Air Plan Approval; Ohio; Technical Amendment, 73636-73640 [2020-24065]
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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 January 19, 2021. 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
Administrative practice and
procedure, Environmental protection,
Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Volatile
organic compounds.
Dated: October 21, 2020.
John Busterud,
Regional Administrator, Region IX.
For reasons set out in the preamble,
EPA amends 40 CFR part 52, chapter I,
to read as follows:
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(d) The provisions of § 52.28 are
hereby incorporated and made part of
the applicable plan for the State of
California, except for the air pollution
control districts listed below. The
provisions of § 52.28 remain the
applicable plan for any Indian
reservation lands, and any other area of
Indian country where the EPA or an
Indian tribe has demonstrated that a
tribe has jurisdiction, located within the
State of California, including any such
areas located in the air pollution control
districts listed below.
(1) Monterey County air pollution
control district,
(2) Sacramento County air pollution
control district,
(3) Calaveras County air pollution
control district, and
(4) Mariposa County air pollution
control district.
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[FR Doc. 2020–23922 Filed 11–18–20; 8:45 am]
40 CFR Part 52
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
[EPA–R05–OAR–2020–055; FRL–10016–32–
Region 5]
Subpart F—California
Air Plan Approval; Ohio; Technical
Amendment
2. Section 52.220 is amended by
adding paragraph (c)(544) to read as
follows:
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(c) * * *
(544) The following regulations were
submitted on April 5, 2019 by the
Governor’s designee as an attachment to
a letter dated April 3, 2019.
(i) Incorporation by reference.
(A) Calaveras County Air Pollution
Control District.
(1) Rule 428, ‘‘NSR Requirements for
New and Modified Major Sources in
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Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
Identification of plan-in part.
17:24 Nov 18, 2020
Visibility protection.
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
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VerDate Sep<11>2014
§ 52.281
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
PART 52—APPROVAL AND
PROMULGATION OF
IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
§ 52.220
Nonattainment Areas,’’ adopted on
March 12, 2019.
(2) [Reserved]
(B) Mariposa County Air Pollution
Control District.
(1) Regulation XI, ‘‘NSR Requirements
for New and Modified Major Sources in
the Mariposa County Air Pollution
Control District,’’ adopted on March 12,
2019.
(2) [Reserved]
(ii) [Reserved]
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■ 3. Section 52.281 is amended by
revising paragraph (d) to read as
follows:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is finalizing the removal
of the air pollution nuisance rule from
the Ohio State Implementation Plan
(SIP) using a Clean Air Act (CAA) error
correction provision. EPA has
determined that this rule was not relied
upon by Ohio to demonstrate
implementation, maintenance or
SUMMARY:
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enforcement of any national ambient air
quality standard (NAAQS). Upon the
effective date of this action, the
nuisance rule will no longer be part of
the Ohio SIP.
DATES: This final rule is effective on
December 21, 2020.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a
docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA–R05–OAR–2020–0055. All
documents in the docket are listed on
the www.regulations.gov website.
Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available,
i.e., Confidential Business Information
(CBI) 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 through
www.regulations.gov or at the
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, Air and Radiation Division, 77
West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
Illinois 60604. This facility is open from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding Federal holidays and
facility closures due to COVID–19. We
recommend that you telephone Rachel
Rineheart, Environmental Engineer, at
(312) 886–7017 before visiting the
Region 5 office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rachel Rineheart, Environmental
Engineer, Air Permits Section, Air
Programs Branch (AR–18J),
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,
Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886–7017,
rineheart.rachel@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document whenever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
EPA.
I. What is the background for this
action?
The CAA was first enacted in 1970.
Section 110(a)(1) required each state to
submit to EPA a SIP that provided for
the implementation, maintenance and
enforcement of the NAAQS. In the
1970s and early 1980s, thousands of
state and local agency regulations were
submitted to EPA for incorporation into
SIPs, ostensibly to fulfill the new
Federal requirements. In many cases,
states submitted entire regulatory air
pollution programs, including many
elements not required by the CAA. Due
to time and resource constraints, EPA’s
review of these submittals focused
primarily on the rules addressing the
new substantive requirements of the
CAA, and we approved many other
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elements into the SIP with minimal
review. We now recognize that some of
these elements may be appropriate for
state and local agencies to adopt and
implement, but should not become
federally enforceable SIP requirements;
these include rules that prohibit air
pollution nuisances. Such rules
generally have no connection to the
purposes for which SIPs are developed
and approved, namely the
implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement of the NAAQS.
Ohio rule AP–2–07, ‘‘Air pollution
nuisances prohibited,’’ was approved by
EPA into the Ohio SIP on April 15,
1974. See 39 FR 13542. Subsequently,
Ohio amended and renumbered the rule
as OAC 3745–15–07 and submitted it as
a revision to the SIP. EPA approved the
amended rule on August 13, 1984. See
49 FR 32182. OAC 3745–15–07
prohibits the ‘‘emission or escape into
the open air from any source or sources
whatsoever, of smoke, ashes, dust, dirt,
grime, acids, fumes, gases, vapors,
odors, or any other substances or
combinations of substances, in such
manner or in such amounts as to
endanger the health, safety or welfare of
the public, or cause unreasonable injury
or damage to property.’’
On March 23, 2020, EPA proposed,
under the authority of section 110(k)(6)
of the CAA, to remove Ohio’s nuisance
rule from the Ohio SIP because it does
not have a reasonable connection to the
attainment and maintenance of the
NAAQS and EPA erred in approving it
as part of the Ohio SIP.
II. Response to Comments Received on
the Proposed Rule
EPA received some comments that
were political in nature or that where
otherwise beyond the scope of this
action (i.e., related to climate change,
water quality, or other non-NAAQS
related issues), and EPA will not be
responding to these comments. Adverse
comments that were germane to the
action and EPA’s response to those
comments are summarized below.
A. Extension of Comment Period
EPA’s notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM) was published in the Federal
Register on March 23, 2020, with a 30day comment period ending April 22,
2020. See 85 FR 16309. The timing of
publication coincided with the Ohio
Department of Health Director’s Stay at
Home Order, issued on March 22, 2020.
