Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; California; Determination of Termination of Section 185 Fees, 28696-28707 [2011-12063]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 96 / Wednesday, May 18, 2011 / Proposed Rules
Dated: May 12, 2011.
Nancy K. Stade,
Deputy Director for Policy, Center for Devices
and Radiological Health.
[FR Doc. 2011–12088 Filed 5–17–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160–01–P
POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
39 CFR Part 3050
[Docket No. RM2011–10; Order No. 727]
Periodic Reporting
Postal Regulatory Commission.
Notice of proposed rulemaking.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Commission is noticing a
recently-filed Postal Service petition to
initiate an informal rulemaking
proceeding to consider changes in
analytical principles. Proposal Two
involves changes affecting cost models
for evaluating competitive Negotiated
Service Agreements. This notice informs
the public of the filing, addresses
preliminary procedural matters, and
invites public comment.
DATES: Comments are due: June 13,
2011.
SUMMARY:
Submit comments
electronically by accessing the ‘‘Filing
Online’’ link in the banner at the top of
the Commission’s Web site (https://
www.prc.gov) or by directly accessing
the Commission’s Filing Online system
at https://www.prc.gov/prc-pages/filingonline/login.aspx. Commenters who
cannot submit their views electronically
should contact the person identified in
ADDRESSES:
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section as the source for case-related
information for advice on alternatives to
electronic filing.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel,
at 202–789–6820 (case-related
information) or DocketAdmins@prc.gov
(electronic filing assistance).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May
10, 2011, the Postal Service filed a
petition pursuant to 39 CFR 3050.11
asking the Commission to initiate an
informal rulemaking proceeding to
consider changes in the analytical
principles approved for use in periodic
reporting.1 Proposal Two is a set of four
changes that the Postal Service first
presented in its FY 2010 Annual
Compliance Report (ACR) modifying the
cost models that are used to evaluate
Negotiated Service Agreements (NSAs)
1 Petition of the United States Postal Service
Requesting Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider a
Proposed Change in Analytical Principles (Proposal
Two), May 10, 2011 (Petition).
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for competitive products. These cost
models were included in USPS–FY10–
NP27 in that docket.
The Petition notes that in its FY 2010
Annual Compliance Determination, the
Commission made a preliminary
determination that these four changes
constitute changes to analytical
principles that require prior
Commission approval before being
incorporated in an ACR.2 The Postal
Service notes that the purpose of its
Petition is to obtain the Commission’s
approval of the referenced changes for
use in future ACRs, even though some
of the changes could be viewed as
corrections to its models not requiring
advance Commission approval. Petition
at 1.
The four changes for which the Postal
Service seeks approval are:
1. The addition of a cost avoidance for
Priority mailpieces;
2. The inclusion of D-Report
adjustments; 3
3. The incorporation of the CRA
adjustment for Alaska Air Priority
transportation; and
4. Changes in the distribution of other
costs for Parcel Select and Parcel Return
Service.
In the material supporting these
changes, the Postal Service asserts that
including them in the NSA cost models
better matches the characteristics of the
mail volume for the NSAs in question.
It characterizes inclusion of the DReport and the Alaska Air adjustments
as rectifying previous omissions from
these models. It notes that the change in
the distribution of ‘‘Other’’ costs for
Parcel Select is made necessary by the
inclusion of the D-Report adjustment.
The Postal Service explains that if the
D-Report adjustment is made, it will
comprise the majority of ‘‘Other’’ costs.
Since the D-Report adjustment is
computed as a cost per piece, it
contends, ‘‘Other’’ costs should be
distributed on a per-piece basis, rather
than treated as proportionate to mail
processing, transportation, and delivery
costs. It says that for consistency, a
similar adjustment should be made to
the costs of Parcel Return Service. Id. at
4.
More detailed descriptions of the
proposed changes can be found in
USPS–RM2011–10/NP1, which is filed
under seal.
It is ordered:
2 See Docket No. ACR2010, FY 2010 Annual
Compliance Determination, March 29, 2011, at 141.
3 The D-Report is one of six reports used to
develop the Cost and Revenue Analysis (CRA). In
the D-Report, the Postal Service provides
attributable, product-specific, and volume variable
costs for each product.
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1. The Petition of the United States
Postal Service Requesting Initiation of a
Proceeding to Consider a Proposed
Change in Analytical Principles
(Proposal Two), filed May 10, 2011, is
granted.
2. The Commission establishes Docket
No. RM2011–10 to consider the matters
raised by the Postal Service’s Petition.
3. Interested persons may submit
comments on Proposal Two no later
than June 13, 2011.
4. The Commission will determine the
need for reply comments after review of
the initial comments.
5. John P. Klingenberg is appointed to
serve as the Public Representative to
represent the interests of the general
public in this proceeding.
6. The Secretary shall arrange for
publication of this notice in the Federal
Register.
By the Commission.
Ruth Ann Abrams,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–12202 Filed 5–17–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R09–OAR–2011–0372; FRL–9307–4]
Approval and Promulgation of Air
Quality Implementation Plans;
California; Determination of
Termination of Section 185 Fees
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The EPA is proposing to
determine that the State of California is
no longer required to submit or
implement section 185 fee program
State Implementation Plan (SIP)
revisions for the Sacramento Metro
1-hour ozone nonattainment area
(Sacramento Metro Area) to satisfy antibacksliding requirements for the 1-hour
ozone standard. The Sacramento Metro
Area consists of both Sacramento and
Yolo counties and portions of four
adjacent counties (Solano, Sutter, Placer
and El Dorado). This proposed
determination (‘‘Termination
Determination’’) is based on complete,
quality-assured and certified ambient air
quality monitoring data for 2007–2009,
showing attainment of the 1-hour ozone
National Ambient Air Quality Standard
(1-hour ozone NAAQS or standard),
which is due to permanent and
enforceable emission reductions
implemented in the area. Complete and
SUMMARY:
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quality-assured data for 2010 show that
the area continues in attainment for the
1-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA is also
proposing to exclude from use in
determining attainment exceedances of
the 1-hour ozone NAAQS that occurred
on three days in 2008, because the
exceedances are due to exceptional
events (wildfires).
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before June 17, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket No. EPA–R09–
OAR–2011–0372, by one of the
following methods:
1. Federal Rulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
2. E-mail: John J. Kelly at
kelly.johnj@epa.gov.
3. Fax: John J. Kelly, Air Planning
Office (Air-2), at fax number 415–947–
3579.
4. Mail: John J. Kelly, Air Planning
Office (Air-2), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region IX, 75
Hawthorne, San Francisco, California
94105.
5. Hand or Courier Delivery: John J.
Kelly, Air Planning Section (Air-2), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region IX, 75 Hawthorne, San
Francisco, California 94105. Such
deliveries are only accepted during the
Docket’s normal hours of operation.
Special arrangements should be made
for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
Docket ID No. EPA–R09–OAR–2011–
0372. 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
the disclosure of which is restricted by
statute. Do not submit information
through https://www.regulations.gov or
e-mail that you consider to be CBI or
otherwise protected from disclosure.
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 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
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information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD–ROM
you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties
and cannot contact you for clarification,
EPA may not be able to consider your
comment. Electronic files should avoid
the use of special characters, any form
of encryption, and be free of any defects
or viruses.
Docket: All documents in the 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 Air Planning Office (Air-2), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region IX, 75 Hawthorne, San
Francisco, California 94105. EPA
requests that if at all possible, you
contact the person listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to
schedule your inspection during normal
business hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John
J. Kelly, (415) 947–4151, or by e-mail at
kelly.johnj@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document whenever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
EPA.
Table of Contents
I. What actions is EPA taking?
II. Background
III. What is the legal rationale for this
proposed termination determination?
IV. What is the effect of this proposed
termination determination?
V. What is EPA’s analysis?
a. Attainment of the 1-Hour Ozone
Standard
b. Permanent and Enforceable Emission
Reductions
VI. Proposed Actions
VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. What actions is EPA taking?
EPA is proposing to determine that
California is no longer required to
submit or implement Clean Air Act
(CAA or the Act) section 185 fee
program SIP revisions for the
Sacramento Metro 1-hour ozone
nonattainment area (Sacramento Metro
Area) to satisfy anti-backsliding
requirements associated with the
transition from the 1-hour ozone
standard (1-hour standard or 1-hour) to
the 1997 8-hour ozone standard (8-hour
standard or 8-hour). This proposed
Termination Determination is based on
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EPA’s belief that the area is attaining the
1-hour ozone standard due to
permanent and enforceable emission
reductions implemented in the area. In
addition, EPA proposes to exclude from
use in determining the area has attained
the 1-hour ozone standard certain air
quality monitoring data because they
meet the criteria for ozone exceptional
events that are caused by wildfires. If
finalized, the effect of EPA’s
determination that the area has attained
the 1-hour ozone standard due to
permanent and enforceable emission
reductions would be to terminate the
area’s obligations with respect to section
185 fee program requirements for the 1hour ozone standard. In a separate
interim final action, published in the
Rules section in today’s Federal
Register, we are deferring sanctions that
would otherwise apply to the entire
Sacramento Metro Area with the
exception of Sacramento County, that is,
the entirety of Yolo County and the
Sacramento Metro Area portions of
Solano, Sutter, Placer and El Dorado
counties. This action addresses only the
CAA section 185 requirements for the 1hour ozone standard for the Sacramento
Metro Area, and not for the 1997 8-hour
ozone standard.
II. Background
The Act requires us to establish
NAAQS for certain widespread
pollutants that cause or contribute to air
pollution that is reasonably anticipated
to endanger public health or welfare
(sections 108 and 109 of the Act). In
1979, we promulgated the revised
1-hour ozone standard of 0.12 parts per
million (ppm) (44 FR 8202, February 8,
1979).1
An area is considered to have attained
the 1-hour ozone NAAQS if there are no
violations of the standard, as
determined in accordance with the
regulation codified at 40 CFR section
50.9, based on three consecutive
calendar years of complete, qualityassured and certified monitoring data. A
violation occurs when the ambient
ozone air quality monitoring data show
greater than one (1.0) ‘‘expected
number’’ of exceedances per year at any
site in the area, when averaged over
three consecutive calendar years.2 An
1 For ease of communication, many reports of
ozone concentrations are given in parts per billion
(ppb); ppb = ppm × 1000. Thus, 0.12 ppm becomes
120 ppb (or between 120 to 124 ppb, when
rounding is considered).
2 An ‘‘expected number’’ of exceedances is a
statistical term that refers to an arithmetic average.
An ‘‘expected number’’ of exceedances may be
equivalent to the number of observed exceedances
plus an increment that accounts for incomplete
sampling. See, 40 CFR part 50, Appendix H.
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exceedance occurs when the maximum
hourly ozone concentration during any
day exceeds 0.124 ppm. For more
information, please see ‘‘National 1-hour
primary and secondary ambient air
quality standards for ozone’’ (40 CFR
50.9) and ‘‘Interpretation of the 1-Hour
Primary and Secondary National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for
Ozone’’ (40 CFR part 50, Appendix H).
The Act, as amended in 1990,
required EPA to designate as
nonattainment any area that was
violating the 1-hour ozone standard,
generally based on air quality
monitoring data from the 1987 through
1989 period (section 107(d)(4) of the
Act; 56 FR 56694, November 6, 1991).
The Act further classified these areas,
based on the severity of their
nonattainment problem, as Marginal,
Moderate, Serious, Severe, or Extreme.
The control requirements and date by
which attainment of the 1-hour ozone
standard was to be achieved varied with
an area’s classification. Marginal areas
were subject to the fewest mandated
control requirements and had the
earliest attainment date, November 15,
1993, while Severe and Extreme areas
were subject to more stringent planning
requirements and were provided more
time to attain the standard.
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Sacramento Metro Area’s History
On November 6, 1991, EPA
designated the Sacramento Metro Area
as Serious nonattainment for the 1-hour
ozone standard, with an attainment date
no later than November 15, 1999 (56 FR
56694). The Sacramento Metro Area
consists of the entirety of both
Sacramento and Yolo counties and
portions of four adjacent counties (El
Dorado, Placer, Solano and Sutter
counties) (see 40 CFR section 81.305).
Sacramento County is under the
jurisdiction of the Sacramento
Metropolitan Air Quality Management
District (SMAQMD). Yolo County and
the eastern portion of Solano County
comprise the Yolo-Solano Air Quality
Management District. The southern
portion of Sutter County is part of the
Feather River Air Quality Management
District. The western portion of Placer
County is part of the Placer County Air
Pollution Control District. Lastly, the
western portion of El Dorado County is
part of the El Dorado County Air Quality
Management District. Under California
law, each air district is responsible for
adopting and implementing stationary
source rules, such as the rules required
under CAA section 185, while the
California Air Resources Board (CARB)
adopts and implements consumer
products and mobile source rules. The
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district and state rules are submitted to
EPA by CARB.
In 1995, EPA granted the State’s
request to reclassify the Sacramento
Metro Area as Severe. 60 FR 20237
(April 25, 1995). The reclassification of
the area as Severe required the State to
adopt a SIP revision creating a penalty
fee program under CAA section 185 that
would apply if the area failed to meet
the November 15, 2005 attainment date
that applies to Severe 1-hour ozone
areas and to submit that SIP revision to
EPA by December 31, 2000 (CAA
section 182(d)(3)). On September 26,
2002, SMAQMD adopted Rule 307
(’’Clean Air Act Fees’’). CARB submitted
Rule 307 to EPA as a SIP revision for the
Sacramento County portion of the area
on December 12, 2002 and EPA
approved Rule 307 on August 26, 2003
(68 FR 51184). The other affected air
districts in the Sacramento Metro Area
did not submit 1-hour section 185 SIP
revisions for their portions of the
nonattainment area. EPA published
findings of failure to submit on January
5, 2010 (75 FR 232).3 These findings
started sanctions clocks for imposition
of offset sanctions 18 months after
January 5, 2010 and highway sanctions
six months after the offset sanctions,
pursuant to section 179 of the CAA and
our regulations at 40 CFR section 52.31.
