Proposed Approval of Recodification and Revisions to State Air Pollution Control Rules; North Dakota; Proposed Interim Approval of Title V Program Recodification and Revisions; Proposed Approval of Recodification and Revisions To State Programs and Delegation of Authority To Implement and Enforce Clean Air Act Section 111 and 112 Standards and Requirements, 54532-54543 [2018-23631]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 210 / Tuesday, October 30, 2018 / Proposed Rules
upon a substantial number of small
entities. See 81 FR 59309–9310 for
additional discussion. We have,
therefore, concluded that this action
similarly will have no net regulatory
burden for all directly regulated small
entities.
E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
(UMRA)
This action does not contain any
unfunded mandate as described in
UMRA, 2 U.S.C. 1531–1538, and does
not significantly or uniquely affect small
governments.
The action implements mandate(s)
specifically and explicitly set forth in 40
CFR part 60, subpart Ba without the
exercise of any policy discretion by the
EPA.
F. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
This action does not have federalism
implications. It will not have substantial
direct effects on the states, on the
relationship between the national
government and the states, or on the
distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various
levels of government.
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G. Executive Order 13175: Consultation
and Coordination With Indian Tribal
Governments
This action does not have tribal
implications, as specified in Executive
Order 13175. The MSW Landfills EG
recognized that one tribe had three
landfills that may potentially be subject
to the emission guidelines, but noted
that these landfills have already met
requirements under the previous new
source performance standards/emission
guidelines framework as promulgated in
1996 (see 81 FR 59311). However, this
action does not have a substantial direct
effect on that tribe since it is merely a
procedural change amending timing
requirements for states to submit plans
to the EPA and for the EPA to
promulgate a federal plan. Thus,
Executive Order 13175 does not apply
to this action.
H. Executive Order 13045: Protection of
Children From Environmental Health
Risks and Safety Risks
This action is not subject to Executive
Order 13045 because it is not
economically significant as defined in
Executive Order 12866, and because the
EPA does not believe the environmental
health or safety risks addressed by this
action present a disproportionate risk to
children. This regulatory action is a
procedural change and does not have
any impact on human health or the
environment. Thus, it will not
disproportionately affect children.
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I. Executive Order 13211: Actions
Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use
This action is not a ‘‘significant
energy action’’ because it is not likely to
have a significant adverse effect on the
supply, distribution, or use of energy.
Further, we have concluded that this
action is not likely to have any adverse
energy effects because it is a procedural
change and does not have any impact on
energy supply, distribution, or use.
J. National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act (NTTAA)
This rulemaking does not involve
technical standards.
K. Executive Order 12898: Federal
Actions To Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and
Low-Income Populations
The EPA believes that this action is
not subject to Executive Order 12898 (59
FR 7629, February 16, 1994) because it
does not establish an environmental
health or safety standard. This
regulatory action is a procedural change
and the EPA does not anticipate that it
will have any material impact on human
health or the environment.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 60
Environmental protection,
Administrative practice and procedures,
Emission guidelines, Landfills,
Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, State plan.
Dated: October 23, 2018.
Andrew R. Wheeler,
Acting Administrator.
For the reasons stated in the
preamble, the Environmental Protection
Agency proposes to amend part 60 of
title 40, chapter I, of the Code of Federal
Regulations as follows:
PART 60—STANDARDS OF
PERFORMANCE FOR NEW
STATIONARY SOURCES
1. The authority citation for part 60
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart Cf—Emission Guidelines and
Compliance Times for Municipal Solid
Waste Landfills
2. Section 60.30f is amended by
revising paragraphs (a) and (b) to read
as follows:
■
§ 60.30f
Scope and delegated authorities.
*
*
*
*
*
(a) If you are the Administrator of an
air quality program in a state or United
States protectorate with one or more
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existing municipal solid waste landfills
that commenced construction,
modification, or reconstruction on or
before July 17, 2014, you must submit
a state plan to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) that
implements the Emission Guidelines
contained in this subpart. The
requirements for state and federal plans
are specified in 40 CFR part 60, subpart
B with the exception that §§ 60.23 and
60.27 will not apply. The following
requirements apply instead:
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of
§ 60.20a(a) in 40 CFR part 60, subpart
Ba, the requirements of §§ 60.23a and
60.27a will apply for state and federal
plans, except that the requirements of
§ 60.23a(a)(1) will apply to a notice of
availability of a final guideline
document that was published under
§ 60.22(a); and
(2) The requirements of § 60.27a(e)(1)
will refer to a final guideline document
that was published under § 60.22(a) and
the requirements of § 60.27a(e)(2) will
refer to § 60.24(f).
(b) You must submit a state plan to
the EPA by August 29, 2019.
*
*
*
*
*
[FR Doc. 2018–23700 Filed 10–29–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 60, 61, 63, 70 and 72
[EPA–R08–OAR–2018–0299; FRL–9985–72–
Region 8]
Proposed Approval of Recodification
and Revisions to State Air Pollution
Control Rules; North Dakota; Proposed
Interim Approval of Title V Program
Recodification and Revisions;
Proposed Approval of Recodification
and Revisions To State Programs and
Delegation of Authority To Implement
and Enforce Clean Air Act Section 111
and 112 Standards and Requirements
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA or the ‘‘Agency’’) has
reviewed changes to the North Dakota
Air Pollution Control Rules. Concluding
review of those changes, the EPA is
proposing interim approval of revisions
to the North Dakota operating permit
program for stationary sources subject to
title V of the Clean Air Act (CAA or the
‘‘Act’’) and recodification of the title V
program under a new title of the North
Dakota Administrative Code (NDAC).
This document also proposes approval
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 210 / Tuesday, October 30, 2018 / Proposed Rules
of North Dakota’s revision and
recodification of the State’s programs for
implementing and enforcing delegated
requirements under certain sections of
the Act, and consequentially the means
for the Agency’s proposed approval of a
revised delegation arrangement between
the EPA and the State of North Dakota
for transfer of authority to regulate
sources under those sections. Upon final
approval of this rulemaking action
North Dakota will receive delegation of
authority to implement and enforce
CAA section 111 New Source
Performance Standards (NSPS) and
section 112 National Emission
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
(NESHAP), including Maximum
Achievable Control Technology (MACT)
requirements within the state, excluding
Indian country, exactly as the
requirements were promulgated by EPA
(i.e., ‘‘straight delegation’’). Straight
delegation of sections 111 and 112
authorities does not include those
authorities reserved by the EPA
Administrator or otherwise reserved by
the EPA, nor the authority to implement
and enforce regulations not
incorporated unchanged into state code,
and does not include those regulations
unincorporated by North Dakota and
omitted from the State’s request for
delegation. Upon finalization of this
rulemaking, North Dakota will also
continue to be eligible for future
automatic delegation of incorporated,
unchanged federal requirements,
without need for request of Agency
approval on a case-by-case basis. The
proposed action effects the transfer of
title V program administration and
delegated authority to implement and
enforce sections 111 and 112
requirements from the North Dakota
Department of Health (NDDH) to the
newly created North Dakota Department
of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ or
the ‘‘Department’’). The EPA is taking
these actions pursuant to sections 501–
506, 111 and 112 of the Act.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before November 29,
2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R08–
OAR–2018–0299 at https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Once submitted, comments cannot be
edited or removed from
www.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.
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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, 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: All documents in the docket
are listed in the www.regulations.gov
index. Although listed in the index,
some information is not publicly
available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, will be publicly
available only in hard copy. Publicly
available docket materials are available
either electronically at
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the Air Program, Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), Region 8,
1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado
80202–1129. The EPA requests that, if at
all possible, you contact the individual
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section to view the hard copy
of the docket. You may view the hard
copy of the docket Monday through
Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding
federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gregory Lohrke, Air Program, EPA,
Region 8, Mailcode 8P–AR, 1595
Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado
80202–1129; (303) 312–6396;
lohrke.gregory@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background Information
The North Dakota Century Code
(NDCC) currently designates the NDDH
as the primary state environmental
agency (NDCC 23–01). The North
Dakota health department’s authority to
administer and implement the North
Dakota Air Pollution Control Rules is
codified in NDAC Article 33–15. On
April 7, 2017, the Governor of North
Dakota signed legislation to amend the
NDCC for the creation of the NDDEQ
and initiate the transfer of all authority,
powers and duties of the NDDH related
to environmental quality to the new
Department.1 The migration of legal and
implementation authority, from the
NDDH and to the new Department,
1 North Dakota Session Laws 2017, Ch. 199. § 1
(Senate Bill 2327).
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54533
required North Dakota to revise the
NDAC to codify the NDDEQ’s source of
legal, jurisdictional and enforcement
authority, and to define the programs
and regulations that the NDDEQ will
implement. The creation of the NDDEQ
also requires the State to seek EPA
approval for the migration of these
authorities and all amendments to
related programs and agreements. On
August 6, 2018, North Dakota, having
recodified the state environmental
regulations,2 submitted to the Acting
Administrator a request for approval of
the revision and transfer of the State’s
CAA programs as they will be
administrated by the NDDEQ. Among
the duties of the new NDDEQ is the
implementation and enforcement of the
North Dakota Operating Permits
Program and programs implemented via
that program including the Act’s section
111 and 112 standards and a program
for implementation of Title IV of the
Act, all of which the EPA had
previously approved and delegated to
the State in prior rulemaking actions. In
these prior actions we determined that
NDDH met, among other things, the
relevant statutory and regulatory
authority and the ability to implement
and enforce the operating permits
program.
After the EPA receives a program
revision, the Administrator shall
approve or disapprove program
revisions based on the requirements of
part 70 and the Act.3 In addition to the
recodifications to the State’s title V
permitting program, the State’s
submittal includes recodifications of the
programs for implementation and
enforcement of delegated section 111
and 112 standards and requirements.
The recodification and minor revisions
to North Dakota’s section 111 and 112
programs also requires the EPA to
determine whether to make minor
revisions to the delegation arrangements
concerning those programs. North
Dakota’s rules authorizing the NDDEQ
to administer the State’s environmental
programs only become effective after the
State receives the necessary federal
approvals.4 North Dakota’s operating
2 For reference here and throughout today’s notice
concerning the renumbering and recodification of
NDCC and NDAC provisions relevant to the transfer
of CAA authorities to the NDDEQ, see the general
guidance document, ‘‘Crosswalk on Recodifications
of Relevant NDCC and NDAC Sections,’’ available
in the docket for today’s notice.
3 40 CFR 70.4(i)(2).
4 EPA’s proposed approval actions on North
Dakota’s submittal to transfer its Title V Program
approval and its delegated authority for the
NESHAP, MACT and NSPS from the North Dakota
Department of Health to the North Dakota
Department of Environmental Quality does not
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permit and source requirements become
federally enforceable on the effective
date of final approval of this rulemaking
action.
II. Summary of North Dakota’s Title V
Program Recodification and Revisions
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A. Introduction
Title V of the 1990 CAA amendments
directed the EPA to develop and
promulgate rules that define the
necessary elements of an approvable
state operating permits program and the
necessary standards and procedures by
which the EPA will approve, oversee,
and, when necessary, withdraw
approval of a state’s permitting
authority under such programs. These
operating permit program requirements
are codified at 40 CFR part 70 (part 70).
Title V also directs states to develop and
submit to the EPA approvable programs
for the issuance of operating permits to
all major stationary sources and to
certain other sources within the state’s
jurisdiction. Part 70 includes the
procedure for state requests to the EPA
for approval of revisions to the state’s
operating permit program (§ 70.4(i)), and
for EPA approvals of partial or complete
transferal of permitting authority from
one state agency to another (§ 70.4(i)(2)).
North Dakota received interim
approval of its operating permit program
effective on August 7, 1995 (60 FR
35335). The State later received final,
full approval effective on August 16,
1999 (64 FR 32433). On August 6, 2018,
the State of North Dakota submitted to
the EPA a formal request for approval of
all operating permit program
recodifications and revisions, for
transferal of permitting authority to the
NDDEQ, along with requests for
approvals of delegations of authority for
other related programs under the Act
(See sections III and IV of this notice).5
The submittal included a modified
program description, documentation of
rulemaking procedures followed,
including public comment
documentation, and copies of the
extend to Indian country as defined in 18 U.S.C.
1151. Indian country generally includes (1) lands
within the exterior boundaries of the following
Indian reservations located within North Dakota:
The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, the Spirit
Lake Reservation, the Standing Rock Sioux
Reservation, and the Turtle Mountain Reservation;
(2) any land held in trust by the United States for
an Indian tribe; and (3) any other areas that are
‘‘Indian country’’ within the meaning of 18 U.S.C.
1151. The EPA, or eligible Indian tribes, as
appropriate, will retain responsibilities under CAA
Sections 501–506, 111, and 112 for air quality in
Indian country.
5 The submittal package, ‘‘Title V Permit to
Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS Programs for
Department of Environmental Quality, Division of
Air Quality,’’ is available for public review in the
docket for today’s notice.
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relevant sections of recodified and
revised state regulations.6 This
submittal was supplemented on August
16, 2018, with an Attorney General’s
opinion describing the NDDEQ’s legal
authority to administer and enforce
aspects of the operating permit program
under part 70 and title V of the Act.7
North Dakota is not resubmitting the
operating permit program, rather the
State is only updating the numbering of
its operating permits program and
related amendments that have
previously been approved by the EPA.
Therefore, except for the minor changes
to the regulations analyzed in Section
II.B.4, this notice proposes action on the
recodification and amendments as
appropriate and consistent with the
transfer of authority and change in name
and does not re-approve the substantive
State regulations.
B. Analysis of State Submittal
The EPA finds the State of North
Dakota’s modified operating permits
program submittal to be
administratively complete for requesting
approval of recodification and revisions
to the State’s program and the transfer
of all authorities related to the
permitting program to the newly created
NDDEQ. This determination was made
with reference to the criteria for
administrative completeness found in
40 CFR part 70. An accounting of
specific, required submittal elements for
revisions to state operating permit
programs and transfers of authority to
new state agencies are in 40 CFR
70.4(i)(2). This section specifies the
submittal requirements for any stateinitiated program revision as being: (1)
A modified program description; (2) an
Attorney General’s statement; and (3)
such other documents as EPA
determines to be necessary
(70.4(i)(2)(i)). Additional evaluation
criteria specific to initial program
submittals, used as supplemental
criteria in the EPA’s review of the
necessary submittal elements, are found
under § 70.4(b).
1. Program Description
As required under 40 CFR
70.4(i)(2)(i), the State of North Dakota
6 For purposes of cross-referencing a recodified
provision of the NDAC air pollution control rules
with its previous version, we note that the
recodification followed a consistent scheme: All
rules previously codified as 33–15–xx–xx are now
codified as 33.1–15–xx–xx. For example: All Title
V Permit to Operate provisions previously codified
under NDAC section 33–15–14–06 are now codified
at corresponding subsections of NDAC section
33.1–15–14–06.
7 The Attorney General’s statement, ‘‘Attorney
General’s Opinion Operating Permits Program,’’ is
available for public review in the docket for today’s
notice.
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included in its request for approval of
revisions to its operating permit
program a description of how the
NDDEQ intends to carry out its
responsibilities under part 70 and title
V of the CAA (see criteria for program
descriptions at § 70.4(b)(1)). The State’s
program description outlines both the
basis for operating permit program
implementation and the organizational
structure of the NDDEQ’s Division of
Air Quality. The program description
also includes job classification
descriptions for all staff positions
responsible for carrying out the
operating permits program under the
NDDEQ’s air quality division.
Implementation of the North Dakota
title V program will be based on
implementation authority granted by the
relevant sections of NDAC article 33.1–
15, as submitted to the EPA for review.8
The NDDEQ also provides that it will
generate guidance and policy
documents to clarify the bounds and
details of this implementation
authority.9 The Department’s
organizational structure is explained
within the submittal in both narrative
and graphical form.10 The Division is
equivalent in form and substance to,
and entirely replaces, the
Environmental Section of the NDDH,
which the EPA previously approved (64
FR 32433). The State has historically
also demonstrated adequate resources
and capabilities for implementation and
enforcement of the State title V program,
and identified no new divisions of
relevant authorities created by the
transfer of powers to the NDDEQ
(§ 70.4(i)(2)). Therefore, we propose to
approve the program description
information as appropriate and
consistent with the transfer of authority.
