Reconsideration of the Area Designation for the 2010 1-Hour Sulfur Dioxide (SO2, 26627-26630 [2019-12064]
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Johnny W. Collett,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2019–12016 Filed 6–6–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 81
[EPA–HQ–OAR–2019–0011; FRL–9994–83–
OAR]
RIN 2060–AU14
Reconsideration of the Area
Designation for the 2010 1-Hour Sulfur
Dioxide (SO2) Primary National
Ambient Air Quality Standard for
Williamson County, Illinois
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to reconsider
the nonattainment designation under
the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the
Williamson County, Illinois area for the
2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2)
primary national ambient air quality
standard (NAAQS). On June 30, 2016,
the EPA Administrator signed a final
action that designated the Williamson
County, Illinois area as nonattainment
based on a review of available
information. On September 12, 2016,
Southern Illinois Power Cooperative
(SIPC), the owner of the largest source
of SO2 emissions in the area (the Marion
Power Station), submitted to the EPA an
updated modeling analysis that
characterized SO2 air quality in the area
at the time of the final designation
action. The EPA has reviewed that
modeling and concludes the available
information demonstrates that, as of the
date of the Administrator’s signature on
the final action, the Williamson County,
Illinois area was not violating the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS and was not
contributing to a NAAQS violation in a
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SUMMARY:
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nearby area. Therefore, the EPA is
proposing to change the initial
designation of Williamson County,
Illinois, from nonattainment to
attainment/unclassifiable.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before July 8, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2019–0011, 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information concerning this
action, please contact Corey Mocka, U.S.
EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards, Air Quality Policy Division,
Mail Code C539–01, 109 T.W.
Alexander Drive, Research Triangle
Park, NC 27709; by telephone at (919)
541–5142 or by email at mocka.corey@
epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document wherever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
the EPA.
Table of Contents
I. General Information
II. Background
A. Designations of Areas for the 1-Hour
SO2 NAAQS
B. Round 2 Designation of Williamson
County, Illinois
C. Petitions and Additional Modeling
Received From SIPC Subsequent to the
Designation of Williamson County
III. Proposed Action
IV. Environmental Justice Considerations
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory
Planning and Review and Executive
Order 13563: Improving Regulation and
Regulatory Review
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26627
B. Executive Order 13771: Reducing
Regulations and Controlling Regulatory
Costs
C. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
D. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
(UMRA)
F. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
G. Executive Order 13175: Consultation
and Coordination With Indian Tribal
Government
H. Executive Order 13045: Protection of
Children From Environmental Health
and Safety Risks
I. Executive Order 13211: Actions That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution or Use
J. National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act (NTTA)
K. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions
To Address Environmental Justice in
Minority Populations and Low-Income
Populations
I. General Information
A. Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
The following are abbreviations of
terms used in this notice.
AERMOD American Meteorological
Society/EPA Regulatory Model
APA Administrative Procedure Act
CAA or Act Clean Air Act
CBI Confidential Business Information
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DC District of Columbia
EPA or Agency Environmental Protection
Agency
FR Federal Register
NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality
Standards
NTTAA National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act
SIP State Implementation Plan
SIPC Southern Illinois Power Cooperative
SO2 Sulfur Dioxide
RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act
UMRA Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of
1995
TAD Technical Assistance Document
TSD Technical Support Document
U.S. United States
B. Docket
All documents in the docket are listed
in the www.regulations.gov index,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2019–0011. 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 in
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the EPA Docket Center. Air dispersion
modeling input and output files are too
large to post in the docket or on the
website and must be requested from the
contact listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section or from
the EPA Docket Center. The EPA Docket
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Center can be contacted at (202) 566–
1744, and is located at EPA Docket
Center Reading Room, WJC West
Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004.
The hours of operation at the EPA
Docket Center are 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.,
Monday–Friday.
II. Background
A. Designations of Areas for the 1-Hour
SO2 NAAQS
In 2010, the EPA issued a notice of
final rulemaking that revised the
primary SO2 NAAQS (75 FR 35520; June
22, 2010). The EPA established the
revised primary SO2 NAAQS at 75 parts
per billion (ppb) which is attained when
the 3-year average of the annual 99th
percentile of daily maximum 1-hour
average concentrations does not exceed
75 ppb. The notice for the final
rulemaking provides information on the
health effects of exposures to SO2
concentrations and other information on
the NAAQS.
The process for designating areas
following promulgation of a new or
revised NAAQS is contained in CAA
section 107(d) (42 U.S.C. 7407(d)). After
promulgation of a new or revised
NAAQS, each governor or tribal leader
is required to recommend air quality
designations, including the appropriate
boundaries for nonattainment areas, to
the EPA.1 The EPA considers these
recommendations as part of its duty to
promulgate the formal area designations
and boundaries for the new or revised
NAAQS. By no later than 120 days prior
to promulgating designations, the EPA
is required to notify states, territories,
and tribes, as appropriate, of any
intended modifications to an area
designation or boundary
recommendation that the EPA deems
necessary.
