Contingency Measures for the 1997 PM2.5, 48944-48947 [2017-22870]
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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 Order 12866 (58 FR 51735,
October 4, 1993)) and 13563 (76 FR
3821, January 21, 2011);
• is not an Executive Order 13771 (82
FR 9339, February 2, 2017) regulatory
action because SIP approvals are
exempted under Executive Order 12866
• 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 (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, the SIP is not approved to
apply on any Indian reservation land or
in any other area where EPA or an
Indian tribe has demonstrated that a
tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of
Indian country, the rule does not have
tribal implications and will not impose
substantial direct costs on tribal
governments or preempt tribal law as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65
FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Sulfur oxides, Reporting recordkeeping
requirements.
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Dated: September 29, 2017.
Catherine R. McCabe,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 2.
[FR Doc. 2017–22365 Filed 10–20–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R09–OAR–2017–0580; FRL–9969–81–
Region 9]
Contingency Measures for the 1997
PM2.5 Standards; California; San
Joaquin Valley; Correction of
Deficiency
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine
that the deficiency that formed the basis
for a disapproval of the contingency
measures submitted for the San Joaquin
Valley nonattainment area for the 1997
fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national
ambient air quality standards has been
corrected. The proposed determination
is based on the Agency’s approval of
revisions to the California State
Implementation Plan that include
regulations establishing standards and
other requirements relating to the
control of emissions from new on-road
and new and in-use off-road vehicles
and engines and a finding that the
purposes of the contingency measure
requirement, as applicable to the San
Joaquin Valley based on its initial
designation as a nonattainment area for
the 1997 PM2.5 standards, have been
fulfilled. If finalized as proposed, the
sanctions clocks triggered by the
disapproval will be permanently
stopped.
SUMMARY:
Any comments must arrive by
November 22, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by docket number EPA–R09–
OAR–2017–0580 at https://
www.regulations.gov, or via email to
Rory Mays at mays.rory@epa.gov.
Follow the online instructions for
submitting comments. Once submitted,
comments cannot be edited or removed
from Regulations.gov. For either manner
of submission, the 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
DATES:
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accompanied by a written comment.
The written comment is considered the
official comment and should include
discussion of all points you wish to
make. The 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: Rory
Mays, EPA Region IX, (415) 972–3227,
mays.rory@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document, whenever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
the EPA.
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Proposed Determination and Termination
of Sanctions
III. Request for Public Comment
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
Under sections 108 and 109 of the
Clean Air Act (CAA or ‘‘Act’’), the EPA
establishes national ambient air quality
standards (NAAQS). Over the years, the
EPA has established NAAQS for
particulate matter, ozone, carbon
monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, and
sulfur dioxide. Under CAA section 110,
each state must adopt and submit state
implementation plans (SIPs) to
implement, maintain, and enforce the
NAAQS within such state. Under CAA
section 107, the EPA designates areas of
the country as ‘‘nonattainment’’ if the
area does not meet a particular NAAQS
or if the area contributes to ambient air
quality in a nearby area that does not
meet the NAAQS. In response to a
nonattainment designation, states must
revise their SIPs to provide for, among
other things, reasonable further progress
(RFP), attainment by the most
expeditious date practicable but no later
than the applicable attainment date, and
contingency measures in the event the
area fails to meet RFP or attainment by
the applicable attainment date. See,
generally, part D of title I of the CAA.
Under CAA section 110(k), the EPA is
charged with review of each SIP and SIP
revision submitted by each state for
compliance with applicable CAA
requirements and for approval or
disapproval (in whole or in part)
through notice-and-comment
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rulemaking published in the Federal
Register.
Under CAA section 179(a),
disapproval of a required SIP or SIP
revision (in whole or in part) triggers a
sanctions clock that runs from the
effective date of the final action. Under
40 CFR 52.31, the offset sanctions in
CAA section 179(b)(2) apply in the
nonattainment area 18 months after the
effective date of the disapproval action,
and the highway sanctions in CAA
section 179(b)(1) apply in the area six
months thereafter, unless the state
submits, and the EPA approves, prior to
the implementation of the sanctions, a
SIP submission that corrects the
deficiencies identified in the
disapproval action.1
On July 18, 1997, the EPA established
new NAAQS for particles less than or
equal to 2.5 micrometers in diameter
(PM2.5), including an annual standard of
15.0 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/
m3) based on a 3-year average of annual
mean PM2.5 concentrations and a 24hour (daily) standard of 65 mg/m3 based
on a 3-year average of 98th percentile
24-hour PM2.5 concentrations.2 PM2.5
can be emitted directly into the
atmosphere as a solid or liquid particle
(primary PM2.5 or direct PM2.5) or can be
formed in the atmosphere as a result of
various chemical reactions from
precursor emissions of nitrogen oxides
(NOX), sulfur oxides (SOX), volatile
organic compounds, and ammonia
(secondary PM2.5).3
Effective April 5, 2005, the EPA
designated the San Joaquin Valley in
California as nonattainment for the 1997
PM2.5 NAAQS.4 The San Joaquin Valley
PM2.5 nonattainment area is located in
the southern half of California’s central
valley and includes all of San Joaquin,
Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno,
1 The offset sanction applies to New Source
Review (NSR) permits for new major stationary
sources or major modifications proposed in a
nonattainment area, and it increases the ratio of
emissions reductions (i.e., offsets) to increased
emissions from the new or modified source, which
must be obtained to receive an NSR permit, to 2 to
1. The highway sanction prohibits, with certain
exceptions, the U.S. Department of Transportation
from approving or funding transportation projects
in a nonattainment area.
2 62 FR 36852 (July 18, 1997) and 40 CFR 50.7.
