Air Quality Implementation Plan; California; Calaveras County Air Pollution Control District and Mariposa County Air Pollution Control District; Stationary Source Permits, 43785-43787 [2020-14823]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 139 / Monday, July 20, 2020 / Proposed Rules
(d) The Director shall issue a response
to a request by a concessioner to change
rates and charges to the public within
30 days of receipt of a complete and
timely request in accordance with the
conditions described in the contract
when possible. If the Director does not
approve of the rates and charges
proposed by the concessioner, the
Director must provide in writing the
basis for any disapproval at the time of
the response by the Director.
■ 11. Amend § 51.87 by adding
paragraph (i) to read as follows:
§ 51.87 Does the concessioner have an
unconditional right to receive the Director’s
approval of an assignment or
encumbrance?
*
*
*
*
*
(i) That a concession contract may not
be assigned within twenty-four months
following the effective date of the
contract, unless the proposed
assignment is compelled by
circumstances beyond the control of the
assigning concessioner.
George Wallace,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and
Parks.
[FR Doc. 2020–15650 Filed 7–16–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–51–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R09–OAR–2019–0498; FRL–10011–
38–Region 9]
Air Quality Implementation Plan;
California; Calaveras County Air
Pollution Control District and Mariposa
County Air Pollution Control District;
Stationary Source Permits
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Proposed rule.
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a
revision to the Calaveras County Air
Pollution Control District (CCAPCD)
and the Mariposa County Air Pollution
Control District (MCAPCD) portions of
the California State Implementation
Plan (SIP). In this action, we are
proposing to approve two rules, one
submitted by the CCAPCD and the other
by the MCAPCD, governing the issuance
of permits for stationary sources,
focusing on the preconstruction review
and permitting of major sources and
major modifications under part D of title
I of the Clean Air Act (CAA or ‘‘the
Act’’). We are taking comments on this
proposal and a final action will follow.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before August 19, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R09–
OAR–2019–0498 at https://
www.regulations.gov, or via email to
R9AirPermits@epa.gov. For comments
submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments
cannot be removed or edited from
Regulations.gov. For either manner of
submission, the EPA may publish any
comment received to its public docket.
Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information the disclosure of
which is restricted by statute.
Multimedia submissions (audio, video,
etc.) must be accompanied by a written
comment. The written comment is
considered the official comment and
should include discussion of all points
you wish to make. The EPA will
generally not consider comments or
comment contents located outside of the
primary submission (i.e., on the web,
SUMMARY:
43785
cloud, or other file sharing system). For
additional submission methods, please
contact the person identified in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
For the full EPA public comment policy,
information about CBI and multimedia
submissions, and general guidance on
making effective comments, please visit
https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/
commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Maggie Waldon or Amber Batchelder,
EPA Region IX, 75 Hawthorne St., San
Francisco, CA 94105. By phone: (415)
972–3987 or (415) 947–4174, or by
email at waldon.margaret@epa.gov or
batchelder.amber@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document, the terms
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to the EPA.
Table of Contents
I. The State’s Submittal
A. What rules did the State submit?
B. Are there other versions of these rules?
C. What is the purpose of the submitted
rules?
II. The EPA’s Evaluation
A. What is the background for today’s
proposal?
B. How is the EPA evaluating the rules?
C. Do the rules meet the evaluation
criteria?
III. Proposed Action and Public Comment
IV. Incorporation by Reference
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. The State’s Submittal
A. What rules did the State submit?
Table 1 lists the rules addressed by
this proposal including the dates they
were adopted by each District and
submitted to the EPA by the California
Air Resources Board (CARB or ‘‘the
State’’).
TABLE 1—SUBMITTED RULES
District
Rule or regulation No.
Rule title
Calaveras County APCD ..
Rule 428 ..........................
Mariposa County APCD ....
Regulation XI ...................
NSR Requirements for New and Modified Major
Sources in Nonattainment Areas.
