Air Plan Approval; California; Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District, East Kern Air Pollution Control District, and Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District; Combustion Sources, 17567-17569 [2021-06928]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 63 / Monday, April 5, 2021 / Proposed Rules
website’s instructions. We review all
comments received, but we will only
post comments that address the topic of
the proposed rule. We may choose not
to post off-topic, inappropriate, or
duplicate comments that we receive. If
you go to the online docket and sign up
for email alerts, you will be notified
when comments are posted or a final
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List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165
Harbors, Marine safety, Navigation
(water), Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Security measures,
Waterways.
For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, the Coast Guard is proposing
to amend 33 CFR part 165 as follows:
PART 165—REGULATED NAVIGATION
AREAS AND LIMITED ACCESS AREAS
1. The authority citation for part 165
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 46 U.S.C. 70034, 70051; 33 CFR
1.05–1, 6.04–1, 6.04–6, and 160.5;
Department of Homeland Security Delegation
No. 0170.1.
■
2. Add § 165.560 to read as follows:
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§ 165.560 Security Zone; Christina River,
Newport, DE.
(a) Location. The following area is a
security zone: All waters of the
Christina River, from shoreline to
shoreline bounded on the east by a line
drawn from 39°42.55′ North Latitude
(N), 075°35.88′ West Longitude (W),
thence southerly to 39°42.50′ N,
075°35.87′ W thence along the Christina
River in a westerly direction and
bounded by the South James Street
Bridge at 39°42.63′ N, 075°36.53 W.
These coordinates are based on North
American Datum 83 (NAD83).
(b) Definitions. As used in this
section—
Designated representative means a
Coast Guard Patrol Commander,
including a Coast Guard coxswain, petty
officer, or other officer operating a Coast
Guard vessel and a Federal, State, and
local officer designated by or assisting
the Captain of the Port Delaware Bay
(COTP) in the enforcement of the
security zone.
Official Patrol Vessel means any Coast
Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, State, or
local law enforcement vessel assigned or
approved by the COTP.
Very Important Person (VIP) means
any person for whom the United States
Secret Service requests implementation
of a security zone in order to
supplement protection of said person(s).
(c) Regulations. (1) In accordance with
the general regulations contained in
§ 165.33, entry into or movement within
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this zone is prohibited unless
authorized by the COTP, Sector
Delaware Bay or designated
representative.
(2) Only vessels or people specifically
authorized by the Captain of the Port,
Delaware Bay, or designated
representative, may enter or remain in
the regulated area. To seek permission
to enter, contact the COTP or the
COTP’s representative on VHF–FM
channel 13 or 16. Those in the security
zone must comply with all lawful orders
or directions given to them by the COTP
or the COTP’s designated representative.
No person may swim upon or below the
surface of the water of this security zone
unless authorized by the COTP or his
designated representative.
(3) Upon being hailed by an official
patrol vessel or the designated
representative, by siren, radio, flashing
light or other means, the operator of the
vessel shall proceed as directed. Failure
to comply with lawful direction may
result in expulsion from the regulated
area, citation for failure to comply, or
both.
(d) Enforcement. This security zone
will be enforced with actual notice by
the U.S. Coast Guard representatives on
scene, as well as other methods listed in
§ 165.7. The Coast Guard will enforce
the security zone created by this section
only when it is necessary for the
protection of VIPs traveling across the
route 141 bridge in Newport, Delaware.
The U.S. Coast Guard may be
additionally assisted in the patrol and
enforcement of the zone by Federal,
State, and local agencies.
Dated: March 24, 2021.
Jonathan D. Theel,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the
Port, Delaware Bay.
[FR Doc. 2021–06637 Filed 4–2–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R09–OAR–2020–0476; FRL–10021–
53–Region 9]
Air Plan Approval; California; Antelope
Valley Air Quality Management District,
East Kern Air Pollution Control
District, and Yolo-Solano Air Quality
Management District; Combustion
Sources
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve
SUMMARY:
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17567
revisions to the Antelope Valley Air
Quality Management District
(AVAQMD), East Kern Air Pollution
Control District (EKAPCD), and YoloSolano Air Quality Management District
(YSAQMD) portions of the California
State Implementation Plan (SIP). These
revisions concern emissions of oxides of
nitrogen (NOX) from boilers, steam
generating units, process heaters, and
stationary internal combustion engines.
