Air Quality: Revision to the Regulatory Definition of Volatile Organic Compounds-Requirements for t-Butyl Acetate, 6481-6485 [2015-02325]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2015 / Proposed Rules
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DAY 2: AFTERNOON SESSION IMPROVING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND PROVIDING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE
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5:15 to 5:30 pm ........................................
Pillar 3: Overview of Currently Available Improvements.
Introduction of Proposals 5 and 6.
All Audience Discussion of Proposals 5 and 6.
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Small group break-out session to be followed by sharing of ideas with all audience.
Concluding Remarks and Next Steps.
Date: February 3, 2015.
Michelle K. Lee,
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the United States Patent and Trademark
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[FR Doc. 2015–02398 Filed 2–4–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–16–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 51
[EPA–HQ–OAR–2013–0795; FRL–9922–
OAR]
RIN 2060–AR65
Air Quality: Revision to the Regulatory
Definition of Volatile Organic
Compounds—Requirements for t-Butyl
Acetate
Environmental Protection
Agency.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to amend the
EPA’s regulatory definition of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) under the
Clean Air Act (CAA). The regulatory
definition of VOCs currently excludes tbutyl acetate (also known as tertiary
butyl acetate or TBAC; CAS NO: 540–
88–5) for purposes of VOC emissions
limitations or VOC content
requirements on the basis that it makes
a negligible contribution to tropospheric
ozone formation. However, the current
definition includes TBAC as a VOC for
purposes of all recordkeeping,
emissions reporting, photochemical
dispersion modeling and inventory
requirements which apply to VOCs. The
regulatory definition requires that TBAC
be uniquely identified in emission
reports. TBAC is used as a solvent in
paints, inks and adhesives, in which it
substitutes for compounds that are
regulated as VOCs. This proposed action
would remove recordkeeping, emissions
reporting, photochemical dispersion
modeling and inventory requirements
related to the use of TBAC as a VOC.
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SUMMARY:
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The EPA has concluded that these
requirements are not resulting in useful
information. Furthermore, there is no
evidence that TBAC is being used at
levels that would cause concern for
ozone formation. As these requirements
are unnecessary and can be burdensome
for states and industry, we are
proposing to revoke these requirements
and exclude TBAC from the regulatory
definition of VOCs for all purposes.
Note that the EPA is not reconsidering
its determination that TBAC is
‘‘negligibly reactive’’ with respect to
ground-level ozone formation.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before April 6, 2015.
Public Hearing. If anyone contacts the
EPA requesting a public hearing
concerning the proposed regulation on
or before March 9, 2015 we will hold a
public hearing on March 23, 2015. If a
public hearing is requested, it will be
held at 10 a.m. on the EPA campus in
Research Triangle Park, NC, or at an
alternate site nearby. Please refer to
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for
additional information on the comment
period and the public hearing.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2013–0795, by one of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments
• Email: a-and-r-Docket@
epamail.epa.gov. Include docket ID No.
EPA–HQ–OAR–2013–0795 in the
subject line of the message.
• Fax: (202) 566–9744.
• Mail: Environmental Protection
Agency, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC),
Mail Code: 28221T, Attention Docket ID
No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2013–0795, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington,
DC 20460.
• Hand/Courier Delivery: EPA Docket
Center, Room 3334, EPA WJC West
Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue
NW., Washington, DC 20004, Attention
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2013–
0795. Such deliveries are only accepted
during the Docket’s normal hours of
operation, and special arrangements
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should be made for deliveries of boxed
information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2013–
0795. The EPA’s policy is that all
comments received will be included in
the public docket without change and
may be made available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided, unless
the comment includes information
claimed to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected through www.regulations.gov,
or email. The www.regulations.gov Web
site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system,
which means the EPA will not know
your identity or contact information
unless you provide it in the body of
your comment. If you send an email
comment directly to the EPA without
going through www.regulations.gov,
your email address will be
automatically captured and included as
part of the comment that is placed in the
public docket and made available on the
Internet. If you submit an electronic
comment, the EPA recommends that
you include your name and other
contact information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD–ROM
you submit. If the EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties
and cannot contact you for clarification,
the EPA may not be able to consider
your comment. Electronic files should
avoid the use of special characters, any
form of encryption, and be free of any
defects or viruses. For additional
information about the EPA’s public
docket, visit the EPA Docket Center
homepage at https://www.epa.gov/
epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the docket
are listed in the www.regulations.gov
index. Although listed in the index,
some information is not publicly
available, i.e., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, will be publicly
available only in hard copy. Publicly
available docket materials are available
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either electronically in
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2013–
0795, EPA, WJC West Building, Room
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC. The Public Reading
Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding
legal holidays. The telephone number
for the Public Reading Room is (202)
566–1744, and the telephone number for
the Air and Radiation Docket is (202)
566–1742.
Ms.
Souad Benromdhane, Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards, Health
and Environmental Impacts Division,
Mail Code C539–07, Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle
Park, NC 27711; telephone: (919) 541–
4359; fax number: (919) 541–5315;
email address: benromdhane.souad@
epa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Table of Contents
I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
B. What should I consider as I prepare my
comments for the EPA?
C. How can I find information about a
possible public hearing?
II. Background
A. The EPA’s VOC Exemption Policy
B. History of the VOC Exemption for TBAC
Including the Unique Recordkeeping,
Emissions Reporting, Photochemical
Dispersion Modeling and Inventory
Requirements
C. Petition to Remove Recordkeeping and
Reporting Requirements from the TBAC
Exemption
III. The EPA’s Assessment of the Petition
IV. Proposed Action
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory
Planning and Review and Executive
Order 13563: Improving Regulation and
Regulatory Review
B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
(UMRA)
E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation
and Coordination with Indian Tribal
Governments
G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of
Children from Environmental Health and
Safety Risks
H. Executive Order 13211: Actions that
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use
I. National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act (NTTAA)
J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions
to Address Environmental Justice in
Minority and Low-Income Populations
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I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
Entities potentially affected by this
proposed rule include, but are not
necessarily limited to, state and local air
pollution control agencies that prepare
VOC emission inventories and ozone
attainment demonstrations for state
implementation plans (SIPs). These
agencies would be relieved of the
requirements to separately inventory
emissions of TBAC. This proposed
action may also affect manufacturers,
distributors and users of TBAC and
TBAC-containing products, which may
include paints, inks and adhesives. This
action would allow state air agencies to
no longer require these entities to report
emissions of TBAC.
