Approval and Promulgation of State Implementation Plan Revisions; Infrastructure Requirements for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard; Utah, 43898-43906 [2011-18416]
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43898
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2011 / Rules and Regulations
2. Add 165.T09–0573 to read as
follows:
■
ACTION:
§ 165.T09–0573 Safety zone; Kathleen
Whelan Wedding Fireworks, Lake St. Clair,
Grosse Pointe Farms, MI.
(a) Location. The safety zone will
encompass all U. S. navigable waters on
Lake St. Clair within a 600 foot radius
of position 42°23′5″ N, 082°53′37″ W,
location off shore of Grosse Pointe
Farms, MI. All geographic coordinates
are North American Datum of 1983
(NAD 83).
(b) Effective and Enforcement Period.
This rule is effective and will be
enforced from 9:30 p.m. through 10 p.m.
on July 23, 2011.
(c) Regulations.
(1) In accordance with the general
regulations in § 165.23 of this part, entry
into, transiting, or anchoring within this
safety zone is prohibited unless
authorized by the Captain of the Port
Detroit, or his designated on-scene
representative.
(2) This safety zone is closed to all
vessel traffic, except as may be
permitted by the Captain of the Port
Detroit or his designated on-scene
representative.
(3) The ‘‘on-scene representative’’ of
the Captain of the Port is any Coast
Guard commissioned, warrant, or petty
officer who has been designated by the
Captain of the Port to act on his behalf.
The on-scene representative of the
Captain of the Port will be aboard either
a Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary
vessel. The Captain of the Port or his
designated on scene representative may
be contacted via VHF Channel 16.
(4) Vessel operators desiring to enter
or operate within the safety zone shall
contact the Captain of the Port Detroit
or his on-scene representative to obtain
permission to do so.
(5) Vessel operators given permission
to enter or operate in the safety zone
must comply with all directions given to
them by the Captain of the Port or his
on-scene representative.
Dated: July 12, 2011.
J.E. Ogden,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the
Port Detroit.
[FR Doc. 2011–18595 Filed 7–21–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
Final rule; correction.
On July 14, 2011, the Postal
Service published an amendment to the
rules concerning the establishment,
classification, and discontinuance of
post offices. That rule contained certain
incorrect internal cross-references,
which are corrected by this further
rulemaking.
SUMMARY:
DATES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jim
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AGENCY:
Postal Service.
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BILLING CODE 7710–12–P
40 CFR Part 52
The Postal
Service published a final rule in the
Federal Register on July 14, 2011 (76 FR
41413), amending the retail facility
discontinuance regulations in 39 CFR
part 241. In sections I.H (Notice to
Customers Served by Suspended
Facility) (76 FR 41416), I.K (Emergency
Suspensions) (76 FR 41417), and I.O
(Procedural Recommendations) (76 FR
41418) of the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION in the preamble, the Postal
Service erroneously cited 39 CFR
241.3(a)(4)(iii), which should have
referred, in sections I.H and I.K, to
subparagraph 241.3(a)(5)(iv) and, in
section I.O, to subparagraph
241.3(a)(5)(iii).
In addition, subparagraph
241.3(a)(5)(iv) of the regulations
contained in the final rule (76 FR
41421–22) contained erroneous crossreferences to clause 241.3(a)(4)(i)(B) and
subparagraph 241.3(a)(4)(iii), which
should have referred to the respective
provisions of paragraph 241.3(a)(5)
instead. This final rule corrects the
errors in 39 CFR 241.3(a)(5)(iv).
The Postal Service hereby adopts the
following changes to 39 CFR part 241.
[EPA–R08–OAR–2010–0302; FRL–9442–2]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 241
Organization and functions
(government agencies), Postal Service.
Accordingly, 39 CFR part 241 is
amended as follows:
PART 241—RETAIL ORGANIZATION
AND ADMINISTRATION:
ESTABLISHMENT, CLASSIFICATION,
AND DISCONTINUANCE
Authority: 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404,
410, 1001.
Post Office Organization and
Administration: Establishment,
Classification, and Discontinuance;
Correction
[FR Doc. 2011–18481 Filed 7–21–11; 8:45 am]
Boldt, (202) 268–6799.
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR
part 241 continues to read as follows:
39 CFR Part 241
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
Effective Date: July 22, 2011.
■
POSTAL SERVICE
b. In the third sentence of paragraph
(a)(5)(iv), remove ‘‘241.3(a)(4)(iii)’’ and
add ‘‘241.3(a)(5)(iii)’’ in its place.
■
§ 241.3
[Corrected]
2. In 39 CFR 241.3:
a. In the first sentence of paragraph
(a)(5)(iv), remove ‘‘241.3(a)(4)(i)(B)’’ and
add ‘‘241.3(a)(5)(i)(B)’’ in its place.
■
■
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Approval and Promulgation of State
Implementation Plan Revisions;
Infrastructure Requirements for the
1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient
Air Quality Standard; Utah
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
EPA is approving and
conditionally approving the State
Implementation Plan (SIP) submission
from the State of Utah 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 Standard (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 Utah submitted two certifications,
dated December 3, 2007, and December
21, 2009, that its SIP met these
requirements for the 1997 ozone
NAAQS. The December 3, 2007
certification was determined to be
complete on March 27, 2008 (73 FR
16205).
SUMMARY:
Effective Date: This final rule is
effective August 22, 2011.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a
docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA–R08–OAR–2010–0302. All
documents in the docket are listed on
the https://www.regulations.gov Web
site. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available,
e.g., Confidential Business Information
(CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, is not placed on
the Internet and will be publicly
available only in hard copy form.
Publicly available docket materials are
available either electronically through
https://www.regulations.gov or in hard
DATES:
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2011 / Rules and Regulations
copy at the Air Program, Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), Region 8,
1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado
80202–1129. EPA requests that if at all
possible, you contact the individual
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section to view the hard copy
of the docket. You may view the hard
copy of the docket Monday through
Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kathy Dolan, Air Program, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), Region 8, Mail Code 8P–AR,
1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado
80202–1129, 303–312–6142,
dolan.kathy@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Definitions
For the purpose of this document, we
are giving meaning to certain words or
initials as follows:
(i) The words or initials Act or CAA
mean or refer to the Clean Air Act,
unless the context indicates otherwise.
(ii) The words EPA, we, us or our
mean or refer to the United States
Environmental Protection Agency.
(iii) The initials SIP mean or refer to
State Implementation Plan.
Table of Contents
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with RULES
I. Background
II. Response to Comments
III. Final Action
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
On July 18, 1997, EPA promulgated
new NAAQS for ozone based on 8-hour
average concentrations. The 8-hour
averaging period replaced the previous
1-hour averaging period, and the level of
the NAAQS was changed from 0.12
parts per million (ppm) to 0.08 ppm (62
FR 38856). By statute, SIPs meeting the
requirements of sections 110(a)(1) and
(2) are to be submitted by states within
three years after promulgation of a new
or revised standard. Section 110(a)(2)
provides basic requirements for SIPs,
including emissions inventories,
monitoring, and modeling, to assure
attainment and maintenance of the
standards. These requirements are set
out in several ‘‘infrastructure elements,’’
listed in section 110(a)(2).
Section 110(a) imposes the obligation
upon states to make a SIP submission to
EPA for a new or revised NAAQS, and
the contents of that submission may
vary depending upon the facts and
circumstances. In particular, the data
and analytical tools available at the time
a state develops and submits its SIP for
a new or revised NAAQS affects the
content of the submission. The contents
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of such SIP submissions may also vary
depending upon what provisions a
state’s existing SIP already contains. In
the case of the 1997 ozone NAAQS,
states typically have met the basic
program elements required in section
110(a)(2) through earlier SIP
submissions in connection with
previous NAAQS. In a guidance issued
on October 2, 2007, EPA noted that, to
the extent an existing SIP already meets
the section 110(a)(2) requirements,
states need only to certify that fact via
a letter to EPA.1
On March 27, 2008, EPA published a
final rule entitled, ‘‘Completeness
Findings for Section 110(a) State
Implementation Plans for the 8-hour
Ozone NAAQS’’ (73 FR 16205). In the
rule, EPA made a finding for each state
that it had submitted or had failed to
submit a complete SIP that provided the
basic program elements of section
110(a)(2) necessary to implement the
1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. In
particular, EPA found that Utah had
submitted a complete SIP
(‘‘Infrastructure SIP’’) to meet these
requirements.
On May 23, 2011, EPA published a
notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) for
the State of Utah (76 FR 29688) to act
on the State’s Infrastructure SIP for the
1997 ozone NAAQS. Specifically, in the
NPR EPA proposed approval of Utah’s
SIP as meeting the requirements of all
section 110(a)(2) elements with respect
to the 1997 ozone NAAQS, aside from
elements 110(a)(2)(D)(i), 110(a)(2)(I),
and the visibility protection
requirement of element 110(a)(2)(J), on
which EPA did not propose action.2
In the May 23, 2011 NPR, EPA
proposed to conditionally approve
element 110(a)(2)(B) for the 1997 ozone
NAAQS. EPA had discovered certain
deficiencies in Utah’s monitoring
network plan and Utah formally
committed to submitting an adequate
annual monitoring plan not later than
one year after the date of this final
action to correct those deficiencies.3 In
the NPR, EPA also stated that if Utah
does not implement the measures
specified in its commitment within one
year after the date of this final action,
EPA’s conditional approval will
automatically revert to disapproval of
1 Memorandum from William T. Harnett,
Director, Air Quality Policy Division, ‘‘Guidance on
SIP Elements Required Under Sections 110(a)(1)
and (2) for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone and PM2.5
National Ambient Air Quality Standards’’ (Oct. 2,
2007).
2 See the NPR (76 FR 29688) for further
explanation regarding the omission of elements
110(a)(2)(D)(i) and 110(a)(2)(I) from the proposal.
3 The specific measures Utah will take are
detailed in the commitment letter, which may be
found in the docket for this action.
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43899
the infrastructure SIP for section
110(a)(2)(B) for the 1997 ozone NAAQS.
EPA proposed to approve element
110(a)(2)(C) for the 1997 ozone NAAQS
in the event that the State clarified (or
modified) its December 3, 2007 and
December 21, 2009 certifications to
ensure consistency with two rules
related to regulation of greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions: ‘‘Prevention of
Significant Deterioration and Title V
Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule’’
(‘‘Tailoring Rule’’), 75 FR 31514 (June 3,
2010), and ‘‘Limitation of Approval of
Prevention of Significant Deterioration
Provisions Concerning Greenhouse Gas
Emitting-Sources in State
Implementation Plans’’ (‘‘PSD SIP
Narrowing Rule’’), 75 FR 82536 (Dec.
30, 2010). In the PSD SIP Narrowing
Rule, EPA withdrew its previous
approval of Utah’s prevention of
significant deterioration (PSD) program
to the extent that it applied PSD
permitting to GHG emissions increases
from GHG-emitting sources below
thresholds set in the Tailoring Rule.
EPA withdrew its approval on the basis
that the State lacked sufficient resources
to issue PSD permits to such sources at
the statutory thresholds in effect in the
previously-approved PSD program.
After the PSD SIP Narrowing Rule, the
portion of Utah’s PSD SIP from which
EPA withdrew its approval had the
status of having been submitted to EPA
but not yet acted upon. In its December
3, 2007 and December 21, 2009
certifications, Utah relied on its PSD
program as approved at that date—
which was before December 30, 2010,
the effective date of the PSD SIP
Narrowing Rule—to satisfy the
requirements of infrastructure element
110(a)(2)(C). Given EPA’s basis for the
PSD SIP Narrowing Rule, EPA proposed
approval of the Utah Infrastructure SIP
for infrastructure element (C) if either
the State clarified (or modified) its
certification to make clear that the State
relies only on the portion of the PSD
program that remains approved after the
PSD SIP Narrowing Rule issued on
December 30, 2010, and for which the
State has sufficient resources to
implement, or the State acted to
withdraw from EPA consideration the
remaining portion of its PSD program
submission that would have applied
PSD permitting to GHG sources below
the Tailoring Rule thresholds. On June
22, 2011, EPA received a letter from
Utah clarifying that the State relies only
on the portion of the PSD program that
remains approved after the PSD SIP
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Narrowing Rule issued on December 30,
2010.4
EPA’s proposed approval of elements
110(a)(2)(C) and (J) for the 1997 ozone
NAAQS was also contingent on the final
approval of the State’s August 7, 2008
submittal. The State’s PSD program, as
submitted, for the most part
incorporates by reference the Federal
program at 40 CFR 52.21. The August 7,
2008 submittal updates the date of
incorporation by reference of the State’s
PSD program to July 7, 2007, therefore
incorporating EPA’s phase 2
implementation rule for the 1997 ozone
NAAQS (Phase 2 Rule), which includes
requirements for PSD programs to treat
nitrogen oxides (NOx) as a precursor for
ozone (72 FR 71612, November 29,
2005). EPA proposed approval of the
August 7, 2008 submittal on January 7,
2009 (74 FR 667), and finalized
approval on June 29, 2011. EPA
therefore approves in full elements
110(a)(2)(C) and (J) with this action.