In 1997, EPA promulgated a new,
more protective standard for ozone
based on an 8-hour average
concentration (the 1997 8-hour ozone
standard). In 2004, EPA published the
1997 8-hour ozone designations and
classifications and a rule governing
certain facets of implementation of the
8-hour ozone standard (Phase 1 Rule)
(69 FR 23858 and 69 FR 23951,
respectively, April 30, 2004).
By the Sacramento Metro Area’s
1-hour ozone 2005 attainment deadline,
EPA had revoked the 1-hour standard
and designated the area as
nonattainment for the 1997 8-hour
ozone NAAQS. See 40 CFR 81.305. The
area’s initial classification for 8-hour
ozone was Serious, but EPA
subsequently granted CARB’s request to
reclassify the area to Severe for the
8-hour ozone standard. See 75 FR
24409, May 5, 2010. On July 7, 2010,
and in an update on April 13, 2011,
CARB requested that EPA find that the
Sacramento Metro Area had attained the
1-hour ozone standard due to
permanent and enforceable emission
reductions, and that EPA terminate
1-hour ozone CAA section 185
3 EPA’s findings also addressed two other 1-hour
ozone nonattainment areas in California, which are
not at issue here: Southeast Desert and the Los
Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.
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requirements for the area. See letters
from James Goldstene, CARB Executive
Officer, to Jared Blumenfeld, Regional
Administrator, U.S. EPA Region IX,
with enclosures, dated July 7, 2010 and
April 13, 2011.
Section 185 1-Hour Ozone AntiBacksliding Requirements
Although EPA revoked the 1-hour
ozone standard (effective June 15, 2005),
during the transition from the 1-hour
ozone to the 8-hour ozone standard,
1-hour nonattainment areas remain
subject to certain requirements based on
their 1-hour ozone classification. The
section 185 fee program requirement
applies to any ozone nonattainment area
classified as Severe or Extreme,
including any area that was classified
Severe or Extreme under the 1-hour
ozone NAAQS as of the effective date of
the area’s 8-hour designation (see 40
CFR part 81).
Initially, in our rules to address the
transition from the 1-hour to the 8-hour
ozone standard, EPA did not include the
section 185 fee penalty requirement as
one of the measures necessary to meet
Clean Air Act anti-backsliding
requirements.4 However, on December
23, 2006, the United States Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit determined that EPA should not
have removed from its anti-backsliding
requirements the application of the
section 185 fee provision for Severe and
Extreme nonattainment areas that failed
to attain the 1-hour ozone standard by
their attainment date. South Coast Air
Quality Management District v. EPA,
472 F.3d 882 (DC Cir. 2006). In light of
the Court’s decision, on January 5, 2010
EPA issued guidance on the application
of the section 185 1-hour antibacksliding requirement.5 EPA’s
guidance addressed, among other
matters, alternative methods of
satisfying the section 185 1-hour antibacksliding requirement, and the
circumstances under which EPA would
determine that the obligation was
terminated.
After the 1-hour ozone standard was
revoked, and in accordance with antibacksliding regulations that remain
unchallenged, EPA was no longer
obligated to find that an area attained by
4 Final Rule to Implement the 8-Hour Ozone
National Ambient Air Quality Standard—Phase 1,
69 FR 23951 (April 30, 2004).
5 Memorandum from Stephen D. Page, Director,
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, to Air
Division Directors, ‘‘Guidance on Developing Fee
Programs Required by Clean Air Act Section 185 for
the 1-hour Ozone NAAQS,’’ January 5, 2010. This
memorandum is in the docket to this proposed
action and can also be found on the Internet at:
https://www.epa.gov/groundlevelozone/pdfs/
20100105185guidance.pdf.
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its 1-hour attainment date, nor to
reclassify 1-hour areas under CAA
Sections 181(b)(2) or 179(c) (40 CFR
51.905(e)). (69 FR 23951, April 30,
2004).
III. What is the legal rationale for this
proposed termination determination?
As a result of the court decision in
South Coast Air Quality Management
District v. EPA, 472 F.3d 882 (DC Cir.
2006), states with areas classified as
Severe or Extreme nonattainment for the
1-hour ozone standard at the time of the
area’s initial nonattainment designation
for the 1997 8-hour standard are no
longer categorically exempt from the
anti-backsliding requirements imposed
by section 185. EPA has issued guidance
for states related to developing 1-hour
ozone section 185 fee programs.6 As set
forth in this guidance, EPA believes that
states can meet the 1-hour ozone section
185 obligation through a SIP revision
containing either the fee program
prescribed in section 185 of the Act, or
an equivalent alternative program, as
further explained below. EPA believes
that an alternative program may be
acceptable if EPA determines, through
notice-and-comment rulemaking, that it
is consistent with the principles of
section 172(e) of the CAA.
Section 172(e) is an anti-backsliding
provision of the CAA that requires EPA
to develop regulations to ensure that
controls in a nonattainment area are ‘‘no
less stringent’’ than those that applied to
the area before EPA revised a NAAQS
to make it less stringent. In the Phase 1
ozone implementation rule for the 1997
ozone NAAQS published on April 30,
2004 (69 FR 23951), EPA determined
that although section 172(e) does not
directly apply where EPA has
strengthened the NAAQS, as it did in
1997, it was reasonable to apply the
same anti-backsliding principle that
would apply to the relaxation of a
standard for the transition from the
1-hour NAAQS to the more stringent
1997 8-hour NAAQS. As part of
applying the principle in section 172(e)
for purposes of the transition from the
1-hour standard to the 1997 8-hour
standard, EPA can either require states
to retain programs that applied for
purposes of the 1-hour standard, or
alternatively can allow states to adopt
alternative programs, but only if such
alternatives are determined through
notice-and-comment rulemaking to be
‘‘no less stringent’’ than the mandated
program.
EPA is electing to consider alternative
programs to satisfy the 1-hour ozone
section 185 fee program SIP revision
6 Id.
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requirement. States choosing to adopt
an alternative program to the section
185 fee program must demonstrate that
the alternative program is no less
stringent than the otherwise applicable
section 185 fee program and EPA can
only approve such demonstration after
notice-and-comment rulemaking.
As set forth in EPA’s January 5, 2010
guidance, EPA believes that for an area
that we determine is attaining either the
1-hour ozone or 1997 8-hour ozone
NAAQS, based on permanent and
enforceable emission reductions, the
area would no longer be obligated to
satisfy the section 185 anti-backsliding
requirements associated with the
transition from the 1-hour ozone
standard to the 1997 8-hour ozone
standard. In such cases, an area’s
existing SIP could be considered an
adequate alternative program. Our
reasoning follows from the fact that an
area’s existing SIP measures, in
conjunction with other enforceable
Federal measures, are adequate for the
area to achieve attainment, which is the
purpose of the section 185 program. The
section 185 fee program is an element of
an area’s attainment demonstration and
its objective is to bring about attainment
after a failure of an area to attain by its
attainment date. Thus, areas that have
attained the 1-hour ozone standard, the
standard for which the fee program was
originally required, as a result of
permanent and enforceable emission
reductions, would have a SIP that is no
less stringent than the SIP required
under section 185. Therefore, EPA
concludes that the obligation to submit
a rule or to collect fees terminates once
EPA determines that the area has
attained the 1-hour ozone standard
based on permanent and enforceable
emission reductions.
There is also an additional,
independent basis for EPA’s approach to
determining that the anti-backsliding
requirements associated with section
185 have been satisfied. Although
section 185 provides that fees are to
continue until the area is redesignated
to attainment for ozone, EPA no longer
promulgates redesignations for the
1-hour ozone standard because that
standard has been revoked. Therefore,
relief from the 1-hour section 185 fee
program requirements under the terms
of the statute is an impossibility, since
the conditions the statute envisioned for
relieving an area of its fee program
obligation no longer can exist. There is
thus a gap in the statute which must be
filled by EPA. We believe that under
these circumstances we must exercise
our discretion under Chevron USA, Inc.
v. Natural Resources Defense Council,
467 U.S. 837 (1984), to fill this gap, so
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as to carry out Congressional intent in
the unique context of anti-backsliding
requirements for a revoked standard. We
believe that it is reasonable for the fee
program obligation that applies for
purposes of anti-backsliding to cease
upon a determination, based on noticeand-comment rulemaking, that an area
has attained the 1-hour ozone standard
due to permanent and enforceable
measures. This determination centers on
the core criteria for redesignations
under CAA section 107(d)(3). We
believe these criteria provide reasonable
assurance that the purpose of the 1-hour
anti-backsliding fee program obligation
has been fulfilled in the context of a
regulatory regime where the area
remains subject to other applicable
1-hour anti-backsliding and 8-hour
nonattainment measures. Under these
circumstances, retention of the fee
program under the anti-backsliding rule
is no longer necessary for the purpose
of achieving attainment of the 8-hour
standard. See EPA’s January 5, 2010
guidance (footnote 5, above).
IV. What is the effect of this proposed
termination determination?
If this proposed determination to
terminate the section 185 fee antibacksliding requirement for the 1-hour
ozone standard is finalized, the
requirement for the State of California to
submit section 185 penalty fee program
SIP revisions for the portions of the area
for which we made findings of failure to
submit, which would require major
stationary sources under the Sacramento
Metro Area 1-hour ozone Severe
nonattainment classification to pay fees
as a penalty for the area’s failure to
attain the 1-hour ozone standard by the
area’s 1-hour ozone attainment date, as
well as the requirement for the
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality
Management District portion of the area
to implement its 1-hour ozone section
185 fee program, would be removed.
A final Termination Determination for
the 1-hour standard section 185
measures will not be rescinded based on
subsequent nonattainment of the 1-hour
ozone standard. After EPA has
determined that an area has attained the
1-hour standard due to permanent and
enforceable emission reductions, EPA
believes that it would be unduly
punitive, confusing, and potentially
destabilizing to re-impose the years-old
penalty requirements if at some point in
the future the area lapses back into 1hour nonattainment. Moreover, EPA
believes that under current
circumstances, it would not be in
keeping with the intent of Congress.
First, we note that had the area attained
the 1-hour ozone standard prior to its
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attainment date, no penalties at all
would have been imposed even if the
area subsequently lapsed into
nonattainment. Second, the statute
provides that penalties for failure to
attain by an area’s attainment date
would be terminated by redesignation of
the area. Now that the 1-hour ozone
standard has been revoked and EPA is
no longer promulgating redesignations
for that standard, relief from the 1-hour
section 185 fee program requirements
under the terms of the statute is an
impossibility—the mechanism the
statute envisioned for relief no longer
exists. As EPA explains in its January 5,
2010 guidance, we have reasonably
concluded in these circumstances that a
determination of attainment due to
permanent and enforceable emission
reductions, along with the area’s
existing SIP and its continuing
obligations to meet ever more stringent
ozone standards, are a reasonable
alternative means for terminating these
unique anti-backsliding penalty
provisions. EPA believes that, given the
gap in the statute, and the intent of
Congress as expressed in quite different
regulatory circumstances, it would be
counterproductive and in conflict with
that intent for EPA’s determination to
merely suspend rather than
permanently terminate the 1-hour antibacksliding penalty fees. Requiring
areas to remain subject to the threat of
reviving stale penalty fees for an old
revoked standard, when these areas and
the sources subject to the penalties must
now muster their resources to focus on
meeting newer more stringent
standards, would be at odds with the
purposes of the Act and in conflict with
the principle that penalty provisions
should be narrowly construed. This is
also true because the area is subject to
a host of ongoing obligations for the
1997 8-hour ozone standard as well as
the future anticipated new 8-hour ozone
standard,7 when it has already shown
great improvement towards meeting the
1-hour and 1997 8-hour ozone
standards.
V. What is EPA’s analysis?
EPA’s proposed Termination
Determination is based upon EPA’s
belief that the area is attaining the 1hour ozone standard due to permanent
and enforceable emission reductions
implemented in the area. In its January
5, 2010 guidance, EPA set forth its
views as to potential rationales for
terminating section 185 obligations for
1-hour ozone. This notice formally sets
forth EPA’s legal interpretation
7 EPA anticipates announcing the reconsidered 8hour ozone standard in July 2011.
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concerning the basis for terminating
those obligations.
As explained above, EPA set forth our
belief in our January 5, 2010 guidance
that for an area that we determine is
attaining either the 1-hour ozone or
1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS, based on
permanent and enforceable emission
reductions, that the area would no
longer be obligated to satisfy the antibacksliding requirements associated
with the transition from the 1-hour
ozone standard to the 1997 8-hour
ozone standard.
a. Attainment of the 1-Hour Ozone
Standard
A determination of whether an area’s
air quality meets the 1-hour ozone
NAAQS is generally based upon the
most recent three years of complete,
quality-assured and certified air quality
monitoring data gathered at established
National Air Monitoring Stations
(‘‘NAMS’’) or State and Local Air
Monitoring Stations (‘‘SLAMS’’) in the
nonattainment area and entered into the
EPA’s Air Quality System (AQS)
database. Data from air monitors
operated by state/local agencies in
compliance with EPA monitoring
requirements must be submitted to the
AQS database. Monitoring agencies
annually certify that these data are
accurate to the best of their knowledge.
Accordingly, EPA relies primarily on
data in its AQS database when
determining the attainment status of an
area. See 40 CFR 50.9; 40 CFR part 50,
Appendix H; 40 CFR part 53; 40 CFR
part 58, Appendices A, C, D and E. All
data are reviewed to determine the
area’s air quality status in accordance
with 40 CFR part 50, Appendix H.
Under EPA regulations at 40 CFR
50.9, the 1-hour ozone standard is
attained at a monitoring site when the
expected number of days per calendar
year with maximum hourly average
concentrations above 0.12 parts per
million (235 micrograms per cubic
meter) is equal to or less than 1, as
determined by 40 CFR part 50,
Appendix H.
EPA proposes to determine that the
Sacramento Metro Area has attained the
1-hour ozone standard; that is, the
number of expected exceedances at any
site in the nonattainment area is not
greater than one per year.8 This
proposed determination is based on
three years of complete, quality-assured
and certified ambient air quality
monitoring data in AQS showing
8 The average number of expected exceedances is
determined by averaging the expected exceedances
of the 1-hour ozone standard over a consecutive
three calendar year period. See 40 CFR part 50
Appendix H.