NSR Requirements for New and Modified Major
Sources in the Mariposa County Air Pollution
Control District.
For areas designated nonattainment
for one or more National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS), the
applicable SIP must include
preconstruction review and permitting
requirements for new or modified major
stationary sources of such
nonattainment pollutant(s) under part D
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of title I of the Act, commonly referred
to as Nonattainment New Source
Review (NNSR). The rules listed in
Table 1 contain the relevant District’s
NNSR permit program applicable to
new and modified major sources located
PO 00000
Adopted
Submitted 1
03/12/19
04/05/19
03/12/19
04/05/19
in areas designated nonattainment for
any ozoneNAAQS.
The EPA issued final rules on
February 3, 2017, and December 11,
2017, that found (among other things)
that the CCAPCD and the MCAPCD had
1 Each submittal was transmitted to the EPA via
a letter from CARB dated April 3, 2019.
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 139 / Monday, July 20, 2020 / Proposed Rules
failed to submit to the EPA for SIP
approval an NNSR program as required
for areas designated nonattainment for
the 2008 Ozone NAAQS.2 These
findings of failure to submit triggered
sanctions clocks, as per CAA section
179.
On April 12, 2019, the EPA
determined that the California SIP
submittals listed above in Table 1 met
the completeness criteria in 40 CFR part
51, appendix V, which must be met
before formal EPA review.3 The EPA’s
April 12, 2019 findings of completeness
represented the EPA’s determination
that the NNSR-related deficiencies that
formed the basis for the February 3,
2017 and December 11, 2017 findings of
failure to submit had been corrected,
and as a result, the associated sanctions
and running of the sanctions clocks
were permanently stopped.4 See 40 CFR
52.31(d)(5).
B. Are there other versions of these
rules?
There are no previous versions of
CCAPCD Rule 428 or MCAPCD
Regulation XI in the California SIP.
C. What is the purpose of the submitted
rules?
CCAPCD Rule 428 and MCAPCD
Regulation XI are intended to address
the CAA’s statutory and regulatory
requirements for NNSR permit programs
for major sources emitting
nonattainment air pollutants and their
precursors.
II. The EPA’s Evaluation
A. What is the background for today’s
proposal?
As federal ozone nonattainment areas,
Calaveras and Mariposa Counties are
required to have an approved NNSR
program in the California SIP. Below,
we provide the ozone designation
history for each area, which forms the
basis for each District’s NNSR program
needed to satisfy the NNSR
requirements applicable to Moderate
ozone nonattainment areas.
On July 18, 1997, the EPA issued a
final rule revising the primary and
secondary NAAQS for ozone to
establish new 8-hour standards of 0.08
ppm.5 On April 30, 2004, the EPA
issued a final rule designating Calaveras
2 See
82 FR 9158; 82 FR 58118.
letter dated April 12, 2019 from Elizabeth
J. Adams, US EPA Region 9, to Richard Corey,
CARB, regarding the April 5, 2019 submittal of
CCAPCD Rule 428; and letter dated April 12, 2019
from Elizabeth J. Adams, US EPA Region 9, to
Richard Corey, CARB, regarding the April 5, 2019
submittal of MCAPCD Regulation XI.
4 See id.
5 40 CFR 50.10; see 62 FR 38856, 38894–38895.
