Air Plan Approval; AL; 2010 1-Hour SO2, 13755-13759 [2020-04656]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 47 / Tuesday, March 10, 2020 / Rules and Regulations
The Congressional Review Act, 5
U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides
that before a rule may take effect, the
agency promulgating the rule must
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copy of the rule, to each House of the
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This action is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as
defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
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Air Act, petitions for judicial review of
this action must be filed in the United
States Court of Appeals for the
appropriate circuit by May 11, 2020.
Filing a petition for reconsideration by
the Administrator of this final rule does
not affect the finality of this action for
the purposes of judicial review nor does
it extend the time within which a
petition for judicial review may be filed,
and shall not postpone the effectiveness
of such rule or action. Parties with
objections to this direct final rule are
encouraged to file a comment in
response to the parallel notice of
proposed rulemaking for this action
published in the proposed rules section
of today’s Federal Register, rather than
file an immediate petition for judicial
review of this direct final rule, so that
EPA can withdraw this direct final rule
and address the comment in the
proposed rulemaking. This action may
not be challenged later in proceedings to
enforce its requirements. (See section
307(b)(2).)
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Volatile
organic compounds.
13755
Dated: February 11, 2020.
Dennis Deziel,
Regional Administrator, EPA Region 1.
Part 52 of chapter I, title 40 of the
Code of Federal Regulations is amended
as follows:
PART 52—APPROVAL AND
PROMULGATION OF
IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart W—Massachusetts
2. In § 52.1120, in paragraph (e),
amend the table by adding an entry for
‘‘Infrastructure SIP for 2015 Ozone
NAAQS’’ at the end of the table to read
as follows:
■
§ 52.1120
*
Identification of Plan
*
*
(e) * * *
*
*
MASSACHUSETTS NON-REGULATORY
Applicable
geographic or
nonattainment
area
Name of non regulatory SIP
provision
*
Infrastructure SIP submittal
for 2015 Ozone NAAQS.
*
Statewide .....
State submittal
date/effective date
*
September 27,
2018.
EPA approved date 3
*
*
3/10/2020 [Insert Federal
Register citation].
Explanations
*
*
Approved with respect to requirements for
CAA section 110(a)(2) (A), (B), (C), (D),
(E), (F), (G), (H), (J), (K), (L), and (M) with
the exception of the PSD-related requirements of (C), (D), and (J).
3 To determine the EPA effective date for a specific provision listed in this table, consult the Federal Register notice cited in this column for
the particular provision.
[FR Doc. 2020–03203 Filed 3–9–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R04–OAR–2018–0792; FRL–10006–
25–Region 4]
Air Plan Approval; AL; 2010 1-Hour
SO2 NAAQS Transport Infrastructure
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
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AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is approving Alabama’s
August 20, 2018, State Implementation
Plan (SIP) submission pertaining to the
‘‘good neighbor’’ provision of the Clean
Air Act (CAA or Act) for the 2010 1-
SUMMARY:
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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 has determined
that Alabama will not contribute
significantly to nonattainment or
interfere with maintenance of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other state.
Therefore, EPA is approving the August
20, 2018, SIP revision as meeting the
requirements of the good neighbor
provision for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS.
DATES: This rule will be effective April
9, 2020.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a
docket for this action under Docket
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Identification No. EPA–R04–OAR–
2018–0792. All documents in the docket
are listed on the www.regulations.gov
website. Although listed in the index,
some information may not be publicly
available, i.e., Confidential Business
Information or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, is not placed on
the internet and will be publicly
available only in hard copy form.
Publicly available docket materials are
available either electronically through
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the 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. EPA requests that
if at all possible, you contact the person
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
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CONTACT section to schedule your
inspection. The Regional Office’s
official hours of business are Monday
through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
excluding Federal holidays.
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 notarianni.michele@
epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
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). Pursuant to section 110(a)(1)
of the CAA, states are required to submit
SIPs meeting the applicable
requirements of section 110(a)(2) within
three years after promulgation of a new
or revised NAAQS or within such
shorter period as EPA may prescribe.
These SIPs, which EPA has historically
referred to as ‘‘infrastructure SIPs,’’ are
to provide for the ‘‘implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement’’ of such
NAAQS, and the requirements are
designed to ensure that the structural
components of each state’s air quality
management program are adequate to
meet the state’s responsibility under the
CAA. Section 110(a) of the CAA
requires states to make a SIP submission
to EPA for a new or revised NAAQS, but
the contents of individual state
submissions may vary depending upon
the facts and circumstances. The
content of the changes in such SIP
submissions may also vary depending
upon what provisions the state’s
approved SIP already contains. Section
110(a)(2) requires states to address basic
SIP elements such as requirements for
monitoring, basic program
requirements, and legal authority that
are designed to assure attainment and
maintenance of the NAAQS.
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
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prong 2 (interference with maintenance
of the NAAQS).
Through a letter dated August 20,
2018,1 the Alabama Department of
Environmental Management (ADEM)
submitted a revision to the Alabama SIP
addressing prongs 1 and 2 of CAA
section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS. EPA is approving
ADEM’s August 20, 2018, SIP
submission because the State
demonstrated that Alabama 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 Alabama
are addressed in separate rulemakings.2
In a notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM) published on December 31,
2019 (84 FR 72278), EPA proposed to
approve Alabama’s August 20, 2018, SIP
revision for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS. The details of the SIP revision
and the rationale for EPA’s action is
explained in the NPRM. Comments on
the proposed rulemaking were due on or
before January 30, 2020. EPA received
two sets of adverse comments from
anonymous commenters (collectively
referred to as the ‘‘Commenter’’). These
comments are included in the docket for
this final action. EPA has summarized
the comments and provided responses
below.
II. Response to Comments
Comment 1: The Commenter states
that EPA has not demonstrated that
Alabama will not contribute
significantly to nonattainment or
interfere with maintenance of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other state.