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attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard
for the 2007–2009 monitoring period,
and complete, quality-assured data in
AQS for 2008–2010 that show
continued attainment. As explained
below, in determining the area’s
attainment of the 1-hour ozone
standard, EPA is also proposing to
exclude from consideration exceedances
that occurred on three days in 2008,
because they are due to wildfire
exceptional events.
Monitoring Network
In the Sacramento Metro Area, the
agencies responsible for assuring that
the area meets air quality monitoring
requirements include CARB,
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality
Management District (SMAQMD), Placer
County Air Pollution Control District
(PCAPCD) and Yolo-Solano Air Quality
Management District (YSAQMD). Both
CARB and SMAQMD submit annual
monitoring network plans to EPA.
SMAQMD Network Plans describe the
monitoring network the district
operates; CARB’s Network Plans
describe the monitoring sites CARB
operates, in addition to monitoring sites
operated by smaller air districts,
namely, for the Sacramento Metro Area,
PCAPCD and YSAQMD. These plans
discuss the status of the air monitoring
network, as required under 40 CFR
58.10.
Since 2007, EPA regularly reviews
these annual plans for compliance with
the applicable reporting requirements in
40 CFR part 58. With respect to ozone,
EPA has found that the area’s network
plans meet the applicable requirements
under 40 CFR part 58. See EPA letters
to CARB and SMAQMD approving their
annual network plans for years 2007,
2009 and 2010.9 Furthermore, we
concluded in our Technical System
Audit of the CARB Primary Quality
Assurance Organization (PQAO),10
conducted during Summer 2007, that
the combined ambient air monitoring
network operated by CARB and the
local air districts in their PQAO
currently meets or exceeds the
requirements for the minimum number
of SLAMS monitoring sites for all
criteria pollutants, and that all of the
monitoring sites are properly located
with respect to monitoring objectives,
spatial scales and other site criteria, as
9 Neither CARB nor SMAQMD proposed
modifications to their networks in 2008; therefore,
neither agency was required to submit a network
plan to EPA for approval that year.
10 A primary quality assurance organization is
responsible for a group of monitoring stations for
which data quality assessments can be pooled See
40 CFR section 58.1. CARB is the lead PQAO for
all the air districts in the Sacramento Metro Area.
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required by 40 CFR part 58, Appendix
D. See letter from Deborah Jordan,
Director, Air Division, U.S. EPA Region
IX, to James Goldstene, Executive
Officer, CARB, transmitting ‘‘Technical
System Audit of the California
Environmental Protection Agency Air
Resources Board: 2007,’’ with enclosure,
August 18, 2008. Also, CARB annually
certifies that the data it submits to AQS
are complete and quality-assured. See,
e.g., letter from Karen Magliano, Chief,
Air Quality Data Branch, Planning and
Technical Support Division, CARB, to
Jared Blumenfeld, Regional
Administrator, U.S. EPA Region IX,
certifying calendar year 2009 ambient
air quality data and quality assurance
data, May 19, 2010.
There were 16 ozone monitoring sites
located throughout the Sacramento
Metro Area in calendar years 2007,
2008, 2009 and 2010.11 Sacramento
Metro AQMD operates six ozone
monitors in Sacramento County: Elk
Grove (southwest Sacramento County),
Del Paso Manor (northeast City of
Sacramento), Folsom (City of Folsom),
Sacramento-Goldenland Court 12
(northwest City of Sacramento), North
Highlands (north Sacramento County)
and Sloughhouse Road (west
Sacramento County). CARB operates six
ozone monitors in the Sacramento
Metro Area: Sacramento-T Street (City
of Sacramento) in Sacramento County;
Cool (City of Cool), Echo Summit (in the
Sierra Nevada Mountains) and
Placerville (City of Placerville) in El
Dorado County; Roseville (City of
Roseville) in Placer County; and Davis
(City of Davis) in Yolo County. Placer
County APCD operates two ozone
monitors in the Sacramento Metro Area:
Colfax (City of Colfax) and Auburn (City
of Auburn). Yolo-Solano AQMD
28701
operates two ozone monitors in the
Sacramento Metro Area: Vacaville (City
of Vacaville) in Solano County, and
Woodland (City of Woodland) in Yolo
County.
All Sacramento Metro Area sites
monitor ozone concentrations on a
continuous basis using ultraviolet
absorption monitors.13 EPA defines
specific monitoring site types and
spatial scales of representativeness to
characterize the nature and location of
required monitors. See 40 CFR part 58,
Appendix D, § 1. Table 1 below lists the
site types and spatial scale for each
ozone monitoring site in the Sacramento
Metro Area. Due to ozone precursor
source distribution and general
meteorological patterns in the area, the
highest ozone concentrations for the
past several years have typically
occurred at the Folsom and
Sloughhouse Road sites.
TABLE 1—SITE TYPE AND SPATIAL SCALE a
Site type b
Site name
Placerville (06–017–0010) ........................................................................................................................
Echo Summit (06–017–0012) ...................................................................................................................
Cool (06–017–0020) .................................................................................................................................
Auburn (06–061–0002) .............................................................................................................................
Colfax (06–061–0004) ...............................................................................................................................
Roseville (06–061–0006) ..........................................................................................................................
North Highlands (06–067–0002) ...............................................................................................................
Sacramento-Del Paso Manor (06–067–0006) ..........................................................................................
Sacramento-T Street (06–067–0010) .......................................................................................................
Elk Grove (06–067–0011) .........................................................................................................................
Folsom (06–067–0012) .............................................................................................................................
Sacramento-Airport Road (06–067–0013) ................................................................................................
Sacramento-Goldenland Court (06–067–0014) ........................................................................................
Sloughhouse Rd. (06–067–5003) .............................................................................................................
Vacaville (06–095–3003) ..........................................................................................................................
Davis (06–113–0004) ................................................................................................................................
Woodland (06–113–1003) .........................................................................................................................
HC,
HC,
HC,
HC
HC
HC
RC
HC
RC
RC
HC
RC
RC
RC
HC,
HC
HC
TR ...................................
TR ...................................
TR ...................................
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
TR ...................................
..........................................
..........................................
Spatial
scale c
RS
RS
RS
US
US
US
NS
NS
US
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
RS
US
US
a Source: SMAQMD’s ‘‘Annual Network Plan Report’’ (July 2010) and CARB’s ‘‘Monitoring Network Report for Small Districts in California’’ (July
2010).
b Site types are defined in 40 CFR part 58, Appendix D section 1.1.1. The site types utilized in the Sacramento Metro Area include high concentration (HC), representative concentration (RC) and pollutant transport (TR).
c Spatial scales are defined in 40 CFR part 58 Appendix D section 1.2. The monitoring sites in the Sacramento Metro Area are either neighborhood scale (NS), urban scale (US) or regional scale (RS) sites.
wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with PROPOSALS_PART 1
Exceptional Events
On March 22, 2007, EPA adopted a
final rule, ‘‘Treatment of Data Influenced
by Exceptional Events,’’ also known as
the Exceptional Events Rule (EER), to
govern the review and handling of
certain air quality monitoring data for
which the normal planning and
regulatory processes are not appropriate
(72 FR 13560). Under the EER, EPA may
exclude data from use in determinations
of NAAQS exceedances and violations if
a state demonstrates that an
‘‘exceptional event’’ caused the
exceedance or exceedances. 40 CFR
50.1, 50.14. Before EPA can exclude
data from these regulatory
determinations, the state must flag the
data in EPA’s AQS database and, after
public notice and opportunity for
comment, submit a demonstration to
EPA to justify the exclusion. EPA
considers the demonstration and
concurs or nonconcurs with the state’s
flag. After notice-and-comment
rulemaking, EPA determines whether to
11 Enclosure 2 of CARB’s July 7, 2010 request
includes a map on page 3.2 showing locations of
all ozone monitors in the Sacramento Metro Area.
Letter from James Goldstene, CARB Executive
Officer, to Jared Blumenfeld, Regional
Administrator, U.S. EPA Region IX, dated July 7,
2010, requesting termination of CAA section 185
requirements as they pertain to the Sacramento
Metro Area. The document can be found on the
Internet at: https://www.airquality.org/notices/
1hour/AttainmentReport.pdf.
12 The Sacramento-Airport Road site was
relocated to Sacramento-Goldenland Court in
August 2008.
13 Sacramento Metro Area monitoring agencies
operate Federal equivalent method (FEM) monitors
for ozone, specifically, API 400 Series ultraviolet
absorption monitors. See SMAQMD’s ‘‘Annual
Network Plan Report’’ (July 2010) and CARB’s
‘‘Monitoring Network Report for Small Districts in
California’’ (July 2010). These monitoring devices
have an EPA designation number EQOA–0992–087.
See EPA ‘‘List of Designated Reference and
Equivalent Methods, page 27 (February 1, 2011),
available on the Internet at: https://www.epa.gov/ttn/
amtic/criteria.html.
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exclude the data from use when making
a determination of attainment.
In submittals dated September 17,
2009 and March 30, 2011, CARB
provided documentation for ozone
exceedances that occurred at the Folsom
monitor on three days in Summer 2008
which the state had flagged as due to
wildfire exceptional events. EPA
reviewed the documentation and
concurred with the June 23, June 27 and
July 10, 2008 flags in a letter from Jared
Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator,
U.S. EPA Region IX, to Mary D. Nichols,
Chairman, CARB, dated April 13, 2011.
EPA included with the letter a
document setting forth in detail the
bases for EPA’s concurrences. See
‘‘Review of Exceptional Events Request:
Folsom, CA; 1-hour ozone; June 23, June
27 and July 10, 2008,’’ dated April 13,
2011 (in the docket for this proposed
rulemaking). For the reasons set forth in
the concurrence letter and its enclosure,
EPA is proposing to exclude from
regulatory consideration data showing
exceedances at the Folsom monitoring
site on June 23, June 27 and July 10,
2008.
Monitoring Data
EPA’s proposal to exclude ozone
exceedances monitored at the Folsom
site on June 23, June 27 and July 10,
2008, if finalized, would result in a
revision of the number of exceedances
(as determined by 40 CFR part 50,
Appendix H and described in section II
of this notice) for 2008 and, therefore,
the average number of expected
exceedances for the 2007–2009 period.
With the exclusion of the data for these
three days, the highest three-year
average of expected exceedances at any
site in the Sacramento Metro Area for
2007–2009 is 1.0, which shows
attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard
(a three-year average of expected
exceedances less than or equal to 1). For
more information, please see ‘‘National
1-hour primary and secondary ambient
air quality standards for ozone’’ (40 CFR
section 50.9) and ‘‘Interpretation of the
1-Hour Primary and Secondary National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for
Ozone’’ (40 CFR part 50, Appendix H).
Consistent with 40 CFR part 50,
Appendix H, Tables 2 and 3 set forth the
1-hour ozone data for the Sacramento
Metro Area monitors that show that the
area is currently attaining the 1-hour
ozone NAAQS.
TABLE 2—1-HOUR OZONE DATA FOR THE SACRAMENTO METRO 1-HOUR OZONE NONATTAINMENT AREA a
Expected exceedances by year
Expected
exceedances
3-yr average
Site (monitor ID)
2007
2008
2009
2007–2009
Placerville (06–017–0010) ...........................................................................................
Echo Summit (06–017–0012) ......................................................................................
Cool (06–017–0020) ....................................................................................................
Auburn (06–061–0002) ................................................................................................
Colfax (06–061–0004) .................................................................................................
Roseville (06–061–0006) .............................................................................................
North Highlands (06–067–0002) .................................................................................
Sacramento-Del Paso Manor (06–067–0006) .............................................................
Sacramento-T Street (06–067–0010) ..........................................................................
Elk Grove (06–067–0011) ...........................................................................................
Folsom (06–067–0012) ................................................................................................
Sacramento-Airport Road (06–067–0013) ..................................................................
Sacramento-Goldenland Court (06–067–0014) ..........................................................
Sloughhouse Rd. (06–067–5003) ................................................................................
Vacaville (06–095–3003) .............................................................................................
Davis (06–113–0004) ..................................................................................................
Woodland (06–113–1003) ...........................................................................................
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.0
0.0
0.0
1.0
0.0
NA
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
2.0
0.0
2.0
0.0
0.0
2.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
b 2.0
c 0.0
c 0.0
3.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
NA
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.7
0.0
0.7
0.0
0.0
0.7
0.0
0.3
0.0
0.0
1.0
NA
0.0
1.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
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Source: Quicklook Report, May 3, 2011 (in the docket to this proposed action).
a 40 CFR part 50, Appendix H—Interpretation of the 1-Hour Primary and Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone.
b Data shown exclude exceedances on June 23, June 27 and July 10, 2008 due to exceptional events.
c The Airport Road site was relocated to the Goldenland Court site in August 2008.
NA—Data is not available.
The data in Table 2 indicate a longterm trend observed in the Sacramento
Metro Area. As described in CARB’s
July 7, 2010 letter requesting a
Termination Determination, the
monitoring sites that historically
experienced exceedances of the 1-hour
ozone standard are the Cool,
Sloughhouse, Folsom and Del Paso
Manor sites. For example, in 1998 five
exceedances were monitored at Cool
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and ten at Folsom. In 2009, by contrast,
there were no exceedances at any
monitor in the entire Sacramento Metro
Area.
In sum, EPA believes that, if the
exceedances resulting from wildfire
exceptional events on three days in
2008 are excluded from consideration,
the 2007–2009 ambient air monitoring
data for the Sacramento Metro Area
show attainment of the 1-hour ozone
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NAAQS. In addition, if EPA’s proposal
to exclude exceedances on three days
due to wildfire exceptional events is
finalized, the data for 2010 (complete
and quality-assured but not yet
certified), shown in Table 3 for the
2008–2010 monitoring period, show
continued attainment. Preliminary data
available for 2011 are also consistent
with continued attainment.
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TABLE 3—2010 1-HOUR OZONE DATA FOR THE SACRAMENTO METRO 1-HOUR OZONE NONATTAINMENT AREA SHOWING
CONTINUED ATTAINMENT a
Expected exceedances by year
Expected
exceedances
3-yr average
Site (monitor ID)
2008
2010 b
2009
2008–2010 b
Placerville (06–017–0010) ...........................................................................................