Effective December 18, 2006, the EPA strengthened
the 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS by lowering the level to
35 mg/m3. 71 FR 61144 (October 17, 2006) and 40
CFR 50.13. Effective March 18, 2013, the EPA
strengthened the primary annual PM2.5 NAAQS by
lowering the level to 12.0 mg/m3. 78 FR 3086
(January 15, 2013) and 40 CFR 50.18. In this
preamble, all references to the PM2.5 NAAQS,
unless otherwise specified, are to the 1997 24-hour
standard (65 mg/m3) and annual standard (15.0
mg/m3) as codified in 40 CFR 50.7.
3 See 72 FR 20586 at 20589 (April 25, 2007).
4 70 FR 944 (January 5, 2005), codified at 40 CFR
81.305.
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Tulare, and Kings counties, and the
valley portion of Kern County.5 The
local air district with primary
responsibility for developing SIPs to
attain the NAAQS in this area is the San
Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution
Control District (SJVUAPCD or District).
Once the District adopts the regional
plan, the District submits the plan to the
California Air Resources Board (CARB)
for adoption as part of the California
SIP. CARB is the state agency
responsible for adopting and revising
the California SIP and for submitting the
SIP and SIP revisions to the EPA.
Between 2007 and 2011, CARB made
six SIP submittals to address
nonattainment area planning
requirements for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS
in the San Joaquin Valley.6 We refer to
these submittals collectively as the
‘‘2008 PM2.5 Plan.’’ On November 9,
2011, the EPA approved all elements of
the 2008 PM2.5 Plan except for the
contingency measures, which the EPA
disapproved for failure to satisfy the
requirements of CAA section 172(c)(9).7
In approving the 2008 PM2.5 Plan (i.e.,
excluding the contingency measures),
we approved an attainment date of April
5, 2015, but the plan provided a
demonstration of attainment in 2014
(i.e., the calendar year prior to the
attainment date), and thus we refer to
2014 as the attainment year.8
Section 172(c)(9) requires states with
nonattainment areas to revise the SIP to
provide for the implementation of
specific measures to be undertaken if
the area fails to meet RFP or fails to
attain the NAAQS by the applicable
attainment date. As the EPA has
explained in guidance to the states
regarding the contingency measure
requirements in section 172(c)(9),
contingency measures should, at a
minimum, ensure that an appropriate
level of emission reduction progress
continues to be made if attainment or
RFP is not achieved and additional
planning by the state is needed.9 The
purpose of such measures is to provide
a cushion of emissions reductions while
5 For a precise description of the geographic
boundaries of the San Joaquin Valley nonattainment
area, see 40 CFR 81.305.
6 76 FR 69896 at n.2 (November 9, 2011) (final
action on 2008 PM2.5 Plan).
7 Id., at 69924.
8 In connection with the motor vehicle emissions
budgets (MVEBs) developed for the plan, the EPA
approved a trading ratio of 9 tons per day (tpd) of
NOX to 1 tpd of direct PM2.5. See 76 FR 41338, at
41361 (July 13, 2011) (proposed rule); and 76 FR
69896, at 69924 (November 9, 2011) (final rule).
Later in this document, we rely on the trading ratio
to determine that post-2014 attainment year
emissions reductions from mobile sources are
equivalent to approximately one year’s worth of
RFP with respect to direct PM2.5 emissions.
9 57 FR 13498, at 13511 (April 16, 1992).
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the plan is being revised to meet the
missed milestone.10 The contingency
measures are to be implemented in the
event that the area does not meet RFP
or attain the NAAQS by the attainment
date, and should represent a portion of
the actual emission reductions
necessary to bring about attainment in
the area.11 Accordingly, the EPA has
recommended that the emission
reductions anticipated by the
contingency measures should be equal
to approximately one year’s worth of
emission reductions needed to achieve
RFP for the area.12
The contingency measure element of
the 2008 PM2.5 Plan included several
different types of measures including a
new commitment to an action by the
District, surplus reductions in the RFP
demonstration, post-2014 emissions
reductions, contingency provisions in
an adopted rule, reductions from
incentive funds, and reductions from
specifically-identified implemented
rules that were not otherwise relied on
in the attainment and RFP
demonstrations.13
We disapproved the contingency
measure element of the 2008 PM2.5 Plan
because the submittal failed to meet the
requirements of section 172(c)(9)
because, while some of the individual
measures appeared to have merit for
contingency measure purposes, the plan
failed to provide sufficient information
for the EPA to determine whether the
emissions reductions from those
individual measures that were
creditable for contingency measure
purposes provided for roughly one
year’s worth of RFP in excess of the
2012 RFP milestone target or in the year
following the 2014 attainment year.14
More specifically, based on the
emissions estimates in the 2008 PM2.5
Plan, one year’s worth of RFP was
calculated to be 31.6 tons per day (tpd)
of NOX, 2.5 tpd of direct PM2.5, and 0.2
tpd of SOX. While the plan provided
sufficient information with respect to
SOX, the plan did not provide sufficient
10 72
FR 20586, at 20642–20643 (April 25, 2007).
at 20643.
12 Id., and 59 FR 41998, at 42014–42015 (August
16, 1994).
13 See section 9.2 (‘‘Contingency Measures’’) in
the 2008 PM2.5 Plan; EPA Region 9, Technical
Support Document (TSD) and Responses to
Comments, Final Rule on the San Joaquin Valley
2008 PM2.5 State Implementation Plan, September
30, 2011, pages 126–136.
14 One year’s worth of RFP is the yardstick the
EPA has cited historically as the approximate
quantity of emissions reductions that contingency
measures must provide to satisfy CAA section
172(c)(9). See the EPA’s September 30, 2011 TSD,
pages 133–134.
