Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; California; Morongo Band of Mission Indians, 58189-58202 [2013-22873]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 184 / Monday, September 23, 2013 / Rules and Regulations
I. Summary of Proposed Action
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 81
[EPA–R09–OAR–2012–0936; FRL–9901–13–
Region 9]
Designation of Areas for Air Quality
Planning Purposes; California;
Morongo Band of Mission Indians
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Final rule.
EPA is taking final action to
correct an error in a previous
rulemaking that revised the boundaries
between nonattainment areas in
Southern California designated under
the Clean Air Act for the national
ambient air quality standard for onehour ozone. EPA is also taking final
action to revise the boundaries of
certain Southern California air quality
planning areas to designate the Indian
country of the Morongo Band of Mission
Indians, California as a separate air
quality planning area for the one-hour
and 1997 eight-hour ozone standards.
SUMMARY:
This rule is effective on October
23, 2013.
DATES:
EPA has established docket
number EPA–R09–OAR–2012–0936 for
this action. The index to the docket is
available electronically at
www.regulations.gov and in hard copy
at EPA Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street,
San Francisco, California. While all
documents in the docket are listed in
the index, some information may be
publicly available only at the hard copy
location (e.g., copyrighted material), and
some may not be publicly available in
either location (e.g., Confidential
Business Information). To inspect the
hard copy materials, please schedule an
appointment during normal business
hours with the contact listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
ADDRESSES:
Ken
Israels, Grants and Program Integration
Office (AIR–8), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region IX, (415)
947–4102, israels.ken@epa.gov.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document, the terms
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ ‘‘our,’’ and ‘‘Agency’’ refer
to EPA.
Table of Contents
I. Summary of Proposed Action
II. Comments and Responses
III. Final Action
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
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On January 2, 2013 (78 FR 51), EPA
proposed to correct an error in a
previous rulemaking that revised the
boundaries between nonattainment
areas in Southern California designated
under the Clean Air Act (CAA or ‘‘Act’’)
for the national ambient air quality
standard (NAAQS or ‘‘standard’’) for
one-hour ozone.1 EPA also proposed to
revise the boundaries of certain
Southern California air quality planning
areas to designate the Indian country 2
of the Morongo Band of Mission
Indians, California (‘‘Morongo
Reservation’’) as a separate air quality
planning area for the one-hour and 1997
eight-hour ozone standards. References
herein to our ‘‘proposed rule’’ refer to
our January 2, 2013 proposed rule.
Specifically, we proposed to correct
an error in our October 7, 2003 (68 FR
57820) final action approving a request
by the State of California (‘‘California’’
or ‘‘State’’) to shift the boundary
between the South Coast Air Basin and
the Southeast Desert Air Basin (which
includes Coachella Valley) eastward,
and thereby relocate the Banning Pass
area to the South Coast Air Basin from
the Southeast Desert Air Basin. As
explained in our proposed rule, the
‘‘error’’ pertained only to the Morongo
Reservation, which is located within the
Banning Pass, and which is the only
Indian country affected by the relevant
portion of our 2003 final action.
With respect to the one-hour ozone
standard, EPA’s 2003 action had the
effect of moving the Morongo
Reservation from the Coachella Valley
portion of the ‘‘Southeast Desert
Modified AQMA Area’’ (‘‘Southeast
Desert’’) to the ‘‘Los Angeles-South
Coast Air Basin Area’’ (‘‘South Coast’’)
and changing the designations and
classifications accordingly. Specifically,
EPA’s 2003 action had the effect of
changing the ozone nonattainment area
1 Ground-level ozone is a gas that is formed by the
reaction of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and
oxides of nitrogen (NOX) in the atmosphere in the
presence of sunlight. These precursor emissions are
emitted by many types of pollution sources,
including power plants and industrial emissions
sources, on-road and off-road motor vehicles and
engines, and smaller sources, collectively referred
to as area sources.
2 ‘‘Indian country’’ as defined at 18 U.S.C. 1151
refers to: ‘‘(a) all land within the limits of any
Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the
United States Government, notwithstanding the
issuance of any patent, and, including rights-of-way
running through the reservation, (b) all dependent
Indian communities within the borders of the
United States whether within the original or
subsequently acquired territory thereof, and
whether within or without the limits of a state, and
(c) all Indian allotments, the Indian titles to which
have not been extinguished, including rights-of-way
running through the same.’’
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classification for the Banning Pass area,
including the Morongo Reservation,
from ‘‘Severe-17’’ to ‘‘Extreme’’.3
In connection with the 2003 final
action, we erred by failing to recognize
that, while EPA had authority to change
the boundary of the South Coast with
respect to Indian country under CAA
sections 107(d)(3)(A)–(C), 301(a) and
301(d), it is apparent from the proposed
and final rules in 2003 that EPA did not
recognize that it was acting under that
authority or that EPA appropriately
considered the effect of the action on
Indian country lands. EPA recognized
only that the Agency was acting on a
State request under section 107(d)(3)(D)
and reviewed the request accordingly.
However, tribes are sovereign entities,
and not political subdivisions of states.
Typically, states are not approved to
administer programs under the CAA in
Indian country, and California has not
been approved by EPA to administer
any CAA programs in Indian country.
With respect to the Morongo
Reservation, EPA or the Morongo Tribe
is the appropriate entity to initiate
boundary changes, and in this instance,
the Morongo Tribe initiated the change
through a rulemaking request to EPA.
If EPA had considered such a
boundary change with respect to the
Morongo Reservation under the
appropriate statutory authority (i.e.,
CAA sections 107(d)(3)(A)–(C), 301(a)
and 301(d)), the Agency might well have
declined to change the boundary with
respect to the Morongo Reservation
based on ‘‘planning and control
considerations’’ given that emissions
sources within the Morongo Reservation
are subject to EPA jurisdiction whereas
the emissions sources outside of the
Reservation are subject to the
jurisdiction of the South Coast Air
Quality Management District
(SCAQMD). In addition to the difference
in jurisdiction, we might have declined
to change the boundary given the
associated decrease in the major source
threshold and absence of a federal
Indian country new source review
(NSR) program for new or modified
stationary sources at the time.
Therefore, under CAA section
3 While the one-hour ozone standard itself has
been revoked, the NSR requirements that had
applied to a nonattainment area for the 1997 eighthour ozone standard based on that area’s
designation and classification for the one-hour
ozone standard, at the time of designation for the
1997 eight-hour ozone standard, continue to apply
to the area consistent with the requirements of
EPA’s phase I implementation rule governing the
transition from the one-hour ozone standard to the
1997 eight-hour ozone standard and a related court
decision.
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110(k)(6),4 we proposed to correct the
error by rescinding our 2003 final action
as it pertains to the Morongo
Reservation and only as it pertains to
the revoked one-hour ozone standard.
Second, in our proposed rule, under
CAA sections 107(d)(3)(A)–(C), 301(a),
and 301(d), we proposed to revise the
boundaries of the Southeast Desert to
designate the Morongo Reservation as a
separate nonattainment area for the onehour ozone standard and to classify the
Morongo Reservation as ‘‘Severe-17,’’
i.e., consistent with its prior
classification when it was included in
the Southeast Desert.5 Third, also under
CAA sections 107(d)(3)(A)–(C), 301(a)
and 301(d), we proposed to revise the
boundaries of the South Coast to
designate the Morongo Reservation as a
separate nonattainment area for the
1997 eight-hour ozone standard and to
classify the Morongo Reservation as
‘‘Severe-17,’’ i.e., consistent with its
original classification when it was
included in the South Coast.
In proposing the second and third
actions described above, we applied the
principles set forth in EPA’s policy
(referred to herein as the ‘‘Tribal
Designation Policy’’) for establishing
separate air quality designations for
areas of Indian country.6 Under the
4 CAA section 110(k)(6) provides that: ‘‘Whenever
the Administrator determines that the
Administrator’s action approving, disapproving, or
promulgating any plan or plan revision (or part
thereof), area designation, redesignation,
classification, or reclassification was in error, the
Administrator may in the same manner as the
approval, disapproval, or promulgation revise such
action as appropriate without requiring any further
submission from the State. Such determination and
the basis thereof shall be provided to the State and
public.’’ We interpret this provision to authorize the
Agency to make corrections to a promulgated
regulation when it is shown to our satisfaction that
(1) we clearly erred in failing to consider or
inappropriately considered information made
available to EPA at the time of the promulgation,
or the information made available at the time of
promulgation is subsequently demonstrated to have
been clearly inadequate, and (2) other information
persuasively supports a change in the regulation.
See 57 FR 56762, at 56763 (November 30, 1992).
5 Sections 107(d)(3)(A)–(C) provide that EPA may
initiate the redesignation process ‘‘on the basis of
air quality data, planning and control
considerations, or any other air quality-related
considerations the Administrator deems
appropriate,’’ and ‘‘promulgate the redesignation, if
any, of the area or portion thereof.’’ CAA section
107(d)(3) does not refer to Indian country, but
consistent with EPA’s discretionary authority in
CAA sections 301(a) and 301(d)(4) to directly
administer CAA programs, and protect air quality
in Indian country through federal implementation,
EPA is authorized to directly administer sections
107(d)(3)(A)–(C) and redesignate Indian country
areas.
6 See memorandum from Stephen D. Page,
Director, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards, to EPA Regional Air Directors, Regions
I–X, dated December 20, 2011, titled ‘‘Policy for
Establishing Separate Air Quality Designations for
Areas of Indian Country.’’
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Tribal Designation Policy, where EPA
receives a request for a boundary change
from a tribe seeking to have its Indian
country designated as a separate area,
the policy indicates that EPA will make
decisions regarding these requests on a
case-by-case basis after consultation
with the tribe.
As a matter of policy, EPA believes
that it is important for tribes to submit
certain information, including, among
other items, a formal request from an
authorized tribal official; documentation
of Indian country boundaries to which
the air quality designation request
applies; and an analysis of a number of
factors (referred to as a ‘‘multi-factor
analysis,’’) including air quality data,
emissions-related data (including source
emissions data, traffic and commuting
patterns, population density and degree
of urbanization), meteorology,
geography/topography, and
jurisdictional boundaries.7
In May 2009, the Chairman of the
Morongo Tribe submitted the Tribe’s
request for a separate ozone
nonattainment area that included a
multi-factor analysis addressing air
quality data, emissions data,
meteorology, geography/topography,
and jurisdictional boundaries.8 As such,
although submitted prior to release of
the Tribal Designation Policy, the
Morongo Tribe’s request for a boundary
change to create a separate ozone
nonattainment area, in conjunction with
EPA’s additional analysis found in our
technical support document (TSD) for
the proposed rule, represents the type of
formal, official request and supporting
information called for in the policy.
For the proposed rule, EPA noted that
the Agency had recently reviewed the
Morongo Tribe’s multi-factor analysis in
connection with designating the
Morongo Reservation as a separate
nonattainment area for the 2008 ozone
standard, and concluded that EPA’s
analysis and recent decision to
designate the Morongo Reservation as a
separate nonattainment area for the
2008 ozone standard was directly
relevant to our consideration of whether
to revise the boundaries of existing air
quality planning areas to designate the
Morongo Reservation as a separate
nonattainment area for the one-hour and
1997 eight-hour ozone standards, and
adopted the analysis and rationale
7 See Tribal Designation Policy, pages 3 and 4.
The Tribal Designation Policy also states that, in
addition to information related to the identified
factors, tribes may submit any other information
that they believe is important for EPA to consider.
8 See letter from Robert Martin, Chairman,
Morongo Band of Mission Indians, to Deborah
Jordan, Director, Air Division, EPA Region IX, dated
May 29, 2009.
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previously relied upon by EPA in
establishing the Morongo nonattainment
area for the 2008 ozone standard. In
doing so, we recognized that the three
standards address the same pollutant,
and thus share multi-factor analyses and
considerations.9
Based on our review of air quality
data, meteorology and topography, we
observed that the Morongo Reservation
experiences transitional conditions
characteristic of a mountain pass area
through which pollutants are channeled
from a highly urbanized metropolitan
nonattainment area to the west to the
relatively less developed nonattainment
area to the east. Considering the three
factors of air quality data, meteorology,
and topography, EPA concluded that the
Agency could reasonably include the
Morongo Reservation in either the South
Coast nonattainment area to the west, or
the Southeast Desert nonattainment area
to the east, as EPA has done in the past
for the one-hour ozone standard and the
1997 eight-hour ozone standard.
Alternatively, EPA could establish a
separate nonattainment area for the
Morongo Reservation as it did for the
2008 eight-hour ozone standard.10
Taking into account the relative
amount of emissions associated with
activities on the Morongo Reservation
and corresponding minimal
contribution to regional ozone
violations, we believed that under the
circumstances present here, it would be
appropriate to assign particular weight
to the jurisdictional boundaries factor,
consistent with the principles for
designations of Indian country set forth
in the Tribal Designation Policy.
Moreover, we noted that the Tribe has
invested in the development of its own
air program, including operation of
weather stations and an air monitoring
station, and has expressed interest in
development of its own permitting
program. Under the jurisdictional
boundaries factor, we found that
redesignation of the Morongo
Reservation as a separate ozone
nonattainment area for the one-hour
ozone and 1997 eight-hour ozone
standards would be appropriate.
Therefore, consistent with the
designation of the Morongo Reservation
for the 2008 ozone standard, we
proposed to revise the boundaries of the
Southeast Desert one-hour ozone
nonattainment area and the boundaries
9 EPA also noted that in using many of the same
factors found in the 2008 ozone designations
process, we are using factors that represent the most
current information regarding meteorology, air
quality, etc. in the area and therefore we believe
serve the purposes of being representative for the
previously established ozone standards.
10 See 77 FR 30088, dated May 21, 2012.
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of the South Coast 1997 eight-hour
ozone nonattainment area to designate
the Morongo Reservation as a separate
nonattainment area for the one-hour and
1997 eight-hour ozone standards.
Please see our proposed rule and TSD
for additional background information
about the Morongo Reservation and the
regulatory context, as well as a more
detailed explanation of our rationale for
the proposed actions.
II. Comments and Responses
Our proposed rule provided for a 30day comment period. During this
period, we received comments from the
South Coast Air Quality Management
District (SCAQMD or ‘‘District’’), the
Coachella Valley Association of
Governments (CVAG), and from a
private citizen. All three comment
letters oppose EPA’s proposed actions.
We have summarized the comments and
provide responses in the paragraphs that
follow.
SCAQMD Comment #1: EPA’s
primary reason for wanting to reclassify
Morongo as ‘‘severe-17’’ appears to be
based on the fact that in ‘‘extreme’’
ozone areas, the major source threshold
for VOC and NOX is 10 tons per year,
whereas in ‘‘severe-17’’ areas it is 25
tons per year, thereby increasing the
number of new or modified sources
subject to the emissions offset
requirement. EPA’s sole concern
appears to be the availability of
emission reduction credits (ERCs) for
use as offsets. We are not sure that
EPA’s rationale, which appears to be
based on economic considerations, is a
proper basis for reclassification under
CAA section 107(d)(3). Also, EPA has
misinterpreted the law relative to
availability of offsets for sources to be
located on Morongo lands. Because
Morongo is included within the South
Coast District, the special provisions in
state law and District rules regarding the
transfer and use of inter-district and
inter-basin offsets are inapplicable.
EPA Response to SCAQMD Comment
#1: Our proposed rule proposed two
separate actions—(1) an error correction
(of a 2003 final action) and (2) boundary
revisions (for one-hour and 1997 eighthour ozone NAAQS). EPA considered
the issue of availability of ERCs for use
as offsets for new or modified sources
on the Morongo Reservation in the
context of the proposed error correction
action, not the boundary revisions
action, and the statutory basis for
consideration of this issue was CAA
section 110(k)(6), not section 107(d)(3).
The District is correct that, in our
proposed rule, we identified restrictions
in state law and District rules regarding
the availability of ERCs for use to
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comply with the emissions offset
requirement for new or modified major
sources on Morongo lands as one of the
adverse regulatory consequences for the
Tribe of our 2003 final action that
persuaded us to propose the error
correction. However, the availability of
ERCs was not the only adverse
regulatory effect of our 2003 action. We
recognized that the primary adverse
regulatory effect was the lowering of the
applicable VOC and NOX major source
threshold from 25 tons per year to 10
tons per year that resulted from the 2003
transfer of the Banning Pass (including
the Morongo Reservation) from the
Southeast Desert ‘‘severe’’ ozone
nonattainment area to the South Coast
‘‘extreme’’ ozone nonattainment area.
See 78 FR 51, at 54–55. The lower
threshold meant that more new or
modified sources proposed on Morongo
lands would be considered ‘‘major’’ and
thus subject to the emissions offset
requirement in the first instance. Based
on our understanding of the state and
District restrictions on the use of
emission reduction credits, we believed
at the time of the proposed rule that the
adverse regulatory effect of lowering the
threshold was exacerbated by the
uncertainty associated with the
availability of ERCs generated outside of
the Morongo Reservation to offset
emissions of new or modified sources
on the Morongo Reservation.
We appreciate the District’s
clarification of state law and District
rules regarding inter-district and interbasin transfer of ERCs. Based on the
District’s clarification, we now
understand that under state law and
District rules governing inter-district or
inter-basin transfer of ERCs, the
meaning of ‘‘District’’ is geographic in
nature and not jurisdictional, and thus,
sources on Morongo lands are
considered within the ‘‘District’’ for the
purposes of using ERCs to meet the
emissions offset requirement although
such sources are not subject to District
jurisdiction and thus may purchase and
use ERCs generated anywhere in the
South Coast without prior approval
from the State or District.
In light of SCAQMD’s interpretation
of state and District law, we no longer
find that such law presents an obstacle
to permitting of new or modified
stationary sources on the Morongo
Reservation. While ERCs may be
available for such sources in the same
manner as they are for sources in the
South Coast outside of the Morongo
Reservation, the more fundamental,
adverse consequence of lowering the
major source threshold from 25 tons per
year to 10 tons per year remains a
sufficient adverse consequence in and of
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58191
itself to persuade us to take final action
to correct our 2003 final action as it
pertains to the one-hour ozone standard
and as it pertains to the Morongo
Reservation.
