Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Indiana; Interim Final Determination That Lake and Porter Counties Are Exempt From NOX, 48662-48664 [E9-23044]
Download as PDF
48662
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 184 / Thursday, September 24, 2009 / Rules and Regulations
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 November 23,
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. Parties with objections to this
direct final rule are encouraged to file a
comment in response to the parallel
notice of proposed rulemaking for this
action published in the Proposed Rules
section of today’s Federal Register,
rather than file an immediate petition
for judicial review of this direct final
rule, so that EPA can withdraw this
direct final rule and address the
comment in the proposed rulemaking.
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
cprice-sewell on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with RULES
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Lead, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Dated: September 14, 2009.
Walter W. Kovalick Jr.,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
■
40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:
PART 52—[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
■
VerDate Nov<24>2008
13:21 Sep 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart P—Indiana
2. Section 52.797 is amended by
adding paragraph (e) to read as follows:
■
§ 52.797
Control strategy: Lead.
*
*
*
*
*
(e) On April 1, 2009, Indiana
submitted an updated maintenance plan
under section 175A of the CAA for
Marion County for the continued
attainment of the 1.5 μg/m3 lead
standard.
[FR Doc. E9–22922 Filed 9–23–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R05–OAR–2009–0512; FRL–8961–9]
Approval and Promulgation of Air
Quality Implementation Plans; Indiana;
Interim Final Determination That Lake
and Porter Counties Are Exempt From
NOX RACT Requirements for Purposes
of Staying Sanctions
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Interim final rule.
SUMMARY: In the Proposed Rules section
of this Federal Register, EPA is
proposing approval of Indiana’s request
to exempt Lake and Porter Counties
from the Nitrogen Oxides (NOX)
Reasonably Available Control
Technology (RACT) requirement under
section 182(f) of the Clean Air Act
(CAA) for the 1997 eight-hour ozone
standard based on a proposed
determination that the area has attained
that standard. Based on the proposed
approval, EPA is making an interim
final determination by this action that,
with respect to the NOX RACT
requirement, the State, contingent upon
continued monitored attainment of the
1997 eight-hour ozone National
Ambient Air Quality Standard
(NAAQS), has corrected the deficiency
which was the basis for a sanctions
clock. This action will defer the
application of the new source offset
sanction, which would be imposed on
September 24, 2009, and defer the
application of the highway funding
sanction, which would otherwise apply
six months after imposition of the offset
sanction. Although this action is
effective upon publication, EPA will
take comment on this interim final
determination as well as on EPA’s
proposed determination of attainment
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
and proposed approval of the State’s
requested NOX RACT waiver. EPA will
publish a new final action addressing
sanctions at the time it takes further
action regarding the proposed
determination of attainment and
proposed approval of the NOX waiver,
taking into consideration any comments
on EPA’s proposed action and this
interim final action.
DATES: This interim final determination
is effective on September 24, 2009.
However, comments will be accepted
until October 26, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R05–
OAR–2009–0512, by one of the
following methods:
• https://www.regulations.gov: Follow
the on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
• E-mail: mooney.john@epa.gov.
• Fax: (312) 692–2551.
• Mail: John M. Mooney, Chief,
Criteria Pollutant Section, Air Programs
Branch, (AR–18J), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604.
• Hand Delivery: John M. Mooney,
Chief, Criteria Pollutant Section, Air
Programs Branch, (AR–18J), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 77
West Jackson Boulevard, 18th Floor,
Chicago, Illinois 60604. Such deliveries
are only accepted during the Regional
Office’s normal hours of operation, and
special arrangements should be made
for deliveries of boxed information. The
Regional Office 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
Docket ID No. EPA–R05–OAR–2009–
0512. EPA’s policy is that all comments
received 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 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 https://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The
https://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 https://
www.regulations.gov, your e-mail
address will be automatically captured
and included as part of the comment
E:\FR\FM\24SER1.SGM
24SER1
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 184 / Thursday, September 24, 2009 / Rules and Regulations
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
and viruses.