2. Attorney General’s Statement
Title 40 CFR 70.4(b)(3) enumerates
the necessary elements of the Attorney
General’s statement required for
program revisions covered by
§ 70.4(i)(2)(i). These elements are
necessary to ensure that the State
operating permit authority receiving
transfer of the title V program has the
complete legal authority to carry out the
requirements of a part 70 program. This
includes, but is not limited to, the
authority to: Issue permits and assure
source compliance with each applicable
requirement and requirement of part 70;
incorporate monitoring, recordkeeping,
reporting and compliance certification
8 See submittal package document, ‘‘Title V
Permit to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS
Programs for Department of Environmental Quality,
Division of Air Quality’’ at section 1.A.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid. at sections 1.B and 1.C.
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requirements into permits; incorporate
into permits all applicable requirements
and part 70 requirements; terminate,
modify, or revoke and reissue permits
for cause; enforce permits, permit fee
requirements, and the requirement to
obtain a permit; make available to the
public any permit application contents:
Compliance plan, permit, and
monitoring and compliance certification
report; not issue a permit if the
Administrator objects to its issuance in
a timely manner or, if the permit has not
already been issued, to public petitions
to the EPA; and insure the opportunity
for judicial review of permit actions
under the conditions outlined in part 70
(40 CFR 70.4(b)(3)(i)–(xiii)).
North Dakota’s Attorney General’s
statement provides descriptions of the
legal authority under the recodified
laws and regulations of the State to
carry out all aspects of an operating
permits program, including the
authority to carry out each of these
preceding elements.11 The statement
includes citations to the relevant State
laws and regulations that grant these
authorities, that provide the
corresponding requirements of the Act
and federal regulations of part 70.
During North Dakota’s review of the
NDAC for recodification and submittal
to the EPA, the State discovered
limitations on the opportunity for
judicial review in State courts. The EPA
regulation for state operating permit
programs outlines the conditions and
requirements for granting affected
parties the opportunity to appeal for
judicial review in state courts (40 CFR
70.4(b)(3)(x)–(xii)). The Attorney
General’s opinion explains that while
State law provides for opportunity for
judicial review for most of the
requirements in 40 CFR 70.4(b)(3)(x)–
(xii), the provisions are overly limited.
The opinion explains that the State
intends to revise its rules to remedy the
limitations on judicial review:
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Forthcoming Department rules will
provide that if the final permit action being
challenged is the Department’s failure to take
final action, a petition for judicial review
may be filed at any time before the
Department denies the permit or issues the
final permit; and that where petitions for
judicial review are based solely on grounds
arising after the 30-day deadline for judicial
review, such petitions may be filed no later
11 For purposes of representing the necessary
elements of an acceptable Attorney General’s
opinion (§ 70.4(b)(3)(i)–(xiii)), and how the
submitted Opinion presents those elements and
demonstrates the State’s legal authority through the
recodified, relevant sections of its NDCC and
NDAC, please reference the documents, ‘‘Attorney
General’s Opinion Operating Permits Program,’’
and, ‘‘AG Opinion Review,’’ found in the docket for
today’s notice.
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than 30 days after the new grounds for
review arise.12
The statement concludes by
explaining that ‘‘an addendum to the
opinion will be submitted once these
rules are adopted.’’ Therefore, while
State law grants the Department
authority to grant petitioners the right to
some opportunities for judicial review,
Department rules limit the full authority
required under 40 CFR 70.4(b)(3)(x)–
(xii) (NDCC §§ 23.1–01–11, 23.1–06–
04(1)(l), 28–32–42; NDAC § 33.1–15–14–
06(8)). The EPA proposes to find that
the Attorney General’s statement is
appropriate and consistent with the
transfer of authority, except for the
limitations on judicial review under
title V and § 70.4(b)(3)(x)–(xii) described
in the Attorney General’s opinion. The
effects of these limitations on the EPA’s
proposed action are discussed in section
II.C of this document.
3. Supporting Documents
The transfer of permitting program
authorities to the newly created
Department will be accompanied by a
transfer of all related program
operations as they have existed under
the authority of the NDDH. Since the
North Dakota title V program is
reasonably assumed to operate in the
future as it has since full program
approval in 1999, the EPA asked for no
additional supporting documents, such
as would be required for initial program
submittals under 40 CFR 70.4(b)(4)–(16),
except for the relevant NDCC and NDAC
sections as revised and recodified for
program transfer. With the exception to
the revisions needed to the regulations
discussed in section II.B.4 of this notice,
we propose to find that the recodified
regulations are substantively equal to
those the EPA previously approved for
implementation and enforcement of the
State’s operating permit program, the
structure and operations of the
implementing authority can be assured
to continue in a similar, adequate
manner as they did under the NDDH,
and the relevant NDCC and NDAC
sections are appropriate and consistent
with the transfer of authority.
4. Analysis of the State’s Prior
Unapproved Amendments to NDAC 33–
15–14–06
Since the full approval of North
Dakota’s title V operating permit
program in 1999 (64 FR 32433), the
State has made several minor changes to
the section of North Dakota regulations
that provide the legal authority to
implement and enforce such a program.
North Dakota made most of these
12 Ibid.
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54535
amendments to NDAC section 33–15–
14–06 to bring its regulations into
alignment with the federal part 70
operating permit program requirements
as amended between 1999 and the
present.13 The EPA proposes to approve
the State’s previously unconsidered
program amendments as listed below for
the following reasons:
• Under subsection 1 (‘‘Definitions’’),
three paragraphs were added to reflect
the EPA’s amendments to 40 CFR 70.2.
Two paragraphs add new definitions for
‘‘Approved replicable methodology
(ARM)’’ 14 and ‘‘Alternative operating
scenario (AOS),’’ 15 in accordance with
the EPA’s 2009 revisions to the part 70
regulations (74 FR 51417). The third
paragraph was added to account for the
EPA’s 2010 addition of a definition for
‘‘Subject to regulation’’ 16 to § 70.2 (75
FR 31513). The State made conforming
amendments to its Definitions to
incorporate these additions (e.g., when
the new definition for AOS was added,
by inserting 33–15–14–06.1.d, with all
of the subsequent definitions amended
to maintain alphabetical order: 33–15–
14–06.1.d became 33–15–14–06.1.e, and
so forth). North Dakota has also
amended the definition of ‘‘Major
source’’ under this subsection to reflect
the exact 2001 EPA revisions to the
major source definition under 40 CFR
70.2 (66 FR 59161);
• Under subsection 4 (‘‘Permit
applications’’), several paragraphs,
along with specific language, were
removed relating to the timeline for
initial title V permit applications, which
the State explains no longer apply to
any source in North Dakota and are no
longer necessary. Two paragraphs were
added to specify requirements for a
description and compliance schedule
for source requirements associated with
a proposed AOS, to be included in the
compliance plan for all title V sources
submitting operating permit
applications (paragraphs 4.c.(8)(b)[4]
and (c)[4]). The State made these
additions, as well as limited revisions to
various paragraphs (33–15–14–06.4.c(2),
(3)(c) and (7)) under this subsection,17 to
13 For the purposes of cross-referencing presubmittal revisions to NDAC 33–15–14–06 (title V
program) with the recodification of those revisions
under NDAC 33.1–15–14–06, and a comparison of
how these revisions reflect the EPA’s amendment
of 40 CFR part 70 during the years between initial,
full approval of North Dakota’s title V program and
the present, please see the document, ‘‘Post-1999
Amendments to North Dakota Title V Program,’’ in
the docket for today’s notice.
14 NDAC 33.1–15–14–06.1.f.
15 33.1–15–14–06.1.d.
16 33.1–15–14–06.1.cc.
17 Docket item: ‘‘Post-1999 Amendments to North
Dakota Title V Program.’’
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accommodate permit applications from
sources with an AOS after the EPA’s
2009 revisions to part 70 regulations (74
FR 51417). The limited revisions to
these three paragraphs were made to
reflect the changed language of their
federal regulation corollaries (40 CFR
70.5(c)(2), (3)(iii) and (7)) after the 2009
CFR revisions;
• Under subsection 5 (‘‘Permit
content’’), North Dakota revised the
language of paragraphs a.(1) and a.(9) to
account for the EPA’s revisions to
various part 70 requirements attendant
to the addition of definitions for ARM
and AOS. These changes were made in
accordance with the EPA’s 2009
revisions to part 70 regulations (74 FR
51417). These two paragraphs
incorporate paragraphs 40 CFR
70.6(a)(1) and (a)(9), as revised in 2009
with minor terminology changes to
accommodate reference to the North
Dakota Program instead of a generalized
state program. The State also revised
language under paragraph c.(5)(c)[2] of
this subsection to clarify and update
compliance certification requirements
in accordance with the EPA’s 2014
revisions to section 70.6 (79 FR 43661).
This paragraph incorporates 40 CFR
70.6(c)(5)(iii)(B), as revised in 2014 with
minor terminology changes to
accommodate reference to the North
Dakota Program and the State’s air
quality control rules instead of a
generalized state program and the CFR;
• Under subsection 8 (‘‘Judicial
review of title V permit to operate
decisions’’), the State added the
subsection by adding paragraphs 8.a
through 8.e to codify most of the legal
authority to provide judicial review of
permit decisions as required of state
operating permit programs and
described under section 70.4(b)(3)(x)–
(xii); and
• Under subsection 10 (‘‘Compliance
assurance monitoring’’), North Dakota
incorporated by reference the
compliance assurance monitoring
(CAM) regulations of 40 CFR part 64
with minor revisions to three definitions
used in part 64 to insure the State’s
delegated implementation and
enforcement authority regarding those
regulations.
• Additionally, the EPA promulgated
amendments to the part 70 regulations
that North Dakota has not adopted and
the EPA proposes to find that is was not
necessary for the State to adopt these
amendments.18
18 A table of these EPA 40 CFR part 70 revisions
and justification for North Dakota, not including the
revisions in the State’s operating permits program,
may be found in the document, ‘‘EPA Amendments
to Part 70 Not Adopted,’’ included in the docket for
this action.
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North Dakota’s revised title V program
submittal includes all amendments to
NDAC section 33–15–14–06 as they
have been incorporated into the
recodification of North Dakota’s title V
permitting regulations at NDAC 33.1–
15–14–06. These amendments were
made to either directly reflect the EPA’s
amendments to the federal part 70
regulations during the years since North
Dakota’s full program approval (64 FR
32433) or as North Dakota-specific
amendments. All of the State’s
amendments, except for those to NDAC
subsection 33–15–14–06.8 and its
successor, the limitations of which are
discussed in section II.B.2 of today’s
notice, are found to be approvable.
Many of these changes were made to
bring state regulations into accord with
the EPA’s changes to part 70
requirements over that time period. The
remaining changes to NDAC 33–15–14–
06 were not in response to modified
federal regulations; however, the State’s
changes do not create an operating
permits program any less stringent than
is required under 40 CFR part 70. We
propose to find that all previously
unapproved amendments to the North
Dakota Program between full approval
and the transfer of authority to the
NDDEQ, as they have been recodified
under NDAC 33.1–15–14–06, are
approvable for the purposes of part 70
program implementation and
enforcement.
5. Transfer of the Acid Rain Program
North Dakota’s request for transfer of
the title V operating permit program
includes the request to transfer
associated State responsibilities for the
CAA title IV Acid Rain Program (40 CFR
parts 72, 75 and 76).19 40 CFR
70.4(b)(3)(xiii) specifies that the
attorney general’s legal opinion ensure
that the authority of the state permitting
agency is not used to modify the acid
rain program requirements. The EPA
issued guidance to clarify the primary
criteria for approval of state submittals
to carry out the acid rain portion of the
operating permits program.20 The
Attorney General opinion assures that
‘‘State law is consistent with, and
cannot be used to modify, the Acid Rain
Program requirements of 40 CFR part
19 Title V Permit to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs
and NSPS Programs for Department of
Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality; see
Governor’s letter and section 1.B.
20 EPA Memorandum, ‘‘Title IV-Title V Interface
Guidance for States,’’ from Lydia Wegman, Deputy
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards and Paul Stolpmann, Acting Director,
Office of Atmospheric Programs, to EPA Air
Division Directors, included in the docket for
today’s notice.
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72.’’ 21 NDCC 23.1–06–04(1)(l); NDAC
33.1–15–21. Additionally, North
Dakota’s revised title V program
submittal demonstrates adequate legal
and regulatory authority to issue
permits that reflect the requirements of
title IV of the Act.22 North Dakota will
continue to implement an acid rain
program through the NDDEQ
substantively equal to the program
approved with the original interim title
V program approval (See 60 FR 20945).
Because of the substantively equal
authorities and capabilities of the NDDH
and the NDDEQ, North Dakota has
reasonably assured the EPA of its ability
to meet the requirements related to title
IV of the Act, through the issuance and
enforcement of title V operating permits.
Therefore, we propose to approve the
transfer of the acid rain program as
appropriate and consistent with the
transfer of authority.
C. Proposed Action
North Dakota’s program meets the
minimum requirements and otherwise
substantially meets the part 70
requirements,23 but is not fully
approvable because as described in
section II.B.2 the Attorney General
Opinion explains that the State’s rules
lack full authority required for judicial
review.24 Therefore, the EPA proposes
interim approval of the State’s operating
permit program under 40 CFR 70.4(d)
and CAA section 502(g). An interim
approval of North Dakota’s operating
permit program would solely be to
allow the State to make minor revisions
to NDAC 33.1–15–14–06.8, and update
the Attorney General’s opinion to reflect
revised legal authorities, as a precursor
to full approval of the State’s operating
permit program (See discussion in
section II.B.2 of this notice). The EPA
will act as expeditiously as possible to
finalize full approval of North Dakota’s
title V program once the revised State
rules and Attorney General’s opinion
are submitted to the EPA. Proposed
interim approval shall not be construed
as approving any deviation from the
implementation and enforcement
requirements under part 70 or as an
approval of a program less stringent
than that described by part 70
requirements. Under section 70.4(d) the
EPA proposes to set an expiration date
for interim approval, not to exceed 2
years after such an approval and non21 Attorney General’s Opinion Operating Permit
Program, August 16, 2018, p. 9.
22 Ibid., and throughout.
23 40 CFR 70.4(d)(3).
24 As explained in the Attorney General’s
Opinion, forthcoming State rules will remedy this
limitation and an addendum to the opinion will be
submitted once the rules are adopted.
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renewable upon expiration. If the EPA
finalizes an interim approval of North
Dakota’s title V program, the interim
approval’s expiration date will be set for
no later than January 1, 2021.
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III. Delegation of NESHAP and MACT
Requirements
A. Introduction
Section 112 of the CAA authorizes the
EPA to develop and periodically revise
a list of all categories and subcategories
of major sources and area sources of
hazardous air pollutants (HAP). To
reduce HAP emissions from these
sources, this section of the Act also
authorizes the EPA to promulgate
federally enforceable NESHAP and
MACT requirements for source
categories. The NESHAP and MACT
requirements are promulgated in parts
61 and 63 of title 40 of the CFR. Section
112(l) of the Act provides a mechanism
for approval of programs and delegation
of authority to the states to implement
and enforce these federal standards and
requirements. A state’s program may
provide for partial or complete
delegation of the Agency’s authorities
and responsibilities to implement and
enforce section 112 standards and
requirements, so long as those
authorities are carried out by an
approvable state program with
standards and requirements no less
stringent than those promulgated by the
EPA. The regulations found in 40 CFR
part 63, subpart E establish procedures
consistent with section 112(l) for the
approval of state rules, programs, or
other requirements, as well as
procedures for the delegation of
authority to states to implement and
enforce all section 112 federal rules as
promulgated, without changes, after
their incorporation into state code (40
CFR 63.91).
North Dakota first received straight
delegation of authority to implement
and enforce NESHAP and MACT
requirements on July 7, 1995 (60 FR
35335) upon the parallel interim
approvals of the State’s section 112
implementation and enforcement plan
and the State’s title V program.25 The
EPA subsequently informed North
Dakota of the procedures for NESHAP
and MACT automatic delegation.26 An
automatic delegation arrangement with
a state allows for prospective approval
of all delegations of authority to
25 Appendix
A to 40 CFR part 70. North Dakota
(b).
26 See letter addressed to Director Jeff Burgess,
Division of Environmental Engineering, North
Dakota Department of Health from Director Richard
R. Long, EPA Region 8 Air and Radiation Program,
May 16, 2000, ‘‘Delegation Procedures for Section
112 Requirements,’’ in the docket for today’s notice.
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implement and enforce future section
112 standards and requirements without
case-by-case approval, so long as the
standards and requirements are
incorporated unchanged into state code.
