Adequacy Status of the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard Reasonable Further Progress Budgets for Volatile Organic Compounds and Nitrogen Oxides for 2012 for Transportation Conformity Purposes, 8711 [2016-03609]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 34 / Monday, February 22, 2016 / Notices On November 23, 2015, EPA posted the availability of the Baltimore 1997 8Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area MVEBs on EPA’s Web site for the [FRL–9942–60–Region 3] purpose of soliciting public comments Adequacy Status of the Baltimore 1997 as part of the adequacy process. The comment period closed on November 8-Hour Ozone Standard Reasonable 23, 2015 and EPA received no Further Progress Budgets for Volatile comments. Organic Compounds and Nitrogen Oxides for 2012 for Transportation Today’s notice is simply an Conformity Purposes announcement of a finding that EPA has already made. EPA Region III sent a AGENCY: Environmental Protection letter to MDE on January 14, 2016, Agency (EPA). finding that the 2012 RFP MVEBs in the ACTION: Notice of adequacy. Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area SIP, submitted on SUMMARY: In this notice, the July 22, 2013 by MDE, are adequate and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must be used for transportation is notifying the public that EPA has conformity determinations in the found that the Baltimore 1997 8-hour Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone ozone standard reasonable further Nonattainment Area. The finding and progress budgets for volatile organic associated letter is available at EPA’s compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides conformity Web site: https://www.epa. (NOX) for 2012 are adequate for gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/ transportation conformity purposes. As adequacy.htm. a result of EPA’s finding, the Baltimore Transportation conformity is required 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area by section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act must use these budgets for future (CAA). EPA’s conformity rule requires conformity determinations. that transportation plans, transportation DATES: This final rule is effective on improvement programs, and projects March 8, 2016. conform to SIPs and establishes the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: criteria and procedures for determining Gregory Becoat, Physical Scientist, whether or not they do. Conformity to Office of Air Program Planning (3AP30), a SIP means that transportation United States Environmental Protection activities will not produce new air Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, quality violations, worsen existing Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 814– violations, or delay timely attainment of 2036; becoat.gregory@epa.gov. the national ambient air quality SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July standards. 22, 2013, EPA received a State The criteria by which EPA determines Implementation Plan (SIP) revision from whether a SIP’s MVEBs are adequate for Maryland Department of the conformity purposes are outlined in 40 Environment (MDE). This revision CFR 93.118(e)(4). EPA described the consisted of 2012 reasonable further process for determining the adequacy of progress (RFP) motor vehicle emission submitted SIP budgets in a July 1, 2004 budgets (MVEBs) for the Baltimore 1997 preamble starting at 69 FR 40038 and 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area. This used the information in these resources submission established MVEBs for the in making this adequacy determination. Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Please note that an adequacy review is Nonattainment Area for the year 2012. separate from EPA’s completeness The MVEBs are the amount of emissions review, and should not be used to allowed in the SIP for on-road motor prejudge EPA’s ultimate approval action vehicles; it establishes an emissions for the SIP. Even if EPA finds the ceiling for the regional transportation budgets for the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour network. The MVEBs are provided in Ozone Nonattainment Area adequate, Table 1: the SIP could later be disapproved. The finding and the response to comments TABLE 1—2012 RFP MOBILE BUDG- are available at EPA’s conformity Web ETS FOR THE BALTIMORE NON- site: https://www.epa.gov/otaq/state ATTAINMENT AREA resources/transconf/adequacy.htm. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Year Motor vehicle emissions budgets for NOX in tons per day Motor vehicle emissions budgets for VOCs in tons per day 2012 .......... 93.5 40.2 Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401–7671q. Dated: February 4, 2016. Shawn M. Garvin, Regional Administrator, Region III. [FR Doc. 2016–03609 Filed 2–19–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:03 Feb 19, 2016 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 8711 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [9940–91–OEI] Cross-Media Electronic Reporting: Authorized Program Revision Approval, State of Arizona Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: This notice announces EPA’s approval of the State of Arizona’s request to revise/modify certain of its EPA-authorized programs to allow electronic reporting. DATES: EPA’s approval is effective February 22, 2016. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Seeh, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Information, Mail Stop 2823T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460, (202) 566–1175, seeh.karen@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 13, 2005, the final Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Rule (CROMERR) was published in the Federal Register (70 FR 59848) and codified as part 3 of title 40 of the CFR. CROMERR establishes electronic reporting as an acceptable regulatory alternative to paper reporting and establishes requirements to assure that electronic documents are as legally dependable as their paper counterparts. Subpart D of CROMERR requires that state, tribal or local government agencies that receive, or wish to begin receiving, electronic reports under their EPA-authorized programs must apply to EPA for a revision or modification of those programs and obtain EPA approval. Subpart D provides standards for such approvals based on consideration of the electronic document receiving systems that the state, tribe, or local government will use to implement the electronic reporting. Additionally, § 3.1000(b) through (e) of 40 CFR part 3, subpart D provides special procedures for program revisions and modifications to allow electronic reporting, to be used at the option of the state, tribe or local government in place of procedures available under existing programspecific authorization regulations. An application submitted under the subpart D procedures must show that the state, tribe or local government has sufficient legal authority to implement the electronic reporting components of the programs covered by the application and will use electronic document receiving systems that meet the applicable subpart D requirements. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\22FEN1.SGM 22FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 8711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03609]



