Conference on Air Quality Modeling, 40044-40047 [2019-17305]

Download as PDF 40044 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 156 / Tuesday, August 13, 2019 / Notices The following is a list of off-therecord communications recently received by the Secretary of the Commission. The communications listed are grouped by docket numbers in ascending order. These filings are available for electronic review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the proceeding in accordance with Rule 2010, 18 CFR 385.2010. Exempt off-the-record communications are included in the decisional record of the proceeding, unless the communication was with a cooperating agency as described by 40 CFR 1501.6, made under 18 CFR 385.2201(e)(1)(v). Docket No. File date Prohibited: 1. CP17–495–000 ................................................................ 2. CP15–554–000; CP15–554–001; CP15–555–000 ......... 3. CP18–46–000; CP18–46–001 ......................................... 4. CP16–10–000; CP16–13–000 ......................................... 5. CP18–46–000 .................................................................. 6. CP15–554–000 ................................................................ Exempt: None. Dated: August 6, 2019. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2019–17296 Filed 8–12–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER19–2534–000] jspears on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES Citizens Energy Corporation; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced Citizens Energy Corporation’s application for marketbased rate authority, with an accompanying rate tariff, noting that such application includes a request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability. Any person desiring to intervene or to protest should file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214). Anyone filing a motion to intervene or protest must serve a copy of that document on the Applicant. Notice is hereby given that the deadline for filing protests with regard to the applicant’s request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability, is August 26, 2019. The Commission encourages electronic submission of protests and VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:51 Aug 12, 2019 Jkt 247001 7–24–2019 7–24–2019 7–25–2019 7–30–2019 8–1–2019 8–2–2019 Presenter or requester Sally Wells. Janet K. Speare. Tina and Frank Daly. Jim Steitz. Sheila A. McCarthy. William F. Limpert. interventions in lieu of paper, using the FERC Online links at https:// www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic service, persons with internet access who will eFile a document and/or be listed as a contact for an intervenor must create and validate an eRegistration account using the eRegistration link. Select the eFiling link to log on and submit the intervention or protests. Persons unable to file electronically should submit an original and 5 copies of the intervention or protest to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. The filings in the above-referenced proceeding are accessible in the Commission’s eLibrary system by clicking on the appropriate link in the above list. They are also available for electronic review in the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an eSubscription link on the website that enables subscribers to receive email notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance with any FERC Online service, please email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. or call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. Dated: August 6, 2019. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2019–17294 Filed 8–12–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Commission’s website at https:// www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. Enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits, in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208–3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502–8659. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OAR–2019–0454; FRL–9997–87– OAR] Conference on Air Quality Modeling Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of conference. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces its Twelfth Conference on Air Quality Modeling. Such a conference is required by section 320 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to be held every 3 years. The purposes of the Twelfth Conference are to provide an overview of the latest features of the currently preferred air quality models and to provide a forum for public review and comment on potential revisions to the way the Agency determines and applies the appropriate air quality models in the future. DATES: Comments: Comments on potential revisions to the way the Agency determines and applies the appropriate air quality models must be received on or before November 4, 2019. Conference: The conference will be held on October 2 through 3, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Requests to speak at the conference should be submitted to the individual listed below in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section by September 13, 2019. ADDRESSES: Comments: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OAR–2019–0454 by one of the following methods: • https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. This is the EPA’s preferred method for receiving comments. E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM 13AUN1 jspears on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 156 / Tuesday, August 13, 2019 / Notices • Email: Comments may be sent by electronic mail (email) to a-and-rdocket@epa.gov, Attention Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2019–0454. • Fax: Fax your comments to (202) 566–9744, Attention Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2019–0454. • Mail: Send your comments to: Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No. EPA– HQ–OAR–2019–0454. • Hand delivery or courier: Deliver your comments to EPA Docket Center, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Room 3334, Washington, DC. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket’s normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2019– 0454. The EPA’s policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change and may be made available online at https:// www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through https:// www.regulations.gov or email. The https://www.regulations.gov website is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which means the EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment directly to the EPA without going through https:// www.regulations.gov, your email address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the internet. If you submit an electronic comment, the EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD–ROM you submit. If the EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional information about the EPA’s public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at https:// www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm. Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https:// VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:51 Aug 12, 2019 Jkt 247001 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 form. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically in https:// www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Air Docket in the EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. This Docket Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket telephone number is (202) 566– 1742; fax (202) 566–9744. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Bridgers, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Air Quality Assessment Division, Mail Code C439– 01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: (919) 541–5563; fax: (919) 541–0044; email address: bridgers.george@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. General Information A. Written Comments Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2019– 0454, at https://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or the other methods identified in the ADDRESSES section. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from the docket. 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://www.epa.gov/dockets/ commenting-epa-dockets. Submitting CBI: Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or CD–ROM that you mail to the EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD–ROM PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 40045 as CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD–ROM the specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information marked as CBI will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 2. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through https:// www.regulations.gov or email. Send or deliver information identified as CBI to only the following address: OAQPS Document Control Officer (Room C404– 02), U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, Attention Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2019–0454. If you have any questions about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, please consult the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https:// www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI (Confidential Business Information) 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 https:// www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the EPA Docket Center, EPA/DC, EPA WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. This Docket Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, and the telephone number for the Air Docket is (202) 566–1742. B. Background Information Additional information and a more detailed agenda are electronically available at https://www.epa.gov/scram/ 12th-conference-air-quality-modeling. C. Conference The conference will be held in the EPA Auditorium, Room C111, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. II. Background The Guideline on Air Quality Models (Guideline), which is found in Appendix W to 40 CFR (Code of Federal E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM 13AUN1 jspears on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES 40046 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 156 / Tuesday, August 13, 2019 / Notices Regulations) part 51, is used by the EPA, other federal, state, territorial, local, and tribal air quality agencies, and industry to prepare and review new or modified source permits, State Implementation Plan (SIP) submittals or revisions, conformity, and other air quality assessments required under the CAA and EPA regulations. The Guideline serves as a means by which national consistency is maintained in air quality analyses for regulatory activities under 40 CFR 51.112, 51.117, 51.150, 51.160, 51.165, 51.166, 52.21, 93.116, 93.123, and 93.150. The EPA originally published the Guideline in April 1978 (EPA–450/2– 78–027), and it was incorporated by reference in the regulations for the PSD program in June 1978. The EPA revised the Guideline in 1986 (51 FR 32176), and updated it with supplement A in 1987 (53 FR 32081), supplement B in July 1993 (58 FR 38816), and supplement C in August 1995 (60 FR 40465). The EPA published the Guideline as appendix W to 40 CFR part 51 when the EPA issued supplement B. The EPA republished the Guideline in August 1996 (61 FR 41838) to adopt the CFR system for labeling paragraphs. Subsequently, the EPA revised the Guideline on April 15, 2003 (68 FR 18440), to adopt CALPUFF as the preferred model for long-range transport of emissions from 50 to several hundred kilometers (km) and to make various editorial changes to update and reorganize information and remove obsolete models. The EPA further revised the Guideline on November 9, 2005 (70 FR 68218), to adopt AERMOD as the preferred model for near-field dispersion of emissions for distances up to 50 km. The publication and incorporation of the Guideline into the EPA’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) regulations satisfies the requirement under CAA section 165(e)(3) for the EPA to promulgate regulations that specify, with reasonable particularity, models to be used under specified sets of conditions for purposes of the PSD program. On July 29, 2015, the EPA proposed the revisions to the Guideline in the Federal Register (80 FR 45340). To inform the development of these proposed revisions to the Guideline and in compliance with CAA section 320, the EPA held the Tenth Conference on Air Quality Modeling in March 2012. The conference addressed updates on (1) the regulatory status and future development of AERMOD and CALPUFF; (2) review of the Mesoscale Model Interface (MMIF) prognostic meteorological data processing tool for dispersion models; (3) draft modeling VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:51 Aug 12, 2019 Jkt 247001 guidance for compliance demonstrations of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS); (4) modeling for compliance demonstration of the 1-hour nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) NAAQS; and (5) new and emerging models/ techniques for future consideration under the Guideline to address singlesource modeling for ozone and secondary PM2.5, as well as long-range transport and chemistry. Based on comments received from stakeholders at the Tenth Modeling Conference, ‘‘Phase 3’’ of the Interagency Workgroup on Air Quality Modeling (IWAQM) was formalized in June 2013 to provide additional guidance for modeling singlesource impacts on secondarily formed pollutants (e.g., ozone and PM2.5) in the near-field and for long-range transport. A transcript of the conference proceedings and a summary of the public comments received are available in the docket for the Tenth Modeling Conference (Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OAR–2012–0056). Additionally, all of the materials associated with this conference are available on the EPA’s SCRAM website at https:// www3.epa.gov/ttn/scram/ 10thmodconf.htm. The Eleventh Conference on Air Quality Modeling was held August 12– 13, 2015, in continuing compliance with CAA section 320. This conference included the public hearing for the proposed revisions to the Guideline. It began with a thorough overview of these proposed revisions, including presentations from EPA staff on the formulation updates to the preferred models and the research and technical evaluations that support these and other revisions. Specifically, there were presentations summarizing the proposed updates to the AERMOD modeling system; replacement of CALINE3 with AERMOD for modeling of mobile sources; incorporation of prognostic meteorological data for use in dispersion modeling; the proposed screening approach for long-range transport for NAAQS and PSD increments assessments with use of CALPUFF as a screening technique rather than an EPA-preferred model; the proposed 2-tiered screening approach to address ozone and PM2.5 in PSD compliance demonstrations; the status and role of the Model Clearinghouse; and updates to procedures for singlesource and cumulative modeling analyses (e.g., modeling domain, source input data, background data, and compliance demonstration procedures). At the conclusion of these PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 presentations, the public hearing on the proposed revisions to the Guideline was convened. The EPA presentations and the presentations from the public hearing, along with the transcript of the conference proceedings, are available in the docket for the Eleventh Modeling Conference (Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OAR–2015–0310). Additionally, all of the materials associated with the Eleventh Modeling Conference and the public hearing are available on the EPA’s SCRAM website at https:// www3.epa.gov/ttn/scram/ 11thmodconf.htm. The 2015 proposed revisions to the Guideline were finalized and published in the Federal Register (82 FR 5182) on January 17, 2017. Supporting information on this final rule is available on the EPA’s SCRAM website at https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/scram/ appendix_w-2016.htm and a direct link to the final rule publication is https:// www3.epa.gov/ttn/scram/guidance/ guide/appw_17.pdf. III. Public Participation The Twelfth Conference on Air Quality Modeling will be open to the public; no admission fee is charged and there is no formal registration. The conference will begin the first morning with introductory remarks by the presiding EPA official. The following topics will be presented: 1. Conference overview; 2. Currently preferred air quality models status and updates; 3. Expert panel discussions and invited presentations on model/ technique enhancements: • Treatment of low wind conditions • Building downwash • Mobile source modeling • Overwater modeling • Prognostic meteorological data • Near-field and long-range model evaluation criteria • NO2 modeling techniques • Single source O3 and PM2.5 modeling techniques • Plume rise; 4. Model Clearinghouse and modeling guidance updates; and 5. Other presentations by the public. Those wishing to speak at the conference, whether to volunteer a presentation on a special topic or to offer general comment on any of the modeling techniques scheduled for presentation, should contact us at the address given in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section (note the cutoff date). Such persons should identify the organization (if any) on whose behalf they are speaking and the length of the presentation. If a E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM 13AUN1 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 156 / Tuesday, August 13, 2019 / Notices presentation of general comments is projected to be longer than 10 minutes, the presenter should also state why a longer period is needed. Persons failing to submit a written notice but desiring to speak at the conference should notify the presiding officer immediately before the conference, and they will be scheduled on a time-available basis. The conference will be conducted informally and chaired by an EPA official. There will be no sworn testimony or cross examination. A verbatim transcript of the conference proceedings will be produced and placed in the docket. Speakers should bring extra copies of their presentation for inclusion in the docket and for the convenience of the recorder. Speakers will also be permitted to enter written comments into the record. Additional written statements or comments should be sent to the OAR Regulatory Docket (see ADDRESSES section). A transcript of the proceedings and a copy of all written comments will be maintained in Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2019– 0454, which will remain open until November 4, 2019, for the purpose of receiving additional comments. Dated: August 2, 2019. Panagiotis E. Tsirigotis, Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. [FR Doc. 2019–17305 Filed 8–12–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OPP–2019–0417; FRL–9997–78] FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of Public Meetings and Request for Nomination of Ad Hoc Expert Reviewers Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. jspears on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: There will be a 4-day, public, in-person meeting of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) to consider and review the Approaches for Quantitative Use of Surface Water Monitoring Data in Pesticide Drinking Water Assessments. Preceding the in-person meeting, there will be a preparatory, public, virtual meeting, conducted via teleconference and webcast using Adobe Connect, to consider the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions for this peer review. In addition, EPA is requesting nominations of prospective candidates for service as ad hoc reviewers to assist VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:51 Aug 12, 2019 Jkt 247001 the FIFRA SAP with this review. Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified individuals to be considered as prospective candidates for this review by following the instructions provided in this notice. DATES: Meetings: The 4-day, public, inperson meeting will be held November 19 to November 22, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m. (EST). The date, time, and registration instructions for the preparatory, public, virtual meeting will be announced on the FIFRA SAP website (https:// www.epa.gov/sap) by late-August. You may subscribe to the following listserv for alerts when notices regarding this and other SAP-related activities are published: https:// public.govdelivery.com/accounts/ USAEPAOPPT/subscriber/new?topic_ id=USAEPAOPPT_101. Nominations: Nominations of candidates to serve as ad hoc reviewers, to assist the FIFRA SAP with this review, should be provided on or before September 12, 2019. Special accommodations: Requests for special accommodations should be submitted on or before October 29, 2019, to allow EPA time to process your request. Comments: The Agency encourages written comments and requests for oral comments be submitted on or before October 4, 2019. However, written comments and requests to make oral comments may be submitted until the date of the in-person meeting, but anyone submitting such comments and requests after October 4, 2019, should contact the Designated Federal Official (DFO) listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. For additional instructions, see Unit I.D. and Unit I.E. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. ADDRESSES: In-Person Meeting: The location of the 4-day, public, in-person meeting will be announced on the FIFRA SAP website at https://www.epa.gov/sap. This meeting may also be viewed via webcast. Please refer to the FIFRA SAP website at https:// www.epa.gov/sap for information on how to access the webcast. Please note that this webcast is a supplementary public process provided only for convenience. If difficulties arise resulting in webcasting outages, the inperson meeting will continue as planned. Virtual Meeting: The preparatory, virtual meeting is open to the public and will be conducted via webcast using Adobe Connect and telephone. Registration is required to participate during the preparatory, virtual meeting. PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 40047 Please refer to the FIFRA SAP website at https://www.epa.gov/sap for additional information including how to register. Nominations: Submit nominations of candidates to serve as ad hoc reviewers, to assist the FIFRA SAP with this review, to the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Special accommodations: For information on access or services for individuals with disabilities, and to request accommodation for a disability, please contact the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Comments. Submit requests to present oral comments to the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Submit your written comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPP–2019–0417, by one of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not electronically submit 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 information on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at https:// www.epa.gov/dockets. For additional instructions related to this meeting, see Unit I.D. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tamue L. Gibson, MS, DFO, Office of Science Coordination and Policy (7201M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: 202–564–7642; email address: gibson.tamue@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. General Information A. Does this action apply to me? This action is directed to the public in general. This action may be of interest to persons who are or may be required to conduct testing of chemical substances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) and FIFRA. Since other entities may also be interested, the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM 13AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40044-40047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17305]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0454; FRL-9997-87-OAR]