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B. Round 2 Designation of Williamson
County, Illinois 2
The Marion Power Station, owned by
SIPC, is a source of SO2 emissions
located in southern Williamson County,
Illinois in a rural area adjacent to the
Lake of Egypt. The EPA was required
under the conditions of a May 2015
enforceable court order to designate the
area around the Marion Power Station
by July 2, 2016 (see 81 FR 45039).
1 Tribal leaders are also invited to make air
quality designation recommendations for areas of
Indian country.
2 The EPA refers to the designations of selected
areas, including Williamson County, Illinois, for the
1-hour SO2 NAAQS that the Agency finalized in
2016 as ‘‘Round 2’’ designations. The EPA also
finalized designations for other selected areas in
2013 (Round 1; see 78 FR 47191) and 2018 (Round
3; see 83 FR 1098 and 83 FR 14597).
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In 2011, following the promulgation
of the revised SO2 NAAQS, the state of
Illinois initially recommended a
designation of unclassifiable for
Williamson County. In September 2015,
Illinois updated its recommendation for
Williamson County to attainment based
on air quality modeling conducted by
the state and submitted to the EPA. No
ambient monitoring data were available
for any part of the county. While
formulating the EPA’s intended
designation, we also received air quality
modeling from Sierra Club for this area
that purported to demonstrate the area
was not attaining the 2010 SO2 NAAQS.
In our review of the two modeling
submissions, the EPA found the state’s
September 2015 modeling used an
emission rate that was below actual
2012–2014 emission rates. The Sierra
Club’s modeling, in contrast, used
actual 2012–2014 emission rates,
consistent with the EPA’s SO2 NAAQS
Designations Modeling Technical
Assistance Document (TAD). Most other
aspects of the Sierra Club modeling
were similar to the modeling submitted
by Illinois, though the Sierra Club
modeled SO2 air quality at receptors on
the facility-owned ‘‘Northern Property’’
adjacent to the main plant (and
identified nonattainment receptors on
that property) and Illinois’ modeling did
not. The Sierra Club modeling used the
same building dimensions as the Illinois
modeling. Neither Illinois’ nor Sierra
Club’s modeling suggested that the
Marion Power Station (or any other
sources in the county) contributed to a
violation of the NAAQS in any separate
nearby area. In February 2016, the EPA
notified Illinois of our intended
designation of nonattainment for the
entirety of Williamson County based
primarily on Sierra Club’s modeling
along with consideration of other
available evidence.3 4
During the March 2016 public
comment period on the intended
nonattainment designation, the EPA
received three new modeling runs for
the area from a consultant to SIPC that
purported to demonstrate the area
around the Marion Power Station was
attaining the 2010 SO2 NAAQS.5 6 These
3 Letter dated February 16, 2016 from Robert A.
Kaplan, Acting Regional Administrator, EPA Region
5, to Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner regarding the
EPA’s intended designations for the 2010 SO2
NAAQS, Docket Item No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2014–
0464–0127.
4 Illinois Technical Support Document for the
EPA’s Intended Designations, Docket Item No.
EPA–HQ–OAR–2014–0464–0128.
5 Docket Item No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2014–0464–
0318.
6 Two of SIPC’s modeling runs used nonregulatory AERMOD options that the EPA could not
rely on to evaluate whether the Williamson County,
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modeling runs were all based on actual
2013–2015 emissions. The SIPC
modeling runs differed from Illinois’
modeling in some respects but were the
same as the Illinois modeling with
respect to using the same building
geometries and excluding modeling
receptors on the facility-owned
‘‘Northern Property’’ adjacent to the
main plant. In its comments on the
intended nonattainment designation for
Williamson County, the state endorsed
the new modeling from the SIPC
consultant. After analyzing issues with
SIPC’s modeling, the EPA concluded
that SIPC’s modeling ‘‘was incomplete
in the sense that an important receptor
area [i.e., the Northern Property] was
inappropriately excluded from the
analysis.’’ 7 In the final action signed on
June 30, 2016, the EPA designated the
entirety of Williamson County as
nonattainment, based on consideration
of all submitted modeling. Full reviews
of all the modeling analyses submitted
to the EPA for the designation of
Williamson County can be found in the
technical support document (TSD) for
the intended Illinois designations and
the TSD for the final Illinois
designations. This designation triggered
Illinois’ duty to develop and submit to
the EPA a state implementation plan
(SIP) under CAA sections 172, 191 and
192 demonstrating attainment of the
SO2 NAAQS.
C. Petitions and Additional Modeling
Received From SIPC Subsequent to the
Designation of Williamson County
In September 2016, SIPC submitted a
petition for reconsideration of the EPA’s
nonattainment designation for
Williamson County.8 9 SIPC included
several additional modeling runs as part
of the petition for reconsideration that
reflected different building dimensions
at the Marion Power Station than those
used in Illinois’ modeling, Sierra Club’s
modeling, and SIPC’s previous March
2016 modeling.10 Overall, SIPC’s
Illinois area was meeting the 2010 SO2 NAAQS.
