Air Plan Approval; Alabama: Revisions to Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, 65061-65063 [2019-25576]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2019 / Proposed Rules
tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of
Indian country, the rule does not have
tribal implications as specified by
Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249,
November 9, 2000), nor will it impose
substantial direct costs on tribal
governments or preempt tribal law.
Because this SIP action merely
proposes to approve state law as
meeting Federal requirements and does
not impose additional requirements
beyond those imposed by state law, this
proposed SIP action for the State of
South Carolina does not have Tribal
implications as specified by Executive
Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9,
2000). Therefore, this action will not
impose substantial direct costs on Tribal
governments or preempt Tribal law. The
Catawba Indian Nation (CIN)
Reservation is located within the
boundary of York County, South
Carolina. Pursuant to the Catawba
Indian Claims Settlement Act, S.C. Code
Ann. 27–16–120 (Settlement Act), ‘‘all
state and local environmental laws and
regulations apply to the [Catawba Indian
Nation] and Reservation and are fully
enforceable by all relevant state and
local agencies and authorities.’’ The CIN
also retains authority to impose
regulations applying higher
environmental standards to the
Reservation than those imposed by state
law or local governing bodies, in
accordance with the Settlement Act.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Carbon monoxide,
Incorporation by reference,
Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen
dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Volatile
organic compounds.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: November 13, 2019.
Mary S. Walker,
Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 2019–25577 Filed 11–25–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
revisions to the Alabama State
Implementation Plan (SIP), submitted
by the State of Alabama, through the
Alabama Department of Environmental
Management (ADEM), via two letters
dated August 27, 2018, and October 25,
2018. The proposed SIP revisions make
technical amendments to the State’s
Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)
regulations. This action is being taken
pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or
Act).
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before December 26, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R04–
OAR–2019–0214 at https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Once submitted, comments cannot be
edited or removed from Regulations.gov.
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. 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:
Steven Scofield, Air Regulatory
Management Section, Air Planning and
Implementation Branch, Air and
Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth
Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960.
Mr. Scofield can be reached via
telephone at (404) 562–9034, or via
electronic mail at scofield.steve@
epa.gov.
40 CFR Part 52
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[EPA–R04–OAR–2019–0214; FRL–10002–
53–Region 4]
I. What action is EPA taking?
EPA is proposing to approve changes
to the Alabama SIP that were provided
to EPA through two letters dated August
27, 2018, and October 25, 2018.1
Specifically, EPA is proposing to
approve two SIP revisions that include
Air Plan Approval; Alabama: Revisions
to Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve
SUMMARY:
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1 EPA received ADEM’s submissions on
September 7, 2018 and October 30, 2018,
respectively.
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Fmt 4702
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65061
changes to Alabama’s CSAPR
regulations, found in ADEM
Administrative Code Rules 335–3–5–
.13, 335–3–8–.14, 335–3–8–.40, and
335–3–8–.46.2
Alabama’s August 27, 2018, SIP
revision makes changes to ADEM’s
CSAPR regulations by adding the term
‘‘Group 2’’ in several places to Rule
335–3–8–.40 to make the terminology
consistent with EPA’s CSAPR NOX
Ozone Season Group 2 Trading Program
regulations. Alabama’s October 25,
2018, SIP revision changes the CSAPR
regulations in Rules 335–3–5–.13, 335–
3–8–.14, and 335–3–8–.46 by explicitly
addressing the disposition of any
allowances that remain after allocations
to all existing units have reached their
historical emission caps as well as any
allowances set aside for new units in
Indian country within the State and not
used for that purpose. In addition, the
October 25, 2018, SIP revision makes
minor and administrative changes, such
as correcting typographical errors.
II. Background
EPA issued CSAPR in July 2011 and
the CSAPR Update in September 2016
to address the requirements of CAA
section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) concerning
interstate transport of air pollution for
specific National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQSs).3 Under CSAPR,
large electricity generating units (EGUs)
in Alabama were subject to the Federal
Implementation Plan (FIP) provisions
requiring the units to participate in
federal allowance trading programs for
annual emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2)
and annual and ozone season emissions
of nitrogen oxides (NOX). CSAPR
includes provisions under which states
may submit for EPA approval SIP
revisions to modify or replace the
CSAPR FIP requirements while allowing
states to continue to meet their
transport-related obligations using
either CSAPR’s federal emissions
trading programs or state emissions
trading programs integrated with the
federal programs, provided that the SIP
revisions meet all relevant criteria.