The Commenter claims this is ‘‘best
evidenced’’ in Escambia County,
Alabama, and disputes EPA’s proposed
finding in the NPRM that no further
analysis is necessary for assessing the
potential impacts of the interstate
transport of SO2 emissions from
Escambia Operating Company—Big
Escambia Creek Plant (Big Escambia).
The Commenter asserts that there are
gaps in EPA’s analysis, and as
summarized below, raises specific
concerns regarding several aspects of
the analysis of Big Escambia as it relates
to interstate transport of SO2 emissions.
Comment 1.a: The Commenter notes
that EPA identified Georgia-Pacific’s
Brewton LLC facility (Brewton) as a
1 EPA received ADEM’s August 20, 2018, SIP
submission on August 27, 2018.
2 EPA acted on all other infrastructure elements
for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS for Alabama on
January 12, 2017 (82 FR 3637), October 12, 2017 (82
FR 47393), and July 6, 2018 (83 FR 31454).
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possible contributor to modeled
violations but that the facility was not
included in the Big Escambia modeling
for EPA’s Data Requirements Rule
(DRR). The Commenter asserts that the
decrease in SO2 emissions from Brewton
from 2014 to 2017 (972 tons to 103 tons)
identified in the NPRM’s Technical
Support Document (TSD) ‘‘does not
unequivocally mean that there is no
transport of SO2 (or causation or
contribution to nonattainment)’’ in
Florida. The Commenter claims that
EPA’s belief that excluding Brewton
from the model does not invalidate the
model and does not answer the question
as to whether there is transport from the
facility, and that EPA should offer some
weight of evidence (WOE), model
Brewton, or ask the State to model
Brewton, in order to demonstrate no
transport of SO2 emissions from
Brewton into the neighboring state of
Florida.
Comment 1.b: The Commenter further
indicates a concern with the lack of
modeling of certain emissions from the
Big Escambia facility. The Commenter
notes that EPA’s TSD indicates the fact
that the difference in the lower modeled
emissions and the higher reported
emissions at Big Escambia (a difference
of 1,575.6 tons in 2014) is due to
emissions being diverted to a flare at the
facility. The Commenter states that EPA
did not consider the emission release
characteristics and asserts that EPA’s
estimate of what the unmodeled
concentrations would be in Florida from
the flare is therefore ‘‘unsubstantiated.’’
The Commenter also notes that EPA
assumed that the increase in
concentrations from the flare would
increase overall concentrations at Big
Escambia by 50 percent (%) and argues
that ‘‘some explanation of how the
emissions from the flare are released
and where the maximum impacts will
occur is necessary instead of just adding
50% to highest modeled impact from
the source based on emissions changes
alone’’ because ‘‘[e]missions changes
alone are not directly proportional to
modeled impacts.’’
Comment 1.c: The Commenter notes
that, although the Big Escambia DRR
modeling receptor grid extended into
Florida, the grid did not extend 13
kilometers (km) into Florida, which the
Commenter asserts is the approximate
distance from the Florida border to
Breitburn Operating, L.P. (Breitburn), a
source located in Florida. The
Commenter therefore asserts that there
is ‘‘an unmodeled area in Florida for
which we don’t know the air quality
impacts.’’ The Commenter further states
that given the maximum reported SO2
concentration (58.8 ppb) from the Big
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Escambia modeling, the 1,575.6
unmodeled tons of SO2 from the flare at
Big Escambia, and the unmodeled space
between Breitburn and the Alabama/
Florida border, EPA’s conclusion that
sources in Alabama will not contribute
significantly to nonattainment or
interfere with maintenance of the
NAAQS in any other state is ‘‘off base.’’
The Commenter claims that EPA should
either ask the State to ‘‘properly model’’
Big Escambia with the flare emissions
and the entire land area between the
Alabama and Florida sources included
or EPA should rerun the modeling.
Comment 1.d: The Commenter states
that EPA often responds to comments
such as this by saying that the
Commenter has not provided evidence
indicating a contribution to
nonattainment or interference with
maintenance and standing by its
conclusions. The Commenter argues
that private citizens and organizations
do not have the expertise or resources
to perform the necessary modeling to
provide definitive answers like EPA
does, and asks why EPA doesn’t run the
modeling for Big Escambia properly
‘‘instead of making unsubstantiated
technical assumptions that run counter
to why modeling is used in the first
place.’’
Response 1: EPA disagrees with the
Commenter’s claim that EPA has not
demonstrated that Alabama will not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS in any other state and responds
to the Commenter’s specific concerns
below.
Response 1.a: Regarding the
Commenter’s concerns with EPA’s
analysis for Brewton, EPA continues to
believe that the exclusion of Brewton
from the DRR modeling for Big
Escambia does not render the model
invalid for use in assessing interstate
transport of SO2 into the neighboring
state of Florida. EPA did not rely on the
modeling alone in drawing the
conclusion that, based on the
information available, sources in
Alabama will not significantly
contribute to nonattainment or interfere
with maintenance in other states.
Rather, EPA considered additional WOE
factors to evaluate potential impacts of
Alabama sources on air quality in other
states.
Relevant to the Commenter’s
contention, EPA considered the fact that
SO2 emissions at Brewton in 2017 were
103 tons and that the distance between
Brewton and Big Escambia is
approximately 24 km. EPA therefore
determined that it was not necessary for
this source to be included in the
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modeling because it is unlikely to
interact with the emissions from Big
Escambia.3 Since publication of the
NPRM, EPA evaluated more recent
emissions data from EPA’s Emissions
Inventory System which indicates that
Brewton emitted 27 tons of SO2 in
2018.4 A source with this magnitude of
emissions is unlikely to contribute to an
air quality problem in Florida,
regardless of Big Escambia’s impact in
the State. Further, with respect to the
significant decrease in emissions of SO2
since 2017, seven units at the facility
(three recovery furnace units, three
smelt dissolving tank units, and one
package boiler unit) have permanently
shut down as requested in the title V
permit renewal application submitted
by Brewton in June of 2017.5 In
addition, the No. 2 Power Boiler, rated
at 323 million British thermal units per
hour, is currently capable of burning
natural gas only.6 These recent changes
at the facility indicate that emissions
from Brewton are likely to remain low
in the future.