The EPA’s discussion here and in the TSD for the
final designations for areas in Illinois thus focus on
analyzing the one SIPC modeling run that used
AERMOD in its regulatory default mode.
7 Illinois Technical Support Document for the
EPA’s Final Designations, Docket Item No. EPA–
HQ–OAR–2014–0464–0402.
8 Docket Item No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2014–0464–
0427.
9 SIPC also filed a petition for judicial review of
the designation in the Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit, which was later transferred to the
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
10 Accurate representation of building parameters
is important to better account for the effects on
modeled concentrations of downwash, eddies, and
wakes from buildings. Generally, modeling with
building downwash effects tends to result in higher
modeled ground concentrations near the building
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September 2016 modeling of actual
emissions indicated no violations of the
NAAQS in the 3-year period of 2013–
2015 and did not identify any
nonattainment receptors on the
Northern Property. In January 2017,
Administrator McCarthy denied SIPC’s
petition for reconsideration, explaining
that the petition did not meet the
criteria the EPA elected to use to
evaluate whether the action warranted
reconsideration.11
In June 2017, SIPC submitted a
petition to the EPA seeking error
correction of the final rule designating
Williamson County, Illinois as
nonattainment. In this June 2017
petition, SIPC requested that the EPA
correct what SIPC alleged to be
particular errors in the EPA’s final
designation action for Williamson
County.
In September 2017, EPA
Administrator Pruitt responded to the
letter transmitting SIPC’s petition for
error correction by indicating the EPA’s
intention to undertake an administrative
action with notice and comment to
revisit the nonattainment designation.12
In its September 2016 petition for
reconsideration, SIPC indicated that the
revised building dimensions were based
on a survey conducted in 2016. On
November 6, 2018, SIPC submitted to
the EPA supplemental information with
regard to the specifics of and the basis
for the revised building inputs used in
the modeling submitted as part of its
September 2016 petition for
reconsideration.13 This proposal
initiates our notice and comment
administrative action to reconsider the
designation, based upon our review of
this submitted information that
characterizes SO2 air quality at the time
of this area’s designation.
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III. Proposed Action
In September 2016, SIPC submitted to
the EPA additional information and
updated modeling, which included
modeling receptors on the Northern
versus modeling without downwash effects.
Therefore, an accurate representation of physical
structures, such as buildings, in the vicinity of a
plume is important to ensure reliable estimates of
ambient air concentrations.
11 See the EPA’s response to SIPC’s September
2016 petition for reconsideration, Docket Item Nos.
EPA–HQ–OAR–2014–0464–0439 and EPA–HQ–
OAR–2014–0464–0444. This response letter with
enclosures is also available at https://www.epa.gov/
sites/production/files/2017-01/documents/
bonebrake_letter_and_enclosure.pdf.
12 Upon being informed of the EPA’s intention to
undertake further administrative proceedings
regarding this area’s designation, the D.C. Circuit
granted the EPA’s motion to place the judicial
petitions from SIPC in abeyance.
13 Docket Item No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2014–0464–
0458.
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Property, pertaining to the designation
of Williamson County, Illinois. On
November 6, 2018, SIPC submitted to
the EPA supplemental information to
clarify the specifics of and the basis for
the revised building inputs used in the
September 2016 modeling. A full review
of this supplemental information is
provided in the TSD for this action,
which is available in the public docket.
Based on this review, including
consideration of this clarifying
information, the EPA proposes that the
September 2016 SIPC modeling is
representative of the relevant calendar
years (2013–2015 actual emissions) of
SO2 air quality in Williamson County at
the time of the final designation on June
30, 2016.14 The EPA also proposes to
find that the modeling demonstrates
that in the 2013–2015 modeling period
the area was not violating the 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS or was not contributing to
a violation in any nearby area at the
time of the 2016 final designation.
This information includes the
addition of receptors in the Northern
Property and refinements of the
building dimensions as processed for
downwash purposes. The EPA proposes
to find that this modeling, with our
evaluation of the additional information
submitted by SIPC documenting
building dimensions and evidence that
modeled predictions in the Northern
Property are below the 1-hr SO2
NAAQS, provides a credible assessment
of air quality throughout the area at the
time of designation. Based on this
updated modeling, the EPA proposes to
conclude that the entire area had no
violations of the 1-hr SO2 NAAQS in the
period 2013–2015, the three most recent
calendar years prior to our designations
final action. Additionally, SIPC does not
contribute to any nearby nonattainment
area. The nearest SO2 nonattainment
area is over 160 kilometers away,
beyond the distance at which Marion
Power Station would likely have impact
on SO2 air quality.
Accordingly, we are proposing to
change the initial designation of
Williamson County, Illinois for the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS. Based on the
information available to the EPA, we are
proposing to finalize the Williamson
County, Illinois area’s initial
designation as attainment/unclassifiable
for that SO2 NAAQS. If the EPA takes
final action to change Williamson
County, Illinois’ designation, that final
action would relieve Illinois of the
obligation under CAA sections 172, 191,
and 192 to submit a SIP that
14 Technical Support Document for Williamson
County, Illinois Modeling Submitted September
2016, Docket No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2019–0011.
