Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; 2011 Base Year Inventory for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard for the Maryland Portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City Nonattainment Area, 44522-44525 [2017-20324]

Download as PDF 44522 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2017 / Rules and Regulations ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA–R03–OAR–2017–0149; FRL–9968–00– Region 3] Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; 2011 Base Year Inventory for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard for the Maryland Portion of the PhiladelphiaWilmington-Atlantic City Nonattainment Area Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Direct final rule. AGENCY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve the 2011 base year inventory for the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City marginal nonattainment area for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). The State of Maryland submitted the emission inventory, which included the ozone precursors, nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), as well as several other pollutants, through the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to meet the nonattainment requirements for marginal ozone nonattainment areas for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA is approving the 2011 base year emissions inventory for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS as a revision to the Maryland State Implementation Plan (SIP) as the inventory for NOX and VOC is in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA). DATES: This rule is effective on November 24, 2017 without further notice, unless EPA receives adverse written comment by October 25, 2017. If EPA receives such comments, it will publish a timely withdrawal of the direct final rule in the Federal Register and inform the public that the rule will not take effect. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R03– OAR–2017–0149 at https:// www.regulations.gov, or via email to stahl.cynthia@epa.gov. For comments submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. For either manner of submission, EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be confidential business information (CBI) asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with RULES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:53 Sep 22, 2017 Jkt 241001 or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e. on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, please contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. For the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/ commenting-epa-dockets. Sara Calcinore, (215) 814–2043, or by email at calcinore.sara@epa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background Ground level ozone is formed when NOX and VOC react in the presence of sunlight. NOX and VOC are referred to as ozone precursors and are emitted by many types of pollution sources, including motor vehicles, power plants, industrial facilities, and area wide sources, such as consumer products and lawn and garden equipment. Scientific evidence indicates that adverse public health effects occur following exposure to ozone. These effects are more pronounced in children and adults with lung disease. Breathing air containing ozone can reduce lung function and inflame airways, which can increase respiratory symptoms and aggravate asthma or other lung diseases. In response to this scientific evidence, EPA promulgated the first ozone NAAQS in 1979, the 0.12 part per million (ppm) 1hour ozone NAAQS. See 44 FR 8202 (February 8, 1979). EPA had previously promulgated a NAAQS for total photochemical oxidants. On July 18, 1997, EPA promulgated a revised ozone NAAQS of 0.08 ppm, averaged over eight hours. 62 FR 38855. This 8-hour ozone NAAQS was determined to be more protective of public health than the previous 1979 1hour ozone NAAQS. In 2008, EPA revised the 8-hour ozone NAAQS from 0.08 to 0.075 ppm. See 73 FR 16436 (March 27, 2008).1 1 On October 1, 2015, EPA strengthened the 8hour ozone NAAQS to 0.070 ppm. See 80 FR 65292 (October 16, 2015). This rulemaking addresses the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS and does not address the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS. PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 On May 21, 2012, the PhiladelphiaWilmington-Atlantic City area was designated as marginal nonattainment for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. 77 FR 30088. The designation of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City area as marginal nonattainment was effective July 20, 2012. The Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City nonattainment area is comprised of Cecil County in Maryland, as well as counties in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Under section 172(c)(3) of the CAA, Maryland is required to submit a comprehensive, accurate, and current inventory of actual emissions from all sources of the relevant pollutants, i.e. the ozone precursors NOX and VOC, in its marginal nonattainment area, i.e., the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-WilmingtonAtlantic City nonattainment area. II. Summary of SIP Revision and EPA Analysis Under CAA section 172(c)(3), states are required to submit a comprehensive, accurate, and current inventory of actual emissions from all sources (point, nonpoint, nonroad, and onroad) of the relevant pollutant or pollutants in the nonattainment area. CAA section 182(a)(1) requires that areas designated as nonattainment and classified as marginal submit an inventory of all sources of ozone precursors no later than 2 years after the effective date of designation. EPA’s guidance for emissions inventory development calls for actual emissions to be used in the base year inventory. The state must report annual emissions as well as ‘‘summer day emissions.’’ As defined in 40 CFR 51.900(v), ‘‘summer day emissions’’ means, ‘‘an average day’s emissions for a typical summer work weekday. The state will select the particular month(s) in summer and the day(s) in the work week to be represented.’’ On January 19, 2017, MDE submitted a formal revision (SIP #16–15) to its SIP. The SIP revision consists of the 2011 base year inventory for the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-WilmingtonAtlantic City nonattainment area for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. MDE selected 2011 as its base year for SIP planning purposes, as recommended in EPA’s final rule, ‘‘Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: State Implementation Plan Requirements.’’ See 80 FR 12263 (March 6, 2015). MDE’s 2011 base year inventory includes emissions estimates covering the general source categories of stationary point, area (nonpoint), nonroad mobile, onroad mobile, and Marine-Air-Rail (M–A–R). E:\FR\FM\25SER1.SGM 25SER1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2017 / Rules and Regulations In its 2011 base year inventory, MDE reported actual annual emissions and typical summer day emissions for the months of May through September for NOX, VOC, and carbon monoxide (CO). Although MDE also reported annual emissions for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ammonia (NH3) and typical summer day emissions for CO, in this approval of the 2011 base year emissions inventory for the 2008 ozone NAAQS, EPA is approving only relevant ozone precursors, which are VOC and NOX.2 44523 Table 1 summarizes the 2011 VOC and NOX emission inventory by source sector for Maryland’s marginal nonattainment area. Annual emissions are given in tons per year (tpy) and summer weekday emissions are given by tons per day (tpd). TABLE 1—SUMMARY OF 2011 EMISSIONS OF OZONE PRECURSORS FOR THE PHILADELPHIA-WILMINGTON-ATLANTIC CITY NONATTAINMENT AREA Summer weekday (tpd) Source sector VOC Point ................................................................................................................. Area ................................................................................................................. Nonroad ........................................................................................................... Onroad ............................................................................................................. M–A–R ............................................................................................................. Anthropogenic Subtotal ................................................................................... Annual (tpy) NOX 0.301 2.863 5.127 2.29 0.030 10.61 VOC 2.63 0.31 2.01 7.50 0.46 12.90 64.91 937.78 1,054.93 791.98 11.03 2,860.63 NOX 76.19 242.02 529.02 2,730.44 167.97 3,745.63 asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with RULES Point sources are large, stationary, and identifiable sources of emissions that release pollutants into the atmosphere. Maryland obtained its point source data from the MDE Air and Radiation Management Administration (ARMA) point source emissions inventory. ARMA identifies and inventories stationary sources for the point source emissions inventory through inspections, investigations, permitting, and equipment registrations. Area sources, also known as nonpoint sources, are sources of pollution that are small and numerous and have not been inventoried as specific point or mobile sources. To inventory these sources, they are grouped so that emissions can be estimated collectively using one methodology. Examples include residential heating emissions and emissions from consumer solvents. MDE calculated nonpoint emissions for the Maryland portion of the PhiladelphiaWilmington-Atlantic City nonattainment area by multiplying emissions factors specific for each source category with some known indicator of collective activity for each source category, such as population or employment data. Nonroad sources are mobile sources other than onroad vehicles, including aircraft, locomotives, construction and agricultural equipment, and marine vessels. Emissions from different source categories are calculated using various methodologies. MDE relied on EPA’s nonroad emissions calculations from the National Mobile Inventory Model (NMIM—April 5, 2009). Onroad or highway sources are vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and buses, which are operated on public roadways. MDE estimated onroad emissions using EPA’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model, version 2010a, and appropriate activity levels, such as vehicle miles traveled (VMT) estimates developed from vehicle count data maintained by the State Highway Administration (SHA) of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). M-A-R sources include marine vessels, airports, and railroad locomotives. MDE estimated M-A-R emissions using data from surveyed sources or state and federal reporting agencies. EPA reviewed Maryland’s 2011 base year emission inventory’s results, procedures, and methodologies for the Maryland portion of the PhiladelphiaWilmington-Atlantic City nonattainment area and found them to be acceptable and approvable for sections 110, 172(c)(3) and 182(a)(1) of the CAA. EPA’s review and analysis is detailed in a Technical Support Document (TSD) prepared for this rulemaking. The TSD is available online at https://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID No. EPA–R03–OAR–2017–0149. 2 The actual annual emissions and typical summer day emissions were summarized by MDE in Table 1–1: 2011 Base Year SIP Emission Inventory Summary. A discrepancy was found between the area annual emissions reported for PM2.5 and NH3 in Table 1–1 and the area annual emissions reported for PM2.5 and NH3 in Table 4– 1: 2011 Base Year SIP Area Source Emission Inventories and the Nonpoint Annual data table under Appendix C Area/Nonpoint Sources. Since the anthropogenic totals in Table 1–1 correspond to the annual emissions values, the anthropogenic totals for PM2.5 and NH3 in Table 1–1 were also affected by the discrepancy. In a correction letter, MDE confirmed that the area annual emissions for PM2.5 and NH3 in Table 1–1 are 456.50 tpy for PM2.5 and 477.15 tpy for NH3. MDE also confirmed that the corresponding anthropogenic totals for PM2.5 and NH3 are 625.04 tpy and 530.10 tpy. MDE has submitted a corrected version of page 3 of the 2011 base year inventory to reflect the necessary corrections to Table 1–1. The corrected version as well as the correction letter are included in the docket for this rulemaking even though the CAA at sections 172 and 182 only require an inventory of ozone precursors. See July 20, 2017 letter from Brian Hug, Program Manager, Maryland Department of the Environment to Cecil Rodrigues, Acting Regional Administrator, EPA Region III, Subject: SIP #16–15 ‘‘2011 Base Year Emissions Inventory for the Maryland Portion of the PhiladelphiaAtlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2008 Ozone NAAQS Nonattainment Area (Cecil County, MD)’’ Minor Corrections. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:53 Sep 22, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 III. Final Action EPA is approving the Maryland January 19, 2017 SIP revision as meeting requirements for a base year inventory for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS for the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City nonattainment area because the inventory for ozone precursors was prepared in accordance with requirements in sections 110, 172(c)(3) and 182(a)(1) of the CAA and its implementing regulations including 40 CFR 51.915. EPA is publishing this rule without prior proposal because EPA views this as a noncontroversial amendment and anticipates no adverse comment. However, in the ‘‘Proposed Rules’’ section of this Federal Register, EPA is publishing a separate document that will serve as the proposal to approve the SIP revision if adverse comments are filed. This rule will be effective on November 24, 2017 without further notice unless EPA receives adverse comment by October 25, 2017. If EPA receives adverse comment, EPA will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register informing the public that the rule will not take effect. EPA will address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on the E:\FR\FM\25SER1.SGM 25SER1 44524 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2017 / Rules and Regulations proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting must do so at this time. IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews A. General Requirements Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP submission that complies with the provisions of the CAA and applicable federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions, EPA’s role is to approve state choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. Accordingly, this action merely approves state law as meeting federal requirements and does not impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law. For that reason, this action: • Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’ subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Orders 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011); • does not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.); • is certified as not having a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); • does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4); • does not have federalism implications as specified in Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999); • is not an economically significant regulatory action based on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997); • is not a significant regulatory action subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001); • is not subject to requirements of Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent with the CAA; and • does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994). In addition, this rule does not have tribal implications as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because the SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in the state, and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law. B. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the United States. EPA will submit a report containing this action and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. This action is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). C. Petitions for Judicial Review Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by November 24, 2017. Filing a petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect the finality of this action for the purposes of judicial review nor does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may be filed, and asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with RULES Applicable geographic area * * 2011 Base Year Inventory for the 2008 8Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard. * * Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2008 ozone nonattainment area. 3. Section 52.1075 is amended by adding paragraph (q) to read as follows: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:53 Sep 22, 2017 Jkt 241001 § 52.1075 * PO 00000 * Frm 00032 * Fmt 4700 * Sfmt 4700 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds. Dated: September 8, 2017. Cecil Rodrigues, Acting Regional Administrator, Region III. 40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows: PART 52—APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS 1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows: ■ Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. Subpart V—Maryland 2. In § 52.1070, the table in paragraph (e) is amended by adding an entry for ‘‘2011 Base Year Inventory for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard’’ at the end of the table to read as follows: ■ § 52.1070 * Identification of plan. * * (e) * * * * * EPA approval date Additional explanation * 01/19/2017 * 09/25/2017, [Insert Federal Register citation]. * § 52.1075(q). Base year emissions inventory. * List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 State submittal date Name of non-regulatory SIP revision ■ shall not postpone the effectiveness of such rule or action. Parties with objections to this direct final rule are encouraged to file a comment in response to the parallel notice of proposed rulemaking for this action published in the proposed rules section of this Federal Register, rather than file an immediate petition for judicial review of this direct final rule, so that EPA can withdraw this direct final rule and address the comment in the proposed rulemaking action. This action approving Maryland’s 2011 base year inventory for the 2008 8hour ozone NAAQS for the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-WilmingtonAtlantic City nonattainment area may not be challenged later in proceedings to enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).) (q) EPA approves, as a revision to the Maryland state implementation plan the E:\FR\FM\25SER1.SGM 25SER1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 2011 base year emissions inventory for the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City marginal nonattainment area for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards submitted by the Maryland Department of the