Air Plan Approval; FL; 2010 1-Hour SO2, 7480-7491 [2020-02502]
Download as PDF
7480
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
III. Public Comment Procedures
Under the provisions of 30 CFR
732.17(h), we are seeking your
comments on whether these
amendments satisfy the applicable
program approval criteria of 30 CFR
732.15. If we approve the amendments,
they will become part of the State
program.
Electronic or Written Comments
If you submit written or electronic
comments on the proposed rule during
the 30-day comment period, they should
be specific, confined to issues pertinent
to the proposed regulations, and explain
the reason for any recommended
change(s). We appreciate any and all
comments, but those most useful and
likely to influence decisions on the final
regulations will be those that either
involve personal experience or include
citations to and analyses of SMCRA, its
legislative history, its implementing
regulations, case law, other pertinent
State or Federal laws or regulations,
technical literature, or other relevant
publications.
We cannot ensure that comments
received after the close of the comment
period (see DATES) or sent to an address
other than those listed (see ADDRESSES)
will be included in the docket for this
rulemaking and considered.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment including your
personal identifying information, may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Public Hearing
If you wish to speak at the public
hearing, contact the person listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by
4:00 p.m., e.s.t. on February 25, 2020. If
you are disabled and need reasonable
accommodations to attend a public
hearing, contact the person listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. We
will arrange the location and time of the
hearing with those persons requesting
the hearing. If no one requests an
opportunity to speak, we will not hold
a hearing.
To assist the transcriber and ensure an
accurate record, we request, if possible,
that each person who speaks at the
public hearing provide us with a written
copy of his or her comments. The public
hearing will continue on the specified
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
date until everyone scheduled to speak
has been given an opportunity to be
heard. If you are in the audience and
have not been scheduled to speak and
wish to do so, you will be allowed to
speak after those who have been
scheduled. We will end the hearing after
everyone scheduled to speak, and others
present in the audience who wish to
speak, have been heard.
Public Meeting
If only one person requests an
opportunity to speak, we may hold a
public meeting rather than a public
hearing. If you wish to meet with us to
discuss the amendment, please request
a meeting by contacting the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT. All such meetings are open to
the public and, if possible, we will post
notices of meetings at the locations
listed under ADDRESSES. We will make
a written summary of each meeting a
part of the administrative record.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Executive Order 12866—Regulatory
Planning and Review and Executive
Order 13563—Improving Regulation
and Regulatory Review
Executive Order 12866 provides that
the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs in the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) will review all significant
rules. Pursuant to OMB Guidance dated
October 12, 1993, the approval of State
program amendments is exempted from
OMB review under Executive Order
12866. Executive Order 13563, which
reaffirms and supplements Executive
Order 12866, retains this exemption.
Other Laws and Executive Orders
Affecting Rulemaking
When a State submits a program
amendment to OSMRE for review, our
regulations at 30 CFR 732.17(h) require
us to publish a notice in the Federal
Register indicating receipt of the
proposed amendment, its text or a
summary of its terms, and an
opportunity for public comment. We
conclude our review of the proposed
amendment after the close of the public
comment period and determine whether
the amendment should be approved,
approved in part, or not approved. At
that time, we will also make the
determinations and certifications
required by the various laws and
executive orders governing the
rulemaking process and include them in
the final rule.
List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 948
Intergovernmental relations, Surface
mining, Underground mining.
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
Dated: April 30, 2019.
Thomas D. Shope,
Regional Director, North Atlantic—
Appalachian Region.
Editorial Note: This document was
received at the Office of the Federal Register
on February 5, 2020.
[FR Doc. 2020–02570 Filed 2–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–05–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R04–OAR–2019–0008; FRL–10005–
27–Region 4]
Air Plan Approval; FL; 2010 1-Hour
SO2 NAAQS Transport Infrastructure
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve
Florida’s September 18, 2018, State
Implementation Plan (SIP) submission
pertaining to the ‘‘good neighbor’’
provision of the Clean Air Act (CAA or
Act) for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide
(SO2) National Ambient Air Quality
Standard (NAAQS). The good neighbor
provision requires each state’s
implementation plan to address the
interstate transport of air pollution in
amounts that contribute significantly to
nonattainment, or interfere with
maintenance, of a NAAQS in any other
state. In this action, EPA is proposing to
determine that Florida will not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in any other state. Therefore,
EPA is proposing to approve the
September 18, 2018, SIP revision as
meeting the requirements of the good
neighbor provision for the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before March 11, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R04–
OAR–2019–0008 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
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
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://www.epa.gov/dockets/
commenting-epa-dockets.
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.1 EPA is
proposing to approve FDEP’s September
18, 2018, SIP submission because, based
on the information available at the time
of this rulemaking, the State
demonstrated that Florida will not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment, or interfere with
maintenance, of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in any other state. All other
elements related to the infrastructure
requirements of section 110(a)(2) for the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS for Florida
have been addressed in separate
rulemakings.2
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
B. 2010 1-Hour SO2 NAAQS
Designations Background
In this action, EPA has considered
information from the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS designations process, as
discussed in more detail in section III.C
of this notice. For this reason, a brief
summary of EPA’s designations process
for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS is
included here.3
After the promulgation of a new or
revised NAAQS, EPA is required to
designate areas as ‘‘nonattainment,’’
‘‘attainment,’’ or ‘‘unclassifiable’’
pursuant to section 107(d)(1) of the
CAA. The process for designating areas
following promulgation of a new or
revised NAAQS is contained in section
107(d) of the CAA. The CAA requires
EPA to complete the initial designations
process within two years of
promulgating a new or revised standard.
If the Administrator has insufficient
information to make these designations
by that deadline, EPA has the authority
Michele Notarianni, 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.
Ms. Notarianni can be reached via
phone number (404) 562–9031 or via
electronic mail at notarianni.michele@
epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
A. Infrastructure SIPs
On June 2, 2010, EPA promulgated a
revised primary SO2 NAAQS with a
level of 75 parts per billion (ppb), based
on a 3-year average of the annual 99th
percentile of 1-hour daily maximum
concentrations. See 75 FR 35520 (June
22, 2010). Whenever EPA promulgates a
new or revised NAAQS, CAA section
110(a)(1) requires states to make SIP
submissions to provide for the
implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement of the NAAQS. This
particular type of SIP submission is
commonly referred to as an
‘‘infrastructure SIP.’’ These submissions
must meet the various requirements of
CAA section 110(a)(2), as applicable.
Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) of the CAA
requires SIPs to include provisions
prohibiting any source or other type of
emissions activity in one state from
emitting any air pollutant in amounts
that will contribute significantly to
nonattainment, or interfere with
maintenance, of the NAAQS in another
state. The two clauses of this section are
referred to as prong 1 (significant
contribution to nonattainment) and
prong 2 (interference with maintenance
of the NAAQS).
On September 18, 2018, the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection
(FDEP) submitted a revision to the
Florida SIP addressing prongs 1 and 2
of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
1 On June 3, 2013, and supplemented on January
8, 2014, FDEP submitted SIP revisions addressing
all infrastructure elements with respect to the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS with the exception of prongs
1 and 2 of CAA 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I).
2 EPA acted on the other elements of Florida’s
June 3, 2013, infrastructure SIP submission, as
supplemented on January 8, 2014, for the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS on September 30, 2016 (81 FR
67179).
3 While designations may provide useful
information for purposes of analyzing transport,
particularly for a more source-specific pollutant
such as SO2, EPA notes that designations
themselves are not dispositive of whether or not
upwind emissions are impacting areas in
downwind states. EPA has consistently taken the
position that CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)
addresses ‘‘nonattainment’’ anywhere it may occur
in other states, not only in designated
nonattainment areas nor any similar formulation
requiring that designations for downwind
nonattainment areas must first have occurred. See
e.g., Clean Air Interstate Rule, 70 FR 25162, 25265
(May 12, 2005); Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, 76
FR 48208, 48211 (August 8, 2011); Final Response
to Petition from New Jersey Regarding SO2
Emissions From the Portland Generating Station, 76
FR 69052 (November 7, 2011) (finding facility in
violation of the prohibitions of CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) with respect to the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS prior to issuance of designations for
that standard).
PO 00000
Frm 00029
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
7481
to extend the deadline for completing
designations by up to one year.
EPA promulgated the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS on June 2, 2010. See 75 FR
35520 (June 22, 2010). EPA completed
the first round of designations (‘‘round
1’’) 4 for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS on
July 25, 2013, designating 29 areas in 16
states as nonattainment for the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS. See 78 FR 47191
(August 5, 2013). EPA signed Federal
Register notices of promulgation for
round 2 designations 5 on June 30, 2016
(81 FR 45039 (July 12, 2016)) and on
November 29, 2016 (81 FR 89870
(December 13, 2016)), and round 3
designations 6 on December 21, 2017 (83
FR 1098 (January 9, 2018)).7
On August 21, 2015 (80 FR 51052),
EPA separately promulgated air quality
characterization requirements for the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in the Data
Requirements Rule (DRR). The DRR
requires state air agencies to
characterize air quality, through air
dispersion modeling or monitoring, in
areas associated with sources that
emitted 2,000 tons per year (tpy) or
more of SO2, or that have otherwise
been listed under the DRR by EPA or
state air agencies. In lieu of modeling or
monitoring, state air agencies, by
specified dates, could elect to impose
federally-enforceable emissions
limitations on those sources restricting
their annual SO2 emissions to less than
2,000 tpy, or provide documentation
that the sources have been shut down.
EPA expected that the information
generated by implementation of the DRR
would help inform designations for the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS that must be
completed by December 31, 2020
(‘‘round 4’’).
In rounds 1 and 3 of designations,
EPA designated three SO2
nonattainment areas and one
unclassifiable area in Florida. In round
1, EPA designated portions of Nassau
and Hillsborough counties as
4 The term ‘‘round’’ in this instance refers to
which ‘‘round of designations.’’
5 EPA and state documents and public comments
related to the round 2 final designations are in the
docket at regulations.gov with Docket ID No. EPA–
HQ–OAR–2014–0464 and at EPA’s website for SO2
designations at https://www.epa.gov/sulfur-dioxidedesignations.
6 EPA and state documents and public comments
related to round 3 final designations are in the
docket at regulations.gov with Docket ID No. EPA–
HQ–OAR–2017–0003 and at EPA’s website for SO2
designations at https://www.epa.gov/sulfur-dioxidedesignations.
7 Consent Decree, Sierra Club v. McCarthy, Case
No. 3:13–cv–3953–SI (N.D. Cal. Mar. 2, 2015). This
consent decree requires EPA to sign for publication
in the Federal Register notices of the Agency’s
promulgation of area designations for the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS by three specific deadlines: July
2, 2016 (‘‘round 2’’); December 31, 2017 (‘‘round
3’’); and December 31, 2020 (‘‘round 4’’).
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
7482
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
nonattainment for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS based on air quality monitoring
data (Nassau, FL Area and Hillsborough,
FL Area, respectively).8 In round 3, EPA
designated portions of Hillsborough and
Polk counties (Hillsborough-Polk, FL
Area) as nonattainment for the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS based on air quality
modeling.9 EPA also designated
portions of Hillsborough and Polk
counties (Mulberry, FL Area) as
unclassifiable for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in round 3. The remaining
counties in Florida were designated as
attainment/unclassifiable in round 3;
therefore, no areas in Florida will be
designated in round 4.10
8 The Nassau and Hillsborough Areas are
currently attaining the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS
based on complete, quality-assured, and certified
air quality monitoring data for 2016–2018 and air
dispersion modeling showing attainment of the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in the area. Florida
submitted a request that EPA redesignate both areas
to attainment, and EPA approved the redesignation
request and associated maintenance plan for the
Nassau Area on April 24, 2019 (84 FR 17085). EPA
approved the redesignation request and associated
maintenance plan for the Hillsborough Area on
November 12, 2019 (84 FR 60927). EPA approved
the attainment demonstration for the Nassau Area
on July 3, 2017, and incorporated the new allowable
emission rates and control measures into the SIP,
making them permanent and enforceable. See 82 FR
30749. EPA’s redesignation of the Nassau Area was
based, in part, on a modeled attainment
demonstration that included permanent and
enforceable SO2 controls and emissions limits at the
Rayonier and WestRock facilities showing
attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 standard by the
statutory deadline.
9 EPA designated a portion of Citrus County,
Florida as unclassifiable in round 3 designations on
December 21, 2017 (83 FR 1098). However, on
March 28, 2018, EPA withdrew the designation of
unclassifiable for the area and established a
designation of attainment/unclassifiable for that
area based on complete, quality-assured and
certified air quality monitoring data from 2017
submitted by FDEP, and modeling showing
attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in the
area. See 83 FR 14597 (April 5, 2018). On
September 9, 2019 (84 FR 47216), EPA proposed
approval of Florida’s February 15, 2019, draft
redesignation requests and maintenance plan for
the round 3 Hillsborough-Polk County SO2
nonattainment area, the redesignation request for
the Mulberry unclassifiable area, and adoption of
new 24-hour SO2 emission limits for the two
primary emission sources in the areas. The public
comment period has closed, and EPA is not
reopening that comment period through this
infrastructure proposal.
10 See Technical Support Document: Chapter 9
Final Round 3 Area Designations for the 2010 1Hour SO2 Primary National Ambient Air Quality
Standard for Florida at https://www.epa.gov/sites/
production/files/2017-12/documents/09-fl-so2-rd3final.pdf. See also Technical Support Document:
Chapter 9 Intended Round 3 Area Designations for
the 2010 1-Hour SO2 Primary National Ambient Air
Quality Standard for Florida at https://
www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-08/
documents/9_fl_so2_rd3-final.pdf.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
II. Relevant Factors Used To Evaluate
2010 1-Hour SO2 Interstate Transport
SIPs
Although SO2 is emitted from a
similar universe of point and nonpoint
sources as is directly emitted fine
particulate matter (PM2.5) and the
precursors to ozone and PM2.5, interstate
transport of SO2 is unlike the transport
of PM2.5 or ozone because SO2 emissions
sources usually do not have long range
SO2 impacts. The transport of SO2
relative to the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS
is more analogous to the transport of
lead (Pb) relative to the Pb NAAQS in
that emissions of SO2 typically result in
1-hour pollutant impacts of possible
concern only near the emissions source.
However, ambient 1-hour
concentrations of SO2 do not decrease as
quickly with distance from the source as
do 3-month average concentrations of
Pb, because SO2 gas is not removed by
deposition as rapidly as are Pb particles
and because SO2 typically has a higher
emissions release height than Pb.
Emitted SO2 has wider ranging impacts
than emitted Pb, but it does not have
such wide-ranging impacts that
treatment in a manner similar to ozone
or PM2.5 would be appropriate.
Accordingly, while the approaches that
EPA has adopted for ozone or PM2.5
transport are too regionally focused, the
approach for Pb transport is too tightly
circumscribed to the source. SO2
transport is therefore a unique case and
requires a different approach.
In this proposed rulemaking, as in
prior SO2 transport analyses, EPA
focuses on a 50 km-wide zone because
the physical properties of SO2 result in
relatively localized pollutant impacts
near an emissions source that drop off
with distance. Given the properties of
SO2, EPA selected a spatial scale with
dimensions from four to 50 kilometers
(km) from point sources—the ‘‘urban
scale’’—to assess trends in area-wide air
quality that might impact downwind
states.11
In its SIP submission, FDEP identified
a distance threshold to reflect the
transport properties of SO2. FDEP
selected the ‘‘urban scale’’ as
appropriate in assessing trends in both
area-wide air quality and the
effectiveness of large-scale pollution
control strategies at such point sources.
FDEP supported this transport distance
threshold with references to the March
11 For the definition of spatial scales for SO , see
2
40 CFR part 58, Appendix D, section 4.4 (‘‘Sulfur
Dioxide (SO2) Design Criteria’’). For further
discussion on how EPA applies these definitions
with respect to interstate transport of SO2, see
EPA’s proposed rulemaking on Connecticut’s SO2
transport SIP. See 82 FR 21351, 21352, 21354 (May
8, 2017).