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with RULES
Scope of Infrastructure SIPs
EPA is currently acting upon SIPs that
address the infrastructure requirements
of CAA section 110(a)(1) and (2) for
ozone and PM2.5 NAAQS for various
states across the country. Commenters
on EPA’s recent proposals for some
states raised concerns about EPA
statements that it was not addressing
certain substantive issues in the context
of acting on the infrastructure SIP
submissions.5 The commenters
specifically raised concerns involving
provisions in existing SIPs and with
EPA’s statements that it would address
two issues separately and not as part of
actions on the infrastructure SIP
submissions: (i) Existing provisions
related to excess emissions during
periods of start-up, shutdown, or
malfunction at sources, that may be
contrary to the CAA and EPA’s policies
addressing such excess emissions
(‘‘SSM’’); and (ii) existing provisions
related to ‘‘director’s variance’’ or
‘‘director’s discretion’’ that purport to
permit revisions to SIP approved
emissions limits with limited public
process or without requiring further
approval by EPA, that may be contrary
to the CAA (‘‘director’s discretion’’).
EPA notes that there are two other
substantive issues for which EPA
4 Utah’s June 22, 2011 clarification letter is
available in the docket for this action.
5 See, Comments of Midwest Environmental
Defense Center, dated May 31, 2011. Docket # EPA–
R05–OAR–2007–1179 (adverse comments on
proposals for three states in Region 5). EPA notes
that these public comments on another proposal are
not relevant to this rulemaking and do not have to
be directly addressed in this rulemaking. EPA will
respond to these comments in the appropriate
rulemaking action to which they apply.
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likewise stated that it would address the
issues separately: (i) Existing provisions
for minor source new source review
programs that may be inconsistent with
the requirements of the CAA and EPA’s
regulations that pertain to such
programs (‘‘minor source new source
review (NSR)’’); and (ii) existing
provisions for Prevention of Significant
Deterioration programs that may be
inconsistent with current requirements
of EPA’s ‘‘Final NSR Improvement
Rule,’’ 67 FR 80,186 (December 31,
2002), as amended by 72 FR 32,526
(June 13, 2007) (‘‘NSR Reform’’). In light
of the comments, EPA now believes that
its statements in various proposed
actions on infrastructure SIPs with
respect to these four individual issues
should be explained in greater depth
with respect to these issues.
EPA intended the statements in the
proposals concerning these four issues
merely to be informational, and to
provide general notice of the potential
existence of provisions within the
existing SIPs of some states that might
require future corrective action. EPA did
not want states, regulated entities, or
members of the public to be under the
misconception that the Agency’s
approval of the infrastructure SIP
submission of a given state should be
interpreted as a reapproval of certain
types of provisions that might exist
buried in the larger existing SIP for such
state. Thus, for example, EPA explicitly
noted that the Agency believes that
some states may have existing SIP
approved SSM provisions that are
contrary to the CAA and EPA policy,
but that ‘‘in this rulemaking, EPA is not
proposing to approve or disapprove any
existing state provisions with regard to
excess emissions during SSM of
operations at facilities.’’ EPA further
explained, for informational purposes,
that ‘‘EPA plans to address such State
regulations in the future.’’ EPA made
similar statements, for similar reasons,
with respect to the director’s discretion,
minor source NSR, and NSR Reform
issues. EPA’s objective was to make
clear that approval of an infrastructure
SIP for these ozone and PM2.5 NAAQS
should not be construed as explicit or
implicit reapproval of any existing
provisions that relate to these four
substantive issues.
Unfortunately, the commenters and
others evidently interpreted these
statements to mean that EPA considered
action upon the SSM provisions and the
other three substantive issues to be
integral parts of acting on an
infrastructure SIP submission, and
therefore that EPA was merely
postponing taking final action on the
issue in the context of the infrastructure
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SIPs. This was not EPA’s intention. To
the contrary, EPA only meant to convey
its awareness of the potential for certain
types of deficiencies in existing SIPs,
and to prevent any misunderstanding
that it was reapproving any such
existing provisions. EPA’s intention was
to convey its position that the statute
does not require that infrastructure SIPs
address these specific substantive issues
in existing SIPs and that these issues
may be dealt with separately, outside
the context of acting on the
infrastructure SIP submission of a state.
To be clear, EPA did not mean to imply
that it was not taking a full final agency
action on the infrastructure SIP
submission with respect to any
substantive issue that EPA considers to
be a required part of acting on such
submissions under section 110(k) or
under section 110(c). Given the
confusion evidently resulting from
EPA’s statements, however, we want to
explain more fully the Agency’s reasons
for concluding that these four potential
substantive issues in existing SIPs may
be addressed separately.
The requirement for the SIP
submissions at issue arises out of CAA
section 110(a)(1). That provision
requires that states must make a SIP
submission ‘‘within 3 years (or such
shorter period as the Administrator may
prescribe) after the promulgation of a
national primary ambient air quality
standard (or any revision thereof)’’ and
that these SIPS are to provide for the
‘‘implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement’’ of such NAAQS. Section
110(a)(2) includes a list of specific
elements that ‘‘[e]ach such plan’’
submission must meet. EPA has
historically referred to these particular
submissions that states must make after
the promulgation of a new or revised
NAAQS as ‘‘infrastructure SIPs.’’ This
specific term does not appear in the
statute, but EPA uses the term to
distinguish this particular type of SIP
submission designed to address basic
structural requirements of a SIP from
other types of SIP submissions designed
to address other different requirements,
such as ‘‘nonattainment SIP’’
submissions required to address the
nonattainment planning requirements of
part D, ‘‘regional haze SIP’’ submissions
required to address the visibility
protection requirements of CAA section
169A, NSR permitting program
submissions required to address the
requirements of part D, and a host of
other specific types of SIP submissions
that address other specific matters.
Although section 110(a)(1) addresses
the timing and general requirements for
these infrastructure SIPs, and section
110(a)(2) provides more details
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emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with RULES
concerning the required contents of
these infrastructure SIPs, EPA believes
that many of the specific statutory
provisions are facially ambiguous. In
particular, the list of required elements
provided in section 110(a)(2) contains a
wide variety of disparate provisions,
some of which pertain to required legal
authority, some of which pertain to
required substantive provisions, and
some of which pertain to requirements
for both authority and substantive
provisions.6 Some of the elements of
section 110(a)(2) are relatively
straightforward, but others clearly
require interpretation by EPA through
rulemaking, or recommendations
through guidance, in order to give
specific meaning for a particular
NAAQS.7
Notwithstanding that section 110(a)(2)
states that ‘‘each’’ SIP submission must
meet the list of requirements therein,
EPA has long noted that this literal
reading of the statute is internally
inconsistent, insofar as section
110(a)(2)(I) pertains to nonattainment
SIP requirements that could not be met
on the schedule provided for these SIP
submissions in section 110(a)(1).8 This
illustrates that EPA must determine
which provisions of section 110(a)(2)
may be applicable for a given
infrastructure SIP submission.
Similarly, EPA has previously decided
that it could take action on different
parts of the larger, general
‘‘infrastructure SIP’’ for a given NAAQS
without concurrent action on all
subsections, such as section
110(a)(2)(D)(i), because the Agency
bifurcated the action on these latter
‘‘interstate transport’’ provisions within
section 110(a)(2) and worked with states
to address each of the four prongs of
6 For example, section 110(a)(2)(E) provides that
states must provide assurances that they have
adequate legal authority under state and local law
to carry out the SIP; section 110(a)(2)(C) provides
that states must have a substantive program to
address certain sources as required by part C of the
CAA; section 110(a)(2)(G) provides that states must
have both legal authority to address emergencies
and substantive contingency plans in the event of
such an emergency.
7 For example, section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) requires
EPA to be sure that each SIP contains adequate
provisions to prevent significant contribution to
nonattainment of the NAAQS in other states. This
provision contains numerous terms that require
substantial rulemaking by EPA in order to
determine such basic points as what constitutes
significant contribution. See, e.g., ‘‘Rule To Reduce
Interstate Transport of Fine Particulate Matter and
Ozone (Clean Air Interstate Rule); Revisions to Acid
Rain Program; Revisions to the NOX SIP Call; Final
Rule,’’ 70 FR 25,162 (May 12, 2005)(defining,
among other things, the phrase ‘‘contribute
significantly to nonattainment’’).
8 See, e.g., Id., 70 FR 25,162, at 63–65 (May 12,
2005) (explaining relationship between timing
requirement of section 110(a)(2)(D) versus section
110(a)(2)(I)).
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section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) with substantive
administrative actions proceeding on
different tracks with different
schedules.9 This illustrates that EPA
may conclude that subdividing the
applicable requirements of section
110(a)(2) into separate SIP actions may
sometimes be appropriate for a given
NAAQS where a specific substantive
action is necessitated, beyond a mere
submission addressing basic structural
aspects of the SIP. Finally, EPA notes
that not every element of section
110(a)(2) would be relevant, or as
relevant, or relevant in the same way,
for each new or revised NAAQS and the
attendant infrastructure SIP submission
for that NAAQS. For example, the
monitoring requirements that might be
necessary for purposes of section
110(a)(2)(B) for one NAAQS could be
very different than what might be
necessary for a different pollutant. Thus,
the content of an infrastructure SIP
submission to meet this element from a
state might be very different for an
entirely new NAAQS, versus a minor
revision to an existing NAAQS.10
Similarly, EPA notes that other types
of SIP submissions required under the
statute also must meet the requirements
of section 110(a)(2), and this also
demonstrates the need to identify the
applicable elements for other SIP
submissions. For example,
nonattainment SIPs required by part D
likewise have to meet the relevant
subsections of section 110(a)(2) such as
section 110(a)(2)(A) or (E). By contrast,
it is clear that nonattainment SIPs
would not need to meet the portion of
section 110(a)(2)(C) that pertains to part
C, i.e., the PSD requirement applicable
in attainment areas. Nonattainment SIPs
required by part D also would not need
to address the requirements of section
110(a)(2)(G) with respect to emergency
episodes, as such requirements would
not be limited to nonattainment areas.
As this example illustrates, each type of
SIP submission may implicate some
subsections of section 110(a)(2) and not
others.
Given the potential for ambiguity of
the statutory language of section
9 EPA issued separate guidance to states with
respect to SIP submissions to meet section
110(a)(2)(D)(i) for the 1997 ozone and 1997 PM2.5
NAAQS. See, ‘‘Guidance for State Implementation
Plan (SIP) Submissions to Meet Current
Outstanding Obligations Under Section
110(a)(2)(D)(i) for the 8-Hour Ozone and PM2.5
National Ambient Air Quality Standards,’’ from
William T. Harnett, Director Air Quality Policy
Division OAQPS, to Regional Air Division Director,
Regions I–X, dated August 15, 2006.
10 For example, implementation of the 1997 PM
2.5
NAAQS required the deployment of a system of
new monitors to measure ambient levels of that new
indicator species for the new NAAQS.
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110(a)(1) and (2), EPA believes that it is
appropriate for EPA to interpret that
language in the context of acting on the
infrastructure SIPs for a given NAAQS.
Because of the inherent ambiguity of the
list of requirements in section 110(a)(2),
EPA has adopted an approach in which
it reviews infrastructure SIPs against
this list of elements ‘‘as applicable.’’ In
other words, EPA assumes that Congress
could not have intended that each and
every SIP submission, regardless of the
purpose of the submission or the
NAAQS in question, would meet each
of the requirements, or meet each of
them in the same way. EPA elected to
use guidance to make recommendations
for infrastructure SIPs for these NAAQS.
On October 2, 2007, EPA issued
guidance making recommendations for
the infrastructure SIP submissions for
both the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS and
the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS.11 Within this
guidance document, EPA described the
duty of states to make these submissions
to meet what the Agency characterized
as the ‘‘infrastructure’’ elements for
SIPs, which it further described as the
‘‘basic SIP requirements, including
emissions inventories, monitoring, and
modeling to assure attainment and
maintenance of the standards.’’ 12 As
further identification of these basic
structural SIP requirements,
‘‘attachment A’’ to the guidance
document included a short description
of the various elements of section
110(a)(2) and additional information
about the types of issues that EPA
considered germane in the context of
such infrastructure SIPs. EPA
emphasized that the description of the
basic requirements listed on attachment
A was not intended ‘‘to constitute an
interpretation of’’ the requirements, and
was merely a ‘‘brief description of the
required elements.’’ 13 EPA also stated
its belief that with one exception, these
requirements were ‘‘relatively self
explanatory, and past experience with
SIPs for other NAAQS should enable
States to meet these requirements with
11 See, ‘‘Guidance on SIP Elements Required
Under Section 110(a)(1) and (2) for the 1997 8-hour
Ozone and PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality
Standards,’’ from William T. Harnett, Director Air
Quality Policy Division, to Air Division Directors,
Regions I–X, dated October 2, 2007 (the ‘‘2007
Guidance’’). EPA issued comparable guidance for
the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS entitled ‘‘Guidance on SIP
Elements Required Under Sections 110(a)(1) and (2)
for the 2006 24-Hour Fine Particle (PM2.5) National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS),’’ from
William T, Harnett, Director Air Quality Policy
Division, to Regional Air Division Directors,
Regions I–X, dated September 25, 2009 (the ‘‘2009
Guidance’’).