Environment on January 19, 2017, as amended July 20, 2017. The 2011 base year emissions inventory includes emissions estimates that cover the general source categories of stationary point, area (nonpoint), nonroad mobile, onroad mobile, and Marine-Air-Rail (M– A–R). The inventory included actual annual emissions and typical summer day emissions for the months of May through September for the ozone precursors, VOC and NOX. [FR Doc. 2017–20324 Filed 9–22–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA–R03–OAR–2016–0574; FRL–9968–15– Region 3] Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; West Virginia; Removal of Clean Air Interstate Rule Trading Programs Replaced by Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Trading Programs Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Direct final rule. AGENCY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve two state implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of West Virginia. These revisions pertain to two West Virginia regulations that established trading programs under the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). The EPAadministered trading programs under CAIR were discontinued on December 31, 2014 upon the implementation of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), which was promulgated by EPA to replace CAIR. CSAPR established federal implementation plans (FIPs) for 23 states, including West Virginia. The submitted SIP revisions request removal of regulations that implemented the CAIR annual nitrogen oxide (NOX) and annual sulfur dioxide (SO2) trading programs from the West Virginia SIP (as CSAPR has supplanted CAIR). West Virginia’s SIP revision submittal requesting removal of a regulation that implemented the CAIR ozone season trading program will be addressed in a separate action. EPA is asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with RULES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:53 Sep 22, 2017 Jkt 241001 approving these SIP revisions in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA). DATES: This rule is effective on December 26, 2017 without further notice, unless EPA receives adverse written comment by October 25, 2017. If EPA receives such comments, it will publish a timely withdrawal of the direct final rule in the Federal Register and inform the public that the rule will not take effect. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R03– OAR–2016–0574 at https:// www.regulations.gov, or via email to stahl.cynthia@epa.gov. For comments submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. For either manner of submission, EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be confidential business information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e. on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, please contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. For the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/ commenting-epa-dockets. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marilyn Powers, (215) 814–2308, or by email at powers.marilyn@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 13, 2016, the State of West Virginia, through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), submitted three SIP revisions requesting EPA remove from its SIP three regulations that implemented the CAIR (70 FR 25162, May 12, 2005) trading programs: Regulation 45CSR39—Control of Annual Nitrogen Oxides Emissions, Regulation 45CSR40—Control of Ozone Season Nitrogen Oxides Emissions, and Regulation 45CSR41—Control of Annual Sulfur Dioxide Emissions. This action pertains to the two submittals that remove 45CSR39 and 45CSR41, the CAIR annual NOX and annual SO2 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 44525 trading programs, respectively, from the West Virginia SIP. The submittal pertaining to removal of the CAIR ozone season NOX trading program is not a part of this action and will be addressed in a separate action. I. Background In 2005, EPA promulgated CAIR (70 FR 25162, May 12, 2005) to address transported emissions that significantly contributed to downwind states’ nonattainment and interfered with maintenance of the 1997 ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). CAIR required 28 states, including West Virginia, to reduce emissions of NOX and SO2, precursors to the formation of ambient ozone and PM2.5. Under CAIR, EPA established federal implementation plans (FIPs) comprised of separate cap and trade programs for annual NOX, ozone season NOX, and annual SO2. States could comply with the requirements of CAIR by remaining on the FIP, which applied only to electric generating units (EGUs), or by submitting a CAIR SIP revision that included as trading sources EGUs and certain non-EGUs 1 that formerly traded in the NOX Budget Trading Program under the NOX SIP Call.2 West Virginia submitted, and EPA approved, a CAIR SIP revision that included EGUs and certain non-EGUs as part of the State’s regulation for the CAIR ozone season trading program as well as EGUs in the CAIR annual trading program for NOX and SO2. See 74 FR 38536 (August 4, 2009). The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) initially vacated CAIR in 2008,3 but ultimately remanded the rule to EPA without vacatur to preserve the environmental benefits provided by CAIR.4 The ruling allowed CAIR to remain in effect temporarily until a replacement rule consistent with the Court’s opinion was developed. While EPA worked on developing a replacement rule, the CAIR program continued as planned with the NOX annual and ozone season programs 1 These non-EGUs are defined in the NO SIP Call X as stationary, fossil fuel-fired boilers, combustion turbines, or combined cycle systems with a maximum design heat input greater than 250 million British thermal units per hour (MMBtu/hr). 2 In October 1998, EPA finalized the ‘‘Finding of Significant Contribution and Rulemaking for Certain States in the Ozone Transport Assessment Group Region for Purposes of Reducing Regional Transport of Ozone’’—commonly called the NOX SIP Call. See 63 FR 57356 (October 27, 1998). 3 North Carolina v. EPA, 531 F.3d 896 (D.C. Cir. 2008). 4 North Carolina v. EPA, 550 F.3d 1176 (D.C. Cir. 2008). E:\FR\FM\25SER1.SGM 25SER1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 184 (Monday, September 25, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 44522-44525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20324]