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
1, 2011, EPA memorandum titled
‘‘Additional Clarification Regarding
Application of Appendix W Modeling
Guidance for the 1-hour NO2 National
Ambient Air Quality Standard,’’ and
noted that this clarification applies
equally to the 2010 1-hour SO2
standard.12 The memorandum offers a
general guideline for estimating the
distance to maximum 1-hour impact
and the region of significant
concentration gradients that may apply
in relatively flat terrain, which is
approximately 10 times the source’s
release height.13 FDEP states that no SO2
source in Florida (which has flat terrain)
has a stack height of more than 205
meters and thus, the maximum distance
to a significant concentration gradient
from a Florida source is approximately
2,050 meters (i.e., 2.05 km) from the
source, after which a source’s impacts
decrease significantly. Additionally, the
memorandum indicates that the
inclusion of all emissions sources
within 50 km of the source under
analysis is likely to produce an overly
conservative result in most cases.
Given the properties of SO2, EPA
preliminarily agrees with Florida’s
selection of the urban scale to assess
trends in area-wide air quality that
might impact downwind states. As
discussed further in section III.B, EPA
believes that Florida’s selection of the
urban scale is appropriate for assessing
trends in both area-wide air quality and
the effectiveness of large-scale pollution
control strategies at SO2 point sources.
Florida’s selection of this transport
distance for SO2 is consistent with 40
CFR 58, Appendix D, Section 4.4.4(4)
‘‘Urban scale,’’ which states that
measurements in this scale would be
used to estimate SO2 concentrations
over large portions of an urban area with
dimensions from four to 50 km. The
American Meteorological Society/
Environmental Protection Agency
Regulatory Model (AERMOD) is EPA’s
preferred modeling platform for
regulatory purposes for near-field
dispersion of emissions for distances up
to 50 km. See Appendix W of 40 CFR
part 51. Thus, EPA concurs with
Florida’s application of the 50-km
threshold as a reasonable distance to
evaluate emission source impacts into
neighboring states and to assess air
quality monitors within 50 km of the
State’s border, which is discussed
further in section III.C.
12 EPA’s March 1, 2011, memorandum,
Additional Clarification Regarding Application of
Appendix W Modeling Guidance for the 1-hour NO2
National Ambient Air Quality Standard, is available
at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/201507/documents/appwno2_2.pdf.
13 Id. at pp. 15–16.
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
As discussed in sections III.C and
III.D, EPA first reviewed Florida’s
analysis to assess how the State
evaluated the transport of SO2 to other
states, the types of information used in
the analysis, and the conclusions drawn
by the State. EPA then conducted a
weight of evidence analysis based on a
review of the State’s submission and
other available information, including
SO2 air quality and available source
modeling for other states’ sources
within 50 km of the Florida border.14
III. Florida’s SIP Submission and EPA’s
Analysis
A. State Submission
On September 18, 2018, FDEP
submitted a revision to the Florida SIP
addressing prongs 1 and 2 of CAA
section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS. Florida conducted a
weight of evidence analysis to examine
whether SO2 emissions from the State
adversely affect attainment or
maintenance of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in downwind states.
FDEP concluded that the State is
meeting its prong 1 and prong 2
obligations for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS. FDEP based its conclusions on:
Trends in SO2 design values (DVs) 15 at
the State’s air quality monitors from
2007–2017; SO2 DVs for monitors
located within 50 km of the Florida
border; SO2 emissions trends statewide
from 2000–2017; the change in SO2
emissions from 2014–2017 at the largest
sources of SO2 within 50 km of the
border; available SO2 modeling data for
the State’s round 3 DRR sources; and
SIP-approved State and federal
regulations that establish requirements
for sources of SO2 emissions. EPA’s
evaluation of Florida’s September 18,
2018, SIP submission is detailed in
sections III.B, C, and D.
B. EPA’s Evaluation Methodology
EPA believes that a reasonable
starting point for determining which
sources and emissions activities in
Florida are likely to impact downwind
air quality in other states with respect
to the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS is by
using information in EPA’s National
Emissions Inventory (NEI).16 The NEI is
a comprehensive and detailed estimate
of air emissions for criteria pollutants,
criteria pollutant precursors, and
hazardous air pollutants from air
emissions sources, that is updated every
three years using information provided
by the states and other information
available to EPA. EPA evaluated data
from the 2014 NEI (version 2), the most
recently available, complete, and quality
assured dataset of the NEI.
FDEP provided 2014 NEI SO2
emissions data statewide by source
category. FDEP states that fuel
combustion by electric generating units
7483
(EGUs) is the largest source of SO2
emissions in Florida, representing 60
percent of the State’s SO2 emissions.
FDEP also states that other large sources
of SO2 emissions in Florida include
chemical and allied product
manufacturing and fuel combustion at
industrial sources, which, when added
to the EGU SO2 emissions, comprise 80
percent of Florida’s total SO2 emissions.
As shown in Table 1, the majority of
SO2 emissions in Florida originate from
fuel combustion at point sources.17 In
2014, the total SO2 emissions from point
sources in Florida comprised
approximately 83 percent of the total
SO2 emissions in the State. Further
analysis of these data show that SO2
emissions from fuel combustion from
point sources make up approximately
68 percent of the State’s total SO2
emissions. Because emissions from the
other listed source categories are more
dispersed throughout the State, those
categories are less likely to cause high
ambient concentrations when compared
to a point source on a ton-for-ton basis.
Based on EPA’s analysis of the 2014
NEI, EPA believes that it is appropriate
to focus the analysis on SO2 emissions
from Florida’s larger point sources (i.e.,
emitting over 100 tpy of SO2 in 2017),
which are located within the ‘‘urban
scale,’’ i.e., within 50 km of one or more
state borders.
TABLE 1—SUMMARY OF 2014 NEI (VERSION 2) SO2 DATA FOR FLORIDA BY SOURCE TYPE
Emissions
(tpy)
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
Category
Percent of
total SO2
emissions
Fuel Combustion: EGUs (All Fuel Types) ...............................................................................................................
Fuel Combustion: Industrial Boilers/Internal Combustion Engines (All Fuel Types) ..............................................
Fuel Combustion: Commercial/Institutional (All Fuel Types) ..................................................................................
Fuel Combustion: Residential (All Fuel Types) .......................................................................................................
Industrial Processes (All Categories) ......................................................................................................................
Mobile Sources (All Categories) ..............................................................................................................................
Fires (All Types) ......................................................................................................................................................
Waste Disposal ........................................................................................................................................................
Solvent Processes ...................................................................................................................................................
Miscellaneous (Non-Industrial) ................................................................................................................................
99,362.87
11,868.39
188.60
91.66
24,904.24
12,534.89
13,342.46
2,161.72
0.15
13.50
60.4
7.2
0.1
0.1
15.1
7.6
8.1
1.3
0
0
SO2 Emissions Total ........................................................................................................................................
164,468.48
100
14 This proposed approval action is based on the
information contained in the administrative record
for this action and does not prejudge any other
future EPA action that may make other
determinations regarding Florida’s or any
neighboring state’s air quality status. Any such
future actions, such as area designations under any
NAAQS, will be based on their own administrative
records and EPA’s analyses of information that
become available at those times. Future available
information may include, and is not limited to,
monitoring data and modeling analyses conducted
pursuant to the DRR and information submitted to
EPA by states, air agencies, and third-party
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
stakeholders such as citizen groups and industry
representatives.
15 A ‘‘Design Value’’ is a statistic that describes
the air quality status of a given location relative to
the level of the NAAQS. The DV for the primary
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS is the 3-year average of
annual 99th percentile daily maximum 1-hour
values for a monitoring site. For example, the 2017
DV is calculated based on the three-year average
from 2015–2017. The interpretation of the primary
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS including the data
handling conventions and calculations necessary
for determining compliance with the NAAQS can
be found in Appendix T to 40 CFR part 50.
PO 00000
Frm 00031
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
16 EPA’s NEI is available at https://www.epa.gov/
air-emissions-inventories/national-emissionsinventory.
17 Florida’s point sources listed in Table 1, for the
purposes of this proposed action, are comprised of
all of the ‘‘Fuel Combustion’’ categories and
‘‘Industrial Processes (All Categories),’’ with the
exception of residential fuel combustion.
Residential fuel consumption is considered a
nonpoint source, and thus, residential fuel
combustion data is not included in the point source
fuel combustion data and related calculations.
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
7484
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
As explained in Section II, because
the physical properties of SO2 result in
relatively localized pollutant impacts
near an emissions source that drop off
with distance, in SO2 transport analyses,
EPA focuses on a 50 km-wide zone.
Thus, EPA focused its evaluation on
Florida’s point sources of SO2 emissions
located within approximately 50 km of
another state and their potential impact
on neighboring states.
As discussed in section I.B., EPA’s
current implementation strategy for the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS includes the
flexibility to characterize air quality for
stationary sources subject to the DRR via
either data collected at ambient air
quality monitors sited to capture the
points of maximum concentration, or air
dispersion modeling (hereinafter
referred to as ‘‘DRR monitors’’ or ‘‘DRR
modeling,’’ respectively). EPA’s
assessment of SO2 emissions from
Florida’s point sources located within
approximately 50 km of another state
and their potential impacts on
neighboring states (see sections III.C.1.
and II.C.2 of this notice) and SO2 air
quality data at monitors within 50 km
of the Florida border (see section III.C.3.
of this notice) is informed by all
available data at the time of this
proposed rulemaking.18
As described in Section III, EPA
proposes to conclude that an assessment
of Florida’s satisfaction of the prong 1
and 2 requirements under section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) of the CAA for the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS may be reasonably
based upon evaluating the downwind
impacts via modeling and an assessment
of SO2 emissions from Florida’s point
sources emitting more than 100 tpy of
SO2 (including fuel combustion sources)
that are located within approximately
50 km of another state, and upon any
federal regulations and SIP-approved
regulations affecting SO2 emissions of
Florida’s sources.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
C. EPA’s Prong 1 Evaluation—
Significant Contribution to
Nonattainment
Prong 1 of the good neighbor
provision requires states’ plans to
prohibit emissions that will contribute
significantly to nonattainment of a
NAAQS in another state. FDEP asserts
in its submission that Florida will not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment in any other state with
18 EPA notes that the evaluation of other states’
satisfaction of section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS can be informed by similar
factors found in this proposed rulemaking but may
not be identical to the approach taken in this or any
future rulemaking for Florida, depending on
available information and state-specific
circumstances.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
respect to the 2010 1-hour SO2 standard.
To evaluate Florida’s satisfaction of
prong 1, EPA assessed the State’s SIP
submission with respect to the
following factors: (1) Potential ambient
impacts of SO2 emissions from certain
facilities in Florida on neighboring
states based on available SO2
designation air dispersion modeling
results; (2) SO2 emissions from Florida
sources; (3) SO2 ambient air quality for
Florida and neighboring states; (4) SIPapproved Florida regulations that
address SO2 emissions; and (5) federal
regulations that reduce SO2 emissions at
Florida sources. A detailed discussion
of Florida’s SIP submission with respect
to each of these factors follows.19 EPA
proposes, based on the information
available at the time of this rulemaking,
that these factors, taken together,
support the Agency’s proposed
determination that Florida will not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in another state. As discussed
in the following sections, EPA’s
proposed conclusion is based, in part,
on the fact that modeling results for
Florida’s four DRR sources within 50
km of another state’s border indicate
that the maximum impacts do not
exceed the level of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS. Regarding three out-of-state
DRR sources within 50 km of the
Florida border which are located in
Alabama, the information available to
the Agency does not indicate there are
violations of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in Alabama to which Florida
sources could contribute. In addition,
2017 SO2 emissions for Florida’s nonDRR sources emitting over 100 tons of
SO2 within 50 km of another state are
at distances or emit levels of SO2 that
make it unlikely that these SO2
emissions could interact with SO2
emissions from the neighboring states’
sources in such a way as to contribute
significantly to nonattainment in
neighboring states. Finally, the
downward trends in SO2 emissions and
DVs for air quality monitors in the State,
combined with federal regulations and
SIP-approved regulations affecting SO2
emissions of Florida’s sources, further
support EPA’s proposed conclusion.
1. SO2 Designations Air Dispersion
Modeling
a. State Submission
In Appendix 2 to Florida’s SIP
revision, FDEP included the State’s
January 13, 2017, modeling reports for
19 EPA has reviewed Florida’s submission, and
where new or more current information has become
available, is including this information as part of
the Agency’s evaluation of this submission.
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
the four DRR sources in the State within
50 km of the Florida border:
Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA)—
Northside Generating Station (NGS)/St.
Johns River Power Park (SJRPP); 20 21
WestRock CP, LLC—Fernandina Beach
Mill (WestRock); Gulf Power Crist Plant
(Crist Plant); and White Springs
Agricultural Chemical—Swift Creek
Chemical Complex (White Springs).
Florida used AERMOD to evaluate the
area around each of these sources to
satisfy the requirements of the DRR and
ran the model for the years 2012–2014
using actual emissions data and
monitored SO2 background
concentrations. FDEP asserts that the
modeling results indicate that the area
surrounding each facility is in
attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS, as shown in the modeling
reports included in Appendix 2 of the
State’s 2018 submission. FDEP included
a table showing emissions decreases for
these DRR sources from 2014 to 2017
(see Table 2 of Appendix 1 to Florida’s
SIP submission), and states that since
2014, actual emissions from these
sources have collectively decreased by
74 percent.22 A summary of the
modeling results for Florida’s DRR
sources within 50 km of the State’s
border, including supplemental data
EPA has reviewed as part of the
Agency’s analysis, is shown in Table 2
of section III.C.1.b.
b. EPA Analysis
EPA evaluated the DRR modeling data
in Florida’s SIP submission for sources
in the State and supplemented this data
with available DRR modeling results for
sources in adjacent states (i.e., Alabama
and Georgia) that are within 50 km of
the Florida border.23 The purpose of
20 JEA owns and operates the combined NGS and
SJRPP facility in Jacksonville, Florida. Table 2 of
Appendix 1 in Florida’s September 18, 2018, SIP
submission lists JEA NGS and JEA SJRRP
separately; however, these sources are modeled as
one source under the DRR.
21 Units 1 and 2 at St. John River Power Park shut
down, effective December 31, 2017.
22 EPA notes that on page 5 of the State’s
September 18, 2018, SIP submission, FDEP
inadvertently states that since 2014, actual
emissions from the four DRR sources in Florida
within 50 km of the border have decreased by 65
percent. EPA has confirmed that the value of 74
percent in Table 2 of Appendix 1 is correct.
23 As discussed in section I.B., Florida used air
dispersion modeling to characterize air quality in
the vicinity of certain SO2 emitting sources to
identify the maximum 1-hour SO2 concentrations in
ambient air which informed EPA’s round 3 SO2
designations. EPA’s preferred modeling platform for
regulatory purposes is AERMOD (Appendix W of 40
CFR part 51). In these DRR modeling analyses using
AERMOD, the impacts of the actual emissions for
one or more of the recent 3-year periods (e.g., 2012–
2014, 2013–2015, 2014–2016) were considered, and
in some cases, the modeling was of currently
effective limits on allowable emissions in lieu of or
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
evaluating modeling results in adjacent
states within 50 km of the Florida
border is to ascertain whether any
nearby sources in Florida are impacting
a violation of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in another state.
Table 2 provides a summary of the
modeling results for the four modeled
DRR sources in Florida which are
located within 50 km of another state.
The modeling analyses for these four
DRR sources resulted in no modeled
7485
violations of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS within the modeling domains
for each facility. As a result, no further
analysis is necessary for assessing the
impacts of the interstate transport of
SO2 pollution from these sources.
TABLE 2—FLORIDA SOURCES WITH DRR MODELING LOCATED WITHIN 50 km OF ANOTHER STATE
DRR source
County
Approximate
distance from
source to
adjacent state
(km)
Crist Plant ...........
Escambia ............
17 (AL) ...............
JEA-NGS/SJRPP
Duval ..................
35 (GA) ...............
WestRock 24 .......
Nassau ...............
<5 (GA) ..............
Yes—Rayonier Performance Fibers
(FL).
White Springs .....
Hamilton .............
16 (GA) ...............
Yes—PCS Suwannee River Plant *
(FL).
Modeled 99th percentile daily
maximum 1-hour SO2
concentration
(ppb)
Other facilities included
in modeling?
Yes—International Paper Pensacola Facility (FL).