SCAQMD Comment #2: EPA’s current
proposal is to separate the Morongo
Reservation, which is currently within
the South Coast Air Basin, as its own air
quality planning area and to classify the
area as ‘‘severe-17’’ for the one-hour and
1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA
should retain the Morongo Reservation
in the South Coast Air Basin in
accordance with EPA’s rationale for
approving California’s request to revise
the basin so that the Banning Pass—
including Morongo—was included in
the South Coast Air Basin. Now, as then,
the Banning Pass—including Morongo—
belongs in the South Coast Air Basin
from an air quality perspective.
EPA Response to SCAQMD Comment
#2: Our proposed rule includes two
types of actions: an error correction and
boundary revisions. The first action,
under CAA section 110(k)(6), would
correct the error by rescinding our 2003
boundary change action with respect to
the Morongo Reservation and would
thereby separate the Morongo
Reservation from the South Coast and
return the reservation back to the
Southeast Desert ozone nonattainment
area within which the reservation was
located prior to EPA’s 2003 action, but
would not establish a separate Morongo
ozone nonattainment area. The second
type of action, under CAA section
107(d)(3) and CAA sections
107(d)(3)(A)–(C), 301(a) and 301(d),
would establish a separate Morongo
ozone nonattainment area for the onehour and 1997 eight-hour ozone
NAAQS. Because we are finalizing both
actions at the same time, the Morongo
Reservation will not move back to the
Southeast Desert nonattainment area but
will instead become its own
nonattainment area for the one-hour and
1997 eight-hour ozone standards.
With respect to our error correction
action, the District accurately cites
EPA’s rationale for approving
California’s request to revise the
boundaries to transfer the Banning Pass
from the Southeast Desert to the South
Coast in 2003: ‘‘We believe that Banning
is more similar to the South Coast than
the Coachella area, and that it would
support efficient planning and control
to move the federal boundary of the
South Coast Air Basin eastward to
encompass the Banning Pass area.’’ 68
FR 48848, at 48850 (August 15, 2003).
In our proposed rule, we explain that
we do not find that we erred in 2003 in
reviewing the State’s request for a
boundary revision, but we failed to
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recognize that, to the extent that our
2003 action affected Indian country, our
action involved more than a response to
a State request under CAA section
107(d)(3)(D).11 It also involved an EPAinitiated boundary change action under
sections 107(d)(3)(A)–(C), section
301(a), and 301(d)(4) because the State
is not approved to administer CAA
programs in Indian country. 78 FR 51,
at 54. Our proposed rule also explains
how evaluation of the same criteria used
to approve the State’s request would
have differed for Indian country. Id. For
instance, ‘‘planning and control
considerations’’ while seamless from the
standpoint of District jurisdiction over
sources on state lands, would have
differed for the Morongo Reservation
because, at that time, EPA had not
established a nonattainment NSR
program for Morongo under which to
review the greater number of new or
modified sources deemed ‘‘major’’ by
virtue of the boundary change.
In effect, through its 2003 boundary
change request, the State of California
was voluntarily seeking to expand the
geographic boundary of the area (the
South Coast) subject to the most
stringent requirements under the CAA.
While EPA would have little reason to
disapprove such a state request, there is
also little reason for EPA to force Indian
country located in that geographic area
to be consistent with the State’s
voluntary request.
With respect to our proposed action to
establish a separate Morongo ozone
nonattainment area, we are not applying
the same criteria that we used to
evaluate the State’s boundary change
request, but rather are applying the
criteria set forth in our Tribal
Designations Policy. See pages 55 and
56 of our proposed rule. As described in
greater detail in our proposed rule, we
observe that the Morongo Reservation
experiences transitional conditions
characteristic of a mountain pass area
and that we could reasonably have
included the Morongo Reservation in
either the South Coast or the Southeast
Desert or established a separate
Morongo nonattainment area. Given that
emissions associated with the Morongo
Reservation are minimal, we believe
that it is appropriate to assign particular
weight to the jurisdictional boundaries
factor and thus are taking final action
today, consistent with our proposed
action, to revise the boundaries of the
South Coast and Southeast Desert
nonattainment areas to designate the
Morongo Reservation as a separate
Morongo nonattainment area for the
one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone
standards. (The Morongo Reservation is
already a separate nonattainment area
for the 2008 ozone standard.)
SCAQMD Comment #3: SCAQMD
staff is concerned about the possible
effects of separating and reclassifying
the Morongo Reservation. EPA’s action
can only be intended to facilitate the
construction and operation of new or
expanded major sources on Morongo
lands. As the Banning Pass is directly
upwind of the Coachella Valley, any
significant new emissions on Morongo
lands could adversely affect the
Coachella Valley and its ability to
maintain attainment of the ozone
standard. EPA should analyze the air
quality impacts of the proposed action
on the Coachella Valley.
Response to SCAQMD Comment #3:
With respect to nonattainment New
Source Review (NSR), the effect of our
actions today will be an increase in the
major source threshold for ozone
precursors, i.e., VOC and NOX, from 10
and 25 tons per year, for new or
modified stationary sources proposed
for construction and operation on the
Morongo Reservation. As such, new or
modified stationary sources to be
located at the Morongo Reservation with
potentials to emit (PTE) from 10 to 25
tons per year of VOC or NOX will not
be subject to the major source
requirements to meet the lowest
achievable emission rate (LAER) and to
offset emissions increases. Conversely,
with or without our actions today, such
sources with PTE 25 tons per year or
more of VOC or NOX will continue to
be subject to major source NSR, i.e.,
subject to both the LAER and offset
requirements. Likewise, the regulatory
requirements for sources with PTE less
than 10 tons per year of VOC or NOX
will also remain the same.
Thus, SCAQMD is correct that the
proposed actions will facilitate
construction and operation of new or
modified stationary sources on the
Morongo Reservation with PTE from 10
to 25 tons per year of VOC or NOX to
the extent that such sources will not be
subject to the LAER and emissions offset
requirements that otherwise would have
applied to such sources if EPA were not
to finalize today’s actions. Such sources
could be constructed and operated at
the Morongo Reservation with or
without today’s actions, but the costs
associated with construction and
operation would be less if the source is
not required to meet the LAER and
emissions offset requirements.
To gain perspective on the potential
downwind effects of one or more new
or modified stationary sources with PTE
from 10 to 25 tons per year of VOC or
NOX on the Morongo Reservation, it is
useful to compare the emissions
generated within the South Coast and
Coachella Valley with those generated
by sources associated with the Morongo
Reservation under existing conditions,
as shown in the following table.
COMPARISON OF EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SOUTH COAST, COACHELLA VALLEY, AND MORONGO RESERVATION
UNDER EXISTING CONDITIONS
Emissions (tons per day)
South Coast a
Stationary
sources
Pollutant
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VOC .............................................................................................
NOX ..............................................................................................
257
92
Coachella Valley b
Total
Stationary
sources
593
758
Total
2.0
0.7
17.7
45.2
Morongo reservation c
Stationary
sources
0.058
0.066
Total
0.54
3.05
a Emissions estimates are for year 2008 as presented in table 3–1A (page 3–15) of the SCAQMD’s Final 2012 Air Quality Management Plan,
December 2012.
b Emissions estimates are for year 2008 as presented for the Salton Sea Air Basin portion of Riverside County in CARB’s Almanac, Emission
Projections Data, as published on CARB’s Web site.
11 As noted above, Tribes are sovereign entities,
and not political subdivisions of States. Typically,
states are not approved to administer programs
under the CAA in Indian country, and California
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has not been approved by EPA to administer any
CAA programs in Indian country. With respect to
the Morongo Reservation, EPA or the Tribe is the
appropriate entity to initiate boundary changes, and
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in this instance, the Tribe initiated the boundary
change through a request to EPA.
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c The source for emissions estimates from sources associated with the Morongo Reservation is table 1 (page 13) of the attachment to a letter
from Robert Martin, Chairman, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, to Deborah Jordan, Director, Air Division, EPA Region IX, dated May 29, 2009.
These data reflect 2006 emissions, the most current year of emissions inventoried by the Morongo. We have no reason to expect that 2008
emissions associated with the Morongo Reservation would be significantly different than those estimated for 2006, and thus, we believe that the
emissions estimates for the Morongo Reservation provide a reasonable basis for comparison with the regional emissions estimates prepared for
2008. Based on the Morongo emissions inventory, on-road mobile sources account for approximately 85% to 90% of total Morongo-related emissions of VOC and NOX. Stationary sources associated with the reservation account for approximately 2% to 11% of the total with the balance
emitted by area sources.
As shown in the above table, total
emissions associated with the Morongo
Reservation comprise 0.09% and 0.4%
of the VOC and NOX emissions,
respectively, associated with all sources
within the South Coast. The effect of
today’s actions relate to the stationary
source fraction of Morongo’s emissions,
which amount to 0.058 and 0.066 tons
per day of VOC and NOX, respectively
(or 21 and 24 tons per year of VOC and
NOX, respectively), and which comprise
only 0.01% and 0.009% of the VOC and
NOX emissions, respectively, within the
South Coast. Clearly, one or even
several new or modified stationary
sources within the 10 to 25 tons per year
range would have minimal or no effect
on Coachella Valley when compared to
the overall pollutant burden passing
through the Banning Pass from the
South Coast to Coachella Valley. Any
new or modified stationary source on
the Morongo Reservation with a PTE
large enough to impact Coachella Valley
would almost certainly be subject to
major source NSR and thereby subject to
the LAER and emission offset
requirements that would avoid such an
impact.
SCAQMD Comment #4: We are
concerned that EPA’s actions would
create an uneven playing field between
sources located within the Morongo
boundaries and similar nearby sources
in the South Coast Air Basin, including
the remainder of the Banning Pass.
Indeed, sources locating on Morongo
lands would also have an unfair
advantage over sources in the adjacent
Coachella Valley, because under
SCAQMD rules even minor sources of
most pollutants must obtain offsets, and
these rules apply within the Coachella
Valley. Moreover, major sources in both
areas are subject to SCAQMD’s BACT
requirement, which is at least as
stringent as federal LAER. While minor
sources are subject to potentially less
stringent BACT, and the minor source
threshold in Coachella Valley is 25 tons
per year, SCAQMD’s BACT Guidelines
for minor sources are generally the most
stringent in the nation and are
distinguished from the BACT for major
sources only in that economic and
technical feasibility may be considered.
In short, new and modified stationary
sources on either side of the Banning
Pass, as well as in the remainder of the
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Banning Pass, will be subject to more
stringent standards than sources seeking
to locate on Morongo lands. We are
concerned that EPA’s proposed action
will create a ‘‘pollution island’’ within
the Morongo area. Our concern is based
on real and substantial experiences in
which facilities located on Tribal lands
have created problems in the adjacent
communities. For example, EPA and
SCAQMD have taken enforcement
action against facilities located on
Cabazon Tribal land near the city of
Mecca in southeastern Riverside
County.
Response to SCAQMD Comment #4:
EPA notes that, with or without today’s
action, new or modified sources on the
Morongo Reservation are subject to the
requirements of EPA’s Indian country
NSR rule codified in CFR, Title 40, part
49 (76 FR 38748, July 1, 2011), which
are in some respects less stringent than
the corresponding requirements under
SCAQMD’s NSR rules that apply
outside Indian country in both the
South Coast and Coachella Valley.
Specifically, under EPA’s Indian
country NSR rule, emissions offsets are
not required for new or modified minor
sources. However, with respect to
control technology requirements, while
the Indian country NSR rule does not
require new or modified minor sources
to meet BACT or LAER level of control,
the rule does require EPA (or the Indian
Tribe in cases where a Tribal agency is
assisting EPA with administration of the
program through a delegation) to
conduct a case-by-case control
technology review to determine the
appropriate level of control, if any,
necessary to assure that the NAAQS are
achieved, as well as the corresponding
emission limitations for the affected
emission units at the new or modified
source. See 40 CFR 49.154(c). In
carrying out this determination, among
other considerations, EPA takes into
account ‘‘[t]ypical control technology or
other emission reduction measures used
by similar sources in surrounding
areas.’’ 40 CFR 49.154(c)(1)(ii). Thus,
the corresponding control technology
requirements (i.e., minor source
‘‘BACT’’) that SCAQMD applies to
minor sources subject to its authority
would inform EPA’s determination
regarding control technology
requirements and associated emission
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limitations for new or modified minor
stationary sources on the Morongo
Reservation.
Nonetheless, we recognize that our
actions today will broaden the
differences in NSR requirements in that
new or modified sources on the
Morongo Reservation with PTE between
10 and 25 tons per year of VOC or NOX
will no longer be subject to LAER and
emissions offset requirement that
otherwise would have applied. We do
not, however, foresee our actions as
resulting in the ‘‘pollution island’’ effect
about which SCAQMD is concerned.
First, our actions today simply restore
the major source threshold that had
applied within the Morongo Reservation
before our 2003 approval of California’s
boundary change. The only difference
between the regulatory context during
the pre-2003 period and the context that
will exist upon the effective date of
today’s action is that new or modified
stationary sources in the Banning Pass
subject to SCAQMD jurisdiction with
PTE between 10 and 25 are now subject
to major source ‘‘BACT,’’ which differs
from minor source ‘‘BACT’’ under
SCAQMD’s NSR rules, as explained by
SCAQMD above, whereas such sources
were subject to minor source ‘‘BACT’’
prior to our approval of California’s
boundary change request in 2003. We
have no evidence that the Morongo
Reservation was a ‘‘pollution island’’
during the pre-2003 period when the
higher threshold applied, and the subtle
differences between then and now
described above with respect to minor
source BACT and major source BACT
under SCAQMD rules argues against the
possibility that the Morongo Reservation
will become a ‘‘pollution island’’ as a
result of our actions today. It is
important to note that, even with our
actions today, the applicable NSR
requirements within the Morongo
Reservation (at a 25 tons per year major
source threshold) would continue to be
among the most stringent in the nation
in keeping with today’s classification of
the Morongo Reservation as a separate
‘‘severe’’ nonattainment area for the
one-hour and 1997 ozone standards.
SCAQMD Comment #5: EPA may not
have adequate enforcement resources to
ensure ongoing compliance on Tribal
lands, even if the rules are equally
stringent. For example, examination of
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the available information indicates that
the Colmac Energy facility, which is
identified as a major source under
RCRA, was last inspected nearly 10
years ago. Tribes themselves also may
not have adequate resources to ensure
compliance. For example, in the mid2000’s, the Torrez-Martinez reservation
was identified as home to at least 20
illegal dumps. Health hazards were
created as a result of some of the dump
material catching fire. EPA, the federal
courts, the SCAQMD, the Tribe, and
other organizations were all involved in
attempting to resolve these issues.
Response to SCAQMD Comment #5:
EPA’s compliance and enforcement
program extends to sources subject to
EPA permitting jurisdiction, and to
oversight of sources subject to the
permitting jurisdiction of states, air
districts, and tribes (where tribes have
authority to issue such permits). The
hypothetical prospect of new or
modified stationary sources at the
Morongo Reservation, whether
permitted by EPA or by the Morongo
Tribe (if and when the Tribe is
authorized to issue such permits), will
have essentially no effect on the scope
of EPA’s nationwide compliance and
enforcement program and thus
essentially no effect on the resources
needed to adequately meet the demands
of that program. Moreover, facility
inspections, while important, represent
just one method for acquiring
information in connection with
compliance and enforcement.12
Information requests under CAA section
114, for example, represent another
method. Lastly, EPA does not believe
that compliance issues that have arisen
in the past with one tribe in any way
portend compliance issues that may
arise in the future with another tribe any
more than one state’s past actions
portend future actions taken by other
states.
SCAQMD Comment #6: We are
concerned about the potential
precedential effect of this decision.
Response to SCAQMD Comment #6:
In this action, we are determining that
our 2003 approval of California’s
request to shift the boundary between
the South Coast and Southeast Desert
eastward and thereby include the
12 To the extent that SCAQMD cites infrequent
inspections at the Colmac Energy facility as an
example of inadequate EPA enforcement resources,
EPA notes that since 1989, under a monitoring and
enforcement agreement to which SCAQMD, EPA,
and the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians are
signatories, SCAQMD has been allowed entry onto
the Cabazon Reservation to monitor and inspect the
Colmac Energy facility, and thus the frequency of
EPA inspections cited by SCAQMD bears little
relation to the extent of compliance oversight for
the Colmac facility.
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Banning Pass in the South Coast was in
error as it pertains to Indian country in
the Banning Pass, and because the
Morongo Tribe is the only Tribe with
Indian country that was affected by the
eastward shift of the boundary, the
direct precedential effect of today’s
actions is quite limited. More generally,
though, our 2003 action approved a
State’s request, in effect, to expand the
area subject to more stringent CAA
requirements and conversely to shrink
the area subject to less stringent CAA
requirements. We should have
recognized at the time, but did not, that
EPA, not the State, was changing the
boundary with respect to Indian country
located within the expansion area and
thereby imposing the more stringent
CAA requirements on Indian country as
well. States rarely voluntarily request
boundary changes that increase the
stringency of requirements for their
sources in the affected area, and thus,
we have no reason to expect that similar
circumstances culminating in our 2003
action and setting the stage for today’s
actions exist elsewhere with respect to
California or other states and other
tribes. Lastly, we note that we have
previously established a number of
separate tribal air quality planning
areas, see, e.g., the separate listings for
several tribes located within Arizona
and California in 40 CFR 81.303 and 40
CFR 81.305, respectively, (i.e.,
particularly for the 1997 and 2008 eighthour ozone standards), and thus, today’s
action does not establish a new
precedent but rather is consistent with
previous actions.
CVAG Comment #1: The creation of a
separate air basin for the Tribe will
result in a less stringent definition of a
major source threshold for New Source
Review and may result in a lesser level
of air pollution controls as currently
established through its designation in
the South Coast Air Basin. This could
potentially result in the creation of a
‘‘magnet’’ for, and give an unfair
advantage to, facilities locating at the
Morongo Reservation relative to
facilities in the adjacent areas under
State jurisdiction.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #1:
CVAG is correct that the effect of today’s
actions will raise the applicable major
source threshold for VOC and NOX from
10 tons per year to 25 tons per year for
new or modified stationary sources to be
located on the Morongo Reservation.