Conference on Air Quality Modeling

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of conference.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces its 
Twelfth Conference on Air Quality Modeling. Such a conference is 
required by section 320 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to be held every 3 
years. The purposes of the Twelfth Conference are to provide an 
overview of the latest features of the currently preferred air quality 
models and to provide a forum for public review and comment on 
potential revisions to the way the Agency determines and applies the 
appropriate air quality models in the future.

DATES: 
    Comments: Comments on potential revisions to the way the Agency 
determines and applies the appropriate air quality models must be 
received on or before November 4, 2019.
    Conference: The conference will be held on October 2 through 3, 
2019, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Requests to speak at the conference 
should be submitted to the individual listed below in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section by September 13, 2019.

ADDRESSES: 
    Comments: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2019-0454 by one of the following methods:
     https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments. This is the EPA's preferred 
method for receiving comments.

[[Page 40045]]

     Email: Comments may be sent by electronic mail (email) to 
[email protected], Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0454.
     Fax: Fax your comments to (202) 566-9744, Attention Docket 
ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0454.
     Mail: Send your comments to: Air and Radiation Docket and 
Information Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0454.
     Hand delivery or courier: Deliver your comments to EPA 
Docket Center, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Room 3334, Washington, DC. 
Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of 
operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of 
boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2019-0454. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be 
included in the public docket without change and may be made available 
online at https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed 
to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information 
that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through https://www.regulations.gov or email. The https://www.regulations.gov website is 
an ``anonymous access'' system, which means the EPA will not know your 
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of 
your comment. If you send an email comment directly to the EPA without 
going through https://www.regulations.gov, your email address will be 
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public docket and made available on the internet. If you 
submit an electronic comment, the EPA recommends that you include your 
name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with 
any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If the EPA cannot read your comment due 
to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the 
EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should 
avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be 
free of any defects or viruses. For additional information about the 
EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https://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 
form. Publicly available docket materials are available either 
electronically in https://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Air 
Docket in the EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution 
Ave. NW, Washington, DC. This Docket Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket 
telephone number is (202) 566-1742; fax (202) 566-9744.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Bridgers, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Air 
Quality Assessment Division, Mail Code C439-01, Research Triangle Park, 
NC 27711; telephone: (919) 541-5563; fax: (919) 541-0044; email 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Written Comments