North Dakota was operating under an
automatic delegation arrangement prior
to recodification of the State’s section
112 program and the planned transfer of
authority to implement and enforce
state environmental regulations from the
NDDH to the NDDEQ.27
The NDDH’s planned transfer of
authorities pursuant to State law to a
new State agency required minor
revisions and the recodification of State
rules and its section 112 program for
implementation and enforcement of
NESHAP and MACT requirements. The
recodification of the State’s program
requires the State provide the Agency
with a copy of the revised authorities
and a formal request for approval
measured against the criteria for
approval found under 40 CFR 63.91(d)
and any additional relevant approval
criteria in 40 CFR part 63, subpart E.
In a letter dated August 6, 2018, North
Dakota submitted to the EPA final
revisions to the State’s Air Pollution
Control Rules pertaining to
administration, implementation and
enforcement of CAA section 112
emissions standards and requirements
by the new NDDEQ. This letter included
a request to approve straight delegation
of all NESHAP and MACT requirements
incorporated unchanged into the
recodified State regulations, and a
submittal package justifying the
approvability of the State’s revised
section 112 program. The EPA reviewed
the State’s program and recodified
incorporations of federal requirements
(NDAC chapters 33.1–15–12 and 33.1–
15–22) for equivalency to the formerly
approved implementation and
enforcement program and former
codification of federal requirements
(NDAC chapters 33–15–12 and 33–15–
22). The EPA also evaluated the
submittal for approvability on the
program’s own merits as measured
against the approval criteria found in
subpart E of 40 CFR part 63.
Additionally, we evaluated North
Dakota’s request for section 112 program
approval based on the nine elements in
the EPA’s 1983 ‘‘Good Practices Manual
for Delegation of NSPS and NESHAPs’’:
(1) Emission limits consistent with
Federal regulations; (2) test methods
consistent with federal regulations; (3)
reporting and monitoring requirements;
(4) enforcement; (5) waiver procedures;
(6) surveillance; (7) public notification
27 Ibid.
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54537
and disclosure of information; (8)
resources; and (9) reporting to EPA.28 29
B. Analysis of State Submittal
Referring to a state’s title V program
final approval would normally satisfy
the common approval criteria set forth
for straight delegation of section 112
authorities to the state (40 CFR
63.91(d)(3)). However, North Dakota’s
title V program also underwent
recodification during the proposed
transfer of authority to the NDDEQ and
was revised since EPA’s final approval.
Notice of proposed rulemaking action
on the recodifications and revisions to
North Dakota’s title V program is found
in Section II of today’s proposed
rulemaking document. Due to the
concurrent nature of the title V revisions
and recodifications and section 112
program recodifications and of the
EPA’s simultaneous review of those
revisions, the EPA evaluates the section
112 program recodifications against the
criteria for stand-alone up-front
completeness and approvability.
The North Dakota request for section
112 program approval was measured for
completeness against all up-front
approval criteria found under 40 CFR
63.91(d). These criteria as they were
fulfilled by the State of North Dakota
are: (1) A written finding by the State
Attorney General that the NDDEQ has
the necessary legal authority to
implement and enforce the State’s rules
and source requirements upon program
approval and to assure compliance by
all sources within the State of North
Dakota with each applicable section 112
standard or requirement
(§ 63.91(d)(3)(i)); 30 (2) a copy of all
NDCC and NDAC statutes and
regulations relevant to the
implementation and enforcement by the
NDDEQ of section 112 standards and
requirements upon final program
approval (§ 63.91(d)(3)(ii)); 31 (3) a
narrative and graphical description of
the NDDEQ, the agency’s organization
and the adequacy of its institutional
28 For reference, this document may be found in
the docket for today’s notice.
29 For a detailed demonstration of North Dakota’s
program adequacy following the program elements
in the EPA’s 1983 ‘‘Good Practices Manual for
Delegation of NSPS and NESHAPs,’’ see the
NESHAP and MACT Program Descriptions,
included in the submittal document, ‘‘Title V
Permit to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS
Programs for Department of Environmental Quality,
Division of Air Quality,’’ please refer to section 2–
3 (PDF pages 32–39), found in the docket for today’s
notice.
30 See submittal package document, ‘‘Attorney
General’s Opinion.’’
31 See submittal package document, ‘‘Title V
Permit to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS
Programs for Department of Environmental Quality,
Division of Air Quality’’ at sections 6 and 7.
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resources to implement and enforce all
aspects of the section 112 program upon
approval (§ 63.91(d)(3)(iii)); 32 (4) a
schedule demonstrating immediate
implementation of the section 112
program upon final approval
(§ 63.91(d)(3)(iv)); and, (5) a plan for
expeditious compliance by all affected
sources subject to the NDDEQ section
112 program upon final approval
(§ 63.91(d)(3)(v)).
North Dakota provides the required
items of 40 CFR 63.91(d)(3), and so
fulfills the section 112 program
submittal criteria set out by that section
and the EPA’s 1983 Manual, as outlined
below.
1. With respect to the State’s legal
authority to implement and enforce a
section 112 program in the manner
required under § 63.91(d)(3)(i): Sections
VI, VII, XIV and XXII of the Attorney
General’s Opinion provides reference to
the statutory source of the State’s
implementation and enforcement
authority for administering a section
112 program.33 As the transfer of
authorities from the NDDH to the
NDDEQ is almost exclusively a
recodification of state laws and
regulations, the EPA also refers to its
previous determination that these legal
authorities are adequate to carry out a
section 112 program to determine that
this legal authority is maintained by the
NDDEQ.
2. Pursuant the requirement of
§ 63.91(d)(3)(ii) that the submittal
include a copy of all statutes,
regulations, and requirements
containing the appropriate provisions
granting the authority to implement and
enforce the state’s section 112 program,
including the related requirements in
the EPA’s 1983 Good Practices Manual
(program elements 1–7) 34 the State has
included such a copy of all relevant,
recodified statutes and regulations. As
there were no substantive modifications
to these authorizing statutes and
regulations, the EPA refers to its
previous determination in the 1995 title
V interim program approval that the
NDDEQ has adequate authority to
implement and enforce a section 112
32 Ibid.
at sections 2, 3 and 5.
NESHAP and MACT Program Descriptions
in the submittal package document, ‘‘Title V Permit
to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS Programs
for Department of Environmental Quality, Division
of Air Quality,’’ Sections 2 and 3 include
information that meets several program elements in
the EPA’s 1983 Best Practices Manual, including,
program elements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7.
34 See the NESHAP and MACT Program
Descriptions in the submittal package document,
‘‘Title V Permit to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and
NSPS Programs for Department of Environmental
Quality, Division of Air Quality,’’ Sections 1, 2 and
3.
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33 The
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program, just as the NDDH had before
these recodifications.
3. Pursuant the requirement of
§ 63.91(d)(3)(iii) that the State show
adequate resources to implement and
enforce all aspects of a section 112
program, the State notes in its submittal
that the NDDEQ will be funded and
staffed at the same level as the
Environmental Health Division of the
NDDH which previously carried out all
aspects of the section 112 program.35
4. Pursuant to the requirements of
§§ 63.91(d)(3)(iv) and (v), which require
a demonstration of planned expeditious
implementation and enforcement of the
section 112 program, the State’s
submittal quotes a specific provision of
Senate Bill 2327 that specifies that all
‘‘orders, determinations, and permits’’
made by the NDDH before the transfer
of authority remain in effect. The
NESHAPs and MACT Program
Descriptions provide additional details
regarding program implementation. As
there will be a continuity in the orders,
determinations and permit conditions
that compose the section 112 program,
there is no further need for
implementation schedules or
compliance plans as would be needed
in an initial program approval. Pursuant
to the EPA’s 1983 Best Practices Manual
program element for reporting to the
EPA, the NESHAP and MACT Program
Descriptions explain that the DEQ will
report to the EPA as required by the
Performance Partnership Agreement
(PPA) 36 and Appendix A to part 61
(incorporated by reference in NDAC
33.1–15–13). The State’s Descriptions
further explain that the DEQ will work
with the EPA to provide information on
NESHAP and MACT sources that is
requested by the EPA.
C. What NESHAPs are we proposing to
delegate?
North Dakota’s request included
NESHAP in 40 CFR part 61 as they
existed on July 2, 2010, and in 40 CFR
part 63 as they existed through July 1,
2015.37 This proposed delegation affects
only the implementation and
enforcement authority for those
standards which had been previously
delegated to the State under the
previously approved program, and
which have now been incorporated
unchanged into the State’s revised air
pollution control rules.
35 See submittal package document, ‘‘Title V
Permit to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS
Programs for Department of Environmental Quality,
Division of Air Quality’’ at sections 1, 2, 3, and 5.
36 See document titled, ‘‘ND PPA 2018–2019,’’ in
the docket for today’s notice.
37 See NDAC 33.1–15–13–01.1; 33.1–15–22–01.
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The NDDEQ would maintain primary
responsibility for the enforcement of the
delegated section 112 standards within
the State. If the NDDEQ determines that
such enforcement is not feasible and so
notifies the EPA, or on the occasion of
the NDDEQ acting in a manner
incongruous with the terms of this
delegation arrangement, the EPA may
exercise its parallel enforcement
authority pursuant section 113 of the
CAA with respect to sources within
North Dakota subject to the section 112
hazardous air pollutant standards.
Additionally, some portions of the
NESHAP/MACT standards and the
associated general provisions may not
be delegated to a state. The EPA retains
authority over those portions of the
section 112 standards and associated
general provisions which may not be
delegated. In general, the EPA will
delegate to a state the authority to make
decisions which are not likely to be
nationally significant or to alter the
stringency of the underlying standard.
Pursuant to this goal, the EPA has
codified those part 63 general
provisions which may, and may not, be
delegated to a state in 40 CFR 63.91(g).
The EPA’s complete reasoning for
defining those provisions which are and
are not delegable may be found in EPA’s
July 10, 1998 memorandum 38 or in the
related Federal Register notice from
January 12, 1999 (64 FR 1880). In
addition, some portions of the section
112 requirements, by their own terms,
may not be delegated to a state. The EPA
Administrator retains authority of those
sections of individual subparts that
require: (1) Approving equivalency
determinations and alternate test
methods; (2) decision-making to ensure
national consistency; and (3) EPA
rulemaking in order to implement. The
document titled ‘‘Delegation of CAA
Authorities Overview’’ in the docket for
this proposal provides a list of example
sections in 40 CFR parts 61 and 63 that
may not be delegated. Additionally, this
action does not propose delegation of
any authority under section 112(r), the
accidental release program.
Accordingly, the EPA is retaining
authority over those portions of the
section 112 requirements that cannot be
delegated.
If this delegation is finalized, all
questions concerning implementation
and enforcement of the excluded
standards in the State of North Dakota
38 Memorandum from John S. Seitz, Director,
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards,
‘‘Delegation of 40 CFR part 63 General Provisions
Authorities to State and Local Air Pollution Control
Agencies,’’ available online at: (https://
www3.epa.gov/airtoxics/112(l)/delauth9.pdf).
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should be directed to the EPA Region 8
Office.
D. How will statutory and regulatory
interpretations be made?
If this NESHAP delegation is
finalized, the State will obtain
concurrence from the EPA on any
matter involving the interpretation of
section 112 of the CAA or 40 CFR parts
61 and 63 to the extent that
implementation or enforcement of these
provisions have not been covered by
prior EPA determinations or guidance.
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E. What authority does the EPA have?
The EPA retains the right, as provided
by CAA section 112(l)(7) and 40 CFR
63.90(d)(2), to enforce any applicable
emission standard or requirement under
section 112. In addition, the EPA may
enforce any federally approved state
rule, requirement, or program under 40
CFR 63.90(e) and 63.91(c)(1)(i). The EPA
also has the authority to make certain
decisions under the General Provisions
(subpart A) of parts 61 and 63. In
addition, the EPA may review and
disapprove state determinations and
subsequently require corrections. See 40
CFR 63.91(g)(1)(ii). The EPA also has
the authority to review a state’s
implementation and enforcement of
approved rules or programs and to
withdraw approval if we find
inadequate implementation or
enforcement. See 40 CFR 63.96.
Furthermore, the Agency retains any
authority in an individual emission
standard that may not be delegated
according to provisions of the standard.
F. What information must the State
provide to the EPA?
In addition to the information
identified in the Performance
Partnership Agreement, the State must
provide any additional compliance
related information to the EPA Region 8
Air Program within 45 days of a request
under 40 CFR 63.96(a). In receiving
delegation for specific General
Provisions authorities, the State must
submit to the EPA Region 8 on a semiannual basis, copies of determinations
issued under these authorities. See 40
CFR 63.91(g)(1)(ii). For part 63
standards, these determinations include:
§ 63.1, Applicability Determinations;
§ 63.6(e), Operation and Maintenance
Requirements—Responsibility for
Determining Compliance; § 63.6(f),
Compliance with Non-Opacity
Standards—Responsibility for
Determining Compliance; § 63.6(h),
Compliance with Opacity and Visible
Emissions Standards—Responsibility
for Determining Compliance;
§ 63.7(c)(2)(i) and (d), Approval of Site-
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Specific Test Plans; § 63.7(e)(2)(i),
Approval of Minor Alternatives to Test
Methods; § 63.7(e)(2)(ii) and (f),
Approval of Intermediate Alternatives to
Test Methods; § 63.7(e)(iii), Approval of
Shorter Sampling Times and Volumes
When Necessitated by Process Variables
or Other Factors; § 63.7(e)(2)(iv), (h)(2)
and (3), Waiver of Performance Testing;
§ 63.8(c)(1) and (e)(1), Approval of SiteSpecific Performance Evaluation
(Monitoring) Test Plans; § 63.8(f),
Approval of Minor Alternatives to
Monitoring; § 63.8(f), Approval of
Intermediate Alternatives to Monitoring;
§ 63.9 and 63.10, Approval of
Adjustments to Time Periods for
Submitting Reports; § 63.10(f), Approval
of Minor Alternatives to Recordkeeping
and Reporting; and § 63.7(a)(4),
Extension of Performance Test Deadline.
G. What is the EPA’s oversight role?
The EPA oversees a state’s decisions
to ensure the delegated authorities are
being adequately implemented and
enforced. We will integrate oversight of
the delegated authorities into the
existing mechanisms and resources for
oversight currently in place. If, during
oversight, we determine that the State
made decisions that decreased the
stringency of the delegated standards,
then the State shall be required to take
corrective actions and the source(s)
affected by the decisions will be
notified, as required by 40 CFR
63.91(g)(1)(ii) and (b). We will initiate
withdrawal of the program or rule if the
corrective actions taken are insufficient.
H. Should sources submit notices to the
EPA or the State?
For the delegated NESHAP standards
and authorities covered by this
proposed action, if finalized, sources
would submit all of the information
required pursuant to the general
provisions and the relevant subpart(s) of
the delegated NESHAP (40 CFR parts 61
and 63) directly to the State. The State
is the primary point of contact with
respect to delegated NESHAPs. Sources
do not need to send a copy to the EPA.
The EPA Region 8 proposes to waive the
requirement that notifications and
reports for delegated standards be
submitted to the EPA in addition to the
State in accordance with 40 CFR
63.9(a)(4)(ii) and 63.10(a)(4)(ii).39 For
those standards and authorities not
delegated as discussed above, sources
39 This waiver only extends to the submission of
copies of notifications and reports; the EPA does
not waive the requirements in delegated standards
that require notifications and reports be submitted
to an electronic database (e.g., 40 CFR part 63,
subpart HHHHHHH).
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54539
must continue to submit all appropriate
information to the EPA.
I. How will unchanged authorities be
delegated to the State in the future?
As stated in previous NESHAP
delegation actions, the EPA has
approved North Dakota’s mechanism of
incorporation by reference of NESHAP
standards into the State regulations, as
they apply to both part 70 and non-part
70 sources. See, e.g., the EPA’s 2000
memo to Director Jeff Burgess, Division
of Environmental Engineering, NDDH.
All future section 112 requirements
incorporated by reference (IBR) into the
State rules will become effective on the
date the requirement goes into effect
according to the State’s updated rules
and regulations. In the case of future
adoption of section 112 requirements,
the EPA requests that North Dakota send
notice of the its intention to receive
delegation of the requirements within
60 days of the State’s incorporation of
those requirements into the State’s rules
and regulations. The notification should
include an official copy of the
regulation stamped, dated and signed by
the appropriate official, with the date of
adoption and the effective date in North
Dakota. Within 30 days of receipt of
North Dakota’s notification, the EPA
will reply with an acknowledgment of
the delegation and will change the
relevant Region 8 electronic delegations
of authority table (found under the
‘‘Delegations of Authority’’ link at:
https://www2.epa.gov/region8/airprogram) to reflect the new delegation
of authority. If there is a change in the
effective date for the section 112
requirement, North Dakota must notify
the EPA as soon as possible. If the delay
extends beyond the section 112
requirement compliance date, the EPA
will implement and enforce the
requirement until North Dakota has
fully incorporated the requirement and
the final effective date has passed.