This means that a new or modified
stationary source proposed on the
Morongo Reservation after the effective
date of today’s final actions with a PTE
between 10 and 25 tons per year of VOC
or NOX will not be subject to the same
control technology (i.e., lowest
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achievable control technology) and
emission offset requirements that would
have applied if we did not finalize our
actions. As such, the applicable
requirements for new or modified
stationary sources on the Morongo
Reservation will return to those that
applied before EPA’s 2003 approval of
California’s boundary change request.
The applicable minimum requirements
for new or modified sources on the
Morongo Reservation will also mirror
those that apply in Coachella Valley
with respect to LAER and offsets, which
adjoins the new Morongo air quality
planning area to the east, although we
recognize that California has chosen to
go beyond statutory and regulatory
minimum requirements with respect to
other NSR requirements in both the
South Coast and Coachella Valley. We
have no evidence to suggest that the
Morongo Reservation was a ‘‘magnet’’
for new emissions sources prior to our
2003 action to approve California
boundary change request, when the less
stringent major source threshold
applied, nor do we have any reason to
believe that the Reservation will become
such a ‘‘magnet’’ as a result of EPA’s
actions today that simply return the
Morongo Reservation to the statutory
and regulatory context that applied
prior to EPA’s 2003 action.
CVAG Comment #2: Back in January
2011, CVAG sent a letter to EPA
expressing concern regarding the
Morongo Tribe’s request for a separate
ozone nonattainment area. EPA staff
agreed to keep CVAG and SCAQMD
apprised of EPA’s actions on the Tribe’s
request but did not follow-through.
Instead, CVAG was informed of EPA’s
January 2, 2013 proposed rule through
another party. In May 2012, EPA
designated the Morongo Reservation as
a separate nonattainment area for the
2008 ozone standard. EPA is using key
findings from that decision as the basis
for their current proposed action. This
designation action was again done
without notification to or consultation
with CVAG or the SCAQMD, although
the proposed rule at 78 FR 55 stated that
this decision will be made ‘‘after all
necessary consultation with the Tribe
and, as appropriate, with the
involvement of other affected entities.’’
In addition, in footnote 15 of the
proposed rule, it states ‘‘EPA has
consulted with the Tribe several times
about this matter.’’ This dangerously
‘‘paves the way’’ for the proposed action
relative to the one hour and 1997 eight
hour ozone standards.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #2:
CVAG is correct that EPA has adopted
the analysis and rationale relied upon
by EPA in establishing the Morongo
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nonattainment area for the 2008 ozone
standard in support of EPA’s proposal to
revise the boundaries of the Southeast
Desert (which includes Coachella
Valley) and the South Coast to designate
the Morongo Reservation as a separate
nonattainment area for the one-hour and
1997 eight-hour ozone standards. See
pages 55 and 56 of the proposed rule.
CVAG objects to EPA’s failure to
notify or consult with CVAG about
either the designations for the 2008
ozone standard or the actions proposed
by EPA on January 2, 2013. As to the
designations for the 2008 ozone
standard, the process is set forth in CAA
section 107 and involves (1) notification
by EPA to states of the requirement to
submit recommendations of areas to be
listed as nonattainment, attainment, or
unclassifiable; (2) submittal to EPA of
state recommendations; (3) review by
EPA of the recommendations; and (4)
notification by EPA to states of EPA’s
intention to modify any state
recommendation and provision of an
opportunity to such state to demonstrate
why such modification is inappropriate.
EPA also provided a similar process for
tribes to submit, and for EPA to review
and modify, recommendations for their
areas of Indian country. There is no
requirement that EPA notify states
concerning tribal recommendations
related to Indian country or that EPA
notify tribes of state recommendations
related to lands under state jurisdiction.
As to the proposed action to revise the
boundaries of the Southeast Desert and
South Coast to designate the Morongo
Reservation as a separate nonattainment
area for the one-hour and 1997 eighthour ozone standard, EPA
acknowledges that it agreed to keep
CVAG apprised of our action and failed
to follow-through prior to proposing this
action on January 2, 2013. While EPA
regrets the oversight, we note that such
notification, other than through
publication of the proposed and final
rule in the Federal Register, is not
required for the type of action that we
proposed.
In its January 7, 2011 letter to EPA,
CVAG raised two specific substantive
concerns in connection with Morongo’s
May 29, 2009 boundary change request:
(1) inclusion of the Morongo
Reservation in Coachella Valley, and
resultant use of Morongo ozone
monitoring data, could jeopardize
Coachella Valley’s ability to meet the
1997 eight-hour ozone standard by the
applicable 2019 attainment date; and (2)
inclusion of the Morongo Reservation in
Coachella Valley would impact
Coachella Valley’s ability to meet PM10
objectives and to continue to attain
PM2.5 standards. EPA’s decision to
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designate the Morongo Tribe as a
separate nonattainment area rather than
move the Reservation back into
Southeast Desert (which includes
Coachella Valley) alleviates both
specific substantive concerns raised by
CVAG in its January 7, 2011 letter to
EPA. Please see our Response to
SCAQMD Comment #3, above, for
additional analysis concerning potential
impacts on Coachella Valley of today’s
final actions.
Lastly, with respect to CVAG’s
cautionary note concerning EPA’s
consultation with the Tribe in
connection with this action, we simply
note that our proposed action, in part,
derives from a request by the Morongo
Tribe to create a separate nonattainment
ozone area for the Tribe, and thus, it is
perfectly natural and appropriate that
EPA consult with the Tribe about such
a matter prior to proposing action. EPA
would do no less for the State if
responding to a state request. EPA notes
that consultation with the Tribe is also
consistent with the government-togovernment relationship between
federally-recognized tribes and the
federal government.
CVAG Comment #3: The Coachella
Valley is exposed to frequent gusty
winds with the strongest and most
persistent winds typically occurring
immediately to the east of Banning Pass,
which is noted as a wind power
generation resource area. Given the
geographic location of the reservation,
to the Banning Pass and the Coachella
Valley, the designation will most
negatively impact the Coachella Valley’s
air quality. Located in the Southeast
Desert AQMA area, the Coachella Valley
will still be required to meet the
NAAQS whether we generate pollutants
or they are transported to our area.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #3:
As explained in detail in EPA Response
to SCAQMD Comment #3, EPA does not
foresee any impact to air quality in
Coachella Valley as a result of EPA’s
actions to rescind our 2003 final action,
as it pertains to the Morongo
Reservation, and to revise the
boundaries of the Southeast Desert (in
which Coachella Valley is located) and
South Coast to designate the Morongo
Reservation as a separate nonattainment
area for the one-hour and 1997 eighthour ozone standards. Please see EPA
Response to SCAQMD Comment #3,
above.
CVAG Comment #4: The Coachella
Valley has spent decades and millions
of dollars striving to achieve attainment
for the PM10 NAAQS and we have been
patiently awaiting redesignation of the
valley for the federal PM10 standard. A
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separate air quality planning area may
adversely impact our efforts.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #4:
EPA’s actions affect designations and
classifications for the one-hour and
1997 eight-hour ozone standards. Our
actions do not affect designations or
classifications associated with any other
NAAQS. Moreover, elevated PM10 levels
in Coachella Valley, unlike the South
Coast where PM10 exceedances are due
primarily to PM10 precursor pollutants
(derived from direct emissions of VOC,
NOX and other precursors), are
‘‘strongly tied to local fugitive dust
problems.’’ 13 Thus, we have no reason
to anticipate new or more frequent
exceedances of the PM10 standard in the
Coachella Valley due to the hypothetical
increases in precursor VOC and NOX
emissions from construction and
operation of new or modified stationary
sources on Morongo lands with PTEs
between 10 and 25 tons per year.
CVAG Comment #5: In addition to the
EPA’s proposed action, CVAG also does
not want EPA to consider any reversal
of its previous decision which moved
the Morongo Reservation from the
Southeast Desert AQMA to the South
Coast Air Basin. Such a reversal would
again adversely impact our efforts to
attain our federal air quality standards.
Since the Morongo Reservation
experiences more severe ozone air
quality than the Coachella Valley, it
needs to stay in the South Coast Air
Basin. Designations should not be made
based on adverse regulatory
consequences on the affected
constituent. Rather, designations should
be based on ambient air quality.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #5:
In our proposed rule, we proposed to
rescind the 2003 final action, as it
pertains to the Morongo Reservation for
the one-hour ozone standard, and to
revise the boundaries of the Southeast
Desert (Coachella Valley) and South
Coast to designate the Morongo
Reservation as a separate nonattainment
area for the one-hour and 1997 eighthour ozone standards. Our actions
would not affect the designations or
classifications of state lands, nor would
they relocate the Morongo Reservation
back to the Southeast Desert where it
had been located prior to our 2003 final
action. Thus, the ambient ozone
conditions experienced on the Morongo
Reservation would not be relevant in
determining whether the Coachella
Valley attained, or failed to attain, the
ozone standards because only data from
13 See page 8–10 of the 2003 South Coast Air
Quality Management Plan, August 2003. EPA
approved the 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 SIP on
November 14, 2005 (70 FR 69081.)
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monitors located within Coachella
Valley would be used for that purpose.
In terms of the Coachella Valley’s
potential emissions impacts on Morongo
lands, the predominantly westerly wind
patterns place Coachella Valley
downwind of Morongo lands and thus
Coachella Valley sources do not
significantly impact Morongo ozone air
quality. For additional details, please
see page 6 of the technical support
document. With respect to the basis for
our proposed error correction and
proposed revision to the boundaries,
please see EPA Response to SCAQMD
Comment #1, above.
CVAG Comment #6: EPA does not
have sufficient resources to ensure
ongoing compliance on Indian lands or
adequate field enforcement staff to
monitor any new air quality planning
area.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #6:
EPA’s compliance and enforcement
program extends to sources subject to
EPA permitting jurisdiction, and to
oversight of sources subject to the
permitting jurisdiction of states, air
districts, and tribes (where tribes have
authority to issue such permits). The
hypothetical prospect of new or
modified stationary sources at the
Morongo Reservation, whether
permitted by EPA or by the Morongo
Tribe (if and when approved for such
permits), will have essentially no effect
on the scope of EPA’s nationwide
compliance and enforcement program
and thus essentially no effect on the
resources needed to adequately meet the
demands of that program. Moreover,
CVAG provides no evidence that EPA
resources are inadequate at the present
time to address compliance or
enforcement issues associated with
emissions sources on the Morongo
Reservation nor does CVAG explain
how our proposed actions will result in
an increase in compliance or
enforcement costs to EPA.
Private Citizen Comment #1: The
private citizen expresses support for
SCAQMD’s and CVAG’s comments on
the proposed rule, and adds that the
proposed air quality planning area
would be small, would be dominated by
a single entity that controls its own
development process, and has major air
quality impacts in all directions
affecting large populations. Further, the
private citizen speculates that, in
contrast to the current proposal, an air
quality planning area dominated by a
single corporation, rather than a single
Tribe, would never be proposed.
EPA Response to Private Citizen
Comment #1: Please see responses
above to comments from SCAQMD and
CVAG. With respect to the size of the
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proposed area and impacts to
surrounding areas, the proposed rule
takes into account the minimal amount
of emissions associated with activities
on the Morongo Reservation and
corresponding minimal contribution to
regional ozone violations and we
believe that in these circumstances it is
appropriate to assign particular weight
to the jurisdictional boundaries factor,
and it is consistent with the principles
for designations of Indian country set
forth in the Tribal Designation Policy.
See page 56 of the January 2, 2013
proposed rule. Lastly, we find the
analogy to a corporation to be
inapposite due to the fact that Tribes,
unlike corporations, are sovereign
entities and therefore have inherent
authority to control their own
development process, much like states
do.
III. Final Action
Under CAA section 110(k)(6), EPA is
taking final action to correct an error in
a 2003 final action that revised the
boundaries between nonattainment
areas in Southern California designated
under the CAA for the one-hour ozone
NAAQS. EPA has determined that the
Agency erred in the 2003 final action to
change the boundary of the South Coast
Air Basin, which enlarged the basin to
include all of the Banning Pass area. In
taking that action, EPA failed to
consider the presence of Indian country
(i.e., the Morongo Reservation) located
therein. EPA thus failed to consider the
status of the Indian country under the
appropriate statutory and regulatory
provisions when it evaluated and acted
upon the State’s boundary change
request. EPA believes that its error
resulted in regulatory consequences for
the Morongo Tribe that justify making a
correction. Thus, EPA is rescinding the
2003 final action, as it pertains to the
Morongo Reservation for the one-hour
ozone standard. This action does not
affect the designations and
classifications of state lands.
Second, under CAA sections
107(d)(3)(A)–(C), 301(a) and 301(d), EPA
is taking final action to revise the
boundaries of the Southeast Desert to
designate the Morongo Reservation as a
separate nonattainment area for the onehour ozone standard and to classify the
Morongo Reservation as ‘‘Severe-17,’’
i.e., consistent with its prior
classification when it was included in
the Southeast Desert.
Third, also under CAA sections
107(d)(3)(A)–(C), 301(a) and 301(d), EPA
is taking final action to revise the
boundaries of the South Coast to
designate the Morongo Reservation as a
separate nonattainment area for the
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1997 eight-hour ozone standard and to
classify the Morongo Reservation as
‘‘Severe-17,’’ i.e., consistent with its
original classification when it was
included in the South Coast.14
EPA is redesignating the Morongo
Reservation as a separate air quality
planning area for the one-hour ozone
and 1997 eight-hour ozone standards
based on our conclusion that factors
such as air quality data, meteorology,
and topography do not definitively
support inclusion of the Reservation in
either the South Coast or the Southeast
Desert air quality planning areas, that
Morongo Reservation emissions sources
contribute minimally to regional ozone
concentrations, and that the
jurisdictional boundaries factor should
be given particular weight under these
circumstances.
As a result of these final actions, the
boundaries of the Morongo
nonattainment areas for the one-hour
and 1997 eight-hour ozone standards
will be the same as those for the
Morongo nonattainment area for the
2008 ozone standard. Lastly, as of the
effective date of this action, new or
modified stationary sources proposed
for construction on the Morongo
Reservation will be subject to the NSR
major source thresholds for ‘‘severe-17’’
ozone nonattainment areas, rather than
the more stringent thresholds for
‘‘extreme’’ ozone nonattainment areas.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory
Planning and Review
Under Executive Order 12866 [58 FR
51735 (October 4, 1993)], the Agency
must determine whether the regulatory
action is ‘‘significant’’ and therefore
subject to OMB review and the
requirements of the Executive Order.
The Order defines ‘‘significant
regulatory action’’ as one that is likely
to result in a rule that may: (1) Have an
annual effect on the economy of $100
million or more or adversely affect in a
14 In our proposed rule (footnote #8 at 78 FR 53),
we indicated that if we finalize our proposed action
to revise the boundaries of the South Coast to
designate the Morongo Reservation as a separate
nonattainment area for the 1997 eight-hour ozone
standard, EPA would withdraw our proposed action
to reclassify the Morongo Reservation to ‘‘extreme’’
for the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard (74 FR
43654, August 27, 2009). (In 2010, we deferred final
reclassification with respect to the Morongo
Reservation (and the Pechanga Reservation) when
we took final action to reclassify the South Coast
for the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard (75 FR
24409, May 5, 2010).) Given today’s final action and
consistent with our statement from the proposed
rule, EPA is withdrawing our 2009 proposed
reclassification action to the extent it relates to the
Morongo Reservation in the Proposed Rules section
of this Federal Register.
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material way the economy, a sector of
the economy, productivity, competition,
jobs, the environment, public health or
safety, or state, local, or tribal
governments or communities; (2) create
a serious inconsistency or otherwise
interfere with an action taken or
planned by another agency; (3)
materially alter the budgetary impact of
entitlements, grants, user fees, or loan
programs or the rights and obligations of
recipients thereof; or (4) raise novel
legal or policy issues arising out of legal
mandates, the President’s priorities, or
the principles set forth in the Executive
Order. Under Executive Order 12866 (58
FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this action
is not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’
and therefore is not subject to review by
the Office of Management and Budget.
For this reason, this action is also not
subject to Executive Order 13211,
‘‘Actions Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use’’ (66 FR 28355, May
22, 2001). This action merely corrects an
error in a previous rulemaking and
redesignates certain air quality planning
area boundaries, and thereby reinstates
certain CAA designations and
corresponding requirements to which
the affected area had previously been
subject.
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B. Paperwork Reduction Act
This action does not impose an
information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction
Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Burden
means the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or
provide information to or for a Federal
agency. This includes the time needed
to review instructions; develop, acquire,
install, and utilize technology and
systems for the purposes of collecting,
validating, and verifying information,
processing and maintaining
information, and disclosing and
providing information; adjust the
existing ways to comply with any
previously applicable instructions and
requirements; train personnel to be able
to respond to a collection of
information; search data sources;
complete and review the collection of
information; and transmit or otherwise
disclose the information. This rule does
not impose an information collection
burden under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). An agency may not
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
The OMB control numbers for EPA’s
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regulations in 40 CFR are listed in 40
CFR part 9.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
generally requires an agency to prepare
a regulatory flexibility analysis of any
rule subject to notice and comment
rulemaking requirements under the
Administrative Procedure Act or any
other statute unless the agency certifies
that this rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities. Small entities
include small businesses, small
organizations, and small governmental
jurisdictions.
For purposes of assessing the impacts
of today’s rule on small entities, small
entity is defined as: (1) A small business
as defined by the Small Business
Administration’s (SBA) regulations at 13
CFR 121.201; (2) a small governmental
jurisdiction that is a government of a
city, county, town, school district or
special district with a population of less
than 50,000; and (3) a small
organization that is any not-for-profit
enterprise which is independently
owned and operated and is not
dominant in its field. After considering
the economic impacts of today’s rule on
small entities, I certify that this action
will not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities. This rule will not impose any
direct requirements on small entities.