EPA received four requests for an
extension to the public comment period
citing difficulties in communicating
with and organizing interested parties,
limited access to supporting
information, and lack of childcare due
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to the COVID–19 pandemic and the Stay
at Home Order. Three requests sought a
60-day extension and one request
sought an extension to May 13, 2020.
On April 22, 2020, EPA granted a 30day extension to the comment period to
May 22, 2020. See 85 FR 22378. No
additional requests for extension were
received.
B. Comments Supporting the Removal of
Ohio’s Nuisance Rule From the SIP
EPA received comments in support of
EPA’s NPRM from the Ohio Chamber of
Commerce, the Ohio Chemistry
Technology Council, The Ohio
Manufacturers’ Association, API Ohio,
and the Ohio Oil and Gas Association.
C. Comments Opposing the Removal of
Ohio’s Nuisance Rule From the SIP
EPA received comments opposing the
removal of the Ohio nuisance rule from
the Sierra Club, the Ohio Environmental
Council, Ohio Citizen Action, Altman
Newman Co. LPA, the National
Resources Defense Council, and more
than 1800 individual commenters who
submitted their comments as part of a
letter-writing campaign. The following
discussion provides a summary of the
comments received and EPA’s response
to each comment.
Comment 1: Commenters had
requested a 60-day extension of the
April 22, 2020, deadline for comments,
while EPA granted a 30-day extension
until May 22, 2020. The commenters
state: ‘‘During the revised comment
period there has been no opportunity for
neighbors and community groups to
learn about this action, to meet face-toface to discuss its implications, or to
even seek public records because public
offices have been closed and unable to
produce documents. Furthermore, the
press has been understandably focused
on the immediately life-threatening
pandemic. These circumstances have
had a particularly devastating impact on
the rights of poor and minority
communities to learn of EPA’s proposed
action and to comment on citizen
concerns.’’
Response: SIPs are rulemaking actions
under the Administrative Procedure
Act, which does not specify a period for
public comment. However, a 30-day
period is consistent with most SIP
actions proposed by EPA and with the
intent of Congress as reflected in CAA
section 307(h) (42 U.S.C. 7607(h)),
which governs certain Federal
administrative proceedings. It should be
noted that EPA is not required to
specifically notify any particular entity
of its rulemaking actions; notification of
all parties is accomplished through
publications in the Federal Register.
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EPA published the NPRM to remove
Ohio’s nuisance rule in the Federal
Register and initially provided 30 days
for public comment. As stated
previously, the publication of EPA’s
NPRM coincided with the Stay at Home
Order in Ohio due to the COVID–19
pandemic. Based on the generalized
concerns identified by commenters,
including difficulty communicating
with interested parties and issues with
childcare, EPA granted a 30-day
extension of the comment period.
Although generally claiming, for
example, that during the extended
comment period there has been ‘‘no
opportunity’’ to ‘‘seek public records
because public offices have been
closed,’’ the commenters did not
identify any public records that would
have been sought or explained how
such records might have been relevant,
and have made no showing of any
attempt to obtain any such records.
Moreover, EPA’s original NPRM and
NPRM extension did not limit the
ability of any interested party to request
an additional extension based on
updated or more detailed concerns, but
no additional request for extension was
received after the NPRM 30-day
extension.
Comment 2: EPA cannot lawfully
eliminate Ohio Admin. Code 3745–15–
07 from Ohio’s State Implementation
Plan through the CAA’s error correction
mechanism.
Response: Section 110(k)(6) of the
CAA provides EPA with the authority to
make corrections to actions that are
subsequently found to be in error.
Alabama Environmental Council v.
Administrator, 711 F.3d 1277, 1286
(11th Cir. 2013) (‘‘110(k)(6) provides an
avenue for correcting a SIP revision
approved in error’’); see also Ass’n of
Irritated Residents v. EPA, 790 F.3d 934,
948 (9th Cir. 2015) (110(k)(6) is a ‘‘broad
provision’’ enacted to provide the EPA
with an avenue to correct errors). The
key provisions of section 110(k)(6) for
present purposes are that the
Administrator has the authority to
‘‘determine’’ when a SIP approval was
‘‘in error,’’ and when the Administrator
does so, may then revise the SIP
approval ‘‘as appropriate,’’ in the same
manner as the prior action, and do so
without requiring any further
submission for the state. Id. at 1288.
Moreover, CAA section 110(k)(6)
‘‘confers discretion on the EPA to
decide if and when it will invoke the
statute to revise a prior action.’’ Id.; 790
F.3d at 948 (section 110(k)(6) grants
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‘‘EPA the discretion to decide when to
act pursuant to that provision’’).1
While CAA section 110(k)(6) provides
EPA with the authority to correct its
own ‘‘error,’’ nowhere does this
provision or any other provision in the
CAA define what qualifies as ‘‘error.’’
Thus, EPA believes that the term should
be given its plain language, everyday
meaning, which includes all
unintentional, incorrect or wrong
actions or mistakes.
EPA has used CAA section 110(k)(6)
as authority to make substantive
corrections to remove a variety of
provisions from SIPs that are not related
to the attainment or maintenance of
NAAQS or any other CAA requirement.
See, e.g., ‘‘Approval and Promulgation
of Implantation Plans; Kentucky:
Approval of Revisions to the State
Implementation Plan,’’ 75 FR 2440
(January 15, 2010) (correcting the SIP by
removing a provision, approved in 1982,
used to address hazardous or toxic air
pollutants); ‘‘Approval and
Promulgation of Implementation Plans;
New York,’’ 73 FR 21546 (April 22,
2008) (issuing a direct final rule to
correct a prior SIP by removing a
general duty ‘‘nuisance provision’’ that
had been approved in 1984);
‘‘Correction of Implementation Plans;
American Samoa, Arizona, California,
Hawaii, and Nevada State
Implementation Plans,’’ 63 FR 34641
(June 27, 1997) (correcting five SIPs by
deleting a variety of administrative
provisions concerning variances,
hearing board procedures, and fees that
had been approved during the 1970s).
Comment 3: The proposed rule lacks
any basis for the assertion that the air
pollution nuisance rule in Ohio’s SIP
was approved in error and thus fails to
meet the plain text requirements for
application of 110(k)(6).