[[Page 8711]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9942-60-Region 3]


Adequacy Status of the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard 
Reasonable Further Progress Budgets for Volatile Organic Compounds and 
Nitrogen Oxides for 2012 for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 
notifying the public that EPA has found that the Baltimore 1997 8-hour 
ozone standard reasonable further progress budgets for volatile organic 
compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) for 2012 are 
adequate for transportation conformity purposes. As a result of EPA's 
finding, the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area must use 
these budgets for future conformity determinations.

DATES: This final rule is effective on March 8, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Becoat, Physical Scientist, 
Office of Air Program Planning (3AP30), United States Environmental 
Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 
19103, (215) 814-2036; becoat.gregory@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 22, 2013, EPA received a State 
Implementation Plan (SIP) revision from Maryland Department of the 
Environment (MDE). This revision consisted of 2012 reasonable further 
progress (RFP) motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for the Baltimore 
1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area. This submission established MVEBs 
for the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area for the year 
2012. The MVEBs are the amount of emissions allowed in the SIP for on-
road motor vehicles; it establishes an emissions ceiling for the 
regional transportation network. The MVEBs are provided in Table 1:

  Table 1--2012 RFP Mobile Budgets for the Baltimore NonAttainment Area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Motor vehicle
                                         Motor vehicle      emissions
                 Year                      emissions       budgets for
                                        budgets for NOX    VOCs in tons
                                        in tons per day      per day
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012..................................            93.5             40.2
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On November 23, 2015, EPA posted the availability of the Baltimore 
1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area MVEBs on EPA's Web site for the 
purpose of soliciting public comments as part of the adequacy process. 
The comment period closed on November 23, 2015 and EPA received no 
comments.
    Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that EPA has 
already made. EPA Region III sent a letter to MDE on January 14, 2016, 
finding that the 2012 RFP MVEBs in the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone 
Nonattainment Area SIP, submitted on July 22, 2013 by MDE, are adequate 
and must be used for transportation conformity determinations in the 
Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area. The finding and 
associated letter is available at EPA's conformity Web site: https://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.
    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation 
plans, transportation improvement programs, and projects conform to 
SIPs and establishes the criteria and procedures for determining 
whether or not they do. Conformity to a SIP means that transportation 
activities will not produce new air quality violations, worsen existing 
violations, or delay timely attainment of the national ambient air 
quality standards.
    The criteria by which EPA determines whether a SIP's MVEBs are 
adequate for conformity purposes are outlined in 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). 
EPA described the process for determining the adequacy of submitted SIP 
budgets in a July 1, 2004 preamble starting at 69 FR 40038 and used the 
information in these resources in making this adequacy determination. 
Please note that an adequacy review is separate from EPA's completeness 
review, and should not be used to prejudge EPA's ultimate approval 
action for the SIP. Even if EPA finds the budgets for the Baltimore 
1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area adequate, the SIP could later be 
disapproved. The finding and the response to comments are available at 
EPA's conformity Web site: https://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.

    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.

    Dated: February 4, 2016.
 Shawn M. Garvin,
Regional Administrator, Region III.
[FR Doc. 2016-03609 Filed 2-19-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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