Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Texas; Revisions to Permitting and Public Participation for Air Quality Permit Applications, 6491-6493 [2018-02891]
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daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 14, 2018 / Proposed Rules
security staff in order to gain access to
the meeting room. The REAL ID Act,
passed by Congress in 2005, established
new requirements for entering federal
facilities. These requirements took effect
July 21, 2014. If your driver’s license is
issued by the states of Michigan,
Minnesota, New York, Vermont or
Washington, you must present an
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the federal building where the public
hearing will be held. Acceptable
alternative forms of identification
include: Federal employee badges,
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https://www.dhs.gov/real-idenforcement-brief. In addition, you will
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allowed in the building, and
demonstrations will not be allowed on
federal property for security reasons.
If you would like to present oral
testimony at the hearing, please notify
Ms. Pamela Long, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, OAQPS, Air Quality
Planning Division, (C504–01), Research
Triangle Park, NC 27711, telephone
(919) 541–0641, fax number (919) 541–
5509, email address long.pam@epa.gov,
no later than 4:00 p.m. ET on February
21, 2018. Ms. Long will arrange a
general time slot for you to speak. The
EPA will make every effort to follow the
schedule as closely as possible on the
day of the hearing.
Oral testimony will be limited to 5
minutes for each commenter. The EPA
encourages commenters to provide the
EPA with a copy of their oral testimony
electronically (via email) or in hard
copy form. The EPA will not provide
audiovisual equipment for presentations
unless we receive special requests in
advance. Commenters should notify Ms.
Long if they will need specific
equipment. Commenters should also
notify Ms. Long if they need specific
translation services for non-English
speaking commenters.
The hearing schedule, including the
list of speakers, will be posted on the
EPA’s Web at site https://www.epa.gov/
ozone-pollution/connecticut-126petition prior to the hearing. Verbatim
transcripts of the hearing and written
statements will be included in the
docket for the action.
How can I get copies of this document
and other related information?
The EPA has established a docket for
this action under Docket ID No. EPA–
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HQ–OAR–2016–0347 (available at
https://www.regulations.gov). The EPA
has made available information related
to the proposed action at this website:
https://www.epa.gov/ozone-pollution/
connecticut-126-petition.
Panagiotis E. Tsirigotis,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards.
[FR Doc. 2018–03171 Filed 2–13–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R06–OAR–2017–0124; FRL–9973–
35—Region 6]
Approval and Promulgation of
Implementation Plans; Texas;
Revisions to Permitting and Public
Participation for Air Quality Permit
Applications
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the Federal Clean
Air Act (CAA or the Act), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is proposing to approve four revisions to
the Texas State Implementation Plan
(SIP) on December 12, 2016 and
February 21, 2017, specific to air quality
permitting and public notice for air
quality permit applications.
DATES: Written comments should be
received on or before March 16, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket No. EPA–R06–
OAR–2017–0124, at https://
www.regulations.gov or via email to
wiley.adina@epa.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Once submitted, comments cannot be
edited or removed from Regulations.gov.
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 Adina Wiley, 214–665–2115,
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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wiley.adina@epa.gov. 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/commentingepa-dockets.
Docket: The index to the docket for
this action is available electronically at
www.regulations.gov and in hard copy
at EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue,
Suite 700, Dallas, Texas. While all
documents in the docket are listed in
the index, some information may be
publicly available only at the hard copy
location (e.g., copyrighted material), and
some may not be publicly available at
either location (e.g., CBI).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Adina Wiley, 214–665–2115,
wiley.adina@epa.gov. To inspect the
hard copy materials, please schedule an
appointment with Ms. Adina Wiley or
Mr. Bill Deese at 214–665–7253.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document ‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’
and ‘‘our’’ means the EPA.
