Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; West Virginia; Redesignation of the West Virginia Portion of the Wheeling, WV-OH 1997 Annual Fine Particulate Matter Nonattainment Area to Attainment and Approval of the Associated Maintenance Plan, 44487-44494 [2013-17704]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 142 / Wednesday, July 24, 2013 / Proposed Rules
• Explain your views as clearly as
possible, avoiding the use of profanity
or personal threats.
• Make sure to submit your
comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
C. Where can I get a copy of this
document and other related
information?
In addition to being available in the
docket, an electronic copy of this notice
will be posted at https://www.epa.gov/
air/ozonepollution/actions.html#impl.
Dated: July 17, 2013.
Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning
and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2013–17830 Filed 7–23–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Parts 52 and 81
[EPA–R03–OAR–2012–0368; FRL–9836–1]
Approval and Promulgation of Air
Quality Implementation Plans; West
Virginia; Redesignation of the West
Virginia Portion of the Wheeling, WV–
OH 1997 Annual Fine Particulate Matter
Nonattainment Area to Attainment and
Approval of the Associated
Maintenance Plan
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule; supplemental.
AGENCY:
EPA is issuing a supplement
to its proposed approval of the State of
West Virginia’s request to redesignate
the West Virginia portion of the
Wheeling, WV–OH fine particulate
matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area
(Wheeling Area or Area) to attainment
for the 1997 annual PM2.5 national
ambient air quality standard (NAAQS).
This supplemental proposal revises and
expands the basis for proposing
approval of the State’s request in light
of developments since EPA issued its
initial proposal on December 11, 2012.
This supplemental proposal addresses
the effects of the decision of the United
States Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia (D.C. Circuit Court) on
January 4, 2013 to remand to EPA two
final rules implementing the PM2.5
NAAQS. EPA is seeking comment only
on the issues raised in this
supplemental proposal and is not
reopening for comment other issues
raised in its prior proposal.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before August 23, 2013.
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SUMMARY:
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Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID Number EPA–
R03–OAR–2012–0368 by one of the
following methods:
A. www.regulations.gov. Follow the
on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
B. Email: fernandez.cristina@epa.gov.
C. Mail: EPA–R03–OAR–2012–0368,
Cristina Fernandez, Associate Director,
Office of Air Program Planning,
Mailcode 3AP30, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region III, 1650
Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
19103.
D. Hand Delivery: At the previouslylisted EPA Region III address. Such
deliveries are only accepted during the
Docket’s normal hours of operation, and
special arrangements should be made
for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
Docket ID No. EPA–R03–OAR–2012–
0368. EPA’s policy is that all comments
received will be included in the public
docket without change, and may be
made available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided, unless
the comment includes information
claimed to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected through www.regulations.gov
or email. The www.regulations.gov Web
site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system,
which means EPA will not know your
identity or contact information unless
you provide it in the body of your
comment. If you send an email
comment directly to EPA without going
through www.regulations.gov, your
email address will be automatically
captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public
docket and made available on the
Internet. If you submit an electronic
comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name and other contact
information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD–ROM
you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties
and cannot contact you for clarification,
EPA may not be able to consider your
comment. Electronic files should avoid
the use of special characters, any form
of encryption, and be free of any defects
or viruses.
Docket: All documents in the
electronic docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. Although
listed in the index, some information is
not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
ADDRESSES:
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is not placed on the Internet and will be
publicly available only in hard copy
form. Publicly available docket
materials are available either
electronically in www.regulations.gov or
in hard copy during normal business
hours at the Air Protection Division,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Region III, 1650 Arch Street,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.
Copies of the State submittal are
available at the West Virginia
Department of Environmental
Protection, Division of Air Quality, 601
57th Street SE., Charleston, West
Virginia 25304.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rose
Quinto, (215) 814–2182, or by email at
quinto.rose@epa.gov.
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Effect of the January 4, 2013 D.C. Circuit
Decision Regarding the PM2.5
Implementation Under Subpart 4
A. Background
B. Supplemental Proposal on This Issue
1. Applicable Requirements for Purposes of
Evaluating the Redesignation Request
2. Subpart 4 Requirements and Wheeling
Area’s Redesignation Request
3. Subpart 4 and Control of PM2.5
Precursors
4. Maintenance Plan and Evaluation of
Precursors
III. Ammonia and VOC Comprehensive
Emissions Inventory
IV. Summary of Proposed Action
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
On March 8, 2012, the State of West
Virginia through the West Virginia
Department of Environmental Protection
(WVDEP) formally submitted a request
to redesignate the West Virginia portion
of the Wheeling Area from
nonattainment to attainment of the 1997
annual PM2.5 NAAQS. Concurrently,
West Virginia submitted a maintenance
plan for the Area as a SIP revision to
ensure continued attainment throughout
the Area over the next 10 years.
On December 11, 2012 (77 FR 73575),
EPA published a notice of proposed
rulemaking (NPR) determining that the
Wheeling Area has attained the 1997
annual PM2.5 NAAQS and that the Area
has met the requirements for
redesignation under section 107(d)(3)(E)
of the Clean Air Act (CAA). In the
December 11, 2012 NPR, EPA proposed
several actions related to the
redesignation of the Area to attainment
for the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. First,
EPA proposed to approve West
Virginia’s request to change the legal
definition of the West Virginia portion
of the Wheeling Area from
nonattainment to attainment for the
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1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. Second,
EPA proposed to approve the
maintenance plan for the West Virginia
portion of the Area as a revision to the
West Virginia SIP because the plan
meets the requirements of section 175A
of the CAA. Third, EPA proposed to
approve the insignificance
determination for the onroad motor
vehicle contribution of PM2.5, nitrogen
oxides (NOX) and sulfur dioxide (SO2)
in the West Virginia portion of the Area
for transportation conformity purposes.
Fourth, EPA proposed to approve the
base year emissions inventory for PM2.5
(including condensables), SO2 and NOX
emissions. The emissions cover the
general source categories of point
sources, area sources, onroad mobile
sources and nonroad mobile sources.
EPA received no comments in response
to the December 11, 2012 NPR
proposing approval of the above
described redesignation request,
maintenance plan, insignificance
determination and the base year
emissions inventory. EPA is not
reopening the public comment period to
submit comment on the issues
addressed in the December 11, 2012
NPR.
EPA today is issuing a supplement to
its December 11, 2012 NPR. This
supplemental NPR addresses the recent
decision of the D.C. Circuit Court which
affects the proposed redesignation and
which has arisen since the issuance of
the NPR. The D.C. Circuit Court on
January 4, 2013 remanded to EPA two
final rules implementing the PM2.5
NAAQS. Therefore, EPA’s supplemental
proposal revises and expands the basis
for EPA’s proposed approval of West
Virginia’s request to redesignate the
Wheeling Area to attainment for the
1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS, in light of
this development since EPA’s initial
NPR.
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II. Effect of the January 4, 2013 D.C.
Circuit Decision Regarding the PM2.5
Implementation Under Subpart 4
A. Background
On January 4, 2013, in Natural
Resources Defense Council v. EPA, the
D.C. Circuit Court remanded to EPA the
‘‘Final Clean Air Fine Particle
Implementation Rule’’ (72 FR 20586
April 25, 2007) and the
‘‘Implementation of the New Source
Review (NSR) Program for Particulate
Matter Less than 2.5 Micrometers
(PM2.5)’’ final rule (73 FR 28321, May
16, 2008) (collectively, ‘‘1997 PM2.5
Implementation Rule’’). 706 F.3d 428
(D.C. Cir. 2013). The D.C. Circuit Court
found that EPA erred in implementing
the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS pursuant to the
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general implementation provisions of
subpart 1 of Part D of Title I of the CAA,
rather than the particulate-matterspecific provisions of subpart 4 of Part
D of Title I.
B. Supplemental Proposal on This Issue
In this portion of EPA’s supplemental
proposal, EPA is soliciting comment on
the limited issue of the effect of the D.C.
Circuit Court’s January 4, 2013 ruling on
the proposed redesignation. As
explained below, EPA is proposing to
determine that the D.C. Circuit Court’s
January 4, 2013 decision does not
prevent EPA from redesignating the
Wheeling Area to attainment. Even in
light of the D.C. Circuit Court’s decision,
redesignation for this Area is
appropriate under the CAA and EPA’s
longstanding interpretations of the
CAA’s provisions regarding
redesignation. EPA first explains its
longstanding interpretation that
requirements that are imposed, or that
become due, after a complete
redesignation request is submitted for
an area that is attaining the standard, are
not applicable for purposes of
evaluating a redesignation request.
Second, EPA then shows that, even if
EPA applies the subpart 4 requirements
to the Wheeling Area redesignation
request and disregards the provisions of
its 1997 PM2.5 implementation rule
recently remanded by the D.C. Circuit
Court, the State’s request for
redesignation of this Area still qualifies
for approval. EPA’s discussion takes
into account the effect of the D.C.
Circuit Court’s ruling on the Area’s
maintenance plan, which EPA views as
approvable when subpart 4
requirements are considered.
1. Applicable Requirements for
Purposes of Evaluating the
Redesignation Request
With respect to the 1997 PM2.5
Implementation Rule, the D.C. Circuit
Court’s January 4, 2013 ruling rejected
EPA’s reasons for implementing the
PM2.5 NAAQS solely in accordance with
the provisions of subpart 1, and
remanded that matter to EPA, so that it
could address implementation of the
1997 PM2.5 NAAQS under subpart 4 of
Part D of the CAA, in addition to
subpart 1. For the purposes of
evaluating West Virginia’s redesignation
request for the Wheeling Area, to the
extent that implementation under
subpart 4 would impose additional
requirements for areas designated
nonattainment, EPA believes that those
requirements are not ‘‘applicable’’ for
the purposes of section 107(d)(3)(E) of
the CAA, and thus EPA is not required
to consider subpart 4 requirements with
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respect to the Wheeling Area
redesignation. Under its longstanding
interpretation of the CAA, EPA has
interpreted section 107(d)(3)(E) to mean,
as a threshold matter, that the part D
provisions which are ‘‘applicable’’ and
which must be approved in order for
EPA to redesignate an area include only
those which came due prior to a state’s
submittal of a complete redesignation
request. See ‘‘Procedures for Processing
Requests to Redesignate Areas to
Attainment,’’ Memorandum from John
Calcagni, Director, Air Quality
Management Division, September 4,
1992 (Calcagni memorandum). See also
‘‘State Implementation Plan (SIP)
Requirements for Areas Submitting
Requests for Redesignation to
Attainment of the Ozone and Carbon
Monoxide (CO) National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS) on or after
November 15, 1992,’’ Memorandum
from Michael Shapiro, Acting Assistant
Administrator, Air and Radiation,
September 17, 1993 (Shapiro
memorandum); Final Redesignation of
Detroit-Ann Arbor, (60 FR 12459,
12465–66, March 7, 1995); Final
Redesignation of St. Louis, Missouri, (68
FR 25418, 25424–27, May 12, 2003);
Sierra Club v. EPA, 375 F.3d 537, 541
(7th Cir. 2004) (upholding EPA’s
redesignation rulemaking applying this
interpretation and expressly rejecting
Sierra Club’s view that the meaning of
‘‘applicable’’ under the statute is
‘‘whatever should have been in the plan
at the time of attainment rather than
whatever actually was in the plan and
already implemented or due at the time
of attainment’’).1 In this case, at the time
that West Virginia submitted its
redesignation request, requirements
under subpart 4 were not due, and
indeed, were not yet known to apply.