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-
0454, at https://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or the 
other methods identified in the ADDRESSES section. Once submitted, 
comments cannot be edited or removed from the docket. 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://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
    Submitting CBI: Clearly mark the part or all of the information 
that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or CD-ROM that 
you mail to the EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as CBI and 
then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the specific 
information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version 
of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the 
comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be 
submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information marked as CBI 
will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 
Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 2.
    Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise 
protected through https://www.regulations.gov or email. Send or deliver 
information identified as CBI to only the following address: OAQPS 
Document Control Officer (Room C404-02), U.S. EPA, Research Triangle 
Park, NC 27711, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0454.
    If you have any questions about CBI or the procedures for claiming 
CBI, please consult the person identified in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI (Confidential Business 
Information) 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 https://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the EPA Docket Center, EPA/DC, 
EPA WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC. This Docket Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone 
number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone 
number for the Air Docket is (202) 566-1742.

B. Background Information

    Additional information and a more detailed agenda are 
electronically available at https://www.epa.gov/scram/12th-conference-air-quality-modeling.

C. Conference

    The conference will be held in the EPA Auditorium, Room C111, 109 
T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711.

II. Background

    The Guideline on Air Quality Models (Guideline), which is found in 
Appendix W to 40 CFR (Code of Federal

[[Page 40046]]

Regulations) part 51, is used by the EPA, other federal, state, 
territorial, local, and tribal air quality agencies, and industry to 
prepare and review new or modified source permits, State Implementation 
Plan (SIP) submittals or revisions, conformity, and other air quality 
assessments required under the CAA and EPA regulations. The Guideline 
serves as a means by which national consistency is maintained in air 
quality analyses for regulatory activities under 40 CFR 51.112, 51.117, 
51.150, 51.160, 51.165, 51.166, 52.21, 93.116, 93.123, and 93.150.
    The EPA originally published the Guideline in April 1978 (EPA-450/
2-78-027), and it was incorporated by reference in the regulations for 
the PSD program in June 1978. The EPA revised the Guideline in 1986 (51 
FR 32176), and updated it with supplement A in 1987 (53 FR 32081), 
supplement B in July 1993 (58 FR 38816), and supplement C in August 
1995 (60 FR 40465). The EPA published the Guideline as appendix W to 40 
CFR part 51 when the EPA issued supplement B. The EPA republished the 
Guideline in August 1996 (61 FR 41838) to adopt the CFR system for 
labeling paragraphs. Subsequently, the EPA revised the Guideline on 
April 15, 2003 (68 FR 18440), to adopt CALPUFF as the preferred model 
for long-range transport of emissions from 50 to several hundred 
kilometers (km) and to make various editorial changes to update and 
reorganize information and remove obsolete models. The EPA further 
revised the Guideline on November 9, 2005 (70 FR 68218), to adopt 
AERMOD as the preferred model for near-field dispersion of emissions 
for distances up to 50 km. The publication and incorporation of the 
Guideline into the EPA's Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) 
regulations satisfies the requirement under CAA section 165(e)(3) for 
the EPA to promulgate regulations that specify, with reasonable 
particularity, models to be used under specified sets of conditions for 
purposes of the PSD program.
    On July 29, 2015, the EPA proposed the revisions to the Guideline 
in the Federal Register (80 FR 45340). To inform the development of 
these proposed revisions to the Guideline and in compliance with CAA 
section 320, the EPA held the Tenth Conference on Air Quality Modeling 
in March 2012. The conference addressed updates on (1) the regulatory 
status and future development of AERMOD and CALPUFF; (2) review of the 
Mesoscale Model Interface (MMIF) prognostic meteorological data 
processing tool for dispersion models; (3) draft modeling guidance for 
compliance demonstrations of the fine particulate matter 
(PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS); (4) 
modeling for compliance demonstration of the 1-hour nitrogen dioxide 
(NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) NAAQS; and (5) new 
and emerging models/techniques for future consideration under the 
Guideline to address single-source modeling for ozone and secondary 
PM2.5, as well as long-range transport and chemistry. Based 
on comments received from stakeholders at the Tenth Modeling 
Conference, ``Phase 3'' of the Interagency Workgroup on Air Quality 
Modeling (IWAQM) was formalized in June 2013 to provide additional 
guidance for modeling single-source impacts on secondarily formed 
pollutants (e.g., ozone and PM2.5) in the near-field and for 
long-range transport. A transcript of the conference proceedings and a 
summary of the public comments received are available in the docket for 
the Tenth Modeling Conference (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2012-0056). 
Additionally, all of the materials associated with this conference are 
available on the EPA's SCRAM website at https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/scram/10thmodconf.htm.
    The Eleventh Conference on Air Quality Modeling was held August 12-
13, 2015, in continuing compliance with CAA section 320. This 
conference included the public hearing for the proposed revisions to 
the Guideline. It began with a thorough overview of these proposed 
revisions, including presentations from EPA staff on the formulation 
updates to the preferred models and the research and technical 
evaluations that support these and other revisions. Specifically, there 
were presentations summarizing the proposed updates to the AERMOD 
modeling system; replacement of CALINE3 with AERMOD for modeling of 
mobile sources; incorporation of prognostic meteorological data for use 
in dispersion modeling; the proposed screening approach for long-range 
transport for NAAQS and PSD increments assessments with use of CALPUFF 
as a screening technique rather than an EPA-preferred model; the 
proposed 2-tiered screening approach to address ozone and 
PM2.5 in PSD compliance demonstrations; the status and role 
of the Model Clearinghouse; and updates to procedures for single-source 
and cumulative modeling analyses (e.g., modeling domain, source input 
data, background data, and compliance demonstration procedures). At the 
conclusion of these presentations, the public hearing on the proposed 
revisions to the Guideline was convened. The EPA presentations and the 
presentations from the public hearing, along with the transcript of the 
conference proceedings, are available in the docket for the Eleventh 
Modeling Conference (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0310). Additionally, 
all of the materials associated with the Eleventh Modeling Conference 
and the public hearing are available on the EPA's SCRAM website at 
https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/scram/11thmodconf.htm.
    The 2015 proposed revisions to the Guideline were finalized and 
published in the Federal Register (82 FR 5182) on January 17, 2017. 
Supporting information on this final rule is available on the EPA's 
SCRAM website at https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/scram/appendix_w-2016.htm and 
a direct link to the final rule publication is https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/scram/guidance/guide/appw_17.pdf.