I. Background
The Act at Section 110(a)(2)(C)
requires states to develop and submit to
EPA for approval into the SIP,
preconstruction review and permitting
programs applicable to certain new and
modified stationary sources of air
pollutants for attainment and
nonattainment areas that cover both
major and minor new sources and
modifications, collectively referred to as
the NSR SIP. The CAA NSR SIP
program is composed of three separate
programs: Prevention of Significant
Deterioration (PSD), Nonattainment
New Source Review (NNSR), and Minor
NSR. The EPA codified minimum
requirements for these State permitting
programs including public participation
and notification requirements at 40 CFR
51.160–51.164. Requirements specific to
construction of new stationary sources
and major modifications in
nonattainment areas are codified at 40
CFR 51.165 for the NNSR program.
Requirements for permitting of new
stationary sources and major
modifications in attainment areas
subject to PSD, including additional
public participation requirements, are
found at 40 CFR 51.166. This proposed
approval action will address four
separate revisions to the Texas NSR SIP
submitted on December 12, 2016 and
February 21, 2017. On December 12,
2016, the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
submitted a revision to the major NSR
program to remove from the Texas SIP
the Compliance History provisions at 30
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TAC Sections 116.120–116.123, 116.125
and 116.126. On February 21, 2017, the
TCEQ submitted three separate
revisions to the Texas SIP revising the
public notice provisions applicable to
air quality permit applications.
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II. The EPA’s Evaluation
The accompanying Technical Support
Documents for this action include a
detailed analysis of the submitted
revisions to the Texas SIP. In many
instances the revisions are minor or
non-substantive in nature and do not
change the intent of the originally
approved SIP requirements. Following
is a summary of our analysis for the
submitted revisions.
A. Evaluation of the Repeal of Chapter
116 Compliance History Requirements
The Chapter 116 Compliance History
provisions were initially adopted by the
State on June 17, 1998, at 30 TAC
Sections 116.120–116.126. These
revisions were submitted to the EPA as
a SIP revision on July 22, 1998. The EPA
approved these requirements into the
SIP on September 18, 2002 at 67 FR
58697.
The TCEQ repealed the requirements
of 30 TAC Section 116.124 on
September 2, 1999. The EPA approved
this repeal on January 6, 2014 at 79 FR
551. The TCEQ repealed the remaining
provisions at 30 TAC Sections 116.120–
116.123, 116.125 and 116.126 on August
7, 2002 and replaced the requirements
with media neutral compliance history
requirements under 30 TAC Chapter 60
pursuant to the requirements of Texas
House Bill 2912. The TCEQ did not
submit the repeal of 30 TAC Sections
116.120–116.123, 116.125 and 116.126
at the time of the state rulemaking. The
repeal of these requirements was
submitted on December 12, 2016 as Rule
Project Number 2016–028–SIP–NR.
The repeal of the remaining
compliance history provisions at 30
TAC Sections 116.120–116.123, 116.125
and 116.126 is approvable. This repeal
was developed in accordance with the
CAA and the State provided reasonable
notice and public hearing. The repeal of
these provisions will remove obsolete
requirements from the Texas SIP. The
EPA has determined it is appropriate to
approve the repeal and removal of these
provisions from the SIP since there are
no federal requirements to include
comparable provisions in a SIP. This
repeal will have no negative impact on
the Texas New Source Review program
because the SIP-approved permit
programs do not rely on the repealed
Compliance History provisions.
Therefore, we conclude that this repeal
maintains consistency with federal
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requirements for SIP development and
New Source Review permitting, and
therefore, will not interfere with
attainment or reasonable further
progress.
B. Evaluation of the Revisions to Texas
Public Notice Requirements
On February 21, 2017, the TCEQ
submitted three separate revisions to the
Texas SIP revising the public notice
provisions applicable to air quality
permit applications. The revisions to 30
TAC Chapters 39 and 55 submitted
under Rule Project No 2015–018–080–
LS make non-substantive revisions to
the existing SIP requirements. The
revisions to repeal the Chapter 116
public notice provisions submitted
under Rule Project No. 2016–026–116–
AI remove obsolete requirements that
have been replaced with the existing SIP
public notice provisions in Chapter 39.