Echo Summit (06–017–0012) ......................................................................................
Cool (06–017–0020) ....................................................................................................
Auburn (06–061–0002) ................................................................................................
Colfax (06–061–0004) .................................................................................................
Roseville (06–061–0006) .............................................................................................
North Highlands (06–067–0002) .................................................................................
Sacramento-Del Paso Manor (06–067–0006) .............................................................
Sacramento-T Street (06–067–0010) ..........................................................................
Elk Grove (06–067–0011) ...........................................................................................
Folsom (06–067–0012) ................................................................................................
Sacramento-Airport Road (06–067–0013) ..................................................................
Sacramento-Goldenland Court (06–067–0014) ..........................................................
Sloughhouse Rd. (06–067–5003) ................................................................................
Vacaville (06–095–3003) .............................................................................................
Davis (06–113–0004) ..................................................................................................
Woodland (06–113–1003) ...........................................................................................
2.0
0.0
2.0
0.0
0.0
2.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
c 2.0
d 0.0
d 0.0
3.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
NA
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
NA
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.7
0.0
0.7
0.0
0.0
0.7
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.7
NA
0.0
1.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Source: Quicklook Report, May 3, 2011 (in the docket to this proposed action).
a 40 CFR part 50, Appendix H—Interpretation of the 1-Hour Primary and Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone.
b Data from 2010 are complete but have not yet been certified.
c Data exclude exceedances on June 23, June 27 and July 10, 2008 due to exceptional events.
d The Airport Road site was relocated to the Goldenland Court site in August 2008.
NA—Data are not available.
wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with PROPOSALS_PART 1
b. Permanent and Enforceable Emission
Reductions
EPA believes that the State has
demonstrated that the observed air
quality improvements in the
Sacramento Metro Area with respect to
the 1-hour ozone standard are due to
permanent and enforceable emission
reductions through the implementation
of state and district emission controls
contained in the SIP and not due to
favorable meteorology or temporary
reductions in emission rates, such as
temporary adverse economic conditions.
See letter and accompanying
documentation (Enclosure 2,
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality
Management District 1-Hour Ozone
Attainment Demonstration Request for
the Sacramento Federal Ozone
Nonattainment Area) from James
Goldstene, CARB Executive Officer, to
Jared Blumenfeld, Regional
Administrator, U.S. EPA Region IX,
dated July 7, 2010, requesting
termination of CAA section 185
requirements as they pertain to the
Sacramento Metro Area (July 7, 2010
request).
In 1994, California submitted a
comprehensive ozone plan for all ozone
nonattainment areas in California
including the Sacramento Metro Area
(1994 SIP), which EPA approved on
January 8, 1997 (62 FR 1150). The plan
provided a blueprint for attaining the
1-hour ozone standard that relied on a
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14:57 May 17, 2011
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combination of stationary and mobile
source measures by the districts, and
state and Federal governments. In
addition, California air districts in the
Sacramento Metro Area adopted and
implemented emission control rules
requiring many existing sources of
oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) 14 to meet,
at minimum, Reasonably Available
Control Technology (RACT). These
requirements apply to sources in
categories covered by Control
Technology Guidelines (CTGs) and
major non-CTG sources.
Meteorology
In its July 7, 2010 request (Enclosure
2, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality
Management District 1-Hour Ozone
Attainment Demonstration Request for
the Sacramento Federal Ozone
Nonattainment Area), CARB provided
documentation that the improvement in
air quality in the Sacramento Metro
Area is not due to favorable
meteorology. CARB showed that the
weather patterns in the last decade have
not been unusually favorable. For
example, looking at days equal to or
over 95 degrees Fahrenheit in each of
the last thirteen years (1997 to 2009) as
an indicator of conditions conducive to
ozone formation, the area had an annual
average of 37 such ‘‘high temperature’’
14 NO and VOCs are chemical precursors to
X
ozone.
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Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
days, while in the last four years (2006–
2009), the area also had an annual
average of 37 high temperature days.
Economic Activity
The State provided documentation
showing that the improvement in air
quality leading to 1-hour ozone
attainment in the Sacramento Metro
Area is not due to a temporary economic
downturn. See July 7, 2010 request
(Enclosure 2, Sacramento Metropolitan
Air Quality Management District 1-Hour
Ozone Attainment Demonstration
Request for the Sacramento Federal
Ozone Nonattainment Area). As an
indicator of economic activity, this
analysis presented information on
gasoline and diesel sales in California
from 2000 to 2009. Fuel sales are an
indicator of economic activity, and
represent an indicator of emissions
trends of both VOCs and NOX as well.
The Sacramento Metro Area’s emissions
inventory is dominated by mobile
sources. See Table 7 below and Table
4.1 of Enclosure 2 of July 7, 2010
request. Although fuel sales have
decreased in the last several years,
perhaps coinciding with an overall
economic downturn in California and
nationally, we note that the decrease has
been slight and that the last year
presented, 2009, still had a higher level
(14.8 billion gallons of fuel sold) than
the first year presented (2001, at 14.5
billion gallons). Between those years,
fuel sales increased gradually to a peak
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between 2005 and 2006 (both at 15.9
billion gallons sold per year), before
gradually declining.
Given that the earliest years in that
ten-year period were years when the
area was not attaining the 1-hour ozone
standard, EPA believes that any
temporary emission reductions due to
the more recent economic downturn in
2008 and later are relatively small and
not a significant factor in the attainment
of the 1-hour standard. Therefore, we
conclude that economic conditions are
not a source of temporary reductions in
emission rates. On the contrary, EPA
believes that the steady decline of
emissions of NOX and VOCs during the
same ten-year period is attributable to
fleet turnover with newer vehicles
having lower evaporative and tailpipe
emissions, as well as greater fuel
economy. Additionally, EPA notes that
CARB’s emissions database (https://
www.arb.ca.gov/ei/emissiondata.htm)
shows that during 2006 through 2009,
the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) have
increased from approximately 68
million miles per day to 72 million
miles per day in the Sacramento Valley
Air Basin. See CEPAM: 2009 Almanac—
Population and Vehicle Trends Tool,
Sacramento Valley Air Basin, Daily
Vehicle Miles Traveled, All Vehicles.
Local Districts’ Measures Since 1990
Since 1990, the Districts have
adopted, implemented and submitted
for EPA approval dozens of stationary
source rules which achieve NOX and
VOC emission reductions and have thus
helped reduce ozone levels. Tables 4
through 7 below summarize the local air
district rules adopted since 1990 and
approved into the California SIP.15 16
TABLE 4—SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT RULES ADOPTED SINCE 1990 AND
APPROVED INTO THE CALIFORNIA STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Rule No.
411
412
413
414
442
443
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
446
447
448
449
450
452
454
456
458
459
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
463 .............
464 .............
466 .............
Date rule
adopted by
district
Rule
NOX from Boilers, Process Heaters and Steam Generators ....
Stationary Internal Combustion Engine .....................................
Stationary Gas Turbines ............................................................
Natural Gas-fired Water Heater .................................................
Architectural Coatings ................................................................
Leaks from Synthetic Organic Chemical & Polymer Manufacturing.
Storage of Petroleum Products .................................................
Organic Liquid Loading ..............................................................
Gasoline Transfer into Stationary Storage Containers ..............
Transfer of Gasoline into Vehicle Fuel Tanks ...........................
Graphic Arts ...............................................................................
Can Coating ...............................................................................
Degreasing Operations ..............................................................
Aerospace Assembly and Component Coating Operations ......
Large Commercial Bread Bakeries ............................................
Automotive, Truck and Heavy Equipment Refinishing Operations.
Wood Products Coatings ...........................................................
Organic Chemical Manufacturing Operations ............................
Solvent Cleaning ........................................................................
Date rule
approved into
SIP
Federal
Register
citation
NOX
VOC
08/23/2007
06/01/1995
03/24/2005
08/01/1996
09/05/1996
09/05/1996
5/6/2009
4/30/1996
1/10/2008
4/20/1999
11/9/1998
11/9/1998
74
61
73
64
63
63
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
20880
18959
1819
19277
60214
60214
X
X
X
X
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
X
X
11/16/1993
04/02/1998
02/02/1995
09/26/2002
10/23/2008
09/25/2008
09/25/2008
10/23/2008
09/05/1996
10/02/1997
9/16/1994
11/26/1999
1/23/1996
3/24/2003
4/9/2010
4/9/2010
4/9/2010
7/14/2010
11/9/1998
11/13/1998
59
64
61
68
75
75
75
75
63
63
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
47544
66393
1716
14156
18068
18068
18068
40726
60214
63410
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
09/25/2008
07/23/1998
05/23/2002
4/9/2010
4/19/2000
5/5/2010
75 FR 18068
65 FR 20912
75 FR 24406
..........
..........
..........
X
X
X
TABLE 5—EL DORADO COUNTY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT RULES ADOPTED SINCE 1990 AND APPROVED INTO
THE CALIFORNIA STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Rule No.
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215
224
225
229
.............
.............
.............
.............
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
Architectural Coatings ................................................................
Cutback Asphalt Paving Material ...............................................
Solvent Cleaning (Degreasing) ..................................................
Industrial, Institutional, and Commercial Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters.
Motor Vehicle & Mobile Equipment Coating ..............................
Graphic Arts ...............................................................................
Biomass Boilers .........................................................................
Stationary Internal Combustion Engines ...................................
VOC RACT Rule—Sierra Pacific Industries ..............................
Surface Preparation and Cleanup .............................................
Adhesives ...................................................................................
Wood Products Coatings ...........................................................
Gasoline Transfer and Dispensing ............................................
Natural Gas-fired Residential Water Heaters ............................
15 Feather River Air Quality Management District
(FRAQMD) does not have any rules listed in the
table because, since 1990, no additional FRAQMD
VOC or NOX rules have been added to the SIP.
FRAQMD consists of the entirety of both Sutter and
Yuba counties. Only the very southern portion of
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citation
NOX
VOC
9/27/1994
9/27/1994
9/27/1994
1/23/2001
7/18/1996
8/21/1995
8/21/1995
10/10/2001
61
60
60
66
FR
FR
FR
FR
37390
43383
43383
51578
..........
..........
..........
X
X
X
X
..........
9/27/1994
9/27/1994
9/25/2001
6/11/2002
4/25/1995
6/27/1995
7/25/1995
6/27/1995
3/27/2001
3/24/1998
4/30/1996
7/11/1997
10/14/2003
9/13/2002
9/12/1995
4/30/1996
7/18/1996
7/18/1996
8/27/2001
3/30/1999
61
62
68
67
60
61
61
61
66
64
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
18962
37136
59121
57960
47273
18962
37390
37390
44974
15129
..........
..........
X
X
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
X
X
X
..........
..........
X
X
X
X
X
..........
Sutter County falls within the Sacramento Metro
Area, and that portion includes no major NOX or
VOC stationary sources.
16 EPA is currently evaluating approximately 30
additional rules that have been adopted by
PO 00000
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approved into
SIP
Sacramento Metro Area air districts to control VOC
and/or NOX and that were submitted to EPA as SIP
revisions. Although EPA has not yet taken action
on these submitted rules, they are currently being
implemented by the air districts.
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TABLE 5—EL DORADO COUNTY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT RULES ADOPTED SINCE 1990 AND APPROVED INTO
THE CALIFORNIA STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN—Continued
Date rule
adopted by
district
Rule No.
Rule
240 .............
244 .............
245 .............
Polyester Resin Operations .......................................................
Organic Liquid Loading and Transport Vessels ........................
Valves and Flanges ...................................................................
2/15/2000
9/25/2001
3/27/2001
Date rule
approved into
SIP
7/17/2001
7/8/2002
8/27/2001
Federal
Register
citation
NOX
VOC
66 FR 37154
67 FR 45067
66 FR 44974
..........
..........
..........
X
X
X
TABLE 6—PLACER COUNTY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY RULES ADOPTED SINCE 1990 AND APPROVED INTO THE
CALIFORNIA STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Rule No.
212
213
214
215
.............
.............
.............
.............
216
217
218
219
223
229
230
233
235
236
238
239
244
250
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
.............
Date rule
adopted by
district
Rule
Storage of Organic Liquids ........................................................
Gasoline Transfer Into Stationary Storage Containers .............
Transfer of Gasoline Into Vehicle Fuel Tanks ...........................
Transfer of Gasoline Into Tank Trucks, Trailers and Railroad
Tank Cars at Loading Facilities.
Organic Solvent Cleaning and Degreasing Operations ............
Cutback and Emulsified Asphalt Paving Materials ....................
Architectural Coatings ................................................................
Organic Solvents ........................................................................
Metal Container Coating ............................................................
Fiberboard Manufacturing ..........................................................
Plastic Products and Materials—Paper Treating Operation ......
Biomass Boilers .........................................................................
Adhesives ...................................................................................
Wood Products Coating Operations ..........................................
Factory Coating of Flat Wood Paneling ....................................
Graphic Arts Operations ............................................................
Semiconductor Operations ........................................................
Stationary Gas Turbines ............................................................
Date rule
approved into
SIP
Federal
Register
citation
NOX
VOC
6/19/1997
10/19/1993
10/19/1993
6/19/1997
6/11/2009
3/3/1997
4/30/1997
1/31/2011
74
62
62
76
FR
FR
FR
FR
27714
23365
23365
5277
..........
..........
..........
..........
X
X
X
X
12/11/2003
10/19/1993
02/09/1995
10/19/1993
10/6/1994
6/28/1994
6/28/1994
10/06/1994
6/08/1995
2/09/1995
6/18/1995
2/13/1997
2/9/1995
10/17/1994
5/5/2010
4/30/1997
7/18/1996
4/30/1997
3/23/1995
6/8/2001
12/14/1994
4/30/1996
7/18/1996
4/30/1996
2/12/1996
11/13/1998
7/25/1996
8/23/1995
75
62
61
62
60
66
59
61
61
61
61
63
61
60
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
24406
23365
37390
23365
15241
30815
64336
18959
37390
18962
5288
63410
38571
43713
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
X
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
..........
