Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, 20880-20883 [E9-10520]

Download as PDF 20880 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 6, 2009 / Rules and Regulations Dated: April 20, 2009. Laura Yoshii, Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX. List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES 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. 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. This 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.). The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the United States. EPA will submit a report containing this rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. This action is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by July 6, 2009. Filing a petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect the finality of this rule for the purposes of judicial review nor does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such rule or action. This action may not be challenged later in proceedings to enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).) BILLING CODE 6560–50–P Part 52, chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows: ■ PART 52—[AMENDED] 1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows: ■ Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. Subpart F—California 2. Section 52.220 is amended by adding paragraphs (c)(359) to read as follows: ■ § 52.220 Identification of plan. * * * * * (c) * * * (359) New and amended regulations were submitted on July 18, 2008, by the Governor’s designee. (i) Incorporation by reference. (A) North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District. (1) Rule 104.2, ‘‘Visible Emissions,’’ Rule 104.3, ‘‘Particulate Matter,’’ Rule 104.4, ‘‘Fugitive Dust Emissions,’’ and Rule 104.10, ‘‘Petroleum Loading and Storage,’’ originally adopted on November 3, 1982 and revised on May 19, 2005. (2) Rule 200, ‘‘Effective Date and Definitions,’’ Rule 202, ‘‘Burn Hours and Notice of Ignition,’’ Rule 203, ‘‘General Burn Practices, Requirements, and Conditions,’’ Rule 204, ‘‘Ignition Devices and Methods,’’ Rule 207, ‘‘Wildland Vegetation Management,’’ and Rule 208, ‘‘Burn Registration Program,’’ originally adopted on July 18, 2003 and revised on May 15, 2005; Rule 201, ‘‘General Prohibitions and Exemptions for Selected Open Burning’’ originally adopted on July 18, 2003 and revised on May 17, 2007; Rule 205, ‘‘Certificates from Department of Fish and Game,’’ adopted on July 18, 2003; and Rule 206, ‘‘Burning at Disposal Sites,’’ originally adopted on July 18, 2003 and revised on December 16, 2004. [FR Doc. E9–10521 Filed 5–5–09; 8:45 am] Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds. VerDate Nov<24>2008 17:14 May 05, 2009 Jkt 217001 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA–R09–OAR–2008–0839; FRL–8783–9] Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South Coast Air Quality Management District Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Direct final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from boilers, process heaters, steam generators and residential water heaters. We are approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act). DATES: This rule is effective on July 6, 2009 without further notice, unless EPA receives adverse comments by June 5, 2009. If we receive such comments, we will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register to notify the public that this direct final rule will not take effect. ADDRESSES: Submit comments, identified by docket number [EPA–R09– OAR–2008–0839], by one of the following methods: 1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions. 2. E-mail: steckel.andrew@epa.gov. 3. Mail or deliver: Andrew Steckel (Air-4), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105–3901. Instructions: All comments will be included in the public docket without change and may be made available online at https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Information that you consider CBI or otherwise protected should be clearly identified as such and should not be submitted through https://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. https://www.regulations.gov is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, and EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the E:\FR\FM\06MYR1.SGM 06MYR1 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 6, 2009 / Rules and Regulations body of your comment. If you send email directly to EPA, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the public comment. 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: The index to the docket for this action is available electronically at https://www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at EPA Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California. While all documents in the docket are listed in the index, some information may be publicly available only at the hard copy location (e.g., copyrighted material), and some may not be publicly available in either location (e.g., CBI). To inspect the hard copy materials, please schedule an appointment during normal business hours with the contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Idalia Perez, EPA Region IX, (415) 972– 3248, perez.idalia@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, ‘‘we’’, ‘‘us’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to EPA. Table of Contents I. The State’s Submittal A. What rules did the State submit? 20881 B. Are there other versions of these rules? C. What is the purpose of the submitted rule revisions? II. EPA’s Evaluation and Action. A. How is EPA evaluating the rules? B. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria? C. EPA recommendations to further improve the rules. D. Public comment and final action. III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews I. The State’s Submittal A. What rules did the State submit? Table 1 lists the rules we are approving with the dates that they were adopted by the local air agencies and submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). TABLE 1—SUBMITTED RULES Local agency Rule No. SCAQMD .......................................... 1121 SMAQMD .......................................... 