Yes—Cedar Bay/Generating Plant,
Renessenz Jacksonville Facility
(now Symrise, Inc.), Anchor
Glass Jacksonville Plant, and IFF
Chemical Holdings (FL).
33.81 (based on 2012–2014 actual
emissions for both facilities).
56.22 (based on 2012–2014 actual
emissions for SJRPP and
Renessenz Jacksonville Facility
(now Symrise, Inc.); allowable
emission rates for Cedar Bay,
Anchor Glass, and IFF Chemical
facilities).
66.09 (based on 2012–2014 actual
emissions for WestRock and
Rayonier and permitted allowable
emissions for three minor units at
WestRock).
56.34 (based on 2012–2014 actual
emissions for sulfuric acid plants
E & F and permitted allowable
emissions for the PCS
Suwaneee River Plant and the
remaining sources at White
Springs River Plant equivalent to
1,276 tpy).
Model grid extends into
another state?
No.
No.
Yes (approximately 3 km
into a portion of southern
Georgia).
No.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
* The PCS Suwannee River Plant shut down most of its operations in 2014.
There are three DRR sources in
neighboring states which are located
within 50 km of Florida and which
elected to provide air dispersion
modeling under the DRR: Alabama
Power Company—James M. Barry
Electric Generating Plant (Plant Barry);
Akzo Nobel Functional Chemicals—
LeMoyne Site (AkzoNobel); and
Escambia Operating Company—Big
Escambia Creek Plant (Big Escambia),
which are located approximately 36, 41,
and 8 km, respectively, from the Florida
border. These sources are all located in
Alabama. With respect to the modeling
and other information submitted by
Alabama under the DRR for these
modeled Alabama sources, EPA
previously stated that the Agency does
not have sufficient information to
determine whether the areas around
these sources meet or do not meet the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS or contribute
to an area that does not meet the
standard, and thus designated these
areas as unclassifiable.25 Accordingly,
the Agency has further assessed
AkzoNobel and Plant Barry in section
III.C.2.b. of this action to determine
whether there is evidence of a violation
in Alabama with respect to interstate
transport for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS.
Regarding Big Escambia, the Alabama
Department of Environmental
Management (ADEM) provided
supplemental information to EPA in
correspondence dated September 5,
2019, September 20, 2019, and
September 25, 2019, December 2, 2019,
and December 6, 2019 (collectively, the
‘‘Big Escambia Supplement’’) to address
interstate transport by evaluating
potential SO2 ambient air impacts in the
neighboring state of Florida.26 On
December 31, 2019 (84 FR 72278), EPA
published a notice of proposed
rulemaking containing an evaluation of
this supplemental information 27 and
proposing to determine that ADEM’s
revised modeling for Big Escambia can
be used for evaluating interstate
transport of SO2 emissions from this
facility to locations in Florida. Big
Escambia is located 8 km from the
Florida border, 21 km northwest from
Breitburn Operating, L.P (Breitburn), the
nearest SO2 source in Florida. Breitburn
is located less than 5 km from the
Florida-Alabama border. Florida’s
submittal indicates that Breitburn’s
2017 SO2 emissions are 1,491 tons. Due
to its proximity to Big Escambia,
Alabama’s modeling analysis includes
Breitburn as a modeled nearby source
using its permitted allowable emissions
of 2,181 pounds per hour (9,553 tpy).
This modeling indicates that the
maximum impacts do not exceed the
as a supplement to modeling of actual emissions.
The available air dispersion modeling of certain
SO2 sources can support transport related
conclusions about whether sources in one state will
potentially contribute significantly to
nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the
2010 1-hour SO2 standard in other states. While
AERMOD was not designed specifically to address
interstate transport, the 50-km distance that EPA
recommends for use with AERMOD aligns with the
concept that there are localized pollutant impacts
of SO2 near an emissions source that drop off with
distance. Thus, EPA believes that the use of
AERMOD provides a reliable indication of air
quality for transport purposes.
24 As discussed in footnote 8, EPA’s redesignation
of the Nassau Area was based, in part, on a modeled
attainment demonstration that included permanent
and enforceable SO2 controls and emissions limits
at the Rayonier and WestRock facilities showing
attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 standard.
25 See EPA’s initial and final technical support
document (TSDs) for Alabama at: https://
www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-08/
documents/3_al_so2_rd3-final.pdf and https://
www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-12/
documents/03-al-so2-rd3-final.pdf.
26 The Big Escambia Supplement is available in
Docket ID: EPA–R04–OAR–2018–0792.
27 EPA prepared a TSD—titled ‘‘Technical
Support Document (TSD) Addressing Big Escambia
Data Requirements Rule (DRR) Modeling for the
Purpose of Evaluating Interstate Transport’’—
analyzing the sufficiency of the model for use in
evaluating interstate transport from Big Escambia.
The TSD is located in the docket for that proposed
rulemaking at Docket ID: EPA–R04–OAR–2018–
0792.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
7486
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
EPA believes that the modeling provides
a conservative estimate of Breitburn’s
SO2 impacts at locations in Alabama
near the Florida-Alabama border,
because the Big Escambia modeling
used allowable emissions of SO2 for
Breitburn, which are approximately 6.4
times Breitburn’s actual SO2 emissions
for 2017 (9,533 tons/1,491 tons = 6.4).
Breitburn’s 2014–2018 SO2 emissions
contained in EPA’s Emissions Inventory
System (EIS) are shown in Table 3
below. SO2 emissions have remained
fairly constant from 2014–2018, with
the 2018 emissions representing the
lowest emissions over that time period.
Breitburn’s 2014–2018 emissions profile
demonstrates that Breitburn has
consistently operated well below its
permitted allowable emission rate.
Thus, Breitburn’s actual contribution to
SO2 concentrations in Alabama would
likely be much less than the predicted
concentrations in the Big Escambia
modeling. Based upon this information,
EPA proposes to find that SO2 emissions
from Breitburn will not contribute
significantly to nonattainment in
Alabama.
TABLE 3—BREITBURN SO2 EMISSIONS TRENDS (2014–2018)
[Tons]
Source
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Breitburn ...............................................................................
1,327
1,454
1,461
1,491
* 1,242
* Data submitted to EIS by FDEP.
EPA believes that the modeling
results for the DRR sources located in
Florida (summarized in Table 2) and
available information for the areas
surrounding the DRR sources in
Alabama within 50 km of the Florida
border do not indicate there are
violations of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in Alabama to which Florida
sources could contribute, based partially
on the updated modeling completed by
Alabama which addresses the Breitburn
facility, weighed along with the other
factors in this notice, support EPA’s
proposed conclusion that sources in
Florida will not contribute significantly
to nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in any other state.
2. SO2 Emissions Analysis
a. State Submission
As discussed in section III.B, Florida’s
SIP revision presents SO2 emissions
from EPA’s 2014 NEI by source category
and statewide SO2 emission trends for
stationary industrial, on-road, nonroad,
and nonpoint sources from 2000 to
2017. The State notes that SO2
emissions from stationary, on-road,
nonroad, and nonpoint sources have
decreased by 90, 95, 99, and 61 percent,
respectively, since 2000. FDEP states
that the largest source categories of SO2
emissions in Florida according to the
2014 NEI are chemical and allied
product manufacturing and fuel
combustion at electric utilities and
industrial facilities. SO2 emissions from
industrial sources have decreased by 90
percent since the year 2000 due to unit
shut downs, fuel switches from higher
sulfur-emitting fuels to lower sulfuremitting fuels, and SO2 reductions due
to sources’ compliance with EPA’s
Mercury and Air Toxics Standards
(MATS). FDEP anticipates that
emissions are expected to decrease
further in the coming years due to
additional emission unit shutdowns and
fuel switches.
In addition, FDEP included 2014 and
2017 emissions for Florida’s four DRR
sources within 50 km of the State’s
border (discussed in section III.C.1 and
listed in Table 2). From 2014 to 2017,
total annual SO2 emissions from these
four sources have decreased by 22,021
tons (74 percent) from 29,762 tons to
7,741 tons.
b. EPA Analysis
EPA reviewed the SO2 emissions data
from 1990 to 2017 for Florida and the
adjacent states of Alabama and Georgia.
EPA notes that statewide SO2 emissions
for these states, including Florida, have
decreased significantly over this time
period. This data specifically shows that
Florida’s statewide SO2 emissions
decreased from approximately 799,150
tons in 1990 to 100,850 tons in 2017.28
As discussed in section III.B, EPA also
finds that it is appropriate to examine
the impacts of SO2 emissions from
stationary sources emitting greater than
100 tons of SO2 in Florida at distances
ranging from zero km to 50 km from a
neighboring state’s border. Therefore, in
addition to those sources addressed in
section III.C.1.b. of this notice, EPA also
assessed the potential impacts of SO2
emissions from stationary sources not
subject to the DRR that emitted over 100
tons of SO2 in 2017 and are located in
Florida within 50 km from the border.
EPA assessed this information to
evaluate whether the SO2 emissions
from these sources could interact with
SO2 emissions from the nearest source
in a neighboring state in such a way as
to impact a violation of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in that state. Table 4 lists
the four sources in Florida not regulated
under the DRR that emitted greater than
100 tpy of SO2 in 2017 and are located
within 50 km of the State’s border (i.e.,
Anchor Glass Container Corporation
(Anchor), Breitburn, IFF Chemical
Holdings, Inc. (IFF), and Symrise).
TABLE 4—FLORIDA NON-DRR SO2 SOURCES EMITTING GREATER THAN 100 TPY NEAR NEIGHBORING STATES
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
Florida source
Anchor ..................................
Breitburn ...............................
IFF ........................................
2017 Annual
SO2 emissions
(tons)
Approximate
distance to
Florida border
(km)
117.1
1,491
494.1
26
<5
27
28 State annual emissions trends for criteria
pollutants of 14 emission source categories (‘‘Tier
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
Closest
neighboring
state
Approximate
distance to
nearest
neighboring
state
SO2 source
(km)
Georgia .............
Alabama ...........
Georgia .............
92
16
91
1’’) from 1990 to 2017 are available at: https://
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
Nearest neighboring state non-DRR SO2
source & 2017 emissions
(>100 tons SO2)
Brunswick Cellulose LLC (281.4 tons).
Georgia-Pacific Brewton LLC (103 tons).
Brunswick Cellulose LLC (281.4 tons).
www.epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories/airpollutant-emissions-trends-data.
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
7487
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
TABLE 4—FLORIDA NON-DRR SO2 SOURCES EMITTING GREATER THAN 100 TPY NEAR NEIGHBORING STATES—
Continued
Florida source
2017 Annual
SO2 emissions
(tons)
Approximate
distance to
Florida border
(km)
824.9
38
Symrise ................................
Currently, the monitoring and
modeling data available to EPA does not
suggest that Alabama and Florida are
impacted by SO2 emissions from the
four Florida sources not subject to the
DRR listed in Table 4. Of these four
Florida sources, Anchor, IFF, and
Symrise are located over 50 km from the
nearest source in another state emitting
over 100 tons of SO2. EPA believes that
the distances greater than 50 km
between sources make it unlikely that
SO2 emissions from these three Florida
sources could interact with SO2
emissions from these out-of-state
sources in such a way as to contribute
Closest
neighboring
state
Approximate
distance to
nearest
neighboring
state
SO2 source
(km)
Georgia .............
81
significantly to nonattainment in
Alabama and Georgia.
The remaining source, Breitburn, is
located at or less than 50 km from the
nearest source in Alabama (GeorgiaPacific Brewton LLC) which emits
greater than 100 tons of SO2. EPA’s
evaluation of potential SO2 impacts
from Breitburn on Alabama is discussed
in Section III.C.1.b of this notice. Based
upon the analysis of the modeling for
Alabama’s Big Escambia in Section
III.C.1.b, EPA believes that emissions
from Breitburn are not contributing
significantly to nonattainment in
Alabama.
In addition, EPA evaluated the 2017
SO2 emissions data for AkzoNobel and
Nearest neighboring state non-DRR SO2
source & 2017 emissions
(>100 tons SO2)
Brunswick Cellulose LLC (281.4 tons).
Plant Barry, two of the DRR sources in
Alabama located within 50 km of the
Florida border for which EPA could not
rely on existing DRR modeling. This
was done to assess whether Florida
sources may potentially be impacting
the areas surrounding these Alabama
sources under the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS. Table 5 provides annual 2017
SO2 emissions data for AkzoNobel and
Plant Barry, along with the distances to
the closest neighboring state’s non-DRR
sources emitting over 100 tpy of SO2.
Table 6 shows the SO2 emissions trends
for AkzoNobel and Plant Barry from
2012–2017 (and 2018 if data is
available).
TABLE 5—ALABAMA DRR SO2 SOURCES EMITTING GREATER THAN 100 TPY NEAR NEIGHBORING STATES
Alabama source
2017 Annual
SO2 emissions
(tons)
Approximate
distance to
Alabama
(km)
Closest
neighboring
state
Approximate
distance to
nearest
neighboring
state
SO2 source
(km)
Plant Barry ...........................
4,218
40
Mississippi ........
74
AkzoNobel ............................
2,201
39
Mississippi ........
71
Nearest neighboring state SO2
source & 2017 emissions
(>100 tons SO2)
Mississippi Power Company—Plant Daniel
(Plant Daniel) (204 tons).
Plant Daniel (204 tons).
TABLE 6—ALABAMA DRR SO2 SOURCES EMITTING GREATER THAN 100 TPY NEAR NEIGHBORING STATES—EMISSIONS
TRENDS
Alabama source
Plant Barry * .................
AkzoNobel ....................
2012
2013
10,731
3,293
2014
13,448
2,752
2015
10,690
2,320
2016
8,688
3,587
2017
5,421
3,646
4,218
2,201
2018
5,257
** N/A
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
* SO2 emissions for Plant Barry are from EPA’s Air Markets Program Data (AMPD) accessible at: https://ampd.epa.gov/ampd/.
** 2018 SO2 emissions not available for AkzoNobel.
Table 5 shows that the distances
between each facility and the nearest
state’s source to each facility which
emits over 100 tpy of SO2, exceed 50
km. The closest sources in another state
to AkzoNobel and Plant Barry are
located in Mississippi; therefore, there
are no Florida sources within 50 km of
AkzoNobel and Plant Barry which could
interact with SO2 emissions from these
Alabama sources in Table 4 in such a
way as to contribute significantly to
nonattainment in Alabama. Table 5
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
shows that SO2 emissions have declined
from 2012 to 2017/2018 for these
Alabama sources.
EPA also considered whether any
changes in controls or operations had
occurred at AkzoNobel and Plant Barry.
AkzoNobel entered into a consent
decree with EPA which required more
stringent emissions limits that have
reduced SO2 emissions at the facility by
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
2,340 tpy.29 Plant Barry has retired Unit
3, and Units 1 and 2 are restricted to
burn only natural gas as of January 1,
2017.
29 The consent decree, entered on November 21,
2019, is available at: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/
consent-decree/file/1201231/download. A press
release is available at: https://www.epa.gov/
newsreleases/settlement-reached-nouryonfunctional-chemicals-llc-fka-akzo-nobel-functionalchemicals.
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
7488
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
EPA also evaluated data from the
Agency’s Air Quality System (AQS) 30
from the SO2 monitors in the
surrounding areas of AkzoNobel and
Plant Barry. The only monitor within 50
km of these sources is located in Mobile
County, Alabama (AQS ID: 01–097–
0003) and is approximately 23 km from
AkzoNobel. The 2018 DV for this
monitor is 11 ppb. EPA believes that the
SO2 emissions trends information in
Florida’s submission, the Agency’s
analysis of the sources in Tables 4 and
5, and the SO2 emissions trends for
AkzoNobel and Plant Barry in Table 6,
support the Agency’s conclusion that
sources in Florida will not contribute
significantly to nonattainment of the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in a nearby
state.