The revisions to 30 TAC Chapter 39 and
55 submitted under Rule Project No.
2016–030–039–LS substantively revise
the existing public notice SIP
requirements for concrete batch plant
standard permits such that the notice
requirements are consolidated into one
30-day notice period that satisfies the
requirements of minor NSR public
participation. The EPA has determined
it is appropriate to approve these three
revisions to the Texas SIP because these
revisions continue to be consistent with
federal requirements for public notice
and therefore, will not interfere with
attainment or reasonable further
progress.
III. Proposed Action
We are proposing to approve revisions
to the Texas SIP that revise the NSR
permitting and public notice
requirements. We have determined that
the revisions submitted on December
12, 2016 were developed in accordance
with the CAA and EPA’s regulations,
policy and guidance for NSR permitting.
Therefore, under section 110 of the Act,
the EPA proposes approval of the
following revisions to the Texas SIP:
• Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.120—
Applicability—adopted on November 2,
2016, and submitted on December 12,
2016;
• Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.121—
Exemptions—adopted on November 2,
2016, and submitted on December 12,
2016;
• Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.122—
Contents of Compliance History—
adopted on November 2, 2016, and
submitted on December 12, 2016;
• Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.123—
Effective Dates—adopted on November
2, 2016, and submitted on December 12,
2016;
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• Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.125—
Preservation of Existing Rights and
Procedures—adopted on November 2,
2016, and submitted on December 12,
2016; and
• Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.126—
Voidance of Permit Applications—
adopted on November 2, 2016, and
submitted on December 12, 2016.
Additionally, we have determined
that the revisions submitted on February
21, 2017, were developed in accordance
with the CAA and EPA’s regulations,
policy and guidance for public notice
for air permitting. Under section 110 of
the Act, the EPA proposes to approve
the following revisions into the Texas
SIP:
• Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.405
adopted on December 9, 2015, and
submitted on February 21, 2017;
• Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.411
adopted on December 7, 2016, and
submitted on February 21, 2017;
• Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.419
adopted on December 9, 2015, and
submitted on February 21, 2017;
• Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.603
adopted on December 7, 2016, and
submitted on February 21, 2017;
• Revisions to 30 TAC Section 55.152
adopted on December 7, 2016, and
submitted on February 21, 2017;
• Withdrawal of 30 TAC Section
55.156(e) from the Texas SIP as adopted
on December 9, 2015, and submitted on
February 21, 2017; and the
• Repeal of 30 TAC Sections 116.130–
116.134, 116.136, and 116.137 from the
Texas SIP as adopted on November 2,
2016 and submitted on February 21,
2017.
We also propose to revise the
amendatory language at 40 CFR
52.2270(c) to identify specific
provisions adopted by the State were
not submitted for inclusion in the Texas
SIP. We propose to revise the language
at 40 CFR 52.2270(c) to clearly indicate
that the Texas SIP does not include the
revisions to 30 TAC Sections
39.405(h(1)(A) and 39.602(c) as adopted
on December 9, 2015, or 30 TAC Section
39.411(e)(10) as adopted on December 7,
2016.
IV. Incorporation by Reference
In this rule, the EPA is proposing to
include in a final rule regulatory text
that includes incorporation by
reference. In accordance with
requirements of 1 CFR 51.5, the EPA is
proposing to incorporate by reference
the revisions to the Texas regulations as
described in the Final Action section
above. The EPA has made, and will
continue to make, these materials
generally available through
www.regulations.gov or at the EPA
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 14, 2018 / Proposed Rules
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Region 6 Office (please contact Adina
Wiley for more information).
V. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is
required to approve a SIP submission
that complies with the provisions of the
Act and applicable Federal regulations.
42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a).