B. What should I consider as I prepare
my comments for the EPA?
1. Submitting CBI: Do not submit this
information to the EPA through
www.regulations.gov or email. Clearly
mark the part or all of the information
that you claim to be CBI. For CBI
information in a disk or CD–ROM that
you mail to the EPA, mark the outside
of the disk or CD–ROM as CBI and then
identify electronically within the disk or
CD–ROM the specific information that
is claimed as CBI. In addition to one
complete version of the comment that
includes information claimed as CBI, a
copy of the comment that does not
contain the information claimed as CBI
must be submitted for inclusion in the
public docket. Information so marked
will not be disclosed except in
accordance with procedures set forth in
40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for Preparing Your Comments.
When submitting comments, remember
to:
• Identify the rulemaking by docket
number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal
Register date and page number).
• Follow directions—The Agency
may ask you to respond to specific
questions or organize comments by
referencing a Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) part or section
number.
• Explain why you agree or disagree,
suggest alternatives, and substitute
language for your requested changes.
• Describe any assumptions and
provide any technical information and/
or data that you used.
• Provide specific examples to
illustrate your concerns, and suggest
alternatives.
• Explain your views as clearly as
possible, avoiding the use of profanity
or personal threats.
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• Make sure to submit your
comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
C. How can I find information about a
possible public hearing?
To request a public hearing or
information pertaining to a public
hearing, contact Ms. Eloise Shepherd,
Health and Environmental Impacts
Division, Office of Air Quality Planning
and Standards (C504–02), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711;
telephone number (919) 541–5507; fax
number (919) 541–0804; email address:
shepherd.eloise@epa.gov.
II. Background
A. The EPA’s VOC Exemption Policy
Tropospheric ozone, commonly
known as smog, is formed when VOCs
and nitrogen oxides (NOX) react in the
atmosphere in the presence of sunlight.
Because of the harmful health effects of
ozone, the EPA and state governments
limit the amount of VOCs that can be
released into the atmosphere. VOCs are
organic compounds of carbon, many of
which form ozone through atmospheric
photochemical reactions. Different
VOCs have different levels of reactivity.
That is, they do not react to form ozone
at the same speed or do not form ozone
to the same extent. Some VOCs react
slowly or form less ozone; therefore,
changes in their emissions have limited
effects on local or regional ozone
pollution episodes. It has been the
EPA’s policy that organic compounds
with a negligible level of reactivity
should be excluded from the regulatory
definition of VOCs so as to focus control
efforts on compounds that do
significantly increase ozone
concentrations. The EPA also believes
that exempting such compounds creates
an incentive for industry to use
negligibly reactive compounds in place
of more highly reactive compounds that
are regulated as VOCs. The EPA lists
compounds that it has determined to be
negligibly reactive in its regulations as
being excluded from the regulatory
definition of VOCs (40 CFR 51.100(s)).
The CAA requires the regulation of
VOCs for various purposes. Section
302(s) of the CAA specifies that the EPA
has the authority to define the meaning
of ‘‘VOCs,’’ and hence what compounds
shall be treated as VOCs for regulatory
purposes. The policy of excluding
negligibly reactive compounds from the
regulatory definition of VOCs was first
laid out in the ‘‘Recommended Policy
on Control of Volatile Organic
Compounds’’ (42 FR 35314, July 8,
1977) and was supplemented
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subsequently with the ‘‘Interim
Guidance on Control of Volatile Organic
Compounds in Ozone State
Implementation Plans’’ (70 FR 54046,
September 13, 2005). The EPA uses the
reactivity of ethane as the threshold for
determining whether a compound has
negligible reactivity. Compounds that
are less reactive than, or equally reactive
to, ethane under certain assumed
conditions may be deemed negligibly
reactive and, therefore, suitable for
exemption by EPA from the regulatory
definition of VOCs. Compounds that are
more reactive than ethane continue to
be considered VOCs for regulatory
purposes and, therefore, are subject to
control requirements. The selection of
ethane as the threshold compound was
based on a series of smog chamber
experiments that underlay the 1977
policy.
The EPA uses two different metrics to
compare the reactivity of a specific
compound to that of ethane: (1) The
reaction rate constant (known as kOH)
with the hydroxyl radical (OH) and (2)
the maximum incremental reactivity
(MIR) on ozone production per unit
mass basis. Differences between these
metrics and the rationale for their
selection is discussed further in the
2005 Interim Guidance (70 FR 54046,
September 13, 2005).
B. History of the VOC Exemption for
TBAC Including the Unique
Recordkeeping, Emissions Reporting,
Photochemical Dispersion Modeling and
Inventory Requirements
On January 17, 1997, ARCO Chemical
Company (now known as and from here
forward referred to as LyondellBasell)
submitted a petition to the EPA which
requested that the EPA add TBAC to the
list of compounds which are designated
negligibly reactive in the regulatory
definition of VOCs at 40 CFR 51.100(s).
The materials submitted in support of
this petition are contained in Docket
EPA–HQ–OAR–2003–0084.
LyondellBasell’s case for TBAC being
less reactive than ethane was based
primarily on the use of relative
incremental reactivity factors set forth
in a 1997 report by Carter, et al.1
Although the kOH values for TBAC are
higher than for ethane, Carter’s results
indicated that the MIR value for TBAC,
expressed in units of grams of ozone per
gram of TBAC, was between 0.43 and
1 Carter, William P.L., Dongmin Luo, and Irina L.
Malkina (1997). Investigation of the Atmospheric
Ozone Formation Potential of T-Butyl Acetate,
Report to ARCO Chemical Corporation, Riverside:
College of Engineering Center for Environmental
Research and Technology, University of California,
97–AP–RT3E–001–FR, https://www.cert.ucr.edu/
∼carter/pubs/tbuacetr.pdf.