EPA’s view that, for purposes of
evaluating the Wheeling Area
redesignation, the subpart 4
requirements were not due at the time
West Virginia submitted the
redesignation request is in keeping with
the EPA’s interpretation of subpart 2
requirements for subpart 1 ozone areas
redesignated subsequent to the D.C.
Circuit Court’s decision in South Coast
Air Quality Mgmt. Dist. v. EPA, 472 F.3d
882 (D.C. Cir. 2006). In South Coast, the
D.C Circuit Court found that EPA was
not permitted to implement the 1997 8hour ozone standard solely under
subpart 1, and held that EPA was
required under the statute to implement
1 Applicable requirements of the CAA that come
due subsequent to the area’s submittal of a complete
redesignation request remain applicable until a
redesignation is approved, but are not required as
a prerequisite to redesignation. Section 175A(c) of
the CAA.
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the standard under the ozone-specific
requirements of subpart 2 as well.
Subsequent to the South Coast decision,
in evaluating and acting upon
redesignation requests for the 1997 8hour ozone standard that were
submitted to EPA for areas under
subpart 1, EPA applied its longstanding
interpretation of the CAA that
‘‘applicable requirements,’’ for purposes
of evaluating a redesignation, are those
that had been due at the time the
redesignation request was submitted.
See, e.g., Proposed Redesignation of
Manitowoc County and Door County
Nonattainment Areas (75 FR 22047,
22050, April 27, 2010). In those actions,
EPA therefore did not consider subpart
2 requirements to be ‘‘applicable’’ for
the purposes of evaluating whether the
area should be redesignated under
section 107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA.
EPA’s interpretation derives from the
provisions of section 107(d)(3) of the
CAA. Section 107(d)(3)(E)(v) states that,
for an area to be redesignated, a state
must meet ‘‘all requirements
‘applicable’ to the area under section
110 and part D.’’ Section 107(d)(3)(E)(ii)
provides that EPA must have fully
approved the ‘‘applicable’’ SIP for the
area seeking redesignation. These two
sections read together support EPA’s
interpretation of ‘‘applicable’’ as only
those requirements that came due prior
to submission of a complete
redesignation request.
First, holding states to an ongoing
obligation to adopt new CAA
requirements that arose after the state
submitted its redesignation request, in
order to be redesignated, would make it
problematic or impossible for EPA to act
on redesignation requests in accordance
with the 18-month deadline Congress
set for EPA action in section
107(d)(3)(D) of the CAA. If ‘‘applicable
requirements’’ were interpreted to be a
continuing flow of requirements with no
reasonable limitation, states, after
submitting a redesignation request,
would be forced continuously to make
additional SIP submissions that in turn
would require EPA to undertake further
notice-and-comment rulemaking actions
to act on those submissions. This would
create a regime of unceasing rulemaking
that would delay action on the
redesignation request beyond the 18month timeframe provided by the CAA
for this purpose.
Second, a fundamental premise for
redesignating a nonattainment area to
attainment is that the area has attained
the relevant NAAQS due to emission
reductions from existing controls. Thus,
an area for which a redesignation
request has been submitted would have
already attained the NAAQS as a result
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of satisfying statutory requirements that
came due prior to the submission of the
request. Absent a showing that
unadopted and unimplemented
requirements are necessary for future
maintenance, it is reasonable to view
the requirements applicable for
purposes of evaluating the redesignation
request as including only those SIP
requirements that have already come
due. These are the requirements that led
to attainment of the NAAQS. To require,
for redesignation approval, that a state
also satisfy additional SIP requirements
coming due after the state submits its
complete redesignation request, and
while EPA is reviewing it, would
compel the state to do more than is
necessary to attain the NAAQS, without
a showing that the additional
requirements are necessary for
maintenance.
In the context of the Wheeling
redesignation, the timing and nature of
the D.C. Circuit Court’s January 4, 2013
decision in NRDC v. EPA compound the
consequences of imposing requirements
that come due after the redesignation
request is submitted. West Virginia
submitted its redesignation request on
March 8, 2012, but the D.C. Circuit
Court did not issue its decision
remanding EPA’s 1997 PM2.5
implementation rule concerning the
applicability of the provisions of
subpart 4 until January 2013.
To require West Virginia’s fullycompleted and long-pending
redesignation request to comply now
with requirements of subpart 4 that the
D.C. Circuit Court announced only on
January 4, 2013, would be to give
retroactive effect to such requirements
when the State had no notice that it was
required to meet them. The D.C. Circuit
Court recognized the inequity of this
type of retroactive impact in Sierra Club
v. Whitman, 285 F.3d 63 (D.C. Cir.
2002),2 where it upheld the D.C. District
Court’s ruling refusing to make
retroactive EPA’s determination that the
St. Louis area did not meet its
attainment deadline. In that case,
petitioners urged the D.C. Circuit Court
to make EPA’s nonattainment
determination effective as of the date
that the statute required, rather than the
later date on which EPA actually made
the determination. The D.C. Circuit
Court rejected this view, stating that
2 Sierra Club v. Whitman was discussed and
distinguished in a recent D.C. Circuit Court
decision that addressed retroactivity in a quite
different context, where, unlike the situation here,
EPA sought to give its regulations retroactive effect.
National Petrochemical and Refiners Ass’n v. EPA.
630 F.3d 145, 163 (D.C. Cir. 2010), rehearing denied
643 F.3d 958 (D.C. Cir. 2011), cert denied 132 S.
Ct. 571 (2011).
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applying it ‘‘would likely impose large
costs on States, which would face fines
and suits for not implementing air
pollution prevention plans . . . even
though they were not on notice at the
time.’’ Id. at 68. Similarly, it would be
unreasonable to penalize West Virginia
by rejecting its redesignation request for
an area that is already attaining the 1997
PM2.5 standard and that met all
applicable requirements known to be in
effect at the time of the request. For EPA
now to reject the redesignation request
solely because the state did not
expressly address subpart 4
requirements of which it had no notice,
would inflict the same unfairness
condemned by the D.C. Circuit Court in
Sierra Club v. Whitman.
2. Subpart 4 Requirements and
Wheeling Area’s Redesignation Request
Even if EPA were to take the view that
the D.C. Circuit Court’s January 4, 2013
decision requires that, in the context of
pending redesignations, subpart 4
requirements were due and in effect at
the time the State submitted its
redesignation request, EPA proposes to
determine that the Wheeling Area still
qualifies for redesignation to attainment.
As explained below, EPA believes that
the redesignation request for the
Wheeling Area, though not expressed in
terms of subpart 4 requirements,
substantively meets the requirements of
that subpart for purposes of
redesignating the area to attainment.
With respect to evaluating the
relevant substantive requirements of
subpart 4 for purposes of redesignating
the Wheeling Area, EPA notes that
subpart 4 incorporates components of
subpart 1 of part D, which contains
general air quality planning
requirements for areas designated as
nonattainment. See Section 172(c).
Subpart 4 itself contains specific
planning and scheduling requirements
for PM10 3 nonattainment areas, and
under the D.C. Circuit Court’s January 4,
2013 decision in NRDC v. EPA, these
same statutory requirements also apply
for PM2.5 nonattainment areas. EPA has
longstanding general guidance that
interprets the 1990 amendments to the
CAA, making recommendations to states
for meeting the statutory requirements
for SIPs for nonattainment areas. See,
‘‘State Implementation Plans; General
Preamble for the Implementation of
Title I of the Clear Air Act Amendments
of 1990,’’ (57 FR 13498, April 16, 1992)
(the ‘‘General Preamble’’). In the General
Preamble, EPA discussed the
relationship of subpart 1 and subpart 4
3 PM
10 refers to particulates nominally 10
micrometers in diameter or smaller.
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SIP requirements, and pointed out that
subpart 1 requirements were to an
extent ‘‘subsumed by, or integrally
related to, the more specific PM10
requirements.’’ (57 FR 13538, April 16,
1992). EPA’s December 11, 2012 NPR
for this redesignation action addressed
how the Wheeling Area meets the
requirements for redesignation under
subpart 1. These subpart 1 requirements
include, among other things, provisions
for attainment demonstrations,
reasonably available control measures
(RACM), reasonable further progress
(RFP), emissions inventories, and
contingency measures.
For the purposes of this redesignation,
in order to identify any additional
requirements which would apply under
subpart 4, EPA is considering the
Wheeling Area to be a ‘‘moderate’’ PM2.5
nonattainment area. Under section 188
of the CAA, all areas designated
nonattainment areas under subpart 4
would initially be classified by
operation of law as ‘‘moderate’’
nonattainment areas, and would remain
moderate nonattainment areas unless
and until EPA reclassifies the area as a
‘‘serious’’ nonattainment area.
Accordingly, EPA believes that it is
appropriate to limit the evaluation of
the potential impact of subpart 4
requirements to those that would be
applicable to moderate nonattainment
areas. Sections 189(a) and (c) of subpart
4 apply to moderate nonattainment
areas and include the following: (1) An
approved permit program for
construction of new and modified major
stationary sources (section 189(a)(1)(A));
(2) an attainment demonstration (section
189(a)(1)(B)); (3) provisions for RACM
(section 189(a)(1)(C)); and (4)
quantitative milestones demonstrating
RFP toward attainment by the
applicable attainment date (section
189(c)).
The permit requirements of subpart 4,
as contained in section 189(a)(1)(A),
refer to and apply the subpart 1 permit
provisions requirements of sections 172
and 173 to PM10, without adding to
them. Consequently, EPA believes that
section 189(a)(1)(A) does not itself
impose for redesignation purposes any
additional requirements for moderate
areas beyond those contained in subpart
1.4 In any event, in the context of
redesignation, EPA has long relied on
the interpretation that a fully approved
nonattainment new source review
program is not considered an applicable
requirement for redesignation, provided
the area can maintain the standard with
4 The potential effect of section 189(e) on section
189(a)(1)(A) for purposes of evaluating this
redesignation is discussed below.
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a prevention of significant deterioration
(PSD) program after redesignation. A
detailed rationale for this view is
described in a memorandum from Mary
Nichols, Assistant Administrator for Air
and Radiation, dated October 14, 1994,
entitled, ‘‘Part D New Source Review
Requirements for Areas Requesting
Redesignation to Attainment.’’ See also
rulemakings for Detroit, Michigan (60
FR 12467–12468, March 7, 1995);
Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, Ohio (61 FR
20458, 20469–20470, May 7, 1996);
Louisville, Kentucky (66 FR 53665,
October 23, 2001); and Grand Rapids,
Michigan (61 FR 31834–31837, June 21,
1996).
With respect to the specific
attainment planning requirements under
subpart 4,5 when EPA evaluates a
redesignation request under either
subpart 1 and/or 4, any area that is
attaining the PM2.5 standard is viewed
as having satisfied the attainment
planning requirements for these
subparts. For redesignations, EPA has
for many years interpreted attainmentlinked requirements as not applicable
for areas attaining the standard. In the
General Preamble, EPA stated that: ‘‘The
requirements for RFP will not apply in
evaluating a request for redesignation to
attainment since, at a minimum, the air
quality data for the area must show that
the area has already attained. Showing
that the State will make RFP towards
attainment will, therefore, have no
meaning at that point.’’ See General
Preamble for the Interpretation of Title
I of the Clean Air Act Amendments of
1990; (57 FR 13498, 13564, April 16,
1992).