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions, the
EPA’s role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of
the CAA. Accordingly, this action
merely proposes to approve 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);
• 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 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
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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, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone,
Particulate matter, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur
oxides, Volatile organic compounds.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: February 7, 2018.
Anne Idsal,
Regional Administrator, Region 6.
[FR Doc. 2018–02891 Filed 2–13–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R06–OAR–2016–0716; FRL–9973–
42—Region 6]
Approval and Promulgation of
Implementation Plans; Texas;
Interstate Transport Requirements for
the 1997 and 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the Federal Clean
Air Act (CAA or Act), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is proposing to approve portions of
three Texas State Implementation Plan
(SIP) submittals pertaining to CAA
requirements to prohibit emissions
which will significantly contribute to
nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance of the 1997 and 2006 fine
particulate matter (PM2.5) National
Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) in other states.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before March 16, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket No. EPA–R06–
OAR–2016–0716, at https://
www.regulations.gov or via email to
young.carl@epa.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Once submitted, comments cannot be
edited or removed from Regulations.gov.
The EPA may publish any comment
received to its public docket. Do not
submit electronically any information
you consider to be Confidential
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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6493
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 Carl Young, 214–665–6645,
young.carl@epa.gov. 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/commentingepa-dockets.
Docket: The index to the docket for
this action is available electronically at
www.regulations.gov and in hard copy
at the EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue,
Suite 700, Dallas, Texas. While all
documents in the docket are listed in
the index, some information may be
publicly available only at the hard copy
location (e.g., copyrighted material), and
some may not be publicly available at
either location (e.g., CBI).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carl
Young, 214–665–6645, young.carl@
epa.gov. To inspect the hard copy
materials, please schedule an
appointment with Mr. Young or Mr. Bill
Deese at 214–665–7253.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document wherever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
the EPA.
I. Background
A. The PM2.5 NAAQS and Interstate
Transport of Air Pollution
Under section 109 of the CAA, we
establish NAAQS to protect human
health and public welfare. In 1997, we
established a new annual NAAQS for
PM2.5 of 15 micrograms per cubic meter
(mg/m3), and a new 24-hour NAAQS for
PM2.5 of 65 mg/m3 (62 FR 38652, July 18,
1997). In 2006, we revised the 24-hour
PM2.5 NAAQS to 35 mg/m3 (71 FR
61144, October 17, 2006).1 The CAA
requires states to submit, within three
years after promulgation of a new or
revised standard, SIPs meeting the
applicable ‘‘infrastructure’’ elements of
sections 110(a)(1) and (2). One of these
applicable infrastructure elements, CAA
section 110(a)(2)(D)(i), requires SIPs to
1 In 2012, we revised the annual PM
2.5 NAAQS
to 12 mg/m3 (78 FR 3086, January 15, 2013). This
proposal pertains to the 1997 and 2006 PM2.5
NAAQS only.
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6491-6493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02891]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R06-OAR-2017-0124; FRL-9973-35--Region 6]
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Texas;
Revisions to Permitting and Public Participation for Air Quality Permit
Applications
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve four
revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) on December 12,
2016 and February 21, 2017, specific to air quality permitting and
public notice for air quality permit applications.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before March 16, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket No. EPA-R06-OAR-
2017-0124, at https://www.regulations.gov or via email to
[email protected]. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from
Regulations.gov. 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 Adina Wiley, 214-665-
2115, [email protected]. 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.
Docket: The index to the docket for this action is available
electronically at www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at EPA Region 6,
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 700, Dallas, Texas. While all documents in the
docket are listed in the index, some information may be publicly
available only at the hard copy location (e.g., copyrighted material),
and some may not be publicly available at either location (e.g., CBI).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adina Wiley, 214-665-2115,
[email protected]. To inspect the hard copy materials, please
schedule an appointment with Ms. Adina Wiley or Mr. Bill Deese at 214-
665-7253.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document ``we,'' ``us,'' and
``our'' means the EPA.