3 See
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18:03 Jul 17, 2020
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and Mariposa Counties as
nonattainment for the 1997 8-hour
ozone NAAQS, effective June 15, 2004.6
On May 14, 2012, Calaveras and
Mariposa Counties were reclassified as
Moderate nonattainment for the 1997
ozone NAAQS.7 On December 3, 2012,
the EPA issued a final rule that
determined that Calaveras and Mariposa
Counties had attained the 1997 ozone
NAAQS by the attainment date.8
On March 27, 2008, the EPA issued a
final rule revising the NAAQS for
ozone, reducing the standards to a level
of 0.075 ppm.9 On May 21, 2012, the
EPA issued a final rule designating
Calaveras County and Mariposa County
as nonattainment for the 2008 8-hour
ozone NAAQS, with a Marginal
classification.10 On May 4, 2016, the
EPA issued a final rule that determined
that Calaveras County had attained the
2008 ozone NAAQS by the attainment
date, and that Mariposa County had not
attained the 2008 ozone NAAQS by the
attainment date and would therefore be
reclassified as a Moderate
nonattainment area.11 On August 23,
2019, the EPA issued a final rule that
determined that Mariposa County had
attained the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS
by the July 20, 2018 applicable
attainment date.12
On October 26, 2015, the EPA issued
a final rule revising the NAAQS for
ozone, reducing the standards to a level
of 0.070 ppm.13 On June 4, 2018, the
EPA issued a final rule designating
Calaveras County and Mariposa County
as nonattainment for the 2015 8-hour
ozone NAAQS, with a Marginal
classification.14
The designation of Calaveras and
Mariposa Counties as federal ozone
nonattainment areas triggered the
requirement for each of these Districts to
develop and submit an NNSR program
to the EPA for approval into the
California SIP.15 The Districts’ NNSR
programs must satisfy the NNSR
requirements applicable to Moderate
6 69
7 77
FR 23858, 23881, 23885.
FR 28424; see also 77 FR 43521 (July 25,
2012).
8 77 FR 71551.
9 40 CFR 50.15; see 73 FR 16436, 16511.
10 77 FR 30088, 30099, 30103.
11 81 FR 26697.
12 84 FR 44238.
13 40 CFR 50.19; see 80 FR 65292, 65452.
14 40 CFR 81.305; see 83 FR 25776, 25786, 25788.
15 40 CFR 51.1100(o)(14), 51.1105(a), 51.1114,
51.1314. We note that, as a result of the EPA’s
determination that an area has attained a NAAQS
by the attainment date, those SIP elements related
to attaining the NAAQS are suspended for so long
as the area continues to attain the standard;
however, the requirement for an NNSR program is
not one of the SIP elements suspended as a result
of such a determination. See, e.g., 40 CFR 51.1118.
PO 00000
Frm 00044
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
ozone nonattainment areas, as this is the
highest ozone nonattainment
classification to which each District is
subject.16
On April 5, 2019, CARB submitted to
the EPA for SIP approval, via
correspondence dated April 3, 2019,
CCAPCD Rule 428, ‘‘NSR Requirements
for New and Modified Major Sources in
Nonattainment Areas,’’ and MCAPCD
Regulation XI, ‘‘NSR Requirements for
New and Modified Major Sources in the
Mariposa County Air Pollution Control
District,’’ each of which had been
adopted by the respective District on
March 12, 2019.
B. How is the EPA evaluating the rules?
The EPA reviewed CCAPCD Rule 428
and MCAPCD Regulation XI for
compliance with CAA requirements for:
(1) Stationary source preconstruction
permitting programs as set forth in CAA
part D, including CAA sections 172(c)(5)
and 173; (2) the review and
modification of major sources in
accordance with 40 CFR 51.160–51.165
as applicable in a Moderate ozone
nonattainment area; (3) the review of
new major stationary sources or major
modifications in a designated
nonattainment area that may have an
impact on visibility in any mandatory
Class I Federal area in accordance with
40 CFR 51.307; (4) SIPs in general as set
forth in CAA sections 110(a)(2),
including 110(a)(2)(A) and
110(a)(2)(E)(i); 17 and (5) SIP revisions as
set forth in CAA section 110(l) 18 and
193.19 Our review evaluated the
submittals for compliance with the
NNSR requirements applicable to
nonattainment areas designated
Moderate, and ensured that the
submittals addressed the NNSR
requirements for the 1997, 2008 and
2015 ozone NAAQS.