The State also has the option of
receiving partial delegation of a section
112 requirement, and the option to
cancel the delegation of authority to
implement and enforce previously
adopted requirements. Automatic
partial delegation of severable portions
of any standard requires that the state:
(1) Clearly define the separable
subcategory in the particular standard,
or the specific separable subset of
affected sources in the specific standard
so that regulated sources and the public
know who is the implementing and
enforcing authority; and (2) the
applicable portions of the federal
standard must be adopted by IBR into
the state regulations or rules with an
additional, clear explanation of what
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portions of the standard are not
included in the standard’s adoption into
the State rule. If the State does not want
to use automatic delegation for any of its
previously adopted section 112
requirements, then the State may
provide a list of those requirements
which have been adopted and which the
State wants to exclude from the
delegation process to the EPA.
J. Proposed Action
The EPA proposes to approve North
Dakota’s program for receiving
delegated authority to implement and
enforce emissions standards and other
requirements for air pollutants subject
to section 112 of the CAA as recodified
by the State. The EPA also proposes
approval of revisions to the section 112
automatic delegation arrangement
between the EPA and the State of North
Dakota to accommodate the transfer of
environmental regulatory programs from
the NDDH to the NDDEQ. The proposed
approval of recodification of federal
NESHAP and MACT requirements and
legal authorities to implement and
enforce section 112 requirements, and
the recognition of the NDDEQ’s ability
to receive delegated federal authority to
administer the State’s section 112
program will affect the transfer from the
NDDH to the NDDEQ of the authority to
implement and enforce all incorporated,
unchanged federal NESHAP and MACT
requirements.
IV. Delegation of NSPS
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A. Introduction
Section 111 of the CAA authorizes the
EPA to establish a list of source
categories which contribute
significantly to air pollution and
authorizes the Agency to publish
regulations establishing federal
performance standards for new sources
within such categories. Section 111
performance standards for new sources
are categorically referred to as NSPS and
may individually be found in 40 CFR
part 60.
Section 111(c) of the Act establishes
that the EPA may find a state program
as ‘‘adequate’’ for purposes of
implementing and enforcing the NSPS
and delegate these authorities to the
state. Delegation of authority confers
upon the state primary implementation
and enforcement responsibility;
however, the EPA also retains
concurrent authority to enforce the
standards, and sole authority over those
portions of the standards that may not
be delegated. The usual method for
establishing adequacy of a state’s
program is to verify both the existence
of an approved state title V permitting
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program and that the part 60 federal
NSPS requirements are IBR in the state’s
code. If these two program features can
be positively verified, the state is
considered capable of implementing
and enforcing the section 111 standards
and the state may request delegation of
authority to administer the NSPS
requirements for sources within the
state. After section 111 program
approval, a state and the EPA may reach
an agreement to ‘‘automatically’’
delegate future NSPS requirements to
the state, if the future requirements are
IBR in the state’s code. Automatic
delegation arrangements allow the state
to administer the NSPS as they are
updated or introduced without need for
case-by-case approvals from the EPA.
North Dakota and the EPA currently
maintain such an arrangement.
The EPA last affirmed delegation of
NSPS to North Dakota in a letter dated
February 27, 2014,40 which was
subsequently published for public
notice in the Federal Register on
October 9, 2014 (79 FR 60993). Due to
North Dakota’s creation of the NDDEQ
by act of legislature, and revision and
recodification of portions of the NDCC
and NDAC to grant the Department legal
authority to implement and enforce the
State’s air pollution control rules, the
EPA finds it necessary to revise the
automatic delegation arrangement
between the Agency and the State.
As North Dakota is seeking approval
of the transfer of its title V program to
the NDDEQ concurrent with the State’s
revisions to its section 111 program, the
EPA requested that the State
demonstrate the adequacy of its program
and resources for implementing and
enforcing NSPS requirements
independent of a fully approved
operating permits program. The EPA
evaluated the State’s section 111
program based on the minimum
program elements recommended in the
Agency’s 1983 ‘‘Good Practices Manual
for Delegation of NSPS and
NESHAPs.’’ 41 The requirements set
forth by this document are a state’s
demonstrations of: (1) Emission limits
consistent with federal regulations; (2)
test methods consistent with federal
regulations; (3) reporting and
monitoring requirements; (4)
enforcement authority against
noncomplying sources; (5) waiver
procedures; (6) a source surveillance
program; (7) a protocol for public
40 See letter to Terry O’Clair, Director, Division of
Air Quality, North Dakota Department of Health,
‘‘Automatic Delegation of Clean Air Act (CAA)
Section 111 Requirements,’’ from Carl Daly,
Director, Air Program, February 27, 2014.
41 For reference, this document may be found in
the docket for today’s notice.
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notification and information disclosure;
(8) adequate program resources; and (9)
a communication protocol between a
state and the EPA. North Dakota has
included in its request for section 111
program approval a NSPS program
description that seeks to demonstrate
adequacy of the program with respect to
each of the nine key program elements
listed in this paragraph.
B. Analysis of State Submittal
The EPA reviewed North Dakota’s
section 111 program adequacy
demonstration with reference to the
‘‘Good Practices’’ manual for NSPS
delegations. The requirements of
emission limits and test methods
consistent with federal regulations, as
well as the requirement of adequate
source reporting and monitoring
requirements, have been met with the
IBR of federal NSPS requirements in the
State air pollution control rules. The
State updated all IBR citations as
necessary. The EPA reviewed the State’s
incorporations and finds them
substantively equivalent to
incorporations as they existed at the
time of the 2014 approval of NSPS
delegation of authority to the State
during the NDDH’s administration of
North Dakota’s environmental
regulations.42 The State has made an
adequate demonstration of enforcement
authority in their program description
and has provided a State Attorney
General’s opinion certifying the fullness
of NDDEQ’s enforcement authority and
the adequacy of its source waiver and
public notification and disclosure of
information procedures. The EPA
reviewed the relevant sections of State
code related to enforcement and public
notification, and finds them
substantively equivalent to
incorporations as they existed at the
time the title V program received full
approval. The State also made a
sufficient demonstration of adequate
program resources for the
implementation and enforcement of the
NSPS as they will have the same
resources that were previously allocated
by the State legislature that the EPA
approved. The State’s submittal also
commits to reporting requirements
under the Performance Partnership
Agreement between the North Dakota
and the EPA, as well as working with
42 For cross-referencing North Dakota’s
unchanged incorporations of federal NSPS
requirements both before and after the transfer of
authorities from the NDDH to the NDDEQ, see the
document, ‘‘North Dakota NSPS Recodifications,’’
included in the docket for today’s notice.
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the EPA to provide information to the
Agency.43
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C. What NSPSs are we proposing to
delegate?
North Dakota’s request included
NSPS in 40 CFR part 60 as they existed
through July 1, 2015.44 This proposed
delegation affects only the
implementation and enforcement
authority for those standards which had
been previously delegated to the State
under the previously approved
automatic delegation program, and
which have now been incorporated
unchanged into the State’s revised air
pollution control rules.
The NDDEQ would maintain primary
responsibility for the enforcement of the
delegated section 111 standards within
the State. If the NDDEQ determines that
such enforcement is not feasible and so
notifies the EPA, or on the occasion of
the NDDEQ acting in a manner
incongruous with the terms of this
delegation arrangement, the EPA may
exercise its parallel enforcement
authority pursuant section 113 of the
CAA with respect to sources within
North Dakota subject to the section 111
new source performance standards.
There are some section 111 standards
that may not be delegated to a state and
which are not included in this
automatic delegation arrangement. The
emission guidelines (EG) found in 40
CFR part 60, subparts Cb, Cc, Cd, Ce, Cf,
BBBB, DDDD, FFFF, and MMMM
require states to develop
implementation plans for ‘existing’
facilities of certain source categories,
which are then approved under a
separate process pursuant to section
111(d) of the CAA.
In addition, some portions of the
section 111 standards and the associated
general provisions of part 60, by their
own terms, may not be delegated to a
state. The EPA Administrator retains
authority to implement those sanctions
that require: (1) Approving equivalency
determinations and alternate test
methods; (2) decision making to ensure
national consistency; and (3) EPA
rulemaking in order to implement. 40
CFR 60.4(d) also contains certain NSPS
authorities that are not delegated to state
and local agencies. Additionally, the
document titled ‘‘INSERT’’ in the docket
for this proposal contains a list of
43 For a detailed demonstration of North Dakota’s
program adequacy following the program elements
in the EPA’s 1983 ‘‘Good Practices Manual for
Delegation of NSPS and NESHAPs,’’ see, ‘‘NSPS
Program Description,’’ included in the submittal
document, ‘‘Title V Permit to Operate, MACT,
NESHAPs and NSPS Programs for Department of
Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality,’’
found in the docket for today’s notice.
44 NDAC 33.1–15–12–01.1.
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example sections in 40 CFR part 60 that
may not be delegated to a state.
Accordingly, EPA retains authority over
those portions of the CFR part 60
standards that may not be delegated.
If this delegation is finalized, all
questions concerning implementation
and enforcement of the excluded
standards in the State of North Dakota
should be directed to the EPA Region 8
Office.
D. How will statutory and regulatory
interpretations be made?
If this NSPS delegation is finalized,
the State will obtain concurrence from
the EPA on any matter involving the
interpretation of section 111 of the CAA
or 40 CFR part 60 to the extent that
implementation or enforcement of these
provisions have not been covered by
prior EPA determinations or guidance.
E. What authority does the EPA have?
We retain the right, as provided by
CAA section 111(c)(2), to enforce any
applicable emission standard or
requirement under section 111. We also
retain any authority in an individual
standard that may not be delegated
according to provisions of the standard
and retain the authorities stated in the
preceding delegation agreement.45
North Dakota first received approval to
operate under an automatic delegation
arrangement that was effective on
December 8, 2014.46 (See 79 FR 60993).
The delegation tables as of now and
how it would look if this proposal is
finalized may be found in the docket for
this action. The docket item ‘‘Delegation
of CAA Authorities Overview,’’ also
lists the authorities that cannot be
delegated to any state or local agency.
F. What information must the State
provide to the EPA?
The State must provide any
information identified in the
Performance Partnership Agreement to
the EPA, in accordance with the terms
of the Agreement.
G. What is the EPA’s oversight role?
The EPA oversees the State’s
decisions to ensure the delegated
authorities are being adequately
implemented and enforced. We will
integrate oversight of the delegated
authorities into the existing mechanisms
45 See the EPA’s August 26, 2009 letter to Director
Terry O’Clair, Division of Air Quality, North Dakota
Department of Health, ‘‘Delegation of Clean Air Act
New Source Performance Standards 2009.’’
46 79 FR 60993; October 9, 2014 (informing the
public of EPA authorizing automatic delegation to
North Dakota via letter from Carl Daly, Director Air
Program, EPA Region 8, to Terry O’Clair, Director,
Division of Air Quality, North Dakota Department
of Health (February 27, 2014).
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54541
and resources for oversight currently in
place. We will initiate withdrawal of the
program or rule if the corrective actions
taken are insufficient.
H. Should sources submit notices to the
EPA or the State?
For the delegated NSPS standards and
authorities covered by this proposed
action, if finalized, sources would
submit all of the information required
pursuant to the general provisions and
the relevant subparts of the delegated
NSPS (40 CFR part 60) directly to the
State. The State is the primary point of
contact with respect to delegated NSPS.
Sources do not need to send a copy to
the EPA. For those standards and
authorities not delegated as discussed
above, sources must continue to submit
all appropriate information to the EPA.
I. How will unchanged authorities be
delegated to the State in the future?
As stated in previous NSPS delegation
actions, the EPA has approved North
Dakota’s mechanism of incorporation by
reference of NSPS standards into the
State regulations, as they apply to both
part 70 and non-part 70 sources. See,
e.g., 79 FR 60993. All future section 111
requirements IBR into the State rules
will become effective on the date the
requirement goes into effect according
to the State’s updated rules and
regulations. In the case of future
adoption of section 111 requirements,
the EPA requests that North Dakota send
notice of the State’s intention to receive
delegation of the requirements within
60 days of its incorporation of those
requirements into the State’s rules and
regulations. The notification should
include an official copy of the
regulation stamped, dated and signed by
the appropriate official, with the date of
adoption and the effective date in North
Dakota. Within 30 days of receipt of
North Dakota’s notification, the EPA
will reply with an acknowledgment of
the delegation and will change the
relevant Region 8 electronic delegations
of authority table (found at: https://
www2.epa.gov/region8/air-program) to
reflect the new delegation of authority.
If there is a change in the effective date
for the section 111 requirement, North
Dakota must notify the EPA as soon as
possible. If the delay extends beyond
the section 111 requirement compliance
date, the EPA will implement and
enforce the requirement until North
Dakota has fully incorporated the
requirement and the final effective date
has passed.
The State also has the option of
receiving partial delegation of a section
111 requirement, and the option to
cancel the delegation of authority to
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implement and enforce previously
adopted requirements. Automatic
partial delegation of severable portions
of any standard requires that the State:
(1) Clearly define the separable
subcategory in the particular standard,
or the specific separable subset of
affected sources in the specific standard
so that regulated sources and the public
know who is the implementing and
enforcing authority; and (2) the
applicable portions of the Federal
standard must be adopted by IBR into
the State regulations or rules with an
additional, clear explanation of what
portions of the standard are not
included in the standard’s adoption into
the State rule. If the State does not want
to use automatic delegation for any of its
previously adopted section 111
requirements, then the State may
provide a list of those requirements
which have been adopted and which the
State wants to exclude from the
delegation process to the EPA.
J. Proposed Action
With this notice of proposed
rulemaking, the EPA is providing public
notice and opportunity for public
comment on the Agency’s intention to
approve revisions to the State of North
Dakota’s section 111 program for
implementation and enforcement of
NSPS requirements. The agency is also
proposing straight delegation of all
applicable implementation and
enforcement authorities necessary to
regulate section 111 sources covered by
the relevant subparts of 40 CFR part 60
incorporated unaltered into State code.
This proposed delegation shall not be
construed as extending to those part 60
subparts which cover existing sources
that require EPA approval of a state plan
that affects the implementation and
enforcement of federal emissions
guidelines for such source categories
(section 111(d) sources); nor shall this
proposed action be construed as
delegating those authorities under
section 111 of the Act and part 60 which
are reserved by the Administrator of the
EPA and not subject to delegation. The
EPA is also proposing approval of
revisions to the automatic delegation
arrangement between the EPA and the
State of North Dakota to accommodate
the transfer of delegated NSPS
implementation and enforcement from
the NDDH to the NDDEQ.
V. Timing of Proposed Effective Dates
All revisions to the title V operating
permits program, and section 111 and
112 programs would be federally
enforceable as of the effective date of the
EPA’s approval of the respective
revision and recodification of those
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programs, with the exception of the
EPA’s grant of interim approval of the
part 70 program. The State plans to rely
on the date when the EPA signs the final
notice for purposes of notifying the state
legislature that the EPA has approved
these revisions, which will provide for
the transfer authority from NDDH to
NDDEQ to be effective under State law.
Prior to the effective date of this
approval, the State intends to take the
necessary additional steps as specified
in S.L. 2017, ch. 199, Section 1, to
ensure that NDDEQ rules and the
NDDEQ would become federally
enforceable on the effective date of the
EPA’s approval. Unless and until the
NDDEQ rules and agency become fully
effective under federal law, for purposes
of federal law the EPA recognizes the
State’s program as currently approved
under the North Dakota Department of
Health.
VI. Statutory and Executive Order
Review
Under the CAA, the Administrator is
required to approve:
• A state permit program submittal
that complies with the provisions of the
Act and applicable federal regulations.
42 U.S.C. 7661a(d); 40 CFR 70.1(c),
70.4(i). Thus, in reviewing permit
program submittals, the EPA’s role is to
approve state choices, provided they
meet the criteria of the CAA and the
criteria, standards and procedures
defined in 40 CFR part 70;
• A state program for receiving
delegated authority to implement and
enforce emission standards and other
requirements for air pollutants subject
to section 112 if such program complies
with the provisions of the Act and
applicable federal regulations. 42 U.S.C.
7412(l); 40 CFR part 63, subpart E. Thus,
in reviewing section 112 program
submittals, the EPA’s role is to approve
state choices, provided they meet the
criteria of the CAA and the criteria,
standards and procedures defined in 40
CFR parts 61 and 63; and
• A state program for receiving
delegated authority to implement and
enforce emission limitations for new
stationary sources subject to section 111
if such program complies with the
provisions of the Act and applicable
federal regulations. 42 U.S.C 7411(c).