11 Id.,
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information with respect to NOX and
direct PM2.5.15
Several environmental and
community organizations filed a
petition for review challenging the
EPA’s November 9, 2011 approval of the
attainment demonstration and
reasonable further progress (RFP)
demonstrations in the 2008 PM2.5 Plan,
arguing, among other things, that the
2008 PM2.5 Plan had calculated the
necessary emissions reductions and
forecasts in part based on state-adopted
mobile source measures that were not
themselves incorporated into the
federally enforceable plan, in violation
of the CAA. The court case is known as
Committee for a Better Arvin v. EPA,
Case No. 11–73924 (9th Cir.). At that
time, the EPA’s longstanding and
consistent practice had been to allow
California SIPs to rely on emission
reduction credit for state mobile source
rules waived or authorized by the EPA
under section 209 of the Act (‘‘waiver
measures’’) to meet certain SIP
requirements, including RFP,
attainment and contingency measures,
without requiring approval of those
control measures into the SIP under
section 110 of the Act.
On July 3, 2013, CARB made a new
submittal to meet the contingency
measure requirements for the 1997
PM2.5 NAAQS in the San Joaquin Valley
(‘‘2013 Contingency Measure SIP’’) and
to correct the deficiencies identified in
the EPA’s November 2011 action
disapproving the contingency measure
element of the 2008 PM2.5 Plan.16 The
2013 Contingency Measure SIP
contained the District’s demonstration
that actual emission levels in the San
Joaquin Valley in 2012 were below the
milestone year targets identified in the
2008 PM2.5 Plan that had been approved
by the EPA for the 2012 RFP year, and
identified contingency measures that
provided 2015 (i.e., post-2014
attainment year) emission reductions
not relied on for RFP or attainment that
were equivalent to one year’s worth of
RFP. The specific measures that were
relied upon included CARB’s mobile
source measures, the District’s
residential wood burning control
measure (District Rule 4901), the
District’s implementation of incentive
programs, and substitution of surplus
direct PM2.5 reductions for NOX
reductions.17 CARB’s mobile source
15 See Table 10 on page 41359 of the EPA’s
proposed action on the 2008 PM2.5 Plan at 76 FR
41338 (July 13, 2011).
16 78 FR 53313 at 53115–53116 (August 28, 2013)
(proposed action on the 2013 Contingency Measure
SIP).
17 SJVUAPCD, ‘‘Quantification of Contingency
Reductions for the 2008 PM2.5 Plan,’’ June 30, 2013.
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measures (and associated vehicle fleet
turnover) were credited with providing
65 percent of the contingency-related
emissions reductions in 2015 for NOX.
The District’s residential wood burning
control measure, implementation of
incentive measures, and substitution
ratio were credited as providing the rest
of the emissions reductions needed for
NOX and the necessary quantity of
reductions for direct PM2.5.
On May 22, 2014, the EPA fully
approved the 2013 Contingency
Measure SIP based on the Agency’s
conclusion that the SIP submittal
corrected the outstanding deficiencies
in the CAA section 172(c)(9)
contingency measures for the 1997
PM2.5 NAAQS.18 In its May 22, 2014
final action on the 2013 Contingency
Measure SIP, the EPA determined that
the requirement for contingency
measures for failure to meet RFP
requirements was moot because the
District had already met the RFP
requirements relevant to the 2008 PM2.5
Plan by the time of EPA’s May 22, 2014
action.19 With respect to the
requirement for contingency measures
for failure to attain, the EPA determined
that CARB’s continuing implementation
of the mobile source control measures in
2015, together with other fully-adopted
measures implemented by the District in
the same timeframe, would provide for
an appropriate level of continued
emission reduction progress should the
San Joaquin Valley fail to attain the
1997 PM2.5 NAAQS by the applicable
attainment date, thereby meeting the
requirement for contingency measures
for failure to attain.20
At the time of the EPA’s 2014 action,
there was not yet a decision in the
Committee for a Better Arvin v. EPA
challenge to our 2011 approval.
Environmental and community
organizations filed a petition for review
of the EPA’s May 22, 2014 action on the
2013 Contingency Measure SIP. They
again argued that the EPA violated the
CAA by approving that submittal even
though it did not include the waiver
measures on which it relied to achieve
the necessary emissions reductions to
meet contingency measure
requirements.21
On May 20, 2015, the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued its
decision in Committee for a Better Arvin
v. EPA. The court held that the EPA
violated the CAA by approving the 2008
18 79
FR 29327 (May 22, 2014) (final action on the
2013 Contingency Measure SIP).
19 79 FR 29327 at 29350.
20 78 FR 53113 at 53123 and 79 FR 29327 at
29350.
21 Medical Advocates for Healthy Air v. EPA, Case
No. 14–72219 (9th Cir.).
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PM2.5 Plan even though the SIP did not
include the waiver measures on which
the plan relied to achieve its emission
reduction goals.22 The court rejected the
EPA’s arguments supporting the
Agency’s longstanding practice, finding
that section 110(a)(2)(A) of the Act
plainly mandates that all control
measures on which states rely to attain
the NAAQS must be ‘‘included’’ in the
SIP and subject to enforcement by the
EPA and citizens. The court remanded
the EPA’s November 9, 2011 action for
further proceedings consistent with the
decision.
On June 10, 2015, the EPA filed an
unopposed motion for voluntary
remand of the May 22, 2014 final rule
without vacatur based, inter alia, on the
Agency’s substantial and legitimate
need to reexamine this rulemaking in
light of the Ninth Circuit’s May 20, 2015
decision in Committee for a Better
Arvin. On June 15, 2015, the Ninth
Circuit granted the EPA’s motion and
remanded the final rule to the EPA.23
On remand, consistent with the
court’s ruling in Committee for a Better
Arvin, we withdrew our May 22, 2014
approval of the 2013 Contingency
Measure SIP because it was predicated
on an interpretation of the CAA that the
Court rejected as being inconsistent
with the CAA.24 In that same action, we
disapproved the 2013 Contingency
Measure SIP for failure to satisfy the
requirements of section 179(c)(9) of the
Act because of the reliance on California
waiver measures that the EPA had not
approved into the California SIP.25 The
disapproval action became effective on
June 13, 2016 and started a sanctions
clock for imposition of offset sanctions
18 months after June 13, 2016 and
highway sanctions 6 months later,
pursuant to CAA section 179 and our
regulations at 40 CFR 52.31. As a result,
offset sanctions would apply on
December 13, 2017 and highway
sanctions would apply on June 13, 2018,
unless the EPA were to determine that
the deficiency forming the basis of the
disapproval has been corrected.