Alabama previously submitted, and EPA
has approved, SIP revisions to replace
the CSAPR and CSAPR Update FIP
requirements applicable to the State’s
EGUs with requirements established
under Alabama’s own CSAPR state
2 EPA notes that the Agency received other
revisions to Alabama SIP submitted with the
August 27, 2018, letter. EPA will consider action on
the remaining revisions in separate actions.
3 See Federal Implementation Plans; Interstate
Transport of Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone and
Correction of SIP Approvals, 76 FR 48208 (August
8, 2011); Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update for
the 2008 Ozone NAAQS, 81 FR 74504 (October 26,
2016).
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65062
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2019 / Proposed Rules
trading program regulations. See 81 FR
59869 (August 31, 2016); 82 FR 46674
(October 6, 2017).
III. Analysis of State’s Submittal
Alabama’s August 27, 2018, SIP
revision makes changes to the State’s
CSAPR regulations by adding the term
‘‘Group 2’’ throughout Rule 335–3–8–
.40. These changes were intended to
make the terminology in ADEM’s
Transport Rule (TR) NOX Ozone Season
Group 2 Trading Program rule
consistent with EPA’s CSAPR
regulations.
Alabama’s October 25, 2018, SIP
revision makes changes to the State’s
CSAPR regulations by amending Rules
335–3–8–.14 and 335–3–8–.46, in the
CSAPR NOX trading rules in Chapter
335–3–8, and Rule 335- 3–5–.13, in the
CSAPR SO2 trading rules in Chapter
335–3–5, to more clearly address the
distribution of any allowances that may
remain after allocations to all existing
units have reached their historical
emissions caps. These revisions ensure
that Alabama’s rules contain provisions
explicitly providing for the disposition
of the total budget established for units
in Alabama by EPA for each trading
program, consistent with Alabama’s
original intent in adopting its trading
program regulations and with EPA’s
understanding when initially approving
the regulations into the SIP.4 Similarly,
language was also added to Rule 335–
3–8–.14 to explicitly provide for the
disposition of 13 allowances that are set
aside for any new CSAPR NOX Ozone
Season Group 2 units in Indian country
within the State of Alabama in the event
that EPA does not allocate the
allowances to such units. Finally, as
discussed above, addition, the October
25, 2018, SIP revision makes minor
changes that do not change the
substance of the regulations, such as
correcting typographical errors.
With the aforementioned changes, the
State’s CSAPR regulations as revised
remain consistent with all the
applicable requirements in 40 CFR
52.38 and 52.39 for approval of CSAPR
SIP revisions. EPA proposes to find that
these changes to Rule 335–3–5 and Rule
335–3–8 also will not interfere with any
applicable requirement concerning
attainment and reasonable further
progress (as defined in section 171), or
any other applicable requirement of the
CAA. Therefore, EPA is proposing to
approve these changes into the Alabama
SIP.
4 See notices of proposed rulemaking to approve
Alabama’s CSAPR state trading program regulations
at 82 FR 39070 (August 17, 2017), and 81 FR 41914
(June 28, 2016).
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IV. Incorporation by Reference
In this document, EPA is proposing to
include in a final EPA rule regulatory
text that includes incorporation by
reference. In accordance with
requirements of 1 CFR 51.5, EPA is
proposing to incorporate by reference
ADEM Administrative Code Rules 335–
3–5–.13, 335–3–8–.14, 335–3–8–.40, and
335–3–8–.46, which make the following
revisions to Alabama’s SIP: Add the
term ‘‘Group 2’’ to the State’s rules
consistent with EPA’s CSAPR NOX
Ozone Season Group 2 Trading Program
regulations, address the disposition of
any allowances that remain after
allocations to all existing units have
reached their historical emission caps as
well as any allowances set aside for new
CSAPR NOX Ozone Season Group 2
units in Indian country within Alabama
and not used for that purpose, and make
other minor changes. The revisions were
state effective on October 5, 2018, and
December 7, 2018. EPA has made, and
will continue to make, these materials
generally available through
www.regulations.gov and at the EPA
Region 4 office (please contact the
person identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
preamble for more information).