411 On August 22, 2008, the submittal of SCAQMD Rule 1121 was found to meet the completeness criteria in 40 CFR part 51, Appendix V, which must be met before formal EPA review. On April 17, 2008, the submittal of SMAQMD Rule 411 was found to meet the completeness criteria in 40 CFR part 51, Appendix V, which must be met before formal EPA review. B. Are there other versions of these rules? We approved a version of SCAQMD Rule 1121 into the SIP on November 16, 2001. The SCAQMD adopted revisions to the SIP-approved version on September 3, 2004 and CARB submitted them to us on July 18, 2008. We approved a version of SMAQMD Rule 411 into the SIP on August 1, 2007. The SMAQMD adopted revisions to the SIPapproved version on August 23, 2005 and CARB submitted them to us on March 7, 2008. rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES C. What is the purpose of the submitted revisions? NOX helps produce ground-level ozone, smog and particulate matter, which harm human health and the environment. Section 110(a) of the CAA requires States to submit regulations that control NOX emissions. SCAQMD Rule 1121 regulates emissions of NOX from residential natural gas-fired heaters with heat input rates less than 75,000 Btu/hour. The rule includes a mitigation fee that can be paid in lieu of meeting interim emission limits and has a VerDate Nov<24>2008 17:14 May 05, 2009 Jkt 217001 Rule title Control of Nitrogen Oxides from Residential Type, Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters. NOx from Boilers, Process Heaters and Steam Generators ... compliance date of January 1, 2008. SCAQMD amended the SIP-approved rule to delay compliance deadlines and simplify the mitigation fee. SMAQMD Rule 411 regulates emissions of NOX from boilers, process heaters and steam generators with a rated heat input capacity equal to or greater than 1 million Btu per hour. The amendments to the SIP-approved rule serve to include those who qualify for the low fuel usage exemption included in the SIP-approved rule but who missed the original deadline to apply for it. EPA’s technical support documents (TSD) have more information about these rules. II. EPA’s Evaluation and Action A. How is EPA evaluating the rules? Generally, SIP rules must be enforceable (see section 110(a) of the Act), must require Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for each category of sources covered by a Control Techniques Guidelines (CTG) document as well as each major source in nonattainment areas (see sections 182(a)(2) and 182(f)), and must not relax existing requirements (see sections 110(l) and 193). The SCAQMD regulates an ozone nonattainment area (see 40 CFR part 81), so Rule 1121 must fulfill RACT. The SMAQMD also regulates an ozone nonattainment area (see 40 CFR part 81), so Rule 411 must also fulfill RACT. Guidance and policy documents that we use to help evaluate enforceability PO 00000 Adopted Frm 00015 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 Submitted 09/03/04 07/18/08 08/23/07 03/07/08 and RACT requirements consistently include the following: 1. ‘‘State Implementation Plans; Nitrogen Oxides Supplement to the General Preamble; Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 Implementation of Title I; Proposed Rule,’’ (the NOX Supplement), 57 FR 55620, November 25, 1992. 2. ‘‘Issues Relating to VOC Regulation Cutpoints, Deficiencies, and Deviations,’’ EPA, May 25, 1988 (the Bluebook). 3. ‘‘Guidance Document for Correcting Common VOC & Other Rule Deficiencies,’’ EPA Region 9, August 21, 2001 (the Little Bluebook). 4. ‘‘State Implementation Plans for Serious PM–10 Nonattainment Areas, and Attainment Date Waivers for PM–10 Nonattainment Areas Generally; Addendum to the General Preamble for the Implementation of Title I of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990,’’ 59 FR 41998 (August 16, 1994). 5. ‘‘State Implementation Plans; General Preamble for the Implementation of Title I of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990,’’ 57 FR 13498 (April 16, 1992); 57 FR 18070 (April 28, 1992). 6. ‘‘PM–10 Guideline Document,’’ EPA 452/R–93–008, April 1993. 7. ‘‘Alternative Control Techniques Document—NOX Emissions from Industrial/Commercial/Institutional (ICI) Boilers,’’ EPA, March 1994. 8. ‘‘Determination of Reasonably Available Control Technology and Best Available Retrofit Control for Industrial, Institutional, and Commercial Boilers, E:\FR\FM\06MYR1.SGM 06MYR1 20882 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 6, 2009 / Rules and Regulations Steam Generators, and Process Heaters,’’ CARB, July 18, 1991. B. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria? We believe these rules are consistent with the relevant policy and guidance regarding enforceability, RACT, and SIP relaxations. The TSD have more information on our evaluation. C. EPA Recommendations To Further Improve the Rule The TSD for SMAQMD Rule 411 describes additional rule revisions that do not affect EPA’s current action but are recommended for the next time the local agency modifies the rule. rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES D. Public comment and final action As authorized in section 110(k)(3) of the Act, EPA is fully approving the submitted rules because we believe they fulfill all relevant requirements. We do not think anyone will object to this approval, so we are finalizing it without proposing it in advance. However, in the Proposed Rules section of this Federal Register, we are simultaneously proposing approval of the same submitted rules. If we receive adverse comments by June 5, 2009, we will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register to notify the public that the direct final approval will not take effect and we will address the comments in a subsequent final action based on the proposal. If we do not receive timely adverse comments, the direct final approval will be effective without further notice on July 6, 2009. This will incorporate these rules into the federally enforceable SIP. Please note that if EPA receives adverse comment on an amendment, paragraph, or section of this rule and if that provision may be severed from the remainder of the rule, EPA may adopt as final those provisions of the rule that are not the subject of an adverse comment. III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews Under the Clean Air Act, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and applicable Federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions, EPA’s role is to approve state choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act. Accordingly, this action merely approves state law as meeting Federal requirements and does not impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law. For that reason, this action: VerDate Nov<24>2008 17:14 May 05, 2009 Jkt 217001 • Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’ subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993); • Does not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.); • Is certified as not having a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); • 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); • Does not have Federalism implications as specified in Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999); • Is not an economically significant regulatory action based on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997); • Is not a significant regulatory action subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001); • Is not subject to requirements of Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent with the Clean Air Act; and • Does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994). In addition, this rule does not have tribal implications as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because the SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in the state, and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law. The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the United States. EPA will submit a report containing this action and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior to publication of the rule in PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 the Federal Register. A major rule cannot take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. This