3. SO2 Ambient Air Quality
a. State Submission
In its September 18, 2018, SIP
submission, FDEP included a table
showing DV trends from 2007 to 2017
for Florida’s 23 existing SO2 air quality
monitors. All of Florida’s SO2 air quality
monitors have 2015–2017 SO2 DVs
below the level of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS. FDEP notes that the majority of
these 2015–2017 DVs are ‘‘well below’’
the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS and that
several monitors show ‘‘significant
decreases’’ in their SO2 DVs over time.31
FDEP also identified recent maximum
1-hour SO2 concentrations at the one
monitor in Mobile County, Alabama,
that is within 50 km of the Florida
border and notes that these
concentrations—30.1 ppb in 2016 and
23.9 ppb in 2017—are well below the
level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
FDEP also included the 2017 DV (5 ppb)
for the next nearest SO2 monitor—
located in Georgia—and notes that this
monitor’s DV is seven percent of the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.32 In addition,
FDEP identified the closest SO2
nonattainment areas outside of Florida,
with the nearest one located
approximately 145 km away in St.
Bernard Parish in New Orleans,
Louisiana.
FDEP notes that on August 5, 2013 (78
FR 47191), EPA designated an area in
Nassau County, Florida, as
nonattainment for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS based on ambient SO2
monitoring data in the area for the threeyear period 2009–2011 (round 1
designations). In Florida’s SIP
submission, the State indicates that this
is the only SO2 nonattainment area
within 50 km of another state
(approximately 4 km from the Georgia
border). FDEP submitted a redesignation
request and maintenance plan for the
area on June 7, 2018. EPA notes that,
subsequent to the state’s submission, the
Agency approved Florida’s request to
redesignate the Nassau County area to
attainment for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS and the accompanying SIP
revision containing the maintenance
plan for the area on April 24, 2019
(effective May 24, 2019). See 84 FR
17085.
b. EPA Analysis
Since the time of development of
Florida’s SIP submission, DVs based on
more recent certified monitoring data
from monitors in EPA’s AQS (‘‘AQS
monitors’’) have become available for
Florida and the surrounding states. The
most recent certified 3-year DV period is
2016–2018. EPA has summarized the
DVs from 2012 to 2018 for AQS
monitors in Florida within 50 km of
another state in Table 7. The 2010 1hour SO2 standard is violated at an
ambient air quality monitoring site (or
in the case of dispersion modeling, at an
ambient air quality receptor location)
when the 3-year average of the annual
99th percentile of the daily maximum 1hour average concentrations exceeds 75
ppb, as determined in accordance with
Appendix T of 40 CFR part 50.
TABLE 7—TREND IN 1-HOUR SO2 DVS (ppb) FOR AQS MONITORS IN FLORIDA WITHIN 50 km OF ANOTHER STATE
County
AQS site code
Duval .....................................
Duval .....................................
Duval .....................................
Duval .....................................
Escambia ...............................
Hamilton ................................
Nassau ..................................
12–031–0032
* 12–031–0080
12–031–0081
* 12–031–0097
12–033–0004
12–047–0015
12–089–0005
2010–2012
2011–2013
16
13
29
18
27
23
122
2012–2014
17
11
29
21
22
25
70
17
17
27
21
25
** ND
57
2013–2015
2014–2016
16
17
23
23
24
** ND
58
2015–2017
16
17
20
18
16
** ND
51
16
10
12
14
8
** ND
43
2016–2018
18
** ND
11
** ND
6
** ND
37
Approximate
distance to
state border
(km)
39 (GA)
37 (GA)
38 (GA)
43 (GA)
20 (AL)
19 (GA)
6 (GA)
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
* EPA approved the discontinuation of two SO2 monitors in Duval County (AQS IDs: 12–031–0080 and 12–031–0097) in 2018.
** ND indicates ‘‘No Data’’ due to monitor startup or shutdown (operated less than three years), data quality issues, or incomplete data.
As shown in Table 7, the 2012–2018
DVs for six of the seven monitoring sites
in Florida within 50 km of another
state’s border have remained below the
level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS,
with the exception of the Nassau County
monitor which had a 122 ppb DV for the
2010–2012 period. The DVs at the
Nassau County monitor have declined
over the 2013 through 2018 DV time
periods, and these DVs are all below the
level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
The Hamilton County monitor has 2012
and 2013 DVs of 23 and 25 ppb,
respectively, and incomplete data for
the remaining DV time periods (2014–
2018). The Hamilton County monitor
has not measured a daily exceedance of
the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS since
2013.
There is one AQS monitor in Alabama
(Mobile County) which is located within
50 km of the Florida border. This
monitor is approximately 45 km from
Florida and began operation on January
1, 2016. The monitor has a complete,
quality-assured 2016–2018 DV of 11
ppb, which is 85 percent below the level
of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. The
Mobile County monitor has measured
no daily exceedances of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS during its years of
operation.
EPA also evaluated monitoring data
provided to date for AQS monitors
located in states adjacent to Florida and
neighboring states within 50 km of the
State’s border that were established to
characterize the air quality around
30 EPA’s AQS contains ambient air pollution data
collected by EPA, state, local, and tribal air
pollution control agencies. This data is available at
https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-designvalues.
31 See Table 3 of Appendix 1 of Florida’s
September 18, 2018, SIP submission.
32 FDEP inadvertently identified the nearest
monitor in Georgia—located in Savannah, Georgia,
approximately 155 km from the State’s border—as
AQS ID 13–021–0012. EPA has confirmed that the
monitor with this ID is located in Macon, Georgia,
approximately 241 km from the Florida border, and
it has 2016, 2017, and 2018 DVs of 9, 5, and 4 ppb,
respectively. The monitor located in Savannah,
Georgia, is AQS ID 13–051–1002, and it has 2016,
2017, and 2018 DVs of 52, 48, 45 ppb, respectively.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
specific sources subject to EPA’s DRR to
inform the Agency’s future round 4
designations for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in lieu of modeling. No sources
in Florida elected to establish monitors
under the DRR and there are no DRR
monitors within 50 km of the Florida
border located in the adjacent states of
Alabama and Georgia.
EPA believes that the air quality data
for monitors within 50 km of the Florida
border within the State and in
surrounding states support EPA’s
proposed conclusion that Florida will
not contribute significantly to
nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in any other state.
4. SIP-Approved Regulations
Addressing SO2 Emissions
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
a. State Submission
In its September 18, 2018, SIP
submission, Florida identified SIPapproved measures which help ensure
that SO2 emissions in the State do not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in any other state. FDEP
indicates that many of the current SIPapproved rules are adopted under the
authority of subsection 403.061(35),
Florida Statutes. FDEP lists the
following SIP-approved Florida rule
chapters of the Florida Administrative
Code (F.A.C.) which establish emission
limits and other control measures for
SO2: Chapter 62–210, F.A.C., Stationary
Sources—General Requirements;
Chapter 62–212, F.A.C., Stationary
Sources—Preconstruction Review; and
Chapter 62–296, F.A.C., Stationary
Sources—Emission Standards. Chapter
62–210, F.A.C establishes definitions
and the general requirements for major
and minor stationary sources of air
pollutant emissions. Chapter 62–212,
F.A.C. establishes the preconstruction
review requirements for proposed new
emissions units, new facilities, and
modifications to existing units and
facilities. Chapter 62–296, F.A.C.
establishes emission limiting standards
and compliance requirements for
stationary sources of air pollutant
emissions, including SIP emission
limits that restrict SO2 emissions from
various source categories (e.g., EGUs
(Rule 62–296.405, F.A.C.) and sulfuric
acid plants (Rule 62–296.402, F.A.C.))
and source-specific SO2 emission limits
that form the basis of Florida’s SO2
nonattainment area SIPs.
b. EPA Analysis
As part of EPA’s weight of evidence
approach to evaluating 2010 SO2
transport SIPs, EPA considered Florida’s
SIP-approved measures summarized in
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
III.C.4.a. of this notice, which establish
emission limits, permitting
requirements, and other control
measures for SO2. For the purposes of
ensuring that SO2 emissions at new
major sources or major modifications at
existing major sources in Florida do not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment of the NAAQS, the State
has a SIP-approved major source new
source review (NSR) program. Chapters
62–210 and 62–212, F.A.C. collectively
regulate the construction of any new
major stationary source or any
modification at an existing major
stationary source in an area designated
as nonattainment, attainment, or
unclassifiable. The State’s SIP-approved
prevention of significant deterioration
(PSD) regulations are found in Chapters
62–210, F.A.C., Stationary Sources—
General Requirements, and 62–212,
F.A.C., Stationary Sources—
Preconstruction Review, F.A.C., which
apply to the construction of any new
major stationary source or major
modification at an existing major
stationary source in an area designated
as attainment or unclassifiable or not yet
designated. Florida’s SIP-approved
rules, 62–210.300, F.A.C., and 62–
212.300, F.A.C., collectively govern the
preconstruction permitting of
modifications to and construction of
minor stationary sources. These major
and minor NSR rules are designed to
ensure that SO2 emissions due to major
modifications at existing major
stationary sources, modifications at
minor stationary sources, and the
construction of new major and minor
sources subject to these rules will not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in neighboring states.
5. Federal Regulations Addressing SO2
Emissions in Florida
a. State Submission
FDEP notes that MATS has helped to
reduce SO2 emissions from industrial
sources as discussed in section III.C.2.a
of this notice.
b. EPA Analysis
EPA agrees that MATS is a federal
control measure which has helped to
reduce SO2 emissions in Florida, along
with other federal regulatory programs
such as: 2007 Heavy-Duty Highway
Rule; Acid Rain Program; National
Emission Standards for Hazardous Air
Pollutants; New Source Performance
Standards; Nonroad Diesel Rule; and
Tier 1 and 2 Mobile Source Rules. EPA
believes that MATS, along with the
other federal measures EPA identified,
have and continue to lower SO2
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
7489
emissions, which, in turn, supports
EPA’s proposed conclusion that SO2
emissions from Florida will not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in another state.
6. Conclusion
EPA proposes to determine that
Florida’s September 18, 2018, SIP
submission satisfies the requirements of
prong 1 of CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I). This proposed
determination is based on the following
considerations: DVs for six of Florida’s
seven AQS SO2 monitors within 50 km
of another state’s border have remained
below the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS
since 2013 and six of these monitors
have had DVs well below the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS since 2011 (the
seventh monitor in Hamilton County,
Florida, has no data to calculate DVs for
the 2012–2014 through the 2016–2018
time periods); the 2018 99th percentile
1-hour SO2 concentrations for
Alabama’s Mobile County monitor
within 50 km of Florida’s border is well
below the level of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS for the 2016–2018 time period;
modeling for the DRR sources within 50
km of the Florida border both within the
State and in Alabama estimates impacts
below the level of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS; downward SO2 emissions
trends in Florida; SO2 emissions from
Florida sources not subject to the DRR
which each emitted over 100 tons of
SO2 in 2017 are not likely interacting
with SO2 emissions from the nearest
out-of-state source in a bordering state
in such a way as to cause a violation in
Alabama and Georgia due to either
distances over 50 km between the
sources or, in the case of Breitburn,
modeling which includes this source at
much higher permitted emissions shows
impacts below the level of the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS; and current Florida
SIP-approved measures and federal
emissions control programs ensure
control of SO2 emissions from sources
within Florida.
Based on the analysis provided by
Florida in its SIP submission and EPA’s
analysis of the factors described in
section III.C, EPA proposes to find that
sources within Florida will not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in any other state.
D. EPA’s Prong 2 Evaluation—
Interference With Maintenance of the
NAAQS
Prong 2 of the good neighbor
provision requires state plans to
prohibit emissions that will interfere
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
7490
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
with maintenance of a NAAQS in
another state.
1. State Submission
In its September 18, 2018, SIP
submission, FDEP confirms that Florida
will not interfere with maintenance of
the 2010 1-hour SO2 standard in any
other state. FDEP bases its conclusion
for prong 2 on: The localized nature of
SO2 dispersion, emissions, and
monitoring data presented in the
submission and discussed in sections
III.C.2.a and III.C.3.a of this notice, and
DRR modeling for large SO2 sources
within 50 km of the State border which
shows the areas around these sources
are not exceeding the level of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS. As discussed in
sections III.C.4 and III.C.5, FDEP has
SIP-approved measures which address
sources of SO2 emissions in Florida and
there are also federal measures that
control SO2 emissions in the State.
Specifically, FDEP notes that SIPapproved sections of Chapters 62–210
and 62–212, F.A.C., require any new
major source or major modification to
undergo PSD or nonattainment NSR
permitting to demonstrate that the
source will not cause or contribute to a
violation of any NAAQS in Florida or
any other state. FDEP also states that
Florida’s SIP contains other emission
limiting standards such as Chapter 62–
296, F.A.C., which includes SIP
emissions limits that restrict SO2
emissions from various source
categories.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
2. EPA Analysis
In North Carolina v. EPA, the United
States Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit)
explained that the regulating authority
must give prong 2 ‘‘independent
significance’’ from prong 1 by
evaluating the impact of upwind state
emissions on downwind areas that,
while currently in attainment, are at risk
of future nonattainment. North Carolina
v. EPA, 531 F.3d 896, 910–11 (D.C. Cir.
2008). EPA interprets prong 2 to require
an evaluation of the potential impact of
a state’s emissions on areas that are
currently measuring clean data, but that
may have issues maintaining that air
quality. Therefore, in addition to the
analysis presented by Florida, EPA has
also reviewed additional information on
SO2 air quality and emission trends to
evaluate the State’s conclusion that
Florida will not interfere with
maintenance of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in downwind states. This
evaluation builds on the analysis
regarding significant contribution to
nonattainment (prong 1).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
For the prong 2 analysis, EPA
evaluated the data discussed in section
III.C. of this notice for prong 1, with a
specific focus on evaluating emissions
trends in Florida, analyzing air quality
data, and assessing how future sources
of SO2 are addressed through existing
SIP-approved and federal regulations.
Given the continuing trend of
decreasing SO2 emissions from sources
within Florida, and the fact that all
areas in other states within 50 km of the
Florida border which have existing
monitors have DVs attaining the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS, EPA believes that
evaluating whether these decreases in
emissions can be maintained over time
is a reasonable criterion to ensure that
sources within Florida do not interfere
with its neighboring states’ ability to
maintain the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
With respect to air quality data trends,
the 2016–2018 DVs for AQS SO2
monitors both in Florida within 50 km
of another state’s border and in Alabama
within 50 km of Florida’s border are
below the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
Further, modeling results for DRR
sources within 50 km of Florida’s border
within the State demonstrate attainment
of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS, and
thus, demonstrate that Florida’s largest
point sources of SO2 are not expected to
interfere with maintenance of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS in another state.
EPA believes that federal and SIPapproved State regulations discussed in
sections III.C.4 and III.C.5 that both
directly and indirectly reduce emissions
of SO2 in Florida help ensure that the
State does not interfere with
maintenance of the NAAQS in another
state. SO2 emissions from future major
modifications and new major sources
will be addressed by Florida’s SIPapproved major NSR regulations
described in section III.C.4. In addition,
Florida has a SIP-approved minor NSR
permit program addressing small
emission sources of SO2. The permitting
regulations contained within these
programs are designed to ensure that
emissions from these activities do not
interfere with maintenance of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS in the State or in
any other state.
3. Conclusion
EPA proposes to determine that
Florida’s September 18, 2018, SIP
submission satisfies the requirements of
prong 2 of CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I). This determination is
based on the following considerations:
SO2 emissions statewide from 2000 to
2017 in Florida have declined
significantly; SO2 emissions from
Florida’s non-DRR sources emitting
greater than 100 tpy in 2017 listed in
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
Table 4 of this notice are not likely
interacting with SO2 emissions from the
nearest out-of-state source in a
bordering state in such a way as to
interfere with maintenance of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS in Alabama and
Georgia due to either distances over 50
km between the sources or, in the case
of Breitburn modeling which includes
this source at much higher permitted
emissions shows impacts below the
level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS;
current Florida SIP-approved measures
and federal emissions control programs
ensure control of SO2 emissions from
sources within Florida; Florida’s SIPapproved PSD and minor source NSR
permit programs will address future
large and small SO2 sources; current
DVs for AQS SO2 monitors both in
Florida within 50 km of another state’s
border and in Alabama within 50 km of
Florida’s border are below the level of
the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS; and
modeling for DRR sources within 50 km
of Florida’s border both within the State
and in Alabama demonstrate that
Florida’s largest point sources of SO2 are
not expected to interfere with
maintenance of current attainment of
the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in another
state. Based on the analysis provided by
Florida in its SIP submission and EPA’s
supplemental analysis of the factors
described in section III.C and III.D of
this notice, EPA proposes to find that
emission sources within Florida will not
interfere with maintenance of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other state.