16 40
CFR 51.1105(a).
section 110(a)(2)(A) requires that
regulations submitted to the EPA for SIP approval
be clear and legally enforceable, and CAA section
110(a)(2)(E)(i) requires that states have adequate
personnel, funding, and authority under state law
to carry out their proposed SIP revisions.
18 CAA section 110(l) requires SIP revisions to be
subject to reasonable notice and public hearing
prior to adoption and submittal by states to EPA
and prohibits EPA from approving any SIP revision
that would interfere with any applicable
requirement concerning attainment and reasonable
further progress, or any other applicable
requirement of the CAA.
19 CAA section 193 prohibits the modification of
any SIP-approved control requirement in effect
before November 15, 1990 in a nonattainment area,
unless the modification ensures equivalent or
greater emission reductions of the relevant
pollutants.
17 CAA
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 139 / Monday, July 20, 2020 / Proposed Rules
C. Do the rules meet the evaluation
criteria?
With respect to procedural
requirements, CAA sections 110(a)(2)
and 110(l) require that revisions to a SIP
be adopted by the state after reasonable
notice and public hearing. Based on our
review of the public process
documentation included in the April 5,
2019 submittal of CCAPCD Rule 428
and MCAPCD Regulation XI, we find
that the CCAPCD and MCAPCD have
provided sufficient evidence of public
notice, opportunity for comment and a
public hearing prior to adoption and
submittal of these rules to the EPA.
With respect to the substantive
requirements found in CAA sections
172(c)(5) and 173, and 40 CFR 51.160–
51.165, we have evaluated CCAPCD
Rule 428 and MCAPCD Regulation XI in
accordance with the applicable CAA
and regulatory requirements that apply
to NNSR permit programs under part D
of title I of the Act for all relevant ozone
NAAQS, including the 2015 ozone
NAAQS. We find that CCAPCD Rule
428 and MCAPCD Regulation XI satisfy
these requirements as they apply to
sources subject to NNSR permit program
requirements for ozone nonattainment
areas classified as Moderate. We have
also determined that these rules satisfy
the related visibility requirements in 40
CFR 51.307. In addition, we have
determined that the Rule 428 and
Regulation XI rules satisfy the
requirement in CAA section 110(a)(2)(A)
that regulations submitted to the EPA
for SIP approval be clear and legally
enforceable, and have determined that
the submittals demonstrate in
accordance with CAA section
110(a)(2)(E)(i) that the Districts have
adequate personnel, funding, and
authority under state law to carry out
these proposed SIP revisions.
Our Technical Support Documents,
which can be found in the docket for
this rule, contain a more detailed
discussion of our analysis of Rule 428
and Regulation XI.
III. Proposed Action and Public
Comment
As authorized in section 110(k)(3) of
the Act, the EPA is proposing to
approve the submitted rules because
they fulfill all relevant CAA
requirements. We have concluded that
our approval of the submitted rules
would comply with the relevant
provisions of CAA sections 110(a)(2),
110(l), 172(c)(5), 173, and 193, and 40
CFR 51.160–51.165 and 40 CFR 51.307.
In support of this proposed action, we
have concluded that our action would
comply with section 110(l) of the Act
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18:03 Jul 17, 2020
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because approval of CCAPCD Rule 428
and MCAPCD Regulation XI will not
interfere with any applicable
requirement concerning attainment and
reasonable further progress, or any other
CAA applicable requirement. In
addition, our approval of Rule 428 and
Regulation XI will not relax any preNovember 15, 1990 requirement in the
SIP, and therefore changes to the SIP
resulting from this action ensure greater
or equivalent emission reductions of
ozone and its precursors in the District;
accordingly, we have concluded that
our action is consistent with the
requirements of CAA section 193.
If we finalize this action as proposed,
our action will be codified through
revisions to 40 CFR 52.220a
(Identification of plan-in part).
We will accept comments from the
public on this proposal until August 19,
2020.