Docket: All documents in the docket
are listed in the https://
www.regulations.gov index. Although
listed in the index, some information is
not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
will be publicly available only in hard
copy. Publicly available docket
materials are available either
electronically in https://
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 5, Air and Radiation
Division, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,
Chicago, Illinois 60604. This facility is
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, excluding
Federal holidays. We recommend that
you telephone Edward Doty at (312)
886–6057 before visiting the Region 5
office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Edward Doty, Environmental Scientist,
Criteria Pollutant Section, Air Programs
Branch (AR–18J), Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West
Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois
60604, (312) 886–6057.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document whenever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
EPA. This supplementary information
section is arranged as follows:
cprice-sewell on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with RULES
I. Background
II. EPA Action
III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
On March 17, 2008, EPA sent a letter
to Thomas W. Easterly, Commissioner,
Indiana Department of Environmental
Management (IDEM) stating that, under
section 179 of the CAA, EPA had
determined that Indiana failed to submit
a State Implementation Plan (SIP)
revision for NOX RACT in Lake and
Porter Counties. EPA formalized this
finding by taking final action in the
Federal Register on March 24, 2008 (73
FR 15416), and that action started the
sanctions process outlined in section
VerDate Nov<24>2008
13:21 Sep 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
179 of the CAA and 40 CFR 50.31. The
two-to-one (2:1) new source offset
sanction was set to take effect on
September 24, 2009, in Lake and Porter
Counties as the result of the March 24,
2008, finding of failure to submit.
On June 5, 2009, IDEM submitted an
ozone redesignation request for Lake
and Porter Counties, which included a
petition pursuant to section 182(f) of the
CAA to exempt Lake and Porter
Counties from the NOX RACT
requirement. The petition is based on
ambient air monitoring data for 2006–
2008 which shows that the ChicagoGary-Lake County, Illinois-Indiana (ILIN) ozone nonattainment area is meeting
the 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS. In
the Proposed Rules section of today’s
Federal Register, EPA has proposed a
determination that the area has attained
the 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS and
has proposed approval of the NOX
RACT waiver request contingent on
continued monitored attainment of the
1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS in the
Chicago-Gary-Lake County, IL-IN ozone
nonattainment area and at the
Chiwaukee Prairie monitoring site in
Kenosha County, Wisconsin (a peak
ozone downwind impact site for
emissions originating in the ChicagoGary-Lake County, IL-IN area).
II. EPA Action
Based on the proposed approval of the
NOX RACT waiver request set forth in
today’s Federal Register, EPA believes
that it is more likely than not that
Indiana (and Lake and Porter Counties)
has met the NOX RACT requirement
under section 182(f) of the CAA.
Therefore, EPA is making this interim
final determination finding that the
State, contingent on continued
monitored attainment of the ozone
NAAQS, has corrected the deficiency of
failing to submit NOX RACT rules.
Because EPA has preliminarily
determined that the State has corrected
the deficiency identified in EPA’s
promulgated finding of failure to submit
required NOX RACT rules for Lake and
Porter Counties, relief from sanctions
should be provided as quickly as
possible. Therefore, EPA is invoking the
good cause exception under the
Administrative Procedure Act (APA) in
not providing an opportunity for
comment before this action takes effect
(5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)). However, by this
action EPA is providing the public with
a chance to comment on EPA’s
determination after the effective date,
and EPA will consider any comments
received in determining whether to
reverse this action.
EPA believes that notice-andcomment rulemaking before the
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
48663
effective date of this action is
impracticable and contrary to the public
interest. EPA has reviewed the State’s
NOX RACT waiver petition, and,
through its proposed action, is
indicating that it is more likely than not
that the State has corrected the SIP
deficiency that started the sanctions
clock for Lake and Porter Counties. It is
not in the public interest to initially
impose sanctions or to keep applied
sanctions in place when the State has
most likely done all it can to correct the
deficiency that triggered the sanctions
clock. Moreover, it would be
impracticable to go through notice-andcomment rulemaking on a finding that
the State has corrected the deficiency
prior to the rulemaking approving the
State’s submittal. Therefore, EPA
believes that it is necessary to use the
interim final rulemaking process to
defer the imposition of sanctions while
EPA completes its rulemaking process
on the approvability of the State’s
submittal. Furthermore, because this
rule relieves a restriction, EPA is
providing that it will be effective upon
publication. (5 U.S.C. 553(d)(1).)
III. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
This action stays and defers Federal
sanctions and imposes no additional
requirements.
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR
51735, October 4, 1993), this action is
not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’
and, therefore, is not subject to review
by the Office of Management and
Budget.
This action is not subject to Executive
Order 13211, ‘‘Actions Concerning
Regulations That Significantly Affect
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use’’ (66
FR 28355, May 22, 2001) because it is
not a significant regulatory action.
The administrator certifies that this
action 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.).
This rule 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).
This rule 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
(59 FR 22951, November 9, 2000).
E:\FR\FM\24SER1.SGM
24SER1
cprice-sewell on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with RULES
48664
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 184 / Thursday, September 24, 2009 / Rules and Regulations
This action 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).
This rule 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.
The requirements of section 12(d) of
the National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C.
272) do not apply to this rule because
it imposes no standards.
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 to Congress and the
Comptroller General. However, section
808 provides that any rule for which the
issuing agency for good cause finds that
notice and public procedure thereon are
impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary
to the public interest, shall take effect at
such time as the agency promulgating
the rule determines. 5 U.S.C. 808(2).
EPA has made such a good cause
finding, including the reasons thereof,
and established an effective date of
September 24, 2009. 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 rule is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as
defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA,
petitions for judicial review of this
action must be filed in the United States
Court of Appeals for the appropriate
circuit by November 23, 2009. Filing a
petition for reconsideration by the
Administrator of this final rule does not
affect the finality of this rule for the
purpose of judicial review nor does it
extend the time within which 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
VerDate Nov<24>2008
13:21 Sep 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
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
regulations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone,
Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: September 16, 2009.
Bharat Mathur,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. E9–23044 Filed 9–23–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 73
[DA 09–2057; MB Docket No. 09–142; RM–
11552]
Television Broadcasting Services;
Boston, MA
AGENCY: Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Commission grants a
petition for rulemaking filed by WHDH–
TV, the licensee of station WHDH–TV,
channel 7, Boston, Massachusetts,
requesting the substitution of its pretransition DTV channel 42 for its posttransition DTV channel 7 at Boston.
DATES: This rule is effective September
24, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joyce L. Bernstein, Media Bureau, (202)
418–1600.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a
synopsis of the Commission’s Report
and Order, MB Docket No. 09–142,
adopted September 15, 2009, and
released September 16, 2009. The full
text of this document is available for
public inspection and copying during
normal business hours in the FCC’s
Reference Information Center at Portals
II, CY–A257, 445 12th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC, 20554. This document
will also be available via ECFS (https://
www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/). (Documents
will be available electronically in ASCII,
Word 97, and/or Adobe Acrobat.) This
document may be purchased from the
Commission’s duplicating contractor,
Best Copy and Printing, Inc., 445 12th
Street, SW., Room CY–B402,
Washington, DC 20554, telephone
1–800–478–3160 or via e-mail https://
www.BCPIWEB.com. To request this
document in accessible formats
(computer diskettes, large print, audio
recording, and Braille), send an e-mail
to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
Commission’s Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202)
418–0530 (voice), (202) 418–0432
(TTY). This document does not contain
information collection requirements
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995, Public Law 104–13. In addition,
therefore, it does not contain any
information collection burden ‘‘for
small business concerns with fewer than
25 employees,’’ pursuant to the Small
Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002,
Public Law 107–198, see 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(4). Provisions of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act of 1980 do not apply to
this proceeding.
The Commission will send a copy of
this Report and Order in a report to be
sent to Congress and the Government
Accountability Office pursuant to the
Congressional review Act, see 5 U.S.C.
801(a)(1)(A).
List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73
Television, Television broadcasting.