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0.48 times the MIR for ethane,
depending on the chemical mechanism
used to calculate the MIR. In other
words, TBAC formed less than half as
much ozone as an equal weight of
ethane under the conditions assumed in
the calculation of the MIR scale.
On September 30, 1999, the EPA
proposed to revise the regulatory
definition of VOCs to exclude TBAC,
relying on the comparison of MIR
factors expressed on a mass basis to
conclude that TBAC is negligibly
reactive (64 FR 52731, September 30,
1999). However, in the final rule, the
EPA concluded at that time that even
‘‘negligibly reactive’’ compounds may
contribute significantly to ozone
formation if present in sufficient
quantities and that emissions of these
compounds need to be represented
accurately in photochemical modeling
analyses. In addition to these general
concerns about the potential cumulative
impacts of negligibly reactive
compounds, the need to maintain
recordkeeping and reporting
requirements for TBAC was further
justified by the potential for widespread
use of TBAC, the fact that its relative
reactivity falls close to the borderline of
what has been considered negligibly
reactive, and continuing efforts to assess
long-term health risks.2 Based on these
conclusions, the EPA promulgated a
final rule under which TBAC was
excluded from the definition of VOCs
for purposes of VOC emissions
limitations or VOC content
requirements, but continued to be
defined as a VOC for purposes of all
recordkeeping, emissions reporting, and
inventory requirements which apply to
VOCs (69 FR 69298, November 29,
2004).
In the final rule, the EPA argued that
the recordkeeping and reporting
requirements were not new
requirements for TBAC as industry and
states were already subject to such
requirements to report TBAC as a VOC
prior to the exemption. However, in
practice, the rule created a new, distinct
recordkeeping and reporting burden by
requiring that TBAC be ‘‘uniquely
identified’’ in emission reports, rather
than aggregated with other compounds
as VOC. The final rule explained that
the EPA was in the process of reviewing
2 Between the EPA’s proposed and final rule
exempting TBAC as a VOC, the state of California
raised concerns to the EPA about the potential
carcinogenicity of tertiary-butanol, or TBA, the
principal metabolite of TBAC. At the time, the EPA
decided that there was insufficient evidence of
health risks to affect the exemption decision, but
persuaded LyondellBasell to voluntarily perform
additional toxicity testing, use the testing results in
a health risk assessment, and have the testing and
assessment results reviewed in a peer consultation.
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its overall VOC exemption policy and
that the potential for retaining
recordkeeping and reporting
requirements for compounds exempted
from the definition of VOCs in the
future would be considered in that
process. That process led to the
development of the 2005 Interim
Guidance (70 FR 54046, September 13,
2005), which encouraged the
development of speciated inventories
for highly reactive compounds and
identified the voluntary submission of
emissions estimates for exempt
compounds as an option for further
consideration, but did not recommend
mandatory reporting requirements
associated with future exemptions.
Thus, TBAC is the only compound that
is excluded from the VOCs definition
for purposes of emission controls but is
still considered a VOC for purposes of
recordkeeping and reporting.
C. Petition to Remove Recordkeeping
and Reporting Requirements from the
TBAC Exemption
The EPA received a petition from
LyondellBasell in December 2009,
which was re-affirmed in November
2011, requesting the removal of
recordkeeping and reporting
requirements from the final rule to
exempt TBAC from the regulatory VOCs
definition. LyondellBasell contends that
the emissions reporting requirements
are redundant and present an
unnecessary bureaucratic burden.
III. The EPA’s Assessment of the
Petition
In most cases, when a negligibly
reactive VOC is exempted from the
definition of VOCs, emissions of that
compound are no longer recorded,
collected, or reported to states or the
EPA as part of VOC emissions. When
the EPA exempted TBAC from the VOCs
definition for purposes of control
requirements, the EPA created a new
category of compounds and a new
reporting requirement. The new
definition required that emissions of
TBAC be reported separately by states
and, in turn, by industry. However, the
EPA did not issue any guidance on how
TBAC emissions should be tracked and
reported, and implementation of this
requirement by states has thus been
inconsistent. A few states have modified
their rules and emissions inventory
processes to track TBAC emissions
separately and provide that information
to the EPA. Others appear to have
included TBAC with other
undifferentiated VOCs in their
emissions inventories. Thus, the data
that have been collected to date as a
result of these requirements are
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incomplete and inconsistent. In
addition, the EPA has not established
protocols for receiving and analyzing
TBAC emissions data collected under
the requirements of the rule.
Although the reactivity of TBAC and
other negligibly reactive compounds is
low, if emitted in large quantities, they
could still contribute significantly to
ozone formation in some locations.
However, without speciated emissions
estimates or extensive speciated
hydrocarbon measurements, it is
difficult to assess the impacts of any one
exempted compound or even the
cumulative impact of all of the
exempted compounds.
In the 2004 TBAC rule, the EPA stated
the primary objective of the
recordkeeping and reporting
requirements for TBAC was to address
these cumulative impacts of ‘‘negligibly
reactive’’ compounds and suggested that
future exempt compounds may also be
subject to such requirements. However,
such requirements have not been
included in any other proposed or final
VOC exemptions since the TBAC
decision. Having even high quality data
on TBAC emissions alone is unlikely to
be very useful in assessing the
cumulative impacts of exempted
compounds on ozone formation. Thus,
the requirements are not achieving their
primary objective to inform more
accurate photochemical modeling in
support of SIP submissions.