[[Page 44522]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA-R03-OAR-2017-0149; FRL-9968-00-Region 3]


Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; 
Maryland; 2011 Base Year Inventory for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National 
Ambient Air Quality Standard for the Maryland Portion of the 
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City Nonattainment Area

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct 
final action to approve the 2011 base year inventory for the Maryland 
portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City marginal 
nonattainment area for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air 
quality standard (NAAQS). The State of Maryland submitted the emission 
inventory, which included the ozone precursors, nitrogen oxides 
(NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), as well as 
several other pollutants, through the Maryland Department of the 
Environment (MDE) to meet the nonattainment requirements for marginal 
ozone nonattainment areas for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA is 
approving the 2011 base year emissions inventory for the 2008 8-hour 
ozone NAAQS as a revision to the Maryland State Implementation Plan 
(SIP) as the inventory for NOX and VOC is in accordance with 
the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

DATES: This rule is effective on November 24, 2017 without further 
notice, unless EPA receives adverse written comment by October 25, 
2017. If EPA receives such comments, it will publish a timely 
withdrawal of the direct final rule in the Federal Register and inform 
the public that the rule will not take effect.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R03-
OAR-2017-0149 at https://www.regulations.gov, or via email to 
stahl.cynthia@epa.gov. For comments submitted at Regulations.gov, 
follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, 
comments cannot be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. For either 
manner of submission, EPA may publish any comment received to its 
public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you 
consider to be confidential business information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia 
submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written 
comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and 
should include discussion of all points you wish to make. EPA will 
generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of 
the primary submission (i.e. on the web, cloud, or other file sharing 
system). For additional submission methods, please contact the person 
identified in the For Further Information Contact section. For the full 
EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia 
submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please 
visit https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara Calcinore, (215) 814-2043, or by 
email at calcinore.sara@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Ground level ozone is formed when NOX and VOC react in 
the presence of sunlight. NOX and VOC are referred to as 
ozone precursors and are emitted by many types of pollution sources, 
including motor vehicles, power plants, industrial facilities, and area 
wide sources, such as consumer products and lawn and garden equipment. 
Scientific evidence indicates that adverse public health effects occur 
following exposure to ozone. These effects are more pronounced in 
children and adults with lung disease. Breathing air containing ozone 
can reduce lung function and inflame airways, which can increase 
respiratory symptoms and aggravate asthma or other lung diseases. In 
response to this scientific evidence, EPA promulgated the first ozone 
NAAQS in 1979, the 0.12 part per million (ppm) 1-hour ozone NAAQS. See 
44 FR 8202 (February 8, 1979). EPA had previously promulgated a NAAQS 
for total photochemical oxidants.
    On July 18, 1997, EPA promulgated a revised ozone NAAQS of 0.08 
ppm, averaged over eight hours. 62 FR 38855. This 8-hour ozone NAAQS 
was determined to be more protective of public health than the previous 
1979 1-hour ozone NAAQS. In 2008, EPA revised the 8-hour ozone NAAQS 
from 0.08 to 0.075 ppm. See 73 FR 16436 (March 27, 2008).\1\
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    \1\ On October 1, 2015, EPA strengthened the 8-hour ozone NAAQS 
to 0.070 ppm. See 80 FR 65292 (October 16, 2015). This rulemaking 
addresses the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS and does not address the 2015 
8-hour ozone NAAQS.
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    On May 21, 2012, the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City area was 
designated as marginal nonattainment for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. 
77 FR 30088. The designation of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic 
City area as marginal nonattainment was effective July 20, 2012. The 
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City nonattainment area is comprised 
of Cecil County in Maryland, as well as counties in Delaware, New 
Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Under section 172(c)(3) of the CAA, Maryland 
is required to submit a comprehensive, accurate, and current inventory 
of actual emissions from all sources of the relevant pollutants, i.e. 
the ozone precursors NOX and VOC, in its marginal 
nonattainment area, i.e., the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-
Wilmington-Atlantic City nonattainment area.