IV. Proposed Action
In light of the above analysis, EPA is
proposing to approve Florida’s
September 18, 2018, SIP submission as
demonstrating that emissions from
Florida will not contribute significantly
to nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in another state.
V. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is
required to approve a SIP submission
that complies with the provisions of the
Act and applicable Federal regulations.
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. This proposed action merely
proposes to approve state law as
meeting Federal requirements and does
not impose additional requirements
beyond those imposed by state law. For
that reason, this proposed action:
• Is not a significant regulatory action
subject to review by the Office of
Management and Budget under
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
10FEP1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2020 / Proposed Rules
Executive Orders 12866 (58 FR 51735,
October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821,
January 21, 2011);
• Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82
FR 9339, February 2, 2017) regulatory
action because SIP approvals are
exempted under Executive Order 12866;
• Does not impose an information
collection burden under the provisions
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
• Is certified as not having a
significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
• Does not contain any unfunded
mandate or significantly or uniquely
affect small governments, as described
in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4);
• Does not have Federalism
implications as specified in Executive
Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10,
1999);
• Is not an economically significant
regulatory action based on health or
safety risks subject to Executive Order
13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997);
• Is not a significant regulatory action
subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR
28355, May 22, 2001);
• Is not subject to requirements of
Section 12(d) of the National
Technology Transfer and Advancement
Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because
application of those requirements would
be inconsistent with the CAA; and
• Does not provide EPA with the
discretionary authority to address, as
appropriate, disproportionate human
health or environmental effects, using
practicable and legally permissible
methods, under Executive Order 12898
(59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
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.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Particulate matter, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur
oxides.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:29 Feb 07, 2020
Jkt 250001
Dated: January 30, 2020.
Mary S. Walker,
Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 2020–02502 Filed 2–7–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R04–OAR–2019–0305; FRL–10005–
29–Region 4]
Air Plan Approval; Tennessee;
Chattanooga Miscellaneous Revisions
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a
revision to the Chattanooga portion of
the Tennessee State Implementation
Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of
Tennessee through the Tennessee
Department of Environment and
Conservation (TDEC) on behalf of the
Chattanooga/Hamilton County Air
Pollution Control Bureau (Bureau) on
September 12, 2018. The SIP submittal
removes and replaces the Chattanooga
City Code, Air Pollution Control
Ordinances pertaining to the
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air
Pollution Control Board (Board), powers
and duties of the Board, penalties,
enforcement and permit fees. The SIP
revision that EPA is proposing to
approve is consistent with the
requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA
or Act).
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before March 2, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R04–
OAR–2019–0305 at
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
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00039
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
7491
EPA public comment policy,
information about CBI or multimedia
submissions, and general guidance on
making effective comments, please visit
www2.epa.gov/dockets/commentingepa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sean Lakeman, 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.
The telephone number is (404) 562–
9043. Mr. Lakeman can also be reached
via electronic mail at lakeman.sean@
epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Through a letter dated September 12,
2018, TDEC submitted a SIP revision on
behalf of the Bureau requesting removal
and replacement of certain air quality
rules in the Chattanooga portion of the
Tennessee SIP.1 2 This rulemaking
proposes to approve the Chattanooga
City Code Part II, Chapter 4, Section 4–
4, ‘‘Penalties for violation of chapter,
permit or order,’’ 3 Section 4–6, ‘‘Air
pollution control board; bureau of air
pollution control; persons required to
comply with chapter,’’ 4 Section 4–7,
1 The Bureau is comprised of Hamilton County
and the municipalities of Chattanooga, Collegedale,
East Ridge, Lakesite, Lookout Mountain, Red Bank,
Ridgeside, Signal Mountain, Soddy Daisy, and
Walden. The Bureau recommends regulatory
revisions, which are subsequently adopted by the
eleven jurisdictions. The Bureau then implements
and enforces the regulations, as necessary, in each
jurisdiction. Because the air pollution control
regulations/ordinances adopted by the jurisdictions
within the Bureau are substantively identical
(except as noted later in this notice), EPA refers
solely to Chattanooga and the Chattanooga rules
throughout the notice as representative of the other
ten jurisdictions for brevity and simplicity. See
footnotes 3 through 8, later in this notice.
2 EPA received the SIP revision on September 18,
2018.
3 In this proposed action, EPA is also proposing
to approve similar changes in the following sections
of the Air Pollution Control Regulations/Ordinances
for the remaining jurisdictions within the Bureau,
which were locally effective as of the relevant dates
below: Hamilton County—Section 4 (9/6/17); City
of Collegedale—Section 14–304 (10/16/17); City of
East Ridge—Section 8–4 (10/26/17); City of
Lakesite—Section 14–4 (11/2/17); Town of Lookout
Mountain—Section 4 (11/14/17); City of Red
Bank—Section 20–4 (11/21/17); City of Ridgeside—
Section 4 (1/16/18); City of Signal Mountain—
Section 4 (10/20/17); City of Soddy-Daisy—Section
8–4 (10/5/17); and Town of Walden—Section 4 (10/
16/17). The only substantive difference between the
various jurisdictions’ regulations is that
Chattanooga Ordinance Part II, Chapter 4, Section
4–4 contains an additional sentence regarding fines
and fees, which is discussed later in this notice.
4 In this proposed action, EPA is also proposing
to approve substantively similar changes in the
following sections of the Air Pollution Control
Regulations/Ordinances for the remaining
E:\FR\FM\10FEP1.SGM
Continued
10FEP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7480-7491]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-02502]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R04-OAR-2019-0008; FRL-10005-27-Region 4]
Air Plan Approval; FL; 2010 1-Hour SO2 NAAQS Transport
Infrastructure
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to
approve Florida's September 18, 2018, State Implementation Plan (SIP)
submission pertaining to the ``good neighbor'' provision of the Clean
Air Act (CAA or Act) for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide
(SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The
good neighbor provision requires each state's implementation plan to
address the interstate transport of air pollution in amounts that
contribute significantly to nonattainment, or interfere with
maintenance, of a NAAQS in any other state. In this action, EPA is
proposing to determine that Florida will not contribute significantly
to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in any other state. Therefore, EPA is proposing to
approve the September 18, 2018, SIP revision as meeting the
requirements of the good neighbor provision for the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before March 11, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R04-
OAR-2019-0008 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
[[Page 7481]]
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://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele Notarianni, 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. Ms. Notarianni can be
reached via phone number (404) 562-9031 or via electronic mail at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
A. Infrastructure SIPs
On June 2, 2010, EPA promulgated a revised primary SO2
NAAQS with a level of 75 parts per billion (ppb), based on a 3-year
average of the annual 99th percentile of 1-hour daily maximum
concentrations. See 75 FR 35520 (June 22, 2010). Whenever EPA
promulgates a new or revised NAAQS, CAA section 110(a)(1) requires
states to make SIP submissions to provide for the implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement of the NAAQS. This particular type of SIP
submission is commonly referred to as an ``infrastructure SIP.'' These
submissions must meet the various requirements of CAA section
110(a)(2), as applicable.
Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) of the CAA requires SIPs to include
provisions prohibiting any source or other type of emissions activity
in one state from emitting any air pollutant in amounts that will
contribute significantly to nonattainment, or interfere with
maintenance, of the NAAQS in another state. The two clauses of this
section are referred to as prong 1 (significant contribution to
nonattainment) and prong 2 (interference with maintenance of the
NAAQS).
On September 18, 2018, the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection (FDEP) submitted a revision to the Florida SIP addressing
prongs 1 and 2 of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS.\1\ EPA is proposing to approve FDEP's September
18, 2018, SIP submission because, based on the information available at
the time of this rulemaking, the State demonstrated that Florida will
not contribute significantly to nonattainment, or interfere with
maintenance, of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other
state. All other elements related to the infrastructure requirements of
section 110(a)(2) for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS for Florida
have been addressed in separate rulemakings.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ On June 3, 2013, and supplemented on January 8, 2014, FDEP
submitted SIP revisions addressing all infrastructure elements with
respect to the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS with the exception
of prongs 1 and 2 of CAA 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I).
\2\ EPA acted on the other elements of Florida's June 3, 2013,
infrastructure SIP submission, as supplemented on January 8, 2014,
for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS on September 30, 2016 (81
FR 67179).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. 2010 1-Hour SO2 NAAQS Designations Background
In this action, EPA has considered information from the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS designations process, as discussed in more detail
in section III.C of this notice. For this reason, a brief summary of
EPA's designations process for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS is
included here.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ While designations may provide useful information for
purposes of analyzing transport, particularly for a more source-
specific pollutant such as SO2, EPA notes that
designations themselves are not dispositive of whether or not upwind
emissions are impacting areas in downwind states. EPA has
consistently taken the position that CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)
addresses ``nonattainment'' anywhere it may occur in other states,
not only in designated nonattainment areas nor any similar
formulation requiring that designations for downwind nonattainment
areas must first have occurred. See e.g., Clean Air Interstate Rule,
70 FR 25162, 25265 (May 12, 2005); Cross-State Air Pollution Rule,
76 FR 48208, 48211 (August 8, 2011); Final Response to Petition from
New Jersey Regarding SO2 Emissions From the Portland
Generating Station, 76 FR 69052 (November 7, 2011) (finding facility
in violation of the prohibitions of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)
with respect to the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS prior to
issuance of designations for that standard).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the promulgation of a new or revised NAAQS, EPA is required
to designate areas as ``nonattainment,'' ``attainment,'' or
``unclassifiable'' pursuant to section 107(d)(1) of the CAA. The
process for designating areas following promulgation of a new or
revised NAAQS is contained in section 107(d) of the CAA. The CAA
requires EPA to complete the initial designations process within two
years of promulgating a new or revised standard. If the Administrator
has insufficient information to make these designations by that
deadline, EPA has the authority to extend the deadline for completing
designations by up to one year.
EPA promulgated the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS on June 2,
2010. See 75 FR 35520 (June 22, 2010). EPA completed the first round of
designations (``round 1'') \4\ for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS
on July 25, 2013, designating 29 areas in 16 states as nonattainment
for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. See 78 FR 47191 (August 5,
2013). EPA signed Federal Register notices of promulgation for round 2
designations \5\ on June 30, 2016 (81 FR 45039 (July 12, 2016)) and on
November 29, 2016 (81 FR 89870 (December 13, 2016)), and round 3
designations \6\ on December 21, 2017 (83 FR 1098 (January 9,
2018)).\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The term ``round'' in this instance refers to which ``round
of designations.''
\5\ EPA and state documents and public comments related to the
round 2 final designations are in the docket at regulations.gov with
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0464 and at EPA's website for
SO2 designations at https://www.epa.gov/sulfur-dioxide-designations.
\6\ EPA and state documents and public comments related to round
3 final designations are in the docket at regulations.gov with
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0003 and at EPA's website for
SO2 designations at https://www.epa.gov/sulfur-dioxide-designations.
\7\ Consent Decree, Sierra Club v. McCarthy, Case No. 3:13-cv-
3953-SI (N.D. Cal. Mar. 2, 2015). This consent decree requires EPA
to sign for publication in the Federal Register notices of the
Agency's promulgation of area designations for the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS by three specific deadlines: July 2, 2016
(``round 2''); December 31, 2017 (``round 3''); and December 31,
2020 (``round 4'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On August 21, 2015 (80 FR 51052), EPA separately promulgated air
quality characterization requirements for the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in the Data Requirements Rule (DRR). The DRR
requires state air agencies to characterize air quality, through air
dispersion modeling or monitoring, in areas associated with sources
that emitted 2,000 tons per year (tpy) or more of SO2, or
that have otherwise been listed under the DRR by EPA or state air
agencies. In lieu of modeling or monitoring, state air agencies, by
specified dates, could elect to impose federally-enforceable emissions
limitations on those sources restricting their annual SO2
emissions to less than 2,000 tpy, or provide documentation that the
sources have been shut down. EPA expected that the information
generated by implementation of the DRR would help inform designations
for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS that must be completed by
December 31, 2020 (``round 4'').
In rounds 1 and 3 of designations, EPA designated three
SO2 nonattainment areas and one unclassifiable area in
Florida. In round 1, EPA designated portions of Nassau and Hillsborough
counties as
[[Page 7482]]
nonattainment for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS based on air
quality monitoring data (Nassau, FL Area and Hillsborough, FL Area,
respectively).\8\ In round 3, EPA designated portions of Hillsborough
and Polk counties (Hillsborough-Polk, FL Area) as nonattainment for the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS based on air quality modeling.\9\ EPA
also designated portions of Hillsborough and Polk counties (Mulberry,
FL Area) as unclassifiable for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in
round 3. The remaining counties in Florida were designated as
attainment/unclassifiable in round 3; therefore, no areas in Florida
will be designated in round 4.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ The Nassau and Hillsborough Areas are currently attaining
the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS based on complete, quality-
assured, and certified air quality monitoring data for 2016-2018 and
air dispersion modeling showing attainment of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in the area. Florida submitted a request that
EPA redesignate both areas to attainment, and EPA approved the
redesignation request and associated maintenance plan for the Nassau
Area on April 24, 2019 (84 FR 17085). EPA approved the redesignation
request and associated maintenance plan for the Hillsborough Area on
November 12, 2019 (84 FR 60927). EPA approved the attainment
demonstration for the Nassau Area on July 3, 2017, and incorporated
the new allowable emission rates and control measures into the SIP,
making them permanent and enforceable. See 82 FR 30749. EPA's
redesignation of the Nassau Area was based, in part, on a modeled
attainment demonstration that included permanent and enforceable
SO2 controls and emissions limits at the Rayonier and
WestRock facilities showing attainment of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 standard by the statutory deadline.
\9\ EPA designated a portion of Citrus County, Florida as
unclassifiable in round 3 designations on December 21, 2017 (83 FR
1098). However, on March 28, 2018, EPA withdrew the designation of
unclassifiable for the area and established a designation of
attainment/unclassifiable for that area based on complete, quality-
assured and certified air quality monitoring data from 2017
submitted by FDEP, and modeling showing attainment of the 2010 1-
hour SO2 NAAQS in the area. See 83 FR 14597 (April 5,
2018). On September 9, 2019 (84 FR 47216), EPA proposed approval of
Florida's February 15, 2019, draft redesignation requests and
maintenance plan for the round 3 Hillsborough-Polk County
SO2 nonattainment area, the redesignation request for the
Mulberry unclassifiable area, and adoption of new 24-hour
SO2 emission limits for the two primary emission sources
in the areas. The public comment period has closed, and EPA is not
reopening that comment period through this infrastructure proposal.
\10\ See Technical Support Document: Chapter 9 Final Round 3
Area Designations for the 2010 1-Hour SO2 Primary National Ambient
Air Quality Standard for Florida at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-12/documents/09-fl-so2-rd3-final.pdf. See also
Technical Support Document: Chapter 9 Intended Round 3 Area
Designations for the 2010 1-Hour SO2 Primary National Ambient Air
Quality Standard for Florida at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-08/documents/9_fl_so2_rd3-final.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. Relevant Factors Used To Evaluate 2010 1-Hour SO2
Interstate Transport SIPs
Although SO2 is emitted from a similar universe of point
and nonpoint sources as is directly emitted fine particulate matter
(PM2.5) and the precursors to ozone and PM2.5,
interstate transport of SO2 is unlike the transport of
PM2.5 or ozone because SO2 emissions sources
usually do not have long range SO2 impacts. The transport of
SO2 relative to the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS is more
analogous to the transport of lead (Pb) relative to the Pb NAAQS in
that emissions of SO2 typically result in 1-hour pollutant
impacts of possible concern only near the emissions source. However,
ambient 1-hour concentrations of SO2 do not decrease as
quickly with distance from the source as do 3-month average
concentrations of Pb, because SO2 gas is not removed by
deposition as rapidly as are Pb particles and because SO2
typically has a higher emissions release height than Pb. Emitted
SO2 has wider ranging impacts than emitted Pb, but it does
not have such wide-ranging impacts that treatment in a manner similar
to ozone or PM2.5 would be appropriate. Accordingly, while
the approaches that EPA has adopted for ozone or PM2.5
transport are too regionally focused, the approach for Pb transport is
too tightly circumscribed to the source. SO2 transport is
therefore a unique case and requires a different approach.