With regard to the concerns related to
efforts to characterize long-term health
risks associated with TBAC and its
metabolite tertiary-butyl alcohol (TBA),
since the rule was finalized,
LyondellBasell performed additional
toxicity testing and a health risk
assessment and submitted the peerconsultation results to the EPA in 2009.3
In addition, in 2006, the State of
California published its own assessment
of the potential health effects associated
with TBA and TBAC.4 The EPA is
currently in the process of assessing the
evidence for health risks from TBA
through its Integrated Risk Information
System (IRIS) program.5 A draft of this
3 Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment
(2009). Report of the Peer Consultation of the
Potential Risk of Health Effects from Exposure to
Tertiary-Butyl Acetate, January 7–8, 2009, Northern
Kentucky University METS Center, Erlanger,
Kentucky, Volumes I and II, https://www.tera.org/
Peer/TBAC/.
4 Luo, Dongmin, et al. (2006) Environmental
Impact Assessment of Tertiary-Butyl Acetate, Staff
Report, Sacramento: California Environmental
Protection Agency, Air Resources Board, January
2006, https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/reactivity/
tbacf.pdf https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/reactivity/
tbaca1.pdf https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/
reactivity/tbaca2.pdf.
5 See https://www.epa.gov/iris/publicmeeting/iris_
bimonthly-dec2013/mtg_docs.htm#etbe.
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assessment is expected to be circulated
for public comment in 2015. The
existing toxicity information being
examined in the IRIS assessment does
not rely on any of the data collected
through the recordkeeping and reporting
requirements, and thus those
requirements do not appear relevant to
any likely future determinations about
the health risks associated with TBAC
or TBA.
IV. Proposed Action
The EPA is proposing to revise certain
aspects of the EPA’s regulatory
definition of VOCs under the CAA. The
regulatory definition of VOCs currently
excludes TBAC on the basis that it
makes a negligible contribution to
tropospheric ozone formation and
contains a specific requirement for
recordkeeping and reporting of TBAC
emissions.
The recordkeeping, emissions
reporting, photochemical dispersion
modeling and inventory requirements
for TBAC are not resulting in useful
information. Furthermore, there is no
evidence that TBAC is being used at
levels that would cause concern for
ozone formation. Additionally, the EPA
believes these requirements, which are
unique among all VOC-exempt
compounds, are of limited utility
because they do not provide sufficient
information to judge the cumulative
impacts of exempted compounds, and
because they have not been consistently
collected and reported. Because these
requirements are not addressing any of
the concerns as they were intended, the
EPA proposes to revoke the
requirements for TBAC and relieve
industry and states of the associated
information collection burden until
such time that the EPA re-evaluates the
necessity for reporting and
recordkeeping of negligibly reactive
compounds generally.
This proposed action would remove
recordkeeping, emissions reporting,
photochemical dispersion modeling and
inventory requirements related to the
use of TBAC. This action would not
affect the existing exclusion of TBAC
from the regulatory definition of VOCs
for purposes of emission limits and
control requirements.
We note that removal of the
recordkeeping and reporting
requirements does not indicate that the
EPA has reached final conclusions
about all aspects of the health effects
posed by the use of TBAC or its
metabolite TBA. The EPA is currently
awaiting completion of the IRIS
assessment on the potential risks
involved with TBA and its toxicity. If it
becomes clear that action is warranted
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due to the health risks of direct
exposure to TBA or TBAC, the EPA will
consider the range of authorities at its
disposal to mitigate these risks
appropriately.
V. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory
Planning and Review and Executive
Order 13563: Improving Regulation and
Regulatory Review
This action is not a significant
regulatory action and was therefore not
submitted to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
This action does not impose an
information collection burden under the
provisions of the PRA. It does not
contain any new recordkeeping or
reporting requirements. This action
would remove recordkeeping, emissions
reporting, photochemical dispersion
modeling and inventory requirements
related to use of TBAC.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
I certify that this action will not have
a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities
under the RFA. This action will not
impose any requirements on small
entities. This action would remove
recordkeeping, emissions reporting,
photochemical dispersion modeling and
inventory requirements related to use of
TBAC.
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
(UMRA)
This action does not contain any
unfunded mandates as described in
UMRA, 2 U.S.C. 1531–1538, and does
not significantly or uniquely affect small
governments. The action imposes no
enforceable duty on any state, local or
tribal governments or the private sector.
E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
This action does not have federalism
implications. It will 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.
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation
and Coordination With Indian Tribal
Governments
This action does not have tribal
implications, as specified in Executive
Order 13175. This proposed action
would remove existing emission
inventory reporting and other
requirements that uniquely apply to
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TBAC among all VOC-exempt
compounds. Thus, Executive Order
13175 does not apply to this rule.
Dated: January 29, 2015.
Gina McCarthy,
Administrator.
G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of
Children From Environmental Health
and Safety Risks
For the reasons stated in the
preamble, the Environmental Protection
Agency proposes to amend part 51 of
chapter I of title 40 of the Code of
Federal Regulations as follows:
This action is not subject to Executive
Order 13045 because it is not
economically significant as defined in
E.O. 12866, and because the EPA does
not believe the environmental health or
safety risks addressed by this action
present a disproportionate risk to
children. This action would remove
recordkeeping, emissions reporting,
photochemical dispersion modeling and
inventory requirements related to use of
TBAC.
H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use
This action is not a ‘‘significant
energy action’’ because it is not likely to
have a significant adverse effect on the
supply, distribution, or use of energy.
This action would remove existing
emission inventory reporting and other
requirements that uniquely apply to
TBAC among all VOC-exempt
compounds.
PART 51—REQUIREMENTS FOR
PREPARATION ADOPTION AND
SUBMITTAL OF IMPLEMENTATION
PLANS SUBPART F PROCEDURAL
REQUIREMENTS
1. The authority citation for part 51,
subpart F, continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401, 7411, 7412,
7413, 7414, 7470–7479, 7501–7508, 7601,
and 7602.
§ 51.100
[Amended]
2. Section 51.100 is amended by:
a. Adding the term ‘‘t-butyl acetate;’’
before the phrase ‘‘perfluorocarbon
compounds which fall into these
classes:’’ to paragraph (s)(1)
introductory text; and
■ b. Removing and reserving paragraph
(s)(5).
■
■
[FR Doc. 2015–02325 Filed 2–4–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
I. National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act (NTTAA)
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
This action does not involve technical
standards.