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26629
demonstrates attainment of the SO2
NAAQS. The EPA invites public input
on this proposed action regarding the
Williamson County, Illinois area during
the 30-day comment period provided in
this notice. At this time, the EPA is not
taking action or soliciting public
comment on the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS designations for geographic
areas beyond Williamson County,
Illinois. This opportunity for public
comment does not affect any rights or
obligations of any state, territory, or
tribe, or of the EPA, which might
otherwise exist pursuant to the CAA
section 107(d).
IV. Environmental Justice
Considerations
When the EPA establishes a new or
revised NAAQS, the CAA requires the
EPA to designate all areas of the United
States as either nonattainment,
attainment, or unclassifiable. This
proposal is reconsidering the
nonattainment designation for the
Williamson County, Illinois area for the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. Area
designations address environmental
justice concerns by ensuring that the
public is properly informed about the
air quality in an area. In locations where
air quality does not meet the NAAQS,
the CAA requires relevant state
authorities to initiate appropriate air
quality management actions to ensure
that all those residing, working,
attending school, or otherwise present
in those areas are protected, regardless
of minority and economic status.
V. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory
Planning and Review and Executive
Order 13563: Improving Regulation and
Regulatory Review
This action is exempt from review by
the Office of Management and Budget
because it is a designation for the
Williamson County, Illinois area for the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
B. Executive Order 13771: Reducing
Regulations and Controlling Regulatory
Costs
This action is not an Executive Order
13771 regulatory action because actions
such as air quality designations after
promulgating a new revised NAAQS are
exempt under Executive Order 12866.
C. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
This action does not impose an
information collection burden under the
PRA. In this action, the EPA is
reconsidering the SO2 NAAQS
designation for the Williamson County,
Illinois area promulgated previously on
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July 12, 2016, and does not contain any
information collection activities.
D. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
This action under CAA section 107(d)
is not subject to the RFA. The RFA
applies only to rules subject to noticeand-comment rulemaking requirements
under the Administrative Procedure Act
(APA), 5 U.S.C. 553, or any other
statute. Section 107(d)(2)(B) of the CAA
explicitly provides that designations are
exempt from the notice-and-comment
provisions of the APA. In addition,
designations under CAA section 107(d)
are not among the list of actions that are
subject to the notice-and-comment
rulemaking requirements of CAA
section 307(d).
E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
(UMRA)
This action does not contain any
unfunded mandate as described in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, 2
U.S.C. 1531–1538 and does not
significantly or uniquely affect small
governments. The action imposes no
enforceable duty on any state, local, or
tribal governments or the private sector.
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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. The division of
responsibility between the federal
government and the states for purposes
of implementing the NAAQS is
established under the CAA.
G. Executive Order 13175: Consultation
and Coordination With Indian Tribal
Government
This action does not have tribal
implications, as specified in Executive
Order 13175. This action concerns the
designation of Williamson County,
Illinois for the 2010 SO2 NAAQS. This
rule does not have a substantial direct
effect on one or more Indian tribes. This
action when final would change the
initial designation for Williamson
County for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS, but no areas of Indian country
are intended to be designated or to have
their designation changed by this action.
There are no areas of Indian country in
or near Williamson County.
Furthermore, this rule does not affect
the relationship or distribution of power
and responsibilities between the federal
government and Indian tribes. The CAA
and the Tribal Authority Rule establish
the relationship of the federal
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government and tribes in developing
plans to attain the NAAQS, and this rule
does nothing to modify that
relationship. Thus, Executive Order
13175 does not apply.
H. Executive Order 13045: Protection of
Children From Environmental Health
and Safety Risks
The EPA interprets Executive Order
13045 as applying to those regulatory
actions that concern environmental
health or safety risks that the EPA has
reason to believe may
disproportionately affect children, per
the definition of ‘‘covered regulatory
action’’ in section 2–202 of the
Executive Order. This action is not
subject to Executive Order 13045
because it does not establish an
environmental standard intended to
mitigate health or safety risks.
I. Executive Order 13211: Actions That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution or Use
This action is not subject to Executive
Order 13211 because it is not a
significant regulatory action under
Executive Order 12866.
J. National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act (NTTA)
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 does
not have disproportionately high and
adverse human health or environmental
effects on minority populations, lowincome populations, and/or indigenous
peoples, as specified in Executive Order
12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
When the EPA establishes a new or
revised NAAQS, the CAA requires the
EPA to designate all areas of the U.S. as
either nonattainment, attainment, or
unclassifiable. This action is
reconsidering the nonattainment
designation for the Williamson County,
Illinois area for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS. Area designations address
environmental justice concerns by
ensuring that the public is properly
informed about the air quality in an
area. In locations where air quality does
not meet the NAAQS, the CAA requires
relevant state authorities to initiate
appropriate air quality management
actions to ensure that all those residing,
working, attending school, or otherwise
present in those areas are protected,
regardless of minority and economic
status. The documentation for this
determination is contained in Section IV
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of this preamble, ‘‘Environmental
Justice Considerations.’’