I. Background
The Act at Section 110(a)(2)(C) requires states to develop and
submit to EPA for approval into the SIP, preconstruction review and
permitting programs applicable to certain new and modified stationary
sources of air pollutants for attainment and nonattainment areas that
cover both major and minor new sources and modifications, collectively
referred to as the NSR SIP. The CAA NSR SIP program is composed of
three separate programs: Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD),
Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR), and Minor NSR. The EPA codified
minimum requirements for these State permitting programs including
public participation and notification requirements at 40 CFR 51.160-
51.164. Requirements specific to construction of new stationary sources
and major modifications in nonattainment areas are codified at 40 CFR
51.165 for the NNSR program. Requirements for permitting of new
stationary sources and major modifications in attainment areas subject
to PSD, including additional public participation requirements, are
found at 40 CFR 51.166. This proposed approval action will address four
separate revisions to the Texas NSR SIP submitted on December 12, 2016
and February 21, 2017. On December 12, 2016, the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) submitted a revision to the major NSR
program to remove from the Texas SIP the Compliance History provisions
at 30
[[Page 6492]]
TAC Sections 116.120-116.123, 116.125 and 116.126. On February 21,
2017, the TCEQ submitted three separate revisions to the Texas SIP
revising the public notice provisions applicable to air quality permit
applications.
II. The EPA's Evaluation
The accompanying Technical Support Documents for this action
include a detailed analysis of the submitted revisions to the Texas
SIP. In many instances the revisions are minor or non-substantive in
nature and do not change the intent of the originally approved SIP
requirements. Following is a summary of our analysis for the submitted
revisions.
A. Evaluation of the Repeal of Chapter 116 Compliance History
Requirements
The Chapter 116 Compliance History provisions were initially
adopted by the State on June 17, 1998, at 30 TAC Sections 116.120-
116.126. These revisions were submitted to the EPA as a SIP revision on
July 22, 1998. The EPA approved these requirements into the SIP on
September 18, 2002 at 67 FR 58697.
The TCEQ repealed the requirements of 30 TAC Section 116.124 on
September 2, 1999. The EPA approved this repeal on January 6, 2014 at
79 FR 551. The TCEQ repealed the remaining provisions at 30 TAC
Sections 116.120-116.123, 116.125 and 116.126 on August 7, 2002 and
replaced the requirements with media neutral compliance history
requirements under 30 TAC Chapter 60 pursuant to the requirements of
Texas House Bill 2912. The TCEQ did not submit the repeal of 30 TAC
Sections 116.120-116.123, 116.125 and 116.126 at the time of the state
rulemaking. The repeal of these requirements was submitted on December
12, 2016 as Rule Project Number 2016-028-SIP-NR.
The repeal of the remaining compliance history provisions at 30 TAC
Sections 116.120-116.123, 116.125 and 116.126 is approvable. This
repeal was developed in accordance with the CAA and the State provided
reasonable notice and public hearing. The repeal of these provisions
will remove obsolete requirements from the Texas SIP. The EPA has
determined it is appropriate to approve the repeal and removal of these
provisions from the SIP since there are no federal requirements to
include comparable provisions in a SIP. This repeal will have no
negative impact on the Texas New Source Review program because the SIP-
approved permit programs do not rely on the repealed Compliance History
provisions. Therefore, we conclude that this repeal maintains
consistency with federal requirements for SIP development and New
Source Review permitting, and therefore, will not interfere with
attainment or reasonable further progress.
B. Evaluation of the Revisions to Texas Public Notice Requirements
On February 21, 2017, the TCEQ submitted three separate revisions
to the Texas SIP revising the public notice provisions applicable to
air quality permit applications. The revisions to 30 TAC Chapters 39
and 55 submitted under Rule Project No 2015-018-080-LS make non-
substantive revisions to the existing SIP requirements. The revisions
to repeal the Chapter 116 public notice provisions submitted under Rule
Project No. 2016-026-116-AI remove obsolete requirements that have been
replaced with the existing SIP public notice provisions in Chapter 39.