12 Id., at page 2.
13 Id., at attachment A, page 1.
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assistance from EPA Regions.’’ 14 For the
one exception to that general
assumption, however, i.e., how states
should proceed with respect to the
requirements of section 110(a)(2)(G) for
the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS, EPA gave much
more specific recommendations. But for
other infrastructure SIP submittals, and
for certain elements of the submittals for
the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS, EPA assumed
that each state would work with its
corresponding EPA regional office to
refine the scope of a state’s submittal
based on an assessment of how the
requirements of section 110(a)(2) should
reasonably apply to the basic structure
of the SIP for the NAAQS in question.
Significantly, the 2007 Guidance did
not explicitly refer to the SSM,
director’s discretion, minor source NSR,
or NSR Reform issues as among specific
substantive issues EPA expected states
to address in the context of the
infrastructure SIPs, nor did EPA give
any more specific recommendations
with respect to how states might address
such issues even if they elected to do so.
The SSM and director’s discretion
issues implicate section 110(a)(2)(A),
and the minor source NSR and NSR
Reform issues implicate section
110(a)(2)(C). In the 2007 Guidance,
however, EPA did not indicate to states
that it intended to interpret these
provisions as requiring a substantive
submission to address these specific
issues in the context of the
infrastructure SIPs for these NAAQS.
Instead, EPA’s 2007 Guidance merely
indicated its belief that the states should
make submissions in which they
established that they have the basic SIP
structure necessary to implement,
maintain, and enforce the NAAQS. EPA
believes that states can establish that
they have the basic SIP structure,
notwithstanding that there may be
potential deficiencies within the
existing SIP. Thus, EPA’s proposals
mentioned these issues not because the
Agency considers them issues that must
be addressed in the context of an
infrastructure SIP as required by section
110(a)(1) and (2), but rather because
EPA wanted to be clear that it considers
these potential existing SIP problems as
separate from the pending infrastructure
SIP actions.
EPA believes that this approach to the
infrastructure SIP requirement is
14 Id., at page 4. In retrospect, the concerns raised
by commenters with respect to EPA’s approach to
some substantive issues indicates that the statute is
not so ‘‘self explanatory,’’ and indeed is sufficiently
ambiguous that EPA needs to interpret it in order
to explain why these substantive issues do not need
to be addressed in the context of infrastructure SIPs
and may be addressed at other times and by other
means.
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reasonable, because it would not be
feasible to read section 110(a)(1) and (2)
to require a top to bottom, stem to stern,
review of each and every provision of an
existing SIP merely for purposes of
assuring that the state in question has
the basic structural elements for a
functioning SIP for a new or revised
NAAQS. Because SIPs have grown by
accretion over the decades as statutory
and regulatory requirements under the
CAA have evolved, they may include
some outmoded provisions and
historical artifacts that, while not fully
up to date, nevertheless may not pose a
significant problem for the purposes of
‘‘implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement’’ of a new or revised
NAAQS when EPA considers the overall
effectiveness of the SIP. To the contrary,
EPA believes that a better approach is
for EPA to determine which specific SIP
elements from section 110(a)(2) are
applicable to an infrastructure SIP for a
given NAAQS, and to focus attention on
those elements that are most likely to
need a specific SIP revision in light of
the new or revised NAAQS. Thus, for
example, EPA’s 2007 Guidance
specifically directed states to focus on
the requirements of section 110(a)(2)(G)
for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS because of
the absence of underlying EPA
regulations for emergency episodes for
this NAAQS and an anticipated absence
of relevant provisions in existing SIPs.
Finally, EPA believes that its
approach is a reasonable reading of
section 110(a)(1) and (2) because the
statute provides other avenues and
mechanisms to address specific
substantive deficiencies in existing SIPs.
These other statutory tools allow the
Agency to take appropriate tailored
action, depending upon the nature and
severity of the alleged SIP deficiency.
Section 110(k)(5) authorizes EPA to
issue a ‘‘SIP call’’ whenever the Agency
determines that a SIP is substantially
inadequate to attain or maintain the
NAAQS, to mitigate interstate transport,
or otherwise to comply with the CAA.15
Section 110(k)(6) authorizes EPA to
correct errors in past actions, such as
past approvals of SIP submissions.16
15 EPA has recently issued a SIP call to rectify a
specific SIP deficiency related to the SSM issue.
See, ‘‘Finding of Substantial Inadequacy of
Implementation Plan; Call for Utah State
Implementation Plan Revision,’’ 74 FR 21,639
(April 18, 2011).
16 EPA has recently utilized this authority to
correct errors in past actions on SIP submissions
related to PSD programs. See, ‘‘Limitation of
Approval of Prevention of Significant Deterioration
Provisions Concerning Greenhouse Gas EmittingSources in State Implementation Plans; Final Rule,’’
75 FR 82,536 (Dec. 30, 2010). EPA has previously
used its authority under CAA 110(k)(6) to remove
numerous other SIP provisions that the Agency
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Significantly, EPA’s determination that
an action on the infrastructure SIP is not
the appropriate time and place to
address all potential existing SIP
problems does not preclude the
Agency’s subsequent reliance on
provisions in section 110(a)(2) as part of
the basis for action at a later time. For
example, although it may not be
appropriate to require a state to
eliminate all existing inappropriate
director’s discretion provisions in the
course of acting on the infrastructure
SIP, EPA believes that section
110(a)(2)(A) may be among the statutory
bases that the Agency cites in the course
of addressing the issue in a subsequent
action.17
II. Response to Comments
EPA received two comment letters on
June 22, 2011, one from WildEarth
Guardians (WEG) and the other from
Western Resource Advocates (WRA),
both environmental organizations. The
WRA comment letter was written on
behalf of both WRA and the
organization Utah Physicians for a
Healthy Environment (UPHE). The
significant comments made by WRA
and EPA’s responses to those comments
are given below in Section (A). The
significant comments made by WEG and
EPA’s responses to those comments are
given below in Section (B).
Section A: WRA Comments and EPA
Responses
Comment No. 1: The commenter
stated that the State of Utah must strike
from its regulations ‘‘any provisions
allowing ‘director’s discretion’ to
change unilaterally EPA-approved SIPbased emission limits, permitting
variances and exempting excess startup,
shutdown and malfunction emissions
from compliance and enforcement
provisions.’’ The commenter further
stated that ‘‘definitive EPA action’’ on
such provisions ‘‘cannot come too
soon.’’
EPA Response: EPA shares the
commenter’s concerns that such
provisions can have adverse impacts on
air planning and enforcement, and as a
result can have an adverse impact on
determined it had approved in error. See, e.g., 61
FR 38,664 (July 25, 1996) and 62 FR 34,641 (June
27, 1997) (corrections to American Samoa, Arizona,
California, Hawaii, and Nevada SIPs); 69 FR 67,062
(November 16, 2004) (corrections to California SIP);
and 74 FR 57,051 (November 3, 2009) (corrections
to Arizona and Nevada SIPs).
17 EPA has recently disapproved a SIP submission
from Colorado on the grounds that it would have
included a director’s discretion provision
inconsistent with CAA requirements, including
section 110(a)(2)(A). See, e.g., 75 FR 42,342 at
42,344 (July 21,2010) (proposed disapproval of
director’s discretion provisions); 76 FR 4,540 (Jan.
26, 2011) (final disapproval of such provisions).
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protection of public health. As
discussed in greater depth in the
Background section, EPA is not
addressing startup, shutdown, and
malfunction (SSM), variance, or
director’s discretion provisions in the
context of this action on 110(a)(2)
requirements for the 1997 ozone
NAAQS. As stated in the NPR, EPA
intends to address these issues
separately at a later date.
However, with respect to the
commenter’s concerns about SSM
provisions, EPA notes that the Agency
has already issued a finding of
substantial inadequacy and called for a
SIP revision for Utah’s ‘‘unavoidable
breakdown’’ rule (76 FR 21639, Apr. 18,
2011). This action preceded, was
independent of, and was not required
for our action on section 110(a)(2)(A) for
the 1997 ozone NAAQS. EPA considers
this an important step towards
addressing the issue noted by the
commenter.
Comment No. 2: The commenter
supported EPA efforts to address issues
concerning the monitoring network for
ozone in Utah. In particular, the
commenter supported EPA’s efforts to
encourage the State to address the
monitoring network in the Saint George
area, specifically by completing its
ozone saturation study in 2011, using
that study to identify maximum
concentration locations, and adjusting
the monitoring network as required by
the study. However, the commenter also
urged EPA to require immediate action
from the State to ensure adequate
monitoring in the Saint George area,
and, if necessary, immediately
implement any controls necessary to
bring the area into compliance with the
ozone NAAQS.
EPA Response: EPA acknowledges the
support for our conditional approval,
based on Utah’s commitment to make
improvements with regard to
monitoring as the commenter described.
EPA notes that the State has committed
to doing so within one year, and that
with this data the State and EPA can
then evaluate what additional actions
may be necessary based upon better
information concerning the ambient air
quality in the area.
With respect to the 1997 ozone
NAAQS, the data collected in southern
Utah have not suggested a potential for
ozone levels to violate that standard.
From data collected in Zion National
Park (2004–2010), Saint George (1995–
1997), Santa Clara (2008–2010), and
Mesquite, Nevada (33 miles southwest
of Saint George and 13 miles from the
Utah border), the highest design value
recorded was 79 parts per billion (ppb)
in Zion National Park in 2004–2006.
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While the current Santa Clara monitor
has not been shown to be sited to
measure maximum concentration
monitoring, there is no evidence to
suggest a maximum concentration
monitoring site elsewhere would record
data in excess of the 1997 ozone
NAAQS. Utah’s commitment to
ensuring that a monitor is placed at the
maximum concentration site will allow
the State and EPA to correctly assess air
quality in the Saint George metropolitan
statistical area (MSA).
Comment No. 3: The commenter
supported EPA’s efforts to regulate
greenhouse gases.
EPA Response: EPA presumes that the
commenter’s support related to EPA’s
efforts to insure that the Utah
infrastructure SIP adequately addresses
PSD permitting requirements with
respect to greenhouse gases as discussed
in the NPR in accordance with the PSD
SIP Narrowing Rule. As discussed in the
background section above, in response
to our proposal, Utah clarified that its
infrastructure certification should not be
read to rely on the portion of the PSD
program for which the PSD SIP
Narrowing Rule withdrew approval.
Therefore, EPA has concluded that the
current EPA approved Utah SIP is
consistent with section 110(a)(2)(C) for
purposes of greenhouse gases.
Comment No. 4: The commenter
supported EPA’s efforts to require ozone
monitoring in Utah’s Uinta Basin.
However, the commenter urged EPA to
use existing ozone monitoring data,
which the commenter claimed ‘‘plainly
show that air quality in the basin is not
in compliance with the ozone
standard,’’ to designate the Uinta Basin
as nonattainment for ozone.18 The
commenter also urged EPA to require
Utah to install monitors in Vernal, Utah.
EPA Response: EPA shares the
concerns of the commenters with
respect to the monitoring network in
Utah. However, in this action EPA is
evaluating the adequacy of the
infrastructure SIP of the State with
respect to the 1997 8-hour ozone
NAAQS. EPA has specific regulatory
requirements at 40 CFR part 58 that
provide requirements for the ambient air
monitoring network required by section
110(a)(2)(B) of the Act for these NAAQS.
As discussed in the response to
comment 3 in section B below, 40 CFR
part 58 does not contain requirements
for the State to monitor for ozone in the
Uinta Basin. EPA therefore has no basis
in this action to disapprove the
18 The comment does not precisely state which
existing ozone monitoring data the commenter
refers to. For a discussion of other monitoring data
in the Uinta Basin, see the response to comment 1
in section B below.
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43903
infrastructure SIP due to the absence of
an ozone monitor in Vernal.
Nonetheless, EPA notes that both Utah
Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) and the Ute Indian Tribe of the
Uintah and Ouray Reservation began
ozone monitoring in the Uinta Basin in
2011. These monitors should provide
data that can be used to evaluate the
appropriate designation for the Uinta
Basin area, once there is sufficient data.