X
X
X
X
X
..........
TABLE 7—YOLO-SOLANO AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT RULES ADOPTED SINCE 1990 AND APPROVED INTO THE
CALIFORNIA STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Rule No.
wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with PROPOSALS_PART 1
2.13
2.14
2.21
2.22
2.23
2.24
2.25
2.26
2.27
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
2.28
2.29
2.30
2.31
2.32
2.33
2.34
2.35
2.37
2.42
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
............
Organic Solvents ........................................................................
Architectural Coatings ................................................................
Organic Liquid Storage & Transfer ............................................
Gasoline Dispensing Facilities ...................................................
Fugitive Hydrocarbon .................................................................
Solvent Cleaning Operations (Degreasing) ...............................
Surface Coating or Manufactured Metal Parts and Products ...
Motor Vehicle & Mobile Equipment Coating ..............................
Industrial, Institutional, and Commercial Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process Heaters.
Cutback & Emulsified Asphalt ...................................................
Graphic Arts Printing Operations ...............................................
Polyester Resin Operation .........................................................
Surface Preparation and Cleanup .............................................
Stationary Internal Combustion Engines ...................................
Adhesives Operation ..................................................................
Stationary Gas Turbines ............................................................
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Operations ................................
Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters and Small Boilers ................
Nitric Acid Production ................................................................
California State Measures
Source categories for which CARB has
primary responsibility for reducing
emissions in California include most
new and existing on- and off-road
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NOX
VOC
5/24/1994
11/14/2001
9/14/2005
6/12/2002
8/13/1997
11/14/1990
4/27/1994
11/30/1994
8/14/1996
4/30/1996
1/2/2004
10/31/2006
1/23/2003
11/26/1999
12/13/1994
2/12/1996
4/30/1996
6/17/1997
61
69
71
68
64
59
61
61
62
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
18962
34
63694
3190
66393
64130
5288
18962
32691
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
..........
5/25/1994
5/25/1994
4/14/1999
04/27/1994
10/10/2001
3/12/2003
7/13/1994
11/30/1994
4/8/2009
5/13/2009
2/5/1996
8/21/1998
7/21/1999
4/2/1999
1/28/2002
3/22/2004
9/3/1998
2/24/1997
5/10/2010
5/10/2010
61
63
64
64
67
69
63
62
75
75
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
FR
4215
44792
39037
15922
3816
13234
46892
8172
25778
25778
..........
..........
..........
..........
X
..........
X
..........
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
..........
X
..........
..........
engines and vehicles, motor vehicle
fuels, and consumer products. In
addition, California has unique
authority under CAA section 209
(subject to a waiver by EPA) to adopt
PO 00000
Date rule
approved into
SIP
and implement new emission standards
for many categories of on-road vehicles
and engines, and new and in-use offroad vehicles and engines. California
has been a leader in the development of
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some of the most stringent control
measures nationwide for on-road and
off-road mobile sources and the fuels
that power them. These measures have
helped reduce ozone levels in the
Sacramento Metro Area and throughout
the state.
CARB’s 2007 State Strategy provides
a recent summary of the measures
adopted and implemented by the state.
See ‘‘Air Resources Board’s Proposed
State Strategy for California’s 2007 State
Implementation Plan,’’ release date:
April 26, 2007. From 1994 to 2006, the
state has taken more than 45 rulemaking
actions which have achieved significant
emission reductions needed for the
state’s nonattainment areas such as the
Sacramento Metro Area. See 2007 State
Strategy, p. 38.17 These measures
include new emission standards and inuse requirements and have resulted in
significant reductions in VOC and NOX
emissions from categories such as
passenger cars, trucks, buses,
motorcycles, locomotives, recreational
boats, lawn and garden equipment and
consumer products. EPA has generally
approved all of the State’s measures that
are not subject to the CAA section 209
waiver process. See EPA’s proposed
approval of the San Joaquin Valley 1hour ozone plan at 74 FR 33933, 33938
(July 14, 2009) and final approval at 75
FR 10420 (March 8, 2010). See also,
EPA’s proposed partial approval/partial
disapproval of the San Joaquin Valley
PM2.5 plan at 75 FR 74518, 74526–7
(November 30, 2010) and EPA’s
proposed partial approval/partial
disapproval of the South Coast PM2.5
plan at 75 FR 71294, 71302–3
(November 22, 2010).
Federal Measures
Finally, in addition to the local
district and state rules discussed above,
the Sacramento Metro Area has also
benefited from Federal mobile source
measures such as emissions standards
for new locomotive Tier 1 and Tier 2
engines, nationwide heavy-duty onhighway trucks, and new emission
standards for pre-empted farm and
construction equipment.
Summary/Conclusion
Based on the above discussion, EPA
believes that the progress made to
reduce emissions in the Sacramento
Metro Area during the 1990–2009
timeframe resulting in achieving
attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard
is from permanent and enforceable
measures which achieved significant
reductions as summarized in Table 8
below:
TABLE 8—SUMMARY OF EMISSIONS FOR THE SACRAMENTO METRO 1-HOUR OZONE NONATTAINMENT AREA
[Tons per day]
1990
VOC
2008
VOC
1990
NOX
2008
NOX
Stationary .........................................................................................................................................
Area-wide .........................................................................................................................................
On-road ............................................................................................................................................
Other mobile ....................................................................................................................................
39
34
140
49
22
28
45
41
22
4
148
69
15
3
95
53
Total ..........................................................................................................................................
262
136
242
167
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Source: Letter from James Goldstene, CARB Executive Officer, to Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA Region IX, dated July
7, 2010, Table 4.1 of Enclosure 2, ‘‘1-Hour Ozone Attainment Determination Request for the Sacramento Federal Ozone Nonattainment Area,’’
April 26, 2010, prepared by: Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.
The emission reduction trends shown
in Table 8 are not only expected to be
maintained at current levels, but are
expected to continue in the next several
decades, in spite of increasing
population in the area, due to the
continued replacement of older vehicles
and engines with newer units subject to
more stringent California and Federal
emission control requirements. The
exception is that there is projected to be
a slight (1% annually) growth in VOC
emissions starting in 2020, as activity
growth overcomes emission reductions.
See Letter from James Goldstene, CARB
Executive Officer, to Jared Blumenfeld,
Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA
Region IX, dated July 7, 2010, Section
4.2 of Enclosure 2, ‘‘1-Hour Ozone
Attainment Determination Request for
the Sacramento Federal Ozone
Nonattainment Area,’’ April 26, 2010,
prepared by: Sacramento Metropolitan
Air Quality Management District.
EPA believes the preceding
discussion demonstrates that permanent
and enforceable emission reduction
measures adopted and implemented by
the state have been effective in reaching
attainment of the 1-hour ozone
standard, and that the improvement in
the Sacramento Metro Area’s air quality
is due to permanent and enforceable
emission reductions.
VI. Proposed Actions
EPA is proposing to make a
determination to terminate the 1-hour
ozone section 185 penalty fee
requirement (Termination
Determination) for the Sacramento
Metro Area. Our proposed
determination is based on our finding
that the Sacramento Metro Area is
attaining the 1-hour ozone NAAQS due
to permanent and enforceable
reductions in emissions. In proposing
this determination, EPA is also
proposing to exclude 1-hour ozone
NAAQS exceedances that occurred at
the Folsom monitor on three days in
2008 because they were caused by
wildfire exceptional events. For the
reasons set forth in this notice, EPA’s
proposed 1-hour ozone section 185
Termination Determination is based on
EPA’s determination that the area has
attained and continues to attain the 1hour ozone standard due to permanent
and enforceable emission reductions.
VII. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
This action proposes to make a
determination of attainment and a
determination of termination of the
CAA section 185 penalty fee
requirements based on attainment of the
1-hour ozone standard due to
permanent and enforceable emission
reductions, and would, if finalized,
result in the termination of the section
185 fee requirements for the 1-hour
standard, and would not impose any
17 This document can be found on the Internet at:
https://arb.ca.gov/planning/sip/2007sip/apr07draft/
sipback.pdf.
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additional requirements. For that
reason, this proposed 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 the 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.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Volatile
organic compounds.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401, et seq.
Dated: May 9, 2011.
Jared Blumenfeld,
Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2011–12063 Filed 5–17–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R08–OAR–2009–0809; FRL–9307–6]
Approval and Promulgation of State
Implementation Plan Revisions;
Infrastructure Requirements for the
1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient
Air Quality Standards; Colorado
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
EPA is proposing to approve
and conditionally approve the State
Implementation Plan (SIP) submission
from the State of Colorado to
demonstrate that the SIP meets the
requirements of Sections 110(a)(1) and
(2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) promulgated for ozone on July
18, 1997. Section 110(a)(1) of the CAA
requires that each state, after a new or
revised NAAQS is promulgated, review
their SIPs to ensure that they meet the
requirements of the ‘‘infrastructure
elements’’ of section 110(a)(2). The State
of Colorado submitted a certification of
their infrastructure SIP for the 1997
ozone NAAQS, dated January 7, 2008
which was determined to be complete
on March 27, 2008 (73 FR 16205).
EPA does not propose to act on the
State’s January 7, 2008 submission to
meet the requirements of section
110(a)(2)(D)(i) of the CAA, relating to
interstate transport of air pollution, for
the 1997 ozone NAAQS. EPA approved
the State’s interstate transport SIP
submission at 75 FR 31306, 75 FR
71029, and 76 FR 22036.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before June 17, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R08–
OAR–2009–0809, by one of the
following methods:
• https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
• E-mail: dolan.kathy@epa.gov.
• Fax: (303) 312–6064 (please alert
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT if you are faxing
comments).
• Mail: Director, Air Program,
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), Region 8, Mail Code 8P–AR,
1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado
80202–1129.
• Hand Delivery: Director, Air
Program, Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), Region 8, Mail Code 8P–
AR, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver,
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
28707
Colorado 80202–1129. Such deliveries
are only accepted Monday through
Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding
Federal holidays. Special arrangements
should be made for deliveries of boxed
information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
Docket ID No. EPA–R08–OAR–2009–
0809. 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
that is placed in the public docket and
made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA
recommends that you include your
name and other contact information in
the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA
cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact
you for clarification, EPA may not be
able to consider your comment.
Electronic files should avoid the use of
special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or
viruses. For additional information
about EPA’s public docket visit the EPA
Docket Center homepage at https://
www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
For additional instructions on
submitting comments, go to Section I,
General Information, of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
this document.
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 Air Program, Environmental
E:\FR\FM\18MYP1.SGM
18MYP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 96 (Wednesday, May 18, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 28696-28707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12063]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R09-OAR-2011-0372; FRL-9307-4]
Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans;
California; Determination of Termination of Section 185 Fees
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The EPA is proposing to determine that the State of California
is no longer required to submit or implement section 185 fee program
State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions for the Sacramento Metro 1-
hour ozone nonattainment area (Sacramento Metro Area) to satisfy anti-
backsliding requirements for the 1-hour ozone standard. The Sacramento
Metro Area consists of both Sacramento and Yolo counties and portions
of four adjacent counties (Solano, Sutter, Placer and El Dorado). This
proposed determination (``Termination Determination'') is based on
complete, quality-assured and certified ambient air quality monitoring
data for 2007-2009, showing attainment of the 1-hour ozone National
Ambient Air Quality Standard (1-hour ozone NAAQS or standard), which is
due to permanent and enforceable emission reductions implemented in the
area. Complete and
[[Page 28697]]
quality-assured data for 2010 show that the area continues in
attainment for the 1-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA is also proposing to exclude
from use in determining attainment exceedances of the 1-hour ozone
NAAQS that occurred on three days in 2008, because the exceedances are
due to exceptional events (wildfires).
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 17, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket No. EPA-R09-OAR-
2011-0372, by one of the following methods:
1. Federal Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
2. E-mail: John J. Kelly at kelly.johnj@epa.gov.
3. Fax: John J. Kelly, Air Planning Office (Air-2), at fax number
415-947-3579.
4. Mail: John J. Kelly, Air Planning Office (Air-2), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne, San
Francisco, California 94105.
5. Hand or Courier Delivery: John J. Kelly, Air Planning Section
(Air-2), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne,
San Francisco, California 94105. Such deliveries are only accepted
during the Docket's normal hours of operation. Special arrangements
should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R09-OAR-
2011-0372. 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 the
disclosure of which is restricted by statute. Do not submit information
through https://www.regulations.gov or e-mail that you consider to be
CBI or otherwise protected from disclosure. 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 that is placed in the public docket and made available on
the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that
you include your name and other contact information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
Docket: All documents in the 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 Air Planning
Office (Air-2), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, 75
Hawthorne, San Francisco, California 94105. EPA requests that if at all
possible, you contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section to schedule your inspection during normal business
hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John J. Kelly, (415) 947-4151, or by
e-mail at kelly.johnj@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.
Table of Contents
I. What actions is EPA taking?
II. Background
III. What is the legal rationale for this proposed termination
determination?
IV. What is the effect of this proposed termination determination?
V. What is EPA's analysis?
a. Attainment of the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
b. Permanent and Enforceable Emission Reductions
VI. Proposed Actions
VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. What actions is EPA taking?
EPA is proposing to determine that California is no longer required
to submit or implement Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act) section 185 fee
program SIP revisions for the Sacramento Metro 1-hour ozone
nonattainment area (Sacramento Metro Area) to satisfy anti-backsliding
requirements associated with the transition from the 1-hour ozone
standard (1-hour standard or 1-hour) to the 1997 8-hour ozone standard
(8-hour standard or 8-hour). This proposed Termination Determination is
based on EPA's belief that the area is attaining the 1-hour ozone
standard due to permanent and enforceable emission reductions
implemented in the area. In addition, EPA proposes to exclude from use
in determining the area has attained the 1-hour ozone standard certain
air quality monitoring data because they meet the criteria for ozone
exceptional events that are caused by wildfires. If finalized, the
effect of EPA's determination that the area has attained the 1-hour
ozone standard due to permanent and enforceable emission reductions
would be to terminate the area's obligations with respect to section
185 fee program requirements for the 1-hour ozone standard. In a
separate interim final action, published in the Rules section in
today's Federal Register, we are deferring sanctions that would
otherwise apply to the entire Sacramento Metro Area with the exception
of Sacramento County, that is, the entirety of Yolo County and the
Sacramento Metro Area portions of Solano, Sutter, Placer and El Dorado
counties. This action addresses only the CAA section 185 requirements
for the 1-hour ozone standard for the Sacramento Metro Area, and not
for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard.