EPA is correcting an error in a previous
rulemaking and redesignating certain air
quality planning area boundaries, and
thereby reinstating certain CAA
designations and corresponding
requirements to which the affected area
had previously been subject. This action
is intended to, among other purposes,
facilitate and support the Morongo
Tribe’s efforts to develop a tribal air
permit program by re-instating, within
the Morongo Reservation, the lessstringent New Source Review major
source thresholds that had applied
under the area’s previous ‘‘Severe-17’’
classification for the one-hour ozone
standard and by aligning the boundaries
for the Morongo nonattainment area for
all three ozone NAAQS (i.e., the onehour, the 1997 eight-hour and the 2008
ozone standards).
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public
Law 104–4, establishes requirements for
Federal agencies to assess the effects of
their regulatory actions on state, local,
and tribal governments and the private
sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA,
EPA generally must prepare a written
statement, including a cost-benefit
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58197
analysis, for proposed and final rules
with ‘‘Federal mandates’’ that may
result in expenditures to state, local,
and tribal governments, in the aggregate,
or to the private sector, of $100 million
or more in any one year. Before
promulgating an EPA rule for which a
written statement is needed, section 205
of the UMRA generally requires EPA to
identify and consider a reasonable
number of regulatory alternatives and
adopt the least costly, most costeffective or least burdensome alternative
that achieves the objectives of the rule.
The provisions of section 205 do not
apply when they are inconsistent with
applicable law. Moreover, section 205
allows EPA to adopt an alternative other
than the least costly, most cost-effective
or least burdensome alternative if the
Administrator publishes with the final
rule an explanation why that alternative
was not adopted. Before EPA establishes
any regulatory requirements that may
significantly or uniquely affect small
governments, including tribal
governments, it must have developed
under section 203 of the UMRA a small
government agency plan. The plan must
provide for notifying potentially
affected small governments, enabling
officials of affected small governments
to have meaningful and timely input in
the development of EPA regulatory
proposals with significant Federal
intergovernmental mandates, and
informing, educating, and advising
small governments on compliance with
the regulatory requirements. Today’s
rule contains no Federal mandates
(under the regulatory provisions of Title
II of the UMRA) for state, local, or tribal
governments or the private sector. The
rule imposes no enforceable duty on any
state, local or tribal governments or the
private sector. In any event, EPA has
determined that this rule does not
contain a Federal mandate that may
result in expenditures of $100 million or
more for state, local, and tribal
governments, in the aggregate, or the
private sector in any one year. Thus,
today’s rule is not subject to the
requirements of sections 202 and 205 of
the UMRA.
E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
Executive Order 13132, entitled
‘‘Federalism’’ (64 FR 43255, August 10,
1999), requires EPA to develop an
accountable process to ensure
‘‘meaningful and timely input by State
and local officials in the development of
regulatory policies that have federalism
implications.’’ ‘‘Policies that have
federalism implications’’ is defined in
the Executive Order to include
regulations that have ‘‘substantial direct
effects on the States, on the relationship
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between the national government and
the States, or on the distribution of
power and responsibilities among the
various levels of government.’’ This
action does not have Federalism
implications because it does not have
substantial direct effects on the states,
on the relationship between the national
government and the states, or on the
distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various
levels of government, as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255,
August 10, 1999). This action would
merely correct an error in a previous
rulemaking and redesignate certain air
quality planning area boundaries, and
thereby reinstate certain CAA
designations and corresponding
requirements to which the affected area
had previously been subject, and does
not alter the relationship or the
distribution of power and
responsibilities established in the Clean
Air Act.
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation
and Coordination With Indian Tribal
Governments
Executive Order 13175, entitled
‘‘Consultation and Coordination with
Indian Tribal Governments’’ (65 FR
67249, November 9, 2000), requires EPA
to develop an accountable process to
ensure ‘‘meaningful and timely input by
tribal officials in the development of
regulatory policies that have tribal
implications.’’ ‘‘Policies that have tribal
implications’’ are defined in the
Executive Order to include regulations
that have ‘‘substantial direct effects on
one or more Indian tribes, on the
relationship between the federal
government and the Indian tribes, or on
the distribution of power and
responsibilities between the federal
government and Indian tribes.’’ Under
section 5(b) of Executive Order 13175,
EPA may not issue a regulation that has
tribal implications, that imposes
substantial direct compliance costs, and
that is not required by statute, unless
the federal government provides the
funds necessary to pay the direct
compliance costs incurred by tribal
governments, or EPA consults with
tribal officials early in the process of
developing the proposed regulation.
Under section 5(c) of Executive Order
13175, EPA may not issue a regulation
that has tribal implications and that
preempts tribal law, unless the Agency
consults with tribal officials early in the
process of developing the proposed
regulation.
EPA has concluded that this action
would have tribal implications. In 2009,
the Morongo Tribe requested that EPA
create a separate area for the Morongo
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Reservation in part due to the adverse
regulatory impacts resulting from the
Agency’s 2003 boundary change action.
EPA consulted with representatives of
the Morongo Tribe prior to, and
following, the Tribe’s 2009 boundary
change request, concerning the issues
covered herein. In today’s action, EPA is
responding to the Tribe’s 2009 boundary
change request and is taking final action
that would eliminate the adverse
regulatory impacts arising from EPA’s
2003 boundary change action. As
described herein, we agree with the
Tribe that the boundary should be
corrected to reflect their concerns. This
action will neither impose substantial
direct compliance costs on tribal
governments, nor preempt tribal law.
Rather, the proposed action would
relieve the Tribe of the additional
requirements that flowed from the
boundary change and corresponding
change in CAA designations and
classifications. Thus, the requirements
of sections 5(b) and 5(c) of the Executive
Order do not apply to this rule.
G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of
Children From Environmental Health
and Safety Risks
Executive Order 13045: ‘‘Protection of
Children from Environmental Health
Risks and Safety Risks’’ (62 FR 19885,
April 23, 1997) applies to any rule that:
(1) is determined to be ‘‘economically
significant’’ as defined under Executive
Order 12866, and (2) concerns an
environmental health or safety risk that
EPA has reason to believe may have a
disproportionate effect on children. If
the regulatory action meets both criteria,
the Agency must evaluate the
environmental health or safety effects of
the planned rule on children, and
explain why the planned regulation is
preferable to other potentially effective
and reasonably feasible alternatives
considered by the Agency. This rule is
not subject to Executive Order 13045
‘‘Protection of Children from
Environmental Health Risks and Safety
Risks’’ (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997),
because it is not economically
significant as defined in Executive
Order 12866, and because the Agency
does not have reason to believe the
environmental health or safety risks
addressed by this rule present a
disproportionate risk to children.
H. National Technology Transfer
Advancement Act
Section 12(d) of the National
Technology Transfer and Advancement
Act of 1995 (‘‘NTTAA’’), Public Law
104–113, 12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272 note)
directs EPA to use voluntary consensus
standards in its regulatory activities
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unless to do so would be inconsistent
with applicable law or otherwise
impractical. Voluntary consensus
standards are technical standards (e.g.,
materials specifications, test methods,
sampling procedures, and business
practices) that are developed or adopted
by voluntary consensus standards
bodies. The NTTAA directs EPA to
provide Congress, through OMB,
explanations when the Agency decides
not to use available and applicable
voluntary consensus standards. This
rule does not involve establishment of
technical standards, and thus, the
requirements of section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C.
272 note) do not apply to this action.
I. Executive Order 12898: Federal
Actions To Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and
Low-Income Populations
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629
(February 16, 1994)) establishes federal
executive policy on environmental
justice. Its main provision directs
federal agencies, to the greatest extent
practicable and permitted by law, to
make environmental justice part of their
mission by identifying and addressing,
as appropriate, disproportionately high
and adverse human health or
environmental effects of their programs,
policies, and activities on minority
populations and low-income
populations in the United States.
EPA has determined that this action
will not have disproportionately high
and adverse human health or
environmental effects on minority or
low-income populations because it does
not directly affect the level of protection
provided to human health or the
environment. In this action, EPA is
taking final action to correct an error in
a previous rulemaking and redesignate
certain air quality planning area
boundaries, and thereby reinstate
certain CAA designations and
corresponding requirements to which
the affected area had previously been
subject.
J. Congressional Review Act
The Congressional Review Act, 5
U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides
that before a rule may take effect, the
agency promulgating the rule must
submit a rule report, which includes a
copy of the rule, to each House of the
Congress and to the Comptroller General
of the United States. EPA will submit a
report containing this rule and other
required information to the U.S. Senate,
the U.S. House of Representatives, and
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the Comptroller General of the United
States prior to publication of the rule in
the Federal Register. A major rule
cannot take effect until 60 days after it
is published in the Federal Register.
This action is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as
defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
K. Petitions for Review of this Action
Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean
Air Act, petitions for judicial review of
this action must be filed in the United
States Court of Appeals for the
appropriate circuit by November 22,
2013. Filing a petition for
reconsideration by the Administrator of
this final rule does not affect the finality
of this rule for the purposes of judicial
review nor does it extend the time
within which a petition for judicial
review may be filed, and shall not
postpone the effectiveness of such rule
or action. This action may not be
challenged later in proceedings to
enforce its requirements. (See section
307(b)(2).)
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Intergovernmental
relations, National parks, Ozone,
Wilderness areas.
Dated: September 4, 2013.
Jared Blumenfeld,
Regional Administrator,
Region IX.
40 CFR part 81 is amended as follows:
PART 81—DESIGNATION OF AREAS
FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING
PURPOSES
1. The authority citation for part 81
continues to read as follows:
■
for ‘‘Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin
Area’’, by adding a new entry for
‘‘Morongo Band of Mission Indians’’
before the ‘‘Monterey Bay Area’’ entry,
and by adding footnotes 5 and 6;
■ b. In the table for ‘‘California—1997 8Hour Ozone NAAQS (Primary and
Secondary)’’ by revising the entries for
‘‘Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin,
CA’’, by adding a new entry for
‘‘Morongo Band of Mission Indians’’
before the ‘‘Los Angeles and San
Bernardino Counties (Western Mojave
Desert), CA’’ entry, and by adding
footnotes (d) and (e).
The revisions and additions read as
follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
§ 81.305
Subpart C—[AMENDED]
*
*
California.
*
*
*
2. Section 81.305 is amended as
follows:
■ a. In the table for ‘‘California-Ozone
(1-Hour Standard)’’ by revising the entry
■
CALIFORNIA—OZONE (1-HOUR STANDARD) 4
Designation
Classification
Designated area
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Date 1
*
*
*
*
Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin Area 5 ...............................................
Los Angeles County (part) .................................................................
That portion of Los Angeles County which lies south and west
of a line described as follows:
1. Beginning at the Los Angeles-San Bernardino County
boundary and running west along the Township line common to Township 3 North and Township 2 North, San
Bernardino Base and Meridian;
2. then north along the range line common to Range 8 West
and Range 9 West;
3. then west along the Township line common to Township 4
North and Township 3 North;
4. then north along the range line common to Range 12 West
and Range 13 West to the southeast corner of Section 12,
Township 5 North and Range 13 West;
5. then west along the south boundaries of Sections 12, 11,
10, 9, 8, and 7, Township 5 North and Range 13 West to
the boundary of the Angeles National Forest which is collinear with the range line common to Range 13 West and
Range 14 West;
6. then north and west along the Angeles National Forest
boundary to the point of intersection with the Township line
common to Township 7 North and Township 6 North (point
is at the northwest corner of Section 4 in Township 6 North
and Range 14 West);
7. then west along the Township line common to Township 7
North and Township 6 North;
8. then north along the range line common to Range 15 West
and Range 16 West to the southeast corner of Section 13,
Township 7 North and Range 16 West;
9. then along the south boundaries of Sections 13, 14, 15, 16,
17, and 18, Township 7 North and Range 16 West;
10. then north along the range line common to Range 16 West
and Range 17 West to the north boundary of the Angeles
National Forest (collinear with the Township line common to
Township 8 North and Township 7 North);
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Nonattainment ..
Nonattainment ..
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Extreme.
Extreme.
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CALIFORNIA—OZONE (1-HOUR STANDARD) 4—Continued
Designation
Classification
Designated area
Date 1
11. then west and north along the Angeles National Forest
boundary to the point of intersection with the south boundary
of the Rancho La Liebre Land Grant;
12. then west and north along this land grant boundary to the
Los Angeles-Kern County boundary.
Orange County ...................................................................................
Riverside County (part) ......................................................................
That portion of Riverside County which lies to the west of a
line described as follows:
1. Beginning at the Riverside-San Diego County boundary and
running north along the range line common to Range 4 East
and Range 3 East, San Bernardino Base and Meridian;
2. then east along the Township line common to Township 8
South and Township 7 South;
3. then north along the range line common to Range 5 East
and Range 4 East;
4. then west along the Township line common to Township 6
South and Township 7 South to the southwest corner of
Section 34, Township 6 South, Range 4 East;
5. then north along the west boundaries of Sections 34, 27,
22, 15, 10, and 3, Township 6 South, Range 4 East;
6. then west along the Township line common to Township 5
South and Township 6 South;
7. then north along the range line common to Range 4 East
and Range 3 East;
8. then west along the south boundaries of Sections 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, and 18, Township 5 South, Range 3 East;
9. then north along the range line common to Range 2 East
and Range 3 East to the Riverside-San Bernardino County
line.
San Bernardino County (part) ............................................................
That portion of San Bernardino County which lies south and
west of a line described as follows:
1. Beginning at the San Bernardino-Riverside County boundary
and running north along the range line common to Range 3
East and Range 2 East, San Bernardino Base and Meridian;
2. then west along the Township line common to Township 3
North and Township 2 North to the San Bernardino-Los Angeles County boundary.
Morongo Band of Mission Indians 6 ..........................................................
*
*
*
Date 1
Type
Type
11/15/90
11/15/90
Nonattainment ..
Nonattainment ..
11/15/90
11/15/90
Extreme.
Extreme.
11/15/90
Nonattainment ..
11/15/90
Extreme.
11/15/90
Nonattainment ..
11/15/90
Severe-17.
*
*
*
*
1 This
date is October 18, 2000 unless otherwise noted.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
4 The 1-hour ozone standard is revoked effective June 15, 2005 for all areas in California. The Monterey Bay, San Diego, and Santa BarbaraSanta Maria-Lompoc areas are maintenance areas for the 1-hour NAAQS for purposes of 40 CFR part 51, subpart X.
5 Excludes Morongo Band of Mission Indians’ Indian country in Riverside County.
6 Includes Indian country of the tribe listed in this table. Information pertaining to areas of Indian country in this table is intended for CAA planning purposes only and is not an EPA determination of Indian country status or any Indian country boundary. EPA lacks the authority to establish
Indian country land status, and is making no determination of Indian country boundaries, in this table.
*
*
*
*
*
CALIFORNIA—1997 8-HOUR OZONE NAAQS (PRIMARY AND SECONDARY)
Designation a
Classification
Designated area
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Date 1
*
*
*
*
Los Angeles—South Coast Air Basin, CA: d .....................................................................
Los Angeles County (part) .........................................................................................
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Type
....................
....................
*
*
Nonattainment ......
Nonattainment ......
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( 2)
( 2)
*
Subpart 2/Extreme.
Subpart 2/Extreme.
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CALIFORNIA—1997 8-HOUR OZONE NAAQS (PRIMARY AND SECONDARY)—Continued
Designation a
Classification
Designated area
Date 1
That portion of Los Angeles County which lies south and west of a line described as follows: Beginning at the Los Angeles-San Bernardino County
boundary and running west along the Township line common to Township 3
North and Township 2 North, San Bernardino Base and Meridian; then
north along the range line common to Range 8 West and Range 9 West;
then west along the Township line common to Township 4 North and Township 3 North; then north along the range line common to Range 12 West
and Range 13 West to the southeast corner of Section 12, Township 5
North and Range 13 West; then west along the south boundaries of Sections 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, and 7, Township 5 North and Range 13 West to the
boundary of the Angeles National Forest which is collinear with the range
line common to Range 13 West and Range 14 West; then north and west
along the Angeles National Forest boundary to the point of intersection with
the Township line common to Township 7 North and Township 6 North
(point is at the northwest corner of Section 4 in Township 6 North and
Range 14 West); then west along the Township line common to Township 7
North and Township 6 North; then north along the range line common to
Range 15 West and Range 16 West to the southeast corner of Section 13,
Township 7 North and Range 16 West; then along the south boundaries of
Sections 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, Township 7 North and Range 16 West;
then north along the range line common to Range 16 West and Range 17
West to the north boundary of the Angeles National Forest (collinear with
the Township line common to Township 8 North and Township 7 North);
then west and north along the Angeles National Forest boundary to the
point of intersection with the south boundary of the Rancho La Liebre Land
Grant; then west and north along this land grant boundary to the Los Angeles-Kern County boundary.
Orange County ...........................................................................................................
Riverside County (part) ..............................................................................................
That portion of Riverside County which lies to the west of a line described as
follows: Beginning at the Riverside-San Diego County boundary and running north along the range line common to Range 4 East and Range 3
East, San Bernardino Base and Meridian; then east along the Township
line common to Township 8 South and Township 7 South; then north along
the range line common to Range 5 East and Range 4 East; then west
along the Township line common to Township 6 South and Township 7
South to the southwest corner of Section 34, Township 6 South, Range 4
East; then north along the west boundaries of Sections 34, 27, 22, 15, 10,
and 3, Township 6 South, Range 4 East; then west along the Township line
common to Township 5 South and Township 6 South; then north along the
range line common to Range 4 East and Range 3 East; then west along
the south boundaries of Sections 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, Township 5
South, Range 3 East; then north along the range line common to Range 2
East and Range 3 East; to the Riverside-San Bernardino County line.
Pechanga Reservation c ......................................................................................
San Bernardino County (part) ....................................................................................