We are proposing to approve local rules
to regulate these emission sources under
the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act). We
are taking comments on this proposal
and plan to follow with a final action.
Any comments must arrive by
May 5, 2021.
DATES:
Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R09–
OAR–2020–0476 at https://
www.regulations.gov. For comments
submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments
cannot be edited or removed from
Regulations.gov. The EPA may publish
any comment received to its public
docket. Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Multimedia
submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be
accompanied by a written comment.
The written comment is considered the
official comment and should include
discussion of all points you wish to
make. The EPA will generally not
consider comments or comment
contents located outside of the primary
submission (i.e. on the web, cloud, or
other file sharing system). For
additional submission methods, please
contact the person identified in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
For the full EPA public comment policy,
information about CBI or multimedia
submissions, and general guidance on
making effective comments, please visit
https://www.epa.gov/dockets/
commenting-epa-dockets. If you need
assistance in a language other than
English or if you are a person with
disabilities who needs a reasonable
accommodation at no cost to you, please
contact the person identified in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kevin Gong, EPA Region IX, 75
Hawthorne St., San Francisco, CA
94105. By phone at (415) 972–3073 and
by email at gong.kevin@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document, ‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us’’
and ‘‘our’’ refer to the EPA.
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 63 / Monday, April 5, 2021 / Proposed Rules
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 and Action
A. How is the EPA evaluating the rules?
B. Do the rules meet the evaluation
criteria?
C. The EPA’s Recommendations To Further
Improve The Rules
D. Public Comment and Proposed Action
III. Incorporation by Reference
IV. 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 with the dates that they
were adopted by the local air agencies,
submitted by the California Air
Resources Board (CARB), and the date
that either a completeness
determination was made, or the dates
they were deemed complete by
operation of law to meet the
completeness criteria in 40 CFR part 51
appendix V, which must be met before
formal EPA review.
TABLE 1—SUBMITTED RULES
Local agency
Rule No.
Rule title
Local action
AVAQMD ...........
1110.2 ..............
Revised 09/18/2018 ...........
10/30/2018
Complete by operation of
law on 04/30/2019.
EKAPCD ............
425.2 ................
Revised 01/11/2018 ...........
08/22/2018
Completeness determination on 02/11/2019.
YSAQMD ...........
2.27 ..................
Emissions from Stationary,
Non-Road and Portable
Internal Combustion Engines.
Boilers, Steam Generators,
and Process Heaters
(Oxides of Nitrogen).
Large Boilers .......................
Revised 05/15/2019 ...........
08/19/2019
Complete by operation of
law on 02/19/2020.
B. Are there other versions of these
rules?
There are no previous versions of
AVAQMD Rule 1110.2 in the SIP. The
AVAQMD inherited a version of Rule
1110.2 from the South Coast Air Quality
Management District (SCAQMD) into
their local rule book when the
AVAQMD became independent from
the South Coast. The AVAQMD revised
this rule on May 15, 2001, and again on
January 21, 2003, and the CARB
submitted the 2003 version to us on
April 1, 2003. We proposed a limited
approval and limited disapproval on the
January 21, 2003 version of the rule on
April 21, 2004 (69 FR 21482), but we
did not finalize that rulemaking. We
have approved subsequent versions of
SCAQMD Rule 1110.2 into the
California SIP, but none of the versions
of that rule apply to the jurisdiction of
the AVAQMD.
We approved an earlier version of
EKAPCD Rule 425.2 into the SIP on
October 28, 1999 (64 FR 57991).
We approved an earlier version of
YSAQMD Rule 2.27 into the SIP on June
17, 1997 (62 FR 32691).
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C. What is the purpose of the submitted
rules?
Emissions of NOX help produce
ground-level ozone, smog and
particulate matter, which harm human
health and the environment. Section
110(a) of the CAA requires states to
submit regulations that control NOX
emissions. The submitted rules control
NOX through requiring compliance with
emission limits, work practice
standards, and other operational
requirements.