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, National parks,
Wilderness areas.
Dated: May 28, 2019.
William L. Wehrum,
Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2019–12064 Filed 6–6–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 180
[EPA–HQ–OPP–2019–0041; FRL–9993–93]
Receipt of Several Pesticide Petitions
Filed for Residues of Pesticide
Chemicals In or On Various
Commodities (April 2019)
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of filing of petitions and
request for comment.
AGENCY:
This document announces the
Agency’s receipt of several initial filings
of pesticide petitions requesting the
establishment or modification of
regulations for residues of pesticide
chemicals in or on various commodities.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before July 8, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by the Docket Identification
(ID) number and Pesticide Petition
number (PP) of interest as shown in the
body of this document, by one of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute.
• Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental
Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/
DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave.
NW, Washington, DC 20460–0001.
• Hand Delivery: To make special
arrangements for hand delivery or
delivery of boxed information, please
follow the instructions at https://
www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
Additional instructions on
commenting or visiting the docket,
along with more information about
dockets generally, is available at https://
www.epa.gov/dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Goodis, Registration Division
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\07JNP1.SGM
07JNP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 110 (Friday, June 7, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26627-26630]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12064]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 81
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0011; FRL-9994-83-OAR]
RIN 2060-AU14
Reconsideration of the Area Designation for the 2010 1-Hour
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standard for
Williamson County, Illinois
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to
reconsider the nonattainment designation under the Clean Air Act (CAA)
for the Williamson County, Illinois area for the 2010 1-hour sulfur
dioxide (SO2) primary national ambient air quality standard
(NAAQS). On June 30, 2016, the EPA Administrator signed a final action
that designated the Williamson County, Illinois area as nonattainment
based on a review of available information. On September 12, 2016,
Southern Illinois Power Cooperative (SIPC), the owner of the largest
source of SO2 emissions in the area (the Marion Power
Station), submitted to the EPA an updated modeling analysis that
characterized SO2 air quality in the area at the time of the
final designation action. The EPA has reviewed that modeling and
concludes the available information demonstrates that, as of the date
of the Administrator's signature on the final action, the Williamson
County, Illinois area was not violating the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS and was not contributing to a NAAQS violation in a nearby area.
Therefore, the EPA is proposing to change the initial designation of
Williamson County, Illinois, from nonattainment to attainment/
unclassifiable.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 8, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2019-0011, 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning
this action, please contact Corey Mocka, U.S. EPA, Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards, Air Quality Policy Division, Mail Code
C539-01, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; by
telephone at (919) 541-5142 or by email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document wherever ``we,'' ``us,'' or ``our'' is
used, we mean the EPA.
Table of Contents
I. General Information
II. Background
A. Designations of Areas for the 1-Hour SO2 NAAQS
B. Round 2 Designation of Williamson County, Illinois
C. Petitions and Additional Modeling Received From SIPC
Subsequent to the Designation of Williamson County
III. Proposed Action
IV. Environmental Justice Considerations
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and
Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review
B. Executive Order 13771: Reducing Regulations and Controlling
Regulatory Costs
C. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
D. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
F. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
G. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With
Indian Tribal Government
H. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From
Environmental Health and Safety Risks
I. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect
Energy Supply, Distribution or Use
J. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTA)
K. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address
Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income
Populations
I. General Information
A. Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
The following are abbreviations of terms used in this notice.
AERMOD American Meteorological Society/EPA Regulatory Model
APA Administrative Procedure Act
CAA or Act Clean Air Act
CBI Confidential Business Information
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DC District of Columbia
EPA or Agency Environmental Protection Agency
FR Federal Register
NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards
NTTAA National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act
SIP State Implementation Plan
SIPC Southern Illinois Power Cooperative
SO2 Sulfur Dioxide
RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act
UMRA Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995
TAD Technical Assistance Document
TSD Technical Support Document
U.S. United States
B. Docket
All documents in the docket are listed in the www.regulations.gov
index, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0011. 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 in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy
at the EPA Docket Center. Air dispersion modeling input and output
files are too large to post in the docket or on the website and must be
requested from the contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section or from the EPA Docket Center. The EPA Docket
[[Page 26628]]
Center can be contacted at (202) 566-1744, and is located at EPA Docket
Center Reading Room, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. The hours of operation at the EPA
Docket Center are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
II. Background
A. Designations of Areas for the 1-Hour SO2 NAAQS
In 2010, the EPA issued a notice of final rulemaking that revised
the primary SO2 NAAQS (75 FR 35520; June 22, 2010). The EPA
established the revised primary SO2 NAAQS at 75 parts per
billion (ppb) which is attained when the 3-year average of the annual
99th percentile of daily maximum 1-hour average concentrations does not
exceed 75 ppb. The notice for the final rulemaking provides information
on the health effects of exposures to SO2 concentrations and
other information on the NAAQS.