V. Proposed Action
EPA is proposing to approve changes
to the Alabama SIP, that were provided
to EPA through Alabama’s August 27,
2018, and October 25, 2018, SIP
revisions. Specifically, EPA is proposing
to approve changes to ADEM
Administrative Code Rules 335–3–5–
.13, 335–3–8–.14, 335–3–8–.40, and
335–3–8–.46, as described above, in
order to make the terminology in
Alabama’s regulations more consistent
with the federal CSAPR regulations and
explicitly provide for the disposition of
certain allowances included in the
State’s overall budgets. This action is
limited to the rules currently before the
Agency and does not modify any other
CSAPR rules in Alabama’s SIP.
VI. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is
required to approve a SIP submission
that complies with the provisions of the
Act and applicable Federal regulations.
See 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a).
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions,
EPA’s role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of
the CAA. These actions merely propose
to approve state law as meeting Federal
requirements and do not impose
additional requirements beyond those
PO 00000
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Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
imposed by state law. For that reason,
these proposed actions:
• Are not significant regulatory
actions subject to review by the Office
of Management and Budget under
Executive Orders 12866 (58 FR 51735,
October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821,
January 21, 2011);
• Are not Executive Order 13771 (82
FR 9339, February 2, 2017) regulatory
actions because SIP approvals are
exempted under Executive Order 12866;
• Do not impose an information
collection burden under the provisions
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
• Are certified as not having
significant economic impacts on a
substantial number of small entities
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
• Do not contain any unfunded
mandates or significantly or uniquely
affect small governments, as described
in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4);
• Do not have Federalism
implications as specified in Executive
Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10,
1999);
• Are not economically significant
regulatory actions based on health or
safety risks subject to Executive Order
13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997);
• Are not significant regulatory
actions subject to Executive Order
13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
• Are not subject to requirements of
Section 12(d) of the National
Technology Transfer and Advancement
Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because
application of those requirements would
be inconsistent with the CAA; and
• Do not provide EPA with the
discretionary authority to address, as
appropriate, disproportionate human
health or environmental effects, using
practicable and legally permissible
methods, under Executive Order 12898
(59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
The SIP is not approved to apply on
any Indian reservation land or in any
other area where EPA or an Indian tribe
has demonstrated that a tribe has
jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian
country, the rule does not have tribal
implications as specified by Executive
Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9,
2000), nor will it impose substantial
direct costs on tribal governments or
preempt tribal law.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate
matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Sulfur oxides.
E:\FR\FM\26NOP1.SGM
26NOP1
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2019 / Proposed Rules
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: November 13, 2019.
Mary S. Walker,
Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 2019–25576 Filed 11–25–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R02–OAR–2019–0399, FRL–10002–
59–Region 2]
Approval of Air Quality Implementation
Plans; New Jersey; Gasoline Vapor
Recovery Requirements
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency proposes to approve a revision
to the New Jersey State Implementation
Plan for ozone National Ambient Air
Quality Standard which includes
regulatory amendments relevant to the
New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection’s
requirements for Stage I and Stage II
vapor recovery systems at gasoline
dispensing facilities: Upgrades to Stage
I controls for tank breathing and
refueling systems; decommissioning
existing Stage II systems incompatible
with onboard refueling vapor recovery
systems on or before December 23, 2020
with a demonstration that such removal
is consistent with the Clean Air Act and
EPA Guidance; and allowing for
continued use of existing onboard
refueling vapor recovery-compatible
Stage II systems if facilities maintain the
systems, including compliance with
required testing, to ensure proper
working order. The amendments also
require installation of enhanced
conventional dripless nozzles and low
permeation hoses as part of
decommissioning existing Stage II
systems or as maintenance. The
intended effect of the amendments is to
propose approval of New Jersey’s
revised vapor recovery regulations. New
Jersey’s comprehensive submittal also
included changes in amendments for its
air permitting program and t-butyl
acetate emission reporting requirements,
however, the EPA will be acting on
these amendments under a separate
action.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before December 26, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID number EPA–
R02–OAR–2019–0399, at https://
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:02 Nov 25, 2019
Jkt 250001
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Once submitted, comments cannot be
edited or removed from Regulations.gov.