On August 14, 2015, CARB submitted
a SIP revision consisting of certain state
regulations establishing standards and
other requirements relating to the
control of emissions from new on-road
and new and in-use off-road vehicles
and engines. The regulations submitted
on August 14, 2015 had previously been
22 Committee for a Better Arvin v. EPA, 786 F.3d
1169 (9th Cir. 2015) (‘‘Committee for a Better
Arvin’’) (partially granting and partially denying
petition for review).
23 Medical Advocates for Healthy Air v. EPA, Case
No. 14–72219 (9th Cir.), Order, Docket Entry 30.
24 81 FR 29498 (May 12, 2016).
25 Id., at 29500.
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issued waivers or had been authorized
by the EPA under CAA section 209, and
constitute the ‘‘waiver measures’’ relied
upon in California air quality plans to
reduce emissions and meet various
nonattainment area requirements, such
as RFP, attainment, and contingency
measures. The regulations cover a wide
range of mobile sources, including onroad passenger cars, trucks, and
motorcycles; in-use transport
refrigeration units, off-road diesel-fueled
fleets, and portable diesel-fueled
engines; commercial harbor craft,
auxiliary diesel engines on ocean-going
vessels, and spark-ignition marine
engines and boats; off-road large sparkignition and compression-ignition
engines; and mobile cargo handling
equipment, small off-road engines, and
off-highway recreational vehicles and
engines.26 On June 16, 2016, the EPA
took final action to approve the mobile
source regulations and incorporate them
as part of the federally-enforceable
California SIP.27 Since the 2014
attainment year, the waiver measures
and related vehicle fleet turnover have
reduced emissions from mobile sources
in the San Joaquin Valley by 44.5 tpd of
NOX and 1.5 tpd of direct PM2.5.28
II. Proposed Determination and
Termination of Sanctions
The EPA’s approval into the SIP of the
comprehensive set of California waiver
measures on June 16, 2016 as described
above addresses the specific deficiency
that formed the basis of our May 12,
2016 disapproval of the 2013
Contingency Measure SIP. In addition,
the emissions reductions from the SIPapproved waiver measures have
achieved post-attainment year emission
reductions equivalent to approximately
one year’s worth of RFP as calculated
for the 2008 PM2.5 Plan,29 and are
26 81
FR 39424, at 39424–39428 (June 16, 2016).
FR 39424 (June 16, 2016). Later in 2016,
CARB submitted a second set of mobile source
regulations waived or authorized by the EPA under
CAA section 209, including regulations establish
new or revised standards and other requirements
relating to the control of emissions from such
sources as on-road heavy-duty trucks, off-road large
spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines,
and small off-road engines. The EPA recently took
final action to approve CARB’s second set of mobile
source regulations as a revision to the California
SIP. 82 FR 1446 (March 21, 2017).
28 Emissions projections for the San Joaquin
Valley were made using CARB’s criteria emissions
model, ‘‘CEPAM: 2016 SIP—Standard Emission
Tool,’’ for years 2014 and 2017 using a base year
of 2012, reflecting growth and control factors, and
representing tpd on an annual average basis.
29 Emissions reductions of NO exceed those
X
necessary for NOX for contingency measures
purposes (44.5 tpd achieved ¥ 31.6 tpd needed)
and provide excess emissions reductions sufficient
to cover the shortfall of 1.0 tpd of direct PM2.5 (2.5
tpd needed ¥ 1.5 tpd achieved) by applying the
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thereby providing for sufficient progress
towards attainment of the 1997 PM2.5
standards while a new attainment plan
is being prepared.30 Therefore, we find
that the purpose of the contingency
measure requirement, as applicable to
the San Joaquin Valley based on the
area’s designation in 2005 for the 1997
PM2.5 NAAQS, have been fulfilled.
Accordingly, we are proposing to
determine that the deficiency that
formed the basis for the disapproval of
the 2013 Contingency Measure SIP has
been corrected. If finalized as proposed,
the determination would permanently
stop the sanctions clocks triggered by
the disapproval. See CAA section 179(a)
and 40 CFR 52.31(d)(5).
III. Request for Public Comment
For the next 30 days, we will accept
comments from the public on this
proposal to determine that the
deficiency that formed the basis of our
disapproval of the 2013 Contingency
Measure SIP has been corrected by the
approval of the waiver measures as a
revision to the California SIP and the
finding that the waiver measures have
achieved post-2014 attainment year
emissions reductions sufficient to fulfill
the purposes of the contingency
measure requirement in CAA section
172(c)(9). The deadline and instructions
for submission of comments are
provided in the DATES and ADDRESSES
sections at the beginning of this
preamble.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
This proposed action makes a
determination that a deficiency that is
the basis for sanctions has been
corrected and imposes no additional
requirements. For that reason, this
proposed action:
• Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory
action’’ subject to review by the Office
of Management and Budget under
Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735,
October 4, 1993);
• Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82
FR 9339, February 2, 2017) regulatory
action because SIP approvals are
exempted under Executive Order 12866;
• Does not impose an information
collection burden under the provisions
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
trading ratio of 9 tpd of NOX to 1 tpd of direct PM2.5
that the EPA approved for the MVEBs in the 2008
PM2.5 Plan.