II. Background
The Act requires us to establish NAAQS for certain widespread
pollutants that cause or contribute to air pollution that is reasonably
anticipated to endanger public health or welfare (sections 108 and 109
of the Act). In 1979, we promulgated the revised 1-hour ozone standard
of 0.12 parts per million (ppm) (44 FR 8202, February 8, 1979).\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For ease of communication, many reports of ozone
concentrations are given in parts per billion (ppb); ppb = ppm x
1000. Thus, 0.12 ppm becomes 120 ppb (or between 120 to 124 ppb,
when rounding is considered).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
An area is considered to have attained the 1-hour ozone NAAQS if
there are no violations of the standard, as determined in accordance
with the regulation codified at 40 CFR section 50.9, based on three
consecutive calendar years of complete, quality-assured and certified
monitoring data. A violation occurs when the ambient ozone air quality
monitoring data show greater than one (1.0) ``expected number'' of
exceedances per year at any site in the area, when averaged over three
consecutive calendar years.\2\ An
[[Page 28698]]
exceedance occurs when the maximum hourly ozone concentration during
any day exceeds 0.124 ppm. For more information, please see ``National
1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards for ozone''
(40 CFR 50.9) and ``Interpretation of the 1-Hour Primary and Secondary
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone'' (40 CFR part 50,
Appendix H).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ An ``expected number'' of exceedances is a statistical term
that refers to an arithmetic average. An ``expected number'' of
exceedances may be equivalent to the number of observed exceedances
plus an increment that accounts for incomplete sampling. See, 40 CFR
part 50, Appendix H.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Act, as amended in 1990, required EPA to designate as
nonattainment any area that was violating the 1-hour ozone standard,
generally based on air quality monitoring data from the 1987 through
1989 period (section 107(d)(4) of the Act; 56 FR 56694, November 6,
1991). The Act further classified these areas, based on the severity of
their nonattainment problem, as Marginal, Moderate, Serious, Severe, or
Extreme.
The control requirements and date by which attainment of the 1-hour
ozone standard was to be achieved varied with an area's classification.
Marginal areas were subject to the fewest mandated control requirements
and had the earliest attainment date, November 15, 1993, while Severe
and Extreme areas were subject to more stringent planning requirements
and were provided more time to attain the standard.
Sacramento Metro Area's History
On November 6, 1991, EPA designated the Sacramento Metro Area as
Serious nonattainment for the 1-hour ozone standard, with an attainment
date no later than November 15, 1999 (56 FR 56694). The Sacramento
Metro Area consists of the entirety of both Sacramento and Yolo
counties and portions of four adjacent counties (El Dorado, Placer,
Solano and Sutter counties) (see 40 CFR section 81.305). Sacramento
County is under the jurisdiction of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air
Quality Management District (SMAQMD). Yolo County and the eastern
portion of Solano County comprise the Yolo-Solano Air Quality
Management District. The southern portion of Sutter County is part of
the Feather River Air Quality Management District. The western portion
of Placer County is part of the Placer County Air Pollution Control
District. Lastly, the western portion of El Dorado County is part of
the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District. Under California
law, each air district is responsible for adopting and implementing
stationary source rules, such as the rules required under CAA section
185, while the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopts and
implements consumer products and mobile source rules. The district and
state rules are submitted to EPA by CARB.
In 1995, EPA granted the State's request to reclassify the
Sacramento Metro Area as Severe. 60 FR 20237 (April 25, 1995). The
reclassification of the area as Severe required the State to adopt a
SIP revision creating a penalty fee program under CAA section 185 that
would apply if the area failed to meet the November 15, 2005 attainment
date that applies to Severe 1-hour ozone areas and to submit that SIP
revision to EPA by December 31, 2000 (CAA section 182(d)(3)). On
September 26, 2002, SMAQMD adopted Rule 307 (''Clean Air Act Fees'').
CARB submitted Rule 307 to EPA as a SIP revision for the Sacramento
County portion of the area on December 12, 2002 and EPA approved Rule
307 on August 26, 2003 (68 FR 51184). The other affected air districts
in the Sacramento Metro Area did not submit 1-hour section 185 SIP
revisions for their portions of the nonattainment area. EPA published
findings of failure to submit on January 5, 2010 (75 FR 232).\3\ These
findings started sanctions clocks for imposition of offset sanctions 18
months after January 5, 2010 and highway sanctions six months after the
offset sanctions, pursuant to section 179 of the CAA and our
regulations at 40 CFR section 52.31.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ EPA's findings also addressed two other 1-hour ozone
nonattainment areas in California, which are not at issue here:
Southeast Desert and the Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 1997, EPA promulgated a new, more protective standard for ozone
based on an 8-hour average concentration (the 1997 8-hour ozone
standard). In 2004, EPA published the 1997 8-hour ozone designations
and classifications and a rule governing certain facets of
implementation of the 8-hour ozone standard (Phase 1 Rule) (69 FR 23858
and 69 FR 23951, respectively, April 30, 2004).
By the Sacramento Metro Area's 1-hour ozone 2005 attainment
deadline, EPA had revoked the 1-hour standard and designated the area
as nonattainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. See 40 CFR 81.305.
The area's initial classification for 8-hour ozone was Serious, but EPA
subsequently granted CARB's request to reclassify the area to Severe
for the 8-hour ozone standard. See 75 FR 24409, May 5, 2010. On July 7,
2010, and in an update on April 13, 2011, CARB requested that EPA find
that the Sacramento Metro Area had attained the 1-hour ozone standard
due to permanent and enforceable emission reductions, and that EPA
terminate 1-hour ozone CAA section 185 requirements for the area. See
letters from James Goldstene, CARB Executive Officer, to Jared
Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA Region IX, with
enclosures, dated July 7, 2010 and April 13, 2011.
Section 185 1-Hour Ozone Anti-Backsliding Requirements
Although EPA revoked the 1-hour ozone standard (effective June 15,
2005), during the transition from the 1-hour ozone to the 8-hour ozone
standard, 1-hour nonattainment areas remain subject to certain
requirements based on their 1-hour ozone classification. The section
185 fee program requirement applies to any ozone nonattainment area
classified as Severe or Extreme, including any area that was classified
Severe or Extreme under the 1-hour ozone NAAQS as of the effective date
of the area's 8-hour designation (see 40 CFR part 81).
Initially, in our rules to address the transition from the 1-hour
to the 8-hour ozone standard, EPA did not include the section 185 fee
penalty requirement as one of the measures necessary to meet Clean Air
Act anti-backsliding requirements.\4\ However, on December 23, 2006,
the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
determined that EPA should not have removed from its anti-backsliding
requirements the application of the section 185 fee provision for
Severe and Extreme nonattainment areas that failed to attain the 1-hour
ozone standard by their attainment date. South Coast Air Quality
Management District v. EPA, 472 F.3d 882 (DC Cir. 2006). In light of
the Court's decision, on January 5, 2010 EPA issued guidance on the
application of the section 185 1-hour anti-backsliding requirement.\5\
EPA's guidance addressed, among other matters, alternative methods of
satisfying the section 185 1-hour anti-backsliding requirement, and the
circumstances under which EPA would determine that the obligation was
terminated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Final Rule to Implement the 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient
Air Quality Standard--Phase 1, 69 FR 23951 (April 30, 2004).
\5\ Memorandum from Stephen D. Page, Director, Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards, to Air Division Directors,
``Guidance on Developing Fee Programs Required by Clean Air Act
Section 185 for the 1-hour Ozone NAAQS,'' January 5, 2010. This
memorandum is in the docket to this proposed action and can also be
found on the Internet at: https://www.epa.gov/groundlevelozone/pdfs/20100105185guidance.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the 1-hour ozone standard was revoked, and in accordance with
anti-backsliding regulations that remain unchallenged, EPA was no
longer obligated to find that an area attained by
[[Page 28699]]
its 1-hour attainment date, nor to reclassify 1-hour areas under CAA
Sections 181(b)(2) or 179(c) (40 CFR 51.905(e)). (69 FR 23951, April
30, 2004).
III. What is the legal rationale for this proposed termination
determination?
As a result of the court decision in South Coast Air Quality
Management District v. EPA, 472 F.3d 882 (DC Cir. 2006), states with
areas classified as Severe or Extreme nonattainment for the 1-hour
ozone standard at the time of the area's initial nonattainment
designation for the 1997 8-hour standard are no longer categorically
exempt from the anti-backsliding requirements imposed by section 185.
EPA has issued guidance for states related to developing 1-hour ozone
section 185 fee programs.\6\ As set forth in this guidance, EPA
believes that states can meet the 1-hour ozone section 185 obligation
through a SIP revision containing either the fee program prescribed in
section 185 of the Act, or an equivalent alternative program, as
further explained below. EPA believes that an alternative program may
be acceptable if EPA determines, through notice-and-comment rulemaking,
that it is consistent with the principles of section 172(e) of the CAA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 172(e) is an anti-backsliding provision of the CAA that
requires EPA to develop regulations to ensure that controls in a
nonattainment area are ``no less stringent'' than those that applied to
the area before EPA revised a NAAQS to make it less stringent. In the
Phase 1 ozone implementation rule for the 1997 ozone NAAQS published on
April 30, 2004 (69 FR 23951), EPA determined that although section
172(e) does not directly apply where EPA has strengthened the NAAQS, as
it did in 1997, it was reasonable to apply the same anti-backsliding
principle that would apply to the relaxation of a standard for the
transition from the 1-hour NAAQS to the more stringent 1997 8-hour
NAAQS. As part of applying the principle in section 172(e) for purposes
of the transition from the 1-hour standard to the 1997 8-hour standard,
EPA can either require states to retain programs that applied for
purposes of the 1-hour standard, or alternatively can allow states to
adopt alternative programs, but only if such alternatives are
determined through notice-and-comment rulemaking to be ``no less
stringent'' than the mandated program.
EPA is electing to consider alternative programs to satisfy the 1-
hour ozone section 185 fee program SIP revision requirement. States
choosing to adopt an alternative program to the section 185 fee program
must demonstrate that the alternative program is no less stringent than
the otherwise applicable section 185 fee program and EPA can only
approve such demonstration after notice-and-comment rulemaking.
As set forth in EPA's January 5, 2010 guidance, EPA believes that
for an area that we determine is attaining either the 1-hour ozone or
1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS, based on permanent and enforceable emission
reductions, the area would no longer be obligated to satisfy the
section 185 anti-backsliding requirements associated with the
transition from the 1-hour ozone standard to the 1997 8-hour ozone
standard. In such cases, an area's existing SIP could be considered an
adequate alternative program. Our reasoning follows from the fact that
an area's existing SIP measures, in conjunction with other enforceable
Federal measures, are adequate for the area to achieve attainment,
which is the purpose of the section 185 program. The section 185 fee
program is an element of an area's attainment demonstration and its
objective is to bring about attainment after a failure of an area to
attain by its attainment date. Thus, areas that have attained the 1-
hour ozone standard, the standard for which the fee program was
originally required, as a result of permanent and enforceable emission
reductions, would have a SIP that is no less stringent than the SIP
required under section 185. Therefore, EPA concludes that the
obligation to submit a rule or to collect fees terminates once EPA
determines that the area has attained the 1-hour ozone standard based
on permanent and enforceable emission reductions.
There is also an additional, independent basis for EPA's approach
to determining that the anti-backsliding requirements associated with
section 185 have been satisfied. Although section 185 provides that
fees are to continue until the area is redesignated to attainment for
ozone, EPA no longer promulgates redesignations for the 1-hour ozone
standard because that standard has been revoked. Therefore, relief from
the 1-hour section 185 fee program requirements under the terms of the
statute is an impossibility, since the conditions the statute
envisioned for relieving an area of its fee program obligation no
longer can exist. There is thus a gap in the statute which must be
filled by EPA. We believe that under these circumstances we must
exercise our discretion under Chevron USA, Inc. v. Natural Resources
Defense Council, 467 U.S. 837 (1984), to fill this gap, so as to carry
out Congressional intent in the unique context of anti-backsliding
requirements for a revoked standard. We believe that it is reasonable
for the fee program obligation that applies for purposes of anti-
backsliding to cease upon a determination, based on notice-and-comment
rulemaking, that an area has attained the 1-hour ozone standard due to
permanent and enforceable measures. This determination centers on the
core criteria for redesignations under CAA section 107(d)(3). We
believe these criteria provide reasonable assurance that the purpose of
the 1-hour anti-backsliding fee program obligation has been fulfilled
in the context of a regulatory regime where the area remains subject to
other applicable 1-hour anti-backsliding and 8-hour nonattainment
measures. Under these circumstances, retention of the fee program under
the anti-backsliding rule is no longer necessary for the purpose of
achieving attainment of the 8-hour standard. See EPA's January 5, 2010
guidance (footnote 5, above).
IV. What is the effect of this proposed termination determination?
If this proposed determination to terminate the section 185 fee
anti-backsliding requirement for the 1-hour ozone standard is
finalized, the requirement for the State of California to submit
section 185 penalty fee program SIP revisions for the portions of the
area for which we made findings of failure to submit, which would
require major stationary sources under the Sacramento Metro Area 1-hour
ozone Severe nonattainment classification to pay fees as a penalty for
the area's failure to attain the 1-hour ozone standard by the area's 1-
hour ozone attainment date, as well as the requirement for the
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District portion of the
area to implement its 1-hour ozone section 185 fee program, would be
removed.
A final Termination Determination for the 1-hour standard section
185 measures will not be rescinded based on subsequent nonattainment of
the 1-hour ozone standard. After EPA has determined that an area has
attained the 1-hour standard due to permanent and enforceable emission
reductions, EPA believes that it would be unduly punitive, confusing,
and potentially destabilizing to re-impose the years-old penalty
requirements if at some point in the future the area lapses back into
1-hour nonattainment. Moreover, EPA believes that under current
circumstances, it would not be in keeping with the intent of Congress.