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The EPA’s technical support
documents (TSDs) have more
information about these rules.
II. The EPA’s Evaluation and Action
A. How is the EPA evaluating the rules?
Rules in the SIP must be enforceable
(see CAA section 110(a)(2)), must not
interfere with applicable requirements
concerning attainment and reasonable
further progress or other CAA
requirements (see CAA section 110(l)),
and must not modify certain SIP control
requirements in nonattainment areas
without ensuring equivalent or greater
emissions reductions (see CAA section
193).
Generally, SIP rules must require
Reasonably Available Control
Technology (RACT) for each major
source of NOX in ozone nonattainment
areas classified as Moderate or above
(see CAA sections 182(b)(2) and (f)). The
AVAQMD regulates a portion of the
West Mojave Desert nonattainment area,
which is classified as Severe for the
1997 8-hour national ambient air quality
standard (NAAQS), 2008 8-hour
NAAQS, and 2015 8-hour NAAQS. The
EKAPCD regulates the Kern County
(East Kern) nonattainment area, which
is classified as Serious for the 2008
NAAQS, and Moderate for the 1997 and
2015 NAAQS. The YSAQMD regulates a
portion of the Sacramento Metro
nonattainment area, which is classified
as Severe for the 1997 and 2008
NAAQS, and Moderate for the 2015
NAAQS (See 40 CFR 81.305 for
attainment designations). Therefore, all
the districts’ rules must implement
RACT. The EPA’s determination that a
jurisdiction has implemented RACT for
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Submitted
Completeness date
applicable sources, including major
sources of NOX, is usually done in the
context of a state’s demonstration that
the EPA has approved local rules in
their SIP that meet all relevant CAA
requirements for stringency and
enforceability. This demonstration is
known as a RACT SIP.
The EPA previously found that the
AVAQMD failed to demonstrate
adequately stringent requirements in
their RACT SIPs for major sources of
NOX under the nonattainment
requirements for the 2008 ozone
NAAQS.1 The AVAQMD, via the CARB,
subsequently made commitments to
submit new or revised regulations
intended to implement RACT within
one year of the EPA’s final rules for the
AVAQMD. The EPA cited these
commitments in our conditional
approvals of the AVAQMD 2008 ozone
RACT SIP on October 10, 2017 (82 FR
46923). AVAQMD Rule 1110.2 was
submitted in part to address a portion of
the conditional approval.
Guidance and policy documents that
we used to evaluate enforceability,
revision/relaxation and rule stringency
requirements for the applicable criteria
pollutants include the following:
1. ‘‘State Implementation Plans; General
Preamble for the Implementation of Title I of
the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990,’’ 57
FR 13498 (April 16, 1992); 57 FR 18070
(April 28, 1992).
2. ‘‘Issues Relating to VOC Regulation
Cutpoints, Deficiencies, and Deviations,’’
EPA, May 25, 1988 (the Bluebook, revised
January 11, 1990).
3. ‘‘Guidance Document for Correcting
Common VOC & Other Rule Deficiencies,’’
1 See 40 CFR 52.248(b) for the conditional
approval of the AVAQMD 2008 Ozone RACT SIP.
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 63 / Monday, April 5, 2021 / Proposed Rules
EPA Region 9, August 21, 2001 (the Little
Bluebook).
4. ‘‘Alternative Control Techniques
Document—NOX Emissions from Industrial/
Commercial/Institutional (ICI) Boilers’’
(EPA–453/R–94–022, March 1994).
5. ‘‘Alternative Control Techniques
Document—NOX Emissions from Process
Heaters (Revised),’’ revised September 1993
(EPA–453/R–93–034 1993/09).
6. ‘‘Alternative Control Techniques
Document—NOX Emissions from Stationary
Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines’’
(EPA–453/R–93–032, July 1993).
B. Do the rules meet the evaluation
criteria?
These rules are consistent with CAA
requirements and relevant guidance
regarding enforceability, RACT, and SIP
revisions. The TSDs have more
information on our evaluation.
C. The EPA’s Recommendations To
Further Improve the Rules
The TSDs describe additional rule
revisions that we recommend for the
next time the local agencies modify
their rules.