The revisions to 30 TAC Chapter 39 and 55 submitted under Rule Project
No. 2016-030-039-LS substantively revise the existing public notice SIP
requirements for concrete batch plant standard permits such that the
notice requirements are consolidated into one 30-day notice period that
satisfies the requirements of minor NSR public participation. The EPA
has determined it is appropriate to approve these three revisions to
the Texas SIP because these revisions continue to be consistent with
federal requirements for public notice and therefore, will not
interfere with attainment or reasonable further progress.
III. Proposed Action
We are proposing to approve revisions to the Texas SIP that revise
the NSR permitting and public notice requirements. We have determined
that the revisions submitted on December 12, 2016 were developed in
accordance with the CAA and EPA's regulations, policy and guidance for
NSR permitting. Therefore, under section 110 of the Act, the EPA
proposes approval of the following revisions to the Texas SIP:
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.120--Applicability--adopted
on November 2, 2016, and submitted on December 12, 2016;
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.121--Exemptions--adopted on
November 2, 2016, and submitted on December 12, 2016;
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.122--Contents of Compliance
History--adopted on November 2, 2016, and submitted on December 12,
2016;
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.123--Effective Dates--adopted
on November 2, 2016, and submitted on December 12, 2016;
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.125--Preservation of Existing
Rights and Procedures--adopted on November 2, 2016, and submitted on
December 12, 2016; and
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.126--Voidance of Permit
Applications--adopted on November 2, 2016, and submitted on December
12, 2016.
Additionally, we have determined that the revisions submitted on
February 21, 2017, were developed in accordance with the CAA and EPA's
regulations, policy and guidance for public notice for air permitting.
Under section 110 of the Act, the EPA proposes to approve the following
revisions into the Texas SIP:
Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.405 adopted on December 9,
2015, and submitted on February 21, 2017;
Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.411 adopted on December 7,
2016, and submitted on February 21, 2017;
Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.419 adopted on December 9,
2015, and submitted on February 21, 2017;
Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.603 adopted on December 7,
2016, and submitted on February 21, 2017;
Revisions to 30 TAC Section 55.152 adopted on December 7,
2016, and submitted on February 21, 2017;
Withdrawal of 30 TAC Section 55.156(e) from the Texas SIP
as adopted on December 9, 2015, and submitted on February 21, 2017; and
the
Repeal of 30 TAC Sections 116.130-116.134, 116.136, and
116.137 from the Texas SIP as adopted on November 2, 2016 and submitted
on February 21, 2017.
We also propose to revise the amendatory language at 40 CFR
52.2270(c) to identify specific provisions adopted by the State were
not submitted for inclusion in the Texas SIP. We propose to revise the
language at 40 CFR 52.2270(c) to clearly indicate that the Texas SIP
does not include the revisions to 30 TAC Sections 39.405(h(1)(A) and
39.602(c) as adopted on December 9, 2015, or 30 TAC Section
39.411(e)(10) as adopted on December 7, 2016.
IV. Incorporation by Reference
In this rule, the EPA is proposing to include in a final rule
regulatory text that includes incorporation by reference. In accordance
with requirements of 1 CFR 51.5, the EPA is proposing to incorporate by
reference the revisions to the Texas regulations as described in the
Final Action section above. The EPA has made, and will continue to
make, these materials generally available through www.regulations.gov
or at the EPA
[[Page 6493]]
Region 6 Office (please contact Adina Wiley for more information).
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP
submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and applicable
Federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in
reviewing SIP submissions, the EPA's role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. Accordingly, this
action merely proposes to approve 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);
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 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, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile organic compounds.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: February 7, 2018.
Anne Idsal,
Regional Administrator, Region 6.
[FR Doc. 2018-02891 Filed 2-13-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P