First, we note that had the area attained the 1-hour ozone standard
prior to its
[[Page 28700]]
attainment date, no penalties at all would have been imposed even if
the area subsequently lapsed into nonattainment. Second, the statute
provides that penalties for failure to attain by an area's attainment
date would be terminated by redesignation of the area. Now that the 1-
hour ozone standard has been revoked and EPA is no longer promulgating
redesignations for that standard, relief from the 1-hour section 185
fee program requirements under the terms of the statute is an
impossibility--the mechanism the statute envisioned for relief no
longer exists. As EPA explains in its January 5, 2010 guidance, we have
reasonably concluded in these circumstances that a determination of
attainment due to permanent and enforceable emission reductions, along
with the area's existing SIP and its continuing obligations to meet
ever more stringent ozone standards, are a reasonable alternative means
for terminating these unique anti-backsliding penalty provisions. EPA
believes that, given the gap in the statute, and the intent of Congress
as expressed in quite different regulatory circumstances, it would be
counterproductive and in conflict with that intent for EPA's
determination to merely suspend rather than permanently terminate the
1-hour anti-backsliding penalty fees. Requiring areas to remain subject
to the threat of reviving stale penalty fees for an old revoked
standard, when these areas and the sources subject to the penalties
must now muster their resources to focus on meeting newer more
stringent standards, would be at odds with the purposes of the Act and
in conflict with the principle that penalty provisions should be
narrowly construed. This is also true because the area is subject to a
host of ongoing obligations for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard as well
as the future anticipated new 8-hour ozone standard,\7\ when it has
already shown great improvement towards meeting the 1-hour and 1997 8-
hour ozone standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ EPA anticipates announcing the reconsidered 8-hour ozone
standard in July 2011.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
V. What is EPA's analysis?
EPA's proposed Termination Determination is based upon EPA's belief
that the area is attaining the 1-hour ozone standard due to permanent
and enforceable emission reductions implemented in the area. In its
January 5, 2010 guidance, EPA set forth its views as to potential
rationales for terminating section 185 obligations for 1-hour ozone.
This notice formally sets forth EPA's legal interpretation concerning
the basis for terminating those obligations.
As explained above, EPA set forth our belief in our January 5, 2010
guidance that for an area that we determine is attaining either the 1-
hour ozone or 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS, based on permanent and
enforceable emission reductions, that the area would no longer be
obligated to satisfy the anti-backsliding requirements associated with
the transition from the 1-hour ozone standard to the 1997 8-hour ozone
standard.
a. Attainment of the 1-Hour Ozone Standard
A determination of whether an area's air quality meets the 1-hour
ozone NAAQS is generally based upon the most recent three years of
complete, quality-assured and certified air quality monitoring data
gathered at established National Air Monitoring Stations (``NAMS'') or
State and Local Air Monitoring Stations (``SLAMS'') in the
nonattainment area and entered into the EPA's Air Quality System (AQS)
database. Data from air monitors operated by state/local agencies in
compliance with EPA monitoring requirements must be submitted to the
AQS database. Monitoring agencies annually certify that these data are
accurate to the best of their knowledge. Accordingly, EPA relies
primarily on data in its AQS database when determining the attainment
status of an area. See 40 CFR 50.9; 40 CFR part 50, Appendix H; 40 CFR
part 53; 40 CFR part 58, Appendices A, C, D and E. All data are
reviewed to determine the area's air quality status in accordance with
40 CFR part 50, Appendix H.
Under EPA regulations at 40 CFR 50.9, the 1-hour ozone standard is
attained at a monitoring site when the expected number of days per
calendar year with maximum hourly average concentrations above 0.12
parts per million (235 micrograms per cubic meter) is equal to or less
than 1, as determined by 40 CFR part 50, Appendix H.
EPA proposes to determine that the Sacramento Metro Area has
attained the 1-hour ozone standard; that is, the number of expected
exceedances at any site in the nonattainment area is not greater than
one per year.\8\ This proposed determination is based on three years of
complete, quality-assured and certified ambient air quality monitoring
data in AQS showing attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard for the
2007-2009 monitoring period, and complete, quality-assured data in AQS
for 2008-2010 that show continued attainment. As explained below, in
determining the area's attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard, EPA is
also proposing to exclude from consideration exceedances that occurred
on three days in 2008, because they are due to wildfire exceptional
events.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ The average number of expected exceedances is determined by
averaging the expected exceedances of the 1-hour ozone standard over
a consecutive three calendar year period. See 40 CFR part 50
Appendix H.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monitoring Network
In the Sacramento Metro Area, the agencies responsible for assuring
that the area meets air quality monitoring requirements include CARB,
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD),
Placer County Air Pollution Control District (PCAPCD) and Yolo-Solano
Air Quality Management District (YSAQMD). Both CARB and SMAQMD submit
annual monitoring network plans to EPA. SMAQMD Network Plans describe
the monitoring network the district operates; CARB's Network Plans
describe the monitoring sites CARB operates, in addition to monitoring
sites operated by smaller air districts, namely, for the Sacramento
Metro Area, PCAPCD and YSAQMD. These plans discuss the status of the
air monitoring network, as required under 40 CFR 58.10.
Since 2007, EPA regularly reviews these annual plans for compliance
with the applicable reporting requirements in 40 CFR part 58. With
respect to ozone, EPA has found that the area's network plans meet the
applicable requirements under 40 CFR part 58. See EPA letters to CARB
and SMAQMD approving their annual network plans for years 2007, 2009
and 2010.\9\ Furthermore, we concluded in our Technical System Audit of
the CARB Primary Quality Assurance Organization (PQAO),\10\ conducted
during Summer 2007, that the combined ambient air monitoring network
operated by CARB and the local air districts in their PQAO currently
meets or exceeds the requirements for the minimum number of SLAMS
monitoring sites for all criteria pollutants, and that all of the
monitoring sites are properly located with respect to monitoring
objectives, spatial scales and other site criteria, as
[[Page 28701]]
required by 40 CFR part 58, Appendix D. See letter from Deborah Jordan,
Director, Air Division, U.S. EPA Region IX, to James Goldstene,
Executive Officer, CARB, transmitting ``Technical System Audit of the
California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board: 2007,''
with enclosure, August 18, 2008. Also, CARB annually certifies that the
data it submits to AQS are complete and quality-assured. See, e.g.,
letter from Karen Magliano, Chief, Air Quality Data Branch, Planning
and Technical Support Division, CARB, to Jared Blumenfeld, Regional
Administrator, U.S. EPA Region IX, certifying calendar year 2009
ambient air quality data and quality assurance data, May 19, 2010.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ Neither CARB nor SMAQMD proposed modifications to their
networks in 2008; therefore, neither agency was required to submit a
network plan to EPA for approval that year.
\10\ A primary quality assurance organization is responsible for
a group of monitoring stations for which data quality assessments
can be pooled See 40 CFR section 58.1. CARB is the lead PQAO for all
the air districts in the Sacramento Metro Area.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
There were 16 ozone monitoring sites located throughout the
Sacramento Metro Area in calendar years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.\11\
Sacramento Metro AQMD operates six ozone monitors in Sacramento County:
Elk Grove (southwest Sacramento County), Del Paso Manor (northeast City
of Sacramento), Folsom (City of Folsom), Sacramento-Goldenland Court
\12\ (northwest City of Sacramento), North Highlands (north Sacramento
County) and Sloughhouse Road (west Sacramento County). CARB operates
six ozone monitors in the Sacramento Metro Area: Sacramento-T Street
(City of Sacramento) in Sacramento County; Cool (City of Cool), Echo
Summit (in the Sierra Nevada Mountains) and Placerville (City of
Placerville) in El Dorado County; Roseville (City of Roseville) in
Placer County; and Davis (City of Davis) in Yolo County. Placer County
APCD operates two ozone monitors in the Sacramento Metro Area: Colfax
(City of Colfax) and Auburn (City of Auburn). Yolo-Solano AQMD operates
two ozone monitors in the Sacramento Metro Area: Vacaville (City of
Vacaville) in Solano County, and Woodland (City of Woodland) in Yolo
County.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ Enclosure 2 of CARB's July 7, 2010 request includes a map
on page 3.2 showing locations of all ozone monitors in the
Sacramento Metro Area. Letter from James Goldstene, CARB Executive
Officer, to Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA
Region IX, dated July 7, 2010, requesting termination of CAA section
185 requirements as they pertain to the Sacramento Metro Area. The
document can be found on the Internet at: https://www.airquality.org/notices/1hour/AttainmentReport.pdf.
\12\ The Sacramento-Airport Road site was relocated to
Sacramento-Goldenland Court in August 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Sacramento Metro Area sites monitor ozone concentrations on a
continuous basis using ultraviolet absorption monitors.\13\ EPA defines
specific monitoring site types and spatial scales of representativeness
to characterize the nature and location of required monitors. See 40
CFR part 58, Appendix D, Sec. 1. Table 1 below lists the site types
and spatial scale for each ozone monitoring site in the Sacramento
Metro Area. Due to ozone precursor source distribution and general
meteorological patterns in the area, the highest ozone concentrations
for the past several years have typically occurred at the Folsom and
Sloughhouse Road sites.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ Sacramento Metro Area monitoring agencies operate Federal
equivalent method (FEM) monitors for ozone, specifically, API 400
Series ultraviolet absorption monitors. See SMAQMD's ``Annual
Network Plan Report'' (July 2010) and CARB's ``Monitoring Network
Report for Small Districts in California'' (July 2010). These
monitoring devices have an EPA designation number EQOA-0992-087. See
EPA ``List of Designated Reference and Equivalent Methods, page 27
(February 1, 2011), available on the Internet at: https://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/criteria.html.
Table 1--Site Type and Spatial Scale a
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spatial scale
Site name Site type \b\ \c\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Placerville (06-017-0010)........ HC, TR.............. RS
Echo Summit (06-017-0012)........ HC, TR.............. RS
Cool (06-017-0020)............... HC, TR.............. RS
Auburn (06-061-0002)............. HC.................. US
Colfax (06-061-0004)............. HC.................. US
Roseville (06-061-0006).......... HC.................. US
North Highlands (06-067-0002).... RC.................. NS
Sacramento-Del Paso Manor (06-067- HC.................. NS
0006).
Sacramento-T Street (06-067-0010) RC.................. US
Elk Grove (06-067-0011).......... RC.................. NS
Folsom (06-067-0012)............. HC.................. NS
Sacramento-Airport Road (06-067- RC.................. NS
0013).
Sacramento-Goldenland Court (06- RC.................. NS
067-0014).
Sloughhouse Rd. (06-067-5003).... RC.................. NS
Vacaville (06-095-3003).......... HC, TR.............. RS
Davis (06-113-0004).............. HC.................. US
Woodland (06-113-1003)........... HC.................. US
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a\ Source: SMAQMD's ``Annual Network Plan Report'' (July 2010) and
CARB's ``Monitoring Network Report for Small Districts in California''
(July 2010).
\b\ Site types are defined in 40 CFR part 58, Appendix D section 1.1.1.
The site types utilized in the Sacramento Metro Area include high
concentration (HC), representative concentration (RC) and pollutant
transport (TR).
\c\ Spatial scales are defined in 40 CFR part 58 Appendix D section 1.2.
The monitoring sites in the Sacramento Metro Area are either
neighborhood scale (NS), urban scale (US) or regional scale (RS)
sites.
Exceptional Events
On March 22, 2007, EPA adopted a final rule, ``Treatment of Data
Influenced by Exceptional Events,'' also known as the Exceptional
Events Rule (EER), to govern the review and handling of certain air
quality monitoring data for which the normal planning and regulatory
processes are not appropriate (72 FR 13560). Under the EER, EPA may
exclude data from use in determinations of NAAQS exceedances and
violations if a state demonstrates that an ``exceptional event'' caused
the exceedance or exceedances. 40 CFR 50.1, 50.14. Before EPA can
exclude data from these regulatory determinations, the state must flag
the data in EPA's AQS database and, after public notice and opportunity
for comment, submit a demonstration to EPA to justify the exclusion.
EPA considers the demonstration and concurs or nonconcurs with the
state's flag. After notice-and-comment rulemaking, EPA determines
whether to
[[Page 28702]]
exclude the data from use when making a determination of attainment.
In submittals dated September 17, 2009 and March 30, 2011, CARB
provided documentation for ozone exceedances that occurred at the
Folsom monitor on three days in Summer 2008 which the state had flagged
as due to wildfire exceptional events. EPA reviewed the documentation
and concurred with the June 23, June 27 and July 10, 2008 flags in a
letter from Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA Region
IX, to Mary D. Nichols, Chairman, CARB, dated April 13, 2011. EPA
included with the letter a document setting forth in detail the bases
for EPA's concurrences. See ``Review of Exceptional Events Request:
Folsom, CA; 1-hour ozone; June 23, June 27 and July 10, 2008,'' dated
April 13, 2011 (in the docket for this proposed rulemaking). For the
reasons set forth in the concurrence letter and its enclosure, EPA is
proposing to exclude from regulatory consideration data showing
exceedances at the Folsom monitoring site on June 23, June 27 and July
10, 2008.
Monitoring Data
EPA's proposal to exclude ozone exceedances monitored at the Folsom
site on June 23, June 27 and July 10, 2008, if finalized, would result
in a revision of the number of exceedances (as determined by 40 CFR
part 50, Appendix H and described in section II of this notice) for
2008 and, therefore, the average number of expected exceedances for the
2007-2009 period. With the exclusion of the data for these three days,
the highest three-year average of expected exceedances at any site in
the Sacramento Metro Area for 2007-2009 is 1.0, which shows attainment
of the 1-hour ozone standard (a three-year average of expected
exceedances less than or equal to 1). For more information, please see
``National 1-hour primary and secondary ambient air quality standards
for ozone'' (40 CFR section 50.9) and ``Interpretation of the 1-Hour
Primary and Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for
Ozone'' (40 CFR part 50, Appendix H). Consistent with 40 CFR part 50,
Appendix H, Tables 2 and 3 set forth the 1-hour ozone data for the
Sacramento Metro Area monitors that show that the area is currently
attaining the 1-hour ozone NAAQS.