That portion of San Bernardino County which lies south and west of a line described as follows: Beginning at the San Bernardino-Riverside County
boundary and running north along the range line common to Range 3 East
and Range 2 East, San Bernardino Base and Meridian; then west along the
Township line common to Township 3 North and Township 2 North to the
San Bernardino-Los Angeles County boundary.
Morongo Band of Mission Indians e ...................................................................................
*
*
*
Type
....................
....................
Nonattainment ......
Nonattainment ......
(2)
(2)
Subpart 2/Extreme.
Subpart 2/Extreme.
....................
....................
Nonattainment ......
Nonattainment ......
( 2)
(2)
Subpart 2/Severe-17.
Subpart 2/Extreme.
....................
Nonattainment ......
....................
Subpart 2/Severe-17.
*
*
Date 1
*
a Includes
Type
*
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Indian Country located in each county or area, except as otherwise specified.
*
*
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*
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*
c The use of reservation boundaries for this designation is for purposes of CAA planning only and is not intended to be a federal determination of the exact boundaries of the reservations. Nor does the specific listing of the Tribes in this table confer, deny, or withdraw Federal recognition of any of the Tribes listed or not listed.
d Excludes Morongo Band of Mission Indians’ Indian country in Riverside County.
e Includes Indian country of the tribe listed in this table. Information pertaining to areas of Indian country in this table is intended for CAA planning purposes only
and is not an EPA determination of Indian country status or any Indian country boundary. EPA lacks the authority to establish Indian country land status, and is making no determination of Indian country boundaries, in this table.
1 This date is June 15, 2004, unless otherwise noted.
2 This date is June 4, 2010.
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 184 / Monday, September 23, 2013 / Rules and Regulations
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[FR Doc. 2013–22873 Filed 9–20–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
42 CFR Part 6
RIN 0906–AA77
Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA)
Medical Malpractice Program
Regulations: Clarification of FTCA
Coverage for Services Provided to
Non-Health Center Patients
Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA), HHS.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
This final rule amends the
current regulatory text of the regulations
for FTCA Coverage of Certain Grantees
and Individuals with the key text and
examples of activities that have been
determined, consistent with provisions
of the existing regulation, to be covered
by the FTCA, as previously published in
the September 25, 1995 Federal Register
Notice (September 1995 Notice).
Additionally, HRSA has added
examples of services covered under the
FTCA involving individual emergency
care provided to a non-health center
patient and updated the September 1995
Notice immunization example to
include events to immunize individuals
against infectious illnesses. The
amended regulation will supersede the
September 1995 Notice.
DATES: Effective Date: The amendments
in this final rule are effective December
23, 2013.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Suma Nair, Director, Office of Quality
and Data, Bureau of Primary Health
Care, Health Resources and Services
Administration, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 5600
Fishers Lane, Room 6A–55, Rockville,
Maryland 20857; Phone: (301) 594–
0818.
SUMMARY:
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
Section 224(a) of the Public Health
Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 233(a))
provides that the remedy against the
United States under the Federal Tort
Claims Act (FTCA) for damage for
personal injury, including death,
resulting from the performance of
medical, surgical, dental, or related
functions by any commissioned officer
or employee of the PHS while acting
within the scope of his office or
employment, shall be exclusive of any
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other related civil action or proceeding.
The Federally Supported Health Centers
Assistance Act of 1992 (Public Law
102–501), as amended in 1995
(FSHCAA) (42 U.S.C. 233(g)–(n)),
provides that, subject to its provisions,
certain entities receiving funds under
section 330 of the PHS Act, as well as
any officers, governing board members,
employees, and certain contractors of
these entities, may be deemed by the
Secretary to be employees of the PHS for
the purposes of this medical malpractice
liability protection.
A final rule implementing Public Law
102–501 was published in the Federal
Register (60 FR 22530) on May 8, 1995,
and added a new part 6 to 42 CFR
Chapter I, Subchapter A. This rule
describes the eligible entities and the
covered individuals who are or may be
determined by the Secretary to be
within the scope of the FTCA protection
afforded by the Act.
Section 6.6, also published in the May
8, 1995 rule, describes acts and
omissions that are covered by FSHCAA
(covered activities or covered services).
The language of subsection 6.6(d)
matches the statutory criteria that may
support a determination of coverage for
services provided to individuals who
are not patients of the covered entity.
Subsection 6.6(e) provides examples
of situations within the scope of
subsection 6.6(d). Questions were
raised, however, about the specific
situations encompassed by 6.6(d) and
6.6(e) and about the process for the
Secretary to make the determinations
provided by those subsections. In
response, HRSA decided that it would
be impractical and burdensome to
require a separate application and
determination of coverage for certain
situations described in the examples set
forth in 6.6(e), as further discussed in
the September 1995 Notice (60 FR
49417). For those situations, it was
determined that the activities described
in the September 1995 Notice are
covered under 42 CFR 6.6(d) without
the need for a separate application, so
long as other requirements for coverage
are met, such as a determination that the
entity is a covered entity, a
determination that the individual is a
covered individual, and a determination
that the acts or omissions by those
individuals occur within the scope of
employment.
B. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
HRSA published a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NPRM) on February 28,
2011. The NPRM proposed:
(1) To replace the current regulatory
text at 42 CFR 6.6(e) of the regulations
at 42 CFR part 6 (‘‘FTCA Coverage of
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Certain Grantees and Individuals’’) with
key text and examples of activities that
have been determined, consistent with
provisions of the existing regulation, to
be covered by FTCA, as previously
published in the September 1995
Notice, in 42 CFR 6.6(e);
(2) To update the ‘‘Immunization
Campaign’’ example to clarify that this
covered situation includes events to
immunize individuals against infectious
illnesses and does not limit coverage to
childhood vaccinations; and
(3) To add the following new example
as subsection 6.6(e)(4) to set forth its
determination of FTCA coverage for
services rendered to non-health center
patients in certain individual emergency
situations. This addition is expected to
provide assurance of FTCA coverage in
these situations and encourage
reciprocal assistance by non-health
center clinicians for health center
patients in similar emergencies.
C. Comments in Response to the NPRM
HRSA received comments from 12
organizations and individuals in
response to the NPRM. All of the
comments submitted were in favor of
the proposed rule. The major comments
are summarized as follows:
(1) Clarify whether health centers that
participate in health fairs are covered:
Several commentators requested that
HRSA modify Paragraph 6.6(e)(1)(iii) to
clarify that health centers that conduct
or participate in health fairs are
covered.
(2) Clarify whether health centers that
participate in immunization campaigns
are covered:
Several commentators requested that
HRSA modify paragraph 6.6(e)(1)(iv),
Immunization Campaigns, to clarify that
health centers that conduct or
participate in immunization campaigns
are covered.
(3) Amend the proposed new
paragraph 6.6(e)(4), addressing
individual emergency situations, by
adding the term ‘‘urgent situations,’’ and
the phrase, ‘‘as determined by the health
center provider at the scene of the
incident:’’
Several commentators requested that
HRSA modify proposed paragraph
6.6(e)(4) to include urgent situations
and to more clearly define what would
constitute an emergency or urgent
situation. Additionally, commentators
requested that the phrase, ‘‘as
determined by the health center
provider at the scene of the incident,’’
also be added to 6.6 (e)(4).
(4) Clarify, define, and/or delete the
term ‘‘after hours’’ in paragraph
6.6(e)(3):
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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 184 (Monday, September 23, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 58189-58202]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22873]
[[Page 58189]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 81
[EPA-R09-OAR-2012-0936; FRL-9901-13-Region 9]
Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes;
California; Morongo Band of Mission Indians
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: EPA is taking final action to correct an error in a previous
rulemaking that revised the boundaries between nonattainment areas in
Southern California designated under the Clean Air Act for the national
ambient air quality standard for one-hour ozone. EPA is also taking
final action to revise the boundaries of certain Southern California
air quality planning areas to designate the Indian country of the
Morongo Band of Mission Indians, California as a separate air quality
planning area for the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone standards.
DATES: This rule is effective on October 23, 2013.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established docket number EPA-R09-OAR-2012-0936 for
this action. The index to the docket is available electronically at
www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at EPA Region IX, 75 Hawthorne
Street, San Francisco, California. While all documents in the docket
are listed in the index, some information may be publicly available
only at the hard copy location (e.g., copyrighted material), and some
may not be publicly available in either location (e.g., Confidential
Business Information). To inspect the hard copy materials, please
schedule an appointment during normal business hours with the contact
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Israels, Grants and Program
Integration Office (AIR-8), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Region IX, (415) 947-4102, israels.ken@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, the terms ``we,''
``us,'' ``our,'' and ``Agency'' refer to EPA.
Table of Contents
I. Summary of Proposed Action
II. Comments and Responses
III. Final Action
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Summary of Proposed Action
On January 2, 2013 (78 FR 51), EPA proposed to correct an error in
a previous rulemaking that revised the boundaries between nonattainment
areas in Southern California designated under the Clean Air Act (CAA or
``Act'') for the national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or
``standard'') for one-hour ozone.\1\ EPA also proposed to revise the
boundaries of certain Southern California air quality planning areas to
designate the Indian country \2\ of the Morongo Band of Mission
Indians, California (``Morongo Reservation'') as a separate air quality
planning area for the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone standards.
References herein to our ``proposed rule'' refer to our January 2, 2013
proposed rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Ground-level ozone is a gas that is formed by the reaction
of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen
(NOX) in the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight.
These precursor emissions are emitted by many types of pollution
sources, including power plants and industrial emissions sources,
on-road and off-road motor vehicles and engines, and smaller
sources, collectively referred to as area sources.
\2\ ``Indian country'' as defined at 18 U.S.C. 1151 refers to:
``(a) all land within the limits of any Indian reservation under the
jurisdiction of the United States Government, notwithstanding the
issuance of any patent, and, including rights-of-way running through
the reservation, (b) all dependent Indian communities within the
borders of the United States whether within the original or
subsequently acquired territory thereof, and whether within or
without the limits of a state, and (c) all Indian allotments, the
Indian titles to which have not been extinguished, including rights-
of-way running through the same.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Specifically, we proposed to correct an error in our October 7,
2003 (68 FR 57820) final action approving a request by the State of
California (``California'' or ``State'') to shift the boundary between
the South Coast Air Basin and the Southeast Desert Air Basin (which
includes Coachella Valley) eastward, and thereby relocate the Banning
Pass area to the South Coast Air Basin from the Southeast Desert Air
Basin. As explained in our proposed rule, the ``error'' pertained only
to the Morongo Reservation, which is located within the Banning Pass,
and which is the only Indian country affected by the relevant portion
of our 2003 final action.
With respect to the one-hour ozone standard, EPA's 2003 action had
the effect of moving the Morongo Reservation from the Coachella Valley
portion of the ``Southeast Desert Modified AQMA Area'' (``Southeast
Desert'') to the ``Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin Area'' (``South
Coast'') and changing the designations and classifications accordingly.
Specifically, EPA's 2003 action had the effect of changing the ozone
nonattainment area classification for the Banning Pass area, including
the Morongo Reservation, from ``Severe-17'' to ``Extreme''.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ While the one-hour ozone standard itself has been revoked,
the NSR requirements that had applied to a nonattainment area for
the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard based on that area's designation
and classification for the one-hour ozone standard, at the time of
designation for the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard, continue to
apply to the area consistent with the requirements of EPA's phase I
implementation rule governing the transition from the one-hour ozone
standard to the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard and a related court
decision.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In connection with the 2003 final action, we erred by failing to
recognize that, while EPA had authority to change the boundary of the
South Coast with respect to Indian country under CAA sections
107(d)(3)(A)-(C), 301(a) and 301(d), it is apparent from the proposed
and final rules in 2003 that EPA did not recognize that it was acting
under that authority or that EPA appropriately considered the effect of
the action on Indian country lands. EPA recognized only that the Agency
was acting on a State request under section 107(d)(3)(D) and reviewed
the request accordingly. However, tribes are sovereign entities, and
not political subdivisions of states. Typically, states are not
approved to administer programs under the CAA in Indian country, and
California has not been approved by EPA to administer any CAA programs
in Indian country. With respect to the Morongo Reservation, EPA or the
Morongo Tribe is the appropriate entity to initiate boundary changes,
and in this instance, the Morongo Tribe initiated the change through a
rulemaking request to EPA.
If EPA had considered such a boundary change with respect to the
Morongo Reservation under the appropriate statutory authority (i.e.,
CAA sections 107(d)(3)(A)-(C), 301(a) and 301(d)), the Agency might
well have declined to change the boundary with respect to the Morongo
Reservation based on ``planning and control considerations'' given that
emissions sources within the Morongo Reservation are subject to EPA
jurisdiction whereas the emissions sources outside of the Reservation
are subject to the jurisdiction of the South Coast Air Quality
Management District (SCAQMD). In addition to the difference in
jurisdiction, we might have declined to change the boundary given the
associated decrease in the major source threshold and absence of a
federal Indian country new source review (NSR) program for new or
modified stationary sources at the time. Therefore, under CAA section
[[Page 58190]]
110(k)(6),\4\ we proposed to correct the error by rescinding our 2003
final action as it pertains to the Morongo Reservation and only as it
pertains to the revoked one-hour ozone standard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ CAA section 110(k)(6) provides that: ``Whenever the
Administrator determines that the Administrator's action approving,
disapproving, or promulgating any plan or plan revision (or part
thereof), area designation, redesignation, classification, or
reclassification was in error, the Administrator may in the same
manner as the approval, disapproval, or promulgation revise such
action as appropriate without requiring any further submission from
the State. Such determination and the basis thereof shall be
provided to the State and public.'' We interpret this provision to
authorize the Agency to make corrections to a promulgated regulation
when it is shown to our satisfaction that (1) we clearly erred in
failing to consider or inappropriately considered information made
available to EPA at the time of the promulgation, or the information
made available at the time of promulgation is subsequently
demonstrated to have been clearly inadequate, and (2) other
information persuasively supports a change in the regulation. See 57
FR 56762, at 56763 (November 30, 1992).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second, in our proposed rule, under CAA sections 107(d)(3)(A)-(C),
301(a), and 301(d), we proposed to revise the boundaries of the
Southeast Desert to designate the Morongo Reservation as a separate
nonattainment area for the one-hour ozone standard and to classify the
Morongo Reservation as ``Severe-17,'' i.e., consistent with its prior
classification when it was included in the Southeast Desert.\5\ Third,
also under CAA sections 107(d)(3)(A)-(C), 301(a) and 301(d), we
proposed to revise the boundaries of the South Coast to designate the
Morongo Reservation as a separate nonattainment area for the 1997
eight-hour ozone standard and to classify the Morongo Reservation as
``Severe-17,'' i.e., consistent with its original classification when
it was included in the South Coast.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Sections 107(d)(3)(A)-(C) provide that EPA may initiate the
redesignation process ``on the basis of air quality data, planning
and control considerations, or any other air quality-related
considerations the Administrator deems appropriate,'' and
``promulgate the redesignation, if any, of the area or portion
thereof.'' CAA section 107(d)(3) does not refer to Indian country,
but consistent with EPA's discretionary authority in CAA sections
301(a) and 301(d)(4) to directly administer CAA programs, and
protect air quality in Indian country through federal
implementation, EPA is authorized to directly administer sections
107(d)(3)(A)-(C) and redesignate Indian country areas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In proposing the second and third actions described above, we
applied the principles set forth in EPA's policy (referred to herein as
the ``Tribal Designation Policy'') for establishing separate air
quality designations for areas of Indian country.\6\ Under the Tribal
Designation Policy, where EPA receives a request for a boundary change
from a tribe seeking to have its Indian country designated as a
separate area, the policy indicates that EPA will make decisions
regarding these requests on a case-by-case basis after consultation
with the tribe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ See memorandum from Stephen D. Page, Director, EPA Office of
Air Quality Planning and Standards, to EPA Regional Air Directors,
Regions I-X, dated December 20, 2011, titled ``Policy for
Establishing Separate Air Quality Designations for Areas of Indian
Country.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a matter of policy, EPA believes that it is important for tribes
to submit certain information, including, among other items, a formal
request from an authorized tribal official; documentation of Indian
country boundaries to which the air quality designation request
applies; and an analysis of a number of factors (referred to as a
``multi-factor analysis,'') including air quality data, emissions-
related data (including source emissions data, traffic and commuting
patterns, population density and degree of urbanization), meteorology,
geography/topography, and jurisdictional boundaries.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ See Tribal Designation Policy, pages 3 and 4. The Tribal
Designation Policy also states that, in addition to information
related to the identified factors, tribes may submit any other
information that they believe is important for EPA to consider.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In May 2009, the Chairman of the Morongo Tribe submitted the
Tribe's request for a separate ozone nonattainment area that included a
multi-factor analysis addressing air quality data, emissions data,
meteorology, geography/topography, and jurisdictional boundaries.\8\ As
such, although submitted prior to release of the Tribal Designation
Policy, the Morongo Tribe's request for a boundary change to create a
separate ozone nonattainment area, in conjunction with EPA's additional
analysis found in our technical support document (TSD) for the proposed
rule, represents the type of formal, official request and supporting
information called for in the policy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ See letter from Robert Martin, Chairman, Morongo Band of
Mission Indians, to Deborah Jordan, Director, Air Division, EPA
Region IX, dated May 29, 2009.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the proposed rule, EPA noted that the Agency had recently
reviewed the Morongo Tribe's multi-factor analysis in connection with
designating the Morongo Reservation as a separate nonattainment area
for the 2008 ozone standard, and concluded that EPA's analysis and
recent decision to designate the Morongo Reservation as a separate
nonattainment area for the 2008 ozone standard was directly relevant to
our consideration of whether to revise the boundaries of existing air
quality planning areas to designate the Morongo Reservation as a
separate nonattainment area for the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone
standards, and adopted the analysis and rationale previously relied
upon by EPA in establishing the Morongo nonattainment area for the 2008
ozone standard. In doing so, we recognized that the three standards
address the same pollutant, and thus share multi-factor analyses and
considerations.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ EPA also noted that in using many of the same factors found
in the 2008 ozone designations process, we are using factors that
represent the most current information regarding meteorology, air
quality, etc. in the area and therefore we believe serve the
purposes of being representative for the previously established
ozone standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on our review of air quality data, meteorology and
topography, we observed that the Morongo Reservation experiences
transitional conditions characteristic of a mountain pass area through
which pollutants are channeled from a highly urbanized metropolitan
nonattainment area to the west to the relatively less developed
nonattainment area to the east. Considering the three factors of air
quality data, meteorology, and topography, EPA concluded that the
Agency could reasonably include the Morongo Reservation in either the
South Coast nonattainment area to the west, or the Southeast Desert
nonattainment area to the east, as EPA has done in the past for the
one-hour ozone standard and the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard.