action is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by July 6, 2009. Filing a petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect the finality of this action for the purposes of judicial review nor does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such rule or action. This action may not be challenged later in proceedings to enforce its requirements (see section 307(b)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Dated: March 2, 2009. Laura Yoshii, Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX. Part 52, chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows: ■ PART 52—[AMENDED] 1. The authority citation for Part 52 continues to read as follows: ■ Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. Subpart F—California 2. Section 52.220 is amended by adding paragraphs (c)(354)(i)(C) and (359)(i)(B) to read as follows: ■ § 52.220 Identification of plan. * * * * * (c) * * * (354) * * * (i) * * * (C) Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (1) Rule 411, ‘‘NOx from Boilers, Process Heaters and Steam Generators’’ adopted on October 27, 2005 and amended on August 23, 2007. * * * * * (359) * * * (i) * * * (B) South Coast Air Quality Management District (1) Rule 1121, ‘‘Fuel Burning Equipment,’’ adopted on December 10, E:\FR\FM\06MYR1.SGM 06MYR1 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 6, 2009 / Rules and Regulations 1999 and amended on September 3, 2004. * * * * * [FR Doc. E9–10520 Filed 5–5–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 180 [EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0105; FRL–8409–1] Morpholine 4-C6-12 Acyl Derivatives; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. AGENCY: SUMMARY: This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Morpholine 4C6-12 Acyl derivatives (CAS Reg. No. 887947–29–7), herein referred to in this document as morpholine amide when used as the inert ingredient in pesticide formulations applied in or on growing crops. Huntsman Corporation submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of morpholine amide. DATES: This regulation is effective May 6, 2009. Objections and requests for hearings must be received on or before July 6, 2009, and must be filed in accordance with the instructions provided in 40 CFR part 178 (see also Unit I.C. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). EPA has established a docket for this action under docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ– OPP–2008–0105. All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index available at https://www.regulations.gov. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business Information (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 in the electronic docket at https://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard copy, at the OPP Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S– 4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The Docket Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES ADDRESSES: VerDate Nov<24>2008 17:14 May 05, 2009 Jkt 217001 to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket Facility telephone number is (703) 305– 5805. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alganesh Debesai, Registration Division (7505P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: (703) 308–8353; e-mail address: debesai.alganesh@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. General Information A. Does this Action Apply to Me? You may be potentially affected by this action if you are an agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer. Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited to: • Crop production (NAICS code 111). • Animal production (NAICS code 112). • Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311). • Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS code 32532). This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this action. Other types of entities not listed in this unit could also be affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining whether this action might apply to certain entities. If you have any questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. B. How Can I Access Electronic Copies of this Document? In addition to accessing electronically available documents at https:// www.regulations.gov, you may access this Federal Register document electronically through the EPA Internet under the ‘‘Federal Register’’ listings at https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr. You may also access a frequently updated electronic version of 40 CFR part 180 through the Government Printing Office’s e-CFR cite at https:// www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr. C. Can I File an Objection or Hearing Request? Under section 408(g) of FFDCA, 21 U.S.C. 346a, any person may file an objection to any aspect of this regulation and may also request a hearing on those objections. The EPA procedural regulations which govern the PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 20883 submission of objections and requests for hearings appear in 40 CFR part 178. You must file your objection or request a hearing on this regulation in accordance with the instructions provided in 40 CFR part 178. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, you must identify docket ID number EPA–HQ– OPP–2008–0105 in the subject line on the first page of your submission. All requests must be in writing, and must be mailed or delivered to the Hearing Clerk on or before July 6, 2009. In addition to filing an objection or hearing request with the Hearing Clerk as described in 40 CFR part 178, please submit a copy of the filing that does not contain any CBI for inclusion in the public docket that is described in ADDRESSES. Information not marked confidential pursuant to 40 CFR part 2 may be disclosed publicly by EPA without prior notice. Submit your copies, identified by docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0105, by one of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. • Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001. • Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. S–4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. Deliveries are only accepted during the Docket Facility’s normal hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays). Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. The Docket Facility telephone number is (703) 305–5805. II. Background and Statutory Findings In the Federal Register of June 13, 2008 (73 FR 33814) (FRL–8367–3), EPA issued a notice pursuant to section 408 of FFDCA, 21 U.S.C. 346a, as amended by FQPA (Pub. L. 104–170), announcing the filing of a pesticide petition (PP 6E7093) by Huntsman Corporation, 8600 Gosling Road, The Woodlands, TX 77381. The petition requested that 40 CFR 180.920 be amended by establishing an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Morpholine 4-C6-12 Acyl derivatives (CAS Reg. No. 887947–29–7), herein referred to in this document as morpholine amide when used as inert ingredient in pesticide formulations applied in or on growing crops. That notice included a summary of the petition prepared by the petitioner. E:\FR\FM\06MYR1.SGM 06MYR1