The process for designating areas following promulgation of a new
or revised NAAQS is contained in CAA section 107(d) (42 U.S.C.
7407(d)). After promulgation of a new or revised NAAQS, each governor
or tribal leader is required to recommend air quality designations,
including the appropriate boundaries for nonattainment areas, to the
EPA.\1\ The EPA considers these recommendations as part of its duty to
promulgate the formal area designations and boundaries for the new or
revised NAAQS. By no later than 120 days prior to promulgating
designations, the EPA is required to notify states, territories, and
tribes, as appropriate, of any intended modifications to an area
designation or boundary recommendation that the EPA deems necessary.
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\1\ Tribal leaders are also invited to make air quality
designation recommendations for areas of Indian country.
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B. Round 2 Designation of Williamson County, Illinois \2\
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\2\ The EPA refers to the designations of selected areas,
including Williamson County, Illinois, for the 1-hour SO2
NAAQS that the Agency finalized in 2016 as ``Round 2'' designations.
The EPA also finalized designations for other selected areas in 2013
(Round 1; see 78 FR 47191) and 2018 (Round 3; see 83 FR 1098 and 83
FR 14597).
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The Marion Power Station, owned by SIPC, is a source of
SO2 emissions located in southern Williamson County,
Illinois in a rural area adjacent to the Lake of Egypt. The EPA was
required under the conditions of a May 2015 enforceable court order to
designate the area around the Marion Power Station by July 2, 2016 (see
81 FR 45039).
In 2011, following the promulgation of the revised SO2
NAAQS, the state of Illinois initially recommended a designation of
unclassifiable for Williamson County. In September 2015, Illinois
updated its recommendation for Williamson County to attainment based on
air quality modeling conducted by the state and submitted to the EPA.
No ambient monitoring data were available for any part of the county.
While formulating the EPA's intended designation, we also received air
quality modeling from Sierra Club for this area that purported to
demonstrate the area was not attaining the 2010 SO2 NAAQS.
In our review of the two modeling submissions, the EPA found the
state's September 2015 modeling used an emission rate that was below
actual 2012-2014 emission rates. The Sierra Club's modeling, in
contrast, used actual 2012-2014 emission rates, consistent with the
EPA's SO2 NAAQS Designations Modeling Technical Assistance
Document (TAD). Most other aspects of the Sierra Club modeling were
similar to the modeling submitted by Illinois, though the Sierra Club
modeled SO2 air quality at receptors on the facility-owned
``Northern Property'' adjacent to the main plant (and identified
nonattainment receptors on that property) and Illinois' modeling did
not. The Sierra Club modeling used the same building dimensions as the
Illinois modeling. Neither Illinois' nor Sierra Club's modeling
suggested that the Marion Power Station (or any other sources in the
county) contributed to a violation of the NAAQS in any separate nearby
area. In February 2016, the EPA notified Illinois of our intended
designation of nonattainment for the entirety of Williamson County
based primarily on Sierra Club's modeling along with consideration of
other available evidence.3 4
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\3\ Letter dated February 16, 2016 from Robert A. Kaplan, Acting
Regional Administrator, EPA Region 5, to Illinois Governor Bruce
Rauner regarding the EPA's intended designations for the 2010
SO2 NAAQS, Docket Item No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0464-0127.
\4\ Illinois Technical Support Document for the EPA's Intended
Designations, Docket Item No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0464-0128.
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During the March 2016 public comment period on the intended
nonattainment designation, the EPA received three new modeling runs for
the area from a consultant to SIPC that purported to demonstrate the
area around the Marion Power Station was attaining the 2010
SO2 NAAQS.5 6 These modeling runs were all based
on actual 2013-2015 emissions. The SIPC modeling runs differed from
Illinois' modeling in some respects but were the same as the Illinois
modeling with respect to using the same building geometries and
excluding modeling receptors on the facility-owned ``Northern
Property'' adjacent to the main plant. In its comments on the intended
nonattainment designation for Williamson County, the state endorsed the
new modeling from the SIPC consultant. After analyzing issues with
SIPC's modeling, the EPA concluded that SIPC's modeling ``was
incomplete in the sense that an important receptor area [i.e., the
Northern Property] was inappropriately excluded from the analysis.''
\7\ In the final action signed on June 30, 2016, the EPA designated the
entirety of Williamson County as nonattainment, based on consideration
of all submitted modeling. Full reviews of all the modeling analyses
submitted to the EPA for the designation of Williamson County can be
found in the technical support document (TSD) for the intended Illinois
designations and the TSD for the final Illinois designations. This
designation triggered Illinois' duty to develop and submit to the EPA a
state implementation plan (SIP) under CAA sections 172, 191 and 192
demonstrating attainment of the SO2 NAAQS.
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\5\ Docket Item No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0464-0318.
\6\ Two of SIPC's modeling runs used non-regulatory AERMOD
options that the EPA could not rely on to evaluate whether the
Williamson County, Illinois area was meeting the 2010 SO2
NAAQS. The EPA's discussion here and in the TSD for the final
designations for areas in Illinois thus focus on analyzing the one
SIPC modeling run that used AERMOD in its regulatory default mode.