■ For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, the Federal Communications
Commission amends 47 CFR part 73 as
follows:
PART 73—RADIO BROADCAST
SERVICES
1. The authority citation for part 73
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 303, 334, 336.
§ 73.622
[Amended]
2. Section 73.622(i), the PostTransition Table of DTV Allotments
under Massachusetts is amended by
adding channel 42 and removing
channel 7 at Boston.
■
Federal Communications Commission.
Clay C. Pendarvis,
Associate Chief, Video Division, Media
Bureau.
[FR Doc. E9–23061 Filed 9–23–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712–01–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 73
[DA 09–2058; MB Docket No. 08–110; RM–
11453]
Television Broadcasting Services;
Flagstaff, AZ
AGENCY: Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Commission grants a
petition for rulemaking filed by
Multimedia Holdings Corporation
(‘‘MHC’’), the permittee of station
E:\FR\FM\24SER1.SGM
24SER1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 184 (Thursday, September 24, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 48662-48664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23044]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R05-OAR-2009-0512; FRL-8961-9]
Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans;
Indiana; Interim Final Determination That Lake and Porter Counties Are
Exempt From NOX RACT Requirements for Purposes of Staying Sanctions
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Interim final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In the Proposed Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is
proposing approval of Indiana's request to exempt Lake and Porter
Counties from the Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) Reasonably Available
Control Technology (RACT) requirement under section 182(f) of the Clean
Air Act (CAA) for the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard based on a
proposed determination that the area has attained that standard. Based
on the proposed approval, EPA is making an interim final determination
by this action that, with respect to the NOX RACT
requirement, the State, contingent upon continued monitored attainment
of the 1997 eight-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard
(NAAQS), has corrected the deficiency which was the basis for a
sanctions clock. This action will defer the application of the new
source offset sanction, which would be imposed on September 24, 2009,
and defer the application of the highway funding sanction, which would
otherwise apply six months after imposition of the offset sanction.
Although this action is effective upon publication, EPA will take
comment on this interim final determination as well as on EPA's
proposed determination of attainment and proposed approval of the
State's requested NOX RACT waiver. EPA will publish a new
final action addressing sanctions at the time it takes further action
regarding the proposed determination of attainment and proposed
approval of the NOX waiver, taking into consideration any
comments on EPA's proposed action and this interim final action.
DATES: This interim final determination is effective on September 24,
2009. However, comments will be accepted until October 26, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R05-
OAR-2009-0512, by one of the following methods:
https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: mooney.john@epa.gov.
Fax: (312) 692-2551.
Mail: John M. Mooney, Chief, Criteria Pollutant Section,
Air Programs Branch, (AR-18J), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 77
West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604.
Hand Delivery: John M. Mooney, Chief, Criteria Pollutant
Section, Air Programs Branch, (AR-18J), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, 18th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60604.
Such deliveries are only accepted during the Regional Office's normal
hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for
deliveries of boxed information. The Regional Office 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 Docket ID No. EPA-R05-OAR-
2009-0512. EPA's policy is that all comments received 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 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 https://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The https://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 https://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be
automatically captured and included as part of the comment
[[Page 48663]]
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 and viruses.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in https://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, Air and Radiation Division, 77 West
Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604. This facility is open from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal
holidays. We recommend that you telephone Edward Doty at (312) 886-6057
before visiting the Region 5 office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Doty, Environmental Scientist,
Criteria Pollutant Section, Air Programs Branch (AR-18J), Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
Illinois 60604, (312) 886-6057.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA. This supplementary information
section is arranged as follows:
I. Background
II. EPA Action
III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
On March 17, 2008, EPA sent a letter to Thomas W. Easterly,
Commissioner, Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)
stating that, under section 179 of the CAA, EPA had determined that
Indiana failed to submit a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision for
NOX RACT in Lake and Porter Counties. EPA formalized this
finding by taking final action in the Federal Register on March 24,
2008 (73 FR 15416), and that action started the sanctions process
outlined in section 179 of the CAA and 40 CFR 50.31. The two-to-one
(2:1) new source offset sanction was set to take effect on September
24, 2009, in Lake and Porter Counties as the result of the March 24,
2008, finding of failure to submit.