The General Preamble also explained
that: ‘‘[t]he section 172(c)(9)
requirements are directed at ensuring
RFP and attainment by the applicable
date. These requirements no longer
apply when an area has attained the
standard and is eligible for
redesignation. Furthermore, section
175A for maintenance plans . . .
provides specific requirements for
contingency measures that effectively
supersede the requirements of section
172(c)(9) for these areas.’’ Id. EPA
similarly stated in its 1992 Calcagni
memorandum that, ‘‘The requirements
for reasonable further progress and other
measures needed for attainment will not
apply for redesignations because they
only have meaning for areas not
attaining the standard.’’
It is evident that even if we were to
consider the D.C. Circuit Court’s January
4, 2013 decision in NRDC v. EPA to
mean that attainment-related
5 I.e., attainment demonstration, RFP, RACM,
milestone requirements, contingency measures.
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requirements specific to subpart 4
should be imposed retroactively 6 and
thus are now past due, those
requirements do not apply to an area
that is attaining the 1997 PM2.5
standard, for the purpose of evaluating
a pending request to redesignate the
area to attainment. EPA has consistently
enunciated this interpretation of
applicable requirements under section
107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA since the
General Preamble was published more
than twenty years ago. Courts have
recognized the scope of EPA’s authority
to interpret ‘‘applicable requirements’’
in the redesignation context. See Sierra
Club v. EPA, 375 F.3d 537 (7th Cir.
2004).
Moreover, even outside the context of
redesignations, EPA has viewed the
obligations to submit attainment-related
SIP planning requirements of subpart 4
as inapplicable for areas that EPA
determines are attaining the standard.
EPA’s prior ‘‘Clean Data Policy’’
rulemakings for the PM10 NAAQS, also
governed by the requirements of subpart
4, explain EPA’s reasoning. They
describe the effects of a determination of
attainment on the attainment-related SIP
planning requirements of subpart 4. See
‘‘Determination of Attainment for Coso
Junction Nonattainment Area,’’ (75 FR
27944, May 19, 2010). See also Coso
Junction proposed PM10 redesignation,
(75 FR 36023, 36027, June 24, 2010);
Proposed and Final Determinations of
Attainment for San Joaquin
Nonattainment Area (71 FR 40952,
40954–55, July 19, 2006; and 71 FR
63641, 63643–47 October 30, 2006). In
short, EPA in this context has also long
concluded that to require states to meet
superfluous SIP planning requirements
is not necessary and not required by the
CAA, so long as those areas continue to
attain the relevant NAAQS.
In its December 11, 2012 NPR for this
action, EPA proposed to determine that
the Wheeling Area has attained the 1997
PM2.5 NAAQS and therefore meets the
attainment-related plan requirements of
subpart 1. Under its longstanding
interpretation, EPA is proposing to
determine here that the Area also meets
the attainment-related plan
requirements of subpart 4.
Thus, EPA is proposing to conclude
that the requirements to submit an
attainment demonstration under
189(a)(1)(B), a RACM determination
under section 172(c)(1) and section
189(a)(1)(c), and a RFP demonstration
under 189(c)(1) are satisfied for
6 As EPA has explained above, we do not believe
that the D.C. Circuit Court’s January 4, 2013
decision should be interpreted so as to impose these
requirements on the states retroactively. Sierra Club
v. Whitman, supra.
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purposes of evaluating the redesignation
request.
3. Subpart 4 and Control of PM2.5
Precursors
The D.C. Circuit Court in NRDC v.
EPA remanded to EPA the two rules at
issue in the case with instructions to
EPA to re-promulgate them consistent
with the requirements of subpart 4. The
D.C. Circuit Court’s opinion raises the
issue of the appropriate approach to
addressing PM2.5 precursors in this and
future EPA actions. While past
implementation of subpart 4 for PM10
has allowed for control of PM10
precursors such as NOX from major
stationary, mobile, and area sources in
order to attain the standard as
expeditiously as practicable, CAA
section 189(e) specifically provides that
control requirements for major
stationary sources of direct PM10 shall
also apply to PM10 precursors from
those sources, except where EPA
determines that major stationary sources
of such precursors ‘‘do not contribute
significantly to PM10 levels which
exceed the standard in the area.’’
EPA’s 1997 PM2.5 Implementation
Rule, remanded by the D.C. Circuit
Court, contained rebuttable
presumptions concerning certain PM2.5
precursors applicable to attainment
plans and control measures related to
those plans. Specifically, in 40 CFR
51.1002, EPA provided, among other
things, that a state was ‘‘not required to
address VOC [and NH3] as . . . PM2.5
attainment plan precursor[s] and to
evaluate sources of VOC [and NH3]
emissions in the State for control
measures.’’ EPA intended these to be
rebuttable presumptions. EPA
established these presumptions at the
time because of uncertainties regarding
the emission inventories for these
pollutants and the effectiveness of
specific control measures in various
regions of the country in reducing PM2.5
concentrations. EPA also left open the
possibility for such regulation of NH3
and VOC in specific areas where that
was necessary.
The D.C. Circuit Court in its January
4, 2013 decision made reference to both
section 189(e) and 40 CFR 51.1002, and
stated that, ‘‘In light of our disposition,
we need not address the petitioners’
challenge to the presumptions in [40
CFR 51.1002] that volatile organic
compounds and ammonia are not PM2.5
precursors, as subpart 4 expressly
governs precursor presumptions.’’
NRDC v. EPA, at 27, n.10.
Elsewhere in the D.C. Circuit Court’s
opinion, however, the Court observed:
‘‘NH3 is a precursor to fine particulate
matter, making it a precursor to both
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PM2.5 and PM10. For a PM10
nonattainment area governed by subpart
4, a precursor is presumptively
regulated. See 42 U.S.C. 7513a(e)
[section 189(e)].’’ Id. at 21, n.7.
For a number of reasons, EPA believes
that its proposed redesignation of the
Wheeling Area is consistent with the
D.C. Circuit Court’s decision on this
aspect of subpart 4. First, while the D.C.
Circuit Court, citing section 189(e),
stated that ‘‘for a PM10 area governed by
subpart 4, a precursor is ‘presumptively
regulated,’ ’’ the D.C. Circuit Court
expressly declined to decide the specific
challenge to EPA’s 1997 PM2.5
implementation rule provisions
regarding NH3 and VOC as precursors.
The D.C. Circuit Court had no occasion
to reach whether and how it was
substantively necessary to regulate any
specific precursor in a particular PM2.5
nonattainment area, and did not address
what might be necessary for purposes of
acting upon a redesignation request.
However, even if EPA takes the view
that the requirements of subpart 4 were
deemed applicable at the time the state
submitted the redesignation request,
and disregards the implementation
rule’s rebuttable presumptions regarding
NH3 and VOC as PM2.5 precursors, the
regulatory consequence would be to
consider the need for regulation of all
precursors from any sources in the area
to demonstrate attainment and to apply
the section 189(e) provisions to major
stationary sources of precursors. In the
case of Wheeling Area, EPA believes
that doing so would not affect the
approvability of the proposed
redesignation of the Area for the 1997
PM2.5 standard. The Wheeling Area has
attained the standard without any
specific additional controls of NH3 and
VOC emissions from any sources in the
area.
Precursors in subpart 4 are
specifically regulated under the
provisions of section 189(e), which
requires, with important exceptions,
control requirements for major
stationary sources of PM10 precursors.7
Under subpart 1 and EPA’s prior
implementation rule, all major
stationary sources of PM2.5 precursors
were subject to regulation, with the
exception of NH3 and VOC. Thus we
must address here whether additional
controls of NH3 and VOC from major
stationary sources are required under
section 189(e) of subpart 4 in order to
7 Under either subpart 1 or subpart 4, for
purposes of demonstrating attainment as
expeditiously as practicable, a state is required to
evaluate all economically and technologically
feasible control measures for direct PM emissions
and precursor emissions, and adopt those measures
that are deemed reasonably available.
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44491
redesignate the Wheeling Area for the
1997 PM2.5 standard. As explained
below, we do not believe that any
additional controls of NH3 and VOC are
required in the context of this
redesignation.
In the General Preamble, EPA
discusses its approach to implementing
section 189(e). See 57 FR 13538–13542.
With regard to precursor regulation
under section 189(e), the General
Preamble explicitly stated that control
of VOCs under other CAA requirements
may suffice to relieve a state from the
need to adopt precursor controls under
section 189(e). See 57 FR 13542. EPA in
this supplemental proposal proposes to
determine that the West Virginia SIP has
met the provisions of section 189(e)
with respect to NH3 and VOCs as
precursors. This proposed supplemental
determination is based on our findings
that (1) the Wheeling Area contains no
major stationary sources of NH3, and (2)
existing major stationary sources of VOC
are adequately controlled under other
provisions of the CAA regulating the
ozone NAAQS.8 In the alternative, EPA
proposes to determine that, under the
express exception provisions of section
189(e), and in the context of the
redesignation of the Wheeling Area,
which is attaining the 1997 annual
PM2.5 standard, at present NH3 and VOC
precursors from major stationary
sources do not contribute significantly
to levels exceeding the 1997 annual
PM2.5 standard in the Wheeling Area.
See 57 FR 13539–42.
EPA notes that its 1997 PM2.5
implementation rule provisions in 40
CFR 51.1002 were not directed at
evaluation of PM2.5 precursors in the
context of redesignation, but at SIP
plans and control measures required to
bring a nonattainment area into
attainment of the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS.
By contrast, redesignation to attainment
primarily requires the area to have
already attained due to permanent and
enforceable emission reductions, and to
demonstrate that controls in place can
continue to maintain the standard.
Thus, even if we regard the D.C. Circuit
Court’s January 4, 2013 decision as
calling for ‘‘presumptive regulation’’ of
NH3 and VOC for PM2.5 under the
attainment planning provisions of
subpart 4, those provisions in and of
themselves do not require additional
controls of these precursors for an area
that already qualifies for redesignation.
Nor does EPA believe that requiring
8 The Wheeling Area has reduced VOC emissions
through the implementation of various control
programs including VOC Reasonably Available
Control Technology regulations (45CSR21) and
various on-road and non-road motor vehicle control
programs.
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West Virginia to address precursors
differently than they have already
would result in a substantively different
outcome.
Although, as EPA has emphasized, its
consideration here of precursor
requirements under subpart 4 is in the
context of a redesignation to attainment,
EPA’s existing interpretation of subpart
4 requirements with respect to
precursors in attainment plans for PM10
contemplates that states may develop
attainment plans that regulate only
those precursors that are necessary for
purposes of attainment in the area in
question, i.e., states may determine that
only certain precursors need be
regulated for attainment and control
purposes.9 Courts have upheld this
approach to the requirements of subpart
4 for PM10.10 EPA believes that
application of this approach to PM2.5
precursors under subpart 4 is
reasonable. Because the Wheeling Area
has already attained the 1997 annual
PM2.5 NAAQS with its current approach
to regulation of PM2.5 precursors, EPA
believes that it is reasonable to conclude
in the context of this redesignation that
there is no need to revisit the attainment
control strategy with respect to the
treatment of precursors. Even if the D.C.
Circuit Court’s decision is construed to
impose an obligation, in evaluating this
redesignation request, to consider
additional precursors under subpart 4, it
would not affect EPA’s approval here of
West Virginia’s request for redesignation
of the Wheeling Area. In the context of
a redesignation, the Area has shown that
it has attained the standard. Moreover,
the State has shown and EPA has
proposed to determine that attainment
in this Area is due to permanent and
enforceable emissions reductions on all
precursors necessary to provide for
continued attainment. It follows
logically that no further control of
additional precursors is necessary.