40 CFR Parts 52
rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
J. Executive Order 12898: Federal
Actions to Address Environmental
Justice in Minority and Low-Income
Populations
The EPA believes the human health or
environmental risks addressed by this
action will not have disproportionately
high and adverse human health or
environmental effects on minority or
low-income populations because it does
not affect the level of protection
provided to human health or the
environment. The EPA did not conduct
an environmental analysis for this rule
because the EPA does not believe that
removing the unique reporting
requirements will lead to substantial
and predictable changes in the use of
TBAC in and near particular
communities.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 51
Environmental protection,
Administrative practice and procedure,
Air pollution control, Ozone, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements,
Volatile organic compounds.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:44 Feb 04, 2015
Jkt 235001
[EPA–R04–OAR–2014–0220; FRL–9922–41–
Region 4]
Air Quality Implementation Plan;
Florida; Attainment Plan for the
Hillsborough Area for the 2008 Lead
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards
Environmental Protection
Agency.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve
revisions to the state implementation
plan (SIP), submitted by the State of
Florida through the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection (FL DEP),
to EPA on June 29, 2012, as amended on
June 27, 2013, for the purpose of
providing for attainment of the 2008
Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) in the Hillsborough
2008 Lead nonattainment area (hereafter
referred to as the ‘‘Hillsborough Area’’
or ‘‘Area’’). The Hillsborough Area is
comprised of a portion of Hillsborough
County in Florida surrounding
EnviroFocus Technologies, LLC
(hereafter referred to as ‘‘EnviroFocus’’).
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
6485
The attainment plan includes the base
year emissions inventory, an analysis of
reasonably available control technology
(RACT) and reasonably available control
measures (RACM), reasonable further
progress (RFP) plan, modeling
demonstration of lead attainment, and
contingency measures for the
Hillsborough Area. This action is being
taken in accordance with the Clean Air
Act (CAA or Act).
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before March 9, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID Number EPA–
R04–OAR–2014–0220 by one of the
following methods:
1. www.regulations.gov: Follow the
on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
2. Email: R4-ARMS@epa.gov.
3. Fax: (404) 562–9019.
4. Mail: EPA–R04–OAR–2014–0220
Air Regulatory Management Section
(formerly the Regulatory Development
Section), Air Planning and
Implementation Branch (formerly the
Air Planning Branch), Air, Pesticides
and Toxics Management Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW.,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960.
5. Hand Delivery or Courier: Ms.
Lynorae Benjamin, Chief, Air Regulatory
Management Section, Air Planning and
Implementation Branch, Air, Pesticides
and Toxics Management Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW.,
Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960. Such
deliveries are only accepted during the
Regional Office’s normal hours of
operation. The Regional Office’s official
hours of business are Monday through
Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding
Federal holidays.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
Docket ID No. EPA–R04–OAR–2014–
0220. EPA’s policy is that all comments
received will be included in the public
docket without change and may be
made available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided, unless
the comment includes information
claimed to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Do not submit through
www.regulations.gov or email,
information that you consider to be CBI
or otherwise protected. The
www.regulations.gov Web site is an
‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which
means EPA will not know your identity
or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment.
If you send an email comment directly
E:\FR\FM\05FEP1.SGM
05FEP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6481-6485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02325]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 51
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0795; FRL-9922-OAR]
RIN 2060-AR65
Air Quality: Revision to the Regulatory Definition of Volatile
Organic Compounds--Requirements for t-Butyl Acetate
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to
amend the EPA's regulatory definition of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) under the Clean Air Act (CAA). The regulatory definition of VOCs
currently excludes t-butyl acetate (also known as tertiary butyl
acetate or TBAC; CAS NO: 540-88-5) for purposes of VOC emissions
limitations or VOC content requirements on the basis that it makes a
negligible contribution to tropospheric ozone formation. However, the
current definition includes TBAC as a VOC for purposes of all
recordkeeping, emissions reporting, photochemical dispersion modeling
and inventory requirements which apply to VOCs. The regulatory
definition requires that TBAC be uniquely identified in emission
reports. TBAC is used as a solvent in paints, inks and adhesives, in
which it substitutes for compounds that are regulated as VOCs. This
proposed action would remove recordkeeping, emissions reporting,
photochemical dispersion modeling and inventory requirements related to
the use of TBAC as a VOC.
The EPA has concluded that these requirements are not resulting in
useful information. Furthermore, there is no evidence that TBAC is
being used at levels that would cause concern for ozone formation. As
these requirements are unnecessary and can be burdensome for states and
industry, we are proposing to revoke these requirements and exclude
TBAC from the regulatory definition of VOCs for all purposes. Note that
the EPA is not reconsidering its determination that TBAC is
``negligibly reactive'' with respect to ground-level ozone formation.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 6, 2015.
Public Hearing. If anyone contacts the EPA requesting a public
hearing concerning the proposed regulation on or before March 9, 2015
we will hold a public hearing on March 23, 2015. If a public hearing is
requested, it will be held at 10 a.m. on the EPA campus in Research
Triangle Park, NC, or at an alternate site nearby. Please refer to
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional information on the comment
period and the public hearing.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2013-0795, by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments
Email: a-and-r-Docket@epamail.epa.gov. Include docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0795 in the subject line of the message.
Fax: (202) 566-9744.
Mail: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center
(EPA/DC), Mail Code: 28221T, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-
0795, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Hand/Courier Delivery: EPA Docket Center, Room 3334, EPA
WJC West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20004,
Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0795. Such deliveries are only
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2013-0795. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be
included in the public docket without change and may be made available
online at www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov,
or email. The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access''
system, which means the EPA will not know your identity or contact
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you
send an email comment directly to the EPA without going through
www.regulations.gov, your email address will be automatically captured
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket
and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic
comment, the EPA recommends that you include your name and other
contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or
CD-ROM you submit. If the EPA cannot read your comment due to technical
difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the EPA may not
be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use
of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any
defects or viruses. For additional information about the EPA's public
docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available
[[Page 6482]]
either electronically in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0795, EPA, WJC West Building, Room 3334,
1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The Public Reading Room is
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding
legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is
(202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Air and Radiation
Docket is (202) 566-1742.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Souad Benromdhane, Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards, Health and Environmental Impacts
Division, Mail Code C539-07, Environmental Protection Agency, Research
Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: (919) 541-4359; fax number: (919)
541-5315; email address: benromdhane.souad@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for the EPA?