Thus, in reviewing section 111 program
submittals, the EPA’s role is to approve
state choices, provided they meet the
criteria of the CAA and implement the
requirements, standards and procedures
defined in 40 CFR part 60.
Accordingly, this action merely
proposes to approve state law as
meeting federal requirements and does
not impose additional requirements
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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 Operating Permits
Program 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, this action is not
approved to apply on any Indian
reservation land or in any other area
where the EPA or an Indian tribe has
demonstrated that a tribe has
jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian
country, the proposed 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 Parts 60, 61,
63, 70 and 72
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
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Title V, New source performance
standards, National emission standards
for hazardous air pollutants, Maximum
achievable control technology,
Delegation of authority.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: October 24, 2018.
Douglas Benevento,
Regional Administrator, EPA Region 8.
[FR Doc. 2018–23631 Filed 10–29–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 192
[EPA–HQ–OAR–2012–0788; FRL–9985–79–
OAR]
RIN 2060–AP43
Health and Environmental Protection
Standards for Uranium and Thorium
Mill Tailings
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is withdrawing
its January 19, 2017, proposed rule
addressing health and environmental
protection standards under the Uranium
Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of
1978 (UMTRCA) that would have
applied to byproduct materials
produced by uranium in-situ recovery
(ISR) and would have subsequently
been implemented by the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission and its
Agreement States. The EPA is
withdrawing the proposed rule for three
reasons. First, the EPA, informed in part
by feedback received on the proposal,
has serious questions as to whether the
proposed rule as written is within EPA’s
authority under UMTRCA. Second, the
EPA no longer believes that a national
rulemaking to promulgate standards is
necessary at this time, as the EPA
believes the existing regulatory
structures are sufficient to ensure the
targeted protection of public health and
the environment at existing ISR
facilities. Third, present market
circumstances suggest that the influx of
new ISR license applications that was
once anticipated and that was an
underlying motive for the proposal is
not likely to materialize.
DATES: The proposed rule published on
January 19, 2017 (82 FR 7400), entitled
‘‘Health and Environmental Protection
Standards for Uranium and Thorium
Mill Tailings,’’, is withdrawn as of
October 30, 2018.
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SUMMARY:
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Jkt 247001
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ingrid Rosencrantz, Office of Radiation
and Indoor Air, Radiation Protection
Division, Mail Code 6608T, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC
20460; telephone number: 202–343–
9290; fax number: 202–343–2304; email
address: radiation.questions@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On January 19, 2017, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
proposed new health and environmental
protection standards under the Uranium
Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of
1978 (UMTRCA) (2017 Proposal).1 The
standards proposed in that action would
have applied to byproduct materials
produced by uranium in-situ recovery
(ISR) facilities and would have
subsequently been implemented by the
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) and NRC Agreement States. The
EPA initially proposed new health and
environmental protection standards for
ISR facilities on January 26, 2015 (2015
Proposal).2 However, the EPA decided
to re-propose the rule on January 19,
2017, and seek additional public
comment on changes to the original
proposal, including changes in the
regulatory framework and approach,
based on public comment and new
information received from stakeholders.
The EPA has not finalized either of
these proposals and is not doing so
today. Instead, the EPA is withdrawing
the 2017 Proposal, which superseded
the 2015 Proposal.
II. Why is the EPA withdrawing the
2017 Proposal?
The EPA has decided to withdraw the
2017 Proposal for three reasons. First,
stakeholders, including the NRC, raised
significant concerns regarding the EPA’s
legal authority under UMTRCA to
propose these standards. Based on those
significant concerns, we now have
serious questions concerning whether
the EPA has the legal authority under
UMTRCA to issue the regulations as
developed in the 2017 Proposal.
Second, the EPA no longer believes
that a national rulemaking to
promulgate standards is currently
necessary as the Agency believes the
existing regulatory structures are
sufficient to ensure the targeted
protection of public health and the
environment at existing ISR facilities.
The NRC stated in its public comments
that its ‘‘current regulations, at 10 CFR
part 40, Appendix A, and those of the
1 82
2 80
PO 00000
FR 7400.
FR 4156.
Frm 00018
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
54543
various Agreement States, as
supplemented by site-specific license
conditions, guidance documents . . .
and the operational experience and
technical expertise of the regulatory
agency staff, constitute a comprehensive
and effective regulatory program for
uranium in situ recovery operations
(ISR) facilities.’’ (emphasis added).
Third, present market circumstances
suggest that the influx of new ISR
license applications that was once
anticipated, and that was motivation for
the proposal, is not likely to materialize.
Therefore, there is less need for the rule,
which was intended to provide a more
workable and efficient approach for
addressing these expected new
applications, compared to existing
mechanisms.
A. The EPA’s Legal Authority
In the 2015 Proposal, the EPA
explained that it was ‘‘proposing these
new standards’’ under its authority in
section 206 of UMTRCA which
‘‘authorizes EPA to promulgate general
standards for the protection of public
health, safety, and the environment
from radiological and non-radiological
hazards associated with . . . the
processing and the possession, transfer,
and disposal of byproduct material at
sites at which ores are processed
primarily for their uranium and thorium
source material content or which are
used for the disposal of such byproduct
material.’’ 3 Many commenters stated
that this provision does not provide
authority for the type of standards that
the EPA proposed. Other commenters
agreed with the EPA’s view that
UMTRCA provides authority for
proposing these standards. The EPA
evaluated and responded to these
comments in the 2017 Proposal.4 Many
of these same commenters subsequently
submitted comments on the 2017
Proposal, arguing again that the
proposed standards exceeded the EPA’s
authority to establish ‘‘generally
applicable standards.’’ 5 The NRC also
submitted comments stating that it does
not believe EPA has the authority to
develop standards of the type contained
in the 2017 Proposal. Some of these
commenters raised new arguments to
support their position that the proposed
standards exceed the EPA’s authority
under UMTRCA. In light of the
comments provided on the various
proposals, including by the NRC, the
3 80
FR at 4163; See also 42 U.S.C. 2022(b)(1).
FR at 7418–7419, 7421–7422.
5 42 U.S.C. 2022(b)(1) uses the phrase ‘‘standards
of general application,’’ while 42 U.S.C. 2022(b)(2)
uses the term ‘‘generally applicable standards.’’ We
use these terms interchangeably throughout the
action.
4 82
E:\FR\FM\30OCP1.SGM
30OCP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 210 (Tuesday, October 30, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54532-54543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23631]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 60, 61, 63, 70 and 72
[EPA-R08-OAR-2018-0299; FRL-9985-72-Region 8]
Proposed Approval of Recodification and Revisions to State Air
Pollution Control Rules; North Dakota; Proposed Interim Approval of
Title V Program Recodification and Revisions; Proposed Approval of
Recodification and Revisions To State Programs and Delegation of
Authority To Implement and Enforce Clean Air Act Section 111 and 112
Standards and Requirements
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the ``Agency'')
has reviewed changes to the North Dakota Air Pollution Control Rules.
Concluding review of those changes, the EPA is proposing interim
approval of revisions to the North Dakota operating permit program for
stationary sources subject to title V of the Clean Air Act (CAA or the
``Act'') and recodification of the title V program under a new title of
the North Dakota Administrative Code (NDAC). This document also
proposes approval
[[Page 54533]]
of North Dakota's revision and recodification of the State's programs
for implementing and enforcing delegated requirements under certain
sections of the Act, and consequentially the means for the Agency's
proposed approval of a revised delegation arrangement between the EPA
and the State of North Dakota for transfer of authority to regulate
sources under those sections. Upon final approval of this rulemaking
action North Dakota will receive delegation of authority to implement
and enforce CAA section 111 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and
section 112 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
(NESHAP), including Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT)
requirements within the state, excluding Indian country, exactly as the
requirements were promulgated by EPA (i.e., ``straight delegation'').
Straight delegation of sections 111 and 112 authorities does not
include those authorities reserved by the EPA Administrator or
otherwise reserved by the EPA, nor the authority to implement and
enforce regulations not incorporated unchanged into state code, and
does not include those regulations unincorporated by North Dakota and
omitted from the State's request for delegation. Upon finalization of
this rulemaking, North Dakota will also continue to be eligible for
future automatic delegation of incorporated, unchanged federal
requirements, without need for request of Agency approval on a case-by-
case basis. The proposed action effects the transfer of title V program
administration and delegated authority to implement and enforce
sections 111 and 112 requirements from the North Dakota Department of
Health (NDDH) to the newly created North Dakota Department of
Environmental Quality (NDDEQ or the ``Department''). The EPA is taking
these actions pursuant to sections 501-506, 111 and 112 of the Act.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 29,
2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R08-
OAR-2018-0299 at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot
be edited or removed from www.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, 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: All documents in the docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
at www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Air Program,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 8, 1595 Wynkoop Street,
Denver, Colorado 80202-1129. The EPA requests that, if at all possible,
you contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section to view the hard copy of the docket. You may view the
hard copy of the docket Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,
excluding federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Lohrke, Air Program, EPA,
Region 8, Mailcode 8P-AR, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado 80202-
1129; (303) 312-6396; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background Information
The North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) currently designates the NDDH
as the primary state environmental agency (NDCC 23-01). The North
Dakota health department's authority to administer and implement the
North Dakota Air Pollution Control Rules is codified in NDAC Article
33-15. On April 7, 2017, the Governor of North Dakota signed
legislation to amend the NDCC for the creation of the NDDEQ and
initiate the transfer of all authority, powers and duties of the NDDH
related to environmental quality to the new Department.\1\ The
migration of legal and implementation authority, from the NDDH and to
the new Department, required North Dakota to revise the NDAC to codify
the NDDEQ's source of legal, jurisdictional and enforcement authority,
and to define the programs and regulations that the NDDEQ will
implement. The creation of the NDDEQ also requires the State to seek
EPA approval for the migration of these authorities and all amendments
to related programs and agreements. On August 6, 2018, North Dakota,
having recodified the state environmental regulations,\2\ submitted to
the Acting Administrator a request for approval of the revision and
transfer of the State's CAA programs as they will be administrated by
the NDDEQ. Among the duties of the new NDDEQ is the implementation and
enforcement of the North Dakota Operating Permits Program and programs
implemented via that program including the Act's section 111 and 112
standards and a program for implementation of Title IV of the Act, all
of which the EPA had previously approved and delegated to the State in
prior rulemaking actions. In these prior actions we determined that
NDDH met, among other things, the relevant statutory and regulatory
authority and the ability to implement and enforce the operating
permits program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ North Dakota Session Laws 2017, Ch. 199. Sec. 1 (Senate
Bill 2327).
\2\ For reference here and throughout today's notice concerning
the renumbering and recodification of NDCC and NDAC provisions
relevant to the transfer of CAA authorities to the NDDEQ, see the
general guidance document, ``Crosswalk on Recodifications of
Relevant NDCC and NDAC Sections,'' available in the docket for
today's notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the EPA receives a program revision, the Administrator shall
approve or disapprove program revisions based on the requirements of
part 70 and the Act.\3\ In addition to the recodifications to the
State's title V permitting program, the State's submittal includes
recodifications of the programs for implementation and enforcement of
delegated section 111 and 112 standards and requirements. The
recodification and minor revisions to North Dakota's section 111 and
112 programs also requires the EPA to determine whether to make minor
revisions to the delegation arrangements concerning those programs.
North Dakota's rules authorizing the NDDEQ to administer the State's
environmental programs only become effective after the State receives
the necessary federal approvals.\4\ North Dakota's operating
[[Page 54534]]
permit and source requirements become federally enforceable on the
effective date of final approval of this rulemaking action.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ 40 CFR 70.4(i)(2).
\4\ EPA's proposed approval actions on North Dakota's submittal
to transfer its Title V Program approval and its delegated authority
for the NESHAP, MACT and NSPS from the North Dakota Department of
Health to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality does
not extend to Indian country as defined in 18 U.S.C. 1151. Indian
country generally includes (1) lands within the exterior boundaries
of the following Indian reservations located within North Dakota:
The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, the Spirit Lake Reservation,
the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, and the Turtle Mountain
Reservation; (2) any land held in trust by the United States for an
Indian tribe; and (3) any other areas that are ``Indian country''
within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. 1151. The EPA, or eligible Indian
tribes, as appropriate, will retain responsibilities under CAA
Sections 501-506, 111, and 112 for air quality in Indian country.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. Summary of North Dakota's Title V Program Recodification and
Revisions
A. Introduction
Title V of the 1990 CAA amendments directed the EPA to develop and
promulgate rules that define the necessary elements of an approvable
state operating permits program and the necessary standards and
procedures by which the EPA will approve, oversee, and, when necessary,
withdraw approval of a state's permitting authority under such
programs. These operating permit program requirements are codified at
40 CFR part 70 (part 70). Title V also directs states to develop and
submit to the EPA approvable programs for the issuance of operating
permits to all major stationary sources and to certain other sources
within the state's jurisdiction. Part 70 includes the procedure for
state requests to the EPA for approval of revisions to the state's
operating permit program (Sec. 70.4(i)), and for EPA approvals of
partial or complete transferal of permitting authority from one state
agency to another (Sec. 70.4(i)(2)).
North Dakota received interim approval of its operating permit
program effective on August 7, 1995 (60 FR 35335). The State later
received final, full approval effective on August 16, 1999 (64 FR
32433). On August 6, 2018, the State of North Dakota submitted to the
EPA a formal request for approval of all operating permit program
recodifications and revisions, for transferal of permitting authority
to the NDDEQ, along with requests for approvals of delegations of
authority for other related programs under the Act (See sections III
and IV of this notice).\5\ The submittal included a modified program
description, documentation of rulemaking procedures followed, including
public comment documentation, and copies of the relevant sections of
recodified and revised state regulations.\6\ This submittal was
supplemented on August 16, 2018, with an Attorney General's opinion
describing the NDDEQ's legal authority to administer and enforce
aspects of the operating permit program under part 70 and title V of
the Act.\7\ North Dakota is not resubmitting the operating permit
program, rather the State is only updating the numbering of its
operating permits program and related amendments that have previously
been approved by the EPA. Therefore, except for the minor changes to
the regulations analyzed in Section II.B.4, this notice proposes action
on the recodification and amendments as appropriate and consistent with
the transfer of authority and change in name and does not re-approve
the substantive State regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ The submittal package, ``Title V Permit to Operate, MACT,
NESHAPs and NSPS Programs for Department of Environmental Quality,
Division of Air Quality,'' is available for public review in the
docket for today's notice.
\6\ For purposes of cross-referencing a recodified provision of
the NDAC air pollution control rules with its previous version, we
note that the recodification followed a consistent scheme: All rules
previously codified as 33-15-xx-xx are now codified as 33.1-15-xx-
xx. For example: All Title V Permit to Operate provisions previously
codified under NDAC section 33-15-14-06 are now codified at
corresponding subsections of NDAC section 33.1-15-14-06.
\7\ The Attorney General's statement, ``Attorney General's
Opinion Operating Permits Program,'' is available for public review
in the docket for today's notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Analysis of State Submittal
The EPA finds the State of North Dakota's modified operating
permits program submittal to be administratively complete for
requesting approval of recodification and revisions to the State's
program and the transfer of all authorities related to the permitting
program to the newly created NDDEQ. This determination was made with
reference to the criteria for administrative completeness found in 40
CFR part 70. An accounting of specific, required submittal elements for
revisions to state operating permit programs and transfers of authority
to new state agencies are in 40 CFR 70.4(i)(2). This section specifies
the submittal requirements for any state-initiated program revision as
being: (1) A modified program description; (2) an Attorney General's
statement; and (3) such other documents as EPA determines to be
necessary (70.4(i)(2)(i)). Additional evaluation criteria specific to
initial program submittals, used as supplemental criteria in the EPA's
review of the necessary submittal elements, are found under Sec.
70.4(b).