Response: The NPRM published on
March 23, 2020, 85 FR 16309, states that
EPA is ‘‘proposing to remove Ohio’s
nuisance rule from the Ohio SIP because
it does not have a reasonable connection
to the attainment and maintenance of
1 CAA section 110(k)(6) was added to the CAA as
part of the CAA Amendments of 1990. Prior to the
addition of that subsection, there was no express
provision in section 110 for EPA to correct
erroneous actions, on its own initiative and without
further State action. Indeed, prior to the addition of
110(k)(6), the United States Court of Appeals for the
Third Circuit had held that EPA lacked the
authority to modify a SIP to correct its mistakes,
unless it followed the then-existing revision
procedure involving State review and other action.
Concerned Citizens of Bridesburg v. EPA, 836 F.2d
777 (1987). Although there is no statement in the
legislative history of the CAA Amendments of 1990
that Congress specifically responded to Concerned
Citizens in enacting 110(k)(6), it is telling that the
addition 110(k)(6) effectively overruled that
decision.
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the NAAQS,’’ and that the ‘‘prior
approval of OAC 3745–15–07 into the
Ohio SIP was in error.’’ In addition, the
NPRM stated that the Ohio
Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio
EPA) had confirmed that Ohio did not
rely on and did not intend to rely on the
provision for purposes of attainment or
maintenance of the NAAQS.
CAA section 110(k)(6) does not define
the term ‘‘error.’’ EPA believes that the
term should be given its plain language,
common meaning, such that an error is
a mistake or an incorrect, wrong, or
inaccurate action. Under section
110(k)(6) EPA must make an error
determination and provide the ‘‘the
basis thereof.’’ There is no indication
that this is a substantial burden for the
Agency to meet. To the contrary, the
requirement is met if EPA clearly
articulates the error and the basis
thereof. Ass’n of Irritated Residents, 790
F.3d at 948; see also Alabama
Environmental Council, 711 F.3d at
1287–1288 (EPA must ‘‘articulate an
‘error’ and provide ‘the basis’ ’’ of its
error determination, citing with
approval EPA’s error articulation in
another EPA action at 76 FR 25178 (May
3, 2011)).
Here, EPA articulated its error and
provided the basis thereof: SIPs provide
for the implementation, maintenance,
and enforcement of the NAAQS; the
Ohio nuisance rule is not associated
with the implementation, maintenance,
or enforcement of the NAAQS; and
EPA’s previous approval in the SIP of
the rule was erroneous. EPA’s exclusion
from the SIP of a nuisance provision
unrelated to attainment and
maintenance of the NAAQS is
consistent with previous Agency
practice. EPA has removed nuisance
provisions from several SIPs, including
those for the State of Michigan, 64 FR
7790, Commonwealth of Kentucky
(Jefferson County portion), 66 FR 53657,
and the State of Nevada, 69 FR 54006.
Additionally, EPA has issued final rules
declining to approve nuisance
provisions into SIPs. (See 45 FR 73696,
46 FR 11843, 46 FR 26303 and 63 FR
51833.) 2
Comment 4: EPA’s approval of the
Ohio nuisance rule was purposeful and
not in error as demonstrated by the
August 13, 1984, 49 FR 32182, approval
of revisions to the nuisance rule and
subsequent comments from EPA on title
V permits issued in Ohio which state
2 Moreover, it is EPA’s longstanding position that
measures to control non-criteria pollutants may not
legally be made part of the SIP. See February 9,
1979, memorandum ‘‘Status of State/Local Air
Pollution Control Measures Not Related to
NAAQS,’’ from Michael A. James, Associate
General Counsel Air, Noise and Radiation Division.
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that the nuisance rule is an applicable
requirement under the SIP.
Furthermore, inclusion of the nuisance
rule is so integral to the SIP that it has
been included in every title V permit
issued and every permit issued by Ohio
since adoption.
Response: The permit comments
related to the Ohio nuisance rule are
correct in that the rule is currently in
the SIP and therefore an ‘‘applicable
requirement’’ under the title V operating
permit program. Confirmation of the fact
that the rule is part of the SIP in the
permitting process has no bearing on the
appropriateness of that rule for
inclusion in the SIP. The determination
of whether a state rule is appropriate for
inclusion in the SIP is beyond the scope
of the permitting process. Inclusion of
the Ohio nuisance rule in state permits
does not demonstrate that the rule is
integral to the SIP which is limited in
scope by the CAA to the
implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement of the NAAQS. To the
contrary, as noted, the Ohio EPA
indicated that the nuisance rule was not
intended to address the attainment or
maintenance of the NAAQS.
The fact that EPA approved a revision
to the Ohio nuisance rule in 1984 does
not make approval any less in error;
rather, it merely indicates that EPA
unfortunately repeated its error. Nor is
it material whether the error was
intentional (or, per the commenters,
‘‘purposeful’’) or inadvertent. It was
erroneous for EPA to approve, as part of
the SIP, the non-NAAQS related
nuisance rule, and EPA has the
authority under section 110(k)(6) to
correct that error.
Comment 5: States have the right to
create regulations that are more
stringent than the Federal requirements.
Response: EPA does not dispute a
state’s right to create requirements that,
as a matter of state law, are more
stringent than the Federal requirements.
Congress affirmed this principle in
section 116 of the CAA. This does not,
however, alter the fact that the
requirements contained in SIP
provisions are limited in scope by
section 110(a) of the CAA. SIPs must
provide for the implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement of the
NAAQS. Ohio’s nuisance rule has no
nexus to these statutorily prescribed
requirements.
Comment 6: The record for the
proposed action states that EPA was
taking action to promote the novel
doctrine of ‘‘regional consistency.’’ Such
a doctrine completely contradicts the
well-established principle that SIPs are
tailored by states to meet their specific
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air pollution needs and desired
protections.