Table 2--1-Hour Ozone Data for the Sacramento Metro 1-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expected exceedances by year Expected
--------------------------------------- exceedances 3-
Site (monitor ID) yr average
2007 2008 2009 ---------------
2007-2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Placerville (06-017-0010)................................ 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.7
Echo Summit (06-017-0012)................................ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Cool (06-017-0020)....................................... 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.7
Auburn (06-061-0002)..................................... 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Colfax (06-061-0004)..................................... 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Roseville (06-061-0006).................................. 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.7
North Highlands (06-067-0002)............................ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Sacramento-Del Paso Manor (06-067-0006).................. 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.3
Sacramento-T Street (06-067-0010)........................ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Elk Grove (06-067-0011).................................. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Folsom (06-067-0012)..................................... 1.0 \b\ 2.0 0.0 1.0
Sacramento-Airport Road (06-067-0013).................... 0.0 \c\ 0.0 NA NA
Sacramento-Goldenland Court (06-067-0014)................ NA \c\ 0.0 0.0 0.0
Sloughhouse Rd. (06-067-5003)............................ 0.0 3.0 0.0 1.0
Vacaville (06-095-3003).................................. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Davis (06-113-0004)...................................... 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Woodland (06-113-1003)................................... 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Quicklook Report, May 3, 2011 (in the docket to this proposed action).
\a\ 40 CFR part 50, Appendix H--Interpretation of the 1-Hour Primary and Secondary National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Ozone.
\b\ Data shown exclude exceedances on June 23, June 27 and July 10, 2008 due to exceptional events.
\c\ The Airport Road site was relocated to the Goldenland Court site in August 2008.
NA--Data is not available.
The data in Table 2 indicate a long-term trend observed in the
Sacramento Metro Area. As described in CARB's July 7, 2010 letter
requesting a Termination Determination, the monitoring sites that
historically experienced exceedances of the 1-hour ozone standard are
the Cool, Sloughhouse, Folsom and Del Paso Manor sites. For example, in
1998 five exceedances were monitored at Cool and ten at Folsom. In
2009, by contrast, there were no exceedances at any monitor in the
entire Sacramento Metro Area.
In sum, EPA believes that, if the exceedances resulting from
wildfire exceptional events on three days in 2008 are excluded from
consideration, the 2007-2009 ambient air monitoring data for the
Sacramento Metro Area show attainment of the 1-hour ozone NAAQS. In
addition, if EPA's proposal to exclude exceedances on three days due to
wildfire exceptional events is finalized, the data for 2010 (complete
and quality-assured but not yet certified), shown in Table 3 for the
2008-2010 monitoring period, show continued attainment. Preliminary
data available for 2011 are also consistent with continued attainment.
[[Page 28703]]
Table 3--2010 1-Hour Ozone Data for the Sacramento Metro 1-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area Showing Continued
Attainment a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expected exceedances by year Expected
--------------------------------------- exceedances 3-
Site (monitor ID) yr average
2008 2009 2010 \b\ ---------------
2008-2010 \b\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Placerville (06-017-0010)................................ 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.7
Echo Summit (06-017-0012)................................ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Cool (06-017-0020)....................................... 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.7
Auburn (06-061-0002)..................................... 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Colfax (06-061-0004)..................................... 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Roseville (06-061-0006).................................. 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.7
North Highlands (06-067-0002)............................ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Sacramento-Del Paso Manor (06-067-0006).................. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Sacramento-T Street (06-067-0010)........................ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Elk Grove (06-067-0011).................................. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Folsom (06-067-0012)..................................... \c\ 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.7
Sacramento-Airport Road (06-067-0013).................... \d\ 0.0 NA NA NA
Sacramento-Goldenland Court (06-067-0014)................ \d\ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Sloughhouse Rd. (06-067-5003)............................ 3.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
Vacaville (06-095-3003).................................. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Davis (06-113-0004)...................................... 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Woodland (06-113-1003)................................... 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Quicklook Report, May 3, 2011 (in the docket to this proposed action).
\a\ 40 CFR part 50, Appendix H--Interpretation of the 1-Hour Primary and Secondary National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Ozone.
\b\ Data from 2010 are complete but have not yet been certified.
\c\ Data exclude exceedances on June 23, June 27 and July 10, 2008 due to exceptional events.
\d\ The Airport Road site was relocated to the Goldenland Court site in August 2008.
NA--Data are not available.
b. Permanent and Enforceable Emission Reductions
EPA believes that the State has demonstrated that the observed air
quality improvements in the Sacramento Metro Area with respect to the
1-hour ozone standard are due to permanent and enforceable emission
reductions through the implementation of state and district emission
controls contained in the SIP and not due to favorable meteorology or
temporary reductions in emission rates, such as temporary adverse
economic conditions. See letter and accompanying documentation
(Enclosure 2, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
1-Hour Ozone Attainment Demonstration Request for the Sacramento
Federal Ozone Nonattainment Area) from James Goldstene, CARB Executive
Officer, to Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA Region
IX, dated July 7, 2010, requesting termination of CAA section 185
requirements as they pertain to the Sacramento Metro Area (July 7, 2010
request).
In 1994, California submitted a comprehensive ozone plan for all
ozone nonattainment areas in California including the Sacramento Metro
Area (1994 SIP), which EPA approved on January 8, 1997 (62 FR 1150).
The plan provided a blueprint for attaining the 1-hour ozone standard
that relied on a combination of stationary and mobile source measures
by the districts, and state and Federal governments. In addition,
California air districts in the Sacramento Metro Area adopted and
implemented emission control rules requiring many existing sources of
oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) \14\ to meet, at minimum, Reasonably Available Control
Technology (RACT). These requirements apply to sources in categories
covered by Control Technology Guidelines (CTGs) and major non-CTG
sources.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ NOX and VOCs are chemical precursors to ozone.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meteorology
In its July 7, 2010 request (Enclosure 2, Sacramento Metropolitan
Air Quality Management District 1-Hour Ozone Attainment Demonstration
Request for the Sacramento Federal Ozone Nonattainment Area), CARB
provided documentation that the improvement in air quality in the
Sacramento Metro Area is not due to favorable meteorology. CARB showed
that the weather patterns in the last decade have not been unusually
favorable. For example, looking at days equal to or over 95 degrees
Fahrenheit in each of the last thirteen years (1997 to 2009) as an
indicator of conditions conducive to ozone formation, the area had an
annual average of 37 such ``high temperature'' days, while in the last
four years (2006-2009), the area also had an annual average of 37 high
temperature days.
Economic Activity
The State provided documentation showing that the improvement in
air quality leading to 1-hour ozone attainment in the Sacramento Metro
Area is not due to a temporary economic downturn. See July 7, 2010
request (Enclosure 2, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management
District 1-Hour Ozone Attainment Demonstration Request for the
Sacramento Federal Ozone Nonattainment Area). As an indicator of
economic activity, this analysis presented information on gasoline and
diesel sales in California from 2000 to 2009. Fuel sales are an
indicator of economic activity, and represent an indicator of emissions
trends of both VOCs and NOX as well. The Sacramento Metro
Area's emissions inventory is dominated by mobile sources. See Table 7
below and Table 4.1 of Enclosure 2 of July 7, 2010 request. Although
fuel sales have decreased in the last several years, perhaps coinciding
with an overall economic downturn in California and nationally, we note
that the decrease has been slight and that the last year presented,
2009, still had a higher level (14.8 billion gallons of fuel sold) than
the first year presented (2001, at 14.5 billion gallons). Between those
years, fuel sales increased gradually to a peak
[[Page 28704]]
between 2005 and 2006 (both at 15.9 billion gallons sold per year),
before gradually declining.
Given that the earliest years in that ten-year period were years
when the area was not attaining the 1-hour ozone standard, EPA believes
that any temporary emission reductions due to the more recent economic
downturn in 2008 and later are relatively small and not a significant
factor in the attainment of the 1-hour standard. Therefore, we conclude
that economic conditions are not a source of temporary reductions in
emission rates. On the contrary, EPA believes that the steady decline
of emissions of NOX and VOCs during the same ten-year period
is attributable to fleet turnover with newer vehicles having lower
evaporative and tailpipe emissions, as well as greater fuel economy.
Additionally, EPA notes that CARB's emissions database (https://www.arb.ca.gov/ei/emissiondata.htm) shows that during 2006 through
2009, the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) have increased from
approximately 68 million miles per day to 72 million miles per day in
the Sacramento Valley Air Basin. See CEPAM: 2009 Almanac--Population
and Vehicle Trends Tool, Sacramento Valley Air Basin, Daily Vehicle
Miles Traveled, All Vehicles.
Local Districts' Measures Since 1990
Since 1990, the Districts have adopted, implemented and submitted
for EPA approval dozens of stationary source rules which achieve
NOX and VOC emission reductions and have thus helped reduce
ozone levels. Tables 4 through 7 below summarize the local air district
rules adopted since 1990 and approved into the California
SIP.15 16
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ Feather River Air Quality Management District (FRAQMD) does
not have any rules listed in the table because, since 1990, no
additional FRAQMD VOC or NOX rules have been added to the
SIP. FRAQMD consists of the entirety of both Sutter and Yuba
counties. Only the very southern portion of Sutter County falls
within the Sacramento Metro Area, and that portion includes no major
NOX or VOC stationary sources.
\16\ EPA is currently evaluating approximately 30 additional
rules that have been adopted by Sacramento Metro Area air districts
to control VOC and/or NOX and that were submitted to EPA
as SIP revisions. Although EPA has not yet taken action on these
submitted rules, they are currently being implemented by the air
districts.
Table 4--Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District Rules Adopted Since 1990 and Approved Into the California State Implementation Plan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date rule Date rule
Rule No. Rule adopted by approved into Federal Register citation NOX VOC
district SIP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
411..................................... NOX from Boilers, Process 08/23/2007 5/6/2009 74 FR 20880 X .......
Heaters and Steam Generators.
412..................................... Stationary Internal Combustion 06/01/1995 4/30/1996 61 FR 18959 X .......
Engine.
413..................................... Stationary Gas Turbines........ 03/24/2005 1/10/2008 73 FR 1819 X .......
414..................................... Natural Gas-fired Water Heater. 08/01/1996 4/20/1999 64 FR 19277 X .......
442..................................... Architectural Coatings......... 09/05/1996 11/9/1998 63 FR 60214 ....... X
443..................................... Leaks from Synthetic Organic 09/05/1996 11/9/1998 63 FR 60214 ....... X
Chemical & Polymer
Manufacturing.
446..................................... Storage of Petroleum Products.. 11/16/1993 9/16/1994 59 FR 47544 ....... X
447..................................... Organic Liquid Loading......... 04/02/1998 11/26/1999 64 FR 66393 ....... X
448..................................... Gasoline Transfer into 02/02/1995 1/23/1996 61 FR 1716 ....... X
Stationary Storage Containers.
449..................................... Transfer of Gasoline into 09/26/2002 3/24/2003 68 FR 14156 ....... X
Vehicle Fuel Tanks.
450..................................... Graphic Arts................... 10/23/2008 4/9/2010 75 FR 18068 ....... X
452..................................... Can Coating.................... 09/25/2008 4/9/2010 75 FR 18068 ....... X
454..................................... Degreasing Operations.......... 09/25/2008 4/9/2010 75 FR 18068 ....... X
456..................................... Aerospace Assembly and 10/23/2008 7/14/2010 75 FR 40726 ....... X
Component Coating Operations.
458..................................... Large Commercial Bread Bakeries 09/05/1996 11/9/1998 63 FR 60214 ....... X
459..................................... Automotive, Truck and Heavy 10/02/1997 11/13/1998 63 FR 63410 ....... X
Equipment Refinishing
Operations.
463..................................... Wood Products Coatings......... 09/25/2008 4/9/2010 75 FR 18068 ....... X
464..................................... Organic Chemical Manufacturing 07/23/1998 4/19/2000 65 FR 20912 ....... X
Operations.
466..................................... Solvent Cleaning............... 05/23/2002 5/5/2010 75 FR 24406 ....... X
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 5--El Dorado County Air Quality Management District Rules Adopted Since 1990 and Approved Into the California State Implementation Plan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date rule Date rule
Rule No. Rule adopted by approved into Federal Register citation NOX VOC
district SIP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
215..................................... Architectural Coatings......... 9/27/1994 7/18/1996 61 FR 37390 ....... X
224..................................... Cutback Asphalt Paving Material 9/27/1994 8/21/1995 60 FR 43383 ....... X
225..................................... Solvent Cleaning (Degreasing).. 9/27/1994 8/21/1995 60 FR 43383 ....... X
229..................................... Industrial, Institutional, and 1/23/2001 10/10/2001 66 FR 51578 X .......
Commercial Boilers, Steam
Generators, and Process
Heaters.
230..................................... Motor Vehicle & Mobile 9/27/1994 4/30/1996 61 FR 18962 ....... X
Equipment Coating.
231..................................... Graphic Arts................... 9/27/1994 7/11/1997 62 FR 37136 ....... X
232..................................... Biomass Boilers................ 9/25/2001 10/14/2003 68 FR 59121 X .......
233..................................... Stationary Internal Combustion 6/11/2002 9/13/2002 67 FR 57960 X .......
Engines.
234..................................... VOC RACT Rule--Sierra Pacific 4/25/1995 9/12/1995 60 FR 47273 ....... X
Industries.
235..................................... Surface Preparation and Cleanup 6/27/1995 4/30/1996 61 FR 18962 ....... X
236..................................... Adhesives...................... 7/25/1995 7/18/1996 61 FR 37390 ....... X
237..................................... Wood Products Coatings......... 6/27/1995 7/18/1996 61 FR 37390 ....... X
238..................................... Gasoline Transfer and 3/27/2001 8/27/2001 66 FR 44974 ....... X
Dispensing.
239..................................... Natural Gas-fired Residential 3/24/1998 3/30/1999 64 FR 15129 X .......
Water Heaters.
[[Page 28705]]
240..................................... Polyester Resin Operations..... 2/15/2000 7/17/2001 66 FR 37154 ....... X
244...................................