IV. Incorporation by Reference
In this document, the EPA is
proposing to include in a final EPA rule
regulatory text that includes
incorporation by reference. In
accordance with requirements of 1 CFR
51.5, the EPA is proposing to
incorporate by reference the rules listed
in Table 1 of this preamble. The EPA
has made, and will continue to make,
this document available electronically
through https://www.regulations.gov
and in hard copy at the EPA Region IX
Office (please contact the person
identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
preamble for more information).
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.
42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a).
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions, the
EPA’s role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of
the Act. Accordingly, 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
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 3, 2017) regulatory
action because SIP approvals are
exempted under Executive Order 12866;
PO 00000
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43787
• 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 Clean Air Act;
and
• Does not provide the EPA with the
discretionary authority to address
disproportionate human health or
environmental effects with practical,
appropriate, and legally permissible
methods under Executive Order 12898
(59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
In addition, the SIP is not approved
to apply on any Indian reservation land
or in any other area where the 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 and will not impose
substantial direct costs on tribal
governments or preempt tribal law as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65
FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
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.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: July 1, 2020.
John Busterud,
Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2020–14823 Filed 7–17–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 139 (Monday, July 20, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 43785-43787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14823]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R09-OAR-2019-0498; FRL-10011-38-Region 9]
Air Quality Implementation Plan; California; Calaveras County Air
Pollution Control District and Mariposa County Air Pollution Control
District; Stationary Source Permits
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to
approve a revision to the Calaveras County Air Pollution Control
District (CCAPCD) and the Mariposa County Air Pollution Control
District (MCAPCD) portions of the California State Implementation Plan
(SIP). In this action, we are proposing to approve two rules, one
submitted by the CCAPCD and the other by the MCAPCD, governing the
issuance of permits for stationary sources, focusing on the
preconstruction review and permitting of major sources and major
modifications under part D of title I of the Clean Air Act (CAA or
``the Act''). We are taking comments on this proposal and a final
action will follow.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before August 19, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R09-
OAR-2019-0498 at https://www.regulations.gov, or via email to
[email protected]. For comments submitted at Regulations.gov, follow
the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted,
comments cannot be removed or edited from Regulations.gov. For either
manner of submission, the EPA may publish any comment received to its
public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you
consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other
information the disclosure of which is restricted by statute.
Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a
written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment
and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA
will generally not consider comments or comment contents located
outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other
file sharing system). For additional submission methods, please contact
the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
For the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI and
multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective
comments, please visit https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maggie Waldon or Amber Batchelder, EPA
Region IX, 75 Hawthorne St., San Francisco, CA 94105. By phone: (415)
972-3987 or (415) 947-4174, or by email at [email protected] or
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, the terms ``we,''
``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the EPA.
Table of Contents
I. The State's Submittal
A. What rules did the State submit?
B. Are there other versions of these rules?
C. What is the purpose of the submitted rules?
II. The EPA's Evaluation
A. What is the background for today's proposal?
B. How is the EPA evaluating the rules?
C. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria?
III. Proposed Action and Public Comment
IV. Incorporation by Reference
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. The State's Submittal
A. What rules did the State submit?
Table 1 lists the rules addressed by this proposal including the
dates they were adopted by each District and submitted to the EPA by
the California Air Resources Board (CARB or ``the State'').
Table 1--Submitted Rules
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rule or regulation
District No. Rule title Adopted Submitted \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calaveras County APCD............ Rule 428........... NSR Requirements for New 03/12/19 04/05/19
and Modified Major
Sources in
Nonattainment Areas.