Response: EPA believes that the
commenter’s reference to ‘‘the record’’
refers to a January 30, 2020, email from
John Mooney, Acting Director, Air and
Radiation Division, EPA, Region 5, to
Robert Hodanbosi, Chief, Air Pollution
Control, Ohio EPA (January email) that
was placed in the docket for this
rulemaking. It notes that similar
provisions had already been removed
from the SIPs of other Region 5 states,
‘‘because states did not rely on those
provisions for attainment and
maintenance of the NAAQS.’’ The
purpose of the email was to inquire
whether Ohio had relied on its nuisance
rule in attainment and maintenance of
the NAAQS before proceeding with an
error correction. The reference in the
January email to other state actions
merely notes that EPA has reached a
similar conclusion in other rulemaking
actions.
Comment 7: The public cannot
precisely tell what the question asked
regarding Ohio EPA’s reliance on the
nuisance rule for ‘‘attainment’’ or
‘‘maintenance’’ in the January email
means.
Response: The January email and the
Ohio EPA response were included in
the docket for the proposed rulemaking.
The January email was clear in its
request that Ohio EPA confirm that it
had not relied upon the nuisance rule in
any aspect related to the attainment or
maintenance of a NAAQS. In Ohio
EPA’s response, it specifically states
that it had not relied on the nuisance
rule for ‘‘SIP planning, nonattainment
designations, redesignation requests,
maintenance plans, and determination
of nonattainment areas or their
boundaries.’’ EPA finds that Ohio EPA
clearly understood the question being
asked and clearly identified what was
meant by ‘‘attainment’’ and
‘‘maintenance’’ in its response to EPA.
Comment 8: Commenters provided a
declaration from William M. Auberle, a
former official with the Regional Air
Pollution Control Agency (RAPCA). Mr.
Auberle states that he has direct
knowledge of the inclusion of the Ohio
nuisance rule in the Ohio SIP, that the
nuisance rule is an important regulatory
tool in achieving and maintaining the
NAAQS, and that he personally used
the nuisance rule while an official with
RAPCA as an enforcement tool for
achieving and maintaining the NAAQS.
Response: RAPCA is a bureau of the
Division of Environmental Health
within Public Health—Dayton and
Montgomery County. It is a county
agency that contracts with the Ohio EPA
to enforce state and local air pollution
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control regulations in a six-county
region of Ohio. EPA does not dispute
that state and local agencies may have
used the nuisance rule to achieve
reductions in criteria pollutants or the
importance of the rule as a tool for local
authorities in the protection of public
health and welfare. However, using the
nuisance rule to achieve criteria
pollutant reductions is not equivalent to
relying on the rule for SIP purposes,
which may include SIP planning,
nonattainment designations,
redesignation requests, maintenance
plans, and determination of
nonattainment areas or their boundaries.
Furthermore, Ohio EPA, the state
agency responsible for development and
implementation of the SIP, has stated
that it did not find ‘‘any instances of the
nuisance rule, OAC 3745–15–07, being
relied upon, or intended to be relied
upon, for attainment or maintenance of
any NAAQS.’’
Comment 9: Congress intended
citizen suits to be an integral part of
CAA enforcement, including SIP
enforcement. The NPRM ignores the
important role of citizen suits in CAA
enforcement.
Response: Congress limited the scope
of SIPs required under section 110 of
the CAA to the implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement of the
NAAQS. The purpose of this
rulemaking action is to remove OAC
3745–15–07 from the Ohio SIP because
it does not support such
implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement. This rulemaking action
does not invalidate the Ohio law or
affect its applicability to Ohio sources.
Facilities located in Ohio are still
subject to the state nuisance rule. While
removal of this rule from the SIP would
preclude its enforcement in Federal
courts, it has no impact on the authority
to bring citizen suits in state courts
under state law.
Comment 10: Commenters state that
the NPRM would harm already
vulnerable Ohioans by eliminating an
important environmental justice tool.
Commenters also raise concerns with
the potential impact on other sensitive
populations such as children, the
elderly, and individuals with various
health issues including respiratory
illnesses.
Response: The purpose of this
rulemaking action is to remove OAC
3745–15–07 from the Ohio SIP because
it is not related to the implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement of the
NAAQS. This rulemaking action does
not invalidate the Ohio law or affect its
applicability to Ohio sources. Facilities
located in Ohio are still subject to the
state nuisance rule. EPA supports
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programs and activities that promote
enforcement of health and
environmental statutes in areas with
minority populations and low-income
populations and the protection of
children, the elderly, and other
vulnerable populations.
Comment 11: Several commenters
note recent studies linking particulate
matter pollution to an increased
incidence of COVID–19 infection and
the potential for increased adverse
outcomes in areas with higher levels of
air pollution. Commenters state that
considering the current pandemic, EPA
should not be relaxing air pollution
requirements at this time.
Response: The purpose of this
rulemaking action is to remove OAC
3745–15–07 from the Ohio SIP because
it is not an element of a plan for the
implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement of the NAAQS.
Consideration of the impacts of air
pollution on COVID–19 cases is beyond
the scope of section 110 of the CAA and,
thus, beyond the scope of this
rulemaking. Furthermore, this
rulemaking action does not invalidate
the Ohio nuisance law or affect its
applicability to Ohio sources, which
remain subject to the rule as a matter of
state law.
Comment 11: The following comment
was made by over 1800 individuals
through a letter-writing campaign.
‘‘I oppose the rollback of the nuisance
provision of Ohio’s Clean Air Act
regulations.
The nuisance provision ensures that
threats to Ohioans’ health and safety are
prohibited, no matter what, and allows
Ohio residents to take local pollution
problems into their own hands and
protect their communities by taking
polluters to court. Without this
provision, it will be more difficult for
Ohioans to address local pollution
problems.
Eliminating this provision also
destroys an important tool that gives
both regulators and Ohio residents
flexibility to address serious health
concerns based on new scientific
developments.’’
Response: The purpose of this
rulemaking action is to remove OAC
3745–15–07 from the Ohio SIP because
it is not an element of a plan for the
implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement of the NAAQS. This
rulemaking action does not invalidate
the Ohio nuisance law, affect its
applicability to Ohio sources or
preclude citizen suits in state court.