Thus, the WOE available regarding
Brewton indicates that it will not
contribute significantly to
nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance in any other state, and the
Commenter has not provided any
information to contradict EPA’s
determination. Therefore, EPA
continues to believe that the exclusion
of Brewton from Big Escambia’s
modeling is not problematic as it relates
to an evaluation of the interstate
transport of SO2 emissions into Florida,
and this modeling, weighed along with
other WOE factors described in the
NPRM, supports EPA’s conclusion that
Alabama has satisfied the good neighbor
provision for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS.
3 EPA performed a qualitative evaluation to assess
whether SO2 emissions from Brewton are impacting
Florida, the only neighboring state within 50 km of
this source. Because EPA does not have monitoring
or modeling data for Brewton, EPA evaluated its
2017 SO2 emissions, distance from the Alabama
border, and distances from sources in Florida with
SO2 emissions greater than 100 tons in 2017 and not
subject to EPA’s DRR as summarized in Table 5 of
the NPRM.
4 Brewton is located approximately 8 km from the
Alabama/Florida border.
5 In an email dated February 24, 2020, ADEM
provided an excerpt from Brewton’s June 2017 title
V permit renewal application requesting the
permanent shutdown of seven units at the facility.
These seven units are no longer included in
Brewton’s title V permit issued on January 17, 2018.
The February 24, 2020, email, June 2017 renewal
application excerpt, and the title V permit are
included in the docket for this action.
6 The Statement of Basis for the draft permit for
Brewton (A530001) title V significant modification
dated November 7, 2016, documenting ADEM’s
approval of the removal of all fuel burning
equipment at Power Boiler No. 2, is included in the
docket for this action.
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Response 1.b: Regarding the
Commenter’s statements about
emissions from the Big Escambia flare,7
the release characteristics of the flare,
specifically the tall stack height (42
meters), the exit velocity (20 meters/
second), and the high stack temperature
(1,273 degrees Kelvin), make it likely
that the emissions released from the
flare would be highly dispersive and
therefore concentrations would likely be
well below the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS
at the 8 km distance to the Florida
border.
A comparison of the flare
characteristics to other modeled sources
at Big Escambia, as well as the location
of the modeled design concentration
and the concentration gradient, also
support EPA’s conclusion. A
comparable source, the sulfur recovery
unit (incinerator—Source ID S1201),
with a stack height of 66 meters, an exit
velocity of 50 meters/second, and a
stack temperature of 617 degrees Kelvin
is the primary source of emissions at Big
Escambia. In ADEM’s modeling,
emissions from the incinerator were
varied hourly having a rate greater than
or equal to one-half of a ton per hour for
30 percent of the hours and a maximum
hourly rate of 3.7 tons per hour. Given
the similarities in the characteristics of
the flare to that of the incinerator, the
dispersion characteristics of the plume
from the flare are likewise expected to
be very similar to those of the plume
from the incinerator with regard to
modeled concentrations and
concentration gradient.
The area of maximum modeled
concentrations is bimodal, i.e., with two
areas of high concentrations located in
different directions from Big Escambia.
The modeled design concentration is
actually located at the northwestern
fenceline of the Big Escambia facility.
There is a secondary area of high
concentrations at the southern
fenceline. In both regions, the maximum
concentrations are located within a
distance of only 600–700 meters of the
incinerator, the primary SO2 source,
with a steep concentration gradient of
decreasing concentrations occurring
within the first kilometer beyond the
fenceline. The flare is located on the
northern side of the facility, about 250
meters northeast of the incinerator, and
is almost 1 km from the secondary area
of maximum modeled concentrations
near the southern fenceline, toward the
Florida border. Given the location of the
7 Alabama provided documentation on December
2, 2019, that indicated the discrepancy in emissions
for each of the modeled years was due to acid gas
being diverted to a flare, unit FL–02, when the
sulfur recovery unit was down during startup,
shutdown, malfunction or upset events.
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flare relative to the incinerator and the
distance of the flare to the southern Big
Escambia fenceline, additional
emissions from the flare would not be
expected to have a significant impact on
modeled concentrations at the Alabama/
Florida border. Based on EPA’s analysis
of the similar emissions from the
incinerator, EPA continues to believe
that the unmodeled SO2 emissions from
the flare would not result in a
significant concentration gradient in
Florida. In other words, the nature of
the flare and the distance from Big
Escambia to the Florida border make it
highly unlikely that the additional
emissions from the flare (stated by
Alabama to be due to startup, shutdown,
malfunction and upset conditions), had
they been included in the model, would
have increased modeled concentrations
in Florida to a level above the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS.
Response 1.c: EPA disagrees with the
Commenter’s assertion that the receptor
grid needs to be expanded before EPA
can approve Alabama’s SIP submittal as
meeting the CAA’s good neighbor
provision. As part of its WOE analysis,
EPA evaluated the issues with the
original DRR modeling for Big
Escambia 8 and how ADEM addressed
them for the purpose of assessing
interstate transport of SO2. In particular,
ADEM provided supplemental
information pertaining to Big
Escambia’s DRR modeling intended to
address the issues identified with the
original modeling for the purpose of
evaluating potential ambient air impacts
in the neighboring state of Florida (‘‘Big
Escambia Supplement’’).9 With respect
to Breitburn, the Big Escambia modeling
8 EPA identified issues with Big Escambia’s DRR
modeling in EPA’s proposed and final TSDs for
Alabama for designations under the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/
production/files/2017-08/documents/3_al_so2_rd3final.pdf (see pp. 90–92, 93–95) and https://
www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-12/
documents/03-al-so2-rd3-final.pdf (see p. 26). The
TSD to the NPRM is limited to an assessment of Big
Escambia’s DRR modeling in relation to the
interstate transport of SO2 (i.e., whether Alabama’s
SO2 emissions will contribute significantly to
nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in neighboring states).