The EPA may publish any comment
received to its public docket. Do not
submit electronically any information
you consider to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Multimedia
submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be
accompanied by a written comment.
The written comment is considered the
official comment and should include
discussion of all points you wish to
make. The EPA will generally not
consider comments or comment
contents located outside of the primary
submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or
other file sharing system). For
additional submission methods, 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:
Linda Longo, Air Programs Branch,
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 2 Office, 290 Broadway, 25th
Floor, New York, New York 10007–
1866, (212) 637–3565, or by email at
longo.linda@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. What is being addressed in this document?
II. What is the background of this action as
it relates to Stage II vapor recovery?
III. What is the background of this action as
it relates to Stage I vapor recovery?
IV. What is EPA’s analysis of New Jersey’s
submission?
V. What are the relevant CAA requirements
for this SIP revision?
a. CAA Section 110(l) Non-Interference
Measure
b. CAA Section 184(b)(2) Comparable
Measure
c. CAA Section 193 Anti-Backsliding
VI. What action is EPA proposing to take?
VII. Incorporation by Reference
VIII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. What is being addressed in this
document?
Stage I and Stage II vapor recovery
systems at gasoline dispensing facilities
(GDFs) control hydrocarbon vapors,
such as volatile organic compounds
(VOC), at the point of the delivery
truck’s dispensing gasoline to storage
tanks (Stage I) and during the refueling
of motor vehicles (Stage II). Stage I
vapor recovery systems (Stage I
Systems), which have been in place
nationwide since the 1970s, route
displaced vapors back to the delivery
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65063
truck (through either a dual-point or a
single-point delivery and vent system)
during unloading of gasoline from the
truck to the storage tank. A dual-point
system utilizes two hoses: One to
deliver the product and the other to
return the vapors back to the tanker
truck with rotatable adapters located on
the product port and the vapor port. A
single-point vapor recovery system
utilizes one co-axial hose that is
essentially a hose within a hose,
allowing product to enter and vapors to
exit at the same time.
Stage II vapor recovery systems (Stage
II Systems) have been required in New
Jersey since 1988. They utilize nozzles
and hoses, installed on the GDF
dispenser, that capture the fuel vapors
from the gas tank of the refueling
vehicle and return the vapors to the
underground or aboveground storage
tank via underground piping to prevent
vapors from escaping to the atmosphere.
GDFs in New Jersey employ two types
of Stage II Systems—vacuum-assist and
vapor balance systems. Vacuum-assist
systems rely on a vacuum pump in the
dispensing nozzle to move vapors from
the vehicle into the GDF storage tank.
Vapor balance systems transfer vapors
from the vehicle to the storage tank
based on pressure differential. Vacuumassist systems work best with vehicles
that are not equipped with technology
to capture hydrocarbon emission inside
the vehicle.
Onboard refueling vapor recovery
(ORVR) systems, a type of hydrocarbon
emission control technology, is a carbon
canister installed in automobiles to
capture fuel vapors evacuated from the
vehicle gasoline tank before those
vapors reach the GDF pump nozzle. The
ORVR captures and holds the vapors
until they are combusted in the engine
during operation. Incompatibility
between the ORVR and vacuum-assist
Stage II Systems could result in excess
emissions from the GDF storage tank.
Such an incompatibility could result
from the ORVR’s causing the vacuum
pump on the nozzle to pump air rather
than gasoline vapors back to the GDF
storage tank. Vapor return to the GDF
can lead to vapor growth, overpressurization of the GDF storage tank,
and potentially excess emissions. Thus,
Stage II vapor recovery programs have
become largely redundant and
potentially incompatible controls. As
such, the continued use of Stage II
Systems achieves a declining emission
reduction as an increasing proportion of
the on-road motor vehicle fleet in New
Jersey comprise of ORVR-equipped
vehicles.