II. Summary of SIP Revision and EPA Analysis

    Under CAA section 172(c)(3), states are required to submit a 
comprehensive, accurate, and current inventory of actual emissions from 
all sources (point, nonpoint, nonroad, and onroad) of the relevant 
pollutant or pollutants in the nonattainment area. CAA section 
182(a)(1) requires that areas designated as nonattainment and 
classified as marginal submit an inventory of all sources of ozone 
precursors no later than 2 years after the effective date of 
designation. EPA's guidance for emissions inventory development calls 
for actual emissions to be used in the base year inventory. The state 
must report annual emissions as well as ``summer day emissions.'' As 
defined in 40 CFR 51.900(v), ``summer day emissions'' means, ``an 
average day's emissions for a typical summer work weekday. The state 
will select the particular month(s) in summer and the day(s) in the 
work week to be represented.''
    On January 19, 2017, MDE submitted a formal revision (SIP #16-15) 
to its SIP. The SIP revision consists of the 2011 base year inventory 
for the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City 
nonattainment area for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. MDE selected 2011 
as its base year for SIP planning purposes, as recommended in EPA's 
final rule, ``Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards for Ozone: State Implementation Plan Requirements.'' See 80 
FR 12263 (March 6, 2015). MDE's 2011 base year inventory includes 
emissions estimates covering the general source categories of 
stationary point, area (nonpoint), nonroad mobile, onroad mobile, and 
Marine-Air-Rail (M-A-R).

[[Page 44523]]

In its 2011 base year inventory, MDE reported actual annual emissions 
and typical summer day emissions for the months of May through 
September for NOX, VOC, and carbon monoxide (CO). Although 
MDE also reported annual emissions for fine particulate matter 
(PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ammonia 
(NH3) and typical summer day emissions for CO, in this 
approval of the 2011 base year emissions inventory for the 2008 ozone 
NAAQS, EPA is approving only relevant ozone precursors, which are VOC 
and NOX.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The actual annual emissions and typical summer day emissions 
were summarized by MDE in Table 1-1: 2011 Base Year SIP Emission 
Inventory Summary. A discrepancy was found between the area annual 
emissions reported for PM2.5 and NH3 in Table 
1-1 and the area annual emissions reported for PM2.5 and 
NH3 in Table 4-1: 2011 Base Year SIP Area Source Emission 
Inventories and the Nonpoint Annual data table under Appendix C 
Area/Nonpoint Sources. Since the anthropogenic totals in Table 1-1 
correspond to the annual emissions values, the anthropogenic totals 
for PM2.5 and NH3 in Table 1-1 were also 
affected by the discrepancy. In a correction letter, MDE confirmed 
that the area annual emissions for PM2.5 and 
NH3 in Table 1-1 are 456.50 tpy for PM2.5 and 
477.15 tpy for NH3. MDE also confirmed that the 
corresponding anthropogenic totals for PM2.5 and 
NH3 are 625.04 tpy and 530.10 tpy. MDE has submitted a 
corrected version of page 3 of the 2011 base year inventory to 
reflect the necessary corrections to Table 1-1. The corrected 
version as well as the correction letter are included in the docket 
for this rulemaking even though the CAA at sections 172 and 182 only 
require an inventory of ozone precursors. See July 20, 2017 letter 
from Brian Hug, Program Manager, Maryland Department of the 
Environment to Cecil Rodrigues, Acting Regional Administrator, EPA 
Region III, Subject: SIP #16-15 ``2011 Base Year Emissions Inventory 
for the Maryland Portion of the Philadelphia-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-
DE-MD 2008 Ozone NAAQS Nonattainment Area (Cecil County, MD)'' Minor 
Corrections.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Table 1 summarizes the 2011 VOC and NOX emission 
inventory by source sector for Maryland's marginal nonattainment area. 
Annual emissions are given in tons per year (tpy) and summer weekday 
emissions are given by tons per day (tpd).