C. How can I find information about a possible public hearing?
II. Background
A. The EPA's VOC Exemption Policy
B. History of the VOC Exemption for TBAC Including the Unique
Recordkeeping, Emissions Reporting, Photochemical Dispersion
Modeling and Inventory Requirements
C. Petition to Remove Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements
from the TBAC Exemption
III. The EPA's Assessment of the Petition
IV. Proposed Action
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and
Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review
B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination with
Indian Tribal Governments
G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children from
Environmental Health and Safety Risks
H. Executive Order 13211: Actions that Significantly Affect
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use
I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)
J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions to Address
Environmental Justice in Minority and Low-Income Populations
I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
Entities potentially affected by this proposed rule include, but
are not necessarily limited to, state and local air pollution control
agencies that prepare VOC emission inventories and ozone attainment
demonstrations for state implementation plans (SIPs). These agencies
would be relieved of the requirements to separately inventory emissions
of TBAC. This proposed action may also affect manufacturers,
distributors and users of TBAC and TBAC-containing products, which may
include paints, inks and adhesives. This action would allow state air
agencies to no longer require these entities to report emissions of
TBAC.
B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for the EPA?
1. Submitting CBI: Do not submit this information to the EPA
through www.regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark the part or all of
the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk
or CD-ROM that you mail to the EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-
ROM as CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM
the specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one
complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as
CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information
claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket.
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for Preparing Your Comments. When submitting comments,
remember to:
Identify the rulemaking by docket number and other
identifying information (subject heading, Federal Register date and
page number).
Follow directions--The Agency may ask you to respond to
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
Explain why you agree or disagree, suggest alternatives,
and substitute language for your requested changes.
Describe any assumptions and provide any technical
information and/or data that you used.
Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and
suggest alternatives.
Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the
use of profanity or personal threats.
Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
C. How can I find information about a possible public hearing?
To request a public hearing or information pertaining to a public
hearing, contact Ms. Eloise Shepherd, Health and Environmental Impacts
Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (C504-02), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711;
telephone number (919) 541-5507; fax number (919) 541-0804; email
address: shepherd.eloise@epa.gov.
II. Background
A. The EPA's VOC Exemption Policy
Tropospheric ozone, commonly known as smog, is formed when VOCs and
nitrogen oxides (NOX) react in the atmosphere in the
presence of sunlight. Because of the harmful health effects of ozone,
the EPA and state governments limit the amount of VOCs that can be
released into the atmosphere. VOCs are organic compounds of carbon,
many of which form ozone through atmospheric photochemical reactions.
Different VOCs have different levels of reactivity. That is, they do
not react to form ozone at the same speed or do not form ozone to the
same extent. Some VOCs react slowly or form less ozone; therefore,
changes in their emissions have limited effects on local or regional
ozone pollution episodes. It has been the EPA's policy that organic
compounds with a negligible level of reactivity should be excluded from
the regulatory definition of VOCs so as to focus control efforts on
compounds that do significantly increase ozone concentrations. The EPA
also believes that exempting such compounds creates an incentive for
industry to use negligibly reactive compounds in place of more highly
reactive compounds that are regulated as VOCs. The EPA lists compounds
that it has determined to be negligibly reactive in its regulations as
being excluded from the regulatory definition of VOCs (40 CFR
51.100(s)).
The CAA requires the regulation of VOCs for various purposes.
Section 302(s) of the CAA specifies that the EPA has the authority to
define the meaning of ``VOCs,'' and hence what compounds shall be
treated as VOCs for regulatory purposes. The policy of excluding
negligibly reactive compounds from the regulatory definition of VOCs
was first laid out in the ``Recommended Policy on Control of Volatile
Organic Compounds'' (42 FR 35314, July 8, 1977) and was supplemented
[[Page 6483]]
subsequently with the ``Interim Guidance on Control of Volatile Organic
Compounds in Ozone State Implementation Plans'' (70 FR 54046, September
13, 2005). The EPA uses the reactivity of ethane as the threshold for
determining whether a compound has negligible reactivity. Compounds
that are less reactive than, or equally reactive to, ethane under
certain assumed conditions may be deemed negligibly reactive and,
therefore, suitable for exemption by EPA from the regulatory definition
of VOCs. Compounds that are more reactive than ethane continue to be
considered VOCs for regulatory purposes and, therefore, are subject to
control requirements. The selection of ethane as the threshold compound
was based on a series of smog chamber experiments that underlay the
1977 policy.
The EPA uses two different metrics to compare the reactivity of a
specific compound to that of ethane: (1) The reaction rate constant
(known as kOH) with the hydroxyl radical (OH) and (2) the
maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) on ozone production per unit mass
basis. Differences between these metrics and the rationale for their
selection is discussed further in the 2005 Interim Guidance (70 FR
54046, September 13, 2005).