The TSD does not address designations of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS nor does it reopen any
designations.
9 The Big Escambia Supplement files submitted
by ADEM in separate correspondence to EPA dated
September 5, 2019, September 20, 2019, September
25, 2019, December 2, 2019, and December 6, 2019,
are included in the docket for this final action at
www.regulations.gov at Docket ID No. EPA–R04–
OAR–2018–0792, with the exception of certain files
due to their nature and size and incompatibility
with the Federal Docket Management System.
These files are available at the EPA Region 4 office
for review. To request these files, please contact the
person listed in the notice associated with this TSD
under the section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
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included Breitburn at allowable
emissions, a level 6.4 times higher than
actual emissions in 2017, indicating that
ADEM’s assessment of Breitburn’s
impact within the modeling grid was
conservative. Additionally, the most
recent actual emissions available for the
Big Escambia facility in EPA’s
Emissions Inventory System database
were 2,990 tons/year in 2018. This level
is more than 500 tons/year less than the
Big Escambia emissions that were
modeled during 2013–2015 timeframe,
which also adds to the conservatism of
the modeling. Although the modeling
grid did not cover Breitburn, a portion
of the modeling grid did extend into
Florida and therefore assessed the
potential impacts of Breitburn and Big
Escambia within that portion of the
State.10 That analysis showed that the
maximum modeled impact in Florida
remained below the level of the 2010 1hour SO2 NAAQS.
While, as discussed above in response
to Comment 1.b, the Big Escambia
modeling did not include all emissions
from the flare, the inclusion of Breitburn
at its allowable emission levels
indicates that air quality at the
Alabama/Florida border is likely
characterized conservatively. Moreover,
given the response to Comment 1.b
above regarding the locations of the
areas of maximum modeled
concentrations in Alabama, their close
proximity to the modeled emission
sources at Big Escambia, and the nature
of the concentration gradients near Big
Escambia, EPA further concludes that it
is unlikely that there is a violation of the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS located in the
portions of Florida that extend outside
of the receptor grid where emissions
from Big Escambia may have an impact.
EPA continues to believe that the Big
Escambia DRR modeling and
Supplement provide a conservative
estimation of potential SO2 impacts in
Florida and Big Escambia’s lack of
significant contribution to impacts in
Florida when the factors discussed in
the NPRM and associated TSD are
weighed together.
10 The Commenter incorrectly asserts that the
distance from Breitburn to the Alabama/Florida
border is 13 km. Breitburn is located 4 km due
south of the border but is located 21 km Southeast
of Big Escambia. Big Escambia is located 8 km due
north of the border. Therefore, the distance between
the sources and the borders are not directly linear
as the Commenter asserts. The Big Escambia
modeling grid extends 15 km from Big Escambia in
all directions and approximately 7 km into Florida
in the direction due south of Big Escambia but does
not cover the Breitburn facility itself. EPA does not
believe this invalidates the Big Escambia modeling
for purposes of assessing transport into Florida as
explained in the NPRM and associated TSD and
this final rule.
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While EPA acknowledges that the
modeling grid does not address all
potential impacts within Florida from
the Breitburn and Big Escambia
emissions, in the absence of any
information demonstrating a potential
violation in Florida, EPA continues to
believe that the WOE analysis provided
in the NPRM is adequate to determine
the potential downwind impact from
Alabama to neighboring states. EPA’s
WOE analysis includes the following
factors: (1) Potential ambient air quality
impacts of SO2 emissions from certain
facilities in Alabama on neighboring
states based on available air dispersion
modeling results; (2) SO2 emissions
from Alabama sources; (3) SO2 ambient
air quality for Alabama and neighboring
states; (4) SIP-approved Alabama
regulations that address SO2 emissions;
and (5) Federal regulations that reduce
SO2 emissions at Alabama sources. This
information, when weighed together,
does not provide any indication of an
air quality problem in Florida due to
emissions from Alabama sources with
respect to the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS
and instead supports EPA’s conclusion
that, based on the available information,
Alabama will not significantly
contribute to nonattainment or interfere
with maintenance of the standard in
other states.
Response 1.d: Regarding the
Commenter’s suggestion that EPA
should rely on its own resources and
expertise to model whether or not
Alabama sources in Escambia County
significantly contribute to
nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance in Florida, EPA does not
believe the uncertainties of the
modeling performed by Alabama
identified in the NPRM invalidate
consideration of the modeling for
transport purposes as part of a WOE
analysis. EPA does not believe that
modeling is required in all cases under
CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) to
evaluate good neighbor obligations,
particularly where other available
information can be used to qualitatively
and quantitatively assess the potential
for downwind impacts from upwind
state emission sources. Here, EPA has
evaluated a number of different factors
in a WOE analysis based on available
information and found no basis to
conclude that Alabama emissions will
have an adverse impact on downwind
states in violation of the good neighbor
provision. Therefore, as stated in our
response to Comment 1.c, EPA
continues to believe that the WOE
analysis provided in the NPRM is
adequate to determine the potential
E:\FR\FM\10MRR1.SGM
10MRR1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 47 / Tuesday, March 10, 2020 / Rules and Regulations
downwind impact from Alabama to
neighboring states.
III. Final Action
EPA is approving Alabama’s August
20, 2018, SIP submission as
demonstrating that emissions from
Alabama will not contribute
significantly to nonattainment or
interfere with maintenance of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS in another state.