Promulgation of area designations for a
NAAQS is outside the scope of this
action, the purpose of which is limited
to review the Utah SIP for compliance
with the infrastructure SIP requirements
of section 110(a)(2) for the 1997 8-hour
ozone NAAQS.
Comment No. 5: The commenter
stated that ‘‘Utah’s PSD program fails to
comply’’ with the CAA, and therefore
encouraged EPA to disapprove the
State’s submission with regards to its
PSD program and the requirements of
section 110(a)(2)(J). Specifically, the
commenter asserted that the State’s PSD
program fails to comply with 40 CFR
70.4(b)(3)(x) with respect to the
availability of state judicial review for
persons who participated in the public
process required under 40 CFR 70.7(h).
In essence, the commenter cited rules
and statutes governing Utah
administrative appeal proceedings,
including administrative appeal of PSD
permits issued by the State, and argued
(for several reasons) that these provide
inadequate opportunity for members of
the public to participate in
administrative appeals. The commenter
linked this to the availability of state
judicial review of PSD permits by citing
a statutory requirement in Utah’s
Administrative Procedure Act requiring
parties seeking judicial review to
exhaust all administrative remedies
available.
EPA Response: In this action, EPA is
evaluating the State’s PSD permit
program under sections 110(a)(2)(C) and
(J), and, more generally, Utah’s SIP
under section 110(a)(2). The regulatory
provision that the commenter cited, 40
CFR 70.4(b)(3), and the corresponding
statutory provision in section 503(b)(6)
of the CAA, apply only to Title V
operating permit programs. In other
words, section 503(b)(6) and 40 CFR
70.4(b)(3) do not apply to PSD permits.
Furthermore, Utah’s Title V program is
not part of the Utah SIP. Therefore, any
potential deficiency in Utah’s Title V
program with regards to availability of
state judicial review is outside the scope
of this action on the infrastructure SIP,
and the comment gives us no basis to
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change our proposed action on section
110(a)(2)(J).19
In addition, the comment expressed
concerns primarily with a version of
Utah Administrative Code (UAC)
section R305–6–202 that the comment
describes as effective July, 2011. The
commenter did not provide a copy of
the section showing that it had been
adopted. A proposal to adopt the
version of R305–6–202 for which the
comment provides concerns was
published in the Utah State Bulletin on
March 15, 2011, with a potential
effective date of July 1, 2011.20
Subsequent issues of the Utah State
Bulletin (through June 15, 2011) have
not provided a notice of effective date
for the proposal, a requirement under
section 63G–301–3(12) of the Utah
Administrative Procedures Act for a rule
to become effective. Thus, the rule has
only been proposed and not adopted,
and any deficiencies there may be
within it do not provide a basis for EPA
to change its proposed approval of the
current Utah infrastructure SIP for the
1997 ozone NAAQS for elements
110(a)(2)(C) and (J).
Section B: WEG Comments and EPA
Responses
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Comment No. 1: The commenter
expressed concern that Utah’s SIP fails
‘‘to attain and maintain the 1997 8-hour
ozone NAAQS in the Uinta Basin.’’ The
commenter pointed to existing
monitoring data from two monitors in
the Uinta Basin over two years and part
of a third to argue that the standard is
currently being violated.21 The
commenter asserted that EPA cannot
find that Utah’s SIP meets section
110(a)(2)(1) and (2) requirements unless
the EPA addresses the high ozone levels
in the Uinta Basin and uses the
19 Although EPA is not assessing the availability
of state judicial review for PSD permits issued by
Utah, as the CAA makes no requirements regarding
such availability, EPA also notes that the comment
does not explain, for example, why denial of a
petition to intervene in a state administrative PSD
permit proceeding would not exhaust the
petitioner’s administrative remedies and therefore
make state judicial review available to the
petitioner.
20 Similarly, a proposed conforming amendment
to UAC section R307–103 (containing the current
administrative procedures for adjudicative
proceedings under the Utah Air Conservation Act)
was published May 1, 2011, but no notice of
effective date has been published. The status of
these proposals is confirmed by the Utah Division
of Administrative Rules Web page, Rules Effective
Since Last Codification, available at https://
www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/codificationsegue.htm
(last visited June 29, 2011).
21 The monitoring data provided by WEG to
support this argument is available in the docket for
this action.
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resources necessary ‘‘to attain and
maintain the NAAQS.’’
EPA Response: EPA disagrees with
the commenter’s view that the monitor
data asserted by the commenter has a
bearing on the action on the State’s
infrastructure SIP submission. First,
there are currently no nonattainment
areas designated in Utah for the 1997
ozone NAAQS. Thus, the State is not
currently under an obligation to submit
a SIP to meet the requirements of Part
D of title I. More importantly, as
explained in the NPR, Part D
requirements are outside the scope of
this action. EPA therefore disagrees with
the assertion that, as a result of the cited
monitoring data, EPA cannot approve
the Utah infrastructure SIP for the 1997
ozone NAAQS.
Furthermore, EPA notes that data
cited by the commenter is also not of the
type that is needed for making
attainment determinations. The
monitoring data referenced by the
commenter was collected by industrial
entities at non-regulatory monitors
located in Indian country, outside the
jurisdiction of the State of Utah.
Furthermore, data collected by the
National Park Service in Dinosaur
National Monument (albeit also using a
non-regulatory monitoring method)
indicate a preliminary design value of
only 73 ppb for the maximum 3-year
average in 2009–2011. This data
represents the ambient level at a
geographic location within the Uinta
Basin that is available outside Indian
country in Utah. Thus, there is currently
no data from monitoring sites on State
jurisdiction lands in or near the Uinta
Basin showing violations of the 1997
ozone standard.
Comment No. 2: The commenter
claims that the State’s commitment
letter to update its ozone monitoring
network does not represent a
commitment that justifies conditional
approval, as the letter does not commit
to ensuring the actual installation of a
monitor in the Saint George area in
accordance with 40 CFR part 58,
Appendix D, 4.1(b), and other
requirements. The commenter also
states that EPA did not clearly state the
timeline by which a conditional
approval reverts to a disapproval, and
requests EPA to clarify this statement.
EPA Response: EPA disagrees with
this comment. The commitment by the
State is appropriately tailored to require
the analysis necessary to determine if a
monitor should be installed in the Saint
George’s area. The letter acknowledges
that the State has not demonstrated that
the existing Santa Clara monitor
represents the maximum concentration
site in the Saint George core-based
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statistical area (CBSA) and that the Zion
monitoring site operated by the National
Park Service has recorded higher ozone
values. The letter commits to
completing the current saturation study
to determine whether the Santa Clara
site represents the maximum
concentration site, and, if the study
shows it necessary, to relocate the
monitor in accordance with the
requirements of section 4.1 of Appendix
D. Of course, if the study is sufficient to
demonstrate that the existing Santa
Clara site meets the requirements of
Appendix D, then no further action is
necessary to comply with Appendix D.
Appendix D requires that Utah
operate an ozone monitor in the Saint
George CBSA, requires that at least one
monitor in the Saint George CBSA be
designed to measure maximum
concentration, and that the siting of the
Saint George monitor(s) be approved by
the EPA Regional Administrator. EPA’s
conditional approval requires Utah to
comply with these requirements within
1 year of the publication of the final
rule. If the EPA Regional Administrator
has not approved the monitor siting in
the Saint George CBSA within 1 year of
publication of the final rule, the
conditional approval of the Utah
infrastructure SIP for section
110(a)(2)(B) for the 1997 ozone NAAQS
will automatically revert to disapproval.
Comment No. 3: The commenter
expressed concern that the ozone
monitoring sites in the Uinta Basin do
not fully comply with 40 CFR part 58,
specifically the requirement that
‘‘monitors are sited to ensure that
maximum concentrations are recorded.’’
The commenter also stated that, in order
to meet the requirements of section
110(a)(2)(B), EPA must ensure the Utah
SIP requires the State to monitor ozone
during the winter months, particularly
in the Uinta Basin. The commenter
asserted that monitoring should
continue during the winter months
when the highest ambient levels occur.
EPA Response: EPA disagrees with
the commenter’s view that the current
SIP is not approvable under section
110(a)(2)(B), based on the monitoring
concerns raised by the commenter. The
existing Utah ozone monitoring network
and plan comply with 40 CFR part 58
requirements with respect to Uintah,
Duchesne and Carbon counties. 40 CFR
part 58 does not currently require ozone
monitoring in the Uinta Basin, because
ozone monitoring is only required in
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs).
Furthermore, the maximum
concentration monitoring requirement
of Appendix D applies specifically to
monitoring in MSAs, defined in 40 CFR
58.1 as ‘‘a CBSA associated with at least
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one urbanized area of 50,000 population
or greater.’’ There are no such MSAs in
Uintah, Duchesne, or Carbon counties.
With respect to the season during
which monitoring is currently required,
the required ozone monitoring seasons
are provided in Appendix D, which
currently specifies monitoring from May
through September. EPA published a
proposed revision to the ozone
monitoring season for Utah on July 16,
2009 (74 FR 34525). EPA then published
more recent data from Utah, Colorado
and Kansas relevant to that proposal in
a Notice of Data Availability on
November 10, 2010 (75 FR 60936) and
solicited comment on the applicability
of that data to the required monitoring
season at that time. If EPA finalizes the
proposed revisions to the ozone
monitoring season for Utah, the
monitoring season will be extended and
EPA anticipates that this would help to
address the underlying concern of the
commenters. At this point, however,
Utah complies with the existing
monitoring season requirements of
Appendix D.
Comment No. 4: The commenter
states that EPA cannot approve Utah’s
SIP as meeting CAA section 110(a)(2)(L)
requirements. Citing 42 U.S.C. section
7661a(b)(3)(B)(v) and 40 CFR
70.9(b)(2)(iv), the commenter argues that
Utah’s Title V program does not
increase permit fees each year in
accordance with the Consumer Price
Index as required.
EPA Response: EPA disagrees with
this comment. As stated in the text of
the section, 110(a)(2)(L) is no longer
applicable to Title V operating permit
programs after approval of such
programs. As noted in the NPR, the
Administrator’s final approval of Utah’s
Title V operating permit program,
including the Title V fee program,
became effective on July 10, 1995 (60 FR
30192). Therefore, EPA concludes that
the Utah infrastructure SIP for the 1997
ozone NAAQS meets the requirements
of section 110(a)(2)(L) with respect to
the Title V program.
III. Final Action
In this action, EPA is approving in
full the following section 110(a)(2)
infrastructure elements for Utah for the
1997 ozone NAAQS: (A), (C), (D)(ii), (E),
(F), (G), (H), (J), (K), (L), and (M). EPA
is conditionally approving section
110(a)(2)(B) for the 1997 ozone NAAQS,
and will fully approve this element if
Utah takes the measures detailed in the
State’s May 12, 2011 commitment letter
within one year after the date of this
final action. If, however, Utah does not
implement the measures specified in its
commitment within one year after the
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19:39 Jul 21, 2011
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date of this action, EPA’s conditional
approval will automatically revert to
disapproval of the infrastructure SIP for
section 110(a)(2)(B) for the 1997 ozone
NAAQS.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is
required to approve a SIP submission
that complies with the provisions of the
Act and applicable Federal regulations
(42 U.S.C. 7410(k), 40 CFR 52.02(a)).
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions,
EPA’s role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of
the CAA. Accordingly, this action
merely approves some state law as
meeting Federal requirements and
disapproves other state law because it
does not meet Federal requirements;
this action does not impose additional
requirements beyond those imposed by
state law. For that reason, this action:
• Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory
action’’ subject to review by the Office
of Management and Budget under
Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735,
October 4, 1993);
• Does not impose an information
collection burden under the provisions
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
• Is certified as not having a
significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
• Does not contain any unfunded
mandate or significantly or uniquely
affect small governments, as described
in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4);
• Does not have Federalism
implications as specified in Executive
Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10,
1999);is not an economically significant
regulatory action based on health or
safety risks subject to Executive Order
13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997);
• Is not a significant regulatory action
subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR
28355, May 22, 2001);
• Is not subject to requirements of
section 12(d) of the National
Technology Transfer and Advancement
Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because
application of those requirements would
be inconsistent with the CAA; 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,
PO 00000
Frm 00103
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
43905
November 9, 2000), because the SIP is
not approved to apply in Indian country
located in the State, and EPA notes that
it will not impose substantial direct
costs on Tribal governments or preempt
Tribal law.
The Congressional Review Act, 5
U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides
that before a rule may take effect, the
agency promulgating the rule must
submit a rule report, which includes a
copy of the rule, to each House of the
Congress and to the Comptroller General
of the United States. EPA will submit a
report containing this action and other
required information to the U.S. Senate,
the U.S. House of Representatives, and
the Comptroller General of the United
States prior to publication of the rule in
the Federal Register. A major rule
cannot take effect until 60 days after it
is published in the Federal Register.