Alternatively, EPA could establish a separate nonattainment area for
the Morongo Reservation as it did for the 2008 eight-hour ozone
standard.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ See 77 FR 30088, dated May 21, 2012.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taking into account the relative amount of emissions associated
with activities on the Morongo Reservation and corresponding minimal
contribution to regional ozone violations, we believed that under the
circumstances present here, it would be appropriate to assign
particular weight to the jurisdictional boundaries factor, consistent
with the principles for designations of Indian country set forth in the
Tribal Designation Policy. Moreover, we noted that the Tribe has
invested in the development of its own air program, including operation
of weather stations and an air monitoring station, and has expressed
interest in development of its own permitting program. Under the
jurisdictional boundaries factor, we found that redesignation of the
Morongo Reservation as a separate ozone nonattainment area for the one-
hour ozone and 1997 eight-hour ozone standards would be appropriate.
Therefore, consistent with the designation of the Morongo Reservation
for the 2008 ozone standard, we proposed to revise the boundaries of
the Southeast Desert one-hour ozone nonattainment area and the
boundaries
[[Page 58191]]
of the South Coast 1997 eight-hour ozone nonattainment area to
designate the Morongo Reservation as a separate nonattainment area for
the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone standards.
Please see our proposed rule and TSD for additional background
information about the Morongo Reservation and the regulatory context,
as well as a more detailed explanation of our rationale for the
proposed actions.
II. Comments and Responses
Our proposed rule provided for a 30-day comment period. During this
period, we received comments from the South Coast Air Quality
Management District (SCAQMD or ``District''), the Coachella Valley
Association of Governments (CVAG), and from a private citizen. All
three comment letters oppose EPA's proposed actions. We have summarized
the comments and provide responses in the paragraphs that follow.
SCAQMD Comment #1: EPA's primary reason for wanting to reclassify
Morongo as ``severe-17'' appears to be based on the fact that in
``extreme'' ozone areas, the major source threshold for VOC and
NOX is 10 tons per year, whereas in ``severe-17'' areas it
is 25 tons per year, thereby increasing the number of new or modified
sources subject to the emissions offset requirement. EPA's sole concern
appears to be the availability of emission reduction credits (ERCs) for
use as offsets. We are not sure that EPA's rationale, which appears to
be based on economic considerations, is a proper basis for
reclassification under CAA section 107(d)(3). Also, EPA has
misinterpreted the law relative to availability of offsets for sources
to be located on Morongo lands. Because Morongo is included within the
South Coast District, the special provisions in state law and District
rules regarding the transfer and use of inter-district and inter-basin
offsets are inapplicable.
EPA Response to SCAQMD Comment #1: Our proposed rule proposed two
separate actions--(1) an error correction (of a 2003 final action) and
(2) boundary revisions (for one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS).
EPA considered the issue of availability of ERCs for use as offsets for
new or modified sources on the Morongo Reservation in the context of
the proposed error correction action, not the boundary revisions
action, and the statutory basis for consideration of this issue was CAA
section 110(k)(6), not section 107(d)(3).
The District is correct that, in our proposed rule, we identified
restrictions in state law and District rules regarding the availability
of ERCs for use to comply with the emissions offset requirement for new
or modified major sources on Morongo lands as one of the adverse
regulatory consequences for the Tribe of our 2003 final action that
persuaded us to propose the error correction. However, the availability
of ERCs was not the only adverse regulatory effect of our 2003 action.
We recognized that the primary adverse regulatory effect was the
lowering of the applicable VOC and NOX major source
threshold from 25 tons per year to 10 tons per year that resulted from
the 2003 transfer of the Banning Pass (including the Morongo
Reservation) from the Southeast Desert ``severe'' ozone nonattainment
area to the South Coast ``extreme'' ozone nonattainment area. See 78 FR
51, at 54-55. The lower threshold meant that more new or modified
sources proposed on Morongo lands would be considered ``major'' and
thus subject to the emissions offset requirement in the first instance.
Based on our understanding of the state and District restrictions on
the use of emission reduction credits, we believed at the time of the
proposed rule that the adverse regulatory effect of lowering the
threshold was exacerbated by the uncertainty associated with the
availability of ERCs generated outside of the Morongo Reservation to
offset emissions of new or modified sources on the Morongo Reservation.
We appreciate the District's clarification of state law and
District rules regarding inter-district and inter-basin transfer of
ERCs. Based on the District's clarification, we now understand that
under state law and District rules governing inter-district or inter-
basin transfer of ERCs, the meaning of ``District'' is geographic in
nature and not jurisdictional, and thus, sources on Morongo lands are
considered within the ``District'' for the purposes of using ERCs to
meet the emissions offset requirement although such sources are not
subject to District jurisdiction and thus may purchase and use ERCs
generated anywhere in the South Coast without prior approval from the
State or District.
In light of SCAQMD's interpretation of state and District law, we
no longer find that such law presents an obstacle to permitting of new
or modified stationary sources on the Morongo Reservation. While ERCs
may be available for such sources in the same manner as they are for
sources in the South Coast outside of the Morongo Reservation, the more
fundamental, adverse consequence of lowering the major source threshold
from 25 tons per year to 10 tons per year remains a sufficient adverse
consequence in and of itself to persuade us to take final action to
correct our 2003 final action as it pertains to the one-hour ozone
standard and as it pertains to the Morongo Reservation.
SCAQMD Comment #2: EPA's current proposal is to separate the
Morongo Reservation, which is currently within the South Coast Air
Basin, as its own air quality planning area and to classify the area as
``severe-17'' for the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA
should retain the Morongo Reservation in the South Coast Air Basin in
accordance with EPA's rationale for approving California's request to
revise the basin so that the Banning Pass--including Morongo--was
included in the South Coast Air Basin. Now, as then, the Banning Pass--
including Morongo--belongs in the South Coast Air Basin from an air
quality perspective.
EPA Response to SCAQMD Comment #2: Our proposed rule includes two
types of actions: an error correction and boundary revisions. The first
action, under CAA section 110(k)(6), would correct the error by
rescinding our 2003 boundary change action with respect to the Morongo
Reservation and would thereby separate the Morongo Reservation from the
South Coast and return the reservation back to the Southeast Desert
ozone nonattainment area within which the reservation was located prior
to EPA's 2003 action, but would not establish a separate Morongo ozone
nonattainment area. The second type of action, under CAA section
107(d)(3) and CAA sections 107(d)(3)(A)-(C), 301(a) and 301(d), would
establish a separate Morongo ozone nonattainment area for the one-hour
and 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS. Because we are finalizing both actions
at the same time, the Morongo Reservation will not move back to the
Southeast Desert nonattainment area but will instead become its own
nonattainment area for the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone
standards.
With respect to our error correction action, the District
accurately cites EPA's rationale for approving California's request to
revise the boundaries to transfer the Banning Pass from the Southeast
Desert to the South Coast in 2003: ``We believe that Banning is more
similar to the South Coast than the Coachella area, and that it would
support efficient planning and control to move the federal boundary of
the South Coast Air Basin eastward to encompass the Banning Pass
area.'' 68 FR 48848, at 48850 (August 15, 2003). In our proposed rule,
we explain that we do not find that we erred in 2003 in reviewing the
State's request for a boundary revision, but we failed to
[[Page 58192]]
recognize that, to the extent that our 2003 action affected Indian
country, our action involved more than a response to a State request
under CAA section 107(d)(3)(D).\11\ It also involved an EPA-initiated
boundary change action under sections 107(d)(3)(A)-(C), section 301(a),
and 301(d)(4) because the State is not approved to administer CAA
programs in Indian country. 78 FR 51, at 54. Our proposed rule also
explains how evaluation of the same criteria used to approve the
State's request would have differed for Indian country. Id. For
instance, ``planning and control considerations'' while seamless from
the standpoint of District jurisdiction over sources on state lands,
would have differed for the Morongo Reservation because, at that time,
EPA had not established a nonattainment NSR program for Morongo under
which to review the greater number of new or modified sources deemed
``major'' by virtue of the boundary change.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ As noted above, Tribes are sovereign entities, and not
political subdivisions of States. Typically, states are not approved
to administer programs under the CAA in Indian country, and
California has not been approved by EPA to administer any CAA
programs in Indian country. With respect to the Morongo Reservation,
EPA or the Tribe is the appropriate entity to initiate boundary
changes, and in this instance, the Tribe initiated the boundary
change through a request to EPA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In effect, through its 2003 boundary change request, the State of
California was voluntarily seeking to expand the geographic boundary of
the area (the South Coast) subject to the most stringent requirements
under the CAA. While EPA would have little reason to disapprove such a
state request, there is also little reason for EPA to force Indian
country located in that geographic area to be consistent with the
State's voluntary request.
With respect to our proposed action to establish a separate Morongo
ozone nonattainment area, we are not applying the same criteria that we
used to evaluate the State's boundary change request, but rather are
applying the criteria set forth in our Tribal Designations Policy. See
pages 55 and 56 of our proposed rule. As described in greater detail in
our proposed rule, we observe that the Morongo Reservation experiences
transitional conditions characteristic of a mountain pass area and that
we could reasonably have included the Morongo Reservation in either the
South Coast or the Southeast Desert or established a separate Morongo
nonattainment area. Given that emissions associated with the Morongo
Reservation are minimal, we believe that it is appropriate to assign
particular weight to the jurisdictional boundaries factor and thus are
taking final action today, consistent with our proposed action, to
revise the boundaries of the South Coast and Southeast Desert
nonattainment areas to designate the Morongo Reservation as a separate
Morongo nonattainment area for the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone
standards. (The Morongo Reservation is already a separate nonattainment
area for the 2008 ozone standard.)
SCAQMD Comment #3: SCAQMD staff is concerned about the possible
effects of separating and reclassifying the Morongo Reservation. EPA's
action can only be intended to facilitate the construction and
operation of new or expanded major sources on Morongo lands. As the
Banning Pass is directly upwind of the Coachella Valley, any
significant new emissions on Morongo lands could adversely affect the
Coachella Valley and its ability to maintain attainment of the ozone
standard. EPA should analyze the air quality impacts of the proposed
action on the Coachella Valley.
Response to SCAQMD Comment #3: With respect to nonattainment New
Source Review (NSR), the effect of our actions today will be an
increase in the major source threshold for ozone precursors, i.e., VOC
and NOX, from 10 and 25 tons per year, for new or modified
stationary sources proposed for construction and operation on the
Morongo Reservation. As such, new or modified stationary sources to be
located at the Morongo Reservation with potentials to emit (PTE) from
10 to 25 tons per year of VOC or NOX will not be subject to
the major source requirements to meet the lowest achievable emission
rate (LAER) and to offset emissions increases. Conversely, with or
without our actions today, such sources with PTE 25 tons per year or
more of VOC or NOX will continue to be subject to major
source NSR, i.e., subject to both the LAER and offset requirements.
Likewise, the regulatory requirements for sources with PTE less than 10
tons per year of VOC or NOX will also remain the same.
Thus, SCAQMD is correct that the proposed actions will facilitate
construction and operation of new or modified stationary sources on the
Morongo Reservation with PTE from 10 to 25 tons per year of VOC or
NOX to the extent that such sources will not be subject to
the LAER and emissions offset requirements that otherwise would have
applied to such sources if EPA were not to finalize today's actions.
Such sources could be constructed and operated at the Morongo
Reservation with or without today's actions, but the costs associated
with construction and operation would be less if the source is not
required to meet the LAER and emissions offset requirements.
To gain perspective on the potential downwind effects of one or
more new or modified stationary sources with PTE from 10 to 25 tons per
year of VOC or NOX on the Morongo Reservation, it is useful
to compare the emissions generated within the South Coast and Coachella
Valley with those generated by sources associated with the Morongo
Reservation under existing conditions, as shown in the following table.
Comparison of Emissions Associated With South Coast, Coachella Valley, and Morongo Reservation Under Existing
Conditions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emissions (tons per day)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South Coast \a\ Coachella Valley \b\ Morongo reservation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \c\
-----------------------
Pollutant Stationary Total Stationary Total Stationary
sources sources sources Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VOC..................................... 257 593 2.0 17.7 0.058 0.54
NOX..................................... 92 758 0.7 45.2 0.066 3.05
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a\ Emissions estimates are for year 2008 as presented in table 3-1A (page 3-15) of the SCAQMD's Final 2012 Air
Quality Management Plan, December 2012.
\b\ Emissions estimates are for year 2008 as presented for the Salton Sea Air Basin portion of Riverside County
in CARB's Almanac, Emission Projections Data, as published on CARB's Web site.
[[Page 58193]]
\c\ The source for emissions estimates from sources associated with the Morongo Reservation is table 1 (page 13)
of the attachment to a letter from Robert Martin, Chairman, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, to Deborah
Jordan, Director, Air Division, EPA Region IX, dated May 29, 2009. These data reflect 2006 emissions, the most
current year of emissions inventoried by the Morongo. We have no reason to expect that 2008 emissions
associated with the Morongo Reservation would be significantly different than those estimated for 2006, and
thus, we believe that the emissions estimates for the Morongo Reservation provide a reasonable basis for
comparison with the regional emissions estimates prepared for 2008. Based on the Morongo emissions inventory,
on-road mobile sources account for approximately 85% to 90% of total Morongo-related emissions of VOC and NOX.
Stationary sources associated with the reservation account for approximately 2% to 11% of the total with the
balance emitted by area sources.
As shown in the above table, total emissions associated with the
Morongo Reservation comprise 0.09% and 0.4% of the VOC and
NOX emissions, respectively, associated with all sources
within the South Coast. The effect of today's actions relate to the
stationary source fraction of Morongo's emissions, which amount to
0.058 and 0.066 tons per day of VOC and NOX, respectively
(or 21 and 24 tons per year of VOC and NOX, respectively),
and which comprise only 0.01% and 0.009% of the VOC and NOX
emissions, respectively, within the South Coast. Clearly, one or even
several new or modified stationary sources within the 10 to 25 tons per
year range would have minimal or no effect on Coachella Valley when
compared to the overall pollutant burden passing through the Banning
Pass from the South Coast to Coachella Valley. Any new or modified
stationary source on the Morongo Reservation with a PTE large enough to
impact Coachella Valley would almost certainly be subject to major
source NSR and thereby subject to the LAER and emission offset
requirements that would avoid such an impact.
SCAQMD Comment #4: We are concerned that EPA's actions would create
an uneven playing field between sources located within the Morongo
boundaries and similar nearby sources in the South Coast Air Basin,
including the remainder of the Banning Pass. Indeed, sources locating
on Morongo lands would also have an unfair advantage over sources in
the adjacent Coachella Valley, because under SCAQMD rules even minor
sources of most pollutants must obtain offsets, and these rules apply
within the Coachella Valley. Moreover, major sources in both areas are
subject to SCAQMD's BACT requirement, which is at least as stringent as
federal LAER. While minor sources are subject to potentially less
stringent BACT, and the minor source threshold in Coachella Valley is
25 tons per year, SCAQMD's BACT Guidelines for minor sources are
generally the most stringent in the nation and are distinguished from
the BACT for major sources only in that economic and technical
feasibility may be considered. In short, new and modified stationary
sources on either side of the Banning Pass, as well as in the remainder
of the Banning Pass, will be subject to more stringent standards than
sources seeking to locate on Morongo lands. We are concerned that EPA's
proposed action will create a ``pollution island'' within the Morongo
area. Our concern is based on real and substantial experiences in which
facilities located on Tribal lands have created problems in the
adjacent communities. For example, EPA and SCAQMD have taken
enforcement action against facilities located on Cabazon Tribal land
near the city of Mecca in southeastern Riverside County.
Response to SCAQMD Comment #4: EPA notes that, with or without
today's action, new or modified sources on the Morongo Reservation are
subject to the requirements of EPA's Indian country NSR rule codified
in CFR, Title 40, part 49 (76 FR 38748, July 1, 2011), which are in
some respects less stringent than the corresponding requirements under
SCAQMD's NSR rules that apply outside Indian country in both the South
Coast and Coachella Valley. Specifically, under EPA's Indian country
NSR rule, emissions offsets are not required for new or modified minor
sources. However, with respect to control technology requirements,
while the Indian country NSR rule does not require new or modified
minor sources to meet BACT or LAER level of control, the rule does
require EPA (or the Indian Tribe in cases where a Tribal agency is
assisting EPA with administration of the program through a delegation)
to conduct a case-by-case control technology review to determine the
appropriate level of control, if any, necessary to assure that the
NAAQS are achieved, as well as the corresponding emission limitations
for the affected emission units at the new or modified source. See 40
CFR 49.154(c). In carrying out this determination, among other
considerations, EPA takes into account ``[t]ypical control technology
or other emission reduction measures used by similar sources in
surrounding areas.'' 40 CFR 49.154(c)(1)(ii). Thus, the corresponding
control technology requirements (i.e., minor source ``BACT'') that
SCAQMD applies to minor sources subject to its authority would inform
EPA's determination regarding control technology requirements and
associated emission limitations for new or modified minor stationary
sources on the Morongo Reservation.
Nonetheless, we recognize that our actions today will broaden the
differences in NSR requirements in that new or modified sources on the
Morongo Reservation with PTE between 10 and 25 tons per year of VOC or
NOX will no longer be subject to LAER and emissions offset
requirement that otherwise would have applied. We do not, however,
foresee our actions as resulting in the ``pollution island'' effect
about which SCAQMD is concerned. First, our actions today simply
restore the major source threshold that had applied within the Morongo
Reservation before our 2003 approval of California's boundary change.