IV. 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 action merely approves
state law as meeting Federal
requirements and does not impose
additional requirements beyond those
imposed by state law. For that reason,
this action:
• Is not a significant regulatory action
subject to review by the Office of
Management and Budget under
Executive Orders 12866 (58 FR 51735,
October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821,
January 21, 2011);
• Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82
FR 9339, February 2, 2017) regulatory
action because 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.
The Congressional Review Act, 5
U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides
that before a rule may take effect, the
agency promulgating the rule must
submit a rule report, which includes a
copy of the rule, to each House of the
Congress and to the Comptroller General
of the United States. EPA will submit a
report containing this action and other
required information to the U.S. Senate,
the U.S. House of Representatives, and
the Comptroller General of the United
States prior to publication of the rule in
the Federal Register. A major rule
cannot take effect until 60 days after it
is published in the Federal Register.
13759
This action is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as
defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA,
petitions for judicial review of this
action must be filed in the United States
Court of Appeals for the appropriate
circuit by May 11, 2020 Filing a petition
for reconsideration by the Administrator
of this final rule does not affect the
finality of this action for the purposes of
judicial review nor does it extend the
time within which a petition for judicial
review may be filed, and shall not
postpone the effectiveness of such rule
or action. This action may not be
challenged later in proceedings to
enforce its requirements. See section
307(b)(2).
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.
Dated: February 27, 2020.
Mary S. Walker,
Regional Administrator, Region 4.
For the reasons set out in the
preamble, 40 CFR part 52 is amended as
follows:
PART 52—APPROVAL AND
PROMULGATION OF
IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart B—Alabama
2. Section 52.50(e) is amended by
adding an entry for ‘‘110(a)(1) and (2)
Infrastructure Requirements for the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS’’ at the end of the
table to read as follows:
■
§ 52.50
*
Identification of plan.
*
*
(e) * * *
*
*
EPA APPROVED ALABAMA NON-REGULATORY PROVISIONS
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES
Name of nonregulatory SIP provision
Applicable
geographic or
nonattainment area
State submittal
date/effective
date
*
*
*
110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure Re- Alabama .....................
quirements for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS.
*
8/20/2018
EPA approval date
Explanation
*
*
3/10/2020, [Insert citation of publication].
*
Addressing Prongs 1 and 2 of section
110(a)(2)(D)(i) only.
[FR Doc. 2020–04656 Filed 3–9–20; 8:45 am]
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 10, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13755-13759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04656]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R04-OAR-2018-0792; FRL-10006-25-Region 4]
Air Plan Approval; AL; 2010 1-Hour SO2 NAAQS Transport
Infrastructure
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving
Alabama's August 20, 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 has determined that Alabama will not
contribute significantly to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance
of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other state. Therefore,
EPA is approving the August 20, 2018, SIP revision as meeting the
requirements of the good neighbor provision for the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS.
DATES: This rule will be effective April 9, 2020.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket
Identification No. EPA-R04-OAR-2018-0792. All documents in the docket
are listed on the www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the
index, some information may not be publicly available, i.e.,
Confidential Business Information or other information whose disclosure
is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted
material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available
only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are
available either electronically through www.regulations.gov or in hard
copy at the 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. EPA requests that if at all possible, you contact the
person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
[[Page 13756]]
CONTACT section to schedule your inspection. The Regional Office's
official hours of business are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., excluding Federal holidays.
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
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). Pursuant to section
110(a)(1) of the CAA, states are required to submit SIPs meeting the
applicable requirements of section 110(a)(2) within three years after
promulgation of a new or revised NAAQS or within such shorter period as
EPA may prescribe. These SIPs, which EPA has historically referred to
as ``infrastructure SIPs,'' are to provide for the ``implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement'' of such NAAQS, and the requirements are
designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air
quality management program are adequate to meet the state's
responsibility under the CAA. Section 110(a) of the CAA requires states
to make a SIP submission to EPA for a new or revised NAAQS, but the
contents of individual state submissions may vary depending upon the
facts and circumstances. The content of the changes in such SIP
submissions may also vary depending upon what provisions the state's
approved SIP already contains. Section 110(a)(2) requires states to
address basic SIP elements such as requirements for monitoring, basic
program requirements, and legal authority that are designed to assure
attainment and maintenance of the NAAQS.
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).
Through a letter dated August 20, 2018,\1\ the Alabama Department
of Environmental Management (ADEM) submitted a revision to the Alabama
SIP addressing prongs 1 and 2 of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. EPA is approving ADEM's August 20,
2018, SIP submission because the State demonstrated that Alabama 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 Alabama
are addressed in separate rulemakings.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ EPA received ADEM's August 20, 2018, SIP submission on
August 27, 2018.
\2\ EPA acted on all other infrastructure elements for the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS for Alabama on January 12, 2017 (82 FR
3637), October 12, 2017 (82 FR 47393), and July 6, 2018 (83 FR
31454).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on December 31,
2019 (84 FR 72278), EPA proposed to approve Alabama's August 20, 2018,
SIP revision for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. The details of
the SIP revision and the rationale for EPA's action is explained in the
NPRM. Comments on the proposed rulemaking were due on or before January
30, 2020. EPA received two sets of adverse comments from anonymous
commenters (collectively referred to as the ``Commenter''). These
comments are included in the docket for this final action. EPA has
summarized the comments and provided responses below.
II. Response to Comments
Comment 1: The Commenter states that EPA has not demonstrated that
Alabama will not contribute significantly to nonattainment or interfere
with maintenance of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other
state. The Commenter claims this is ``best evidenced'' in Escambia
County, Alabama, and disputes EPA's proposed finding in the NPRM that
no further analysis is necessary for assessing the potential impacts of
the interstate transport of SO2 emissions from Escambia
Operating Company--Big Escambia Creek Plant (Big Escambia). The
Commenter asserts that there are gaps in EPA's analysis, and as
summarized below, raises specific concerns regarding several aspects of
the analysis of Big Escambia as it relates to interstate transport of
SO2 emissions.