III. What action is EPA taking?
EPA has determined that OAC 3745–
15–07 was not relied upon by Ohio to
E:\FR\FM\19NOR1.SGM
19NOR1
73640
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 224 / Thursday, November 19, 2020 / Rules and Regulations
demonstrate the implementation,
maintenance, or enforcement of the
NAAQS. Consequently, EPA finds that
its prior approval of OAC 3745–15–07
into the Ohio SIP was in error. To
correct this error, EPA is removing OAC
3745–15–07 from the approved Ohio
SIP pursuant to section 110(k)(6) of the
CAA, and codifying this removal by
revising the appropriate paragraph
under 40 CFR part 52, subpart KK,
52.1870 (Identification of Plan).
IV. Incorporation by Reference
In this document, EPA is amending
regulatory text that includes
incorporation by reference. As described
in the amendments to 40 CFR part 52 set
forth below, EPA is removing provisions
of the EPA-Approved Ohio Regulations
from the Ohio SIP, which is
incorporated by reference in accordance
with the requirements of 1 CFR part 51.
EPA has made, and will continue to
make the SIP generally available
through www.regulations.gov and at the
EPA Region 5 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
CAA and applicable Federal regulations.
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. Accordingly, 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 it is not a significant
regulatory action 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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:24 Nov 18, 2020
Jkt 253001
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).
In addition, 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 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).
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 January 19, 2021. 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
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
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, Carbon monoxide,
Incorporation by reference,
Intergovernmental relations, Lead,
Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate
matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile
organic compounds.
Dated: October 26, 2020.
Kurt Thiede,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
For 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.
§ 52.1870
[Amended]
2. In § 52.1870, the table in paragraph
(c) is amended by removing the entry for
‘‘3745–15–07’’ under ‘‘Chapter 3745–15
General Provisions on Air Pollution
Control’’.
■
[FR Doc. 2020–24065 Filed 11–18–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R09–OAR–2019–0127; FRL–10014–
90–Region 9]
Air Plan Approval; California;
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality
Management District
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is taking final action to
approve revisions to the Sacramento
Metropolitan Air Quality Management
District (SMAQMD) portion of the
California State Implementation Plan
(SIP). These revisions concern
emissions of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) from the surface
coating operations of plastic parts and
products. We are approving a local rule
to regulate these emission sources under
the Clean Air Act (CAA or the ‘‘Act’’),
and we are approving a negative
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\19NOR1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 224 (Thursday, November 19, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 73636-73640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24065]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R05-OAR-2020-055; FRL-10016-32-Region 5]
Air Plan Approval; Ohio; Technical Amendment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing the
removal of the air pollution nuisance rule from the Ohio State
Implementation Plan (SIP) using a Clean Air Act (CAA) error correction
provision. EPA has determined that this rule was not relied upon by
Ohio to demonstrate implementation, maintenance or enforcement of any
national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). Upon the effective date
of this action, the nuisance rule will no longer be part of the Ohio
SIP.
DATES: This final rule is effective on December 21, 2020.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA-R05-OAR-2020-0055. All documents in the docket are listed on
the www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, i.e., Confidential Business
Information (CBI) 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
through www.regulations.gov or at the Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, Air and Radiation Division, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,
Chicago, Illinois 60604. This facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays and facility
closures due to COVID-19. We recommend that you telephone Rachel
Rineheart, Environmental Engineer, at (312) 886-7017 before visiting
the Region 5 office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Rineheart, Environmental
Engineer, Air Permits Section, Air Programs Branch (AR-18J),
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,
Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886-7017, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.
I. What is the background for this action?
The CAA was first enacted in 1970. Section 110(a)(1) required each
state to submit to EPA a SIP that provided for the implementation,
maintenance and enforcement of the NAAQS. In the 1970s and early 1980s,
thousands of state and local agency regulations were submitted to EPA
for incorporation into SIPs, ostensibly to fulfill the new Federal
requirements. In many cases, states submitted entire regulatory air
pollution programs, including many elements not required by the CAA.
Due to time and resource constraints, EPA's review of these submittals
focused primarily on the rules addressing the new substantive
requirements of the CAA, and we approved many other
[[Page 73637]]
elements into the SIP with minimal review. We now recognize that some
of these elements may be appropriate for state and local agencies to
adopt and implement, but should not become federally enforceable SIP
requirements; these include rules that prohibit air pollution
nuisances. Such rules generally have no connection to the purposes for
which SIPs are developed and approved, namely the implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement of the NAAQS.
Ohio rule AP-2-07, ``Air pollution nuisances prohibited,'' was
approved by EPA into the Ohio SIP on April 15, 1974. See 39 FR 13542.
Subsequently, Ohio amended and renumbered the rule as OAC 3745-15-07
and submitted it as a revision to the SIP. EPA approved the amended
rule on August 13, 1984. See 49 FR 32182. OAC 3745-15-07 prohibits the
``emission or escape into the open air from any source or sources
whatsoever, of smoke, ashes, dust, dirt, grime, acids, fumes, gases,
vapors, odors, or any other substances or combinations of substances,
in such manner or in such amounts as to endanger the health, safety or
welfare of the public, or cause unreasonable injury or damage to
property.''
On March 23, 2020, EPA proposed, under the authority of section
110(k)(6) of the CAA, to remove Ohio's nuisance rule from the Ohio SIP
because it does not have a reasonable connection to the attainment and
maintenance of the NAAQS and EPA erred in approving it as part of the
Ohio SIP.
II. Response to Comments Received on the Proposed Rule
EPA received some comments that were political in nature or that
where otherwise beyond the scope of this action (i.e., related to
climate change, water quality, or other non-NAAQS related issues), and
EPA will not be responding to these comments. Adverse comments that
were germane to the action and EPA's response to those comments are
summarized below.
A. Extension of Comment Period
EPA's notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) was published in the
Federal Register on March 23, 2020, with a 30-day comment period ending
April 22, 2020. See 85 FR 16309. The timing of publication coincided
with the Ohio Department of Health Director's Stay at Home Order,
issued on March 22, 2020. EPA received four requests for an extension
to the public comment period citing difficulties in communicating with
and organizing interested parties, limited access to supporting
information, and lack of childcare due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the
Stay at Home Order. Three requests sought a 60-day extension and one
request sought an extension to May 13, 2020. On April 22, 2020, EPA
granted a 30-day extension to the comment period to May 22, 2020. See
85 FR 22378. No additional requests for extension were received.
B. Comments Supporting the Removal of Ohio's Nuisance Rule From the SIP
EPA received comments in support of EPA's NPRM from the Ohio
Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Chemistry Technology Council, The Ohio
Manufacturers' Association, API Ohio, and the Ohio Oil and Gas
Association.
