the UMRA 
generally requires EPA to identify and consider a reasonable number of 
regulatory alternatives and adopt the least costly, most cost-effective 
or least burdensome alternative that achieves the objectives of the 
rule. The provisions of section 205 do not apply when they are 
inconsistent with applicable law. Moreover, section 205 allows EPA to 
adopt an alternative other than the least costly, most cost-effective 
or least burdensome alternative if the Administrator publishes with the 
final rule an explanation to why that alternative was not adopted. 
Before EPA establishes any regulatory requirements that may 
significantly or uniquely affect small governments, including Tribal 
governments, it must have developed under section 203 of the UMRA a 
small government agency plan. The plan must provide for notifying 
potentially affected small governments, enabling officials of affected 
small governments to have meaningful and timely input in the 
development of EPA regulatory proposals with significant Federal 
intergovernmental mandates, and informing, educating, and advising 
small governments on compliance with the regulatory requirements.
    This proposed action does not include a Federal mandate within the 
meaning of UMRA that may result in expenditures of $100 million or more 
in any one year by either state, local, or Tribal governments in the 
aggregate or to the private sector, and therefore, is not subject to 
the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of the UMRA. Also, EPA has 
determined that this rule contains no regulatory requirements that 
might significantly or uniquely affect small governments and therefore, 
is not subject to the requirements of section 203. EPA believes, as 
discussed previously in this document, that the finding of 
nonattainment is a factual determination based upon air quality 
considerations and that the resulting reclassification of the area must 
occur by operation of law. Thus, EPA believes that the proposed finding 
does not constitute a Federal mandate, as defined in section 101 of the 
UMRA, because it does not impose an enforceable duty on any entity.

E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism

    Executive Order 13132, entitled ``Federalism'' (64 FR 43255, August 
10, 1999), requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure 
``meaningful and timely input by State and local officials in the 
development of regulatory policies that have federalism implications.'' 
``Policies that have federalism implications'' is defined in the 
Executive Order to include regulations that 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.''
    This proposed rule does not have federalism implications. It will 
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. This action merely proposes to 
determine that the Atlanta area has not attained by its applicable 
attainment date, and to reclassify the Atlanta area as a moderate ozone 
nonattainment area and to adjust applicable deadlines. Thus, Executive 
Order 13132 does not apply to this proposed rule.

F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian 
Tribal Governments

    Executive Order 13175, entitled, ``Consultation and Coordination 
with Indian Tribal Governments'' (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), 
requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure ``meaningful 
and timely input by tribal officials in the development of regulatory 
policies that have tribal implications.'' This action does not have 
``Tribal implications'' as specified in Executive Order 13175. This 
action merely proposes to determine that the Atlanta area has not 
attained by its applicable attainment date, and to reclassify the 
Atlanta area as a moderate ozone nonattainment area and to adjust 
applicable deadlines. The CAA and the Tribal Authority Rule establish 
the relationship of the Federal government and Tribes in developing 
plans to attain the NAAQS, and this rule does nothing to modify that 
relationship. Thus, Executive Order 13175 does not apply to this 
proposed rule.

Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health 
and Safety Risks

    Executive Order 13045: ``Protection of Children From Environmental 
Health and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), applies to any 
rule that (1) is determined to be ``economically significant'' as 
defined under Executive Order 12866, and (2) concerns an environmental 
health or safety risk that EPA has reason to believe may have 
disproportionate effect on children. If the regulatory action meets 
both criteria, the Agency must evaluate the environmental health or 
safety effects of the planned rule on children, and explain why the 
planned regulation is preferable to other potentially effective and 
reasonably feasible alternatives considered by the Agency. This action 
is not subject to Executive Order 13045 because it is not economically 
significant as defined in Executive Order 12866, and because the Agency 
does not have reason to believe the environmental health risks or 
safety risks addressed by this rule present a disproportionate risk to 
children. This action merely proposes to determine that the Atlanta 
area has not attained by its applicable attainment date, and to 
reclassify the Atlanta area as a moderate ozone nonattainment area and 
to adjust applicable deadlines.

H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy 
Supply, Distribution, or Use

    This action is not subject to Executive Order 13211, ``Actions That 
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 
28355, May 22, 2001), because it is not a significant regulatory action 
under Executive Order 12866.

I. National Technology Transfer Advancement Act

    As noted in the proposed rule, Section 12(d) of the National 
Technology Transfer Advancement Act of 1995 (NTTAA), Public Law 104-
113, section 12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272 note) directs EPA to use voluntary 
consensus standards (VCS) in its regulatory activities unless to do so 
would be inconsistent with applicable law or otherwise impractical. 
Voluntary consensus standards are technical standards (e.g., materials 
specifications, test methods, sampling procedures, and business 
practices) that are developed or adopted by VCS bodies. The NTTAA 
directs EPA to provide Congress, through OMB, explanations when the 
Agency decides not to use available and applicable VCS. This action 
merely proposes to determine that the Atlanta area has not attained by 
its applicable attainment date, and to reclassify the Atlanta area as a 
moderate ozone nonattainment area and to adjust applicable deadlines. 
Therefore, EPA did not consider the use of any voluntary consensus 
standards.

[[Page 58577]]

J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental 
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations

    Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994) establishes 
federal executive policy on environmental justice. Its main provision 
directs Federal agencies, to the greatest extent practicable and 
permitted by law, to make environmental justice part of their mission 
by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high 
and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs, 
policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income 
populations in the United States.
    EPA has determined that this proposed rule will not have 
disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental 
effects on minority or low-income populations because it does not 
affect the level of protection provided to human health or the 
environment. This action merely proposes to determine that the Atlanta 
area has not attained by its applicable attainment date, and to 
reclassify the Atlanta area as a moderate ozone nonattainment area and 
to adjust applicable deadlines.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, National parks, 
Wilderness areas.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.

    Dated: October 9, 2007.
Russell L. Wright, Jr.,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. E7-20342 Filed 10-15-07; 8:45 am]
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