      Table 1--Summary of 2011 Emissions of Ozone Precursors for the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City
                                               Nonattainment Area
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Summer weekday  (tpd)               Annual  (tpy)
                  Source sector                  ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        VOC             NOX             VOC             NOX
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point...........................................           0.301            2.63           64.91           76.19
Area............................................           2.863            0.31          937.78          242.02
Nonroad.........................................           5.127            2.01        1,054.93          529.02
Onroad..........................................            2.29            7.50          791.98        2,730.44
M-A-R...........................................           0.030            0.46           11.03          167.97
Anthropogenic Subtotal..........................           10.61           12.90        2,860.63        3,745.63
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Point sources are large, stationary, and identifiable sources of 
emissions that release pollutants into the atmosphere. Maryland 
obtained its point source data from the MDE Air and Radiation 
Management Administration (ARMA) point source emissions inventory. ARMA 
identifies and inventories stationary sources for the point source 
emissions inventory through inspections, investigations, permitting, 
and equipment registrations.
    Area sources, also known as nonpoint sources, are sources of 
pollution that are small and numerous and have not been inventoried as 
specific point or mobile sources. To inventory these sources, they are 
grouped so that emissions can be estimated collectively using one 
methodology. Examples include residential heating emissions and 
emissions from consumer solvents. MDE calculated nonpoint emissions for 
the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City 
nonattainment area by multiplying emissions factors specific for each 
source category with some known indicator of collective activity for 
each source category, such as population or employment data.
    Nonroad sources are mobile sources other than onroad vehicles, 
including aircraft, locomotives, construction and agricultural 
equipment, and marine vessels. Emissions from different source 
categories are calculated using various methodologies. MDE relied on 
EPA's nonroad emissions calculations from the National Mobile Inventory 
Model (NMIM--April 5, 2009). Onroad or highway sources are vehicles, 
such as cars, trucks, and buses, which are operated on public roadways. 
MDE estimated onroad emissions using EPA's Motor Vehicle Emission 
Simulator (MOVES) model, version 2010a, and appropriate activity 
levels, such as vehicle miles traveled (VMT) estimates developed from 
vehicle count data maintained by the State Highway Administration (SHA) 
of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). M-A-R sources 
include marine vessels, airports, and railroad locomotives. MDE 
estimated M-A-R emissions using data from surveyed sources or state and 
federal reporting agencies.
    EPA reviewed Maryland's 2011 base year emission inventory's 
results, procedures, and methodologies for the Maryland portion of the 
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City nonattainment area and found them 
to be acceptable and approvable for sections 110, 172(c)(3) and 
182(a)(1) of the CAA. EPA's review and analysis is detailed in a 
Technical Support Document (TSD) prepared for this rulemaking. The TSD 
is available online at https://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID No. EPA-
R03-OAR-2017-0149.