\7\ Illinois Technical Support Document for the EPA's Final
Designations, Docket Item No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0464-0402.
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C. Petitions and Additional Modeling Received From SIPC Subsequent to
the Designation of Williamson County
In September 2016, SIPC submitted a petition for reconsideration of
the EPA's nonattainment designation for Williamson
County.8 9 SIPC included several additional modeling runs as
part of the petition for reconsideration that reflected different
building dimensions at the Marion Power Station than those used in
Illinois' modeling, Sierra Club's modeling, and SIPC's previous March
2016 modeling.\10\ Overall, SIPC's
[[Page 26629]]
September 2016 modeling of actual emissions indicated no violations of
the NAAQS in the 3-year period of 2013-2015 and did not identify any
nonattainment receptors on the Northern Property. In January 2017,
Administrator McCarthy denied SIPC's petition for reconsideration,
explaining that the petition did not meet the criteria the EPA elected
to use to evaluate whether the action warranted reconsideration.\11\
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\8\ Docket Item No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0464-0427.
\9\ SIPC also filed a petition for judicial review of the
designation in the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which
was later transferred to the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
\10\ Accurate representation of building parameters is important
to better account for the effects on modeled concentrations of
downwash, eddies, and wakes from buildings. Generally, modeling with
building downwash effects tends to result in higher modeled ground
concentrations near the building versus modeling without downwash
effects. Therefore, an accurate representation of physical
structures, such as buildings, in the vicinity of a plume is
important to ensure reliable estimates of ambient air
concentrations.
\11\ See the EPA's response to SIPC's September 2016 petition
for reconsideration, Docket Item Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0464-0439 and
EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0464-0444. This response letter with enclosures is
also available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-01/documents/bonebrake_letter_and_enclosure.pdf.
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In June 2017, SIPC submitted a petition to the EPA seeking error
correction of the final rule designating Williamson County, Illinois as
nonattainment. In this June 2017 petition, SIPC requested that the EPA
correct what SIPC alleged to be particular errors in the EPA's final
designation action for Williamson County.
In September 2017, EPA Administrator Pruitt responded to the letter
transmitting SIPC's petition for error correction by indicating the
EPA's intention to undertake an administrative action with notice and
comment to revisit the nonattainment designation.\12\ In its September
2016 petition for reconsideration, SIPC indicated that the revised
building dimensions were based on a survey conducted in 2016. On
November 6, 2018, SIPC submitted to the EPA supplemental information
with regard to the specifics of and the basis for the revised building
inputs used in the modeling submitted as part of its September 2016
petition for reconsideration.\13\ This proposal initiates our notice
and comment administrative action to reconsider the designation, based
upon our review of this submitted information that characterizes
SO2 air quality at the time of this area's designation.
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\12\ Upon being informed of the EPA's intention to undertake
further administrative proceedings regarding this area's
designation, the D.C. Circuit granted the EPA's motion to place the
judicial petitions from SIPC in abeyance.
\13\ Docket Item No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0464-0458.
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III. Proposed Action
In September 2016, SIPC submitted to the EPA additional information
and updated modeling, which included modeling receptors on the Northern
Property, pertaining to the designation of Williamson County, Illinois.
On November 6, 2018, SIPC submitted to the EPA supplemental information
to clarify the specifics of and the basis for the revised building
inputs used in the September 2016 modeling. A full review of this
supplemental information is provided in the TSD for this action, which
is available in the public docket. Based on this review, including
consideration of this clarifying information, the EPA proposes that the
September 2016 SIPC modeling is representative of the relevant calendar
years (2013-2015 actual emissions) of SO2 air quality in
Williamson County at the time of the final designation on June 30,
2016.\14\ The EPA also proposes to find that the modeling demonstrates
that in the 2013-2015 modeling period the area was not violating the 1-
hour SO2 NAAQS or was not contributing to a violation in any
nearby area at the time of the 2016 final designation.
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\14\ Technical Support Document for Williamson County, Illinois
Modeling Submitted September 2016, Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0011.
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This information includes the addition of receptors in the Northern
Property and refinements of the building dimensions as processed for
downwash purposes. The EPA proposes to find that this modeling, with
our evaluation of the additional information submitted by SIPC
documenting building dimensions and evidence that modeled predictions
in the Northern Property are below the 1-hr SO2 NAAQS,
provides a credible assessment of air quality throughout the area at
the time of designation. Based on this updated modeling, the EPA
proposes to conclude that the entire area had no violations of the 1-hr
SO2 NAAQS in the period 2013-2015, the three most recent
calendar years prior to our designations final action. Additionally,
SIPC does not contribute to any nearby nonattainment area. The nearest
SO2 nonattainment area is over 160 kilometers away, beyond
the distance at which Marion Power Station would likely have impact on
SO2 air quality.