C. Comments Opposing the Removal of Ohio's Nuisance Rule From the SIP
EPA received comments opposing the removal of the Ohio nuisance
rule from the Sierra Club, the Ohio Environmental Council, Ohio Citizen
Action, Altman Newman Co. LPA, the National Resources Defense Council,
and more than 1800 individual commenters who submitted their comments
as part of a letter-writing campaign. The following discussion provides
a summary of the comments received and EPA's response to each comment.
Comment 1: Commenters had requested a 60-day extension of the April
22, 2020, deadline for comments, while EPA granted a 30-day extension
until May 22, 2020. The commenters state: ``During the revised comment
period there has been no opportunity for neighbors and community groups
to learn about this action, to meet face-to-face to discuss its
implications, or to even seek public records because public offices
have been closed and unable to produce documents. Furthermore, the
press has been understandably focused on the immediately life-
threatening pandemic. These circumstances have had a particularly
devastating impact on the rights of poor and minority communities to
learn of EPA's proposed action and to comment on citizen concerns.''
Response: SIPs are rulemaking actions under the Administrative
Procedure Act, which does not specify a period for public comment.
However, a 30-day period is consistent with most SIP actions proposed
by EPA and with the intent of Congress as reflected in CAA section
307(h) (42 U.S.C. 7607(h)), which governs certain Federal
administrative proceedings. It should be noted that EPA is not required
to specifically notify any particular entity of its rulemaking actions;
notification of all parties is accomplished through publications in the
Federal Register. EPA published the NPRM to remove Ohio's nuisance rule
in the Federal Register and initially provided 30 days for public
comment. As stated previously, the publication of EPA's NPRM coincided
with the Stay at Home Order in Ohio due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based
on the generalized concerns identified by commenters, including
difficulty communicating with interested parties and issues with
childcare, EPA granted a 30-day extension of the comment period.
Although generally claiming, for example, that during the extended
comment period there has been ``no opportunity'' to ``seek public
records because public offices have been closed,'' the commenters did
not identify any public records that would have been sought or
explained how such records might have been relevant, and have made no
showing of any attempt to obtain any such records. Moreover, EPA's
original NPRM and NPRM extension did not limit the ability of any
interested party to request an additional extension based on updated or
more detailed concerns, but no additional request for extension was
received after the NPRM 30-day extension.
Comment 2: EPA cannot lawfully eliminate Ohio Admin. Code 3745-15-
07 from Ohio's State Implementation Plan through the CAA's error
correction mechanism.
Response: Section 110(k)(6) of the CAA provides EPA with the
authority to make corrections to actions that are subsequently found to
be in error. Alabama Environmental Council v. Administrator, 711 F.3d
1277, 1286 (11th Cir. 2013) (``110(k)(6) provides an avenue for
correcting a SIP revision approved in error''); see also Ass'n of
Irritated Residents v. EPA, 790 F.3d 934, 948 (9th Cir. 2015)
(110(k)(6) is a ``broad provision'' enacted to provide the EPA with an
avenue to correct errors). The key provisions of section 110(k)(6) for
present purposes are that the Administrator has the authority to
``determine'' when a SIP approval was ``in error,'' and when the
Administrator does so, may then revise the SIP approval ``as
appropriate,'' in the same manner as the prior action, and do so
without requiring any further submission for the state. Id. at 1288.
Moreover, CAA section 110(k)(6) ``confers discretion on the EPA to
decide if and when it will invoke the statute to revise a prior
action.'' Id.; 790 F.3d at 948 (section 110(k)(6) grants
[[Page 73638]]
``EPA the discretion to decide when to act pursuant to that
provision'').\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ CAA section 110(k)(6) was added to the CAA as part of the
CAA Amendments of 1990. Prior to the addition of that subsection,
there was no express provision in section 110 for EPA to correct
erroneous actions, on its own initiative and without further State
action. Indeed, prior to the addition of 110(k)(6), the United
States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit had held that EPA
lacked the authority to modify a SIP to correct its mistakes, unless
it followed the then-existing revision procedure involving State
review and other action. Concerned Citizens of Bridesburg v. EPA,
836 F.2d 777 (1987). Although there is no statement in the
legislative history of the CAA Amendments of 1990 that Congress
specifically responded to Concerned Citizens in enacting 110(k)(6),
it is telling that the addition 110(k)(6) effectively overruled that
decision.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While CAA section 110(k)(6) provides EPA with the authority to
correct its own ``error,'' nowhere does this provision or any other
provision in the CAA define what qualifies as ``error.'' Thus, EPA
believes that the term should be given its plain language, everyday
meaning, which includes all unintentional, incorrect or wrong actions
or mistakes.
EPA has used CAA section 110(k)(6) as authority to make substantive
corrections to remove a variety of provisions from SIPs that are not
related to the attainment or maintenance of NAAQS or any other CAA
requirement. See, e.g., ``Approval and Promulgation of Implantation
Plans; Kentucky: Approval of Revisions to the State Implementation
Plan,'' 75 FR 2440 (January 15, 2010) (correcting the SIP by removing a
provision, approved in 1982, used to address hazardous or toxic air
pollutants); ``Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; New
York,'' 73 FR 21546 (April 22, 2008) (issuing a direct final rule to
correct a prior SIP by removing a general duty ``nuisance provision''
that had been approved in 1984); ``Correction of Implementation Plans;
American Samoa, Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada State
Implementation Plans,'' 63 FR 34641 (June 27, 1997) (correcting five
SIPs by deleting a variety of administrative provisions concerning
variances, hearing board procedures, and fees that had been approved
during the 1970s).
Comment 3: The proposed rule lacks any basis for the assertion that
the air pollution nuisance rule in Ohio's SIP was approved in error and
thus fails to meet the plain text requirements for application of
110(k)(6).