B. History of the VOC Exemption for TBAC Including the Unique
Recordkeeping, Emissions Reporting, Photochemical Dispersion Modeling
and Inventory Requirements
On January 17, 1997, ARCO Chemical Company (now known as and from
here forward referred to as LyondellBasell) submitted a petition to the
EPA which requested that the EPA add TBAC to the list of compounds
which are designated negligibly reactive in the regulatory definition
of VOCs at 40 CFR 51.100(s). The materials submitted in support of this
petition are contained in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0084. LyondellBasell's
case for TBAC being less reactive than ethane was based primarily on
the use of relative incremental reactivity factors set forth in a 1997
report by Carter, et al.\1\ Although the kOH values for TBAC
are higher than for ethane, Carter's results indicated that the MIR
value for TBAC, expressed in units of grams of ozone per gram of TBAC,
was between 0.43 and 0.48 times the MIR for ethane, depending on the
chemical mechanism used to calculate the MIR. In other words, TBAC
formed less than half as much ozone as an equal weight of ethane under
the conditions assumed in the calculation of the MIR scale.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Carter, William P.L., Dongmin Luo, and Irina L. Malkina
(1997). Investigation of the Atmospheric Ozone Formation Potential
of T-Butyl Acetate, Report to ARCO Chemical Corporation, Riverside:
College of Engineering Center for Environmental Research and
Technology, University of California, 97-AP-RT3E-001-FR, https://
www.cert.ucr.edu/~carter/pubs/tbuacetr.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On September 30, 1999, the EPA proposed to revise the regulatory
definition of VOCs to exclude TBAC, relying on the comparison of MIR
factors expressed on a mass basis to conclude that TBAC is negligibly
reactive (64 FR 52731, September 30, 1999). However, in the final rule,
the EPA concluded at that time that even ``negligibly reactive''
compounds may contribute significantly to ozone formation if present in
sufficient quantities and that emissions of these compounds need to be
represented accurately in photochemical modeling analyses. In addition
to these general concerns about the potential cumulative impacts of
negligibly reactive compounds, the need to maintain recordkeeping and
reporting requirements for TBAC was further justified by the potential
for widespread use of TBAC, the fact that its relative reactivity falls
close to the borderline of what has been considered negligibly
reactive, and continuing efforts to assess long-term health risks.\2\
Based on these conclusions, the EPA promulgated a final rule under
which TBAC was excluded from the definition of VOCs for purposes of VOC
emissions limitations or VOC content requirements, but continued to be
defined as a VOC for purposes of all recordkeeping, emissions
reporting, and inventory requirements which apply to VOCs (69 FR 69298,
November 29, 2004).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Between the EPA's proposed and final rule exempting TBAC as
a VOC, the state of California raised concerns to the EPA about the
potential carcinogenicity of tertiary-butanol, or TBA, the principal
metabolite of TBAC. At the time, the EPA decided that there was
insufficient evidence of health risks to affect the exemption
decision, but persuaded LyondellBasell to voluntarily perform
additional toxicity testing, use the testing results in a health
risk assessment, and have the testing and assessment results
reviewed in a peer consultation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the final rule, the EPA argued that the recordkeeping and
reporting requirements were not new requirements for TBAC as industry
and states were already subject to such requirements to report TBAC as
a VOC prior to the exemption. However, in practice, the rule created a
new, distinct recordkeeping and reporting burden by requiring that TBAC
be ``uniquely identified'' in emission reports, rather than aggregated
with other compounds as VOC. The final rule explained that the EPA was
in the process of reviewing its overall VOC exemption policy and that
the potential for retaining recordkeeping and reporting requirements
for compounds exempted from the definition of VOCs in the future would
be considered in that process. That process led to the development of
the 2005 Interim Guidance (70 FR 54046, September 13, 2005), which
encouraged the development of speciated inventories for highly reactive
compounds and identified the voluntary submission of emissions
estimates for exempt compounds as an option for further consideration,
but did not recommend mandatory reporting requirements associated with
future exemptions. Thus, TBAC is the only compound that is excluded
from the VOCs definition for purposes of emission controls but is still
considered a VOC for purposes of recordkeeping and reporting.
C. Petition to Remove Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements from the
TBAC Exemption
The EPA received a petition from LyondellBasell in December 2009,
which was re-affirmed in November 2011, requesting the removal of
recordkeeping and reporting requirements from the final rule to exempt
TBAC from the regulatory VOCs definition. LyondellBasell contends that
the emissions reporting requirements are redundant and present an
unnecessary bureaucratic burden.
III. The EPA's Assessment of the Petition
In most cases, when a negligibly reactive VOC is exempted from the
definition of VOCs, emissions of that compound are no longer recorded,
collected, or reported to states or the EPA as part of VOC emissions.
When the EPA exempted TBAC from the VOCs definition for purposes of
control requirements, the EPA created a new category of compounds and a
new reporting requirement. The new definition required that emissions
of TBAC be reported separately by states and, in turn, by industry.
However, the EPA did not issue any guidance on how TBAC emissions
should be tracked and reported, and implementation of this requirement
by states has thus been inconsistent. A few states have modified their
rules and emissions inventory processes to track TBAC emissions
separately and provide that information to the EPA. Others appear to
have included TBAC with other undifferentiated VOCs in their emissions
inventories. Thus, the data that have been collected to date as a
result of these requirements are
[[Page 6484]]
incomplete and inconsistent. In addition, the EPA has not established
protocols for receiving and analyzing TBAC emissions data collected
under the requirements of the rule.
Although the reactivity of TBAC and other negligibly reactive
compounds is low, if emitted in large quantities, they could still
contribute significantly to ozone formation in some locations. However,
without speciated emissions estimates or extensive speciated
hydrocarbon measurements, it is difficult to assess the impacts of any
one exempted compound or even the cumulative impact of all of the
exempted compounds.
In the 2004 TBAC rule, the EPA stated the primary objective of the
recordkeeping and reporting requirements for TBAC was to address these
cumulative impacts of ``negligibly reactive'' compounds and suggested
that future exempt compounds may also be subject to such requirements.
However, such requirements have not been included in any other proposed
or final VOC exemptions since the TBAC decision. Having even high
quality data on TBAC emissions alone is unlikely to be very useful in
assessing the cumulative impacts of exempted compounds on ozone
formation. Thus, the requirements are not achieving their primary
objective to inform more accurate photochemical modeling in support of
SIP submissions.