Accordingly, EPA does not view the
January 4, 2013 decision of the D.C.
Circuit Court as precluding
redesignation of the Wheeling Area to
attainment for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS at
this time.
In summary, even if West Virginia
were required to address precursors for
the Wheeling Area under subpart 4
rather than under subpart 1, as
interpreted in EPA’s remanded PM2.5
implementation rule, EPA would still
conclude that the area had met all
applicable requirements for purposes of
redesignation in accordance with
section 107(d)(3)(E)(ii) and (v) of the
CAA.
4. Maintenance Plan and Evaluation of
Precursors
With regard to the redesignation of
West Virginia, in evaluating the effect of
the D.C. Circuit Court’s remand of EPA’s
implementation rule, which included
presumptions against consideration of
VOC and ammonia as PM2.5 precursors,
EPA in this supplemental proposal is
also considering the impact of the
decision on the maintenance plan
required under sections 175A and
107(d)(3)(E)(iv) of the CAA. To begin
with, EPA notes that the Area has
attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard
and that the State has shown that
attainment of that standard is due to
permanent and enforceable emission
reductions.
In the December 11, 2012 NPR, EPA
proposed to determine that the State’s
maintenance plan shows continued
maintenance of the standard by tracking
the levels of the precursors whose
control brought about attainment of the
1997 annual PM2.5 standard in the
Wheeling Area. EPA therefore, believes
that the only additional consideration
related to the maintenance plan
requirements that results from the D.C.
Circuit Court’s January 4, 2013 decision,
is that of assessing the potential role of
NH3 and VOC in demonstrating
continued maintenance in this Area.
Based upon documentation provided by
the State and supporting information,
EPA believes that the maintenance plan
for the Wheeling Area need not include
any additional emission reductions of
NH3 or VOC in order to provide for
continued maintenance of the standard.
First, as noted above in EPA’s
discussion of section 189(e), VOC
emission levels in this Area have
historically been well-controlled under
SIP requirements related to ozone and
other pollutants. Second, total NH3
emissions throughout the Wheeling
Area are very low, estimated to be less
than 800 tons per year. See Table 2. This
amount of NH3 emissions appears
especially small in comparison to the
total amounts of SO2, NOX, and even
direct PM2.5 emissions from sources in
the Area. Third, as described below,
available information shows that no
precursor, including NH3 and VOC, is
expected to increase over the
maintenance period so as to interfere
with or undermine the State’s
maintenance demonstration.
West Virginia’s maintenance plan
shows that emissions of direct PM2.5,
SO2, and NOX are projected to decrease
by 2,529 tons per year (tpy), 35,616 tpy,
and 20,581 tpy, respectively, over the
maintenance period. See Table 1. In
addition, emissions inventories used in
the regulatory impact analysis (RIA) for
the 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS show that VOC
and NH3 emissions are projected to
decrease by 2,209 tpy between 2007 and
2020. NH3 emissions are projected to
increase by 59 tpy between 2007 and
2020. See Table 2. Given that the
Wheeling Area is already attaining the
1997 PM2.5 NAAQS even with the
current level of emissions from sources
in the Area, the downward trend of
emissions inventories would be
consistent with continued attainment.
Indeed, projected emissions reductions
for the precursors that the State is
addressing for purposes of the 1997
PM2.5 NAAQS indicate that the Area
should continue to attain the NAAQS
following the precursor control strategy
that the State has already elected to
pursue.
Even if VOC and ammonia emissions
were to increase unexpectedly between
2007 and 2020, the overall emissions
reductions projected in direct PM2.5,
SO2, and NOX would be sufficient to
offset any increases. For these reasons,
EPA believes that local emissions of all
of the potential PM2.5 precursors will
not increase to the extent that they will
cause monitored PM2.5 levels to violate
the 1997 PM2.5 standard during the
maintenance period.
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TABLE 1—COMPARISON OF 2008, 2015, 2022 SO2, NOX, AND DIRECT PM2.5 EMISSION TOTALS IN TONS PER YEAR (TPY)
FOR THE WHEELING NONATTAINMENT AREA
SO2
NOX
2008 .................................................................................................................................
2015 .................................................................................................................................
67,103
36,843
9 See, e.g., ‘‘Approval and Promulgation of
Implementation Plans for California—San Joaquin
Valley PM10 Nonattainment Area; Serious Area Plan
for Nonattainment of the 24-Hour and Annual PM10
10 See, e.g., Assoc. of Irritated Residents v. EPA
et al., 423 F.3d 989 (9th Cir. 2005).
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Standards,’’ 69 FR 30006 (May 26, 2004) (approving
a PM10 attainment plan that imposes controls on
direct PM10 and NOX emissions and did not impose
controls on SO2, VOC, or ammonia emissions).
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35,971
16,204
PM2.5
6.001
3,436
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TABLE 1—COMPARISON OF 2008, 2015, 2022 SO2, NOX, AND DIRECT PM2.5 EMISSION TOTALS IN TONS PER YEAR (TPY)
FOR THE WHEELING NONATTAINMENT AREA—Continued
SO2
2022 .................................................................................................................................
Decrease from 2008 to 2022 ...........................................................................................
NOX
31,487
35,616
PM2.5
15,390
20,581
3,472
2,529
TABLE 2—COMPARISON OF 2007 AND 2020 VOC AND AMMONIA EMISSION TOTALS BY SOURCE SECTOR (TPY) FOR THE
WHEELING NONATTAINMENT AREA 11
VOC
NH3
Sector
2007
Net change
2007–2020
2020
2007
Net change
2007–2020
2020
Point .........................................................
Area ..........................................................
Nonroad ...................................................
On-road ....................................................
Fires .........................................................
396
1,686
999
2,469
70
402
1,651
514
774
70
6
¥35
¥485
¥1,695
0
89
532
1
86
5
186
538
1
42
5
97
6
0
¥44
0
Total ..................................................
5,621
3,412
¥2,209
713
772
59
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In addition, available air quality
modeling analyses show continued
maintenance of the standard during the
maintenance period. The current air
quality design value for the Area is 13.0
micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m3)
(based on 2009–2011 air quality data),
which is well below the 1997 annual
PM2.5 NAAQS of 15 mg/m3. Moreover,
the modeling analysis conducted for the
RIA for the 2012 PM2.5 indicates that the
design value for this Area is expected to
continue to decline through 2020. In the
RIA analysis, the 2020 modeled design
value for the Wheeling Area is 8.4
mg/m3. Given that precursor emissions
are projected to decrease through 2020,
it is reasonable to conclude that
monitored PM2.5 levels in this Area will
also continue to decrease in 2020.
Thus, EPA believes that there is
ample justification to conclude that the
Wheeling Area should be redesignated,
even taking into consideration the
emissions of other precursors
potentially relevant to PM2.5. After
consideration of the D.C. Circuit Court’s
January 4, 2013 decision, and for the
reasons set forth in this supplemental
notice, EPA continues to propose
approval of West Virginia’s maintenance
plan and its request to redesignate the
Wheeling Area to attainment for the
1997 annual PM2.5 standard.
11 These emissions estimates were taken from the
emissions inventories developed for the RIA for the
2012 PM2.5 NAAQS. NH3 increases are due to some
(∼5%) increase in fertilizer application, but mostly
from EGU, and with huge SO2 (point) reductions
(88,229 in 2007 and 14,285 in 2020) would offset
any increases.
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III. Ammonia and Volatile Organic
Compound Comprehensive Emissions
Inventory
EPA in this proposal also addresses
the State’s submission that provides
additional information concerning NH3
and VOC emissions in the area in order
to meet the emissions inventory
requirement of section 172(c)(3) of the
CAA. Section 172(c)(3) of the CAA
requires states to submit a
comprehensive, accurate, and current
emissions inventory for the attainment
area. For purposes of the PM2.5 NAAQS,
this emissions inventory should address
not only direct emissions of PM2.5, but
also emissions of all precursors with the
potential to participate in PM2.5
formation, i.e., SO2, NOX, VOC and NH3.
In the December 11, 2012 NPR (77 FR
73575), EPA proposed to approve the
emissions inventory information
requirement for the Wheeling Area. On
June 24, 2013, West Virginia
supplemented its submittal with the
2008 emission inventories for NH3 and
VOC. The additional emission
inventories information provided by the
State addresses emissions of NH3 and
VOC from the general source categories
of point sources, area sources, onroad
mobile sources, and nonroad sources.
See Table 3. The state-submitted
inventories were based on the data that
West Virginia certified and submitted to
the 2008 National Emissions Inventory
(NEI) that is available at https://
www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/net/2008
inventory.html. The NEI is a
comprehensive and detailed estimate of
air emissions of both criteria and
hazardous air pollutants from all air
emissions sources. The NEI is prepared
every three years by EPA based
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primarily upon emission estimates and
emission model inputs provided by
State, Local and Tribal air agencies.
The NEI point data category contains
emission estimates for sources that are
individually inventory and located at a
fixed, stationary location. Point sources
include large industrial facilities and
electric power plants. The NEI nonpoint
data category contains emissions
estimates for sources which
individually are too small in magnitude
or too numerous to inventory as
individual point sources. The NEI
onroad and nonroad data categories
contain mobile sources which are
estimated for the 2008 NEI version 3 via
the MOVES2010b and NONROAD
models, respectively. NONROAD was
run within the National Mobile
Inventory Model (NMIM).
TABLE 3—MARSHALL COUNTY,
WHEELING AREA NH3 AND VOC
EMISSIONS (TPY) BY SOURCE SECTOR
Sector
NH3
VOC
Point ..........................
Area ..........................
Nonroad ....................
Onroad ......................
31.85
78.90
0.12
10.36
320.50
2,944.99
163.45
269.32
Total ...................
121.23
3, 698.26
EPA has concluded that the 2008 NH3
and VOC emissions inventories
provided by the State are complete and
as accurate as possible given the input
data available for the relevant
categories. EPA also believes that these
inventories provide information about
NH3 and VOC as PM2.5 precursors in the
context of evaluating redesignation of
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the Wheeling Area under subpart 4.
Therefore, EPA is proposing to approve
the NH3 and VOC emissions inventories
submitted by the State, in conjunction
with the NOx, direct PM2.5, and SO2
emissions inventories that EPA
previously proposed to approve as fully
meeting the comprehensive inventory
requirement of section 172(c)(3) of the
CAA for the Wheeling Area for the 1997
annual PM2.5 standard. See (77 FR 7357,
December 11, 2012). Since EPA’s prior
proposal addressed other precursor
emissions inventories, EPA in this
supplemental proposal is seeking
comment only with respect to the
additional inventories for NH3 and VOC
that West Virginia has submitted.
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IV. Proposed Action
After fully considering the D.C.
Circuit Court’s decision in NRDC v. EPA
on EPA’s 1997 PM2.5 Implementation
rule, EPA in this supplemental notice is
proposing to proceed with approval of
the request to redesignate the Wheeling
Area to attainment for the 1997 annual
PM2.5 NAAQS and the associated
maintenance plan. EPA in this
supplemental notice is also proposing to
approve the 2008 NH3 and VOC
emissions inventory as meeting, in
conjunction with the direct PM2.5, NOX
and SO2 emissions inventory that EPA
previously proposed to approve, the
comprehensive emissions inventory
requirements of section 172(c)(3) of the
CAA. In addition, EPA in this
supplemental action is proposing to
proceed with the approval of the
insignificance determination of the
onroad motor vehicle contribution of
PM2.5, NOX and SO2. EPA is seeking
comment only on the issues raised in its
supplemental proposal, and is not reopening comment on other issues
addressed in its prior proposal.
V. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is
required to approve a SIP submission
that complies with the provisions of the
CAA 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 proposes to approve state law as
meeting Federal requirements and does
not impose additional requirements
beyond those imposed by state law. For
that reason, this proposed action:
• Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory
action’’ subject to review by the Office
of Management and Budget under
Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735,
October 4, 1993);
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• 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 proposed rule
pertaining to the redesignation of the
West Virginia portion of the Wheeling
WV–OH 1997 annual PM2.5
nonattainment area, does not have tribal
implications as specified by Executive
Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9,
2000), because the SIP is not approved
to apply in Indian country located in the
state, and EPA notes that it will not
impose substantial direct costs on tribal
governments or preempt tribal law.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Parts 52 and
81
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone,
Particulate matter, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur
oxides, Volatile organic compounds.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: July 8, 2013.
W.C. Early,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region III.
[FR Doc. 2013–17704 Filed 7–23–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Parts 52 and 81
[EPA–R09–OAR–2012–0877; FRL–9837–6]
Approval and Promulgation of
Implementation Plans; Designation of
Areas for Air Quality Planning
Purposes; State of California; PM10;
Redesignation of Sacramento to
Attainment; Approval of PM10
Redesignation Request and
Maintenance Plan for Sacramento
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
EPA is proposing to approve,
as a revision of the California state
implementation plan, the State’s request
to redesignate the Sacramento
nonattainment area to attainment for the
24-hour particulate matter of ten
microns or less (PM10) National
Ambient Air Quality Standard
(NAAQS). EPA is also proposing to
approve the PM10 maintenance plan and
the associated motor vehicle emissions
budgets for use in transportation
conformity determinations necessary for
the Sacramento area. Finally, EPA is
proposing to approve the attainment
year emissions inventory. EPA is
proposing these actions because the SIP
revision meets the requirements of the
Clean Air Act and EPA guidance for
such plans and motor vehicle emissions
budgets.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before August 23, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID Number EPA–
R09–OAR–2012–0877, by one of the
following methods:
1. https://www.regulations.gov: Follow
the on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
2. Email: ungvarsky.john@epa.gov.
3. Mail or deliver: John Ungvarsky
(AIR–2), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne
Street, San Francisco, CA 94105–3901.
Deliveries are only accepted during the
Regional Office’s normal hours of
operation.
Instructions: All comments will be
included in the public docket without
change and may be made available
online at https://www.regulations.gov,
including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Information that
you consider CBI or otherwise protected
should be clearly identified as such and
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\24JYP1.SGM
24JYP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 142 (Wednesday, July 24, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 44487-44494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17704]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Parts 52 and 81
[EPA-R03-OAR-2012-0368; FRL-9836-1]
Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans;
West Virginia; Redesignation of the West Virginia Portion of the
Wheeling, WV-OH 1997 Annual Fine Particulate Matter Nonattainment Area
to Attainment and Approval of the Associated Maintenance Plan
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule; supplemental.
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SUMMARY: EPA is issuing a supplement to its proposed approval of the
State of West Virginia's request to redesignate the West Virginia
portion of the Wheeling, WV-OH fine particulate matter
(PM2.5) nonattainment area (Wheeling Area or Area) to
attainment for the 1997 annual PM2.5 national ambient air
quality standard (NAAQS). This supplemental proposal revises and
expands the basis for proposing approval of the State's request in
light of developments since EPA issued its initial proposal on December
11, 2012. This supplemental proposal addresses the effects of the
decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia (D.C. Circuit Court) on January 4, 2013 to remand to EPA two
final rules implementing the PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA is seeking
comment only on the issues raised in this supplemental proposal and is
not reopening for comment other issues raised in its prior proposal.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before August 23, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID Number EPA-
R03-OAR-2012-0368 by one of the following methods:
A. www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for
submitting comments.
B. Email: fernandez.cristina@epa.gov.
C. Mail: EPA-R03-OAR-2012-0368, Cristina Fernandez, Associate
Director, Office of Air Program Planning, Mailcode 3AP30, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.
D. Hand Delivery: At the previously-listed EPA Region III address.
Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of
operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of
boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R03-OAR-
2012-0368. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the public docket without change, and may be made available online
at www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided,
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or email. The
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov, your email
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name and other contact information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
Docket: All documents in the electronic docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such
as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet and will be
publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket
materials are available either electronically in www.regulations.gov or
in hard copy during normal business hours at the Air Protection
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch
Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. Copies of the State submittal
are available at the West Virginia Department of Environmental
Protection, Division of Air Quality, 601 57th Street SE., Charleston,
West Virginia 25304.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rose Quinto, (215) 814-2182, or by
email at quinto.rose@epa.gov.
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Effect of the January 4, 2013 D.C. Circuit Decision Regarding
the PM2.5 Implementation Under Subpart 4
A. Background
B. Supplemental Proposal on This Issue
1. Applicable Requirements for Purposes of Evaluating the
Redesignation Request
2. Subpart 4 Requirements and Wheeling Area's Redesignation
Request
3. Subpart 4 and Control of PM2.5 Precursors
4. Maintenance Plan and Evaluation of Precursors
III. Ammonia and VOC Comprehensive Emissions Inventory
IV. Summary of Proposed Action
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
On March 8, 2012, the State of West Virginia through the West
Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) formally
submitted a request to redesignate the West Virginia portion of the
Wheeling Area from nonattainment to attainment of the 1997 annual
PM2.5 NAAQS. Concurrently, West Virginia submitted a
maintenance plan for the Area as a SIP revision to ensure continued
attainment throughout the Area over the next 10 years.
On December 11, 2012 (77 FR 73575), EPA published a notice of
proposed rulemaking (NPR) determining that the Wheeling Area has
attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS and that the Area has
met the requirements for redesignation under section 107(d)(3)(E) of
the Clean Air Act (CAA). In the December 11, 2012 NPR, EPA proposed
several actions related to the redesignation of the Area to attainment
for the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. First, EPA proposed to
approve West Virginia's request to change the legal definition of the
West Virginia portion of the Wheeling Area from nonattainment to
attainment for the
[[Page 44488]]
1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. Second, EPA proposed to approve the
maintenance plan for the West Virginia portion of the Area as a
revision to the West Virginia SIP because the plan meets the
requirements of section 175A of the CAA. Third, EPA proposed to approve
the insignificance determination for the onroad motor vehicle
contribution of PM2.5, nitrogen oxides (NOX) and
sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the West Virginia portion of the
Area for transportation conformity purposes. Fourth, EPA proposed to
approve the base year emissions inventory for PM2.5
(including condensables), SO2 and NOX emissions.
The emissions cover the general source categories of point sources,
area sources, onroad mobile sources and nonroad mobile sources. EPA
received no comments in response to the December 11, 2012 NPR proposing
approval of the above described redesignation request, maintenance
plan, insignificance determination and the base year emissions
inventory. EPA is not reopening the public comment period to submit
comment on the issues addressed in the December 11, 2012 NPR.
EPA today is issuing a supplement to its December 11, 2012 NPR.
This supplemental NPR addresses the recent decision of the D.C. Circuit
Court which affects the proposed redesignation and which has arisen
since the issuance of the NPR. The D.C. Circuit Court on January 4,
2013 remanded to EPA two final rules implementing the PM2.5
NAAQS. Therefore, EPA's supplemental proposal revises and expands the
basis for EPA's proposed approval of West Virginia's request to
redesignate the Wheeling Area to attainment for the 1997 annual
PM2.5 NAAQS, in light of this development since EPA's
initial NPR.
II. Effect of the January 4, 2013 D.C. Circuit Decision Regarding the
PM2.5 Implementation Under Subpart 4
A. Background
On January 4, 2013, in Natural Resources Defense Council v. EPA,
the D.C. Circuit Court remanded to EPA the ``Final Clean Air Fine
Particle Implementation Rule'' (72 FR 20586 April 25, 2007) and the
``Implementation of the New Source Review (NSR) Program for Particulate
Matter Less than 2.5 Micrometers (PM2.5)'' final rule (73 FR
28321, May 16, 2008) (collectively, ``1997 PM2.5
Implementation Rule''). 706 F.3d 428 (D.C. Cir. 2013). The D.C. Circuit
Court found that EPA erred in implementing the 1997 PM2.5
NAAQS pursuant to the general implementation provisions of subpart 1 of
Part D of Title I of the CAA, rather than the particulate-matter-
specific provisions of subpart 4 of Part D of Title I.
B. Supplemental Proposal on This Issue
In this portion of EPA's supplemental proposal, EPA is soliciting
comment on the limited issue of the effect of the D.C. Circuit Court's
January 4, 2013 ruling on the proposed redesignation. As explained
below, EPA is proposing to determine that the D.C. Circuit Court's
January 4, 2013 decision does not prevent EPA from redesignating the
Wheeling Area to attainment. Even in light of the D.C. Circuit Court's
decision, redesignation for this Area is appropriate under the CAA and
EPA's longstanding interpretations of the CAA's provisions regarding
redesignation. EPA first explains its longstanding interpretation that
requirements that are imposed, or that become due, after a complete
redesignation request is submitted for an area that is attaining the
standard, are not applicable for purposes of evaluating a redesignation
request. Second, EPA then shows that, even if EPA applies the subpart 4
requirements to the Wheeling Area redesignation request and disregards
the provisions of its 1997 PM2.5 implementation rule
recently remanded by the D.C. Circuit Court, the State's request for
redesignation of this Area still qualifies for approval. EPA's
discussion takes into account the effect of the D.C. Circuit Court's
ruling on the Area's maintenance plan, which EPA views as approvable
when subpart 4 requirements are considered.
1. Applicable Requirements for Purposes of Evaluating the Redesignation
Request
With respect to the 1997 PM2.5 Implementation Rule, the
D.C. Circuit Court's January 4, 2013 ruling rejected EPA's reasons for
implementing the PM2.5 NAAQS solely in accordance with the
provisions of subpart 1, and remanded that matter to EPA, so that it
could address implementation of the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS under
subpart 4 of Part D of the CAA, in addition to subpart 1. For the
purposes of evaluating West Virginia's redesignation request for the
Wheeling Area, to the extent that implementation under subpart 4 would
impose additional requirements for areas designated nonattainment, EPA
believes that those requirements are not ``applicable'' for the
purposes of section 107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA, and thus EPA is not
required to consider subpart 4 requirements with respect to the
Wheeling Area redesignation. Under its longstanding interpretation of
the CAA, EPA has interpreted section 107(d)(3)(E) to mean, as a
threshold matter, that the part D provisions which are ``applicable''
and which must be approved in order for EPA to redesignate an area
include only those which came due prior to a state's submittal of a
complete redesignation request. See ``Procedures for Processing
Requests to Redesignate Areas to Attainment,'' Memorandum from John
Calcagni, Director, Air Quality Management Division, September 4, 1992
(Calcagni memorandum). See also ``State Implementation Plan (SIP)
Requirements for Areas Submitting Requests for Redesignation to
Attainment of the Ozone and Carbon Monoxide (CO) National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS) on or after November 15, 1992,'' Memorandum
from Michael Shapiro, Acting Assistant Administrator, Air and
Radiation, September 17, 1993 (Shapiro memorandum); Final Redesignation
of Detroit-Ann Arbor, (60 FR 12459, 12465-66, March 7, 1995); Final
Redesignation of St. Louis, Missouri, (68 FR 25418, 25424-27, May 12,
2003); Sierra Club v. EPA, 375 F.3d 537, 541 (7th Cir. 2004) (upholding
EPA's redesignation rulemaking applying this interpretation and
expressly rejecting Sierra Club's view that the meaning of
``applicable'' under the statute is ``whatever should have been in the
plan at the time of attainment rather than whatever actually was in the
plan and already implemented or due at the time of attainment'').\1\ In
this case, at the time that West Virginia submitted its redesignation
request, requirements under subpart 4 were not due, and indeed, were
not yet known to apply.