Response: The NPRM published on March 23, 2020, 85 FR 16309, states
that EPA is ``proposing to remove Ohio's nuisance rule from the Ohio
SIP because it does not have a reasonable connection to the attainment
and maintenance of the NAAQS,'' and that the ``prior approval of OAC
3745-15-07 into the Ohio SIP was in error.'' In addition, the NPRM
stated that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) had
confirmed that Ohio did not rely on and did not intend to rely on the
provision for purposes of attainment or maintenance of the NAAQS.
CAA section 110(k)(6) does not define the term ``error.'' EPA
believes that the term should be given its plain language, common
meaning, such that an error is a mistake or an incorrect, wrong, or
inaccurate action. Under section 110(k)(6) EPA must make an error
determination and provide the ``the basis thereof.'' There is no
indication that this is a substantial burden for the Agency to meet. To
the contrary, the requirement is met if EPA clearly articulates the
error and the basis thereof. Ass'n of Irritated Residents, 790 F.3d at
948; see also Alabama Environmental Council, 711 F.3d at 1287-1288 (EPA
must ``articulate an `error' and provide `the basis' '' of its error
determination, citing with approval EPA's error articulation in another
EPA action at 76 FR 25178 (May 3, 2011)).
Here, EPA articulated its error and provided the basis thereof:
SIPs provide for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of
the NAAQS; the Ohio nuisance rule is not associated with the
implementation, maintenance, or enforcement of the NAAQS; and EPA's
previous approval in the SIP of the rule was erroneous. EPA's exclusion
from the SIP of a nuisance provision unrelated to attainment and
maintenance of the NAAQS is consistent with previous Agency practice.
EPA has removed nuisance provisions from several SIPs, including those
for the State of Michigan, 64 FR 7790, Commonwealth of Kentucky
(Jefferson County portion), 66 FR 53657, and the State of Nevada, 69 FR
54006. Additionally, EPA has issued final rules declining to approve
nuisance provisions into SIPs. (See 45 FR 73696, 46 FR 11843, 46 FR
26303 and 63 FR 51833.) \2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Moreover, it is EPA's longstanding position that measures to
control non-criteria pollutants may not legally be made part of the
SIP. See February 9, 1979, memorandum ``Status of State/Local Air
Pollution Control Measures Not Related to NAAQS,'' from Michael A.
James, Associate General Counsel Air, Noise and Radiation Division.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comment 4: EPA's approval of the Ohio nuisance rule was purposeful
and not in error as demonstrated by the August 13, 1984, 49 FR 32182,
approval of revisions to the nuisance rule and subsequent comments from
EPA on title V permits issued in Ohio which state that the nuisance
rule is an applicable requirement under the SIP. Furthermore, inclusion
of the nuisance rule is so integral to the SIP that it has been
included in every title V permit issued and every permit issued by Ohio
since adoption.
Response: The permit comments related to the Ohio nuisance rule are
correct in that the rule is currently in the SIP and therefore an
``applicable requirement'' under the title V operating permit program.
Confirmation of the fact that the rule is part of the SIP in the
permitting process has no bearing on the appropriateness of that rule
for inclusion in the SIP. The determination of whether a state rule is
appropriate for inclusion in the SIP is beyond the scope of the
permitting process. Inclusion of the Ohio nuisance rule in state
permits does not demonstrate that the rule is integral to the SIP which
is limited in scope by the CAA to the implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement of the NAAQS. To the contrary, as noted, the Ohio EPA
indicated that the nuisance rule was not intended to address the
attainment or maintenance of the NAAQS.
The fact that EPA approved a revision to the Ohio nuisance rule in
1984 does not make approval any less in error; rather, it merely
indicates that EPA unfortunately repeated its error. Nor is it material
whether the error was intentional (or, per the commenters,
``purposeful'') or inadvertent. It was erroneous for EPA to approve, as
part of the SIP, the non-NAAQS related nuisance rule, and EPA has the
authority under section 110(k)(6) to correct that error.
Comment 5: States have the right to create regulations that are
more stringent than the Federal requirements.
Response: EPA does not dispute a state's right to create
requirements that, as a matter of state law, are more stringent than
the Federal requirements. Congress affirmed this principle in section
116 of the CAA. This does not, however, alter the fact that the
requirements contained in SIP provisions are limited in scope by
section 110(a) of the CAA. SIPs must provide for the implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement of the NAAQS. Ohio's nuisance rule has no
nexus to these statutorily prescribed requirements.
Comment 6: The record for the proposed action states that EPA was
taking action to promote the novel doctrine of ``regional
consistency.'' Such a doctrine completely contradicts the well-
established principle that SIPs are tailored by states to meet their
specific
[[Page 73639]]
air pollution needs and desired protections.
Response: EPA believes that the commenter's reference to ``the
record'' refers to a January 30, 2020, email from John Mooney, Acting
Director, Air and Radiation Division, EPA, Region 5, to Robert
Hodanbosi, Chief, Air Pollution Control, Ohio EPA (January email) that
was placed in the docket for this rulemaking. It notes that similar
provisions had already been removed from the SIPs of other Region 5
states, ``because states did not rely on those provisions for
attainment and maintenance of the NAAQS.'' The purpose of the email was
to inquire whether Ohio had relied on its nuisance rule in attainment
and maintenance of the NAAQS before proceeding with an error
correction. The reference in the January email to other state actions
merely notes that EPA has reached a similar conclusion in other
rulemaking actions.
Comment 7: The public cannot precisely tell what the question asked
regarding Ohio EPA's reliance on the nuisance rule for ``attainment''
or ``maintenance'' in the January email means.
Response: The January email and the Ohio EPA response were included
in the docket for the proposed rulemaking. The January email was clear
in its request that Ohio EPA confirm that it had not relied upon the
nuisance rule in any aspect related to the attainment or maintenance of
a NAAQS. In Ohio EPA's response, it specifically states that it had not
relied on the nuisance rule for ``SIP planning, nonattainment
designations, redesignation requests, maintenance plans, and
determination of nonattainment areas or their boundaries.'' EPA finds
that Ohio EPA clearly understood the question being asked and clearly
identified what was meant by ``attainment'' and ``maintenance'' in its
response to EPA.