1. Program Description
As required under 40 CFR 70.4(i)(2)(i), the State of North Dakota
included in its request for approval of revisions to its operating
permit program a description of how the NDDEQ intends to carry out its
responsibilities under part 70 and title V of the CAA (see criteria for
program descriptions at Sec. 70.4(b)(1)). The State's program
description outlines both the basis for operating permit program
implementation and the organizational structure of the NDDEQ's Division
of Air Quality. The program description also includes job
classification descriptions for all staff positions responsible for
carrying out the operating permits program under the NDDEQ's air
quality division. Implementation of the North Dakota title V program
will be based on implementation authority granted by the relevant
sections of NDAC article 33.1-15, as submitted to the EPA for
review.\8\ The NDDEQ also provides that it will generate guidance and
policy documents to clarify the bounds and details of this
implementation authority.\9\ The Department's organizational structure
is explained within the submittal in both narrative and graphical
form.\10\ The Division is equivalent in form and substance to, and
entirely replaces, the Environmental Section of the NDDH, which the EPA
previously approved (64 FR 32433). The State has historically also
demonstrated adequate resources and capabilities for implementation and
enforcement of the State title V program, and identified no new
divisions of relevant authorities created by the transfer of powers to
the NDDEQ (Sec. 70.4(i)(2)). Therefore, we propose to approve the
program description information as appropriate and consistent with the
transfer of authority.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ See submittal package document, ``Title V Permit to Operate,
MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS Programs for Department of Environmental
Quality, Division of Air Quality'' at section 1.A.
\9\ Ibid.
\10\ Ibid. at sections 1.B and 1.C.
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2. Attorney General's Statement
Title 40 CFR 70.4(b)(3) enumerates the necessary elements of the
Attorney General's statement required for program revisions covered by
Sec. 70.4(i)(2)(i). These elements are necessary to ensure that the
State operating permit authority receiving transfer of the title V
program has the complete legal authority to carry out the requirements
of a part 70 program. This includes, but is not limited to, the
authority to: Issue permits and assure source compliance with each
applicable requirement and requirement of part 70; incorporate
monitoring, recordkeeping, reporting and compliance certification
[[Page 54535]]
requirements into permits; incorporate into permits all applicable
requirements and part 70 requirements; terminate, modify, or revoke and
reissue permits for cause; enforce permits, permit fee requirements,
and the requirement to obtain a permit; make available to the public
any permit application contents: Compliance plan, permit, and
monitoring and compliance certification report; not issue a permit if
the Administrator objects to its issuance in a timely manner or, if the
permit has not already been issued, to public petitions to the EPA; and
insure the opportunity for judicial review of permit actions under the
conditions outlined in part 70 (40 CFR 70.4(b)(3)(i)-(xiii)).
North Dakota's Attorney General's statement provides descriptions
of the legal authority under the recodified laws and regulations of the
State to carry out all aspects of an operating permits program,
including the authority to carry out each of these preceding
elements.\11\ The statement includes citations to the relevant State
laws and regulations that grant these authorities, that provide the
corresponding requirements of the Act and federal regulations of part
70.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ For purposes of representing the necessary elements of an
acceptable Attorney General's opinion (Sec. 70.4(b)(3)(i)-(xiii)),
and how the submitted Opinion presents those elements and
demonstrates the State's legal authority through the recodified,
relevant sections of its NDCC and NDAC, please reference the
documents, ``Attorney General's Opinion Operating Permits Program,''
and, ``AG Opinion Review,'' found in the docket for today's notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
During North Dakota's review of the NDAC for recodification and
submittal to the EPA, the State discovered limitations on the
opportunity for judicial review in State courts. The EPA regulation for
state operating permit programs outlines the conditions and
requirements for granting affected parties the opportunity to appeal
for judicial review in state courts (40 CFR 70.4(b)(3)(x)-(xii)). The
Attorney General's opinion explains that while State law provides for
opportunity for judicial review for most of the requirements in 40 CFR
70.4(b)(3)(x)-(xii), the provisions are overly limited. The opinion
explains that the State intends to revise its rules to remedy the
limitations on judicial review:
Forthcoming Department rules will provide that if the final
permit action being challenged is the Department's failure to take
final action, a petition for judicial review may be filed at any
time before the Department denies the permit or issues the final
permit; and that where petitions for judicial review are based
solely on grounds arising after the 30-day deadline for judicial
review, such petitions may be filed no later than 30 days after the
new grounds for review arise.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ Ibid.
The statement concludes by explaining that ``an addendum to the
opinion will be submitted once these rules are adopted.'' Therefore,
while State law grants the Department authority to grant petitioners
the right to some opportunities for judicial review, Department rules
limit the full authority required under 40 CFR 70.4(b)(3)(x)-(xii)
(NDCC Sec. Sec. 23.1-01-11, 23.1-06-04(1)(l), 28-32-42; NDAC Sec.
33.1-15-14-06(8)). The EPA proposes to find that the Attorney General's
statement is appropriate and consistent with the transfer of authority,
except for the limitations on judicial review under title V and Sec.
70.4(b)(3)(x)-(xii) described in the Attorney General's opinion. The
effects of these limitations on the EPA's proposed action are discussed
in section II.C of this document.
3. Supporting Documents
The transfer of permitting program authorities to the newly created
Department will be accompanied by a transfer of all related program
operations as they have existed under the authority of the NDDH. Since
the North Dakota title V program is reasonably assumed to operate in
the future as it has since full program approval in 1999, the EPA asked
for no additional supporting documents, such as would be required for
initial program submittals under 40 CFR 70.4(b)(4)-(16), except for the
relevant NDCC and NDAC sections as revised and recodified for program
transfer. With the exception to the revisions needed to the regulations
discussed in section II.B.4 of this notice, we propose to find that the
recodified regulations are substantively equal to those the EPA
previously approved for implementation and enforcement of the State's
operating permit program, the structure and operations of the
implementing authority can be assured to continue in a similar,
adequate manner as they did under the NDDH, and the relevant NDCC and
NDAC sections are appropriate and consistent with the transfer of
authority.
4. Analysis of the State's Prior Unapproved Amendments to NDAC 33-15-
14-06
Since the full approval of North Dakota's title V operating permit
program in 1999 (64 FR 32433), the State has made several minor changes
to the section of North Dakota regulations that provide the legal
authority to implement and enforce such a program. North Dakota made
most of these amendments to NDAC section 33-15-14-06 to bring its
regulations into alignment with the federal part 70 operating permit
program requirements as amended between 1999 and the present.\13\ The
EPA proposes to approve the State's previously unconsidered program
amendments as listed below for the following reasons:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ For the purposes of cross-referencing pre-submittal
revisions to NDAC 33-15-14-06 (title V program) with the
recodification of those revisions under NDAC 33.1-15-14-06, and a
comparison of how these revisions reflect the EPA's amendment of 40
CFR part 70 during the years between initial, full approval of North
Dakota's title V program and the present, please see the document,
``Post-1999 Amendments to North Dakota Title V Program,'' in the
docket for today's notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under subsection 1 (``Definitions''), three paragraphs
were added to reflect the EPA's amendments to 40 CFR 70.2. Two
paragraphs add new definitions for ``Approved replicable methodology
(ARM)'' \14\ and ``Alternative operating scenario (AOS),'' \15\ in
accordance with the EPA's 2009 revisions to the part 70 regulations (74
FR 51417). The third paragraph was added to account for the EPA's 2010
addition of a definition for ``Subject to regulation'' \16\ to Sec.
70.2 (75 FR 31513). The State made conforming amendments to its
Definitions to incorporate these additions (e.g., when the new
definition for AOS was added, by inserting 33-15-14-06.1.d, with all of
the subsequent definitions amended to maintain alphabetical order: 33-
15-14-06.1.d became 33-15-14-06.1.e, and so forth). North Dakota has
also amended the definition of ``Major source'' under this subsection
to reflect the exact 2001 EPA revisions to the major source definition
under 40 CFR 70.2 (66 FR 59161);
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ NDAC 33.1-15-14-06.1.f.
\15\ 33.1-15-14-06.1.d.
\16\ 33.1-15-14-06.1.cc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under subsection 4 (``Permit applications''), several
paragraphs, along with specific language, were removed relating to the
timeline for initial title V permit applications, which the State
explains no longer apply to any source in North Dakota and are no
longer necessary. Two paragraphs were added to specify requirements for
a description and compliance schedule for source requirements
associated with a proposed AOS, to be included in the compliance plan
for all title V sources submitting operating permit applications
(paragraphs 4.c.(8)(b)[4] and (c)[4]). The State made these additions,
as well as limited revisions to various paragraphs (33-15-14-06.4.c(2),
(3)(c) and (7)) under this subsection,\17\ to
[[Page 54536]]
accommodate permit applications from sources with an AOS after the
EPA's 2009 revisions to part 70 regulations (74 FR 51417). The limited
revisions to these three paragraphs were made to reflect the changed
language of their federal regulation corollaries (40 CFR 70.5(c)(2),
(3)(iii) and (7)) after the 2009 CFR revisions;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ Docket item: ``Post-1999 Amendments to North Dakota Title V
Program.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under subsection 5 (``Permit content''), North Dakota
revised the language of paragraphs a.(1) and a.(9) to account for the
EPA's revisions to various part 70 requirements attendant to the
addition of definitions for ARM and AOS. These changes were made in
accordance with the EPA's 2009 revisions to part 70 regulations (74 FR
51417). These two paragraphs incorporate paragraphs 40 CFR 70.6(a)(1)
and (a)(9), as revised in 2009 with minor terminology changes to
accommodate reference to the North Dakota Program instead of a
generalized state program. The State also revised language under
paragraph c.(5)(c)[2] of this subsection to clarify and update
compliance certification requirements in accordance with the EPA's 2014
revisions to section 70.6 (79 FR 43661). This paragraph incorporates 40
CFR 70.6(c)(5)(iii)(B), as revised in 2014 with minor terminology
changes to accommodate reference to the North Dakota Program and the
State's air quality control rules instead of a generalized state
program and the CFR;
Under subsection 8 (``Judicial review of title V permit to
operate decisions''), the State added the subsection by adding
paragraphs 8.a through 8.e to codify most of the legal authority to
provide judicial review of permit decisions as required of state
operating permit programs and described under section 70.4(b)(3)(x)-
(xii); and
Under subsection 10 (``Compliance assurance monitoring''),
North Dakota incorporated by reference the compliance assurance
monitoring (CAM) regulations of 40 CFR part 64 with minor revisions to
three definitions used in part 64 to insure the State's delegated
implementation and enforcement authority regarding those regulations.
Additionally, the EPA promulgated amendments to the part
70 regulations that North Dakota has not adopted and the EPA proposes
to find that is was not necessary for the State to adopt these
amendments.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ A table of these EPA 40 CFR part 70 revisions and
justification for North Dakota, not including the revisions in the
State's operating permits program, may be found in the document,
``EPA Amendments to Part 70 Not Adopted,'' included in the docket
for this action.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
North Dakota's revised title V program submittal includes all
amendments to NDAC section 33-15-14-06 as they have been incorporated
into the recodification of North Dakota's title V permitting
regulations at NDAC 33.1-15-14-06. These amendments were made to either
directly reflect the EPA's amendments to the federal part 70
regulations during the years since North Dakota's full program approval
(64 FR 32433) or as North Dakota-specific amendments. All of the
State's amendments, except for those to NDAC subsection 33-15-14-06.8
and its successor, the limitations of which are discussed in section
II.B.2 of today's notice, are found to be approvable. Many of these
changes were made to bring state regulations into accord with the EPA's
changes to part 70 requirements over that time period. The remaining
changes to NDAC 33-15-14-06 were not in response to modified federal
regulations; however, the State's changes do not create an operating
permits program any less stringent than is required under 40 CFR part
70. We propose to find that all previously unapproved amendments to the
North Dakota Program between full approval and the transfer of
authority to the NDDEQ, as they have been recodified under NDAC 33.1-
15-14-06, are approvable for the purposes of part 70 program
implementation and enforcement.
5. Transfer of the Acid Rain Program
North Dakota's request for transfer of the title V operating permit
program includes the request to transfer associated State
responsibilities for the CAA title IV Acid Rain Program (40 CFR parts
72, 75 and 76).\19\ 40 CFR 70.4(b)(3)(xiii) specifies that the attorney
general's legal opinion ensure that the authority of the state
permitting agency is not used to modify the acid rain program
requirements. The EPA issued guidance to clarify the primary criteria
for approval of state submittals to carry out the acid rain portion of
the operating permits program.\20\ The Attorney General opinion assures
that ``State law is consistent with, and cannot be used to modify, the
Acid Rain Program requirements of 40 CFR part 72.'' \21\ NDCC 23.1-06-
04(1)(l); NDAC 33.1-15-21. Additionally, North Dakota's revised title V
program submittal demonstrates adequate legal and regulatory authority
to issue permits that reflect the requirements of title IV of the
Act.\22\ North Dakota will continue to implement an acid rain program
through the NDDEQ substantively equal to the program approved with the
original interim title V program approval (See 60 FR 20945). Because of
the substantively equal authorities and capabilities of the NDDH and
the NDDEQ, North Dakota has reasonably assured the EPA of its ability
to meet the requirements related to title IV of the Act, through the
issuance and enforcement of title V operating permits. Therefore, we
propose to approve the transfer of the acid rain program as appropriate
and consistent with the transfer of authority.
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\19\ Title V Permit to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS Programs
for Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality;
see Governor's letter and section 1.B.
\20\ EPA Memorandum, ``Title IV-Title V Interface Guidance for
States,'' from Lydia Wegman, Deputy Director, Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards and Paul Stolpmann, Acting Director, Office
of Atmospheric Programs, to EPA Air Division Directors, included in
the docket for today's notice.
\21\ Attorney General's Opinion Operating Permit Program, August
16, 2018, p. 9.
\22\ Ibid., and throughout.
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C. Proposed Action
North Dakota's program meets the minimum requirements and otherwise
substantially meets the part 70 requirements,\23\ but is not fully
approvable because as described in section II.B.2 the Attorney General
Opinion explains that the State's rules lack full authority required
for judicial review.\24\ Therefore, the EPA proposes interim approval
of the State's operating permit program under 40 CFR 70.4(d) and CAA
section 502(g). An interim approval of North Dakota's operating permit
program would solely be to allow the State to make minor revisions to
NDAC 33.1-15-14-06.8, and update the Attorney General's opinion to
reflect revised legal authorities, as a precursor to full approval of
the State's operating permit program (See discussion in section II.B.2
of this notice). The EPA will act as expeditiously as possible to
finalize full approval of North Dakota's title V program once the
revised State rules and Attorney General's opinion are submitted to the
EPA. Proposed interim approval shall not be construed as approving any
deviation from the implementation and enforcement requirements under
part 70 or as an approval of a program less stringent than that
described by part 70 requirements. Under section 70.4(d) the EPA
proposes to set an expiration date for interim approval, not to exceed
2 years after such an approval and non-
[[Page 54537]]
renewable upon expiration. If the EPA finalizes an interim approval of
North Dakota's title V program, the interim approval's expiration date
will be set for no later than January 1, 2021.
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\23\ 40 CFR 70.4(d)(3).
\24\ As explained in the Attorney General's Opinion, forthcoming
State rules will remedy this limitation and an addendum to the
opinion will be submitted once the rules are adopted.
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III. Delegation of NESHAP and MACT Requirements
A. Introduction
Section 112 of the CAA authorizes the EPA to develop and
periodically revise a list of all categories and subcategories of major
sources and area sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAP). To reduce
HAP emissions from these sources, this section of the Act also
authorizes the EPA to promulgate federally enforceable NESHAP and MACT
requirements for source categories. The NESHAP and MACT requirements
are promulgated in parts 61 and 63 of title 40 of the CFR. Section
112(l) of the Act provides a mechanism for approval of programs and
delegation of authority to the states to implement and enforce these
federal standards and requirements. A state's program may provide for
partial or complete delegation of the Agency's authorities and
responsibilities to implement and enforce section 112 standards and
requirements, so long as those authorities are carried out by an
approvable state program with standards and requirements no less
stringent than those promulgated by the EPA. The regulations found in
40 CFR part 63, subpart E establish procedures consistent with section
112(l) for the approval of state rules, programs, or other
requirements, as well as procedures for the delegation of authority to
states to implement and enforce all section 112 federal rules as
promulgated, without changes, after their incorporation into state code
(40 CFR 63.91).
North Dakota first received straight delegation of authority to
implement and enforce NESHAP and MACT requirements on July 7, 1995 (60
FR 35335) upon the parallel interim approvals of the State's section
112 implementation and enforcement plan and the State's title V
program.\25\ The EPA subsequently informed North Dakota of the
procedures for NESHAP and MACT automatic delegation.\26\ An automatic
delegation arrangement with a state allows for prospective approval of
all delegations of authority to implement and enforce future section
112 standards and requirements without case-by-case approval, so long
as the standards and requirements are incorporated unchanged into state
code. North Dakota was operating under an automatic delegation
arrangement prior to recodification of the State's section 112 program
and the planned transfer of authority to implement and enforce state
environmental regulations from the NDDH to the NDDEQ.\27\
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\25\ Appendix A to 40 CFR part 70. North Dakota (b).