Agencies

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 6, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 20880-20883]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-10520]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA-R09-OAR-2008-0839; FRL-8783-9]

Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, South
Coast Air Quality Management District Sacramento Metropolitan Air
Quality Management District

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the
South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and Sacramento
Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) portion of the
California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern
oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from boilers, process heaters, steam
generators and residential water heaters. We are approving local rules
that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended
in 1990 (CAA or the Act).

DATES: This rule is effective on July 6, 2009 without further notice,
unless EPA receives adverse comments by June 5, 2009. If we receive
such comments, we will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal
Register to notify the public that this direct final rule will not take
effect.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments, identified by docket number [EPA-R09-OAR-
2008-0839], by one of the following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the on-line instructions.
2. E-mail: steckel.andrew@epa.gov.
3. Mail or deliver: Andrew Steckel (Air-4), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA
94105-3901.
Instructions: All comments will be included in the public docket
without change and may be made available online at https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided,
unless the comment includes Confidential Business Information (CBI) or
other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Information that you consider CBI or otherwise protected should be
clearly identified as such and should not be submitted through https://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. https://www.regulations.gov is an
``anonymous access'' system, and EPA will not know your identity or
contact information unless you provide it in the

[[Page 20881]]

body of your comment. If you send e-mail directly to EPA, your e-mail
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the
public comment. 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: The index to the docket for this action is available
electronically at https://www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at EPA
Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California. While all
documents in the docket are listed in the index, some information may
be publicly available only at the hard copy location (e.g., copyrighted
material), and some may not be publicly available in either location
(e.g., CBI). To inspect the hard copy materials, please schedule an
appointment during normal business hours with the contact listed in the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Idalia Perez, EPA Region IX, (415)
972-3248, perez.idalia@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, ``we'', ``us'' and
``our'' refer to EPA.