D. Public Comment and Proposed
Action
As authorized in section 110(k)(3) of
the Act, the EPA proposes to fully
approve the submitted rules because
they fulfill all relevant requirements.
We will accept comments from the
public on this proposal until May 5,
2021. If we take final action to approve
the submitted rules, our final action will
incorporate these rules into the federally
enforceable SIP.
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III. Incorporation by Reference
In this rule, 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 California air district rules described
in Table 1 of this preamble. The EPA
has made, and will continue to make,
these materials available through
www.regulations.gov and at the EPA
Region IX Office (please contact the
person identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
preamble for more information).
IV. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Under the Clean Air Act, 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 Clean Air
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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);
• 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.
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17569
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: March 30, 2021.
Deborah Jordan,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2021–06928 Filed 4–2–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R10–OAR–2021–0212, FRL–10018–
33–Region 10]
Air Plan Approval; OR; Updates to
Adoption by Reference of Federal
Provisions
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a
revision to the Oregon State
Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted on
January 29, 2021. The revision updates
the date by which Federal provisions
are adopted by reference into the
Oregon SIP, making air quality
requirements more current.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before May 5, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R10–
OAR–2021–0212, at https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Once submitted, comments cannot be
edited or removed from https://
www.regulations.gov. The EPA may
publish any comment received to its
public docket. Do not electronically
submit 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, the full
EPA public comment policy,
information about CBI or multimedia
submissions, and general guidance on
making effective comments, please visit
https://www.epa.gov/dockets/
commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kristin Hall, EPA Region 10, 1200 Sixth
Avenue, Suite 155, Seattle, WA 98101,
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\05APP1.SGM
05APP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 63 (Monday, April 5, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 17567-17569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06928]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R09-OAR-2020-0476; FRL-10021-53-Region 9]
Air Plan Approval; California; Antelope Valley Air Quality
Management District, East Kern Air Pollution Control District, and
Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District; Combustion Sources
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to
approve revisions to the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management
District (AVAQMD), East Kern Air Pollution Control District (EKAPCD),
and Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District (YSAQMD) portions of
the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern
emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOX) from boilers, steam
generating units, process heaters, and stationary internal combustion
engines. We are proposing to approve local rules to regulate these
emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act). We are
taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final
action.
DATES: Any comments must arrive by May 5, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R09-
OAR-2020-0476 at https://www.regulations.gov. For comments submitted at
Regulations.gov, follow the online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from
Regulations.gov. The EPA may publish any comment received to its public
docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio,
video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written
comment is considered the official comment and should include
discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA will generally not
consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary
submission (i.e. on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For
additional submission methods, please contact the person identified in
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. For the full EPA public
comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and
general guidance on making effective comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets. If you need assistance in a
language other than English or if you are a person with disabilities
who needs a reasonable accommodation at no cost to you, please contact
the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Gong, EPA Region IX, 75
Hawthorne St., San Francisco, CA 94105. By phone at (415) 972-3073 and
by email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, ``we,'' ``us'' and
``our'' refer to the EPA.
[[Page 17568]]
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 and Action
A. How is the EPA evaluating the rules?
B. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria?
C. The EPA's Recommendations To Further Improve The Rules
D. Public Comment and Proposed Action
III. Incorporation by Reference
IV. 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 with the dates
that they were adopted by the local air agencies, submitted by the
California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the date that either a
completeness determination was made, or the dates they were deemed
complete by operation of law to meet the completeness criteria in 40
CFR part 51 appendix V, which must be met before formal EPA review.
Table 1--Submitted Rules
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local agency Rule No. Rule title Local action Submitted Completeness date
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AVAQMD................... 1110.2................... Emissions from Revised 09/18/2018.................... 10/30/2018 Complete by
Stationary, Non- operation of law on
Road and Portable 04/30/2019.
Internal Combustion
Engines.
EKAPCD................... 425.2.................... Boilers, Steam Revised 01/11/2018.................... 08/22/2018 Completeness
Generators, and determination on 02/
Process Heaters 11/2019.
(Oxides of
Nitrogen).