III. Public Participation

    The Twelfth Conference on Air Quality Modeling will be open to the 
public; no admission fee is charged and there is no formal 
registration. The conference will begin the first morning with 
introductory remarks by the presiding EPA official. The following 
topics will be presented:
    1. Conference overview;
    2. Currently preferred air quality models status and updates;
    3. Expert panel discussions and invited presentations on model/
technique enhancements:

 Treatment of low wind conditions
 Building downwash
 Mobile source modeling
 Overwater modeling
 Prognostic meteorological data
 Near-field and long-range model evaluation criteria
 NO2 modeling techniques
 Single source O3 and PM2.5 modeling 
techniques
 Plume rise;

    4. Model Clearinghouse and modeling guidance updates; and
    5. Other presentations by the public.
    Those wishing to speak at the conference, whether to volunteer a 
presentation on a special topic or to offer general comment on any of 
the modeling techniques scheduled for presentation, should contact us 
at the address given in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
(note the cutoff date). Such persons should identify the organization 
(if any) on whose behalf they are speaking and the length of the 
presentation. If a

[[Page 40047]]

presentation of general comments is projected to be longer than 10 
minutes, the presenter should also state why a longer period is needed. 
Persons failing to submit a written notice but desiring to speak at the 
conference should notify the presiding officer immediately before the 
conference, and they will be scheduled on a time-available basis.
    The conference will be conducted informally and chaired by an EPA 
official. There will be no sworn testimony or cross examination. A 
verbatim transcript of the conference proceedings will be produced and 
placed in the docket. Speakers should bring extra copies of their 
presentation for inclusion in the docket and for the convenience of the 
recorder. Speakers will also be permitted to enter written comments 
into the record. Additional written statements or comments should be 
sent to the OAR Regulatory Docket (see ADDRESSES section). A transcript 
of the proceedings and a copy of all written comments will be 
maintained in Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0454, which will remain 
open until November 4, 2019, for the purpose of receiving additional 
comments.

    Dated: August 2, 2019.
Panagiotis E. Tsirigotis,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2019-17305 Filed 8-12-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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