Comment 8: Commenters provided a declaration from William M.
Auberle, a former official with the Regional Air Pollution Control
Agency (RAPCA). Mr. Auberle states that he has direct knowledge of the
inclusion of the Ohio nuisance rule in the Ohio SIP, that the nuisance
rule is an important regulatory tool in achieving and maintaining the
NAAQS, and that he personally used the nuisance rule while an official
with RAPCA as an enforcement tool for achieving and maintaining the
NAAQS.
Response: RAPCA is a bureau of the Division of Environmental Health
within Public Health--Dayton and Montgomery County. It is a county
agency that contracts with the Ohio EPA to enforce state and local air
pollution control regulations in a six-county region of Ohio. EPA does
not dispute that state and local agencies may have used the nuisance
rule to achieve reductions in criteria pollutants or the importance of
the rule as a tool for local authorities in the protection of public
health and welfare. However, using the nuisance rule to achieve
criteria pollutant reductions is not equivalent to relying on the rule
for SIP purposes, which may include SIP planning, nonattainment
designations, redesignation requests, maintenance plans, and
determination of nonattainment areas or their boundaries. Furthermore,
Ohio EPA, the state agency responsible for development and
implementation of the SIP, has stated that it did not find ``any
instances of the nuisance rule, OAC 3745-15-07, being relied upon, or
intended to be relied upon, for attainment or maintenance of any
NAAQS.''
Comment 9: Congress intended citizen suits to be an integral part
of CAA enforcement, including SIP enforcement. The NPRM ignores the
important role of citizen suits in CAA enforcement.
Response: Congress limited the scope of SIPs required under section
110 of the CAA to the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of
the NAAQS. The purpose of this rulemaking action is to remove OAC 3745-
15-07 from the Ohio SIP because it does not support such
implementation, maintenance, and enforcement. This rulemaking action
does not invalidate the Ohio law or affect its applicability to Ohio
sources. Facilities located in Ohio are still subject to the state
nuisance rule. While removal of this rule from the SIP would preclude
its enforcement in Federal courts, it has no impact on the authority to
bring citizen suits in state courts under state law.
Comment 10: Commenters state that the NPRM would harm already
vulnerable Ohioans by eliminating an important environmental justice
tool. Commenters also raise concerns with the potential impact on other
sensitive populations such as children, the elderly, and individuals
with various health issues including respiratory illnesses.
Response: The purpose of this rulemaking action is to remove OAC
3745-15-07 from the Ohio SIP because it is not related to the
implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of the NAAQS. This
rulemaking action does not invalidate the Ohio law or affect its
applicability to Ohio sources. Facilities located in Ohio are still
subject to the state nuisance rule. EPA supports programs and
activities that promote enforcement of health and environmental
statutes in areas with minority populations and low-income populations
and the protection of children, the elderly, and other vulnerable
populations.
Comment 11: Several commenters note recent studies linking
particulate matter pollution to an increased incidence of COVID-19
infection and the potential for increased adverse outcomes in areas
with higher levels of air pollution. Commenters state that considering
the current pandemic, EPA should not be relaxing air pollution
requirements at this time.
Response: The purpose of this rulemaking action is to remove OAC
3745-15-07 from the Ohio SIP because it is not an element of a plan for
the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of the NAAQS.
Consideration of the impacts of air pollution on COVID-19 cases is
beyond the scope of section 110 of the CAA and, thus, beyond the scope
of this rulemaking. Furthermore, this rulemaking action does not
invalidate the Ohio nuisance law or affect its applicability to Ohio
sources, which remain subject to the rule as a matter of state law.
Comment 11: The following comment was made by over 1800 individuals
through a letter-writing campaign.
``I oppose the rollback of the nuisance provision of Ohio's Clean
Air Act regulations.
The nuisance provision ensures that threats to Ohioans' health and
safety are prohibited, no matter what, and allows Ohio residents to
take local pollution problems into their own hands and protect their
communities by taking polluters to court. Without this provision, it
will be more difficult for Ohioans to address local pollution problems.
Eliminating this provision also destroys an important tool that
gives both regulators and Ohio residents flexibility to address serious
health concerns based on new scientific developments.''
Response: The purpose of this rulemaking action is to remove OAC
3745-15-07 from the Ohio SIP because it is not an element of a plan for
the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of the NAAQS. This
rulemaking action does not invalidate the Ohio nuisance law, affect its
applicability to Ohio sources or preclude citizen suits in state court.
III. What action is EPA taking?
EPA has determined that OAC 3745-15-07 was not relied upon by Ohio
to
[[Page 73640]]
demonstrate the implementation, maintenance, or enforcement of the
NAAQS. Consequently, EPA finds that its prior approval of OAC 3745-15-
07 into the Ohio SIP was in error. To correct this error, EPA is
removing OAC 3745-15-07 from the approved Ohio SIP pursuant to section
110(k)(6) of the CAA, and codifying this removal by revising the
appropriate paragraph under 40 CFR part 52, subpart KK, 52.1870
(Identification of Plan).
IV. Incorporation by Reference
In this document, EPA is amending regulatory text that includes
incorporation by reference. As described in the amendments to 40 CFR
part 52 set forth below, EPA is removing provisions of the EPA-Approved
Ohio Regulations from the Ohio SIP, which is incorporated by reference
in accordance with the requirements of 1 CFR part 51. EPA has made, and
will continue to make the SIP generally available through
www.regulations.gov and at the EPA Region 5 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 CAA and applicable
Federal regulations. 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. Accordingly, 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 it is not a significant regulatory
action 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).
In addition, 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 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).
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 January 19, 2021. 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, Carbon monoxide,
Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Lead, Nitrogen
dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: October 26, 2020.
Kurt Thiede,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
For 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.
Sec. 52.1870 [Amended]
0
2. In Sec. 52.1870, the table in paragraph (c) is amended by removing
the entry for ``3745-15-07'' under ``Chapter 3745-15 General Provisions
on Air Pollution Control''.
[FR Doc. 2020-24065 Filed 11-18-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P