30 In response to the EPA’s determination of
failure to attain the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS, 81 FR
84481 (November 23, 2016), the District and CARB
are preparing a new attainment demonstration with
new contingency measures for the 1997 PM2.5
NAAQS for the San Joaquin Valley.
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 9990
48947
• 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 the EPA with the
discretionary authority to address
disproportionate human health or
environmental effects with practical,
appropriate, and legally permissible
methods under Executive Order 12898
(59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
In addition, this proposed action does
not have Tribal implications as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65
FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because
it will not have a substantial direct
effect on one or more Indian tribes, on
the relationship between the federal
government and Indian tribes, or on the
distribution of power and
responsibilities between the federal
government and Indian tribes, as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65
FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Nitrogen oxides, Sulfur oxides,
Particulate matter.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: October 10, 2017.
Douglas Luehe,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2017–22870 Filed 10–20–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
E:\FR\FM\23OCP1.SGM
23OCP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 203 (Monday, October 23, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48944-48947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-22870]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R09-OAR-2017-0580; FRL-9969-81-Region 9]
Contingency Measures for the 1997 PM2.5 Standards; California;
San Joaquin Valley; Correction of Deficiency
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to
determine that the deficiency that formed the basis for a disapproval
of the contingency measures submitted for the San Joaquin Valley
nonattainment area for the 1997 fine particulate matter
(PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards has been
corrected. The proposed determination is based on the Agency's approval
of revisions to the California State Implementation Plan that include
regulations establishing standards and other requirements relating to
the control of emissions from new on-road and new and in-use off-road
vehicles and engines and a finding that the purposes of the contingency
measure requirement, as applicable to the San Joaquin Valley based on
its initial designation as a nonattainment area for the 1997
PM2.5 standards, have been fulfilled. If finalized as
proposed, the sanctions clocks triggered by the disapproval will be
permanently stopped.
DATES: Any comments must arrive by November 22, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket number EPA-R09-
OAR-2017-0580 at https://www.regulations.gov, or via email to Rory Mays
at [email protected]. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from
Regulations.gov. For either manner of submission, the 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. The 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: Rory Mays, EPA Region IX, (415) 972-
3227, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean the EPA.
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Proposed Determination and Termination of Sanctions
III. Request for Public Comment
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
Under sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air Act (CAA or ``Act''),
the EPA establishes national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).
Over the years, the EPA has established NAAQS for particulate matter,
ozone, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide.
Under CAA section 110, each state must adopt and submit state
implementation plans (SIPs) to implement, maintain, and enforce the
NAAQS within such state. Under CAA section 107, the EPA designates
areas of the country as ``nonattainment'' if the area does not meet a
particular NAAQS or if the area contributes to ambient air quality in a
nearby area that does not meet the NAAQS. In response to a
nonattainment designation, states must revise their SIPs to provide
for, among other things, reasonable further progress (RFP), attainment
by the most expeditious date practicable but no later than the
applicable attainment date, and contingency measures in the event the
area fails to meet RFP or attainment by the applicable attainment date.
See, generally, part D of title I of the CAA. Under CAA section 110(k),
the EPA is charged with review of each SIP and SIP revision submitted
by each state for compliance with applicable CAA requirements and for
approval or disapproval (in whole or in part) through notice-and-
comment
[[Page 48945]]
rulemaking published in the Federal Register.
Under CAA section 179(a), disapproval of a required SIP or SIP
revision (in whole or in part) triggers a sanctions clock that runs
from the effective date of the final action. Under 40 CFR 52.31, the
offset sanctions in CAA section 179(b)(2) apply in the nonattainment
area 18 months after the effective date of the disapproval action, and
the highway sanctions in CAA section 179(b)(1) apply in the area six
months thereafter, unless the state submits, and the EPA approves,
prior to the implementation of the sanctions, a SIP submission that
corrects the deficiencies identified in the disapproval action.\1\
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\1\ The offset sanction applies to New Source Review (NSR)
permits for new major stationary sources or major modifications
proposed in a nonattainment area, and it increases the ratio of
emissions reductions (i.e., offsets) to increased emissions from the
new or modified source, which must be obtained to receive an NSR
permit, to 2 to 1. The highway sanction prohibits, with certain
exceptions, the U.S. Department of Transportation from approving or
funding transportation projects in a nonattainment area.
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On July 18, 1997, the EPA established new NAAQS for particles less
than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5),
including an annual standard of 15.0 micrograms per cubic meter ([mu]g/
m\3\) based on a 3-year average of annual mean PM2.5
concentrations and a 24-hour (daily) standard of 65 [mu]g/m\3\ based on
a 3-year average of 98th percentile 24-hour PM2.5
concentrations.\2\ PM2.5 can be emitted directly into the
atmosphere as a solid or liquid particle (primary PM2.5 or
direct PM2.5) or can be formed in the atmosphere as a result
of various chemical reactions from precursor emissions of nitrogen
oxides (NOX), sulfur oxides (SOX), volatile
organic compounds, and ammonia (secondary PM2.5).\3\
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\2\ 62 FR 36852 (July 18, 1997) and 40 CFR 50.7. Effective
December 18, 2006, the EPA strengthened the 24-hour PM2.5
NAAQS by lowering the level to 35 [mu]g/m\3\. 71 FR 61144 (October
17, 2006) and 40 CFR 50.13. Effective March 18, 2013, the EPA
strengthened the primary annual PM2.5 NAAQS by lowering
the level to 12.0 [mu]g/m\3\. 78 FR 3086 (January 15, 2013) and 40
CFR 50.18. In this preamble, all references to the PM2.5
NAAQS, unless otherwise specified, are to the 1997 24-hour standard
(65 [mu]g/m\3\) and annual standard (15.0 [mu]g/m\3\) as codified in
40 CFR 50.7.
\3\ See 72 FR 20586 at 20589 (April 25, 2007).