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\1\ Applicable requirements of the CAA that come due subsequent
to the area's submittal of a complete redesignation request remain
applicable until a redesignation is approved, but are not required
as a prerequisite to redesignation. Section 175A(c) of the CAA.
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EPA's view that, for purposes of evaluating the Wheeling Area
redesignation, the subpart 4 requirements were not due at the time West
Virginia submitted the redesignation request is in keeping with the
EPA's interpretation of subpart 2 requirements for subpart 1 ozone
areas redesignated subsequent to the D.C. Circuit Court's decision in
South Coast Air Quality Mgmt. Dist. v. EPA, 472 F.3d 882 (D.C. Cir.
2006). In South Coast, the D.C Circuit Court found that EPA was not
permitted to implement the 1997 8-hour ozone standard solely under
subpart 1, and held that EPA was required under the statute to
implement
[[Page 44489]]
the standard under the ozone-specific requirements of subpart 2 as
well. Subsequent to the South Coast decision, in evaluating and acting
upon redesignation requests for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard that
were submitted to EPA for areas under subpart 1, EPA applied its
longstanding interpretation of the CAA that ``applicable
requirements,'' for purposes of evaluating a redesignation, are those
that had been due at the time the redesignation request was submitted.
See, e.g., Proposed Redesignation of Manitowoc County and Door County
Nonattainment Areas (75 FR 22047, 22050, April 27, 2010). In those
actions, EPA therefore did not consider subpart 2 requirements to be
``applicable'' for the purposes of evaluating whether the area should
be redesignated under section 107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA.
EPA's interpretation derives from the provisions of section
107(d)(3) of the CAA. Section 107(d)(3)(E)(v) states that, for an area
to be redesignated, a state must meet ``all requirements `applicable'
to the area under section 110 and part D.'' Section 107(d)(3)(E)(ii)
provides that EPA must have fully approved the ``applicable'' SIP for
the area seeking redesignation. These two sections read together
support EPA's interpretation of ``applicable'' as only those
requirements that came due prior to submission of a complete
redesignation request.
First, holding states to an ongoing obligation to adopt new CAA
requirements that arose after the state submitted its redesignation
request, in order to be redesignated, would make it problematic or
impossible for EPA to act on redesignation requests in accordance with
the 18-month deadline Congress set for EPA action in section
107(d)(3)(D) of the CAA. If ``applicable requirements'' were
interpreted to be a continuing flow of requirements with no reasonable
limitation, states, after submitting a redesignation request, would be
forced continuously to make additional SIP submissions that in turn
would require EPA to undertake further notice-and-comment rulemaking
actions to act on those submissions. This would create a regime of
unceasing rulemaking that would delay action on the redesignation
request beyond the 18-month timeframe provided by the CAA for this
purpose.
Second, a fundamental premise for redesignating a nonattainment
area to attainment is that the area has attained the relevant NAAQS due
to emission reductions from existing controls. Thus, an area for which
a redesignation request has been submitted would have already attained
the NAAQS as a result of satisfying statutory requirements that came
due prior to the submission of the request. Absent a showing that
unadopted and unimplemented requirements are necessary for future
maintenance, it is reasonable to view the requirements applicable for
purposes of evaluating the redesignation request as including only
those SIP requirements that have already come due. These are the
requirements that led to attainment of the NAAQS. To require, for
redesignation approval, that a state also satisfy additional SIP
requirements coming due after the state submits its complete
redesignation request, and while EPA is reviewing it, would compel the
state to do more than is necessary to attain the NAAQS, without a
showing that the additional requirements are necessary for maintenance.
In the context of the Wheeling redesignation, the timing and nature
of the D.C. Circuit Court's January 4, 2013 decision in NRDC v. EPA
compound the consequences of imposing requirements that come due after
the redesignation request is submitted. West Virginia submitted its
redesignation request on March 8, 2012, but the D.C. Circuit Court did
not issue its decision remanding EPA's 1997 PM2.5
implementation rule concerning the applicability of the provisions of
subpart 4 until January 2013.
To require West Virginia's fully-completed and long-pending
redesignation request to comply now with requirements of subpart 4 that
the D.C. Circuit Court announced only on January 4, 2013, would be to
give retroactive effect to such requirements when the State had no
notice that it was required to meet them. The D.C. Circuit Court
recognized the inequity of this type of retroactive impact in Sierra
Club v. Whitman, 285 F.3d 63 (D.C. Cir. 2002),\2\ where it upheld the
D.C. District Court's ruling refusing to make retroactive EPA's
determination that the St. Louis area did not meet its attainment
deadline. In that case, petitioners urged the D.C. Circuit Court to
make EPA's nonattainment determination effective as of the date that
the statute required, rather than the later date on which EPA actually
made the determination. The D.C. Circuit Court rejected this view,
stating that applying it ``would likely impose large costs on States,
which would face fines and suits for not implementing air pollution
prevention plans . . . even though they were not on notice at the
time.'' Id. at 68. Similarly, it would be unreasonable to penalize West
Virginia by rejecting its redesignation request for an area that is
already attaining the 1997 PM2.5 standard and that met all
applicable requirements known to be in effect at the time of the
request. For EPA now to reject the redesignation request solely because
the state did not expressly address subpart 4 requirements of which it
had no notice, would inflict the same unfairness condemned by the D.C.
Circuit Court in Sierra Club v. Whitman.
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\2\ Sierra Club v. Whitman was discussed and distinguished in a
recent D.C. Circuit Court decision that addressed retroactivity in a
quite different context, where, unlike the situation here, EPA
sought to give its regulations retroactive effect. National
Petrochemical and Refiners Ass'n v. EPA. 630 F.3d 145, 163 (D.C.
Cir. 2010), rehearing denied 643 F.3d 958 (D.C. Cir. 2011), cert
denied 132 S. Ct. 571 (2011).
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2. Subpart 4 Requirements and Wheeling Area's Redesignation Request
Even if EPA were to take the view that the D.C. Circuit Court's
January 4, 2013 decision requires that, in the context of pending
redesignations, subpart 4 requirements were due and in effect at the
time the State submitted its redesignation request, EPA proposes to
determine that the Wheeling Area still qualifies for redesignation to
attainment. As explained below, EPA believes that the redesignation
request for the Wheeling Area, though not expressed in terms of subpart
4 requirements, substantively meets the requirements of that subpart
for purposes of redesignating the area to attainment.
With respect to evaluating the relevant substantive requirements of
subpart 4 for purposes of redesignating the Wheeling Area, EPA notes
that subpart 4 incorporates components of subpart 1 of part D, which
contains general air quality planning requirements for areas designated
as nonattainment. See Section 172(c). Subpart 4 itself contains
specific planning and scheduling requirements for PM10 \3\
nonattainment areas, and under the D.C. Circuit Court's January 4, 2013
decision in NRDC v. EPA, these same statutory requirements also apply
for PM2.5 nonattainment areas. EPA has longstanding general
guidance that interprets the 1990 amendments to the CAA, making
recommendations to states for meeting the statutory requirements for
SIPs for nonattainment areas. See, ``State Implementation Plans;
General Preamble for the Implementation of Title I of the Clear Air Act
Amendments of 1990,'' (57 FR 13498, April 16, 1992) (the ``General
Preamble''). In the General Preamble, EPA discussed the relationship of
subpart 1 and subpart 4
[[Page 44490]]
SIP requirements, and pointed out that subpart 1 requirements were to
an extent ``subsumed by, or integrally related to, the more specific
PM10 requirements.'' (57 FR 13538, April 16, 1992). EPA's
December 11, 2012 NPR for this redesignation action addressed how the
Wheeling Area meets the requirements for redesignation under subpart 1.
These subpart 1 requirements include, among other things, provisions
for attainment demonstrations, reasonably available control measures
(RACM), reasonable further progress (RFP), emissions inventories, and
contingency measures.
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\3\ PM10 refers to particulates nominally 10
micrometers in diameter or smaller.
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For the purposes of this redesignation, in order to identify any
additional requirements which would apply under subpart 4, EPA is
considering the Wheeling Area to be a ``moderate'' PM2.5
nonattainment area. Under section 188 of the CAA, all areas designated
nonattainment areas under subpart 4 would initially be classified by
operation of law as ``moderate'' nonattainment areas, and would remain
moderate nonattainment areas unless and until EPA reclassifies the area
as a ``serious'' nonattainment area. Accordingly, EPA believes that it
is appropriate to limit the evaluation of the potential impact of
subpart 4 requirements to those that would be applicable to moderate
nonattainment areas. Sections 189(a) and (c) of subpart 4 apply to
moderate nonattainment areas and include the following: (1) An approved
permit program for construction of new and modified major stationary
sources (section 189(a)(1)(A)); (2) an attainment demonstration
(section 189(a)(1)(B)); (3) provisions for RACM (section 189(a)(1)(C));
and (4) quantitative milestones demonstrating RFP toward attainment by
the applicable attainment date (section 189(c)).
The permit requirements of subpart 4, as contained in section
189(a)(1)(A), refer to and apply the subpart 1 permit provisions
requirements of sections 172 and 173 to PM10, without adding
to them. Consequently, EPA believes that section 189(a)(1)(A) does not
itself impose for redesignation purposes any additional requirements
for moderate areas beyond those contained in subpart 1.\4\ In any
event, in the context of redesignation, EPA has long relied on the
interpretation that a fully approved nonattainment new source review
program is not considered an applicable requirement for redesignation,
provided the area can maintain the standard with a prevention of
significant deterioration (PSD) program after redesignation. A detailed
rationale for this view is described in a memorandum from Mary Nichols,
Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, dated October 14, 1994,
entitled, ``Part D New Source Review Requirements for Areas Requesting
Redesignation to Attainment.'' See also rulemakings for Detroit,
Michigan (60 FR 12467-12468, March 7, 1995); Cleveland-Akron-Lorain,
Ohio (61 FR 20458, 20469-20470, May 7, 1996); Louisville, Kentucky (66
FR 53665, October 23, 2001); and Grand Rapids, Michigan (61 FR 31834-
31837, June 21, 1996).
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\4\ The potential effect of section 189(e) on section
189(a)(1)(A) for purposes of evaluating this redesignation is
discussed below.
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With respect to the specific attainment planning requirements under
subpart 4,\5\ when EPA evaluates a redesignation request under either
subpart 1 and/or 4, any area that is attaining the PM2.5
standard is viewed as having satisfied the attainment planning
requirements for these subparts. For redesignations, EPA has for many
years interpreted attainment-linked requirements as not applicable for
areas attaining the standard. In the General Preamble, EPA stated that:
``The requirements for RFP will not apply in evaluating a request for
redesignation to attainment since, at a minimum, the air quality data
for the area must show that the area has already attained. Showing that
the State will make RFP towards attainment will, therefore, have no
meaning at that point.'' See General Preamble for the Interpretation of
Title I of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990; (57 FR 13498, 13564,
April 16, 1992).