Table of Contents

I. The State's Submittal
A. What rules did the State submit?
B. Are there other versions of these rules?
C. What is the purpose of the submitted rule revisions?
II. EPA's Evaluation and Action.
A. How is EPA evaluating the rules?
B. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria?
C. EPA recommendations to further improve the rules.
D. Public comment and final action.
III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. The State's Submittal

A. What rules did the State submit?

Table 1 lists the rules we are approving with the dates that they
were adopted by the local air agencies and submitted by the California
Air Resources Board (CARB).

Table 1--Submitted Rules
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local agency Rule No. Rule title Adopted Submitted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCAQMD.................................. 1121 Control of Nitrogen Oxides from 09/03/04 07/18/08
Residential Type, Natural Gas-
Fired Water Heaters.
SMAQMD.................................. 411 NOx from Boilers, Process 08/23/07 03/07/08
Heaters and Steam Generators.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On August 22, 2008, the submittal of SCAQMD Rule 1121 was found to
meet the completeness criteria in 40 CFR part 51, Appendix V, which
must be met before formal EPA review. On April 17, 2008, the submittal
of SMAQMD Rule 411 was found to meet the completeness criteria in 40
CFR part 51, Appendix V, which must be met before formal EPA review.

B. Are there other versions of these rules?

We approved a version of SCAQMD Rule 1121 into the SIP on November
16, 2001. The SCAQMD adopted revisions to the SIP-approved version on
September 3, 2004 and CARB submitted them to us on July 18, 2008. We
approved a version of SMAQMD Rule 411 into the SIP on August 1, 2007.
The SMAQMD adopted revisions to the SIP-approved version on August 23,
2005 and CARB submitted them to us on March 7, 2008.

C. What is the purpose of the submitted revisions?

NOX helps produce ground-level ozone, smog and
particulate matter, which harm human health and the environment.
Section 110(a) of the CAA requires States to submit regulations that
control NOX emissions. SCAQMD Rule 1121 regulates emissions
of NOX from residential natural gas-fired heaters with heat
input rates less than 75,000 Btu/hour. The rule includes a mitigation
fee that can be paid in lieu of meeting interim emission limits and has
a compliance date of January 1, 2008. SCAQMD amended the SIP-approved
rule to delay compliance deadlines and simplify the mitigation fee.
SMAQMD Rule 411 regulates emissions of NOX from boilers,
process heaters and steam generators with a rated heat input capacity
equal to or greater than 1 million Btu per hour. The amendments to the
SIP-approved rule serve to include those who qualify for the low fuel
usage exemption included in the SIP-approved rule but who missed the
original deadline to apply for it. EPA's technical support documents
(TSD) have more information about these rules.

II. EPA's Evaluation and Action

A. How is EPA evaluating the rules?

Generally, SIP rules must be enforceable (see section 110(a) of the
Act), must require Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for
each category of sources covered by a Control Techniques Guidelines
(CTG) document as well as each major source in nonattainment areas (see
sections 182(a)(2) and 182(f)), and must not relax existing
requirements (see sections 110(l) and 193). The SCAQMD regulates an
ozone nonattainment area (see 40 CFR part 81), so Rule 1121 must
fulfill RACT. The SMAQMD also regulates an ozone nonattainment area
(see 40 CFR part 81), so Rule 411 must also fulfill RACT.
Guidance and policy documents that we use to help evaluate
enforceability and RACT requirements consistently include the
following:
1. ``State Implementation Plans; Nitrogen Oxides Supplement to the
General Preamble; Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 Implementation of
Title I; Proposed Rule,'' (the NOX Supplement), 57 FR 55620,
November 25, 1992.
2. ``Issues Relating to VOC Regulation Cutpoints, Deficiencies, and
Deviations,'' EPA, May 25, 1988 (the Bluebook).
3. ``Guidance Document for Correcting Common VOC & Other Rule
Deficiencies,'' EPA Region 9, August 21, 2001 (the Little Bluebook).
4. ``State Implementation Plans for Serious PM-10 Nonattainment
Areas, and Attainment Date Waivers for PM-10 Nonattainment Areas
Generally; Addendum to the General Preamble for the Implementation of
Title I of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990,'' 59 FR 41998 (August
16, 1994).
5. ``State Implementation Plans; General Preamble for the
Implementation of Title I of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990,'' 57
FR 13498 (April 16, 1992); 57 FR 18070 (April 28, 1992).
6. ``PM-10 Guideline Document,'' EPA 452/R-93-008, April 1993.
7. ``Alternative Control Techniques Document--NOX
Emissions from Industrial/Commercial/Institutional (ICI) Boilers,''
EPA, March 1994.
8. ``Determination of Reasonably Available Control Technology and
Best Available Retrofit Control for Industrial, Institutional, and
Commercial Boilers,