\26\ See letter addressed to Director Jeff Burgess, Division of
Environmental Engineering, North Dakota Department of Health from
Director Richard R. Long, EPA Region 8 Air and Radiation Program,
May 16, 2000, ``Delegation Procedures for Section 112
Requirements,'' in the docket for today's notice.
\27\ Ibid.
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The NDDH's planned transfer of authorities pursuant to State law to
a new State agency required minor revisions and the recodification of
State rules and its section 112 program for implementation and
enforcement of NESHAP and MACT requirements. The recodification of the
State's program requires the State provide the Agency with a copy of
the revised authorities and a formal request for approval measured
against the criteria for approval found under 40 CFR 63.91(d) and any
additional relevant approval criteria in 40 CFR part 63, subpart E.
In a letter dated August 6, 2018, North Dakota submitted to the EPA
final revisions to the State's Air Pollution Control Rules pertaining
to administration, implementation and enforcement of CAA section 112
emissions standards and requirements by the new NDDEQ. This letter
included a request to approve straight delegation of all NESHAP and
MACT requirements incorporated unchanged into the recodified State
regulations, and a submittal package justifying the approvability of
the State's revised section 112 program. The EPA reviewed the State's
program and recodified incorporations of federal requirements (NDAC
chapters 33.1-15-12 and 33.1-15-22) for equivalency to the formerly
approved implementation and enforcement program and former codification
of federal requirements (NDAC chapters 33-15-12 and 33-15-22). The EPA
also evaluated the submittal for approvability on the program's own
merits as measured against the approval criteria found in subpart E of
40 CFR part 63. Additionally, we evaluated North Dakota's request for
section 112 program approval based on the nine elements in the EPA's
1983 ``Good Practices Manual for Delegation of NSPS and NESHAPs'': (1)
Emission limits consistent with Federal regulations; (2) test methods
consistent with federal regulations; (3) reporting and monitoring
requirements; (4) enforcement; (5) waiver procedures; (6) surveillance;
(7) public notification and disclosure of information; (8) resources;
and (9) reporting to EPA.28 29
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\28\ For reference, this document may be found in the docket for
today's notice.
\29\ For a detailed demonstration of North Dakota's program
adequacy following the program elements in the EPA's 1983 ``Good
Practices Manual for Delegation of NSPS and NESHAPs,'' see the
NESHAP and MACT Program Descriptions, included in the submittal
document, ``Title V Permit to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS
Programs for Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air
Quality,'' please refer to section 2-3 (PDF pages 32-39), found in
the docket for today's notice.
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B. Analysis of State Submittal
Referring to a state's title V program final approval would
normally satisfy the common approval criteria set forth for straight
delegation of section 112 authorities to the state (40 CFR
63.91(d)(3)). However, North Dakota's title V program also underwent
recodification during the proposed transfer of authority to the NDDEQ
and was revised since EPA's final approval. Notice of proposed
rulemaking action on the recodifications and revisions to North
Dakota's title V program is found in Section II of today's proposed
rulemaking document. Due to the concurrent nature of the title V
revisions and recodifications and section 112 program recodifications
and of the EPA's simultaneous review of those revisions, the EPA
evaluates the section 112 program recodifications against the criteria
for stand-alone up-front completeness and approvability.
The North Dakota request for section 112 program approval was
measured for completeness against all up-front approval criteria found
under 40 CFR 63.91(d). These criteria as they were fulfilled by the
State of North Dakota are: (1) A written finding by the State Attorney
General that the NDDEQ has the necessary legal authority to implement
and enforce the State's rules and source requirements upon program
approval and to assure compliance by all sources within the State of
North Dakota with each applicable section 112 standard or requirement
(Sec. 63.91(d)(3)(i)); \30\ (2) a copy of all NDCC and NDAC statutes
and regulations relevant to the implementation and enforcement by the
NDDEQ of section 112 standards and requirements upon final program
approval (Sec. 63.91(d)(3)(ii)); \31\ (3) a narrative and graphical
description of the NDDEQ, the agency's organization and the adequacy of
its institutional
[[Page 54538]]
resources to implement and enforce all aspects of the section 112
program upon approval (Sec. 63.91(d)(3)(iii)); \32\ (4) a schedule
demonstrating immediate implementation of the section 112 program upon
final approval (Sec. 63.91(d)(3)(iv)); and, (5) a plan for expeditious
compliance by all affected sources subject to the NDDEQ section 112
program upon final approval (Sec. 63.91(d)(3)(v)).
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\30\ See submittal package document, ``Attorney General's
Opinion.''
\31\ See submittal package document, ``Title V Permit to
Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS Programs for Department of
Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality'' at sections 6 and
7.
\32\ Ibid. at sections 2, 3 and 5.
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North Dakota provides the required items of 40 CFR 63.91(d)(3), and
so fulfills the section 112 program submittal criteria set out by that
section and the EPA's 1983 Manual, as outlined below.
1. With respect to the State's legal authority to implement and
enforce a section 112 program in the manner required under Sec.
63.91(d)(3)(i): Sections VI, VII, XIV and XXII of the Attorney
General's Opinion provides reference to the statutory source of the
State's implementation and enforcement authority for administering a
section 112 program.\33\ As the transfer of authorities from the NDDH
to the NDDEQ is almost exclusively a recodification of state laws and
regulations, the EPA also refers to its previous determination that
these legal authorities are adequate to carry out a section 112 program
to determine that this legal authority is maintained by the NDDEQ.
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\33\ The NESHAP and MACT Program Descriptions in the submittal
package document, ``Title V Permit to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and
NSPS Programs for Department of Environmental Quality, Division of
Air Quality,'' Sections 2 and 3 include information that meets
several program elements in the EPA's 1983 Best Practices Manual,
including, program elements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7.
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2. Pursuant the requirement of Sec. 63.91(d)(3)(ii) that the
submittal include a copy of all statutes, regulations, and requirements
containing the appropriate provisions granting the authority to
implement and enforce the state's section 112 program, including the
related requirements in the EPA's 1983 Good Practices Manual (program
elements 1-7) \34\ the State has included such a copy of all relevant,
recodified statutes and regulations. As there were no substantive
modifications to these authorizing statutes and regulations, the EPA
refers to its previous determination in the 1995 title V interim
program approval that the NDDEQ has adequate authority to implement and
enforce a section 112 program, just as the NDDH had before these
recodifications.
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\34\ See the NESHAP and MACT Program Descriptions in the
submittal package document, ``Title V Permit to Operate, MACT,
NESHAPs and NSPS Programs for Department of Environmental Quality,
Division of Air Quality,'' Sections 1, 2 and 3.
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3. Pursuant the requirement of Sec. 63.91(d)(3)(iii) that the
State show adequate resources to implement and enforce all aspects of a
section 112 program, the State notes in its submittal that the NDDEQ
will be funded and staffed at the same level as the Environmental
Health Division of the NDDH which previously carried out all aspects of
the section 112 program.\35\
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\35\ See submittal package document, ``Title V Permit to
Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS Programs for Department of
Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality'' at sections 1, 2,
3, and 5.
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4. Pursuant to the requirements of Sec. Sec. 63.91(d)(3)(iv) and
(v), which require a demonstration of planned expeditious
implementation and enforcement of the section 112 program, the State's
submittal quotes a specific provision of Senate Bill 2327 that
specifies that all ``orders, determinations, and permits'' made by the
NDDH before the transfer of authority remain in effect. The NESHAPs and
MACT Program Descriptions provide additional details regarding program
implementation. As there will be a continuity in the orders,
determinations and permit conditions that compose the section 112
program, there is no further need for implementation schedules or
compliance plans as would be needed in an initial program approval.
Pursuant to the EPA's 1983 Best Practices Manual program element for
reporting to the EPA, the NESHAP and MACT Program Descriptions explain
that the DEQ will report to the EPA as required by the Performance
Partnership Agreement (PPA) \36\ and Appendix A to part 61
(incorporated by reference in NDAC 33.1-15-13). The State's
Descriptions further explain that the DEQ will work with the EPA to
provide information on NESHAP and MACT sources that is requested by the
EPA.
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\36\ See document titled, ``ND PPA 2018-2019,'' in the docket
for today's notice.
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C. What NESHAPs are we proposing to delegate?
North Dakota's request included NESHAP in 40 CFR part 61 as they
existed on July 2, 2010, and in 40 CFR part 63 as they existed through
July 1, 2015.\37\ This proposed delegation affects only the
implementation and enforcement authority for those standards which had
been previously delegated to the State under the previously approved
program, and which have now been incorporated unchanged into the
State's revised air pollution control rules.
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\37\ See NDAC 33.1-15-13-01.1; 33.1-15-22-01.
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The NDDEQ would maintain primary responsibility for the enforcement
of the delegated section 112 standards within the State. If the NDDEQ
determines that such enforcement is not feasible and so notifies the
EPA, or on the occasion of the NDDEQ acting in a manner incongruous
with the terms of this delegation arrangement, the EPA may exercise its
parallel enforcement authority pursuant section 113 of the CAA with
respect to sources within North Dakota subject to the section 112
hazardous air pollutant standards.
Additionally, some portions of the NESHAP/MACT standards and the
associated general provisions may not be delegated to a state. The EPA
retains authority over those portions of the section 112 standards and
associated general provisions which may not be delegated. In general,
the EPA will delegate to a state the authority to make decisions which
are not likely to be nationally significant or to alter the stringency
of the underlying standard. Pursuant to this goal, the EPA has codified
those part 63 general provisions which may, and may not, be delegated
to a state in 40 CFR 63.91(g). The EPA's complete reasoning for
defining those provisions which are and are not delegable may be found
in EPA's July 10, 1998 memorandum \38\ or in the related Federal
Register notice from January 12, 1999 (64 FR 1880). In addition, some
portions of the section 112 requirements, by their own terms, may not
be delegated to a state. The EPA Administrator retains authority of
those sections of individual subparts that require: (1) Approving
equivalency determinations and alternate test methods; (2) decision-
making to ensure national consistency; and (3) EPA rulemaking in order
to implement. The document titled ``Delegation of CAA Authorities
Overview'' in the docket for this proposal provides a list of example
sections in 40 CFR parts 61 and 63 that may not be delegated.
Additionally, this action does not propose delegation of any authority
under section 112(r), the accidental release program. Accordingly, the
EPA is retaining authority over those portions of the section 112
requirements that cannot be delegated.
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\38\ Memorandum from John S. Seitz, Director, Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards, ``Delegation of 40 CFR part 63
General Provisions Authorities to State and Local Air Pollution
Control Agencies,'' available online at: (https://www3.epa.gov/airtoxics/112(l)/delauth9.pdf).
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If this delegation is finalized, all questions concerning
implementation and enforcement of the excluded standards in the State
of North Dakota
[[Page 54539]]
should be directed to the EPA Region 8 Office.
D. How will statutory and regulatory interpretations be made?
If this NESHAP delegation is finalized, the State will obtain
concurrence from the EPA on any matter involving the interpretation of
section 112 of the CAA or 40 CFR parts 61 and 63 to the extent that
implementation or enforcement of these provisions have not been covered
by prior EPA determinations or guidance.
E. What authority does the EPA have?
The EPA retains the right, as provided by CAA section 112(l)(7) and
40 CFR 63.90(d)(2), to enforce any applicable emission standard or
requirement under section 112. In addition, the EPA may enforce any
federally approved state rule, requirement, or program under 40 CFR
63.90(e) and 63.91(c)(1)(i). The EPA also has the authority to make
certain decisions under the General Provisions (subpart A) of parts 61
and 63. In addition, the EPA may review and disapprove state
determinations and subsequently require corrections. See 40 CFR
63.91(g)(1)(ii). The EPA also has the authority to review a state's
implementation and enforcement of approved rules or programs and to
withdraw approval if we find inadequate implementation or enforcement.
See 40 CFR 63.96. Furthermore, the Agency retains any authority in an
individual emission standard that may not be delegated according to
provisions of the standard.
F. What information must the State provide to the EPA?
In addition to the information identified in the Performance
Partnership Agreement, the State must provide any additional compliance
related information to the EPA Region 8 Air Program within 45 days of a
request under 40 CFR 63.96(a). In receiving delegation for specific
General Provisions authorities, the State must submit to the EPA Region
8 on a semi-annual basis, copies of determinations issued under these
authorities. See 40 CFR 63.91(g)(1)(ii). For part 63 standards, these
determinations include: Sec. 63.1, Applicability Determinations; Sec.
63.6(e), Operation and Maintenance Requirements--Responsibility for
Determining Compliance; Sec. 63.6(f), Compliance with Non-Opacity
Standards--Responsibility for Determining Compliance; Sec. 63.6(h),
Compliance with Opacity and Visible Emissions Standards--Responsibility
for Determining Compliance; Sec. 63.7(c)(2)(i) and (d), Approval of
Site-Specific Test Plans; Sec. 63.7(e)(2)(i), Approval of Minor
Alternatives to Test Methods; Sec. 63.7(e)(2)(ii) and (f), Approval of
Intermediate Alternatives to Test Methods; Sec. 63.7(e)(iii), Approval
of Shorter Sampling Times and Volumes When Necessitated by Process
Variables or Other Factors; Sec. 63.7(e)(2)(iv), (h)(2) and (3),
Waiver of Performance Testing; Sec. 63.8(c)(1) and (e)(1), Approval of
Site-Specific Performance Evaluation (Monitoring) Test Plans; Sec.
63.8(f), Approval of Minor Alternatives to Monitoring; Sec. 63.8(f),
Approval of Intermediate Alternatives to Monitoring; Sec. 63.9 and
63.10, Approval of Adjustments to Time Periods for Submitting Reports;
Sec. 63.10(f), Approval of Minor Alternatives to Recordkeeping and
Reporting; and Sec. 63.7(a)(4), Extension of Performance Test
Deadline.
G. What is the EPA's oversight role?
The EPA oversees a state's decisions to ensure the delegated
authorities are being adequately implemented and enforced. We will
integrate oversight of the delegated authorities into the existing
mechanisms and resources for oversight currently in place. If, during
oversight, we determine that the State made decisions that decreased
the stringency of the delegated standards, then the State shall be
required to take corrective actions and the source(s) affected by the
decisions will be notified, as required by 40 CFR 63.91(g)(1)(ii) and
(b). We will initiate withdrawal of the program or rule if the
corrective actions taken are insufficient.
H. Should sources submit notices to the EPA or the State?
For the delegated NESHAP standards and authorities covered by this
proposed action, if finalized, sources would submit all of the
information required pursuant to the general provisions and the
relevant subpart(s) of the delegated NESHAP (40 CFR parts 61 and 63)
directly to the State. The State is the primary point of contact with
respect to delegated NESHAPs. Sources do not need to send a copy to the
EPA. The EPA Region 8 proposes to waive the requirement that
notifications and reports for delegated standards be submitted to the
EPA in addition to the State in accordance with 40 CFR 63.9(a)(4)(ii)
and 63.10(a)(4)(ii).\39\ For those standards and authorities not
delegated as discussed above, sources must continue to submit all
appropriate information to the EPA.
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\39\ This waiver only extends to the submission of copies of
notifications and reports; the EPA does not waive the requirements
in delegated standards that require notifications and reports be
submitted to an electronic database (e.g., 40 CFR part 63, subpart
HHHHHHH).
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I. How will unchanged authorities be delegated to the State in the
future?
As stated in previous NESHAP delegation actions, the EPA has
approved North Dakota's mechanism of incorporation by reference of
NESHAP standards into the State regulations, as they apply to both part
70 and non-part 70 sources. See, e.g., the EPA's 2000 memo to Director
Jeff Burgess, Division of Environmental Engineering, NDDH. All future
section 112 requirements incorporated by reference (IBR) into the State
rules will become effective on the date the requirement goes into
effect according to the State's updated rules and regulations. In the
case of future adoption of section 112 requirements, the EPA requests
that North Dakota send notice of the its intention to receive
delegation of the requirements within 60 days of the State's
incorporation of those requirements into the State's rules and
regulations. The notification should include an official copy of the
regulation stamped, dated and signed by the appropriate official, with
the date of adoption and the effective date in North Dakota. Within 30
days of receipt of North Dakota's notification, the EPA will reply with
an acknowledgment of the delegation and will change the relevant Region
8 electronic delegations of authority table (found under the
``Delegations of Authority'' link at: https://www2.epa.gov/region8/air-program) to reflect the new delegation of authority. If there is a
change in the effective date for the section 112 requirement, North
Dakota must notify the EPA as soon as possible. If the delay extends
beyond the section 112 requirement compliance date, the EPA will
implement and enforce the requirement until North Dakota has fully
incorporated the requirement and the final effective date has passed.