With regard to the concerns related to efforts to characterize
long-term health risks associated with TBAC and its metabolite
tertiary-butyl alcohol (TBA), since the rule was finalized,
LyondellBasell performed additional toxicity testing and a health risk
assessment and submitted the peer-consultation results to the EPA in
2009.\3\ In addition, in 2006, the State of California published its
own assessment of the potential health effects associated with TBA and
TBAC.\4\ The EPA is currently in the process of assessing the evidence
for health risks from TBA through its Integrated Risk Information
System (IRIS) program.\5\ A draft of this assessment is expected to be
circulated for public comment in 2015. The existing toxicity
information being examined in the IRIS assessment does not rely on any
of the data collected through the recordkeeping and reporting
requirements, and thus those requirements do not appear relevant to any
likely future determinations about the health risks associated with
TBAC or TBA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (2009). Report of
the Peer Consultation of the Potential Risk of Health Effects from
Exposure to Tertiary-Butyl Acetate, January 7-8, 2009, Northern
Kentucky University METS Center, Erlanger, Kentucky, Volumes I and
II, https://www.tera.org/Peer/TBAC/.
\4\ Luo, Dongmin, et al. (2006) Environmental Impact Assessment
of Tertiary-Butyl Acetate, Staff Report, Sacramento: California
Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board, January 2006,
https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/reactivity/tbacf.pdf https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/reactivity/tbaca1.pdf https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/reactivity/tbaca2.pdf.
\5\ See https://www.epa.gov/iris/publicmeeting/iris_bimonthly-dec2013/mtg_docs.htm#etbe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. Proposed Action
The EPA is proposing to revise certain aspects of the EPA's
regulatory definition of VOCs under the CAA. The regulatory definition
of VOCs currently excludes TBAC on the basis that it makes a negligible
contribution to tropospheric ozone formation and contains a specific
requirement for recordkeeping and reporting of TBAC emissions.
The recordkeeping, emissions reporting, photochemical dispersion
modeling and inventory requirements for TBAC are not resulting in
useful information. Furthermore, there is no evidence that TBAC is
being used at levels that would cause concern for ozone formation.
Additionally, the EPA believes these requirements, which are unique
among all VOC-exempt compounds, are of limited utility because they do
not provide sufficient information to judge the cumulative impacts of
exempted compounds, and because they have not been consistently
collected and reported. Because these requirements are not addressing
any of the concerns as they were intended, the EPA proposes to revoke
the requirements for TBAC and relieve industry and states of the
associated information collection burden until such time that the EPA
re-evaluates the necessity for reporting and recordkeeping of
negligibly reactive compounds generally.
This proposed action would remove recordkeeping, emissions
reporting, photochemical dispersion modeling and inventory requirements
related to the use of TBAC. This action would not affect the existing
exclusion of TBAC from the regulatory definition of VOCs for purposes
of emission limits and control requirements.
We note that removal of the recordkeeping and reporting
requirements does not indicate that the EPA has reached final
conclusions about all aspects of the health effects posed by the use of
TBAC or its metabolite TBA. The EPA is currently awaiting completion of
the IRIS assessment on the potential risks involved with TBA and its
toxicity. If it becomes clear that action is warranted due to the
health risks of direct exposure to TBA or TBAC, the EPA will consider
the range of authorities at its disposal to mitigate these risks
appropriately.
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive
Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review
This action is not a significant regulatory action and was
therefore not submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
This action does not impose an information collection burden under
the provisions of the PRA. It does not contain any new recordkeeping or
reporting requirements. This action would remove recordkeeping,
emissions reporting, photochemical dispersion modeling and inventory
requirements related to use of TBAC.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
I certify that this action will not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities under the RFA. This
action will not impose any requirements on small entities. This action
would remove recordkeeping, emissions reporting, photochemical
dispersion modeling and inventory requirements related to use of TBAC.
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
This action does not contain any unfunded mandates as described in
UMRA, 2 U.S.C. 1531-1538, and does not significantly or uniquely affect
small governments. The action imposes no enforceable duty on any state,
local or tribal governments or the private sector.
E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
This action does not have federalism implications. It will 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.
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian
Tribal Governments
This action does not have tribal implications, as specified in
Executive Order 13175. This proposed action would remove existing
emission inventory reporting and other requirements that uniquely apply
to
[[Page 6485]]
TBAC among all VOC-exempt compounds. Thus, Executive Order 13175 does
not apply to this rule.
G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental
Health and Safety Risks
This action is not subject to Executive Order 13045 because it is
not economically significant as defined in E.O. 12866, and because the
EPA does not believe the environmental health or safety risks addressed
by this action present a disproportionate risk to children. This action
would remove recordkeeping, emissions reporting, photochemical
dispersion modeling and inventory requirements related to use of TBAC.
H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy
Supply, Distribution, or Use
This action is not a ``significant energy action'' because it is
not likely to have a significant adverse effect on the supply,
distribution, or use of energy. This action would remove existing
emission inventory reporting and other requirements that uniquely apply
to TBAC among all VOC-exempt compounds.
I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)
This action does not involve technical standards.
J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions to Address Environmental
Justice in Minority and Low-Income Populations
The EPA believes the human health or environmental risks addressed
by this action will not have disproportionately high and adverse human
health or environmental effects on minority or low-income populations
because it does not affect the level of protection provided to human
health or the environment. The EPA did not conduct an environmental
analysis for this rule because the EPA does not believe that removing
the unique reporting requirements will lead to substantial and
predictable changes in the use of TBAC in and near particular
communities.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 51
Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure,
Air pollution control, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements,
Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: January 29, 2015.
Gina McCarthy,
Administrator.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Environmental
Protection Agency proposes to amend part 51 of chapter I of title 40 of
the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:
PART 51--REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARATION ADOPTION AND SUBMITTAL OF
IMPLEMENTATION PLANS SUBPART F PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS
0
1. The authority citation for part 51, subpart F, continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401, 7411, 7412, 7413, 7414, 7470-7479,
7501-7508, 7601, and 7602.
Sec. 51.100 [Amended]
0
2. Section 51.100 is amended by:
0
a. Adding the term ``t-butyl acetate;'' before the phrase
``perfluorocarbon compounds which fall into these classes:'' to
paragraph (s)(1) introductory text; and
0
b. Removing and reserving paragraph (s)(5).
[FR Doc. 2015-02325 Filed 2-4-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P