Comment 1.a: The Commenter notes that EPA identified Georgia-
Pacific's Brewton LLC facility (Brewton) as a possible contributor to
modeled violations but that the facility was not included in the Big
Escambia modeling for EPA's Data Requirements Rule (DRR). The Commenter
asserts that the decrease in SO2 emissions from Brewton from
2014 to 2017 (972 tons to 103 tons) identified in the NPRM's Technical
Support Document (TSD) ``does not unequivocally mean that there is no
transport of SO2 (or causation or contribution to
nonattainment)'' in Florida. The Commenter claims that EPA's belief
that excluding Brewton from the model does not invalidate the model and
does not answer the question as to whether there is transport from the
facility, and that EPA should offer some weight of evidence (WOE),
model Brewton, or ask the State to model Brewton, in order to
demonstrate no transport of SO2 emissions from Brewton into
the neighboring state of Florida.
Comment 1.b: The Commenter further indicates a concern with the
lack of modeling of certain emissions from the Big Escambia facility.
The Commenter notes that EPA's TSD indicates the fact that the
difference in the lower modeled emissions and the higher reported
emissions at Big Escambia (a difference of 1,575.6 tons in 2014) is due
to emissions being diverted to a flare at the facility. The Commenter
states that EPA did not consider the emission release characteristics
and asserts that EPA's estimate of what the unmodeled concentrations
would be in Florida from the flare is therefore ``unsubstantiated.''
The Commenter also notes that EPA assumed that the increase in
concentrations from the flare would increase overall concentrations at
Big Escambia by 50 percent (%) and argues that ``some explanation of
how the emissions from the flare are released and where the maximum
impacts will occur is necessary instead of just adding 50% to highest
modeled impact from the source based on emissions changes alone''
because ``[e]missions changes alone are not directly proportional to
modeled impacts.''
Comment 1.c: The Commenter notes that, although the Big Escambia
DRR modeling receptor grid extended into Florida, the grid did not
extend 13 kilometers (km) into Florida, which the Commenter asserts is
the approximate distance from the Florida border to Breitburn
Operating, L.P. (Breitburn), a source located in Florida. The Commenter
therefore asserts that there is ``an unmodeled area in Florida for
which we don't know the air quality impacts.'' The Commenter further
states that given the maximum reported SO2 concentration
(58.8 ppb) from the Big
[[Page 13757]]
Escambia modeling, the 1,575.6 unmodeled tons of SO2 from
the flare at Big Escambia, and the unmodeled space between Breitburn
and the Alabama/Florida border, EPA's conclusion that sources in
Alabama will not contribute significantly to nonattainment or interfere
with maintenance of the NAAQS in any other state is ``off base.'' The
Commenter claims that EPA should either ask the State to ``properly
model'' Big Escambia with the flare emissions and the entire land area
between the Alabama and Florida sources included or EPA should rerun
the modeling.
Comment 1.d: The Commenter states that EPA often responds to
comments such as this by saying that the Commenter has not provided
evidence indicating a contribution to nonattainment or interference
with maintenance and standing by its conclusions. The Commenter argues
that private citizens and organizations do not have the expertise or
resources to perform the necessary modeling to provide definitive
answers like EPA does, and asks why EPA doesn't run the modeling for
Big Escambia properly ``instead of making unsubstantiated technical
assumptions that run counter to why modeling is used in the first
place.''
Response 1: EPA disagrees with the Commenter's claim that EPA has
not demonstrated that Alabama will not contribute significantly to
nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the 2010 1-hour
SO2 NAAQS in any other state and responds to the Commenter's
specific concerns below.
Response 1.a: Regarding the Commenter's concerns with EPA's
analysis for Brewton, EPA continues to believe that the exclusion of
Brewton from the DRR modeling for Big Escambia does not render the
model invalid for use in assessing interstate transport of
SO2 into the neighboring state of Florida. EPA did not rely
on the modeling alone in drawing the conclusion that, based on the
information available, sources in Alabama will not significantly
contribute to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance in other
states. Rather, EPA considered additional WOE factors to evaluate
potential impacts of Alabama sources on air quality in other states.
Relevant to the Commenter's contention, EPA considered the fact
that SO2 emissions at Brewton in 2017 were 103 tons and that
the distance between Brewton and Big Escambia is approximately 24 km.
EPA therefore determined that it was not necessary for this source to
be included in the modeling because it is unlikely to interact with the
emissions from Big Escambia.\3\ Since publication of the NPRM, EPA
evaluated more recent emissions data from EPA's Emissions Inventory
System which indicates that Brewton emitted 27 tons of SO2
in 2018.\4\ A source with this magnitude of emissions is unlikely to
contribute to an air quality problem in Florida, regardless of Big
Escambia's impact in the State. Further, with respect to the
significant decrease in emissions of SO2 since 2017, seven
units at the facility (three recovery furnace units, three smelt
dissolving tank units, and one package boiler unit) have permanently
shut down as requested in the title V permit renewal application
submitted by Brewton in June of 2017.\5\ In addition, the No. 2 Power
Boiler, rated at 323 million British thermal units per hour, is
currently capable of burning natural gas only.\6\ These recent changes
at the facility indicate that emissions from Brewton are likely to
remain low in the future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ EPA performed a qualitative evaluation to assess whether
SO2 emissions from Brewton are impacting Florida, the
only neighboring state within 50 km of this source. Because EPA does
not have monitoring or modeling data for Brewton, EPA evaluated its
2017 SO2 emissions, distance from the Alabama border, and
distances from sources in Florida with SO2 emissions
greater than 100 tons in 2017 and not subject to EPA's DRR as
summarized in Table 5 of the NPRM.
\4\ Brewton is located approximately 8 km from the Alabama/
Florida border.