To address the potential
incompatibility, some GDFs have
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 26, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65061-65063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25576]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R04-OAR-2019-0214; FRL-10002-53-Region 4]
Air Plan Approval; Alabama: Revisions to Cross-State Air
Pollution Rule
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to
approve revisions to the Alabama State Implementation Plan (SIP),
submitted by the State of Alabama, through the Alabama Department of
Environmental Management (ADEM), via two letters dated August 27, 2018,
and October 25, 2018. The proposed SIP revisions make technical
amendments to the State's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)
regulations. This action is being taken pursuant to the Clean Air Act
(CAA or Act).
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 26, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R04-
OAR-2019-0214 at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot
be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. 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. 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: Steven Scofield, Air Regulatory
Management Section, Air Planning and Implementation Branch, Air and
Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61
Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. Mr. Scofield can be
reached via telephone at (404) 562-9034, or via electronic mail at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. What action is EPA taking?
EPA is proposing to approve changes to the Alabama SIP that were
provided to EPA through two letters dated August 27, 2018, and October
25, 2018.\1\ Specifically, EPA is proposing to approve two SIP
revisions that include changes to Alabama's CSAPR regulations, found in
ADEM Administrative Code Rules 335-3-5-.13, 335-3-8-.14, 335-3-8-.40,
and 335-3-8-.46.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ EPA received ADEM's submissions on September 7, 2018 and
October 30, 2018, respectively.
\2\ EPA notes that the Agency received other revisions to
Alabama SIP submitted with the August 27, 2018, letter. EPA will
consider action on the remaining revisions in separate actions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama's August 27, 2018, SIP revision makes changes to ADEM's
CSAPR regulations by adding the term ``Group 2'' in several places to
Rule 335-3-8-.40 to make the terminology consistent with EPA's CSAPR
NOX Ozone Season Group 2 Trading Program regulations.
Alabama's October 25, 2018, SIP revision changes the CSAPR regulations
in Rules 335-3-5-.13, 335-3-8-.14, and 335-3-8-.46 by explicitly
addressing the disposition of any allowances that remain after
allocations to all existing units have reached their historical
emission caps as well as any allowances set aside for new units in
Indian country within the State and not used for that purpose. In
addition, the October 25, 2018, SIP revision makes minor and
administrative changes, such as correcting typographical errors.
II. Background
EPA issued CSAPR in July 2011 and the CSAPR Update in September
2016 to address the requirements of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)
concerning interstate transport of air pollution for specific National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSs).\3\ Under CSAPR, large
electricity generating units (EGUs) in Alabama were subject to the
Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) provisions requiring the units to
participate in federal allowance trading programs for annual emissions
of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and annual and ozone season
emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX). CSAPR includes
provisions under which states may submit for EPA approval SIP revisions
to modify or replace the CSAPR FIP requirements while allowing states
to continue to meet their transport-related obligations using either
CSAPR's federal emissions trading programs or state emissions trading
programs integrated with the federal programs, provided that the SIP
revisions meet all relevant criteria. Alabama previously submitted, and
EPA has approved, SIP revisions to replace the CSAPR and CSAPR Update
FIP requirements applicable to the State's EGUs with requirements
established under Alabama's own CSAPR state
[[Page 65062]]
trading program regulations. See 81 FR 59869 (August 31, 2016); 82 FR
46674 (October 6, 2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ See Federal Implementation Plans; Interstate Transport of
Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone and Correction of SIP Approvals,
76 FR 48208 (August 8, 2011); Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update
for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS, 81 FR 74504 (October 26, 2016).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Analysis of State's Submittal
Alabama's August 27, 2018, SIP revision makes changes to the
State's CSAPR regulations by adding the term ``Group 2'' throughout
Rule 335-3-8-.40. These changes were intended to make the terminology
in ADEM's Transport Rule (TR) NOX Ozone Season Group 2
Trading Program rule consistent with EPA's CSAPR regulations.