On June 5, 2009, IDEM submitted an ozone redesignation request for
Lake and Porter Counties, which included a petition pursuant to section
182(f) of the CAA to exempt Lake and Porter Counties from the
NOX RACT requirement. The petition is based on ambient air
monitoring data for 2006-2008 which shows that the Chicago-Gary-Lake
County, Illinois-Indiana (IL-IN) ozone nonattainment area is meeting
the 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS. In the Proposed Rules section of
today's Federal Register, EPA has proposed a determination that the
area has attained the 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS and has proposed
approval of the NOX RACT waiver request contingent on
continued monitored attainment of the 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS in
the Chicago-Gary-Lake County, IL-IN ozone nonattainment area and at the
Chiwaukee Prairie monitoring site in Kenosha County, Wisconsin (a peak
ozone downwind impact site for emissions originating in the Chicago-
Gary-Lake County, IL-IN area).
II. EPA Action
Based on the proposed approval of the NOX RACT waiver
request set forth in today's Federal Register, EPA believes that it is
more likely than not that Indiana (and Lake and Porter Counties) has
met the NOX RACT requirement under section 182(f) of the
CAA. Therefore, EPA is making this interim final determination finding
that the State, contingent on continued monitored attainment of the
ozone NAAQS, has corrected the deficiency of failing to submit
NOX RACT rules.
Because EPA has preliminarily determined that the State has
corrected the deficiency identified in EPA's promulgated finding of
failure to submit required NOX RACT rules for Lake and
Porter Counties, relief from sanctions should be provided as quickly as
possible. Therefore, EPA is invoking the good cause exception under the
Administrative Procedure Act (APA) in not providing an opportunity for
comment before this action takes effect (5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)). However,
by this action EPA is providing the public with a chance to comment on
EPA's determination after the effective date, and EPA will consider any
comments received in determining whether to reverse this action.
EPA believes that notice-and-comment rulemaking before the
effective date of this action is impracticable and contrary to the
public interest. EPA has reviewed the State's NOX RACT
waiver petition, and, through its proposed action, is indicating that
it is more likely than not that the State has corrected the SIP
deficiency that started the sanctions clock for Lake and Porter
Counties. It is not in the public interest to initially impose
sanctions or to keep applied sanctions in place when the State has most
likely done all it can to correct the deficiency that triggered the
sanctions clock. Moreover, it would be impracticable to go through
notice-and-comment rulemaking on a finding that the State has corrected
the deficiency prior to the rulemaking approving the State's submittal.
Therefore, EPA believes that it is necessary to use the interim final
rulemaking process to defer the imposition of sanctions while EPA
completes its rulemaking process on the approvability of the State's
submittal. Furthermore, because this rule relieves a restriction, EPA
is providing that it will be effective upon publication. (5 U.S.C.
553(d)(1).)
III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
This action stays and defers Federal sanctions and imposes no
additional requirements.
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this
action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' and, therefore, is
not subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget.
This action is not subject to Executive Order 13211, ``Actions
Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001) because it is not a
significant regulatory action.
The administrator certifies that this action 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.).
This rule 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).
This rule 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 (59
FR 22951, November 9, 2000).
[[Page 48664]]
This action 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).
This rule 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.
The requirements of section 12(d) of the National Technology
Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272) do not apply to
this rule because it imposes no standards.
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 to Congress and the Comptroller
General. However, section 808 provides that any rule for which the
issuing agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedure
thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public
interest, shall take effect at such time as the agency promulgating the
rule determines. 5 U.S.C. 808(2). EPA has made such a good cause
finding, including the reasons thereof, and established an effective
date of September 24, 2009. 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 rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C.
804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for
the appropriate circuit by November 23, 2009. Filing a petition for
reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect
the finality of this rule for the purpose of judicial review nor does
it extend the time within which 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 regulations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone,
Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: September 16, 2009.
Bharat Mathur,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. E9-23044 Filed 9-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P