\5\ In an email dated February 24, 2020, ADEM provided an
excerpt from Brewton's June 2017 title V permit renewal application
requesting the permanent shutdown of seven units at the facility.
These seven units are no longer included in Brewton's title V permit
issued on January 17, 2018. The February 24, 2020, email, June 2017
renewal application excerpt, and the title V permit are included in
the docket for this action.
\6\ The Statement of Basis for the draft permit for Brewton
(A530001) title V significant modification dated November 7, 2016,
documenting ADEM's approval of the removal of all fuel burning
equipment at Power Boiler No. 2, is included in the docket for this
action.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus, the WOE available regarding Brewton indicates that it will
not contribute significantly to nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance in any other state, and the Commenter has not provided any
information to contradict EPA's determination. Therefore, EPA continues
to believe that the exclusion of Brewton from Big Escambia's modeling
is not problematic as it relates to an evaluation of the interstate
transport of SO2 emissions into Florida, and this modeling,
weighed along with other WOE factors described in the NPRM, supports
EPA's conclusion that Alabama has satisfied the good neighbor provision
for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
Response 1.b: Regarding the Commenter's statements about emissions
from the Big Escambia flare,\7\ the release characteristics of the
flare, specifically the tall stack height (42 meters), the exit
velocity (20 meters/second), and the high stack temperature (1,273
degrees Kelvin), make it likely that the emissions released from the
flare would be highly dispersive and therefore concentrations would
likely be well below the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS at the 8 km
distance to the Florida border.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Alabama provided documentation on December 2, 2019, that
indicated the discrepancy in emissions for each of the modeled years
was due to acid gas being diverted to a flare, unit FL-02, when the
sulfur recovery unit was down during startup, shutdown, malfunction
or upset events.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A comparison of the flare characteristics to other modeled sources
at Big Escambia, as well as the location of the modeled design
concentration and the concentration gradient, also support EPA's
conclusion. A comparable source, the sulfur recovery unit
(incinerator--Source ID S1201), with a stack height of 66 meters, an
exit velocity of 50 meters/second, and a stack temperature of 617
degrees Kelvin is the primary source of emissions at Big Escambia. In
ADEM's modeling, emissions from the incinerator were varied hourly
having a rate greater than or equal to one-half of a ton per hour for
30 percent of the hours and a maximum hourly rate of 3.7 tons per hour.
Given the similarities in the characteristics of the flare to that of
the incinerator, the dispersion characteristics of the plume from the
flare are likewise expected to be very similar to those of the plume
from the incinerator with regard to modeled concentrations and
concentration gradient.
The area of maximum modeled concentrations is bimodal, i.e., with
two areas of high concentrations located in different directions from
Big Escambia. The modeled design concentration is actually located at
the northwestern fenceline of the Big Escambia facility. There is a
secondary area of high concentrations at the southern fenceline. In
both regions, the maximum concentrations are located within a distance
of only 600-700 meters of the incinerator, the primary SO2
source, with a steep concentration gradient of decreasing
concentrations occurring within the first kilometer beyond the
fenceline. The flare is located on the northern side of the facility,
about 250 meters northeast of the incinerator, and is almost 1 km from
the secondary area of maximum modeled concentrations near the southern
fenceline, toward the Florida border. Given the location of the
[[Page 13758]]
flare relative to the incinerator and the distance of the flare to the
southern Big Escambia fenceline, additional emissions from the flare
would not be expected to have a significant impact on modeled
concentrations at the Alabama/Florida border. Based on EPA's analysis
of the similar emissions from the incinerator, EPA continues to believe
that the unmodeled SO2 emissions from the flare would not
result in a significant concentration gradient in Florida. In other
words, the nature of the flare and the distance from Big Escambia to
the Florida border make it highly unlikely that the additional
emissions from the flare (stated by Alabama to be due to startup,
shutdown, malfunction and upset conditions), had they been included in
the model, would have increased modeled concentrations in Florida to a
level above the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
Response 1.c: EPA disagrees with the Commenter's assertion that the
receptor grid needs to be expanded before EPA can approve Alabama's SIP
submittal as meeting the CAA's good neighbor provision. As part of its
WOE analysis, EPA evaluated the issues with the original DRR modeling
for Big Escambia \8\ and how ADEM addressed them for the purpose of
assessing interstate transport of SO2. In particular, ADEM
provided supplemental information pertaining to Big Escambia's DRR
modeling intended to address the issues identified with the original
modeling for the purpose of evaluating potential ambient air impacts in
the neighboring state of Florida (``Big Escambia Supplement'').\9\ With
respect to Breitburn, the Big Escambia modeling included Breitburn at
allowable emissions, a level 6.4 times higher than actual emissions in
2017, indicating that ADEM's assessment of Breitburn's impact within
the modeling grid was conservative. Additionally, the most recent
actual emissions available for the Big Escambia facility in EPA's
Emissions Inventory System database were 2,990 tons/year in 2018. This
level is more than 500 tons/year less than the Big Escambia emissions
that were modeled during 2013-2015 timeframe, which also adds to the
conservatism of the modeling. Although the modeling grid did not cover
Breitburn, a portion of the modeling grid did extend into Florida and
therefore assessed the potential impacts of Breitburn and Big Escambia
within that portion of the State.\10\ That analysis showed that the
maximum modeled impact in Florida remained below the level of the 2010
1-hour SO2 NAAQS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ EPA identified issues with Big Escambia's DRR modeling in
EPA's proposed and final TSDs for Alabama for designations under the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-08/documents/3_al_so2_rd3-final.pdf (see pp.
90-92, 93-95) and https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-12/documents/03-al-so2-rd3-final.pdf (see p. 26). The TSD to the
NPRM is limited to an assessment of Big Escambia's DRR modeling in
relation to the interstate transport of SO2 (i.e.,
whether Alabama's SO2 emissions will contribute
significantly to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in neighboring states). The TSD
does not address designations of the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS nor does it reopen any designations.