Alabama's October 25, 2018, SIP revision makes changes to the
State's CSAPR regulations by amending Rules 335-3-8-.14 and 335-3-
8-.46, in the CSAPR NOX trading rules in Chapter 335-3-8,
and Rule 335- 3-5-.13, in the CSAPR SO2 trading rules in
Chapter 335-3-5, to more clearly address the distribution of any
allowances that may remain after allocations to all existing units have
reached their historical emissions caps. These revisions ensure that
Alabama's rules contain provisions explicitly providing for the
disposition of the total budget established for units in Alabama by EPA
for each trading program, consistent with Alabama's original intent in
adopting its trading program regulations and with EPA's understanding
when initially approving the regulations into the SIP.\4\ Similarly,
language was also added to Rule 335-3-8-.14 to explicitly provide for
the disposition of 13 allowances that are set aside for any new CSAPR
NOX Ozone Season Group 2 units in Indian country within the
State of Alabama in the event that EPA does not allocate the allowances
to such units. Finally, as discussed above, addition, the October 25,
2018, SIP revision makes minor changes that do not change the substance
of the regulations, such as correcting typographical errors.
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\4\ See notices of proposed rulemaking to approve Alabama's
CSAPR state trading program regulations at 82 FR 39070 (August 17,
2017), and 81 FR 41914 (June 28, 2016).
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With the aforementioned changes, the State's CSAPR regulations as
revised remain consistent with all the applicable requirements in 40
CFR 52.38 and 52.39 for approval of CSAPR SIP revisions. EPA proposes
to find that these changes to Rule 335-3-5 and Rule 335-3-8 also will
not interfere with any applicable requirement concerning attainment and
reasonable further progress (as defined in section 171), or any other
applicable requirement of the CAA. Therefore, EPA is proposing to
approve these changes into the Alabama SIP.
IV. Incorporation by Reference
In this document, EPA is proposing to include in a final EPA rule
regulatory text that includes incorporation by reference. In accordance
with requirements of 1 CFR 51.5, EPA is proposing to incorporate by
reference ADEM Administrative Code Rules 335-3-5-.13, 335-3-8-.14, 335-
3-8-.40, and 335-3-8-.46, which make the following revisions to
Alabama's SIP: Add the term ``Group 2'' to the State's rules consistent
with EPA's CSAPR NOX Ozone Season Group 2 Trading Program
regulations, address the disposition of any allowances that remain
after allocations to all existing units have reached their historical
emission caps as well as any allowances set aside for new CSAPR
NOX Ozone Season Group 2 units in Indian country within
Alabama and not used for that purpose, and make other minor changes.
The revisions were state effective on October 5, 2018, and December 7,
2018. EPA has made, and will continue to make, these materials
generally available through www.regulations.gov and at the EPA Region 4
office (please contact the person identified in the For Further
Information Contact section of this preamble for more information).
V. Proposed Action
EPA is proposing to approve changes to the Alabama SIP, that were
provided to EPA through Alabama's August 27, 2018, and October 25,
2018, SIP revisions. Specifically, EPA is proposing to approve changes
to ADEM Administrative Code Rules 335-3-5-.13, 335-3-8-.14, 335-3-
8-.40, and 335-3-8-.46, as described above, in order to make the
terminology in Alabama's regulations more consistent with the federal
CSAPR regulations and explicitly provide for the disposition of certain
allowances included in the State's overall budgets. This action is
limited to the rules currently before the Agency and does not modify
any other CSAPR rules in Alabama's SIP.
VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP
submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and applicable
Federal regulations. See 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in
reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. These actions merely
propose to approve state law as meeting Federal requirements and do not
impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law. For
that reason, these proposed actions:
Are not significant regulatory actions subject to review
by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Orders 12866 (58
FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011);
Are not Executive Order 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 2,
2017) regulatory actions because SIP approvals are exempted under
Executive Order 12866;
Do not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
Are certified as not having significant economic impacts
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
Do not contain any unfunded mandates or significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4);
Do not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
Are not economically significant regulatory actions based
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
Are not significant regulatory actions subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
Are not subject to requirements of Section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272
note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent
with the CAA; and
Do not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to
address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental
effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
The SIP is not approved to apply on any Indian reservation land or
in any other area where EPA or an Indian tribe has demonstrated that a
tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian country, the rule does
not have tribal implications as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65
FR 67249, November 9, 2000), nor will it impose substantial direct
costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone,
Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur
oxides.
[[Page 65063]]
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: November 13, 2019.
Mary S. Walker,
Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 2019-25576 Filed 11-25-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P