Mariposa County APCD............. Regulation XI...... NSR Requirements for New 03/12/19 04/05/19
and Modified Major
Sources in the Mariposa
County Air Pollution
Control District.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For areas designated nonattainment for one or more National Ambient
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the applicable SIP must include
preconstruction review and permitting requirements for new or modified
major stationary sources of such nonattainment pollutant(s) under part
D of title I of the Act, commonly referred to as Nonattainment New
Source Review (NNSR). The rules listed in Table 1 contain the relevant
District's NNSR permit program applicable to new and modified major
sources located in areas designated nonattainment for any ozone NAAQS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Each submittal was transmitted to the EPA via a letter from
CARB dated April 3, 2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The EPA issued final rules on February 3, 2017, and December 11,
2017, that found (among other things) that the CCAPCD and the MCAPCD
had
[[Page 43786]]
failed to submit to the EPA for SIP approval an NNSR program as
required for areas designated nonattainment for the 2008 Ozone
NAAQS.\2\ These findings of failure to submit triggered sanctions
clocks, as per CAA section 179.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ See 82 FR 9158; 82 FR 58118.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On April 12, 2019, the EPA determined that the California SIP
submittals listed above in Table 1 met the completeness criteria in 40
CFR part 51, appendix V, which must be met before formal EPA review.\3\
The EPA's April 12, 2019 findings of completeness represented the EPA's
determination that the NNSR-related deficiencies that formed the basis
for the February 3, 2017 and December 11, 2017 findings of failure to
submit had been corrected, and as a result, the associated sanctions
and running of the sanctions clocks were permanently stopped.\4\ See 40
CFR 52.31(d)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ See letter dated April 12, 2019 from Elizabeth J. Adams, US
EPA Region 9, to Richard Corey, CARB, regarding the April 5, 2019
submittal of CCAPCD Rule 428; and letter dated April 12, 2019 from
Elizabeth J. Adams, US EPA Region 9, to Richard Corey, CARB,
regarding the April 5, 2019 submittal of MCAPCD Regulation XI.
\4\ See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Are there other versions of these rules?
There are no previous versions of CCAPCD Rule 428 or MCAPCD
Regulation XI in the California SIP.
C. What is the purpose of the submitted rules?
CCAPCD Rule 428 and MCAPCD Regulation XI are intended to address
the CAA's statutory and regulatory requirements for NNSR permit
programs for major sources emitting nonattainment air pollutants and
their precursors.
II. The EPA's Evaluation
A. What is the background for today's proposal?
As federal ozone nonattainment areas, Calaveras and Mariposa
Counties are required to have an approved NNSR program in the
California SIP. Below, we provide the ozone designation history for
each area, which forms the basis for each District's NNSR program
needed to satisfy the NNSR requirements applicable to Moderate ozone
nonattainment areas.
On July 18, 1997, the EPA issued a final rule revising the primary
and secondary NAAQS for ozone to establish new 8-hour standards of 0.08
ppm.\5\ On April 30, 2004, the EPA issued a final rule designating
Calaveras and Mariposa Counties as nonattainment for the 1997 8-hour
ozone NAAQS, effective June 15, 2004.\6\ On May 14, 2012, Calaveras and
Mariposa Counties were reclassified as Moderate nonattainment for the
1997 ozone NAAQS.\7\ On December 3, 2012, the EPA issued a final rule
that determined that Calaveras and Mariposa Counties had attained the
1997 ozone NAAQS by the attainment date.\8\
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\5\ 40 CFR 50.10; see 62 FR 38856, 38894-38895.
\6\ 69 FR 23858, 23881, 23885.
\7\ 77 FR 28424; see also 77 FR 43521 (July 25, 2012).
\8\ 77 FR 71551.
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On March 27, 2008, the EPA issued a final rule revising the NAAQS
for ozone, reducing the standards to a level of 0.075 ppm.\9\ On May
21, 2012, the EPA issued a final rule designating Calaveras County and
Mariposa County as nonattainment for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS, with
a Marginal classification.\10\ On May 4, 2016, the EPA issued a final
rule that determined that Calaveras County had attained the 2008 ozone
NAAQS by the attainment date, and that Mariposa County had not attained
the 2008 ozone NAAQS by the attainment date and would therefore be
reclassified as a Moderate nonattainment area.\11\ On August 23, 2019,
the EPA issued a final rule that determined that Mariposa County had
attained the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS by the July 20, 2018 applicable
attainment date.\12\
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\9\ 40 CFR 50.15; see 73 FR 16436, 16511.