This action is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as
defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean
Air Act, petitions for judicial review of
this action must be filed in the United
States Court of Appeals for the
appropriate circuit by September 20,
2011. Filing a petition for
reconsideration by the Administrator of
this final rule does not affect the finality
of this action for the purposes of judicial
review nor does it extend the time
within which a petition for judicial
review may be filed, and shall not
postpone the effectiveness of such rule
or action. This action may not be
challenged later in proceedings to
enforce its requirements. (See section
307(b)(2).)
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Carbon monoxide,
Incorporation by reference,
Intergovernmental relations, Lead,
Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate
matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile
organic compounds.
Dated: June 30, 2011.
James B. Martin,
Regional Administrator, Region 8.
40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:
PART 52—[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart TT—Utah
2. Section 52.2355 is added to read as
follows:
■
E:\FR\FM\22JYR1.SGM
22JYR1
43906
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2011 / Rules and Regulations
§ 52.2355 Section 110(a)(2) infrastructure
requirements.
On December 3, 2007 Jon L.
Huntsman, Jr., Governor, State of Utah,
submitted a certification letter which
provides the State of Utah’s SIP
provisions which meet the requirements
of CAA Section 110(a)(1) and (2)
relevant to the 1997 Ozone NAAQS. On
December 21, 2009 M. Cheryl Heying,
Director, Utah Division of Air Quality,
Department of Environmental Quality
for the State of Utah, submitted
supporting documentation which
provides the State of Utah’s SIP
provisions which meet the requirements
of CAA Section 110(a)(1) and (2)
relevant to the 1997 Ozone NAAQS.
[FR Doc. 2011–18416 Filed 7–21–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–R08–OAR–2009–0809; FRL–9442–1]
Approval and Promulgation of State
Implementation Plan Revisions;
Infrastructure Requirements for the
1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient
Air Quality Standard; Colorado
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
EPA is approving 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,
dated January 7, 2008, that its SIP met
these requirements for the 1997 ozone
NAAQS. The certification was
determined to be complete on March 27,
2008 (73 FR 16205).
DATES: Effective Date: This final rule is
effective August 22, 2011.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a
docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA–R08–OAR–2009–0809. All
documents in the docket are listed on
the https://www.regulations.gov Web
site. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available,
e.g., Confidential Business Information
(CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute.
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with RULES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:10 Jul 21, 2011
Jkt 223001
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, is not placed on
the Internet and will be publicly
available only in hard copy form.
Publicly available docket materials are
available either electronically through
https://www.regulations.gov or in hard
copy at the Air Program, Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), Region 8,
1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado
80202–1129. EPA requests that if at all
possible, you contact the individual
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section to view the hard copy
of the docket. You may view the hard
copy of the docket Monday through
Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kathy Dolan, Air Program, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), Region 8, Mail Code 8P–AR,
1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado
80202–1129. 303–312–6142,
dolan.kathy@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Definitions
For the purpose of this document, we
are giving meaning to certain words or
initials as follows:
(i) The words or initials Act or CAA
mean or refer to the Clean Air Act,
unless the context indicates otherwise.
(ii) The words EPA, we, us or our
mean or refer to the United States
Environmental Protection Agency.
(iii) The initials SIP mean or refer to
State Implementation Plan.
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Response to Comments
III. Final Action
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
On July 18, 1997, EPA promulgated
new NAAQS for ozone based on 8-hour
average concentrations. The 8-hour
averaging period replaced the previous
1-hour averaging period, and the level of
the NAAQS was changed from 0.12
parts per million (ppm) to 0.08 ppm (62
FR 38856). By statute, SIPs meeting the
requirements of sections 110(a)(1) and
(2) are to be submitted by states within
three years after promulgation of a new
or revised standard. Section 110(a)(2)
provides basic requirements for SIPs,
including emissions inventories,
monitoring, and modeling, to assure
attainment and maintenance of the
standards. These requirements are set
out in several ‘‘infrastructure elements,’’
listed in section 110(a)(2).
Section 110(a) imposes the obligation
upon states to make a SIP submission to
EPA for a new or revised NAAQS, and
PO 00000
Frm 00104
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
the contents of that submission may
vary depending upon the facts and
circumstances. In particular, the data
and analytical tools available at the time
a state develops and submits its SIP for
a new or revised NAAQS affects the
content of the submission. The contents
of such SIP submissions may also vary
depending upon what provisions a
state’s existing SIP already contains. In
the case of the 1997 ozone NAAQS,
states typically have met the basic
program elements required in section
110(a)(2) through earlier SIP
submissions in connection with
previous NAAQS. In a guidance issued
on October 2, 2007, EPA noted that, to
the extent an existing SIP already meets
the section 110(a)(2) requirements,
states need only to certify that fact via
a letter to EPA.1
On March 27, 2008, EPA published a
final rule entitled, ‘‘Completeness
Findings for Section 110(a) State
Implementation Plans for the 8-hour
Ozone NAAQS’’ (73 FR 16205). In the
rule, EPA made a finding for each state
that it had submitted or had failed to
submit a complete SIP that provided the
basic program elements of section
110(a)(2) necessary to implement the
1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. In
particular, EPA found that Colorado had
submitted a complete SIP
(‘‘Infrastructure SIP’’) to meet these
requirements.
On May 18, 2011, EPA published a
notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) for
the State of Colorado (76 FR 28707) to
act on the State’s Infrastructure SIP for
the 1997 ozone NAAQS. Specifically, in
the NPR EPA proposed approval of
Colorado’s SIP as meeting the
requirements of all section 110(a)(2)
elements with respect to the 1997 ozone
NAAQS, aside from elements
110(a)(2)(D)(i), 110(a)(2)(I), and the
visibility protection requirement of
element 110(a)(2)(J), on which EPA did
not propose action.2 EPA received a
comment on section 110(a)(2)(E)(ii), and
EPA is not finalizing today its proposed
approval for this sub-element in order to
fully respond to that comment.
EPA proposed to approve element
110(a)(2)(C) for the 1997 ozone NAAQS
in the event that the State clarified (or
modified) its January 7, 2008
certification to ensure consistency with
two rules related to regulation of
1 Memorandum from William T. Harnett,
Director, Air Quality Policy Division, ‘‘Guidance on
SIP Elements Required Under Sections 110(a)(1)
and (2) for the 1997 8-hour Ozone and PM2.5
National Ambient Air Quality Standards’’ (Oct. 2,
2007).
2 See the NPR (76 FR 28707) for further
explanation regarding the omission of elements
110(a)(2)(D)(i) and 110(a)(2)(I) from the proposal.
E:\FR\FM\22JYR1.SGM
22JYR1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 141 (Friday, July 22, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43898-43906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18416]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R08-OAR-2010-0302; FRL-9442-2]
Approval and Promulgation of State Implementation Plan Revisions;
Infrastructure Requirements for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient
Air Quality Standard; Utah
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: EPA is approving and conditionally approving the State
Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from the State of Utah 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
Standard (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 Utah submitted two certifications, dated December 3, 2007,
and December 21, 2009, that its SIP met these requirements for the 1997
ozone NAAQS. The December 3, 2007 certification was determined to be
complete on March 27, 2008 (73 FR 16205).
DATES: Effective Date: This final rule is effective August 22, 2011.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA-R08-OAR-2010-0302. All documents in the docket are listed on
the https://www.regulations.gov Web site. Although listed in the index,
some information is not publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is
not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available only in hard
copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available either
electronically through https://www.regulations.gov or in hard
[[Page 43899]]
copy at the Air Program, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region
8, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado 80202-1129. EPA requests that
if at all possible, you contact the individual listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to view the hard copy of the
docket. You may view the hard copy of the docket Monday through Friday,
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathy Dolan, Air Program, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 8, Mail Code 8P-AR, 1595
Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado 80202-1129, 303-312-6142,
dolan.kathy@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Definitions
For the purpose of this document, we are giving meaning to certain
words or initials as follows:
(i) The words or initials Act or CAA mean or refer to the Clean Air
Act, unless the context indicates otherwise.
(ii) The words EPA, we, us or our mean or refer to the United
States Environmental Protection Agency.
(iii) The initials SIP mean or refer to State Implementation Plan.
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Response to Comments
III. Final Action
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
On July 18, 1997, EPA promulgated new NAAQS for ozone based on 8-
hour average concentrations. The 8-hour averaging period replaced the
previous 1-hour averaging period, and the level of the NAAQS was
changed from 0.12 parts per million (ppm) to 0.08 ppm (62 FR 38856). By
statute, SIPs meeting the requirements of sections 110(a)(1) and (2)
are to be submitted by states within three years after promulgation of
a new or revised standard. Section 110(a)(2) provides basic
requirements for SIPs, including emissions inventories, monitoring, and
modeling, to assure attainment and maintenance of the standards. These
requirements are set out in several ``infrastructure elements,'' listed
in section 110(a)(2).
Section 110(a) imposes the obligation upon states to make a SIP
submission to EPA for a new or revised NAAQS, and the contents of that
submission may vary depending upon the facts and circumstances. In
particular, the data and analytical tools available at the time a state
develops and submits its SIP for a new or revised NAAQS affects the
content of the submission. The contents of such SIP submissions may
also vary depending upon what provisions a state's existing SIP already
contains. In the case of the 1997 ozone NAAQS, states typically have
met the basic program elements required in section 110(a)(2) through
earlier SIP submissions in connection with previous NAAQS. In a
guidance issued on October 2, 2007, EPA noted that, to the extent an
existing SIP already meets the section 110(a)(2) requirements, states
need only to certify that fact via a letter to EPA.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Memorandum from William T. Harnett, Director, Air Quality
Policy Division, ``Guidance on SIP Elements Required Under Sections
110(a)(1) and (2) for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone and PM2.5
National Ambient Air Quality Standards'' (Oct. 2, 2007).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On March 27, 2008, EPA published a final rule entitled,
``Completeness Findings for Section 110(a) State Implementation Plans
for the 8-hour Ozone NAAQS'' (73 FR 16205). In the rule, EPA made a
finding for each state that it had submitted or had failed to submit a
complete SIP that provided the basic program elements of section
110(a)(2) necessary to implement the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. In
particular, EPA found that Utah had submitted a complete SIP
(``Infrastructure SIP'') to meet these requirements.
On May 23, 2011, EPA published a notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPR) for the State of Utah (76 FR 29688) to act on the State's
Infrastructure SIP for the 1997 ozone NAAQS. Specifically, in the NPR
EPA proposed approval of Utah's SIP as meeting the requirements of all
section 110(a)(2) elements with respect to the 1997 ozone NAAQS, aside
from elements 110(a)(2)(D)(i), 110(a)(2)(I), and the visibility
protection requirement of element 110(a)(2)(J), on which EPA did not
propose action.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ See the NPR (76 FR 29688) for further explanation regarding
the omission of elements 110(a)(2)(D)(i) and 110(a)(2)(I) from the
proposal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the May 23, 2011 NPR, EPA proposed to conditionally approve
element 110(a)(2)(B) for the 1997 ozone NAAQS. EPA had discovered
certain deficiencies in Utah's monitoring network plan and Utah
formally committed to submitting an adequate annual monitoring plan not
later than one year after the date of this final action to correct
those deficiencies.\3\ In the NPR, EPA also stated that if Utah does
not implement the measures specified in its commitment within one year
after the date of this final action, EPA's conditional approval will
automatically revert to disapproval of the infrastructure SIP for
section 110(a)(2)(B) for the 1997 ozone NAAQS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The specific measures Utah will take are detailed in the
commitment letter, which may be found in the docket for this action.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA proposed to approve element 110(a)(2)(C) for the 1997 ozone
NAAQS in the event that the State clarified (or modified) its December
3, 2007 and December 21, 2009 certifications to ensure consistency with
two rules related to regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
``Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Title V Greenhouse Gas
Tailoring Rule'' (``Tailoring Rule''), 75 FR 31514 (June 3, 2010), and
``Limitation of Approval of Prevention of Significant Deterioration
Provisions Concerning Greenhouse Gas Emitting-Sources in State
Implementation Plans'' (``PSD SIP Narrowing Rule''), 75 FR 82536 (Dec.
30, 2010). In the PSD SIP Narrowing Rule, EPA withdrew its previous
approval of Utah's prevention of significant deterioration (PSD)
program to the extent that it applied PSD permitting to GHG emissions
increases from GHG-emitting sources below thresholds set in the
Tailoring Rule. EPA withdrew its approval on the basis that the State
lacked sufficient resources to issue PSD permits to such sources at the
statutory thresholds in effect in the previously-approved PSD program.