Accordingly, we are proposing to change the initial designation of
Williamson County, Illinois for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
Based on the information available to the EPA, we are proposing to
finalize the Williamson County, Illinois area's initial designation as
attainment/unclassifiable for that SO2 NAAQS. If the EPA
takes final action to change Williamson County, Illinois' designation,
that final action would relieve Illinois of the obligation under CAA
sections 172, 191, and 192 to submit a SIP that demonstrates attainment
of the SO2 NAAQS. The EPA invites public input on this
proposed action regarding the Williamson County, Illinois area during
the 30-day comment period provided in this notice. At this time, the
EPA is not taking action or soliciting public comment on the 2010 1-
hour SO2 NAAQS designations for geographic areas beyond
Williamson County, Illinois. This opportunity for public comment does
not affect any rights or obligations of any state, territory, or tribe,
or of the EPA, which might otherwise exist pursuant to the CAA section
107(d).
IV. Environmental Justice Considerations
When the EPA establishes a new or revised NAAQS, the CAA requires
the EPA to designate all areas of the United States as either
nonattainment, attainment, or unclassifiable. This proposal is
reconsidering the nonattainment designation for the Williamson County,
Illinois area for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. Area
designations address environmental justice concerns by ensuring that
the public is properly informed about the air quality in an area. In
locations where air quality does not meet the NAAQS, the CAA requires
relevant state authorities to initiate appropriate air quality
management actions to ensure that all those residing, working,
attending school, or otherwise present in those areas are protected,
regardless of minority and economic status.
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive
Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review
This action is exempt from review by the Office of Management and
Budget because it is a designation for the Williamson County, Illinois
area for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
B. Executive Order 13771: Reducing Regulations and Controlling
Regulatory Costs
This action is not an Executive Order 13771 regulatory action
because actions such as air quality designations after promulgating a
new revised NAAQS are exempt under Executive Order 12866.
C. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
This action does not impose an information collection burden under
the PRA. In this action, the EPA is reconsidering the SO2
NAAQS designation for the Williamson County, Illinois area promulgated
previously on
[[Page 26630]]
July 12, 2016, and does not contain any information collection
activities.
D. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
This action under CAA section 107(d) is not subject to the RFA. The
RFA applies only to rules subject to notice-and-comment rulemaking
requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C.
553, or any other statute. Section 107(d)(2)(B) of the CAA explicitly
provides that designations are exempt from the notice-and-comment
provisions of the APA. In addition, designations under CAA section
107(d) are not among the list of actions that are subject to the
notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements of CAA section 307(d).
E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
This action does not contain any unfunded mandate as described in
the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, 2 U.S.C. 1531-1538 and does not
significantly or uniquely affect small governments. The action imposes
no enforceable duty on any state, local, or tribal governments or the
private sector.
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. The
division of responsibility between the federal government and the
states for purposes of implementing the NAAQS is established under the
CAA.
G. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian
Tribal Government
This action does not have tribal implications, as specified in
Executive Order 13175. This action concerns the designation of
Williamson County, Illinois for the 2010 SO2 NAAQS. This
rule does not have a substantial direct effect on one or more Indian
tribes. This action when final would change the initial designation for
Williamson County for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS, but no
areas of Indian country are intended to be designated or to have their
designation changed by this action. There are no areas of Indian
country in or near Williamson County. Furthermore, this rule does not
affect the relationship or distribution of power and responsibilities
between the federal government and Indian tribes. The CAA and the
Tribal Authority Rule establish the relationship of the federal
government and tribes in developing plans to attain the NAAQS, and this
rule does nothing to modify that relationship. Thus, Executive Order
13175 does not apply.
H. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental
Health and Safety Risks
The EPA interprets Executive Order 13045 as applying to those
regulatory actions that concern environmental health or safety risks
that the EPA has reason to believe may disproportionately affect
children, per the definition of ``covered regulatory action'' in
section 2-202 of the Executive Order. This action is not subject to
Executive Order 13045 because it does not establish an environmental
standard intended to mitigate health or safety risks.
I. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy
Supply, Distribution or Use
This action is not subject to Executive Order 13211 because it is
not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866.
J. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTA)
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 does not have disproportionately
high and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority
populations, low-income populations, and/or indigenous peoples, as
specified in Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
When the EPA establishes a new or revised NAAQS, the CAA requires the
EPA to designate all areas of the U.S. as either nonattainment,
attainment, or unclassifiable. This action is reconsidering the
nonattainment designation for the Williamson County, Illinois area for
the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. Area designations address
environmental justice concerns by ensuring that the public is properly
informed about the air quality in an area. In locations where air
quality does not meet the NAAQS, the CAA requires relevant state
authorities to initiate appropriate air quality management actions to
ensure that all those residing, working, attending school, or otherwise
present in those areas are protected, regardless of minority and
economic status. The documentation for this determination is contained
in Section IV of this preamble, ``Environmental Justice
Considerations.''
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, National parks,
Wilderness areas.
Dated: May 28, 2019.
William L. Wehrum,
Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2019-12064 Filed 6-6-19; 8:45 am]
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