\10\ 77 FR 30088, 30099, 30103.
\11\ 81 FR 26697.
\12\ 84 FR 44238.
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On October 26, 2015, the EPA issued a final rule revising the NAAQS
for ozone, reducing the standards to a level of 0.070 ppm.\13\ On June
4, 2018, the EPA issued a final rule designating Calaveras County and
Mariposa County as nonattainment for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS, with
a Marginal classification.\14\
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\13\ 40 CFR 50.19; see 80 FR 65292, 65452.
\14\ 40 CFR 81.305; see 83 FR 25776, 25786, 25788.
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The designation of Calaveras and Mariposa Counties as federal ozone
nonattainment areas triggered the requirement for each of these
Districts to develop and submit an NNSR program to the EPA for approval
into the California SIP.\15\ The Districts' NNSR programs must satisfy
the NNSR requirements applicable to Moderate ozone nonattainment areas,
as this is the highest ozone nonattainment classification to which each
District is subject.\16\
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\15\ 40 CFR 51.1100(o)(14), 51.1105(a), 51.1114, 51.1314. We
note that, as a result of the EPA's determination that an area has
attained a NAAQS by the attainment date, those SIP elements related
to attaining the NAAQS are suspended for so long as the area
continues to attain the standard; however, the requirement for an
NNSR program is not one of the SIP elements suspended as a result of
such a determination. See, e.g., 40 CFR 51.1118.
\16\ 40 CFR 51.1105(a).
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On April 5, 2019, CARB submitted to the EPA for SIP approval, via
correspondence dated April 3, 2019, CCAPCD Rule 428, ``NSR Requirements
for New and Modified Major Sources in Nonattainment Areas,'' and MCAPCD
Regulation XI, ``NSR Requirements for New and Modified Major Sources in
the Mariposa County Air Pollution Control District,'' each of which had
been adopted by the respective District on March 12, 2019.
B. How is the EPA evaluating the rules?
The EPA reviewed CCAPCD Rule 428 and MCAPCD Regulation XI for
compliance with CAA requirements for: (1) Stationary source
preconstruction permitting programs as set forth in CAA part D,
including CAA sections 172(c)(5) and 173; (2) the review and
modification of major sources in accordance with 40 CFR 51.160-51.165
as applicable in a Moderate ozone nonattainment area; (3) the review of
new major stationary sources or major modifications in a designated
nonattainment area that may have an impact on visibility in any
mandatory Class I Federal area in accordance with 40 CFR 51.307; (4)
SIPs in general as set forth in CAA sections 110(a)(2), including
110(a)(2)(A) and 110(a)(2)(E)(i); \17\ and (5) SIP revisions as set
forth in CAA section 110(l) \18\ and 193.\19\ Our review evaluated the
submittals for compliance with the NNSR requirements applicable to
nonattainment areas designated Moderate, and ensured that the
submittals addressed the NNSR requirements for the 1997, 2008 and 2015
ozone NAAQS.
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\17\ CAA section 110(a)(2)(A) requires that regulations
submitted to the EPA for SIP approval be clear and legally
enforceable, and CAA section 110(a)(2)(E)(i) requires that states
have adequate personnel, funding, and authority under state law to
carry out their proposed SIP revisions.
\18\ CAA section 110(l) requires SIP revisions to be subject to
reasonable notice and public hearing prior to adoption and submittal
by states to EPA and prohibits EPA from approving any SIP revision
that would interfere with any applicable requirement concerning
attainment and reasonable further progress, or any other applicable
requirement of the CAA.
\19\ CAA section 193 prohibits the modification of any SIP-
approved control requirement in effect before November 15, 1990 in a
nonattainment area, unless the modification ensures equivalent or
greater emission reductions of the relevant pollutants.