After the PSD SIP Narrowing Rule, the portion of Utah's PSD SIP from
which EPA withdrew its approval had the status of having been submitted
to EPA but not yet acted upon. In its December 3, 2007 and December 21,
2009 certifications, Utah relied on its PSD program as approved at that
date--which was before December 30, 2010, the effective date of the PSD
SIP Narrowing Rule--to satisfy the requirements of infrastructure
element 110(a)(2)(C). Given EPA's basis for the PSD SIP Narrowing Rule,
EPA proposed approval of the Utah Infrastructure SIP for infrastructure
element (C) if either the State clarified (or modified) its
certification to make clear that the State relies only on the portion
of the PSD program that remains approved after the PSD SIP Narrowing
Rule issued on December 30, 2010, and for which the State has
sufficient resources to implement, or the State acted to withdraw from
EPA consideration the remaining portion of its PSD program submission
that would have applied PSD permitting to GHG sources below the
Tailoring Rule thresholds. On June 22, 2011, EPA received a letter from
Utah clarifying that the State relies only on the portion of the PSD
program that remains approved after the PSD SIP
[[Page 43900]]
Narrowing Rule issued on December 30, 2010.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Utah's June 22, 2011 clarification letter is available in
the docket for this action.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA's proposed approval of elements 110(a)(2)(C) and (J) for the
1997 ozone NAAQS was also contingent on the final approval of the
State's August 7, 2008 submittal. The State's PSD program, as
submitted, for the most part incorporates by reference the Federal
program at 40 CFR 52.21. The August 7, 2008 submittal updates the date
of incorporation by reference of the State's PSD program to July 7,
2007, therefore incorporating EPA's phase 2 implementation rule for the
1997 ozone NAAQS (Phase 2 Rule), which includes requirements for PSD
programs to treat nitrogen oxides (NOx) as a precursor for
ozone (72 FR 71612, November 29, 2005). EPA proposed approval of the
August 7, 2008 submittal on January 7, 2009 (74 FR 667), and finalized
approval on June 29, 2011. EPA therefore approves in full elements
110(a)(2)(C) and (J) with this action.
Scope of Infrastructure SIPs
EPA is currently acting upon SIPs that address the infrastructure
requirements of CAA section 110(a)(1) and (2) for ozone and
PM2.5 NAAQS for various states across the country.
Commenters on EPA's recent proposals for some states raised concerns
about EPA statements that it was not addressing certain substantive
issues in the context of acting on the infrastructure SIP
submissions.\5\ The commenters specifically raised concerns involving
provisions in existing SIPs and with EPA's statements that it would
address two issues separately and not as part of actions on the
infrastructure SIP submissions: (i) Existing provisions related to
excess emissions during periods of start-up, shutdown, or malfunction
at sources, that may be contrary to the CAA and EPA's policies
addressing such excess emissions (``SSM''); and (ii) existing
provisions related to ``director's variance'' or ``director's
discretion'' that purport to permit revisions to SIP approved emissions
limits with limited public process or without requiring further
approval by EPA, that may be contrary to the CAA (``director's
discretion''). EPA notes that there are two other substantive issues
for which EPA likewise stated that it would address the issues
separately: (i) Existing provisions for minor source new source review
programs that may be inconsistent with the requirements of the CAA and
EPA's regulations that pertain to such programs (``minor source new
source review (NSR)''); and (ii) existing provisions for Prevention of
Significant Deterioration programs that may be inconsistent with
current requirements of EPA's ``Final NSR Improvement Rule,'' 67 FR
80,186 (December 31, 2002), as amended by 72 FR 32,526 (June 13, 2007)
(``NSR Reform''). In light of the comments, EPA now believes that its
statements in various proposed actions on infrastructure SIPs with
respect to these four individual issues should be explained in greater
depth with respect to these issues.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ See, Comments of Midwest Environmental Defense Center, dated
May 31, 2011. Docket EPA-R05-OAR-2007-1179 (adverse
comments on proposals for three states in Region 5). EPA notes that
these public comments on another proposal are not relevant to this
rulemaking and do not have to be directly addressed in this
rulemaking. EPA will respond to these comments in the appropriate
rulemaking action to which they apply.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA intended the statements in the proposals concerning these four
issues merely to be informational, and to provide general notice of the
potential existence of provisions within the existing SIPs of some
states that might require future corrective action. EPA did not want
states, regulated entities, or members of the public to be under the
misconception that the Agency's approval of the infrastructure SIP
submission of a given state should be interpreted as a reapproval of
certain types of provisions that might exist buried in the larger
existing SIP for such state. Thus, for example, EPA explicitly noted
that the Agency believes that some states may have existing SIP
approved SSM provisions that are contrary to the CAA and EPA policy,
but that ``in this rulemaking, EPA is not proposing to approve or
disapprove any existing state provisions with regard to excess
emissions during SSM of operations at facilities.'' EPA further
explained, for informational purposes, that ``EPA plans to address such
State regulations in the future.'' EPA made similar statements, for
similar reasons, with respect to the director's discretion, minor
source NSR, and NSR Reform issues. EPA's objective was to make clear
that approval of an infrastructure SIP for these ozone and
PM2.5 NAAQS should not be construed as explicit or implicit
reapproval of any existing provisions that relate to these four
substantive issues.
Unfortunately, the commenters and others evidently interpreted
these statements to mean that EPA considered action upon the SSM
provisions and the other three substantive issues to be integral parts
of acting on an infrastructure SIP submission, and therefore that EPA
was merely postponing taking final action on the issue in the context
of the infrastructure SIPs. This was not EPA's intention. To the
contrary, EPA only meant to convey its awareness of the potential for
certain types of deficiencies in existing SIPs, and to prevent any
misunderstanding that it was reapproving any such existing provisions.
EPA's intention was to convey its position that the statute does not
require that infrastructure SIPs address these specific substantive
issues in existing SIPs and that these issues may be dealt with
separately, outside the context of acting on the infrastructure SIP
submission of a state. To be clear, EPA did not mean to imply that it
was not taking a full final agency action on the infrastructure SIP
submission with respect to any substantive issue that EPA considers to
be a required part of acting on such submissions under section 110(k)
or under section 110(c). Given the confusion evidently resulting from
EPA's statements, however, we want to explain more fully the Agency's
reasons for concluding that these four potential substantive issues in
existing SIPs may be addressed separately.
The requirement for the SIP submissions at issue arises out of CAA
section 110(a)(1). That provision requires that states must make a SIP
submission ``within 3 years (or such shorter period as the
Administrator may prescribe) after the promulgation of a national
primary ambient air quality standard (or any revision thereof)'' and
that these SIPS are to provide for the ``implementation, maintenance,
and enforcement'' of such NAAQS. Section 110(a)(2) includes a list of
specific elements that ``[e]ach such plan'' submission must meet. EPA
has historically referred to these particular submissions that states
must make after the promulgation of a new or revised NAAQS as
``infrastructure SIPs.'' This specific term does not appear in the
statute, but EPA uses the term to distinguish this particular type of
SIP submission designed to address basic structural requirements of a
SIP from other types of SIP submissions designed to address other
different requirements, such as ``nonattainment SIP'' submissions
required to address the nonattainment planning requirements of part D,
``regional haze SIP'' submissions required to address the visibility
protection requirements of CAA section 169A, NSR permitting program
submissions required to address the requirements of part D, and a host
of other specific types of SIP submissions that address other specific
matters.
Although section 110(a)(1) addresses the timing and general
requirements for these infrastructure SIPs, and section 110(a)(2)
provides more details
[[Page 43901]]
concerning the required contents of these infrastructure SIPs, EPA
believes that many of the specific statutory provisions are facially
ambiguous. In particular, the list of required elements provided in
section 110(a)(2) contains a wide variety of disparate provisions, some
of which pertain to required legal authority, some of which pertain to
required substantive provisions, and some of which pertain to
requirements for both authority and substantive provisions.\6\ Some of
the elements of section 110(a)(2) are relatively straightforward, but
others clearly require interpretation by EPA through rulemaking, or
recommendations through guidance, in order to give specific meaning for
a particular NAAQS.\7\
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\6\ For example, section 110(a)(2)(E) provides that states must
provide assurances that they have adequate legal authority under
state and local law to carry out the SIP; section 110(a)(2)(C)
provides that states must have a substantive program to address
certain sources as required by part C of the CAA; section
110(a)(2)(G) provides that states must have both legal authority to
address emergencies and substantive contingency plans in the event
of such an emergency.
\7\ For example, section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) requires EPA to be sure
that each SIP contains adequate provisions to prevent significant
contribution to nonattainment of the NAAQS in other states. This
provision contains numerous terms that require substantial
rulemaking by EPA in order to determine such basic points as what
constitutes significant contribution. See, e.g., ``Rule To Reduce
Interstate Transport of Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone (Clean Air
Interstate Rule); Revisions to Acid Rain Program; Revisions to the
NOX SIP Call; Final Rule,'' 70 FR 25,162 (May 12,
2005)(defining, among other things, the phrase ``contribute
significantly to nonattainment'').
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Notwithstanding that section 110(a)(2) states that ``each'' SIP
submission must meet the list of requirements therein, EPA has long
noted that this literal reading of the statute is internally
inconsistent, insofar as section 110(a)(2)(I) pertains to nonattainment
SIP requirements that could not be met on the schedule provided for
these SIP submissions in section 110(a)(1).\8\ This illustrates that
EPA must determine which provisions of section 110(a)(2) may be
applicable for a given infrastructure SIP submission. Similarly, EPA
has previously decided that it could take action on different parts of
the larger, general ``infrastructure SIP'' for a given NAAQS without
concurrent action on all subsections, such as section 110(a)(2)(D)(i),
because the Agency bifurcated the action on these latter ``interstate
transport'' provisions within section 110(a)(2) and worked with states
to address each of the four prongs of section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) with
substantive administrative actions proceeding on different tracks with
different schedules.\9\ This illustrates that EPA may conclude that
subdividing the applicable requirements of section 110(a)(2) into
separate SIP actions may sometimes be appropriate for a given NAAQS
where a specific substantive action is necessitated, beyond a mere
submission addressing basic structural aspects of the SIP. Finally, EPA
notes that not every element of section 110(a)(2) would be relevant, or
as relevant, or relevant in the same way, for each new or revised NAAQS
and the attendant infrastructure SIP submission for that NAAQS. For
example, the monitoring requirements that might be necessary for
purposes of section 110(a)(2)(B) for one NAAQS could be very different
than what might be necessary for a different pollutant. Thus, the
content of an infrastructure SIP submission to meet this element from a
state might be very different for an entirely new NAAQS, versus a minor
revision to an existing NAAQS.\10\
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\8\ See, e.g., Id., 70 FR 25,162, at 63-65 (May 12, 2005)
(explaining relationship between timing requirement of section
110(a)(2)(D) versus section 110(a)(2)(I)).
\9\ EPA issued separate guidance to states with respect to SIP
submissions to meet section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) for the 1997 ozone and
1997 PM2.5 NAAQS. See, ``Guidance for State
Implementation Plan (SIP) Submissions to Meet Current Outstanding
Obligations Under Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) for the 8-Hour Ozone and
PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards,'' from
William T. Harnett, Director Air Quality Policy Division OAQPS, to
Regional Air Division Director, Regions I-X, dated August 15, 2006.
\10\ For example, implementation of the 1997 PM2.5
NAAQS required the deployment of a system of new monitors to measure
ambient levels of that new indicator species for the new NAAQS.
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Similarly, EPA notes that other types of SIP submissions required
under the statute also must meet the requirements of section 110(a)(2),
and this also demonstrates the need to identify the applicable elements
for other SIP submissions. For example, nonattainment SIPs required by
part D likewise have to meet the relevant subsections of section
110(a)(2) such as section 110(a)(2)(A) or (E). By contrast, it is clear
that nonattainment SIPs would not need to meet the portion of section
110(a)(2)(C) that pertains to part C, i.e., the PSD requirement
applicable in attainment areas. Nonattainment SIPs required by part D
also would not need to address the requirements of section 110(a)(2)(G)
with respect to emergency episodes, as such requirements would not be
limited to nonattainment areas. As this example illustrates, each type
of SIP submission may implicate some subsections of section 110(a)(2)
and not others.
Given the potential for ambiguity of the statutory language of
section 110(a)(1) and (2), EPA believes that it is appropriate for EPA
to interpret that language in the context of acting on the
infrastructure SIPs for a given NAAQS. Because of the inherent
ambiguity of the list of requirements in section 110(a)(2), EPA has
adopted an approach in which it reviews infrastructure SIPs against
this list of elements ``as applicable.'' In other words, EPA assumes
that Congress could not have intended that each and every SIP
submission, regardless of the purpose of the submission or the NAAQS in
question, would meet each of the requirements, or meet each of them in
the same way. EPA elected to use guidance to make recommendations for
infrastructure SIPs for these NAAQS.