In this proposed rulemaking, as in prior SO2 transport
analyses, EPA focuses on a 50 km-wide zone because the physical
properties of SO2 result in relatively localized pollutant
impacts near an emissions source that drop off with distance. Given the
properties of SO2, EPA selected a spatial scale with
dimensions from four to 50 kilometers (km) from point sources--the
``urban scale''--to assess trends in area-wide air quality that might
impact downwind states.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ For the definition of spatial scales for SO2,
see 40 CFR part 58, Appendix D, section 4.4 (``Sulfur Dioxide
(SO2) Design Criteria''). For further discussion on how
EPA applies these definitions with respect to interstate transport
of SO2, see EPA's proposed rulemaking on Connecticut's
SO2 transport SIP. See 82 FR 21351, 21352, 21354 (May 8,
2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In its SIP submission, FDEP identified a distance threshold to
reflect the transport properties of SO2. FDEP selected the
``urban scale'' as appropriate in assessing trends in both area-wide
air quality and the effectiveness of large-scale pollution control
strategies at such point sources. FDEP supported this transport
distance threshold with references to the March 1, 2011, EPA memorandum
titled ``Additional Clarification Regarding Application of Appendix W
Modeling Guidance for the 1-hour NO2 National Ambient Air
Quality Standard,'' and noted that this clarification applies equally
to the 2010 1-hour SO2 standard.\12\ The memorandum offers a
general guideline for estimating the distance to maximum 1-hour impact
and the region of significant concentration gradients that may apply in
relatively flat terrain, which is approximately 10 times the source's
release height.\13\ FDEP states that no SO2 source in
Florida (which has flat terrain) has a stack height of more than 205
meters and thus, the maximum distance to a significant concentration
gradient from a Florida source is approximately 2,050 meters (i.e.,
2.05 km) from the source, after which a source's impacts decrease
significantly. Additionally, the memorandum indicates that the
inclusion of all emissions sources within 50 km of the source under
analysis is likely to produce an overly conservative result in most
cases.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ EPA's March 1, 2011, memorandum, Additional Clarification
Regarding Application of Appendix W Modeling Guidance for the 1-hour
NO2 National Ambient Air Quality Standard, is available at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-07/documents/appwno2_2.pdf.
\13\ Id. at pp. 15-16.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Given the properties of SO2, EPA preliminarily agrees
with Florida's selection of the urban scale to assess trends in area-
wide air quality that might impact downwind states. As discussed
further in section III.B, EPA believes that Florida's selection of the
urban scale is appropriate for assessing trends in both area-wide air
quality and the effectiveness of large-scale pollution control
strategies at SO2 point sources. Florida's selection of this
transport distance for SO2 is consistent with 40 CFR 58,
Appendix D, Section 4.4.4(4) ``Urban scale,'' which states that
measurements in this scale would be used to estimate SO2
concentrations over large portions of an urban area with dimensions
from four to 50 km. The American Meteorological Society/Environmental
Protection Agency Regulatory Model (AERMOD) is EPA's preferred modeling
platform for regulatory purposes for near-field dispersion of emissions
for distances up to 50 km. See Appendix W of 40 CFR part 51. Thus, EPA
concurs with Florida's application of the 50-km threshold as a
reasonable distance to evaluate emission source impacts into
neighboring states and to assess air quality monitors within 50 km of
the State's border, which is discussed further in section III.C.
[[Page 7483]]
As discussed in sections III.C and III.D, EPA first reviewed
Florida's analysis to assess how the State evaluated the transport of
SO2 to other states, the types of information used in the
analysis, and the conclusions drawn by the State. EPA then conducted a
weight of evidence analysis based on a review of the State's submission
and other available information, including SO2 air quality
and available source modeling for other states' sources within 50 km of
the Florida border.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ This proposed approval action is based on the information
contained in the administrative record for this action and does not
prejudge any other future EPA action that may make other
determinations regarding Florida's or any neighboring state's air
quality status. Any such future actions, such as area designations
under any NAAQS, will be based on their own administrative records
and EPA's analyses of information that become available at those
times. Future available information may include, and is not limited
to, monitoring data and modeling analyses conducted pursuant to the
DRR and information submitted to EPA by states, air agencies, and
third-party stakeholders such as citizen groups and industry
representatives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Florida's SIP Submission and EPA's Analysis
A. State Submission
On September 18, 2018, FDEP submitted a revision to the Florida SIP
addressing prongs 1 and 2 of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. Florida conducted a weight of
evidence analysis to examine whether SO2 emissions from the
State adversely affect attainment or maintenance of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in downwind states.
FDEP concluded that the State is meeting its prong 1 and prong 2
obligations for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. FDEP based its
conclusions on: Trends in SO2 design values (DVs) \15\ at
the State's air quality monitors from 2007-2017; SO2 DVs for
monitors located within 50 km of the Florida border; SO2
emissions trends statewide from 2000-2017; the change in SO2
emissions from 2014-2017 at the largest sources of SO2
within 50 km of the border; available SO2 modeling data for
the State's round 3 DRR sources; and SIP-approved State and federal
regulations that establish requirements for sources of SO2
emissions. EPA's evaluation of Florida's September 18, 2018, SIP
submission is detailed in sections III.B, C, and D.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ A ``Design Value'' is a statistic that describes the air
quality status of a given location relative to the level of the
NAAQS. The DV for the primary 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS is
the 3-year average of annual 99th percentile daily maximum 1-hour
values for a monitoring site. For example, the 2017 DV is calculated
based on the three-year average from 2015-2017. The interpretation
of the primary 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS including the data
handling conventions and calculations necessary for determining
compliance with the NAAQS can be found in Appendix T to 40 CFR part
50.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. EPA's Evaluation Methodology
EPA believes that a reasonable starting point for determining which
sources and emissions activities in Florida are likely to impact
downwind air quality in other states with respect to the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS is by using information in EPA's National
Emissions Inventory (NEI).\16\ The NEI is a comprehensive and detailed
estimate of air emissions for criteria pollutants, criteria pollutant
precursors, and hazardous air pollutants from air emissions sources,
that is updated every three years using information provided by the
states and other information available to EPA. EPA evaluated data from
the 2014 NEI (version 2), the most recently available, complete, and
quality assured dataset of the NEI.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ EPA's NEI is available at https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories/national-emissions-inventory.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FDEP provided 2014 NEI SO2 emissions data statewide by
source category. FDEP states that fuel combustion by electric
generating units (EGUs) is the largest source of SO2
emissions in Florida, representing 60 percent of the State's
SO2 emissions. FDEP also states that other large sources of
SO2 emissions in Florida include chemical and allied product
manufacturing and fuel combustion at industrial sources, which, when
added to the EGU SO2 emissions, comprise 80 percent of
Florida's total SO2 emissions.
As shown in Table 1, the majority of SO2 emissions in
Florida originate from fuel combustion at point sources.\17\ In 2014,
the total SO2 emissions from point sources in Florida
comprised approximately 83 percent of the total SO2
emissions in the State. Further analysis of these data show that
SO2 emissions from fuel combustion from point sources make
up approximately 68 percent of the State's total SO2
emissions. Because emissions from the other listed source categories
are more dispersed throughout the State, those categories are less
likely to cause high ambient concentrations when compared to a point
source on a ton-for-ton basis. Based on EPA's analysis of the 2014 NEI,
EPA believes that it is appropriate to focus the analysis on
SO2 emissions from Florida's larger point sources (i.e.,
emitting over 100 tpy of SO2 in 2017), which are located
within the ``urban scale,'' i.e., within 50 km of one or more state
borders.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ Florida's point sources listed in Table 1, for the purposes
of this proposed action, are comprised of all of the ``Fuel
Combustion'' categories and ``Industrial Processes (All
Categories),'' with the exception of residential fuel combustion.
Residential fuel consumption is considered a nonpoint source, and
thus, residential fuel combustion data is not included in the point
source fuel combustion data and related calculations.
Table 1--Summary of 2014 NEI (Version 2) SO2 Data for Florida by Source
Type
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percent of
Category Emissions total SO2
(tpy) emissions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fuel Combustion: EGUs (All Fuel Types).. 99,362.87 60.4
Fuel Combustion: Industrial Boilers/ 11,868.39 7.2
Internal Combustion Engines (All Fuel
Types).................................
Fuel Combustion: Commercial/ 188.60 0.1
Institutional (All Fuel Types).........
Fuel Combustion: Residential (All Fuel 91.66 0.1
Types).................................
Industrial Processes (All Categories)... 24,904.24 15.1
Mobile Sources (All Categories)......... 12,534.89 7.6
Fires (All Types)....................... 13,342.46 8.1
Waste Disposal.......................... 2,161.72 1.3
Solvent Processes....................... 0.15 0
Miscellaneous (Non-Industrial).......... 13.50 0
-------------------------------
SO2 Emissions Total................. 164,468.48 100
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 7484]]
As explained in Section II, because the physical properties of
SO2 result in relatively localized pollutant impacts near an
emissions source that drop off with distance, in SO2
transport analyses, EPA focuses on a 50 km-wide zone. Thus, EPA focused
its evaluation on Florida's point sources of SO2 emissions
located within approximately 50 km of another state and their potential
impact on neighboring states.
As discussed in section I.B., EPA's current implementation strategy
for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS includes the flexibility to
characterize air quality for stationary sources subject to the DRR via
either data collected at ambient air quality monitors sited to capture
the points of maximum concentration, or air dispersion modeling
(hereinafter referred to as ``DRR monitors'' or ``DRR modeling,''
respectively). EPA's assessment of SO2 emissions from
Florida's point sources located within approximately 50 km of another
state and their potential impacts on neighboring states (see sections
III.C.1. and II.C.2 of this notice) and SO2 air quality data
at monitors within 50 km of the Florida border (see section III.C.3. of
this notice) is informed by all available data at the time of this
proposed rulemaking.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ EPA notes that the evaluation of other states' satisfaction
of section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS can be informed by similar factors found in this proposed
rulemaking but may not be identical to the approach taken in this or
any future rulemaking for Florida, depending on available
information and state-specific circumstances.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As described in Section III, EPA proposes to conclude that an
assessment of Florida's satisfaction of the prong 1 and 2 requirements
under section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) of the CAA for the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS may be reasonably based upon evaluating the
downwind impacts via modeling and an assessment of SO2
emissions from Florida's point sources emitting more than 100 tpy of
SO2 (including fuel combustion sources) that are located
within approximately 50 km of another state, and upon any federal
regulations and SIP-approved regulations affecting SO2
emissions of Florida's sources.
C. EPA's Prong 1 Evaluation--Significant Contribution to Nonattainment
Prong 1 of the good neighbor provision requires states' plans to
prohibit emissions that will contribute significantly to nonattainment
of a NAAQS in another state. FDEP asserts in its submission that
Florida will not contribute significantly to nonattainment in any other
state with respect to the 2010 1-hour SO2 standard. To
evaluate Florida's satisfaction of prong 1, EPA assessed the State's
SIP submission with respect to the following factors: (1) Potential
ambient impacts of SO2 emissions from certain facilities in
Florida on neighboring states based on available SO2
designation air dispersion modeling results; (2) SO2
emissions from Florida sources; (3) SO2 ambient air quality
for Florida and neighboring states; (4) SIP-approved Florida
regulations that address SO2 emissions; and (5) federal
regulations that reduce SO2 emissions at Florida sources. A
detailed discussion of Florida's SIP submission with respect to each of
these factors follows.\19\ EPA proposes, based on the information
available at the time of this rulemaking, that these factors, taken
together, support the Agency's proposed determination that Florida will
not contribute significantly to nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in another state. As discussed in the following
sections, EPA's proposed conclusion is based, in part, on the fact that
modeling results for Florida's four DRR sources within 50 km of another
state's border indicate that the maximum impacts do not exceed the
level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. Regarding three out-of-
state DRR sources within 50 km of the Florida border which are located
in Alabama, the information available to the Agency does not indicate
there are violations of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in Alabama
to which Florida sources could contribute. In addition, 2017
SO2 emissions for Florida's non-DRR sources emitting over
100 tons of SO2 within 50 km of another state are at
distances or emit levels of SO2 that make it unlikely that
these SO2 emissions could interact with SO2
emissions from the neighboring states' sources in such a way as to
contribute significantly to nonattainment in neighboring states.
Finally, the downward trends in SO2 emissions and DVs for
air quality monitors in the State, combined with federal regulations
and SIP-approved regulations affecting SO2 emissions of
Florida's sources, further support EPA's proposed conclusion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\19\ EPA has reviewed Florida's submission, and where new or
more current information has become available, is including this
information as part of the Agency's evaluation of this submission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. SO2 Designations Air Dispersion Modeling
a. State Submission
In Appendix 2 to Florida's SIP revision, FDEP included the State's
January 13, 2017, modeling reports for the four DRR sources in the
State within 50 km of the Florida border: Jacksonville Electric
Authority (JEA)--Northside Generating Station (NGS)/St. Johns River
Power Park (SJRPP); 20 21 WestRock CP, LLC--Fernandina Beach
Mill (WestRock); Gulf Power Crist Plant (Crist Plant); and White
Springs Agricultural Chemical--Swift Creek Chemical Complex (White
Springs). Florida used AERMOD to evaluate the area around each of these
sources to satisfy the requirements of the DRR and ran the model for
the years 2012-2014 using actual emissions data and monitored
SO2 background concentrations. FDEP asserts that the
modeling results indicate that the area surrounding each facility is in
attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS, as shown in the
modeling reports included in Appendix 2 of the State's 2018 submission.
FDEP included a table showing emissions decreases for these DRR sources
from 2014 to 2017 (see Table 2 of Appendix 1 to Florida's SIP
submission), and states that since 2014, actual emissions from these
sources have collectively decreased by 74 percent.\22\ A summary of the
modeling results for Florida's DRR sources within 50 km of the State's
border, including supplemental data EPA has reviewed as part of the
Agency's analysis, is shown in Table 2 of section III.C.1.b.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\20\ JEA owns and operates the combined NGS and SJRPP facility
in Jacksonville, Florida. Table 2 of Appendix 1 in Florida's
September 18, 2018, SIP submission lists JEA NGS and JEA SJRRP
separately; however, these sources are modeled as one source under
the DRR.
\21\ Units 1 and 2 at St. John River Power Park shut down,
effective December 31, 2017.
\22\ EPA notes that on page 5 of the State's September 18, 2018,
SIP submission, FDEP inadvertently states that since 2014, actual
emissions from the four DRR sources in Florida within 50 km of the
border have decreased by 65 percent. EPA has confirmed that the
value of 74 percent in Table 2 of Appendix 1 is correct.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
b. EPA Analysis
EPA evaluated the DRR modeling data in Florida's SIP submission for
sources in the State and supplemented this data with available DRR
modeling results for sources in adjacent states (i.e., Alabama and
Georgia) that are within 50 km of the Florida border.\23\ The purpose
of
[[Page 7485]]
evaluating modeling results in adjacent states within 50 km of the
Florida border is to ascertain whether any nearby sources in Florida
are impacting a violation of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in
another state.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\23\ As discussed in section I.B., Florida used air dispersion
modeling to characterize air quality in the vicinity of certain
SO2 emitting sources to identify the maximum 1-hour
SO2 concentrations in ambient air which informed EPA's
round 3 SO2 designations. EPA's preferred modeling
platform for regulatory purposes is AERMOD (Appendix W of 40 CFR
part 51). In these DRR modeling analyses using AERMOD, the impacts
of the actual emissions for one or more of the recent 3-year periods
(e.g., 2012-2014, 2013-2015, 2014-2016) were considered, and in some
cases, the modeling was of currently effective limits on allowable
emissions in lieu of or as a supplement to modeling of actual
emissions. The available air dispersion modeling of certain
SO2 sources can support transport related conclusions
about whether sources in one state will potentially contribute
significantly to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the
2010 1-hour SO2 standard in other states. While AERMOD
was not designed specifically to address interstate transport, the
50-km distance that EPA recommends for use with AERMOD aligns with
the concept that there are localized pollutant impacts of
SO2 near an emissions source that drop off with distance.