[[Page 20882]]

Steam Generators, and Process Heaters,'' CARB, July 18, 1991.

B. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria?

We believe these rules are consistent with the relevant policy and
guidance regarding enforceability, RACT, and SIP relaxations. The TSD
have more information on our evaluation.

C. EPA Recommendations To Further Improve the Rule

The TSD for SMAQMD Rule 411 describes additional rule revisions
that do not affect EPA's current action but are recommended for the
next time the local agency modifies the rule.

D. Public comment and final action

As authorized in section 110(k)(3) of the Act, EPA is fully
approving the submitted rules because we believe they fulfill all
relevant requirements. We do not think anyone will object to this
approval, so we are finalizing it without proposing it in advance.
However, in the Proposed Rules section of this Federal Register, we are
simultaneously proposing approval of the same submitted rules. If we
receive adverse comments by June 5, 2009, we will publish a timely
withdrawal in the Federal Register to notify the public that the direct
final approval will not take effect and we will address the comments in
a subsequent final action based on the proposal. If we do not receive
timely adverse comments, the direct final approval will be effective
without further notice on July 6, 2009. This will incorporate these
rules into the federally enforceable SIP.
Please note that if EPA receives adverse comment on an amendment,
paragraph, or section of this rule and if that provision may be severed
from the remainder of the rule, EPA may adopt as final those provisions
of the rule that are not the subject of an adverse comment.

III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

Under the Clean Air Act, the Administrator is required to approve a
SIP submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and
applicable Federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a).
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state
choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act.
Accordingly, this action merely approves state law as meeting Federal
requirements and does not impose additional requirements beyond those
imposed by state law. For that reason, this action:
Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' subject to
review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order
12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993);
Does not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
Is certified as not having a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
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);
Does not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
Is not an economically significant regulatory action based
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
Is not subject to requirements of Section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272
note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent
with the Clean Air Act; and
Does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to
address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental
effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).

In addition, this rule does not have tribal implications as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000),
because the SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in
the state, and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct
costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law.
The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the
United States. EPA will submit a report containing this action and
other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot
take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal
Register. This action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C.
804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for
judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court
of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by July 6, 2009. Filing a
petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule
does not affect the finality of this action for the purposes of
judicial review nor does it extend the time within which a petition for
judicial review may be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness
of such rule or action. This action may not be challenged later in
proceedings to enforce its requirements (see section 307(b)(2)).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone,
Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Dated: March 2, 2009.
Laura Yoshii,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.

0
Part 52, chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is
amended as follows:

PART 52--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority citation for Part 52 continues to read as follows:

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

Subpart F--California

0
2. Section 52.220 is amended by adding paragraphs (c)(354)(i)(C) and
(359)(i)(B) to read as follows:

Sec. 52.220 Identification of plan.

* * * * *
(c) * * *
(354) * * *
(i) * * *
(C) Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
(1) Rule 411, ``NOx from Boilers, Process Heaters and Steam
Generators'' adopted on October 27, 2005 and amended on August 23,
2007.
* * * * *
(359) * * *
(i) * * *
(B) South Coast Air Quality Management District
(1) Rule 1121, ``Fuel Burning Equipment,'' adopted on December 10,

[[Page 20883]]

1999 and amended on September 3, 2004.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. E9-10520 Filed 5-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

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