\9\ The Big Escambia Supplement files submitted by ADEM in
separate correspondence to EPA dated September 5, 2019, September
20, 2019, September 25, 2019, December 2, 2019, and December 6,
2019, are included in the docket for this final action at
www.regulations.gov at Docket ID No. EPA-R04-OAR-2018-0792, with the
exception of certain files due to their nature and size and
incompatibility with the Federal Docket Management System. These
files are available at the EPA Region 4 office for review. To
request these files, please contact the person listed in the notice
associated with this TSD under the section titled FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
\10\ The Commenter incorrectly asserts that the distance from
Breitburn to the Alabama/Florida border is 13 km. Breitburn is
located 4 km due south of the border but is located 21 km Southeast
of Big Escambia. Big Escambia is located 8 km due north of the
border. Therefore, the distance between the sources and the borders
are not directly linear as the Commenter asserts. The Big Escambia
modeling grid extends 15 km from Big Escambia in all directions and
approximately 7 km into Florida in the direction due south of Big
Escambia but does not cover the Breitburn facility itself. EPA does
not believe this invalidates the Big Escambia modeling for purposes
of assessing transport into Florida as explained in the NPRM and
associated TSD and this final rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While, as discussed above in response to Comment 1.b, the Big
Escambia modeling did not include all emissions from the flare, the
inclusion of Breitburn at its allowable emission levels indicates that
air quality at the Alabama/Florida border is likely characterized
conservatively. Moreover, given the response to Comment 1.b above
regarding the locations of the areas of maximum modeled concentrations
in Alabama, their close proximity to the modeled emission sources at
Big Escambia, and the nature of the concentration gradients near Big
Escambia, EPA further concludes that it is unlikely that there is a
violation of the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS located in the
portions of Florida that extend outside of the receptor grid where
emissions from Big Escambia may have an impact. EPA continues to
believe that the Big Escambia DRR modeling and Supplement provide a
conservative estimation of potential SO2 impacts in Florida
and Big Escambia's lack of significant contribution to impacts in
Florida when the factors discussed in the NPRM and associated TSD are
weighed together.
While EPA acknowledges that the modeling grid does not address all
potential impacts within Florida from the Breitburn and Big Escambia
emissions, in the absence of any information demonstrating a potential
violation in Florida, EPA continues to believe that the WOE analysis
provided in the NPRM is adequate to determine the potential downwind
impact from Alabama to neighboring states. EPA's WOE analysis includes
the following factors: (1) Potential ambient air quality impacts of
SO2 emissions from certain facilities in Alabama on
neighboring states based on available air dispersion modeling results;
(2) SO2 emissions from Alabama sources; (3) SO2
ambient air quality for Alabama and neighboring states; (4) SIP-
approved Alabama regulations that address SO2 emissions; and
(5) Federal regulations that reduce SO2 emissions at Alabama
sources. This information, when weighed together, does not provide any
indication of an air quality problem in Florida due to emissions from
Alabama sources with respect to the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS
and instead supports EPA's conclusion that, based on the available
information, Alabama will not significantly contribute to nonattainment
or interfere with maintenance of the standard in other states.
Response 1.d: Regarding the Commenter's suggestion that EPA should
rely on its own resources and expertise to model whether or not Alabama
sources in Escambia County significantly contribute to nonattainment or
interfere with maintenance in Florida, EPA does not believe the
uncertainties of the modeling performed by Alabama identified in the
NPRM invalidate consideration of the modeling for transport purposes as
part of a WOE analysis. EPA does not believe that modeling is required
in all cases under CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) to evaluate good
neighbor obligations, particularly where other available information
can be used to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the potential
for downwind impacts from upwind state emission sources. Here, EPA has
evaluated a number of different factors in a WOE analysis based on
available information and found no basis to conclude that Alabama
emissions will have an adverse impact on downwind states in violation
of the good neighbor provision. Therefore, as stated in our response to
Comment 1.c, EPA continues to believe that the WOE analysis provided in
the NPRM is adequate to determine the potential
[[Page 13759]]
downwind impact from Alabama to neighboring states.
III. Final Action
EPA is approving Alabama's August 20, 2018, SIP submission as
demonstrating that emissions from Alabama will not contribute
significantly to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the
2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in another state.
IV. 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 action merely
approves state law as meeting Federal requirements and does not impose
additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law. For that
reason, this action:
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to review
by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Orders 12866 (58
FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011);
Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 2,
2017) regulatory action because 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.
The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the
United States. EPA will submit a report containing this action and
other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot
take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal
Register. This action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C.
804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for
the appropriate circuit by May 11, 2020 Filing a petition for
reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect
the finality of this action for the purposes of judicial review nor
does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may
be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such rule or
action. This action may not be challenged later in proceedings to
enforce its requirements. See section 307(b)(2).
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.
Dated: February 27, 2020.
Mary S. Walker,
Regional Administrator, Region 4.
For the reasons set out in the preamble, 40 CFR part 52 is amended
as follows:
PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
0
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart B--Alabama
0
2. Section 52.50(e) is amended by adding an entry for ``110(a)(1) and
(2) Infrastructure Requirements for the 2010 1-hour SO2
NAAQS'' at the end of the table to read as follows:
Sec. 52.50 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(e) * * *
EPA Approved Alabama Non-Regulatory Provisions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State submittal
Name of nonregulatory SIP Applicable geographic or date/effective EPA approval Explanation
provision nonattainment area date date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
110(a)(1) and (2) Alabama................... 8/20/2018 3/10/2020, Addressing
Infrastructure Requirements [Insert Prongs 1 and 2
for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. citation of of section
publication]. 110(a)(2)(D)(i)
only.
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[FR Doc. 2020-04656 Filed 3-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P