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[[Page 43787]]
C. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria?
With respect to procedural requirements, CAA sections 110(a)(2) and
110(l) require that revisions to a SIP be adopted by the state after
reasonable notice and public hearing. Based on our review of the public
process documentation included in the April 5, 2019 submittal of CCAPCD
Rule 428 and MCAPCD Regulation XI, we find that the CCAPCD and MCAPCD
have provided sufficient evidence of public notice, opportunity for
comment and a public hearing prior to adoption and submittal of these
rules to the EPA.
With respect to the substantive requirements found in CAA sections
172(c)(5) and 173, and 40 CFR 51.160-51.165, we have evaluated CCAPCD
Rule 428 and MCAPCD Regulation XI in accordance with the applicable CAA
and regulatory requirements that apply to NNSR permit programs under
part D of title I of the Act for all relevant ozone NAAQS, including
the 2015 ozone NAAQS. We find that CCAPCD Rule 428 and MCAPCD
Regulation XI satisfy these requirements as they apply to sources
subject to NNSR permit program requirements for ozone nonattainment
areas classified as Moderate. We have also determined that these rules
satisfy the related visibility requirements in 40 CFR 51.307. In
addition, we have determined that the Rule 428 and Regulation XI rules
satisfy the requirement in CAA section 110(a)(2)(A) that regulations
submitted to the EPA for SIP approval be clear and legally enforceable,
and have determined that the submittals demonstrate in accordance with
CAA section 110(a)(2)(E)(i) that the Districts have adequate personnel,
funding, and authority under state law to carry out these proposed SIP
revisions.
Our Technical Support Documents, which can be found in the docket
for this rule, contain a more detailed discussion of our analysis of
Rule 428 and Regulation XI.
III. Proposed Action and Public Comment
As authorized in section 110(k)(3) of the Act, the EPA is proposing
to approve the submitted rules because they fulfill all relevant CAA
requirements. We have concluded that our approval of the submitted
rules would comply with the relevant provisions of CAA sections
110(a)(2), 110(l), 172(c)(5), 173, and 193, and 40 CFR 51.160-51.165
and 40 CFR 51.307.
In support of this proposed action, we have concluded that our
action would comply with section 110(l) of the Act because approval of
CCAPCD Rule 428 and MCAPCD Regulation XI will not interfere with any
applicable requirement concerning attainment and reasonable further
progress, or any other CAA applicable requirement. In addition, our
approval of Rule 428 and Regulation XI will not relax any pre-November
15, 1990 requirement in the SIP, and therefore changes to the SIP
resulting from this action ensure greater or equivalent emission
reductions of ozone and its precursors in the District; accordingly, we
have concluded that our action is consistent with the requirements of
CAA section 193.
If we finalize this action as proposed, our action will be codified
through revisions to 40 CFR 52.220a (Identification of plan-in part).
We will accept comments from the public on this proposal until
August 19, 2020.
IV. Incorporation by Reference
In this document, the EPA is proposing to include in a final EPA
rule regulatory text that includes incorporation by reference. In
accordance with requirements of 1 CFR 51.5, the EPA is proposing to
incorporate by reference the rules listed in Table 1 of this preamble.
The EPA has made, and will continue to make, this document available
electronically through https://www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at
the EPA Region IX Office (please contact the person identified in the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this preamble for more
information).
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. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in
reviewing SIP submissions, the EPA's role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of the Act. Accordingly, 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 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 3,
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 Clean Air Act; and
Does not provide the EPA with the discretionary authority
to address disproportionate human health or environmental effects with
practical, appropriate, and legally permissible methods under Executive
Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
In addition, the SIP is not approved to apply on any Indian
reservation land or in any other area where the 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 and will not
impose substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal
law as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9,
2000).
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.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: July 1, 2020.
John Busterud,
Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2020-14823 Filed 7-17-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P