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\5\ I.e., attainment demonstration, RFP, RACM, milestone
requirements, contingency measures.
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The General Preamble also explained that: ``[t]he section 172(c)(9)
requirements are directed at ensuring RFP and attainment by the
applicable date. These requirements no longer apply when an area has
attained the standard and is eligible for redesignation. Furthermore,
section 175A for maintenance plans . . . provides specific requirements
for contingency measures that effectively supersede the requirements of
section 172(c)(9) for these areas.'' Id. EPA similarly stated in its
1992 Calcagni memorandum that, ``The requirements for reasonable
further progress and other measures needed for attainment will not
apply for redesignations because they only have meaning for areas not
attaining the standard.''
It is evident that even if we were to consider the D.C. Circuit
Court's January 4, 2013 decision in NRDC v. EPA to mean that
attainment-related requirements specific to subpart 4 should be imposed
retroactively \6\ and thus are now past due, those requirements do not
apply to an area that is attaining the 1997 PM2.5 standard,
for the purpose of evaluating a pending request to redesignate the area
to attainment. EPA has consistently enunciated this interpretation of
applicable requirements under section 107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA since the
General Preamble was published more than twenty years ago. Courts have
recognized the scope of EPA's authority to interpret ``applicable
requirements'' in the redesignation context. See Sierra Club v. EPA,
375 F.3d 537 (7th Cir. 2004).
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\6\ As EPA has explained above, we do not believe that the D.C.
Circuit Court's January 4, 2013 decision should be interpreted so as
to impose these requirements on the states retroactively. Sierra
Club v. Whitman, supra.
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Moreover, even outside the context of redesignations, EPA has
viewed the obligations to submit attainment-related SIP planning
requirements of subpart 4 as inapplicable for areas that EPA determines
are attaining the standard. EPA's prior ``Clean Data Policy''
rulemakings for the PM10 NAAQS, also governed by the
requirements of subpart 4, explain EPA's reasoning. They describe the
effects of a determination of attainment on the attainment-related SIP
planning requirements of subpart 4. See ``Determination of Attainment
for Coso Junction Nonattainment Area,'' (75 FR 27944, May 19, 2010).
See also Coso Junction proposed PM10 redesignation, (75 FR
36023, 36027, June 24, 2010); Proposed and Final Determinations of
Attainment for San Joaquin Nonattainment Area (71 FR 40952, 40954-55,
July 19, 2006; and 71 FR 63641, 63643-47 October 30, 2006). In short,
EPA in this context has also long concluded that to require states to
meet superfluous SIP planning requirements is not necessary and not
required by the CAA, so long as those areas continue to attain the
relevant NAAQS.
In its December 11, 2012 NPR for this action, EPA proposed to
determine that the Wheeling Area has attained the 1997 PM2.5
NAAQS and therefore meets the attainment-related plan requirements of
subpart 1. Under its longstanding interpretation, EPA is proposing to
determine here that the Area also meets the attainment-related plan
requirements of subpart 4.
Thus, EPA is proposing to conclude that the requirements to submit
an attainment demonstration under 189(a)(1)(B), a RACM determination
under section 172(c)(1) and section 189(a)(1)(c), and a RFP
demonstration under 189(c)(1) are satisfied for
[[Page 44491]]
purposes of evaluating the redesignation request.
3. Subpart 4 and Control of PM2.5 Precursors
The D.C. Circuit Court in NRDC v. EPA remanded to EPA the two rules
at issue in the case with instructions to EPA to re-promulgate them
consistent with the requirements of subpart 4. The D.C. Circuit Court's
opinion raises the issue of the appropriate approach to addressing
PM2.5 precursors in this and future EPA actions. While past
implementation of subpart 4 for PM10 has allowed for control
of PM10 precursors such as NOX from major
stationary, mobile, and area sources in order to attain the standard as
expeditiously as practicable, CAA section 189(e) specifically provides
that control requirements for major stationary sources of direct
PM10 shall also apply to PM10 precursors from
those sources, except where EPA determines that major stationary
sources of such precursors ``do not contribute significantly to
PM10 levels which exceed the standard in the area.''
EPA's 1997 PM2.5 Implementation Rule, remanded by the
D.C. Circuit Court, contained rebuttable presumptions concerning
certain PM2.5 precursors applicable to attainment plans and
control measures related to those plans. Specifically, in 40 CFR
51.1002, EPA provided, among other things, that a state was ``not
required to address VOC [and NH3] as . . . PM2.5
attainment plan precursor[s] and to evaluate sources of VOC [and
NH3] emissions in the State for control measures.'' EPA
intended these to be rebuttable presumptions. EPA established these
presumptions at the time because of uncertainties regarding the
emission inventories for these pollutants and the effectiveness of
specific control measures in various regions of the country in reducing
PM2.5 concentrations. EPA also left open the possibility for
such regulation of NH3 and VOC in specific areas where that
was necessary.
The D.C. Circuit Court in its January 4, 2013 decision made
reference to both section 189(e) and 40 CFR 51.1002, and stated that,
``In light of our disposition, we need not address the petitioners'
challenge to the presumptions in [40 CFR 51.1002] that volatile organic
compounds and ammonia are not PM2.5 precursors, as subpart 4
expressly governs precursor presumptions.'' NRDC v. EPA, at 27, n.10.
Elsewhere in the D.C. Circuit Court's opinion, however, the Court
observed: ``NH3 is a precursor to fine particulate matter,
making it a precursor to both PM2.5 and PM10. For
a PM10 nonattainment area governed by subpart 4, a precursor
is presumptively regulated. See 42 U.S.C. 7513a(e) [section 189(e)].''
Id. at 21, n.7.
For a number of reasons, EPA believes that its proposed
redesignation of the Wheeling Area is consistent with the D.C. Circuit
Court's decision on this aspect of subpart 4. First, while the D.C.
Circuit Court, citing section 189(e), stated that ``for a
PM10 area governed by subpart 4, a precursor is
`presumptively regulated,' '' the D.C. Circuit Court expressly declined
to decide the specific challenge to EPA's 1997 PM2.5
implementation rule provisions regarding NH3 and VOC as
precursors. The D.C. Circuit Court had no occasion to reach whether and
how it was substantively necessary to regulate any specific precursor
in a particular PM2.5 nonattainment area, and did not
address what might be necessary for purposes of acting upon a
redesignation request.
However, even if EPA takes the view that the requirements of
subpart 4 were deemed applicable at the time the state submitted the
redesignation request, and disregards the implementation rule's
rebuttable presumptions regarding NH3 and VOC as
PM2.5 precursors, the regulatory consequence would be to
consider the need for regulation of all precursors from any sources in
the area to demonstrate attainment and to apply the section 189(e)
provisions to major stationary sources of precursors. In the case of
Wheeling Area, EPA believes that doing so would not affect the
approvability of the proposed redesignation of the Area for the 1997
PM2.5 standard. The Wheeling Area has attained the standard
without any specific additional controls of NH3 and VOC
emissions from any sources in the area.
Precursors in subpart 4 are specifically regulated under the
provisions of section 189(e), which requires, with important
exceptions, control requirements for major stationary sources of
PM10 precursors.\7\ Under subpart 1 and EPA's prior
implementation rule, all major stationary sources of PM2.5
precursors were subject to regulation, with the exception of
NH3 and VOC. Thus we must address here whether additional
controls of NH3 and VOC from major stationary sources are
required under section 189(e) of subpart 4 in order to redesignate the
Wheeling Area for the 1997 PM2.5 standard. As explained
below, we do not believe that any additional controls of NH3
and VOC are required in the context of this redesignation.
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\7\ Under either subpart 1 or subpart 4, for purposes of
demonstrating attainment as expeditiously as practicable, a state is
required to evaluate all economically and technologically feasible
control measures for direct PM emissions and precursor emissions,
and adopt those measures that are deemed reasonably available.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the General Preamble, EPA discusses its approach to implementing
section 189(e). See 57 FR 13538-13542. With regard to precursor
regulation under section 189(e), the General Preamble explicitly stated
that control of VOCs under other CAA requirements may suffice to
relieve a state from the need to adopt precursor controls under section
189(e). See 57 FR 13542. EPA in this supplemental proposal proposes to
determine that the West Virginia SIP has met the provisions of section
189(e) with respect to NH3 and VOCs as precursors. This
proposed supplemental determination is based on our findings that (1)
the Wheeling Area contains no major stationary sources of
NH3, and (2) existing major stationary sources of VOC are
adequately controlled under other provisions of the CAA regulating the
ozone NAAQS.\8\ In the alternative, EPA proposes to determine that,
under the express exception provisions of section 189(e), and in the
context of the redesignation of the Wheeling Area, which is attaining
the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard, at present NH3
and VOC precursors from major stationary sources do not contribute
significantly to levels exceeding the 1997 annual PM2.5
standard in the Wheeling Area. See 57 FR 13539-42.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ The Wheeling Area has reduced VOC emissions through the
implementation of various control programs including VOC Reasonably
Available Control Technology regulations (45CSR21) and various on-
road and non-road motor vehicle control programs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA notes that its 1997 PM2.5 implementation rule
provisions in 40 CFR 51.1002 were not directed at evaluation of
PM2.5 precursors in the context of redesignation, but at SIP
plans and control measures required to bring a nonattainment area into
attainment of the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS. By contrast,
redesignation to attainment primarily requires the area to have already
attained due to permanent and enforceable emission reductions, and to
demonstrate that controls in place can continue to maintain the
standard. Thus, even if we regard the D.C. Circuit Court's January 4,
2013 decision as calling for ``presumptive regulation'' of
NH3 and VOC for PM2.5 under the attainment
planning provisions of subpart 4, those provisions in and of themselves
do not require additional controls of these precursors for an area that
already qualifies for redesignation. Nor does EPA believe that
requiring
[[Page 44492]]
West Virginia to address precursors differently than they have already
would result in a substantively different outcome.
Although, as EPA has emphasized, its consideration here of
precursor requirements under subpart 4 is in the context of a
redesignation to attainment, EPA's existing interpretation of subpart 4
requirements with respect to precursors in attainment plans for
PM10 contemplates that states may develop attainment plans
that regulate only those precursors that are necessary for purposes of
attainment in the area in question, i.e., states may determine that
only certain precursors need be regulated for attainment and control
purposes.\9\ Courts have upheld this approach to the requirements of
subpart 4 for PM10.\10\ EPA believes that application of
this approach to PM2.5 precursors under subpart 4 is
reasonable. Because the Wheeling Area has already attained the 1997
annual PM2.5 NAAQS with its current approach to regulation
of PM2.5 precursors, EPA believes that it is reasonable to
conclude in the context of this redesignation that there is no need to
revisit the attainment control strategy with respect to the treatment
of precursors. Even if the D.C. Circuit Court's decision is construed
to impose an obligation, in evaluating this redesignation request, to
consider additional precursors under subpart 4, it would not affect
EPA's approval here of West Virginia's request for redesignation of the
Wheeling Area. In the context of a redesignation, the Area has shown
that it has attained the standard. Moreover, the State has shown and
EPA has proposed to determine that attainment in this Area is due to
permanent and enforceable emissions reductions on all precursors
necessary to provide for continued attainment. It follows logically
that no further control of additional precursors is necessary.