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Effective April 5, 2005, the EPA designated the San Joaquin Valley
in California as nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS.\4\
The San Joaquin Valley PM2.5 nonattainment area is located
in the southern half of California's central valley and includes all of
San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kings
counties, and the valley portion of Kern County.\5\ The local air
district with primary responsibility for developing SIPs to attain the
NAAQS in this area is the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution
Control District (SJVUAPCD or District). Once the District adopts the
regional plan, the District submits the plan to the California Air
Resources Board (CARB) for adoption as part of the California SIP. CARB
is the state agency responsible for adopting and revising the
California SIP and for submitting the SIP and SIP revisions to the EPA.
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\4\ 70 FR 944 (January 5, 2005), codified at 40 CFR 81.305.
\5\ For a precise description of the geographic boundaries of
the San Joaquin Valley nonattainment area, see 40 CFR 81.305.
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Between 2007 and 2011, CARB made six SIP submittals to address
nonattainment area planning requirements for the 1997 PM2.5
NAAQS in the San Joaquin Valley.\6\ We refer to these submittals
collectively as the ``2008 PM2.5 Plan.'' On November 9,
2011, the EPA approved all elements of the 2008 PM2.5 Plan
except for the contingency measures, which the EPA disapproved for
failure to satisfy the requirements of CAA section 172(c)(9).\7\ In
approving the 2008 PM2.5 Plan (i.e., excluding the
contingency measures), we approved an attainment date of April 5, 2015,
but the plan provided a demonstration of attainment in 2014 (i.e., the
calendar year prior to the attainment date), and thus we refer to 2014
as the attainment year.\8\
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\6\ 76 FR 69896 at n.2 (November 9, 2011) (final action on 2008
PM2.5 Plan).
\7\ Id., at 69924.
\8\ In connection with the motor vehicle emissions budgets
(MVEBs) developed for the plan, the EPA approved a trading ratio of
9 tons per day (tpd) of NOX to 1 tpd of direct
PM2.5. See 76 FR 41338, at 41361 (July 13, 2011)
(proposed rule); and 76 FR 69896, at 69924 (November 9, 2011) (final
rule). Later in this document, we rely on the trading ratio to
determine that post-2014 attainment year emissions reductions from
mobile sources are equivalent to approximately one year's worth of
RFP with respect to direct PM2.5 emissions.
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Section 172(c)(9) requires states with nonattainment areas to
revise the SIP to provide for the implementation of specific measures
to be undertaken if the area fails to meet RFP or fails to attain the
NAAQS by the applicable attainment date. As the EPA has explained in
guidance to the states regarding the contingency measure requirements
in section 172(c)(9), contingency measures should, at a minimum, ensure
that an appropriate level of emission reduction progress continues to
be made if attainment or RFP is not achieved and additional planning by
the state is needed.\9\ The purpose of such measures is to provide a
cushion of emissions reductions while the plan is being revised to meet
the missed milestone.\10\ The contingency measures are to be
implemented in the event that the area does not meet RFP or attain the
NAAQS by the attainment date, and should represent a portion of the
actual emission reductions necessary to bring about attainment in the
area.\11\ Accordingly, the EPA has recommended that the emission
reductions anticipated by the contingency measures should be equal to
approximately one year's worth of emission reductions needed to achieve
RFP for the area.\12\
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\9\ 57 FR 13498, at 13511 (April 16, 1992).
\10\ 72 FR 20586, at 20642-20643 (April 25, 2007).
\11\ Id., at 20643.
\12\ Id., and 59 FR 41998, at 42014-42015 (August 16, 1994).
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The contingency measure element of the 2008 PM2.5 Plan
included several different types of measures including a new commitment
to an action by the District, surplus reductions in the RFP
demonstration, post-2014 emissions reductions, contingency provisions
in an adopted rule, reductions from incentive funds, and reductions
from specifically-identified implemented rules that were not otherwise
relied on in the attainment and RFP demonstrations.\13\
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\13\ See section 9.2 (``Contingency Measures'') in the 2008
PM2.5 Plan; EPA Region 9, Technical Support Document
(TSD) and Responses to Comments, Final Rule on the San Joaquin
Valley 2008 PM2.5 State Implementation Plan, September
30, 2011, pages 126-136.
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We disapproved the contingency measure element of the 2008
PM2.5 Plan because the submittal failed to meet the
requirements of section 172(c)(9) because, while some of the individual
measures appeared to have merit for contingency measure purposes, the
plan failed to provide sufficient information for the EPA to determine
whether the emissions reductions from those individual measures that
were creditable for contingency measure purposes provided for roughly
one year's worth of RFP in excess of the 2012 RFP milestone target or
in the year following the 2014 attainment year.\14\ More specifically,
based on the emissions estimates in the 2008 PM2.5 Plan, one
year's worth of RFP was calculated to be 31.6 tons per day (tpd) of
NOX, 2.5 tpd of direct PM2.5, and 0.2 tpd of
SOX. While the plan provided sufficient information with
respect to SOX, the plan did not provide sufficient
[[Page 48946]]
information with respect to NOX and direct
PM2.5.\15\
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\14\ One year's worth of RFP is the yardstick the EPA has cited
historically as the approximate quantity of emissions reductions
that contingency measures must provide to satisfy CAA section
172(c)(9). See the EPA's September 30, 2011 TSD, pages 133-134.
\15\ See Table 10 on page 41359 of the EPA's proposed action on
the 2008 PM2.5 Plan at 76 FR 41338 (July 13, 2011).