Thus, EPA believes that the use of AERMOD provides a reliable
indication of air quality for transport purposes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 2 provides a summary of the modeling results for the four
modeled DRR sources in Florida which are located within 50 km of
another state. The modeling analyses for these four DRR sources
resulted in no modeled violations of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS within the modeling domains for each facility. As a result, no
further analysis is necessary for assessing the impacts of the
interstate transport of SO2 pollution from these sources.
Table 2--Florida Sources With DRR Modeling Located Within 50 km of Another State
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Modeled 99th
Approximate percentile daily
distance from Other facilities maximum 1-hour SO2 Model grid extends into another
DRR source County source to adjacent included in concentration state?
state (km) modeling? (ppb)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crist Plant..................... Escambia........... 17 (AL)............ Yes--International 33.81 (based on No.
Paper Pensacola 2012-2014 actual
Facility (FL). emissions for both
facilities).
JEA-NGS/SJRPP................... Duval.............. 35 (GA)............ Yes--Cedar Bay/ 56.22 (based on No.
Generating Plant, 2012-2014 actual
Renessenz emissions for
Jacksonville SJRPP and
Facility (now Renessenz
Symrise, Inc.), Jacksonville
Anchor Glass Facility (now
Jacksonville Symrise, Inc.);
Plant, and IFF allowable emission
Chemical Holdings rates for Cedar
(FL). Bay, Anchor Glass,
and IFF Chemical
facilities).
WestRock \24\................... Nassau............. <5 (GA)............ Yes--Rayonier 66.09 (based on Yes (approximately 3 km into a
Performance Fibers 2012-2014 actual portion of southern Georgia).
(FL). emissions for
WestRock and
Rayonier and
permitted
allowable
emissions for
three minor units
at WestRock).
White Springs................... Hamilton........... 16 (GA)............ Yes--PCS Suwannee 56.34 (based on No.
River Plant * (FL). 2012-2014 actual
emissions for
sulfuric acid
plants E & F and
permitted
allowable
emissions for the
PCS Suwaneee River
Plant and the
remaining sources
at White Springs
River Plant
equivalent to
1,276 tpy).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* The PCS Suwannee River Plant shut down most of its operations in 2014.
There are three DRR sources in neighboring states which are located
within 50 km of Florida and which elected to provide air dispersion
modeling under the DRR: Alabama Power Company--James M. Barry Electric
Generating Plant (Plant Barry); Akzo Nobel Functional Chemicals--
LeMoyne Site (AkzoNobel); and Escambia Operating Company--Big Escambia
Creek Plant (Big Escambia), which are located approximately 36, 41, and
8 km, respectively, from the Florida border. These sources are all
located in Alabama. With respect to the modeling and other information
submitted by Alabama under the DRR for these modeled Alabama sources,
EPA previously stated that the Agency does not have sufficient
information to determine whether the areas around these sources meet or
do not meet the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS or contribute to an
area that does not meet the standard, and thus designated these areas
as unclassifiable.\25\ Accordingly, the Agency has further assessed
AkzoNobel and Plant Barry in section III.C.2.b. of this action to
determine whether there is evidence of a violation in Alabama with
respect to interstate transport for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\24\ As discussed in footnote 8, EPA's redesignation of the
Nassau Area was based, in part, on a modeled attainment
demonstration that included permanent and enforceable SO2
controls and emissions limits at the Rayonier and WestRock
facilities showing attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2
standard.
\25\ See EPA's initial and final technical support document
(TSDs) for Alabama at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-08/documents/3_al_so2_rd3-final.pdf and https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-12/documents/03-al-so2-rd3-final.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regarding Big Escambia, the Alabama Department of Environmental
Management (ADEM) provided supplemental information to EPA in
correspondence dated September 5, 2019, September 20, 2019, and
September 25, 2019, December 2, 2019, and December 6, 2019
(collectively, the ``Big Escambia Supplement'') to address interstate
transport by evaluating potential SO2 ambient air impacts in
the neighboring state of Florida.\26\ On December 31, 2019 (84 FR
72278), EPA published a notice of proposed rulemaking containing an
evaluation of this supplemental information \27\ and proposing to
determine that ADEM's revised modeling for Big Escambia can be used for
evaluating interstate transport of SO2 emissions from this
facility to locations in Florida. Big Escambia is located 8 km from the
Florida border, 21 km northwest from Breitburn Operating, L.P
(Breitburn), the nearest SO2 source in Florida. Breitburn is
located less than 5 km from the Florida-Alabama border. Florida's
submittal indicates that Breitburn's 2017 SO2 emissions are
1,491 tons. Due to its proximity to Big Escambia, Alabama's modeling
analysis includes Breitburn as a modeled nearby source using its
permitted allowable emissions of 2,181 pounds per hour (9,553 tpy).
This modeling indicates that the maximum impacts do not exceed the
[[Page 7486]]
level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. EPA believes that the
modeling provides a conservative estimate of Breitburn's SO2
impacts at locations in Alabama near the Florida-Alabama border,
because the Big Escambia modeling used allowable emissions of
SO2 for Breitburn, which are approximately 6.4 times
Breitburn's actual SO2 emissions for 2017 (9,533 tons/1,491
tons = 6.4). Breitburn's 2014-2018 SO2 emissions contained
in EPA's Emissions Inventory System (EIS) are shown in Table 3 below.
SO2 emissions have remained fairly constant from 2014-2018,
with the 2018 emissions representing the lowest emissions over that
time period. Breitburn's 2014-2018 emissions profile demonstrates that
Breitburn has consistently operated well below its permitted allowable
emission rate. Thus, Breitburn's actual contribution to SO2
concentrations in Alabama would likely be much less than the predicted
concentrations in the Big Escambia modeling. Based upon this
information, EPA proposes to find that SO2 emissions from
Breitburn will not contribute significantly to nonattainment in
Alabama.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\26\ The Big Escambia Supplement is available in Docket ID: EPA-
R04-OAR-2018-0792.
\27\ EPA prepared a TSD--titled ``Technical Support Document
(TSD) Addressing Big Escambia Data Requirements Rule (DRR) Modeling
for the Purpose of Evaluating Interstate Transport''--analyzing the
sufficiency of the model for use in evaluating interstate transport
from Big Escambia. The TSD is located in the docket for that
proposed rulemaking at Docket ID: EPA-R04-OAR-2018-0792.
Table 3--Breitburn SO2 Emissions Trends (2014-2018)
[Tons]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Breitburn.......................................................... 1,327 1,454 1,461 1,491 * 1,242
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Data submitted to EIS by FDEP.
EPA believes that the modeling results for the DRR sources located
in Florida (summarized in Table 2) and available information for the
areas surrounding the DRR sources in Alabama within 50 km of the
Florida border do not indicate there are violations of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in Alabama to which Florida sources could
contribute, based partially on the updated modeling completed by
Alabama which addresses the Breitburn facility, weighed along with the
other factors in this notice, support EPA's proposed conclusion that
sources in Florida will not contribute significantly to nonattainment
of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other state.
2. SO2 Emissions Analysis
a. State Submission
As discussed in section III.B, Florida's SIP revision presents
SO2 emissions from EPA's 2014 NEI by source category and
statewide SO2 emission trends for stationary industrial, on-
road, nonroad, and nonpoint sources from 2000 to 2017. The State notes
that SO2 emissions from stationary, on-road, nonroad, and
nonpoint sources have decreased by 90, 95, 99, and 61 percent,
respectively, since 2000. FDEP states that the largest source
categories of SO2 emissions in Florida according to the 2014
NEI are chemical and allied product manufacturing and fuel combustion
at electric utilities and industrial facilities. SO2
emissions from industrial sources have decreased by 90 percent since
the year 2000 due to unit shut downs, fuel switches from higher sulfur-
emitting fuels to lower sulfur-emitting fuels, and SO2
reductions due to sources' compliance with EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics
Standards (MATS). FDEP anticipates that emissions are expected to
decrease further in the coming years due to additional emission unit
shutdowns and fuel switches.
In addition, FDEP included 2014 and 2017 emissions for Florida's
four DRR sources within 50 km of the State's border (discussed in
section III.C.1 and listed in Table 2). From 2014 to 2017, total annual
SO2 emissions from these four sources have decreased by
22,021 tons (74 percent) from 29,762 tons to 7,741 tons.
b. EPA Analysis
EPA reviewed the SO2 emissions data from 1990 to 2017
for Florida and the adjacent states of Alabama and Georgia. EPA notes
that statewide SO2 emissions for these states, including
Florida, have decreased significantly over this time period. This data
specifically shows that Florida's statewide SO2 emissions
decreased from approximately 799,150 tons in 1990 to 100,850 tons in
2017.\28\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\28\ State annual emissions trends for criteria pollutants of 14
emission source categories (``Tier 1'') from 1990 to 2017 are
available at: https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-inventories/air-pollutant-emissions-trends-data.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As discussed in section III.B, EPA also finds that it is
appropriate to examine the impacts of SO2 emissions from
stationary sources emitting greater than 100 tons of SO2 in
Florida at distances ranging from zero km to 50 km from a neighboring
state's border. Therefore, in addition to those sources addressed in
section III.C.1.b. of this notice, EPA also assessed the potential
impacts of SO2 emissions from stationary sources not subject
to the DRR that emitted over 100 tons of SO2 in 2017 and are
located in Florida within 50 km from the border. EPA assessed this
information to evaluate whether the SO2 emissions from these
sources could interact with SO2 emissions from the nearest
source in a neighboring state in such a way as to impact a violation of
the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in that state. Table 4 lists the
four sources in Florida not regulated under the DRR that emitted
greater than 100 tpy of SO2 in 2017 and are located within
50 km of the State's border (i.e., Anchor Glass Container Corporation
(Anchor), Breitburn, IFF Chemical Holdings, Inc. (IFF), and Symrise).
Table 4--Florida Non-DRR SO2 Sources Emitting Greater Than 100 TPY Near Neighboring States
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Approximate
2017 Annual Approximate distance to Nearest neighboring state
SO2 emissions distance to nearest non-DRR SO2 source & 2017
Florida source (tons) Florida border Closest neighboring state neighboring emissions (>100 tons SO2)
(km) state SO2
source (km)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anchor................................... 117.1 26 Georgia......................... 92 Brunswick Cellulose LLC
(281.4 tons).
Breitburn................................ 1,491 <5 Alabama......................... 16 Georgia-Pacific Brewton LLC
(103 tons).
IFF...................................... 494.1 27 Georgia......................... 91 Brunswick Cellulose LLC
(281.4 tons).
[[Page 7487]]
Symrise.................................. 824.9 38 Georgia......................... 81 Brunswick Cellulose LLC
(281.4 tons).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Currently, the monitoring and modeling data available to EPA does
not suggest that Alabama and Florida are impacted by SO2
emissions from the four Florida sources not subject to the DRR listed
in Table 4. Of these four Florida sources, Anchor, IFF, and Symrise are
located over 50 km from the nearest source in another state emitting
over 100 tons of SO2. EPA believes that the distances
greater than 50 km between sources make it unlikely that SO2
emissions from these three Florida sources could interact with
SO2 emissions from these out-of-state sources in such a way
as to contribute significantly to nonattainment in Alabama and Georgia.
The remaining source, Breitburn, is located at or less than 50 km
from the nearest source in Alabama (Georgia-Pacific Brewton LLC) which
emits greater than 100 tons of SO2. EPA's evaluation of
potential SO2 impacts from Breitburn on Alabama is discussed
in Section III.C.1.b of this notice. Based upon the analysis of the
modeling for Alabama's Big Escambia in Section III.C.1.b, EPA believes
that emissions from Breitburn are not contributing significantly to
nonattainment in Alabama.
In addition, EPA evaluated the 2017 SO2 emissions data
for AkzoNobel and Plant Barry, two of the DRR sources in Alabama
located within 50 km of the Florida border for which EPA could not rely
on existing DRR modeling. This was done to assess whether Florida
sources may potentially be impacting the areas surrounding these
Alabama sources under the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. Table 5
provides annual 2017 SO2 emissions data for AkzoNobel and
Plant Barry, along with the distances to the closest neighboring
state's non-DRR sources emitting over 100 tpy of SO2. Table
6 shows the SO2 emissions trends for AkzoNobel and Plant
Barry from 2012-2017 (and 2018 if data is available).
Table 5--Alabama DRR SO2 Sources Emitting Greater Than 100 TPY Near Neighboring States
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Approximate
2017 Annual distance to Nearest neighboring state
SO2 emissions Approximate nearest SO2 source & 2017 emissions
Alabama source (tons) distance to Closest neighboring state neighboring (>100 tons SO2)
Alabama (km) state SO2
source (km)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plant Barry.............................. 4,218 40 Mississippi..................... 74 Mississippi Power Company--
Plant Daniel (Plant
Daniel) (204 tons).
AkzoNobel................................ 2,201 39 Mississippi..................... 71 Plant Daniel (204 tons).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 6--Alabama DRR SO2 Sources Emitting Greater Than 100 TPY Near Neighboring States--Emissions Trends
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama source 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plant Barry *........................... 10,731 13,448 10,690 8,688 5,421 4,218 5,257
AkzoNobel............................... 3,293 2,752 2,320 3,587 3,646 2,201 ** N/A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* SO2 emissions for Plant Barry are from EPA's Air Markets Program Data (AMPD) accessible at: https://ampd.epa.gov/ampd/.
** 2018 SO2 emissions not available for AkzoNobel.
Table 5 shows that the distances between each facility and the
nearest state's source to each facility which emits over 100 tpy of
SO2, exceed 50 km. The closest sources in another state to
AkzoNobel and Plant Barry are located in Mississippi; therefore, there
are no Florida sources within 50 km of AkzoNobel and Plant Barry which
could interact with SO2 emissions from these Alabama sources
in Table 4 in such a way as to contribute significantly to
nonattainment in Alabama. Table 5 shows that SO2 emissions
have declined from 2012 to 2017/2018 for these Alabama sources.
EPA also considered whether any changes in controls or operations
had occurred at AkzoNobel and Plant Barry. AkzoNobel entered into a
consent decree with EPA which required more stringent emissions limits
that have reduced SO2 emissions at the facility by 2,340
tpy.\29\ Plant Barry has retired Unit 3, and Units 1 and 2 are
restricted to burn only natural gas as of January 1, 2017.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\29\ The consent decree, entered on November 21, 2019, is
available at: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decree/file/1201231/download. A press release is available at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/settlement-reached-nouryon-functional-chemicals-llc-fka-akzo-nobel-functional-chemicals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 7488]]
EPA also evaluated data from the Agency's Air Quality System (AQS)
\30\ from the SO2 monitors in the surrounding areas of
AkzoNobel and Plant Barry. The only monitor within 50 km of these
sources is located in Mobile County, Alabama (AQS ID: 01-097-0003) and
is approximately 23 km from AkzoNobel. The 2018 DV for this monitor is
11 ppb. EPA believes that the SO2 emissions trends
information in Florida's submission, the Agency's analysis of the
sources in Tables 4 and 5, and the SO2 emissions trends for
AkzoNobel and Plant Barry in Table 6, support the Agency's conclusion
that sources in Florida will not contribute significantly to
nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in a nearby
state.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\30\ EPA's AQS contains ambient air pollution data collected by
EPA, state, local, and tribal air pollution control agencies. This
data is available at https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-design-values.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. SO2 Ambient Air Quality
a. State Submission
In its September 18, 2018, SIP submission, FDEP included a table
showing DV trends from 2007 to 2017 for Florida's 23 existing
SO2 air quality monitors. All of Florida's SO2
air quality monitors have 2015-2017 SO2 DVs below the level
of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. FDEP notes that the majority
of these 2015-2017 DVs are ``well below'' the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS and that several monitors show ``significant
decreases'' in their SO2 DVs over time.\31\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\31\ See Table 3 of Appendix 1 of Florida's September 18, 2018,
SIP submission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FDEP also identified recent maximum 1-hour SO2
concentrations at the one monitor in Mobile County, Alabama, that is
within 50 km of the Florida border and notes that these
concentrations--30.1 ppb in 2016 and 23.9 ppb in 2017--are well below
the level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. FDEP also included
the 2017 DV (5 ppb) for the next nearest SO2 monitor--
located in Georgia--and notes that this monitor's DV is seven percent
of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.\32\ In addition, FDEP
identified the closest SO2 nonattainment areas outside of
Florida, with the nearest one located approximately 145 km away in St.