The State also has the option of receiving partial delegation of a
section 112 requirement, and the option to cancel the delegation of
authority to implement and enforce previously adopted requirements.
Automatic partial delegation of severable portions of any standard
requires that the state: (1) Clearly define the separable subcategory
in the particular standard, or the specific separable subset of
affected sources in the specific standard so that regulated sources and
the public know who is the implementing and enforcing authority; and
(2) the applicable portions of the federal standard must be adopted by
IBR into the state regulations or rules with an additional, clear
explanation of what
[[Page 54540]]
portions of the standard are not included in the standard's adoption
into the State rule. If the State does not want to use automatic
delegation for any of its previously adopted section 112 requirements,
then the State may provide a list of those requirements which have been
adopted and which the State wants to exclude from the delegation
process to the EPA.
J. Proposed Action
The EPA proposes to approve North Dakota's program for receiving
delegated authority to implement and enforce emissions standards and
other requirements for air pollutants subject to section 112 of the CAA
as recodified by the State. The EPA also proposes approval of revisions
to the section 112 automatic delegation arrangement between the EPA and
the State of North Dakota to accommodate the transfer of environmental
regulatory programs from the NDDH to the NDDEQ. The proposed approval
of recodification of federal NESHAP and MACT requirements and legal
authorities to implement and enforce section 112 requirements, and the
recognition of the NDDEQ's ability to receive delegated federal
authority to administer the State's section 112 program will affect the
transfer from the NDDH to the NDDEQ of the authority to implement and
enforce all incorporated, unchanged federal NESHAP and MACT
requirements.
IV. Delegation of NSPS
A. Introduction
Section 111 of the CAA authorizes the EPA to establish a list of
source categories which contribute significantly to air pollution and
authorizes the Agency to publish regulations establishing federal
performance standards for new sources within such categories. Section
111 performance standards for new sources are categorically referred to
as NSPS and may individually be found in 40 CFR part 60.
Section 111(c) of the Act establishes that the EPA may find a state
program as ``adequate'' for purposes of implementing and enforcing the
NSPS and delegate these authorities to the state. Delegation of
authority confers upon the state primary implementation and enforcement
responsibility; however, the EPA also retains concurrent authority to
enforce the standards, and sole authority over those portions of the
standards that may not be delegated. The usual method for establishing
adequacy of a state's program is to verify both the existence of an
approved state title V permitting program and that the part 60 federal
NSPS requirements are IBR in the state's code. If these two program
features can be positively verified, the state is considered capable of
implementing and enforcing the section 111 standards and the state may
request delegation of authority to administer the NSPS requirements for
sources within the state. After section 111 program approval, a state
and the EPA may reach an agreement to ``automatically'' delegate future
NSPS requirements to the state, if the future requirements are IBR in
the state's code. Automatic delegation arrangements allow the state to
administer the NSPS as they are updated or introduced without need for
case-by-case approvals from the EPA. North Dakota and the EPA currently
maintain such an arrangement.
The EPA last affirmed delegation of NSPS to North Dakota in a
letter dated February 27, 2014,\40\ which was subsequently published
for public notice in the Federal Register on October 9, 2014 (79 FR
60993). Due to North Dakota's creation of the NDDEQ by act of
legislature, and revision and recodification of portions of the NDCC
and NDAC to grant the Department legal authority to implement and
enforce the State's air pollution control rules, the EPA finds it
necessary to revise the automatic delegation arrangement between the
Agency and the State.
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\40\ See letter to Terry O'Clair, Director, Division of Air
Quality, North Dakota Department of Health, ``Automatic Delegation
of Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 111 Requirements,'' from Carl Daly,
Director, Air Program, February 27, 2014.
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As North Dakota is seeking approval of the transfer of its title V
program to the NDDEQ concurrent with the State's revisions to its
section 111 program, the EPA requested that the State demonstrate the
adequacy of its program and resources for implementing and enforcing
NSPS requirements independent of a fully approved operating permits
program. The EPA evaluated the State's section 111 program based on the
minimum program elements recommended in the Agency's 1983 ``Good
Practices Manual for Delegation of NSPS and NESHAPs.'' \41\ The
requirements set forth by this document are a state's demonstrations
of: (1) Emission limits consistent with federal regulations; (2) test
methods consistent with federal regulations; (3) reporting and
monitoring requirements; (4) enforcement authority against noncomplying
sources; (5) waiver procedures; (6) a source surveillance program; (7)
a protocol for public notification and information disclosure; (8)
adequate program resources; and (9) a communication protocol between a
state and the EPA. North Dakota has included in its request for section
111 program approval a NSPS program description that seeks to
demonstrate adequacy of the program with respect to each of the nine
key program elements listed in this paragraph.
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\41\ For reference, this document may be found in the docket for
today's notice.
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B. Analysis of State Submittal
The EPA reviewed North Dakota's section 111 program adequacy
demonstration with reference to the ``Good Practices'' manual for NSPS
delegations. The requirements of emission limits and test methods
consistent with federal regulations, as well as the requirement of
adequate source reporting and monitoring requirements, have been met
with the IBR of federal NSPS requirements in the State air pollution
control rules. The State updated all IBR citations as necessary. The
EPA reviewed the State's incorporations and finds them substantively
equivalent to incorporations as they existed at the time of the 2014
approval of NSPS delegation of authority to the State during the NDDH's
administration of North Dakota's environmental regulations.\42\ The
State has made an adequate demonstration of enforcement authority in
their program description and has provided a State Attorney General's
opinion certifying the fullness of NDDEQ's enforcement authority and
the adequacy of its source waiver and public notification and
disclosure of information procedures. The EPA reviewed the relevant
sections of State code related to enforcement and public notification,
and finds them substantively equivalent to incorporations as they
existed at the time the title V program received full approval. The
State also made a sufficient demonstration of adequate program
resources for the implementation and enforcement of the NSPS as they
will have the same resources that were previously allocated by the
State legislature that the EPA approved. The State's submittal also
commits to reporting requirements under the Performance Partnership
Agreement between the North Dakota and the EPA, as well as working with
[[Page 54541]]
the EPA to provide information to the Agency.\43\
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\42\ For cross-referencing North Dakota's unchanged
incorporations of federal NSPS requirements both before and after
the transfer of authorities from the NDDH to the NDDEQ, see the
document, ``North Dakota NSPS Recodifications,'' included in the
docket for today's notice.
\43\ For a detailed demonstration of North Dakota's program
adequacy following the program elements in the EPA's 1983 ``Good
Practices Manual for Delegation of NSPS and NESHAPs,'' see, ``NSPS
Program Description,'' included in the submittal document, ``Title V
Permit to Operate, MACT, NESHAPs and NSPS Programs for Department of
Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality,'' found in the
docket for today's notice.
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C. What NSPSs are we proposing to delegate?
North Dakota's request included NSPS in 40 CFR part 60 as they
existed through July 1, 2015.\44\ This proposed delegation affects only
the implementation and enforcement authority for those standards which
had been previously delegated to the State under the previously
approved automatic delegation program, and which have now been
incorporated unchanged into the State's revised air pollution control
rules.
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\44\ NDAC 33.1-15-12-01.1.
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The NDDEQ would maintain primary responsibility for the enforcement
of the delegated section 111 standards within the State. If the NDDEQ
determines that such enforcement is not feasible and so notifies the
EPA, or on the occasion of the NDDEQ acting in a manner incongruous
with the terms of this delegation arrangement, the EPA may exercise its
parallel enforcement authority pursuant section 113 of the CAA with
respect to sources within North Dakota subject to the section 111 new
source performance standards.
There are some section 111 standards that may not be delegated to a
state and which are not included in this automatic delegation
arrangement. The emission guidelines (EG) found in 40 CFR part 60,
subparts Cb, Cc, Cd, Ce, Cf, BBBB, DDDD, FFFF, and MMMM require states
to develop implementation plans for `existing' facilities of certain
source categories, which are then approved under a separate process
pursuant to section 111(d) of the CAA.
In addition, some portions of the section 111 standards and the
associated general provisions of part 60, by their own terms, may not
be delegated to a state. The EPA Administrator retains authority to
implement those sanctions that require: (1) Approving equivalency
determinations and alternate test methods; (2) decision making to
ensure national consistency; and (3) EPA rulemaking in order to
implement. 40 CFR 60.4(d) also contains certain NSPS authorities that
are not delegated to state and local agencies. Additionally, the
document titled ``INSERT'' in the docket for this proposal contains a
list of example sections in 40 CFR part 60 that may not be delegated to
a state. Accordingly, EPA retains authority over those portions of the
CFR part 60 standards that may not be delegated.
If this delegation is finalized, all questions concerning
implementation and enforcement of the excluded standards in the State
of North Dakota should be directed to the EPA Region 8 Office.
D. How will statutory and regulatory interpretations be made?
If this NSPS delegation is finalized, the State will obtain
concurrence from the EPA on any matter involving the interpretation of
section 111 of the CAA or 40 CFR part 60 to the extent that
implementation or enforcement of these provisions have not been covered
by prior EPA determinations or guidance.
E. What authority does the EPA have?
We retain the right, as provided by CAA section 111(c)(2), to
enforce any applicable emission standard or requirement under section
111. We also retain any authority in an individual standard that may
not be delegated according to provisions of the standard and retain the
authorities stated in the preceding delegation agreement.\45\ North
Dakota first received approval to operate under an automatic delegation
arrangement that was effective on December 8, 2014.\46\ (See 79 FR
60993). The delegation tables as of now and how it would look if this
proposal is finalized may be found in the docket for this action. The
docket item ``Delegation of CAA Authorities Overview,'' also lists the
authorities that cannot be delegated to any state or local agency.
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\45\ See the EPA's August 26, 2009 letter to Director Terry
O'Clair, Division of Air Quality, North Dakota Department of Health,
``Delegation of Clean Air Act New Source Performance Standards
2009.''
\46\ 79 FR 60993; October 9, 2014 (informing the public of EPA
authorizing automatic delegation to North Dakota via letter from
Carl Daly, Director Air Program, EPA Region 8, to Terry O'Clair,
Director, Division of Air Quality, North Dakota Department of Health
(February 27, 2014).
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F. What information must the State provide to the EPA?
The State must provide any information identified in the
Performance Partnership Agreement to the EPA, in accordance with the
terms of the Agreement.
G. What is the EPA's oversight role?
The EPA oversees the State's decisions to ensure the delegated
authorities are being adequately implemented and enforced. We will
integrate oversight of the delegated authorities into the existing
mechanisms and resources for oversight currently in place. We will
initiate withdrawal of the program or rule if the corrective actions
taken are insufficient.
H. Should sources submit notices to the EPA or the State?
For the delegated NSPS standards and authorities covered by this
proposed action, if finalized, sources would submit all of the
information required pursuant to the general provisions and the
relevant subparts of the delegated NSPS (40 CFR part 60) directly to
the State. The State is the primary point of contact with respect to
delegated NSPS. Sources do not need to send a copy to the EPA. For
those standards and authorities not delegated as discussed above,
sources must continue to submit all appropriate information to the EPA.
I. How will unchanged authorities be delegated to the State in the
future?
As stated in previous NSPS delegation actions, the EPA has approved
North Dakota's mechanism of incorporation by reference of NSPS
standards into the State regulations, as they apply to both part 70 and
non-part 70 sources. See, e.g., 79 FR 60993. All future section 111
requirements IBR into the State rules will become effective on the date
the requirement goes into effect according to the State's updated rules
and regulations. In the case of future adoption of section 111
requirements, the EPA requests that North Dakota send notice of the
State's intention to receive delegation of the requirements within 60
days of its incorporation of those requirements into the State's rules
and regulations. The notification should include an official copy of
the regulation stamped, dated and signed by the appropriate official,
with the date of adoption and the effective date in North Dakota.
Within 30 days of receipt of North Dakota's notification, the EPA will
reply with an acknowledgment of the delegation and will change the
relevant Region 8 electronic delegations of authority table (found at:
https://www2.epa.gov/region8/air-program) to reflect the new delegation
of authority. If there is a change in the effective date for the
section 111 requirement, North Dakota must notify the EPA as soon as
possible. If the delay extends beyond the section 111 requirement
compliance date, the EPA will implement and enforce the requirement
until North Dakota has fully incorporated the requirement and the final
effective date has passed.
The State also has the option of receiving partial delegation of a
section 111 requirement, and the option to cancel the delegation of
authority to
[[Page 54542]]
implement and enforce previously adopted requirements. Automatic
partial delegation of severable portions of any standard requires that
the State: (1) Clearly define the separable subcategory in the
particular standard, or the specific separable subset of affected
sources in the specific standard so that regulated sources and the
public know who is the implementing and enforcing authority; and (2)
the applicable portions of the Federal standard must be adopted by IBR
into the State regulations or rules with an additional, clear
explanation of what portions of the standard are not included in the
standard's adoption into the State rule. If the State does not want to
use automatic delegation for any of its previously adopted section 111
requirements, then the State may provide a list of those requirements
which have been adopted and which the State wants to exclude from the
delegation process to the EPA.
J. Proposed Action
With this notice of proposed rulemaking, the EPA is providing
public notice and opportunity for public comment on the Agency's
intention to approve revisions to the State of North Dakota's section
111 program for implementation and enforcement of NSPS requirements.
The agency is also proposing straight delegation of all applicable
implementation and enforcement authorities necessary to regulate
section 111 sources covered by the relevant subparts of 40 CFR part 60
incorporated unaltered into State code. This proposed delegation shall
not be construed as extending to those part 60 subparts which cover
existing sources that require EPA approval of a state plan that affects
the implementation and enforcement of federal emissions guidelines for
such source categories (section 111(d) sources); nor shall this
proposed action be construed as delegating those authorities under
section 111 of the Act and part 60 which are reserved by the
Administrator of the EPA and not subject to delegation. The EPA is also
proposing approval of revisions to the automatic delegation arrangement
between the EPA and the State of North Dakota to accommodate the
transfer of delegated NSPS implementation and enforcement from the NDDH
to the NDDEQ.
V. Timing of Proposed Effective Dates
All revisions to the title V operating permits program, and section
111 and 112 programs would be federally enforceable as of the effective
date of the EPA's approval of the respective revision and
recodification of those programs, with the exception of the EPA's grant
of interim approval of the part 70 program. The State plans to rely on
the date when the EPA signs the final notice for purposes of notifying
the state legislature that the EPA has approved these revisions, which
will provide for the transfer authority from NDDH to NDDEQ to be
effective under State law. Prior to the effective date of this
approval, the State intends to take the necessary additional steps as
specified in S.L. 2017, ch. 199, Section 1, to ensure that NDDEQ rules
and the NDDEQ would become federally enforceable on the effective date
of the EPA's approval. Unless and until the NDDEQ rules and agency
become fully effective under federal law, for purposes of federal law
the EPA recognizes the State's program as currently approved under the
North Dakota Department of Health.
VI. Statutory and Executive Order Review
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve:
A state permit program submittal that complies with the
provisions of the Act and applicable federal regulations. 42 U.S.C.
7661a(d); 40 CFR 70.1(c), 70.4(i). Thus, in reviewing permit program
submittals, the EPA's role is to approve state choices, provided they
meet the criteria of the CAA and the criteria, standards and procedures
defined in 40 CFR part 70;
A state program for receiving delegated authority to
implement and enforce emission standards and other requirements for air
pollutants subject to section 112 if such program complies with the
provisions of the Act and applicable federal regulations. 42 U.S.C.
7412(l); 40 CFR part 63, subpart E. Thus, in reviewing section 112
program submittals, the EPA's role is to approve state choices,
provided they meet the criteria of the CAA and the criteria, standards
and procedures defined in 40 CFR parts 61 and 63; and
A state program for receiving delegated authority to
implement and enforce emission limitations for new stationary sources
subject to section 111 if such program complies with the provisions of
the Act and applicable federal regulations. 42 U.S.C 7411(c). Thus, in
reviewing section 111 program submittals, the EPA's role is to approve
state choices, provided they meet the criteria of the CAA and implement
the requirements, standards and procedures defined in 40 CFR part 60.
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 Operating Permits Program 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, this action is not approved to apply on any Indian
reservation land or in any other area where the EPA or an Indian tribe
has demonstrated that a tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of
Indian country, the proposed 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 Parts 60, 61, 63, 70 and 72
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
[[Page 54543]]
Title V, New source performance standards, National emission standards
for hazardous air pollutants, Maximum achievable control technology,
Delegation of authority.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: October 24, 2018.
Douglas Benevento,
Regional Administrator, EPA Region 8.
[FR Doc. 2018-23631 Filed 10-29-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P