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Several environmental and community organizations filed a petition
for review challenging the EPA's November 9, 2011 approval of the
attainment demonstration and reasonable further progress (RFP)
demonstrations in the 2008 PM2.5 Plan, arguing, among other
things, that the 2008 PM2.5 Plan had calculated the
necessary emissions reductions and forecasts in part based on state-
adopted mobile source measures that were not themselves incorporated
into the federally enforceable plan, in violation of the CAA. The court
case is known as Committee for a Better Arvin v. EPA, Case No. 11-73924
(9th Cir.). At that time, the EPA's longstanding and consistent
practice had been to allow California SIPs to rely on emission
reduction credit for state mobile source rules waived or authorized by
the EPA under section 209 of the Act (``waiver measures'') to meet
certain SIP requirements, including RFP, attainment and contingency
measures, without requiring approval of those control measures into the
SIP under section 110 of the Act.
On July 3, 2013, CARB made a new submittal to meet the contingency
measure requirements for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS in the San
Joaquin Valley (``2013 Contingency Measure SIP'') and to correct the
deficiencies identified in the EPA's November 2011 action disapproving
the contingency measure element of the 2008 PM2.5 Plan.\16\
The 2013 Contingency Measure SIP contained the District's demonstration
that actual emission levels in the San Joaquin Valley in 2012 were
below the milestone year targets identified in the 2008
PM2.5 Plan that had been approved by the EPA for the 2012
RFP year, and identified contingency measures that provided 2015 (i.e.,
post-2014 attainment year) emission reductions not relied on for RFP or
attainment that were equivalent to one year's worth of RFP. The
specific measures that were relied upon included CARB's mobile source
measures, the District's residential wood burning control measure
(District Rule 4901), the District's implementation of incentive
programs, and substitution of surplus direct PM2.5
reductions for NOX reductions.\17\ CARB's mobile source
measures (and associated vehicle fleet turnover) were credited with
providing 65 percent of the contingency-related emissions reductions in
2015 for NOX. The District's residential wood burning
control measure, implementation of incentive measures, and substitution
ratio were credited as providing the rest of the emissions reductions
needed for NOX and the necessary quantity of reductions for
direct PM2.5.
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\16\ 78 FR 53313 at 53115-53116 (August 28, 2013) (proposed
action on the 2013 Contingency Measure SIP).
\17\ SJVUAPCD, ``Quantification of Contingency Reductions for
the 2008 PM2.5 Plan,'' June 30, 2013.
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On May 22, 2014, the EPA fully approved the 2013 Contingency
Measure SIP based on the Agency's conclusion that the SIP submittal
corrected the outstanding deficiencies in the CAA section 172(c)(9)
contingency measures for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS.\18\ In its
May 22, 2014 final action on the 2013 Contingency Measure SIP, the EPA
determined that the requirement for contingency measures for failure to
meet RFP requirements was moot because the District had already met the
RFP requirements relevant to the 2008 PM2.5 Plan by the time
of EPA's May 22, 2014 action.\19\ With respect to the requirement for
contingency measures for failure to attain, the EPA determined that
CARB's continuing implementation of the mobile source control measures
in 2015, together with other fully-adopted measures implemented by the
District in the same timeframe, would provide for an appropriate level
of continued emission reduction progress should the San Joaquin Valley
fail to attain the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS by the applicable
attainment date, thereby meeting the requirement for contingency
measures for failure to attain.\20\
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\18\ 79 FR 29327 (May 22, 2014) (final action on the 2013
Contingency Measure SIP).
\19\ 79 FR 29327 at 29350.
\20\ 78 FR 53113 at 53123 and 79 FR 29327 at 29350.
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At the time of the EPA's 2014 action, there was not yet a decision
in the Committee for a Better Arvin v. EPA challenge to our 2011
approval. Environmental and community organizations filed a petition
for review of the EPA's May 22, 2014 action on the 2013 Contingency
Measure SIP. They again argued that the EPA violated the CAA by
approving that submittal even though it did not include the waiver
measures on which it relied to achieve the necessary emissions
reductions to meet contingency measure requirements.\21\
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\21\ Medical Advocates for Healthy Air v. EPA, Case No. 14-72219
(9th Cir.).
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On May 20, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
issued its decision in Committee for a Better Arvin v. EPA. The court
held that the EPA violated the CAA by approving the 2008
PM2.5 Plan even though the SIP did not include the waiver
measures on which the plan relied to achieve its emission reduction
goals.\22\ The court rejected the EPA's arguments supporting the
Agency's longstanding practice, finding that section 110(a)(2)(A) of
the Act plainly mandates that all control measures on which states rely
to attain the NAAQS must be ``included'' in the SIP and subject to
enforcement by the EPA and citizens. The court remanded the EPA's
November 9, 2011 action for further proceedings consistent with the
decision.
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\22\ Committee for a Better Arvin v. EPA, 786 F.3d 1169 (9th
Cir. 2015) (``Committee for a Better Arvin'') (partially granting
and partially denying petition for review).
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On June 10, 2015, the EPA filed an unopposed motion for voluntary
remand of the May 22, 2014 final rule without vacatur based, inter
alia, on the Agency's substantial and legitimate need to reexamine this
rulemaking in light of the Ninth Circuit's May 20, 2015 decision in
Committee for a Better Arvin. On June 15, 2015, the Ninth Circuit
granted the EPA's motion and remanded the final rule to the EPA.\23\
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\23\ Medical Advocates for Healthy Air v. EPA, Case No. 14-72219
(9th Cir.), Order, Docket Entry 30.
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On remand, consistent with the court's ruling in Committee for a
Better Arvin, we withdrew our May 22, 2014 approval of the 2013
Contingency Measure SIP because it was predicated on an interpretation
of the CAA that the Court rejected as being inconsistent with the
CAA.\24\ In that same action, we disapproved the 2013 Contingency
Measure SIP for failure to satisfy the requirements of section
179(c)(9) of the Act because of the reliance on California waiver
measures that the EPA had not approved into the California SIP.\25\ The
disapproval action became effective on June 13, 2016 and started a
sanctions clock for imposition of offset sanctions 18 months after June
13, 2016 and highway sanctions 6 months later, pursuant to CAA section
179 and our regulations at 40 CFR 52.31. As a result, offset sanctions
would apply on December 13, 2017 and highway sanctions would apply on
June 13, 2018, unless the EPA were to determine that the deficiency
forming the basis of the disapproval has been corrected.