III. Final Action

    EPA is approving the Maryland January 19, 2017 SIP revision as 
meeting requirements for a base year inventory for the 2008 8-hour 
ozone NAAQS for the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-
Atlantic City nonattainment area because the inventory for ozone 
precursors was prepared in accordance with requirements in sections 
110, 172(c)(3) and 182(a)(1) of the CAA and its implementing 
regulations including 40 CFR 51.915. EPA is publishing this rule 
without prior proposal because EPA views this as a noncontroversial 
amendment and anticipates no adverse comment. However, in the 
``Proposed Rules'' section of this Federal Register, EPA is publishing 
a separate document that will serve as the proposal to approve the SIP 
revision if adverse comments are filed. This rule will be effective on 
November 24, 2017 without further notice unless EPA receives adverse 
comment by October 25, 2017. If EPA receives adverse comment, EPA will 
publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register informing the 
public that the rule will not take effect. EPA will address all public 
comments in a subsequent final rule based on the

[[Page 44524]]

proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period on this 
action. Any parties interested in commenting must do so at this time.

IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. General Requirements

    Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP 
submission that complies with the provisions of the CAA and applicable 
federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in 
reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state choices, 
provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. Accordingly, this 
action merely approves state law as meeting federal requirements and 
does not impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by state 
law. For that reason, this action:
     Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' subject to 
review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Orders 
12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 
2011);
     does not impose an information collection burden under the 
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
     is certified as not having a significant economic impact 
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
     does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or 
uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded 
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4);
     does not have federalism implications as specified in 
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
     is not an economically significant regulatory action based 
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 
19885, April 23, 1997);
     is not a significant regulatory action subject to 
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
     is not subject to requirements of Section 12(d) of the 
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 
note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent 
with the CAA; and
     does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to 
address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental 
effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under 
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
    In addition, this rule does not have tribal implications as 
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), 
because the SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in 
the state, and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct 
costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law.

B. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General

    The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally 
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating 
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, 
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the 
United States. EPA will submit a report containing this action and 
other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of 
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior 
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot 
take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal 
Register. This action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 
804(2).

C. Petitions for Judicial Review

    Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review 
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for 
the appropriate circuit by November 24, 2017. Filing a petition for 
reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect 
the finality of this action for the purposes of judicial review nor 
does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may 
be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such rule or 
action. Parties with objections to this direct final rule are 
encouraged to file a comment in response to the parallel notice of 
proposed rulemaking for this action published in the proposed rules 
section of this Federal Register, rather than file an immediate 
petition for judicial review of this direct final rule, so that EPA can 
withdraw this direct final rule and address the comment in the proposed 
rulemaking action.
    This action approving Maryland's 2011 base year inventory for the 
2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS for the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia-
Wilmington-Atlantic City nonattainment area may not be challenged later 
in proceedings to enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).)

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by 
reference, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Volatile organic compounds.

    Dated: September 8, 2017.
Cecil Rodrigues,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region III.

    40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:

PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

0
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.

Subpart V--Maryland

0
2. In Sec.  52.1070, the table in paragraph (e) is amended by adding an 
entry for ``2011 Base Year Inventory for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National 
Ambient Air Quality Standard'' at the end of the table to read as 
follows:


Sec.  52.1070  Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (e) * * *

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Name of non-regulatory SIP     Applicable geographic       State                              Additional
            revision                      area           submittal date  EPA approval date       explanation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
2011 Base Year Inventory for     Maryland portion of         01/19/2017  09/25/2017,        Sec.   52.1075(q).
 the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National   the Philadelphia-                       [Insert Federal
 Ambient Air Quality Standard.    Wilmington-Atlantic                     Register
                                  City, PA-NJ-DE-MD                       citation].
                                  2008 ozone
                                  nonattainment area.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
3. Section 52.1075 is amended by adding paragraph (q) to read as 
follows:


Sec.  52.1075  Base year emissions inventory.

* * * * *
    (q) EPA approves, as a revision to the Maryland state 
implementation plan the

[[Page 44525]]

2011 base year emissions inventory for the Maryland portion of the 
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City marginal nonattainment area for 
the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards submitted 
by the Maryland Department of the Environment on January 19, 2017, as 
amended July 20, 2017. The 2011 base year emissions inventory includes 
emissions estimates that cover the general source categories of 
stationary point, area (nonpoint), nonroad mobile, onroad mobile, and 
Marine-Air-Rail (M-A-R). The inventory included actual annual emissions 
and typical summer day emissions for the months of May through 
September for the ozone precursors, VOC and NOX.

[FR Doc. 2017-20324 Filed 9-22-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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