On October 2, 2007, EPA issued guidance making recommendations for
the infrastructure SIP submissions for both the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS
and the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS.\11\ Within this guidance document,
EPA described the duty of states to make these submissions to meet what
the Agency characterized as the ``infrastructure'' elements for SIPs,
which it further described as the ``basic SIP requirements, including
emissions inventories, monitoring, and modeling to assure attainment
and maintenance of the standards.'' \12\ As further identification of
these basic structural SIP requirements, ``attachment A'' to the
guidance document included a short description of the various elements
of section 110(a)(2) and additional information about the types of
issues that EPA considered germane in the context of such
infrastructure SIPs. EPA emphasized that the description of the basic
requirements listed on attachment A was not intended ``to constitute an
interpretation of'' the requirements, and was merely a ``brief
description of the required elements.'' \13\ EPA also stated its belief
that with one exception, these requirements were ``relatively self
explanatory, and past experience with SIPs for other NAAQS should
enable States to meet these requirements with
[[Page 43902]]
assistance from EPA Regions.'' \14\ For the one exception to that
general assumption, however, i.e., how states should proceed with
respect to the requirements of section 110(a)(2)(G) for the 1997
PM2.5 NAAQS, EPA gave much more specific recommendations.
But for other infrastructure SIP submittals, and for certain elements
of the submittals for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS, EPA assumed that
each state would work with its corresponding EPA regional office to
refine the scope of a state's submittal based on an assessment of how
the requirements of section 110(a)(2) should reasonably apply to the
basic structure of the SIP for the NAAQS in question.
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\11\ See, ``Guidance on SIP Elements Required Under Section
110(a)(1) and (2) for the 1997 8-hour Ozone and PM2.5
National Ambient Air Quality Standards,'' from William T. Harnett,
Director Air Quality Policy Division, to Air Division Directors,
Regions I-X, dated October 2, 2007 (the ``2007 Guidance''). EPA
issued comparable guidance for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS
entitled ``Guidance on SIP Elements Required Under Sections
110(a)(1) and (2) for the 2006 24-Hour Fine Particle
(PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS),''
from William T, Harnett, Director Air Quality Policy Division, to
Regional Air Division Directors, Regions I-X, dated September 25,
2009 (the ``2009 Guidance'').
\12\ Id., at page 2.
\13\ Id., at attachment A, page 1.
\14\ Id., at page 4. In retrospect, the concerns raised by
commenters with respect to EPA's approach to some substantive issues
indicates that the statute is not so ``self explanatory,'' and
indeed is sufficiently ambiguous that EPA needs to interpret it in
order to explain why these substantive issues do not need to be
addressed in the context of infrastructure SIPs and may be addressed
at other times and by other means.
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Significantly, the 2007 Guidance did not explicitly refer to the
SSM, director's discretion, minor source NSR, or NSR Reform issues as
among specific substantive issues EPA expected states to address in the
context of the infrastructure SIPs, nor did EPA give any more specific
recommendations with respect to how states might address such issues
even if they elected to do so. The SSM and director's discretion issues
implicate section 110(a)(2)(A), and the minor source NSR and NSR Reform
issues implicate section 110(a)(2)(C). In the 2007 Guidance, however,
EPA did not indicate to states that it intended to interpret these
provisions as requiring a substantive submission to address these
specific issues in the context of the infrastructure SIPs for these
NAAQS. Instead, EPA's 2007 Guidance merely indicated its belief that
the states should make submissions in which they established that they
have the basic SIP structure necessary to implement, maintain, and
enforce the NAAQS. EPA believes that states can establish that they
have the basic SIP structure, notwithstanding that there may be
potential deficiencies within the existing SIP. Thus, EPA's proposals
mentioned these issues not because the Agency considers them issues
that must be addressed in the context of an infrastructure SIP as
required by section 110(a)(1) and (2), but rather because EPA wanted to
be clear that it considers these potential existing SIP problems as
separate from the pending infrastructure SIP actions.
EPA believes that this approach to the infrastructure SIP
requirement is reasonable, because it would not be feasible to read
section 110(a)(1) and (2) to require a top to bottom, stem to stern,
review of each and every provision of an existing SIP merely for
purposes of assuring that the state in question has the basic
structural elements for a functioning SIP for a new or revised NAAQS.
Because SIPs have grown by accretion over the decades as statutory and
regulatory requirements under the CAA have evolved, they may include
some outmoded provisions and historical artifacts that, while not fully
up to date, nevertheless may not pose a significant problem for the
purposes of ``implementation, maintenance, and enforcement'' of a new
or revised NAAQS when EPA considers the overall effectiveness of the
SIP. To the contrary, EPA believes that a better approach is for EPA to
determine which specific SIP elements from section 110(a)(2) are
applicable to an infrastructure SIP for a given NAAQS, and to focus
attention on those elements that are most likely to need a specific SIP
revision in light of the new or revised NAAQS. Thus, for example, EPA's
2007 Guidance specifically directed states to focus on the requirements
of section 110(a)(2)(G) for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS because of
the absence of underlying EPA regulations for emergency episodes for
this NAAQS and an anticipated absence of relevant provisions in
existing SIPs.
Finally, EPA believes that its approach is a reasonable reading of
section 110(a)(1) and (2) because the statute provides other avenues
and mechanisms to address specific substantive deficiencies in existing
SIPs. These other statutory tools allow the Agency to take appropriate
tailored action, depending upon the nature and severity of the alleged
SIP deficiency. Section 110(k)(5) authorizes EPA to issue a ``SIP
call'' whenever the Agency determines that a SIP is substantially
inadequate to attain or maintain the NAAQS, to mitigate interstate
transport, or otherwise to comply with the CAA.\15\ Section 110(k)(6)
authorizes EPA to correct errors in past actions, such as past
approvals of SIP submissions.\16\ Significantly, EPA's determination
that an action on the infrastructure SIP is not the appropriate time
and place to address all potential existing SIP problems does not
preclude the Agency's subsequent reliance on provisions in section
110(a)(2) as part of the basis for action at a later time. For example,
although it may not be appropriate to require a state to eliminate all
existing inappropriate director's discretion provisions in the course
of acting on the infrastructure SIP, EPA believes that section
110(a)(2)(A) may be among the statutory bases that the Agency cites in
the course of addressing the issue in a subsequent action.\17\
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\15\ EPA has recently issued a SIP call to rectify a specific
SIP deficiency related to the SSM issue. See, ``Finding of
Substantial Inadequacy of Implementation Plan; Call for Utah State
Implementation Plan Revision,'' 74 FR 21,639 (April 18, 2011).
\16\ EPA has recently utilized this authority to correct errors
in past actions on SIP submissions related to PSD programs. See,
``Limitation of Approval of Prevention of Significant Deterioration
Provisions Concerning Greenhouse Gas Emitting-Sources in State
Implementation Plans; Final Rule,'' 75 FR 82,536 (Dec. 30, 2010).
EPA has previously used its authority under CAA 110(k)(6) to remove
numerous other SIP provisions that the Agency determined it had
approved in error. See, e.g., 61 FR 38,664 (July 25, 1996) and 62 FR
34,641 (June 27, 1997) (corrections to American Samoa, Arizona,
California, Hawaii, and Nevada SIPs); 69 FR 67,062 (November 16,
2004) (corrections to California SIP); and 74 FR 57,051 (November 3,
2009) (corrections to Arizona and Nevada SIPs).
\17\ EPA has recently disapproved a SIP submission from Colorado
on the grounds that it would have included a director's discretion
provision inconsistent with CAA requirements, including section
110(a)(2)(A). See, e.g., 75 FR 42,342 at 42,344 (July 21,2010)
(proposed disapproval of director's discretion provisions); 76 FR
4,540 (Jan. 26, 2011) (final disapproval of such provisions).
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II. Response to Comments
EPA received two comment letters on June 22, 2011, one from
WildEarth Guardians (WEG) and the other from Western Resource Advocates
(WRA), both environmental organizations. The WRA comment letter was
written on behalf of both WRA and the organization Utah Physicians for
a Healthy Environment (UPHE). The significant comments made by WRA and
EPA's responses to those comments are given below in Section (A). The
significant comments made by WEG and EPA's responses to those comments
are given below in Section (B).
Section A: WRA Comments and EPA Responses
Comment No. 1: The commenter stated that the State of Utah must
strike from its regulations ``any provisions allowing `director's
discretion' to change unilaterally EPA-approved SIP-based emission
limits, permitting variances and exempting excess startup, shutdown and
malfunction emissions from compliance and enforcement provisions.'' The
commenter further stated that ``definitive EPA action'' on such
provisions ``cannot come too soon.''
EPA Response: EPA shares the commenter's concerns that such
provisions can have adverse impacts on air planning and enforcement,
and as a result can have an adverse impact on
[[Page 43903]]
protection of public health. As discussed in greater depth in the
Background section, EPA is not addressing startup, shutdown, and
malfunction (SSM), variance, or director's discretion provisions in the
context of this action on 110(a)(2) requirements for the 1997 ozone
NAAQS. As stated in the NPR, EPA intends to address these issues
separately at a later date.
However, with respect to the commenter's concerns about SSM
provisions, EPA notes that the Agency has already issued a finding of
substantial inadequacy and called for a SIP revision for Utah's
``unavoidable breakdown'' rule (76 FR 21639, Apr. 18, 2011). This
action preceded, was independent of, and was not required for our
action on section 110(a)(2)(A) for the 1997 ozone NAAQS. EPA considers
this an important step towards addressing the issue noted by the
commenter.
Comment No. 2: The commenter supported EPA efforts to address
issues concerning the monitoring network for ozone in Utah. In
particular, the commenter supported EPA's efforts to encourage the
State to address the monitoring network in the Saint George area,
specifically by completing its ozone saturation study in 2011, using
that study to identify maximum concentration locations, and adjusting
the monitoring network as required by the study. However, the commenter
also urged EPA to require immediate action from the State to ensure
adequate monitoring in the Saint George area, and, if necessary,
immediately implement any controls necessary to bring the area into
compliance with the ozone NAAQS.
EPA Response: EPA acknowledges the support for our conditional
approval, based on Utah's commitment to make improvements with regard
to monitoring as the commenter described. EPA notes that the State has
committed to doing so within one year, and that with this data the
State and EPA can then evaluate what additional actions may be
necessary based upon better information concerning the ambient air
quality in the area.
With respect to the 1997 ozone NAAQS, the data collected in
southern Utah have not suggested a potential for ozone levels to
violate that standard. From data collected in Zion National Park (2004-
2010), Saint George (1995-1997), Santa Clara (2008-2010), and Mesquite,
Nevada (33 miles southwest of Saint George and 13 miles from the Utah
border), the highest design value recorded was 79 parts per billion
(ppb) in Zion National Park in 2004-2006. While the current Santa Clara
monitor has not been shown to be sited to measure maximum concentration
monitoring, there is no evidence to suggest a maximum concentration
monitoring site elsewhere would record data in excess of the 1997 ozone
NAAQS. Utah's commitment to ensuring that a monitor is placed at the
maximum concentration site will allow the State and EPA to correctly
assess air quality in the Saint George metropolitan statistical area
(MSA).
Comment No. 3: The commenter supported EPA's efforts to regulate
greenhouse gases.
EPA Response: EPA presumes that the commenter's support related to
EPA's efforts to insure that the Utah infrastructure SIP adequately
addresses PSD permitting requirements with respect to greenhouse gases
as discussed in the NPR in accordance with the PSD SIP Narrowing Rule.
As discussed in the background section above, in response to our
proposal, Utah clarified that its infrastructure certification should
not be read to rely on the portion of the PSD program for which the PSD
SIP Narrowing Rule withdrew approval. Therefore, EPA has concluded that
the current EPA approved Utah SIP is consistent with section
110(a)(2)(C) for purposes of greenhouse gases.
Comment No. 4: The commenter supported EPA's efforts to require
ozone monitoring in Utah's Uinta Basin. However, the commenter urged
EPA to use existing ozone monitoring data, which the commenter claimed
``plainly show that air quality in the basin is not in compliance with
the ozone standard,'' to designate the Uinta Basin as nonattainment for
ozone.\18\ The commenter also urged EPA to require Utah to install
monitors in Vernal, Utah.
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\18\ The comment does not precisely state which existing ozone
monitoring data the commenter refers to. For a discussion of other
monitoring data in the Uinta Basin, see the response to comment 1 in
section B below.
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EPA Response: EPA shares the concerns of the commenters with
respect to the monitoring network in Utah. However, in this action EPA
is evaluating the adequacy of the infrastructure SIP of the State with
respect to the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA has specific regulatory
requirements at 40 CFR part 58 that provide requirements for the
ambient air monitoring network required by section 110(a)(2)(B) of the
Act for these NAAQS.
As discussed in the response to comment 3 in section B below, 40
CFR part 58 does not contain requirements for the State to monitor for
ozone in the Uinta Basin. EPA therefore has no basis in this action to
disapprove the infrastructure SIP due to the absence of an ozone
monitor in Vernal. Nonetheless, EPA notes that both Utah Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and
Ouray Reservation began ozone monitoring in the Uinta Basin in 2011.