The only difference between the regulatory context during the pre-2003
period and the context that will exist upon the effective date of
today's action is that new or modified stationary sources in the
Banning Pass subject to SCAQMD jurisdiction with PTE between 10 and 25
are now subject to major source ``BACT,'' which differs from minor
source ``BACT'' under SCAQMD's NSR rules, as explained by SCAQMD above,
whereas such sources were subject to minor source ``BACT'' prior to our
approval of California's boundary change request in 2003. We have no
evidence that the Morongo Reservation was a ``pollution island'' during
the pre-2003 period when the higher threshold applied, and the subtle
differences between then and now described above with respect to minor
source BACT and major source BACT under SCAQMD rules argues against the
possibility that the Morongo Reservation will become a ``pollution
island'' as a result of our actions today. It is important to note
that, even with our actions today, the applicable NSR requirements
within the Morongo Reservation (at a 25 tons per year major source
threshold) would continue to be among the most stringent in the nation
in keeping with today's classification of the Morongo Reservation as a
separate ``severe'' nonattainment area for the one-hour and 1997 ozone
standards.
SCAQMD Comment #5: EPA may not have adequate enforcement resources
to ensure ongoing compliance on Tribal lands, even if the rules are
equally stringent. For example, examination of
[[Page 58194]]
the available information indicates that the Colmac Energy facility,
which is identified as a major source under RCRA, was last inspected
nearly 10 years ago. Tribes themselves also may not have adequate
resources to ensure compliance. For example, in the mid-2000's, the
Torrez-Martinez reservation was identified as home to at least 20
illegal dumps. Health hazards were created as a result of some of the
dump material catching fire. EPA, the federal courts, the SCAQMD, the
Tribe, and other organizations were all involved in attempting to
resolve these issues.
Response to SCAQMD Comment #5: EPA's compliance and enforcement
program extends to sources subject to EPA permitting jurisdiction, and
to oversight of sources subject to the permitting jurisdiction of
states, air districts, and tribes (where tribes have authority to issue
such permits). The hypothetical prospect of new or modified stationary
sources at the Morongo Reservation, whether permitted by EPA or by the
Morongo Tribe (if and when the Tribe is authorized to issue such
permits), will have essentially no effect on the scope of EPA's
nationwide compliance and enforcement program and thus essentially no
effect on the resources needed to adequately meet the demands of that
program. Moreover, facility inspections, while important, represent
just one method for acquiring information in connection with compliance
and enforcement.\12\ Information requests under CAA section 114, for
example, represent another method. Lastly, EPA does not believe that
compliance issues that have arisen in the past with one tribe in any
way portend compliance issues that may arise in the future with another
tribe any more than one state's past actions portend future actions
taken by other states.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ To the extent that SCAQMD cites infrequent inspections at
the Colmac Energy facility as an example of inadequate EPA
enforcement resources, EPA notes that since 1989, under a monitoring
and enforcement agreement to which SCAQMD, EPA, and the Cabazon Band
of Mission Indians are signatories, SCAQMD has been allowed entry
onto the Cabazon Reservation to monitor and inspect the Colmac
Energy facility, and thus the frequency of EPA inspections cited by
SCAQMD bears little relation to the extent of compliance oversight
for the Colmac facility.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCAQMD Comment #6: We are concerned about the potential
precedential effect of this decision.
Response to SCAQMD Comment #6: In this action, we are determining
that our 2003 approval of California's request to shift the boundary
between the South Coast and Southeast Desert eastward and thereby
include the Banning Pass in the South Coast was in error as it pertains
to Indian country in the Banning Pass, and because the Morongo Tribe is
the only Tribe with Indian country that was affected by the eastward
shift of the boundary, the direct precedential effect of today's
actions is quite limited. More generally, though, our 2003 action
approved a State's request, in effect, to expand the area subject to
more stringent CAA requirements and conversely to shrink the area
subject to less stringent CAA requirements. We should have recognized
at the time, but did not, that EPA, not the State, was changing the
boundary with respect to Indian country located within the expansion
area and thereby imposing the more stringent CAA requirements on Indian
country as well. States rarely voluntarily request boundary changes
that increase the stringency of requirements for their sources in the
affected area, and thus, we have no reason to expect that similar
circumstances culminating in our 2003 action and setting the stage for
today's actions exist elsewhere with respect to California or other
states and other tribes. Lastly, we note that we have previously
established a number of separate tribal air quality planning areas,
see, e.g., the separate listings for several tribes located within
Arizona and California in 40 CFR 81.303 and 40 CFR 81.305,
respectively, (i.e., particularly for the 1997 and 2008 eight-hour
ozone standards), and thus, today's action does not establish a new
precedent but rather is consistent with previous actions.
CVAG Comment #1: The creation of a separate air basin for the Tribe
will result in a less stringent definition of a major source threshold
for New Source Review and may result in a lesser level of air pollution
controls as currently established through its designation in the South
Coast Air Basin. This could potentially result in the creation of a
``magnet'' for, and give an unfair advantage to, facilities locating at
the Morongo Reservation relative to facilities in the adjacent areas
under State jurisdiction.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #1: CVAG is correct that the effect of
today's actions will raise the applicable major source threshold for
VOC and NOX from 10 tons per year to 25 tons per year for
new or modified stationary sources to be located on the Morongo
Reservation. This means that a new or modified stationary source
proposed on the Morongo Reservation after the effective date of today's
final actions with a PTE between 10 and 25 tons per year of VOC or
NOX will not be subject to the same control technology
(i.e., lowest achievable control technology) and emission offset
requirements that would have applied if we did not finalize our
actions. As such, the applicable requirements for new or modified
stationary sources on the Morongo Reservation will return to those that
applied before EPA's 2003 approval of California's boundary change
request. The applicable minimum requirements for new or modified
sources on the Morongo Reservation will also mirror those that apply in
Coachella Valley with respect to LAER and offsets, which adjoins the
new Morongo air quality planning area to the east, although we
recognize that California has chosen to go beyond statutory and
regulatory minimum requirements with respect to other NSR requirements
in both the South Coast and Coachella Valley. We have no evidence to
suggest that the Morongo Reservation was a ``magnet'' for new emissions
sources prior to our 2003 action to approve California boundary change
request, when the less stringent major source threshold applied, nor do
we have any reason to believe that the Reservation will become such a
``magnet'' as a result of EPA's actions today that simply return the
Morongo Reservation to the statutory and regulatory context that
applied prior to EPA's 2003 action.
CVAG Comment #2: Back in January 2011, CVAG sent a letter to EPA
expressing concern regarding the Morongo Tribe's request for a separate
ozone nonattainment area. EPA staff agreed to keep CVAG and SCAQMD
apprised of EPA's actions on the Tribe's request but did not follow-
through. Instead, CVAG was informed of EPA's January 2, 2013 proposed
rule through another party. In May 2012, EPA designated the Morongo
Reservation as a separate nonattainment area for the 2008 ozone
standard. EPA is using key findings from that decision as the basis for
their current proposed action. This designation action was again done
without notification to or consultation with CVAG or the SCAQMD,
although the proposed rule at 78 FR 55 stated that this decision will
be made ``after all necessary consultation with the Tribe and, as
appropriate, with the involvement of other affected entities.'' In
addition, in footnote 15 of the proposed rule, it states ``EPA has
consulted with the Tribe several times about this matter.'' This
dangerously ``paves the way'' for the proposed action relative to the
one hour and 1997 eight hour ozone standards.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #2: CVAG is correct that EPA has
adopted the analysis and rationale relied upon by EPA in establishing
the Morongo
[[Page 58195]]
nonattainment area for the 2008 ozone standard in support of EPA's
proposal to revise the boundaries of the Southeast Desert (which
includes Coachella Valley) and the South Coast to designate the Morongo
Reservation as a separate nonattainment area for the one-hour and 1997
eight-hour ozone standards. See pages 55 and 56 of the proposed rule.
CVAG objects to EPA's failure to notify or consult with CVAG about
either the designations for the 2008 ozone standard or the actions
proposed by EPA on January 2, 2013. As to the designations for the 2008
ozone standard, the process is set forth in CAA section 107 and
involves (1) notification by EPA to states of the requirement to submit
recommendations of areas to be listed as nonattainment, attainment, or
unclassifiable; (2) submittal to EPA of state recommendations; (3)
review by EPA of the recommendations; and (4) notification by EPA to
states of EPA's intention to modify any state recommendation and
provision of an opportunity to such state to demonstrate why such
modification is inappropriate. EPA also provided a similar process for
tribes to submit, and for EPA to review and modify, recommendations for
their areas of Indian country. There is no requirement that EPA notify
states concerning tribal recommendations related to Indian country or
that EPA notify tribes of state recommendations related to lands under
state jurisdiction.
As to the proposed action to revise the boundaries of the Southeast
Desert and South Coast to designate the Morongo Reservation as a
separate nonattainment area for the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone
standard, EPA acknowledges that it agreed to keep CVAG apprised of our
action and failed to follow-through prior to proposing this action on
January 2, 2013. While EPA regrets the oversight, we note that such
notification, other than through publication of the proposed and final
rule in the Federal Register, is not required for the type of action
that we proposed.
In its January 7, 2011 letter to EPA, CVAG raised two specific
substantive concerns in connection with Morongo's May 29, 2009 boundary
change request: (1) inclusion of the Morongo Reservation in Coachella
Valley, and resultant use of Morongo ozone monitoring data, could
jeopardize Coachella Valley's ability to meet the 1997 eight-hour ozone
standard by the applicable 2019 attainment date; and (2) inclusion of
the Morongo Reservation in Coachella Valley would impact Coachella
Valley's ability to meet PM10 objectives and to continue to
attain PM2.5 standards. EPA's decision to designate the
Morongo Tribe as a separate nonattainment area rather than move the
Reservation back into Southeast Desert (which includes Coachella
Valley) alleviates both specific substantive concerns raised by CVAG in
its January 7, 2011 letter to EPA. Please see our Response to SCAQMD
Comment 3, above, for additional analysis concerning potential
impacts on Coachella Valley of today's final actions.
Lastly, with respect to CVAG's cautionary note concerning EPA's
consultation with the Tribe in connection with this action, we simply
note that our proposed action, in part, derives from a request by the
Morongo Tribe to create a separate nonattainment ozone area for the
Tribe, and thus, it is perfectly natural and appropriate that EPA
consult with the Tribe about such a matter prior to proposing action.
EPA would do no less for the State if responding to a state request.
EPA notes that consultation with the Tribe is also consistent with the
government-to-government relationship between federally-recognized
tribes and the federal government.
CVAG Comment #3: The Coachella Valley is exposed to frequent gusty
winds with the strongest and most persistent winds typically occurring
immediately to the east of Banning Pass, which is noted as a wind power
generation resource area. Given the geographic location of the
reservation, to the Banning Pass and the Coachella Valley, the
designation will most negatively impact the Coachella Valley's air
quality. Located in the Southeast Desert AQMA area, the Coachella
Valley will still be required to meet the NAAQS whether we generate
pollutants or they are transported to our area.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #3: As explained in detail in EPA
Response to SCAQMD Comment 3, EPA does not foresee any impact
to air quality in Coachella Valley as a result of EPA's actions to
rescind our 2003 final action, as it pertains to the Morongo
Reservation, and to revise the boundaries of the Southeast Desert (in
which Coachella Valley is located) and South Coast to designate the
Morongo Reservation as a separate nonattainment area for the one-hour
and 1997 eight-hour ozone standards. Please see EPA Response to SCAQMD
Comment 3, above.
CVAG Comment #4: The Coachella Valley has spent decades and
millions of dollars striving to achieve attainment for the
PM10 NAAQS and we have been patiently awaiting redesignation
of the valley for the federal PM10 standard. A separate air
quality planning area may adversely impact our efforts.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #4: EPA's actions affect designations
and classifications for the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone
standards. Our actions do not affect designations or classifications
associated with any other NAAQS. Moreover, elevated PM10
levels in Coachella Valley, unlike the South Coast where
PM10 exceedances are due primarily to PM10
precursor pollutants (derived from direct emissions of VOC,
NOX and other precursors), are ``strongly tied to local
fugitive dust problems.'' \13\ Thus, we have no reason to anticipate
new or more frequent exceedances of the PM10 standard in the
Coachella Valley due to the hypothetical increases in precursor VOC and
NOX emissions from construction and operation of new or
modified stationary sources on Morongo lands with PTEs between 10 and
25 tons per year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ See page 8-10 of the 2003 South Coast Air Quality
Management Plan, August 2003. EPA approved the 2003 Coachella Valley
PM10 SIP on November 14, 2005 (70 FR 69081.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CVAG Comment #5: In addition to the EPA's proposed action, CVAG
also does not want EPA to consider any reversal of its previous
decision which moved the Morongo Reservation from the Southeast Desert
AQMA to the South Coast Air Basin. Such a reversal would again
adversely impact our efforts to attain our federal air quality
standards. Since the Morongo Reservation experiences more severe ozone
air quality than the Coachella Valley, it needs to stay in the South
Coast Air Basin. Designations should not be made based on adverse
regulatory consequences on the affected constituent. Rather,
designations should be based on ambient air quality.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #5: In our proposed rule, we proposed
to rescind the 2003 final action, as it pertains to the Morongo
Reservation for the one-hour ozone standard, and to revise the
boundaries of the Southeast Desert (Coachella Valley) and South Coast
to designate the Morongo Reservation as a separate nonattainment area
for the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone standards. Our actions would
not affect the designations or classifications of state lands, nor
would they relocate the Morongo Reservation back to the Southeast
Desert where it had been located prior to our 2003 final action. Thus,
the ambient ozone conditions experienced on the Morongo Reservation
would not be relevant in determining whether the Coachella Valley
attained, or failed to attain, the ozone standards because only data
from
[[Page 58196]]
monitors located within Coachella Valley would be used for that
purpose. In terms of the Coachella Valley's potential emissions impacts
on Morongo lands, the predominantly westerly wind patterns place
Coachella Valley downwind of Morongo lands and thus Coachella Valley
sources do not significantly impact Morongo ozone air quality. For
additional details, please see page 6 of the technical support
document. With respect to the basis for our proposed error correction
and proposed revision to the boundaries, please see EPA Response to
SCAQMD Comment 1, above.
CVAG Comment #6: EPA does not have sufficient resources to ensure
ongoing compliance on Indian lands or adequate field enforcement staff
to monitor any new air quality planning area.
EPA Response to CVAG Comment #6: EPA's compliance and enforcement
program extends to sources subject to EPA permitting jurisdiction, and
to oversight of sources subject to the permitting jurisdiction of
states, air districts, and tribes (where tribes have authority to issue
such permits). The hypothetical prospect of new or modified stationary
sources at the Morongo Reservation, whether permitted by EPA or by the
Morongo Tribe (if and when approved for such permits), will have
essentially no effect on the scope of EPA's nationwide compliance and
enforcement program and thus essentially no effect on the resources
needed to adequately meet the demands of that program. Moreover, CVAG
provides no evidence that EPA resources are inadequate at the present
time to address compliance or enforcement issues associated with
emissions sources on the Morongo Reservation nor does CVAG explain how
our proposed actions will result in an increase in compliance or
enforcement costs to EPA.
Private Citizen Comment #1: The private citizen expresses support
for SCAQMD's and CVAG's comments on the proposed rule, and adds that
the proposed air quality planning area would be small, would be
dominated by a single entity that controls its own development process,
and has major air quality impacts in all directions affecting large
populations. Further, the private citizen speculates that, in contrast
to the current proposal, an air quality planning area dominated by a
single corporation, rather than a single Tribe, would never be
proposed.
EPA Response to Private Citizen Comment #1: Please see responses
above to comments from SCAQMD and CVAG. With respect to the size of the
proposed area and impacts to surrounding areas, the proposed rule takes
into account the minimal amount of emissions associated with activities
on the Morongo Reservation and corresponding minimal contribution to
regional ozone violations and we believe that in these circumstances it
is appropriate to assign particular weight to the jurisdictional
boundaries factor, and it is consistent with the principles for
designations of Indian country set forth in the Tribal Designation
Policy. See page 56 of the January 2, 2013 proposed rule. Lastly, we
find the analogy to a corporation to be inapposite due to the fact that
Tribes, unlike corporations, are sovereign entities and therefore have
inherent authority to control their own development process, much like
states do.
III. Final Action
Under CAA section 110(k)(6), EPA is taking final action to correct
an error in a 2003 final action that revised the boundaries between
nonattainment areas in Southern California designated under the CAA for
the one-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA has determined that the Agency erred in
the 2003 final action to change the boundary of the South Coast Air
Basin, which enlarged the basin to include all of the Banning Pass
area. In taking that action, EPA failed to consider the presence of
Indian country (i.e., the Morongo Reservation) located therein. EPA
thus failed to consider the status of the Indian country under the
appropriate statutory and regulatory provisions when it evaluated and
acted upon the State's boundary change request. EPA believes that its
error resulted in regulatory consequences for the Morongo Tribe that
justify making a correction. Thus, EPA is rescinding the 2003 final
action, as it pertains to the Morongo Reservation for the one-hour
ozone standard. This action does not affect the designations and
classifications of state lands.
Second, under CAA sections 107(d)(3)(A)-(C), 301(a) and 301(d), EPA
is taking final action to revise the boundaries of the Southeast Desert
to designate the Morongo Reservation as a separate nonattainment area
for the one-hour ozone standard and to classify the Morongo Reservation
as ``Severe-17,'' i.e., consistent with its prior classification when
it was included in the Southeast Desert.