Bernard Parish in New Orleans, Louisiana.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\32\ FDEP inadvertently identified the nearest monitor in
Georgia--located in Savannah, Georgia, approximately 155 km from the
State's border--as AQS ID 13-021-0012. EPA has confirmed that the
monitor with this ID is located in Macon, Georgia, approximately 241
km from the Florida border, and it has 2016, 2017, and 2018 DVs of
9, 5, and 4 ppb, respectively. The monitor located in Savannah,
Georgia, is AQS ID 13-051-1002, and it has 2016, 2017, and 2018 DVs
of 52, 48, 45 ppb, respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FDEP notes that on August 5, 2013 (78 FR 47191), EPA designated an
area in Nassau County, Florida, as nonattainment for the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS based on ambient SO2 monitoring data in
the area for the three-year period 2009-2011 (round 1 designations). In
Florida's SIP submission, the State indicates that this is the only
SO2 nonattainment area within 50 km of another state
(approximately 4 km from the Georgia border). FDEP submitted a
redesignation request and maintenance plan for the area on June 7,
2018. EPA notes that, subsequent to the state's submission, the Agency
approved Florida's request to redesignate the Nassau County area to
attainment for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS and the
accompanying SIP revision containing the maintenance plan for the area
on April 24, 2019 (effective May 24, 2019). See 84 FR 17085.
b. EPA Analysis
Since the time of development of Florida's SIP submission, DVs
based on more recent certified monitoring data from monitors in EPA's
AQS (``AQS monitors'') have become available for Florida and the
surrounding states. The most recent certified 3-year DV period is 2016-
2018. EPA has summarized the DVs from 2012 to 2018 for AQS monitors in
Florida within 50 km of another state in Table 7. The 2010 1-hour
SO2 standard is violated at an ambient air quality
monitoring site (or in the case of dispersion modeling, at an ambient
air quality receptor location) when the 3-year average of the annual
99th percentile of the daily maximum 1-hour average concentrations
exceeds 75 ppb, as determined in accordance with Appendix T of 40 CFR
part 50.
Table 7--Trend in 1-Hour SO2 DVs (ppb) for AQS Monitors in Florida Within 50 km of Another State
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Approximate
distance to
County AQS site code 2010-2012 2011-2013 2012-2014 2013-2015 2014-2016 2015-2017 2016-2018 state
border (km)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duval........................... 12-031-0032 16 17 17 16 16 16 18 39 (GA)
Duval........................... * 12-031-0080 13 11 17 17 17 10 ** ND 37 (GA)
Duval........................... 12-031-0081 29 29 27 23 20 12 11 38 (GA)
Duval........................... * 12-031-0097 18 21 21 23 18 14 ** ND 43 (GA)
Escambia........................ 12-033-0004 27 22 25 24 16 8 6 20 (AL)
Hamilton........................ 12-047-0015 23 25 ** ND ** ND ** ND ** ND ** ND 19 (GA)
Nassau.......................... 12-089-0005 122 70 57 58 51 43 37 6 (GA)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* EPA approved the discontinuation of two SO2 monitors in Duval County (AQS IDs: 12-031-0080 and 12-031-0097) in 2018.
** ND indicates ``No Data'' due to monitor startup or shutdown (operated less than three years), data quality issues, or incomplete data.
As shown in Table 7, the 2012-2018 DVs for six of the seven
monitoring sites in Florida within 50 km of another state's border have
remained below the level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS, with
the exception of the Nassau County monitor which had a 122 ppb DV for
the 2010-2012 period. The DVs at the Nassau County monitor have
declined over the 2013 through 2018 DV time periods, and these DVs are
all below the level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. The
Hamilton County monitor has 2012 and 2013 DVs of 23 and 25 ppb,
respectively, and incomplete data for the remaining DV time periods
(2014-2018). The Hamilton County monitor has not measured a daily
exceedance of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS since 2013.
There is one AQS monitor in Alabama (Mobile County) which is
located within 50 km of the Florida border. This monitor is
approximately 45 km from Florida and began operation on January 1,
2016. The monitor has a complete, quality-assured 2016-2018 DV of 11
ppb, which is 85 percent below the level of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS. The Mobile County monitor has measured no daily
exceedances of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS during its years of
operation.
EPA also evaluated monitoring data provided to date for AQS
monitors located in states adjacent to Florida and neighboring states
within 50 km of the State's border that were established to
characterize the air quality around
[[Page 7489]]
specific sources subject to EPA's DRR to inform the Agency's future
round 4 designations for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in lieu
of modeling. No sources in Florida elected to establish monitors under
the DRR and there are no DRR monitors within 50 km of the Florida
border located in the adjacent states of Alabama and Georgia.
EPA believes that the air quality data for monitors within 50 km of
the Florida border within the State and in surrounding states support
EPA's proposed conclusion that Florida will not contribute
significantly to nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS
in any other state.
4. SIP-Approved Regulations Addressing SO2 Emissions
a. State Submission
In its September 18, 2018, SIP submission, Florida identified SIP-
approved measures which help ensure that SO2 emissions in
the State do not contribute significantly to nonattainment of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other state. FDEP indicates that
many of the current SIP-approved rules are adopted under the authority
of subsection 403.061(35), Florida Statutes. FDEP lists the following
SIP-approved Florida rule chapters of the Florida Administrative Code
(F.A.C.) which establish emission limits and other control measures for
SO2: Chapter 62-210, F.A.C., Stationary Sources--General
Requirements; Chapter 62-212, F.A.C., Stationary Sources--
Preconstruction Review; and Chapter 62-296, F.A.C., Stationary
Sources--Emission Standards. Chapter 62-210, F.A.C establishes
definitions and the general requirements for major and minor stationary
sources of air pollutant emissions. Chapter 62-212, F.A.C. establishes
the preconstruction review requirements for proposed new emissions
units, new facilities, and modifications to existing units and
facilities. Chapter 62-296, F.A.C. establishes emission limiting
standards and compliance requirements for stationary sources of air
pollutant emissions, including SIP emission limits that restrict
SO2 emissions from various source categories (e.g., EGUs
(Rule 62-296.405, F.A.C.) and sulfuric acid plants (Rule 62-296.402,
F.A.C.)) and source-specific SO2 emission limits that form
the basis of Florida's SO2 nonattainment area SIPs.
b. EPA Analysis
As part of EPA's weight of evidence approach to evaluating 2010
SO2 transport SIPs, EPA considered Florida's SIP-approved
measures summarized in III.C.4.a. of this notice, which establish
emission limits, permitting requirements, and other control measures
for SO2. For the purposes of ensuring that SO2
emissions at new major sources or major modifications at existing major
sources in Florida do not contribute significantly to nonattainment of
the NAAQS, the State has a SIP-approved major source new source review
(NSR) program. Chapters 62-210 and 62-212, F.A.C. collectively regulate
the construction of any new major stationary source or any modification
at an existing major stationary source in an area designated as
nonattainment, attainment, or unclassifiable. The State's SIP-approved
prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) regulations are found in
Chapters 62-210, F.A.C., Stationary Sources--General Requirements, and
62-212, F.A.C., Stationary Sources--Preconstruction Review, F.A.C.,
which apply to the construction of any new major stationary source or
major modification at an existing major stationary source in an area
designated as attainment or unclassifiable or not yet designated.
Florida's SIP-approved rules, 62-210.300, F.A.C., and 62-212.300,
F.A.C., collectively govern the preconstruction permitting of
modifications to and construction of minor stationary sources. These
major and minor NSR rules are designed to ensure that SO2
emissions due to major modifications at existing major stationary
sources, modifications at minor stationary sources, and the
construction of new major and minor sources subject to these rules will
not contribute significantly to nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in neighboring states.
5. Federal Regulations Addressing SO2 Emissions in Florida
a. State Submission
FDEP notes that MATS has helped to reduce SO2 emissions
from industrial sources as discussed in section III.C.2.a of this
notice.
b. EPA Analysis
EPA agrees that MATS is a federal control measure which has helped
to reduce SO2 emissions in Florida, along with other federal
regulatory programs such as: 2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Rule; Acid Rain
Program; National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants; New
Source Performance Standards; Nonroad Diesel Rule; and Tier 1 and 2
Mobile Source Rules. EPA believes that MATS, along with the other
federal measures EPA identified, have and continue to lower
SO2 emissions, which, in turn, supports EPA's proposed
conclusion that SO2 emissions from Florida will not
contribute significantly to nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in another state.
6. Conclusion
EPA proposes to determine that Florida's September 18, 2018, SIP
submission satisfies the requirements of prong 1 of CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I). This proposed determination is based on the
following considerations: DVs for six of Florida's seven AQS
SO2 monitors within 50 km of another state's border have
remained below the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS since 2013 and six
of these monitors have had DVs well below the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS since 2011 (the seventh monitor in Hamilton
County, Florida, has no data to calculate DVs for the 2012-2014 through
the 2016-2018 time periods); the 2018 99th percentile 1-hour
SO2 concentrations for Alabama's Mobile County monitor
within 50 km of Florida's border is well below the level of the 2010 1-
hour SO2 NAAQS for the 2016-2018 time period; modeling for
the DRR sources within 50 km of the Florida border both within the
State and in Alabama estimates impacts below the level of the 2010 1-
hour SO2 NAAQS; downward SO2 emissions trends in
Florida; SO2 emissions from Florida sources not subject to
the DRR which each emitted over 100 tons of SO2 in 2017 are
not likely interacting with SO2 emissions from the nearest
out-of-state source in a bordering state in such a way as to cause a
violation in Alabama and Georgia due to either distances over 50 km
between the sources or, in the case of Breitburn, modeling which
includes this source at much higher permitted emissions shows impacts
below the level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS; and current
Florida SIP-approved measures and federal emissions control programs
ensure control of SO2 emissions from sources within Florida.
Based on the analysis provided by Florida in its SIP submission and
EPA's analysis of the factors described in section III.C, EPA proposes
to find that sources within Florida will not contribute significantly
to nonattainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other
state.
D. EPA's Prong 2 Evaluation--Interference With Maintenance of the NAAQS
Prong 2 of the good neighbor provision requires state plans to
prohibit emissions that will interfere
[[Page 7490]]
with maintenance of a NAAQS in another state.
1. State Submission
In its September 18, 2018, SIP submission, FDEP confirms that
Florida will not interfere with maintenance of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 standard in any other state. FDEP bases its conclusion
for prong 2 on: The localized nature of SO2 dispersion,
emissions, and monitoring data presented in the submission and
discussed in sections III.C.2.a and III.C.3.a of this notice, and DRR
modeling for large SO2 sources within 50 km of the State
border which shows the areas around these sources are not exceeding the
level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. As discussed in sections
III.C.4 and III.C.5, FDEP has SIP-approved measures which address
sources of SO2 emissions in Florida and there are also
federal measures that control SO2 emissions in the State.
Specifically, FDEP notes that SIP-approved sections of Chapters 62-210
and 62-212, F.A.C., require any new major source or major modification
to undergo PSD or nonattainment NSR permitting to demonstrate that the
source will not cause or contribute to a violation of any NAAQS in
Florida or any other state. FDEP also states that Florida's SIP
contains other emission limiting standards such as Chapter 62-296,
F.A.C., which includes SIP emissions limits that restrict
SO2 emissions from various source categories.
2. EPA Analysis
In North Carolina v. EPA, the United States Court of Appeals for
the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) explained that the
regulating authority must give prong 2 ``independent significance''
from prong 1 by evaluating the impact of upwind state emissions on
downwind areas that, while currently in attainment, are at risk of
future nonattainment. North Carolina v. EPA, 531 F.3d 896, 910-11 (D.C.
Cir. 2008). EPA interprets prong 2 to require an evaluation of the
potential impact of a state's emissions on areas that are currently
measuring clean data, but that may have issues maintaining that air
quality. Therefore, in addition to the analysis presented by Florida,
EPA has also reviewed additional information on SO2 air
quality and emission trends to evaluate the State's conclusion that
Florida will not interfere with maintenance of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in downwind states. This evaluation builds on the
analysis regarding significant contribution to nonattainment (prong 1).
For the prong 2 analysis, EPA evaluated the data discussed in
section III.C. of this notice for prong 1, with a specific focus on
evaluating emissions trends in Florida, analyzing air quality data, and
assessing how future sources of SO2 are addressed through
existing SIP-approved and federal regulations. Given the continuing
trend of decreasing SO2 emissions from sources within
Florida, and the fact that all areas in other states within 50 km of
the Florida border which have existing monitors have DVs attaining the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS, EPA believes that evaluating whether
these decreases in emissions can be maintained over time is a
reasonable criterion to ensure that sources within Florida do not
interfere with its neighboring states' ability to maintain the 2010 1-
hour SO2 NAAQS.
With respect to air quality data trends, the 2016-2018 DVs for AQS
SO2 monitors both in Florida within 50 km of another state's
border and in Alabama within 50 km of Florida's border are below the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. Further, modeling results for DRR
sources within 50 km of Florida's border within the State demonstrate
attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS, and thus,
demonstrate that Florida's largest point sources of SO2 are
not expected to interfere with maintenance of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in another state.
EPA believes that federal and SIP-approved State regulations
discussed in sections III.C.4 and III.C.5 that both directly and
indirectly reduce emissions of SO2 in Florida help ensure
that the State does not interfere with maintenance of the NAAQS in
another state. SO2 emissions from future major modifications
and new major sources will be addressed by Florida's SIP-approved major
NSR regulations described in section III.C.4. In addition, Florida has
a SIP-approved minor NSR permit program addressing small emission
sources of SO2. The permitting regulations contained within
these programs are designed to ensure that emissions from these
activities do not interfere with maintenance of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in the State or in any other state.
3. Conclusion
EPA proposes to determine that Florida's September 18, 2018, SIP
submission satisfies the requirements of prong 2 of CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I). This determination is based on the following
considerations: SO2 emissions statewide from 2000 to 2017 in
Florida have declined significantly; SO2 emissions from
Florida's non-DRR sources emitting greater than 100 tpy in 2017 listed
in Table 4 of this notice are not likely interacting with
SO2 emissions from the nearest out-of-state source in a
bordering state in such a way as to interfere with maintenance of the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in Alabama and Georgia due to either
distances over 50 km between the sources or, in the case of Breitburn
modeling which includes this source at much higher permitted emissions
shows impacts below the level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS;
current Florida SIP-approved measures and federal emissions control
programs ensure control of SO2 emissions from sources within
Florida; Florida's SIP-approved PSD and minor source NSR permit
programs will address future large and small SO2 sources;
current DVs for AQS SO2 monitors both in Florida within 50
km of another state's border and in Alabama within 50 km of Florida's
border are below the level of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS; and
modeling for DRR sources within 50 km of Florida's border both within
the State and in Alabama demonstrate that Florida's largest point
sources of SO2 are not expected to interfere with
maintenance of current attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in another state. Based on the analysis provided by Florida in
its SIP submission and EPA's supplemental analysis of the factors
described in section III.C and III.D of this notice, EPA proposes to
find that emission sources within Florida will not interfere with
maintenance of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other state.
IV. Proposed Action
In light of the above analysis, EPA is proposing to approve
Florida's September 18, 2018, SIP submission as demonstrating that
emissions from Florida will not contribute significantly to
nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in another state.
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP
submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and applicable
Federal regulations. 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. This proposed action
merely proposes to approve state law as meeting Federal requirements
and does not impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by
state law. For that reason, this proposed action:
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to review
by the Office of Management and Budget under
[[Page 7491]]
Executive Orders 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR
3821, January 21, 2011);
Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 2,
2017) regulatory action because SIP approvals are exempted under
Executive Order 12866;
Does not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
Is certified as not having a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
Does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4);
Does not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
Is not an economically significant regulatory action based
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
Is not subject to requirements of Section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272
note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent
with the CAA; and
Does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to
address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental
effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
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, Particulate matter, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur oxides.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: January 30, 2020.
Mary S. Walker,
Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 2020-02502 Filed 2-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P