These monitors should provide data that can be used to evaluate the
appropriate designation for the Uinta Basin area, once there is
sufficient data. Promulgation of area designations for a NAAQS is
outside the scope of this action, the purpose of which is limited to
review the Utah SIP for compliance with the infrastructure SIP
requirements of section 110(a)(2) for the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS.
Comment No. 5: The commenter stated that ``Utah's PSD program fails
to comply'' with the CAA, and therefore encouraged EPA to disapprove
the State's submission with regards to its PSD program and the
requirements of section 110(a)(2)(J). Specifically, the commenter
asserted that the State's PSD program fails to comply with 40 CFR
70.4(b)(3)(x) with respect to the availability of state judicial review
for persons who participated in the public process required under 40
CFR 70.7(h). In essence, the commenter cited rules and statutes
governing Utah administrative appeal proceedings, including
administrative appeal of PSD permits issued by the State, and argued
(for several reasons) that these provide inadequate opportunity for
members of the public to participate in administrative appeals. The
commenter linked this to the availability of state judicial review of
PSD permits by citing a statutory requirement in Utah's Administrative
Procedure Act requiring parties seeking judicial review to exhaust all
administrative remedies available.
EPA Response: In this action, EPA is evaluating the State's PSD
permit program under sections 110(a)(2)(C) and (J), and, more
generally, Utah's SIP under section 110(a)(2). The regulatory provision
that the commenter cited, 40 CFR 70.4(b)(3), and the corresponding
statutory provision in section 503(b)(6) of the CAA, apply only to
Title V operating permit programs. In other words, section 503(b)(6)
and 40 CFR 70.4(b)(3) do not apply to PSD permits. Furthermore, Utah's
Title V program is not part of the Utah SIP. Therefore, any potential
deficiency in Utah's Title V program with regards to availability of
state judicial review is outside the scope of this action on the
infrastructure SIP, and the comment gives us no basis to
[[Page 43904]]
change our proposed action on section 110(a)(2)(J).\19\
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\19\ Although EPA is not assessing the availability of state
judicial review for PSD permits issued by Utah, as the CAA makes no
requirements regarding such availability, EPA also notes that the
comment does not explain, for example, why denial of a petition to
intervene in a state administrative PSD permit proceeding would not
exhaust the petitioner's administrative remedies and therefore make
state judicial review available to the petitioner.
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In addition, the comment expressed concerns primarily with a
version of Utah Administrative Code (UAC) section R305-6-202 that the
comment describes as effective July, 2011. The commenter did not
provide a copy of the section showing that it had been adopted. A
proposal to adopt the version of R305-6-202 for which the comment
provides concerns was published in the Utah State Bulletin on March 15,
2011, with a potential effective date of July 1, 2011.\20\ Subsequent
issues of the Utah State Bulletin (through June 15, 2011) have not
provided a notice of effective date for the proposal, a requirement
under section 63G-301-3(12) of the Utah Administrative Procedures Act
for a rule to become effective. Thus, the rule has only been proposed
and not adopted, and any deficiencies there may be within it do not
provide a basis for EPA to change its proposed approval of the current
Utah infrastructure SIP for the 1997 ozone NAAQS for elements
110(a)(2)(C) and (J).
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\20\ Similarly, a proposed conforming amendment to UAC section
R307-103 (containing the current administrative procedures for
adjudicative proceedings under the Utah Air Conservation Act) was
published May 1, 2011, but no notice of effective date has been
published. The status of these proposals is confirmed by the Utah
Division of Administrative Rules Web page, Rules Effective Since
Last Codification, available at https://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/codificationsegue.htm (last visited June 29, 2011).
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Section B: WEG Comments and EPA Responses
Comment No. 1: The commenter expressed concern that Utah's SIP
fails ``to attain and maintain the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS in the Uinta
Basin.'' The commenter pointed to existing monitoring data from two
monitors in the Uinta Basin over two years and part of a third to argue
that the standard is currently being violated.\21\ The commenter
asserted that EPA cannot find that Utah's SIP meets section
110(a)(2)(1) and (2) requirements unless the EPA addresses the high
ozone levels in the Uinta Basin and uses the resources necessary ``to
attain and maintain the NAAQS.''
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\21\ The monitoring data provided by WEG to support this
argument is available in the docket for this action.
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EPA Response: EPA disagrees with the commenter's view that the
monitor data asserted by the commenter has a bearing on the action on
the State's infrastructure SIP submission. First, there are currently
no nonattainment areas designated in Utah for the 1997 ozone NAAQS.
Thus, the State is not currently under an obligation to submit a SIP to
meet the requirements of Part D of title I. More importantly, as
explained in the NPR, Part D requirements are outside the scope of this
action. EPA therefore disagrees with the assertion that, as a result of
the cited monitoring data, EPA cannot approve the Utah infrastructure
SIP for the 1997 ozone NAAQS.
Furthermore, EPA notes that data cited by the commenter is also not
of the type that is needed for making attainment determinations. The
monitoring data referenced by the commenter was collected by industrial
entities at non-regulatory monitors located in Indian country, outside
the jurisdiction of the State of Utah. Furthermore, data collected by
the National Park Service in Dinosaur National Monument (albeit also
using a non-regulatory monitoring method) indicate a preliminary design
value of only 73 ppb for the maximum 3-year average in 2009-2011. This
data represents the ambient level at a geographic location within the
Uinta Basin that is available outside Indian country in Utah. Thus,
there is currently no data from monitoring sites on State jurisdiction
lands in or near the Uinta Basin showing violations of the 1997 ozone
standard.
Comment No. 2: The commenter claims that the State's commitment
letter to update its ozone monitoring network does not represent a
commitment that justifies conditional approval, as the letter does not
commit to ensuring the actual installation of a monitor in the Saint
George area in accordance with 40 CFR part 58, Appendix D, 4.1(b), and
other requirements. The commenter also states that EPA did not clearly
state the timeline by which a conditional approval reverts to a
disapproval, and requests EPA to clarify this statement.
EPA Response: EPA disagrees with this comment. The commitment by
the State is appropriately tailored to require the analysis necessary
to determine if a monitor should be installed in the Saint George's
area. The letter acknowledges that the State has not demonstrated that
the existing Santa Clara monitor represents the maximum concentration
site in the Saint George core-based statistical area (CBSA) and that
the Zion monitoring site operated by the National Park Service has
recorded higher ozone values. The letter commits to completing the
current saturation study to determine whether the Santa Clara site
represents the maximum concentration site, and, if the study shows it
necessary, to relocate the monitor in accordance with the requirements
of section 4.1 of Appendix D. Of course, if the study is sufficient to
demonstrate that the existing Santa Clara site meets the requirements
of Appendix D, then no further action is necessary to comply with
Appendix D.
Appendix D requires that Utah operate an ozone monitor in the Saint
George CBSA, requires that at least one monitor in the Saint George
CBSA be designed to measure maximum concentration, and that the siting
of the Saint George monitor(s) be approved by the EPA Regional
Administrator. EPA's conditional approval requires Utah to comply with
these requirements within 1 year of the publication of the final rule.
If the EPA Regional Administrator has not approved the monitor siting
in the Saint George CBSA within 1 year of publication of the final
rule, the conditional approval of the Utah infrastructure SIP for
section 110(a)(2)(B) for the 1997 ozone NAAQS will automatically revert
to disapproval.
Comment No. 3: The commenter expressed concern that the ozone
monitoring sites in the Uinta Basin do not fully comply with 40 CFR
part 58, specifically the requirement that ``monitors are sited to
ensure that maximum concentrations are recorded.'' The commenter also
stated that, in order to meet the requirements of section 110(a)(2)(B),
EPA must ensure the Utah SIP requires the State to monitor ozone during
the winter months, particularly in the Uinta Basin. The commenter
asserted that monitoring should continue during the winter months when
the highest ambient levels occur.
EPA Response: EPA disagrees with the commenter's view that the
current SIP is not approvable under section 110(a)(2)(B), based on the
monitoring concerns raised by the commenter. The existing Utah ozone
monitoring network and plan comply with 40 CFR part 58 requirements
with respect to Uintah, Duchesne and Carbon counties. 40 CFR part 58
does not currently require ozone monitoring in the Uinta Basin, because
ozone monitoring is only required in Metropolitan Statistical Areas
(MSAs). Furthermore, the maximum concentration monitoring requirement
of Appendix D applies specifically to monitoring in MSAs, defined in 40
CFR 58.1 as ``a CBSA associated with at least
[[Page 43905]]
one urbanized area of 50,000 population or greater.'' There are no such
MSAs in Uintah, Duchesne, or Carbon counties.
With respect to the season during which monitoring is currently
required, the required ozone monitoring seasons are provided in
Appendix D, which currently specifies monitoring from May through
September. EPA published a proposed revision to the ozone monitoring
season for Utah on July 16, 2009 (74 FR 34525). EPA then published more
recent data from Utah, Colorado and Kansas relevant to that proposal in
a Notice of Data Availability on November 10, 2010 (75 FR 60936) and
solicited comment on the applicability of that data to the required
monitoring season at that time. If EPA finalizes the proposed revisions
to the ozone monitoring season for Utah, the monitoring season will be
extended and EPA anticipates that this would help to address the
underlying concern of the commenters. At this point, however, Utah
complies with the existing monitoring season requirements of Appendix
D.
Comment No. 4: The commenter states that EPA cannot approve Utah's
SIP as meeting CAA section 110(a)(2)(L) requirements. Citing 42 U.S.C.
section 7661a(b)(3)(B)(v) and 40 CFR 70.9(b)(2)(iv), the commenter
argues that Utah's Title V program does not increase permit fees each
year in accordance with the Consumer Price Index as required.
EPA Response: EPA disagrees with this comment. As stated in the
text of the section, 110(a)(2)(L) is no longer applicable to Title V
operating permit programs after approval of such programs. As noted in
the NPR, the Administrator's final approval of Utah's Title V operating
permit program, including the Title V fee program, became effective on
July 10, 1995 (60 FR 30192). Therefore, EPA concludes that the Utah
infrastructure SIP for the 1997 ozone NAAQS meets the requirements of
section 110(a)(2)(L) with respect to the Title V program.
III. Final Action
In this action, EPA is approving in full the following section
110(a)(2) infrastructure elements for Utah for the 1997 ozone NAAQS:
(A), (C), (D)(ii), (E), (F), (G), (H), (J), (K), (L), and (M). EPA is
conditionally approving section 110(a)(2)(B) for the 1997 ozone NAAQS,
and will fully approve this element if Utah takes the measures detailed
in the State's May 12, 2011 commitment letter within one year after the
date of this final action. If, however, Utah does not implement the
measures specified in its commitment within one year after the date of
this action, EPA's conditional approval will automatically revert to
disapproval of the infrastructure SIP for section 110(a)(2)(B) for the
1997 ozone NAAQS.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP
submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and applicable
Federal regulations (42 U.S.C. 7410(k), 40 CFR 52.02(a)). Thus, in
reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. Accordingly, this
action merely approves some state law as meeting Federal requirements
and disapproves other state law because it does not meet Federal
requirements; this action does not impose additional requirements
beyond those imposed by state law. For that reason, this action:
Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' subject to
review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order
12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993);
Does not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
Is certified as not having a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
Does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4);
Does not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);is not an
economically significant regulatory action based on health or safety
risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997);
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
Is not subject to requirements of section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272
note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent
with the CAA; and,
Does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to
address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental
effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
In addition, this rule does not have Tribal implications as specified
by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because the
SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in the State,
and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct costs on
Tribal governments or preempt Tribal law.
The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the
United States. EPA will submit a report containing this action and
other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot
take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal
Register. This action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C.
804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for
judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court
of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by September 20, 2011. Filing a
petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule
does not affect the finality of this action for the purposes of
judicial review nor does it extend the time within which a petition for
judicial review may be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness
of such rule or action. This action may not be challenged later in
proceedings to enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).)
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Carbon monoxide,
Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Lead, Nitrogen
dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: June 30, 2011.
James B. Martin,
Regional Administrator, Region 8.
40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:
PART 52--[AMENDED]
0
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart TT--Utah
0
2. Section 52.2355 is added to read as follows:
[[Page 43906]]
Sec. 52.2355 Section 110(a)(2) infrastructure requirements.
On December 3, 2007 Jon L. Huntsman, Jr., Governor, State of Utah,
submitted a certification letter which provides the State of Utah's SIP
provisions which meet the requirements of CAA Section 110(a)(1) and (2)
relevant to the 1997 Ozone NAAQS. On December 21, 2009 M. Cheryl
Heying, Director, Utah Division of Air Quality, Department of
Environmental Quality for the State of Utah, submitted supporting
documentation which provides the State of Utah's SIP provisions which
meet the requirements of CAA Section 110(a)(1) and (2) relevant to the
1997 Ozone NAAQS.
[FR Doc. 2011-18416 Filed 7-21-11; 8:45 am]
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