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\24\ 81 FR 29498 (May 12, 2016).
\25\ Id., at 29500.
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On August 14, 2015, CARB submitted a SIP revision consisting of
certain state regulations establishing standards and other requirements
relating to the control of emissions from new on-road and new and in-
use off-road vehicles and engines. The regulations submitted on August
14, 2015 had previously been
[[Page 48947]]
issued waivers or had been authorized by the EPA under CAA section 209,
and constitute the ``waiver measures'' relied upon in California air
quality plans to reduce emissions and meet various nonattainment area
requirements, such as RFP, attainment, and contingency measures. The
regulations cover a wide range of mobile sources, including on-road
passenger cars, trucks, and motorcycles; in-use transport refrigeration
units, off-road diesel-fueled fleets, and portable diesel-fueled
engines; commercial harbor craft, auxiliary diesel engines on ocean-
going vessels, and spark-ignition marine engines and boats; off-road
large spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines; and mobile cargo
handling equipment, small off-road engines, and off-highway
recreational vehicles and engines.\26\ On June 16, 2016, the EPA took
final action to approve the mobile source regulations and incorporate
them as part of the federally-enforceable California SIP.\27\ Since the
2014 attainment year, the waiver measures and related vehicle fleet
turnover have reduced emissions from mobile sources in the San Joaquin
Valley by 44.5 tpd of NOX and 1.5 tpd of direct
PM2.5.\28\
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\26\ 81 FR 39424, at 39424-39428 (June 16, 2016).
\27\ 81 FR 39424 (June 16, 2016). Later in 2016, CARB submitted
a second set of mobile source regulations waived or authorized by
the EPA under CAA section 209, including regulations establish new
or revised standards and other requirements relating to the control
of emissions from such sources as on-road heavy-duty trucks, off-
road large spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines, and
small off-road engines. The EPA recently took final action to
approve CARB's second set of mobile source regulations as a revision
to the California SIP. 82 FR 1446 (March 21, 2017).
\28\ Emissions projections for the San Joaquin Valley were made
using CARB's criteria emissions model, ``CEPAM: 2016 SIP--Standard
Emission Tool,'' for years 2014 and 2017 using a base year of 2012,
reflecting growth and control factors, and representing tpd on an
annual average basis.
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II. Proposed Determination and Termination of Sanctions
The EPA's approval into the SIP of the comprehensive set of
California waiver measures on June 16, 2016 as described above
addresses the specific deficiency that formed the basis of our May 12,
2016 disapproval of the 2013 Contingency Measure SIP. In addition, the
emissions reductions from the SIP-approved waiver measures have
achieved post-attainment year emission reductions equivalent to
approximately one year's worth of RFP as calculated for the 2008
PM2.5 Plan,\29\ and are thereby providing for sufficient
progress towards attainment of the 1997 PM2.5 standards
while a new attainment plan is being prepared.\30\ Therefore, we find
that the purpose of the contingency measure requirement, as applicable
to the San Joaquin Valley based on the area's designation in 2005 for
the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS, have been fulfilled. Accordingly, we
are proposing to determine that the deficiency that formed the basis
for the disapproval of the 2013 Contingency Measure SIP has been
corrected. If finalized as proposed, the determination would
permanently stop the sanctions clocks triggered by the disapproval. See
CAA section 179(a) and 40 CFR 52.31(d)(5).
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\29\ Emissions reductions of NOX exceed those
necessary for NOX for contingency measures purposes (44.5
tpd achieved - 31.6 tpd needed) and provide excess emissions
reductions sufficient to cover the shortfall of 1.0 tpd of direct
PM2.5 (2.5 tpd needed - 1.5 tpd achieved) by applying the
trading ratio of 9 tpd of NOX to 1 tpd of direct
PM2.5 that the EPA approved for the MVEBs in the 2008
PM2.5 Plan.
\30\ In response to the EPA's determination of failure to attain
the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS, 81 FR 84481 (November 23, 2016),
the District and CARB are preparing a new attainment demonstration
with new contingency measures for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS
for the San Joaquin Valley.
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III. Request for Public Comment
For the next 30 days, we will accept comments from the public on
this proposal to determine that the deficiency that formed the basis of
our disapproval of the 2013 Contingency Measure SIP has been corrected
by the approval of the waiver measures as a revision to the California
SIP and the finding that the waiver measures have achieved post-2014
attainment year emissions reductions sufficient to fulfill the purposes
of the contingency measure requirement in CAA section 172(c)(9). The
deadline and instructions for submission of comments are provided in
the DATES and ADDRESSES sections at the beginning of this preamble.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
This proposed action makes a determination that a deficiency that
is the basis for sanctions has been corrected and imposes no additional
requirements. For that reason, this proposed action:
Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' subject to
review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order
12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993);
Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 2,
2017) regulatory action because SIP approvals are exempted under
Executive Order 12866;
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 the EPA with the discretionary authority
to address disproportionate human health or environmental effects with
practical, appropriate, and legally permissible methods under Executive
Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
In addition, this proposed action does not have Tribal implications
as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000),
because it will not have a substantial direct effect on one or more
Indian tribes, on the relationship between the federal government and
Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities
between the federal government and Indian tribes, as specified by
Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen oxides, Sulfur oxides,
Particulate matter.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: October 10, 2017.
Douglas Luehe,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2017-22870 Filed 10-20-17; 8:45 am]
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