Accordingly, EPA does not view the January 4, 2013 decision of the D.C.
Circuit Court as precluding redesignation of the Wheeling Area to
attainment for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS at this time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ See, e.g., ``Approval and Promulgation of Implementation
Plans for California--San Joaquin Valley PM10
Nonattainment Area; Serious Area Plan for Nonattainment of the 24-
Hour and Annual PM10 Standards,'' 69 FR 30006 (May 26,
2004) (approving a PM10 attainment plan that imposes
controls on direct PM10 and NOX emissions and
did not impose controls on SO2, VOC, or ammonia
emissions).
\10\ See, e.g., Assoc. of Irritated Residents v. EPA et al., 423
F.3d 989 (9th Cir. 2005).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In summary, even if West Virginia were required to address
precursors for the Wheeling Area under subpart 4 rather than under
subpart 1, as interpreted in EPA's remanded PM2.5
implementation rule, EPA would still conclude that the area had met all
applicable requirements for purposes of redesignation in accordance
with section 107(d)(3)(E)(ii) and (v) of the CAA.
4. Maintenance Plan and Evaluation of Precursors
With regard to the redesignation of West Virginia, in evaluating
the effect of the D.C. Circuit Court's remand of EPA's implementation
rule, which included presumptions against consideration of VOC and
ammonia as PM2.5 precursors, EPA in this supplemental
proposal is also considering the impact of the decision on the
maintenance plan required under sections 175A and 107(d)(3)(E)(iv) of
the CAA. To begin with, EPA notes that the Area has attained the 1997
annual PM2.5 standard and that the State has shown that
attainment of that standard is due to permanent and enforceable
emission reductions.
In the December 11, 2012 NPR, EPA proposed to determine that the
State's maintenance plan shows continued maintenance of the standard by
tracking the levels of the precursors whose control brought about
attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard in the Wheeling
Area. EPA therefore, believes that the only additional consideration
related to the maintenance plan requirements that results from the D.C.
Circuit Court's January 4, 2013 decision, is that of assessing the
potential role of NH3 and VOC in demonstrating continued
maintenance in this Area. Based upon documentation provided by the
State and supporting information, EPA believes that the maintenance
plan for the Wheeling Area need not include any additional emission
reductions of NH3 or VOC in order to provide for continued
maintenance of the standard.
First, as noted above in EPA's discussion of section 189(e), VOC
emission levels in this Area have historically been well-controlled
under SIP requirements related to ozone and other pollutants. Second,
total NH3 emissions throughout the Wheeling Area are very
low, estimated to be less than 800 tons per year. See Table 2. This
amount of NH3 emissions appears especially small in
comparison to the total amounts of SO2, NOX, and
even direct PM2.5 emissions from sources in the Area. Third,
as described below, available information shows that no precursor,
including NH3 and VOC, is expected to increase over the
maintenance period so as to interfere with or undermine the State's
maintenance demonstration.
West Virginia's maintenance plan shows that emissions of direct
PM2.5, SO2, and NOX are projected to
decrease by 2,529 tons per year (tpy), 35,616 tpy, and 20,581 tpy,
respectively, over the maintenance period. See Table 1. In addition,
emissions inventories used in the regulatory impact analysis (RIA) for
the 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS show that VOC and NH3
emissions are projected to decrease by 2,209 tpy between 2007 and 2020.
NH3 emissions are projected to increase by 59 tpy between
2007 and 2020. See Table 2. Given that the Wheeling Area is already
attaining the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS even with the current level
of emissions from sources in the Area, the downward trend of emissions
inventories would be consistent with continued attainment. Indeed,
projected emissions reductions for the precursors that the State is
addressing for purposes of the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS indicate
that the Area should continue to attain the NAAQS following the
precursor control strategy that the State has already elected to
pursue.
Even if VOC and ammonia emissions were to increase unexpectedly
between 2007 and 2020, the overall emissions reductions projected in
direct PM2.5, SO2, and NOX would be
sufficient to offset any increases. For these reasons, EPA believes
that local emissions of all of the potential PM2.5
precursors will not increase to the extent that they will cause
monitored PM2.5 levels to violate the 1997 PM2.5
standard during the maintenance period.
Table 1--Comparison of 2008, 2015, 2022 SO2, NOX, and Direct PM2.5 Emission Totals in Tons per Year (tpy) for
the Wheeling Nonattainment Area
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SO2 NOX PM2.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2008...................................................... 67,103 35,971 6.001
2015...................................................... 36,843 16,204 3,436
[[Page 44493]]
2022...................................................... 31,487 15,390 3,472
Decrease from 2008 to 2022................................ 35,616 20,581 2,529
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 2--Comparison of 2007 and 2020 VOC and Ammonia Emission Totals by Source Sector (tpy) for the Wheeling Nonattainment Area \11\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VOC NH3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector Net change Net change
2007 2020 2007-2020 2007 2020 2007-2020
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point................................................... 396 402 6 89 186 97
Area.................................................... 1,686 1,651 -35 532 538 6
Nonroad................................................. 999 514 -485 1 1 0
On-road................................................. 2,469 774 -1,695 86 42 -44
Fires................................................... 70 70 0 5 5 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total............................................... 5,621 3,412 -2,209 713 772 59
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition, available air quality modeling analyses show continued
maintenance of the standard during the maintenance period. The current
air quality design value for the Area is 13.0 micrograms per cubic
meter ([mu]g/m\3\) (based on 2009-2011 air quality data), which is well
below the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS of 15 [mu]g/m\3\.
Moreover, the modeling analysis conducted for the RIA for the 2012
PM2.5 indicates that the design value for this Area is
expected to continue to decline through 2020. In the RIA analysis, the
2020 modeled design value for the Wheeling Area is 8.4 [mu]g/m\3\.
Given that precursor emissions are projected to decrease through 2020,
it is reasonable to conclude that monitored PM2.5 levels in
this Area will also continue to decrease in 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ These emissions estimates were taken from the emissions
inventories developed for the RIA for the 2012 PM2.5
NAAQS. NH3 increases are due to some (~5%) increase in
fertilizer application, but mostly from EGU, and with huge
SO2 (point) reductions (88,229 in 2007 and 14,285 in
2020) would offset any increases.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus, EPA believes that there is ample justification to conclude
that the Wheeling Area should be redesignated, even taking into
consideration the emissions of other precursors potentially relevant to
PM2.5. After consideration of the D.C. Circuit Court's
January 4, 2013 decision, and for the reasons set forth in this
supplemental notice, EPA continues to propose approval of West
Virginia's maintenance plan and its request to redesignate the Wheeling
Area to attainment for the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard.
III. Ammonia and Volatile Organic Compound Comprehensive Emissions
Inventory
EPA in this proposal also addresses the State's submission that
provides additional information concerning NH3 and VOC
emissions in the area in order to meet the emissions inventory
requirement of section 172(c)(3) of the CAA. Section 172(c)(3) of the
CAA requires states to submit a comprehensive, accurate, and current
emissions inventory for the attainment area. For purposes of the
PM2.5 NAAQS, this emissions inventory should address not
only direct emissions of PM2.5, but also emissions of all
precursors with the potential to participate in PM2.5
formation, i.e., SO2, NOX, VOC and
NH3.
In the December 11, 2012 NPR (77 FR 73575), EPA proposed to approve
the emissions inventory information requirement for the Wheeling Area.
On June 24, 2013, West Virginia supplemented its submittal with the
2008 emission inventories for NH3 and VOC. The additional
emission inventories information provided by the State addresses
emissions of NH3 and VOC from the general source categories
of point sources, area sources, onroad mobile sources, and nonroad
sources. See Table 3. The state-submitted inventories were based on the
data that West Virginia certified and submitted to the 2008 National
Emissions Inventory (NEI) that is available at https://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/net/2008inventory.html. The NEI is a comprehensive and detailed
estimate of air emissions of both criteria and hazardous air pollutants
from all air emissions sources. The NEI is prepared every three years
by EPA based primarily upon emission estimates and emission model
inputs provided by State, Local and Tribal air agencies.
The NEI point data category contains emission estimates for sources
that are individually inventory and located at a fixed, stationary
location. Point sources include large industrial facilities and
electric power plants. The NEI nonpoint data category contains
emissions estimates for sources which individually are too small in
magnitude or too numerous to inventory as individual point sources. The
NEI onroad and nonroad data categories contain mobile sources which are
estimated for the 2008 NEI version 3 via the MOVES2010b and NONROAD
models, respectively. NONROAD was run within the National Mobile
Inventory Model (NMIM).
Table 3--Marshall County, Wheeling Area NH3 and VOC Emissions (tpy) by
Source Sector
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sector NH3 VOC
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point............................................. 31.85 320.50
Area.............................................. 78.90 2,944.99
Nonroad........................................... 0.12 163.45
Onroad............................................ 10.36 269.32
---------------------
Total......................................... 121.23 3, 698.26
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA has concluded that the 2008 NH3 and VOC emissions
inventories provided by the State are complete and as accurate as
possible given the input data available for the relevant categories.
EPA also believes that these inventories provide information about
NH3 and VOC as PM2.5 precursors in the context of
evaluating redesignation of
[[Page 44494]]
the Wheeling Area under subpart 4. Therefore, EPA is proposing to
approve the NH3 and VOC emissions inventories submitted by
the State, in conjunction with the NOx, direct PM2.5, and
SO2 emissions inventories that EPA previously proposed to
approve as fully meeting the comprehensive inventory requirement of
section 172(c)(3) of the CAA for the Wheeling Area for the 1997 annual
PM2.5 standard. See (77 FR 7357, December 11, 2012). Since
EPA's prior proposal addressed other precursor emissions inventories,
EPA in this supplemental proposal is seeking comment only with respect
to the additional inventories for NH3 and VOC that West
Virginia has submitted.
IV. Proposed Action
After fully considering the D.C. Circuit Court's decision in NRDC
v. EPA on EPA's 1997 PM2.5 Implementation rule, EPA in this
supplemental notice is proposing to proceed with approval of the
request to redesignate the Wheeling Area to attainment for the 1997
annual PM2.5 NAAQS and the associated maintenance plan. EPA
in this supplemental notice is also proposing to approve the 2008
NH3 and VOC emissions inventory as meeting, in conjunction
with the direct PM2.5, NOX and SO2
emissions inventory that EPA previously proposed to approve, the
comprehensive emissions inventory requirements of section 172(c)(3) of
the CAA. In addition, EPA in this supplemental action is proposing to
proceed with the approval of the insignificance determination of the
onroad motor vehicle contribution of PM2.5, NOX
and SO2. EPA is seeking comment only on the issues raised in
its supplemental proposal, and is not re-opening comment on other
issues addressed in its prior proposal.
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP
submission that complies with the provisions of the CAA 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 proposes to approve state law as meeting Federal
requirements and does not impose additional requirements beyond those
imposed by state law. For that reason, this proposed action:
Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' subject to
review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order
12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993);
does not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
is certified as not having a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4);
does not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
is not an economically significant regulatory action based
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
is not subject to 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 proposed rule pertaining to the redesignation of
the West Virginia portion of the Wheeling WV-OH 1997 annual
PM2.5 nonattainment area, does not have tribal implications
as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000),
because the SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in
the state, and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct
costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Parts 52 and 81
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile organic compounds.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: July 8, 2013.
W.C. Early,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region III.
[FR Doc. 2013-17704 Filed 7-23-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P