Third, also under CAA sections 107(d)(3)(A)-(C), 301(a) and 301(d),
EPA is taking final action to revise the boundaries of the South Coast
to designate the Morongo Reservation as a separate nonattainment area
for the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard and to classify the Morongo
Reservation as ``Severe-17,'' i.e., consistent with its original
classification when it was included in the South Coast.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ In our proposed rule (footnote 8 at 78 FR 53), we
indicated that if we finalize our proposed action to revise the
boundaries of the South Coast to designate the Morongo Reservation
as a separate nonattainment area for the 1997 eight-hour ozone
standard, EPA would withdraw our proposed action to reclassify the
Morongo Reservation to ``extreme'' for the 1997 eight-hour ozone
standard (74 FR 43654, August 27, 2009). (In 2010, we deferred final
reclassification with respect to the Morongo Reservation (and the
Pechanga Reservation) when we took final action to reclassify the
South Coast for the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard (75 FR 24409, May
5, 2010).) Given today's final action and consistent with our
statement from the proposed rule, EPA is withdrawing our 2009
proposed reclassification action to the extent it relates to the
Morongo Reservation in the Proposed Rules section of this Federal
Register.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA is redesignating the Morongo Reservation as a separate air
quality planning area for the one-hour ozone and 1997 eight-hour ozone
standards based on our conclusion that factors such as air quality
data, meteorology, and topography do not definitively support inclusion
of the Reservation in either the South Coast or the Southeast Desert
air quality planning areas, that Morongo Reservation emissions sources
contribute minimally to regional ozone concentrations, and that the
jurisdictional boundaries factor should be given particular weight
under these circumstances.
As a result of these final actions, the boundaries of the Morongo
nonattainment areas for the one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone
standards will be the same as those for the Morongo nonattainment area
for the 2008 ozone standard. Lastly, as of the effective date of this
action, new or modified stationary sources proposed for construction on
the Morongo Reservation will be subject to the NSR major source
thresholds for ``severe-17'' ozone nonattainment areas, rather than the
more stringent thresholds for ``extreme'' ozone nonattainment areas.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review
Under Executive Order 12866 [58 FR 51735 (October 4, 1993)], the
Agency must determine whether the regulatory action is ``significant''
and therefore subject to OMB review and the requirements of the
Executive Order. The Order defines ``significant regulatory action'' as
one that is likely to result in a rule that may: (1) Have an annual
effect on the economy of $100 million or more or adversely affect in a
[[Page 58197]]
material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity,
competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or state,
local, or tribal governments or communities; (2) create a serious
inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an action taken or planned by
another agency; (3) materially alter the budgetary impact of
entitlements, grants, user fees, or loan programs or the rights and
obligations of recipients thereof; or (4) raise novel legal or policy
issues arising out of legal mandates, the President's priorities, or
the principles set forth in the Executive Order. Under Executive Order
12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this action is not a
``significant regulatory action'' and therefore is not subject to
review by the Office of Management and Budget. For this reason, this
action is also not subject to Executive Order 13211, ``Actions
Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001). This action merely
corrects an error in a previous rulemaking and redesignates certain air
quality planning area boundaries, and thereby reinstates certain CAA
designations and corresponding requirements to which the affected area
had previously been subject.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act
This action does not impose an information collection burden under
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.
Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by
persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed
to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and
disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to
comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements;
train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information;
search data sources; complete and review the collection of information;
and transmit or otherwise disclose the information. This rule does not
impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). An agency may
not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations in 40 CFR
are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) generally requires an agency
to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to
notice and comment rulemaking requirements under the Administrative
Procedure Act or any other statute unless the agency certifies that
this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities. Small entities include small businesses,
small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions.
For purposes of assessing the impacts of today's rule on small
entities, small entity is defined as: (1) A small business as defined
by the Small Business Administration's (SBA) regulations at 13 CFR
121.201; (2) a small governmental jurisdiction that is a government of
a city, county, town, school district or special district with a
population of less than 50,000; and (3) a small organization that is
any not-for-profit enterprise which is independently owned and operated
and is not dominant in its field. After considering the economic
impacts of today's rule on small entities, I certify that this action
will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of
small entities. This rule will not impose any direct requirements on
small entities. EPA is correcting an error in a previous rulemaking and
redesignating certain air quality planning area boundaries, and thereby
reinstating certain CAA designations and corresponding requirements to
which the affected area had previously been subject. This action is
intended to, among other purposes, facilitate and support the Morongo
Tribe's efforts to develop a tribal air permit program by re-instating,
within the Morongo Reservation, the less-stringent New Source Review
major source thresholds that had applied under the area's previous
``Severe-17'' classification for the one-hour ozone standard and by
aligning the boundaries for the Morongo nonattainment area for all
three ozone NAAQS (i.e., the one-hour, the 1997 eight-hour and the 2008
ozone standards).
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public
Law 104-4, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the
effects of their regulatory actions on state, local, and tribal
governments and the private sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA, EPA
generally must prepare a written statement, including a cost-benefit
analysis, for proposed and final rules with ``Federal mandates'' that
may result in expenditures to state, local, and tribal governments, in
the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 million or more in any
one year. Before promulgating an EPA rule for which a written statement
is needed, section 205 of the UMRA generally requires EPA to identify
and consider a reasonable number of regulatory alternatives and adopt
the least costly, most cost-effective or least burdensome alternative
that achieves the objectives of the rule. The provisions of section 205
do not apply when they are inconsistent with applicable law. Moreover,
section 205 allows EPA to adopt an alternative other than the least
costly, most cost-effective or least burdensome alternative if the
Administrator publishes with the final rule an explanation why that
alternative was not adopted. Before EPA establishes any regulatory
requirements that may significantly or uniquely affect small
governments, including tribal governments, it must have developed under
section 203 of the UMRA a small government agency plan. The plan must
provide for notifying potentially affected small governments, enabling
officials of affected small governments to have meaningful and timely
input in the development of EPA regulatory proposals with significant
Federal intergovernmental mandates, and informing, educating, and
advising small governments on compliance with the regulatory
requirements. Today's rule contains no Federal mandates (under the
regulatory provisions of Title II of the UMRA) for state, local, or
tribal governments or the private sector. The rule imposes no
enforceable duty on any state, local or tribal governments or the
private sector. In any event, EPA has determined that this rule does
not contain a Federal mandate that may result in expenditures of $100
million or more for state, local, and tribal governments, in the
aggregate, or the private sector in any one year. Thus, today's rule is
not subject to the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of the UMRA.
E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
Executive Order 13132, entitled ``Federalism'' (64 FR 43255, August
10, 1999), requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure
``meaningful and timely input by State and local officials in the
development of regulatory policies that have federalism implications.''
``Policies that have federalism implications'' is defined in the
Executive Order to include regulations that have ``substantial direct
effects on the States, on the relationship
[[Page 58198]]
between the national government and the States, or on the distribution
of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.''
This action does not have Federalism implications because it does not
have substantial direct effects on the states, on the relationship
between the national government and the states, or on the distribution
of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government,
as specified in Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999).
This action would merely correct an error in a previous rulemaking and
redesignate certain air quality planning area boundaries, and thereby
reinstate certain CAA designations and corresponding requirements to
which the affected area had previously been subject, and does not alter
the relationship or the distribution of power and responsibilities
established in the Clean Air Act.
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian
Tribal Governments
Executive Order 13175, entitled ``Consultation and Coordination
with Indian Tribal Governments'' (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000),
requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure ``meaningful
and timely input by tribal officials in the development of regulatory
policies that have tribal implications.'' ``Policies that have tribal
implications'' are defined in the Executive Order to include
regulations that have ``substantial direct effects on one or more
Indian tribes, on the relationship between the federal government and
the Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities
between the federal government and Indian tribes.'' Under section 5(b)
of Executive Order 13175, EPA may not issue a regulation that has
tribal implications, that imposes substantial direct compliance costs,
and that is not required by statute, unless the federal government
provides the funds necessary to pay the direct compliance costs
incurred by tribal governments, or EPA consults with tribal officials
early in the process of developing the proposed regulation. Under
section 5(c) of Executive Order 13175, EPA may not issue a regulation
that has tribal implications and that preempts tribal law, unless the
Agency consults with tribal officials early in the process of
developing the proposed regulation.
EPA has concluded that this action would have tribal implications.
In 2009, the Morongo Tribe requested that EPA create a separate area
for the Morongo Reservation in part due to the adverse regulatory
impacts resulting from the Agency's 2003 boundary change action. EPA
consulted with representatives of the Morongo Tribe prior to, and
following, the Tribe's 2009 boundary change request, concerning the
issues covered herein. In today's action, EPA is responding to the
Tribe's 2009 boundary change request and is taking final action that
would eliminate the adverse regulatory impacts arising from EPA's 2003
boundary change action. As described herein, we agree with the Tribe
that the boundary should be corrected to reflect their concerns. This
action will neither impose substantial direct compliance costs on
tribal governments, nor preempt tribal law. Rather, the proposed action
would relieve the Tribe of the additional requirements that flowed from
the boundary change and corresponding change in CAA designations and
classifications. Thus, the requirements of sections 5(b) and 5(c) of
the Executive Order do not apply to this rule.
G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental
Health and Safety Risks
Executive Order 13045: ``Protection of Children from Environmental
Health Risks and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997) applies
to any rule that: (1) is determined to be ``economically significant''
as defined under Executive Order 12866, and (2) concerns an
environmental health or safety risk that EPA has reason to believe may
have a disproportionate effect on children. If the regulatory action
meets both criteria, the Agency must evaluate the environmental health
or safety effects of the planned rule on children, and explain why the
planned regulation is preferable to other potentially effective and
reasonably feasible alternatives considered by the Agency. This rule is
not subject to Executive Order 13045 ``Protection of Children from
Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23,
1997), because it is not economically significant as defined in
Executive Order 12866, and because the Agency does not have reason to
believe the environmental health or safety risks addressed by this rule
present a disproportionate risk to children.
H. National Technology Transfer Advancement Act
Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement
Act of 1995 (``NTTAA''), Public Law 104-113, 12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272 note)
directs EPA to use voluntary consensus standards in its regulatory
activities unless to do so would be inconsistent with applicable law or
otherwise impractical. Voluntary consensus standards are technical
standards (e.g., materials specifications, test methods, sampling
procedures, and business practices) that are developed or adopted by
voluntary consensus standards bodies. The NTTAA directs EPA to provide
Congress, through OMB, explanations when the Agency decides not to use
available and applicable voluntary consensus standards. This rule does
not involve establishment of technical standards, and thus, the
requirements of section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) do not apply to this
action.
I. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629 (February 16, 1994)) establishes
federal executive policy on environmental justice. Its main provision
directs federal agencies, to the greatest extent practicable and
permitted by law, to make environmental justice part of their mission
by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high
and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs,
policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income
populations in the United States.
EPA has determined that this action will not have
disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental
effects on minority or low-income populations because it does not
directly affect the level of protection provided to human health or the
environment. In this action, EPA is taking final action to correct an
error in a previous rulemaking and redesignate certain air quality
planning area boundaries, and thereby reinstate certain CAA
designations and corresponding requirements to which the affected area
had previously been subject.
J. Congressional Review Act
The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the
United States. EPA will submit a report containing this rule and other
required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and
[[Page 58199]]
the Comptroller General of the United States prior to publication of
the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot take effect until
60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. This action is
not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
K. Petitions for Review of this Action
Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for
judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court
of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by November 22, 2013. Filing a
petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule
does not affect the finality of this rule for the purposes of judicial
review nor does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial
review may be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such
rule or action. This action may not be challenged later in proceedings
to enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).)
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental
relations, National parks, Ozone, Wilderness areas.
Dated: September 4, 2013.
Jared Blumenfeld,
Regional Administrator,
Region IX.
40 CFR part 81 is amended as follows:
PART 81--DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES
0
1. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart C--[AMENDED]
0
2. Section 81.305 is amended as follows:
0
a. In the table for ``California-Ozone (1-Hour Standard)'' by revising
the entry for ``Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin Area'', by adding a
new entry for ``Morongo Band of Mission Indians'' before the ``Monterey
Bay Area'' entry, and by adding footnotes 5 and 6;
0
b. In the table for ``California--1997 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS (Primary and
Secondary)'' by revising the entries for ``Los Angeles-South Coast Air
Basin, CA'', by adding a new entry for ``Morongo Band of Mission
Indians'' before the ``Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties (Western
Mojave Desert), CA'' entry, and by adding footnotes (d) and (e).
The revisions and additions read as follows:
Sec. 81.305 California.
* * * * *
California--Ozone (1-Hour Standard) \4\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designation Classification
Designated area --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date \1\ Type Date \1\ Type
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
Los Angeles-South Coast Air 11/15/90 Nonattainment.......... 11/15/90 Extreme.
Basin Area \5\.
Los Angeles County (part).. 11/15/90 Nonattainment.......... 11/15/90 Extreme.
That portion of Los
Angeles County which
lies south and west of
a line described as
follows:
1. Beginning at the Los
Angeles-San Bernardino
County boundary and
running west along the
Township line common
to Township 3 North
and Township 2 North,
San Bernardino Base
and Meridian;
2. then north along the
range line common to
Range 8 West and Range
9 West;
3. then west along the
Township line common
to Township 4 North
and Township 3 North;
4. then north along the
range line common to
Range 12 West and
Range 13 West to the
southeast corner of
Section 12, Township 5
North and Range 13
West;
5. then west along the
south boundaries of
Sections 12, 11, 10,
9, 8, and 7, Township
5 North and Range 13
West to the boundary
of the Angeles
National Forest which
is collinear with the
range line common to
Range 13 West and
Range 14 West;
6. then north and west
along the Angeles
National Forest
boundary to the point
of intersection with
the Township line
common to Township 7
North and Township 6
North (point is at the
northwest corner of
Section 4 in Township
6 North and Range 14
West);
7. then west along the
Township line common
to Township 7 North
and Township 6 North;
8. then north along the
range line common to
Range 15 West and
Range 16 West to the
southeast corner of
Section 13, Township 7
North and Range 16
West;
9. then along the south
boundaries of Sections
13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
and 18, Township 7
North and Range 16
West;
10. then north along
the range line common
to Range 16 West and
Range 17 West to the
north boundary of the
Angeles National
Forest (collinear with
the Township line
common to Township 8
North and Township 7
North);
[[Page 58200]]
11. then west and north
along the Angeles
National Forest
boundary to the point
of intersection with
the south boundary of
the Rancho La Liebre
Land Grant;
12. then west and north
along this land grant
boundary to the Los
Angeles-Kern County
boundary.
Orange County.............. 11/15/90 Nonattainment.......... 11/15/90 Extreme.
Riverside County (part).... 11/15/90 Nonattainment.......... 11/15/90 Extreme.
That portion of
Riverside County which
lies to the west of a
line described as
follows:
1. Beginning at the
Riverside-San Diego
County boundary and
running north along
the range line common
to Range 4 East and
Range 3 East, San
Bernardino Base and
Meridian;
2. then east along the
Township line common
to Township 8 South
and Township 7 South;
3. then north along the
range line common to
Range 5 East and Range
4 East;
4. then west along the
Township line common
to Township 6 South
and Township 7 South
to the southwest
corner of Section 34,
Township 6 South,
Range 4 East;
5. then north along the
west boundaries of
Sections 34, 27, 22,
15, 10, and 3,
Township 6 South,
Range 4 East;
6. then west along the
Township line common
to Township 5 South
and Township 6 South;
7. then north along the
range line common to
Range 4 East and Range
3 East;
8. then west along the
south boundaries of
Sections 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, and 18,
Township 5 South,
Range 3 East;
9. then north along the
range line common to
Range 2 East and Range
3 East to the
Riverside-San
Bernardino County
line.
San Bernardino County 11/15/90 Nonattainment.......... 11/15/90 Extreme.
(part).
That portion of San
Bernardino County
which lies south and
west of a line
described as follows:
1. Beginning at the San
Bernardino-Riverside
County boundary and
running north along
the range line common
to Range 3 East and
Range 2 East, San
Bernardino Base and
Meridian;
2. then west along the
Township line common
to Township 3 North
and Township 2 North
to the San Bernardino-
Los Angeles County
boundary.
Morongo Band of Mission Indians 11/15/90 Nonattainment.......... 11/15/90 Severe-17.
\6\.
* * * * * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ This date is October 18, 2000 unless otherwise noted.
* * * * * * *
\4\ The 1-hour ozone standard is revoked effective June 15, 2005 for all areas in California. The Monterey Bay,
San Diego, and Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc areas are maintenance areas for the 1-hour NAAQS for purposes
of 40 CFR part 51, subpart X.
\5\ Excludes Morongo Band of Mission Indians' Indian country in Riverside County.
\6\ Includes Indian country of the tribe listed in this table. Information pertaining to areas of Indian country
in this table is intended for CAA planning purposes only and is not an EPA determination of Indian country
status or any Indian country boundary. EPA lacks the authority to establish Indian country land status, and is
making no determination of Indian country boundaries, in this table.
* * * * *
California--1997 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS (Primary and Secondary)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designation \a\ Classification
Designated -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
area Date \1\ Type Date \1\ Type
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
Los ......................................... Nonattainme (\2\)............................ Subpart 2/
Angeles-- nt Extreme.
South
Coast Air
Basin,
CA: \d\
Los ......................................... Nonattainme (\2\)............................ Subpart 2/
Angel nt Extreme.
es
Count
y
(part
).
[[Page 58201]]
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.
Morongo ......................................... Nonattainme ................................. Subpart 2/
Band of nt Severe-17.
Mission
Indians
\e\
* * * * * * *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a\ Includes Indian Country located in each county or area, except as otherwise specified.
* * * * * * *
\c\ The use of reservation boundaries for this designation is for purposes of CAA planning only and is not intended to be a federal determination of the
exact boundaries of the reservations. Nor does the specific listing of the Tribes in this table confer, deny, or withdraw Federal recognition of any
of the Tribes listed or not listed.
\d\ Excludes Morongo Band of Mission Indians' Indian country in Riverside County.
\e\ Includes Indian country of the tribe listed in this table. Information pertaining to areas of Indian country in this table is intended for CAA
planning purposes only and is not an EPA determination of Indian country status or any Indian country boundary. EPA lacks the authority to establish
Indian country land status, and is making no determination of Indian country boundaries, in this table.
\1\ This date is June 15, 2004, unless otherwise noted.
\2\ This date is June 4, 2010.
[[Page 58202]]
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2013-22873 Filed 9-20-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P