YSAQMD................... 2.27..................... Large Boilers....... Revised 05/15/2019.................... 08/19/2019 Complete by
operation of law on
02/19/2020.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Are there other versions of these rules?
There are no previous versions of AVAQMD Rule 1110.2 in the SIP.
The AVAQMD inherited a version of Rule 1110.2 from the South Coast Air
Quality Management District (SCAQMD) into their local rule book when
the AVAQMD became independent from the South Coast. The AVAQMD revised
this rule on May 15, 2001, and again on January 21, 2003, and the CARB
submitted the 2003 version to us on April 1, 2003. We proposed a
limited approval and limited disapproval on the January 21, 2003
version of the rule on April 21, 2004 (69 FR 21482), but we did not
finalize that rulemaking. We have approved subsequent versions of
SCAQMD Rule 1110.2 into the California SIP, but none of the versions of
that rule apply to the jurisdiction of the AVAQMD.
We approved an earlier version of EKAPCD Rule 425.2 into the SIP on
October 28, 1999 (64 FR 57991).
We approved an earlier version of YSAQMD Rule 2.27 into the SIP on
June 17, 1997 (62 FR 32691).
C. What is the purpose of the submitted rules?
Emissions of NOX help produce ground-level ozone, smog
and particulate matter, which harm human health and the environment.
Section 110(a) of the CAA requires states to submit regulations that
control NOX emissions. The submitted rules control
NOX through requiring compliance with emission limits, work
practice standards, and other operational requirements.
The EPA's technical support documents (TSDs) have more information
about these rules.
II. The EPA's Evaluation and Action
A. How is the EPA evaluating the rules?
Rules in the SIP must be enforceable (see CAA section 110(a)(2)),
must not interfere with applicable requirements concerning attainment
and reasonable further progress or other CAA requirements (see CAA
section 110(l)), and must not modify certain SIP control requirements
in nonattainment areas without ensuring equivalent or greater emissions
reductions (see CAA section 193).
Generally, SIP rules must require Reasonably Available Control
Technology (RACT) for each major source of NOX in ozone
nonattainment areas classified as Moderate or above (see CAA sections
182(b)(2) and (f)). The AVAQMD regulates a portion of the West Mojave
Desert nonattainment area, which is classified as Severe for the 1997
8-hour national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS), 2008 8-hour
NAAQS, and 2015 8-hour NAAQS. The EKAPCD regulates the Kern County
(East Kern) nonattainment area, which is classified as Serious for the
2008 NAAQS, and Moderate for the 1997 and 2015 NAAQS. The YSAQMD
regulates a portion of the Sacramento Metro nonattainment area, which
is classified as Severe for the 1997 and 2008 NAAQS, and Moderate for
the 2015 NAAQS (See 40 CFR 81.305 for attainment designations).
Therefore, all the districts' rules must implement RACT. The EPA's
determination that a jurisdiction has implemented RACT for applicable
sources, including major sources of NOX, is usually done in
the context of a state's demonstration that the EPA has approved local
rules in their SIP that meet all relevant CAA requirements for
stringency and enforceability. This demonstration is known as a RACT
SIP.
The EPA previously found that the AVAQMD failed to demonstrate
adequately stringent requirements in their RACT SIPs for major sources
of NOX under the nonattainment requirements for the 2008
ozone NAAQS.\1\ The AVAQMD, via the CARB, subsequently made commitments
to submit new or revised regulations intended to implement RACT within
one year of the EPA's final rules for the AVAQMD. The EPA cited these
commitments in our conditional approvals of the AVAQMD 2008 ozone RACT
SIP on October 10, 2017 (82 FR 46923). AVAQMD Rule 1110.2 was submitted
in part to address a portion of the conditional approval.
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\1\ See 40 CFR 52.248(b) for the conditional approval of the
AVAQMD 2008 Ozone RACT SIP.
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Guidance and policy documents that we used to evaluate
enforceability, revision/relaxation and rule stringency requirements
for the applicable criteria pollutants include the following:
1. ``State Implementation Plans; General Preamble for the
Implementation of Title I of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990,''
57 FR 13498 (April 16, 1992); 57 FR 18070 (April 28, 1992).
2. ``Issues Relating to VOC Regulation Cutpoints, Deficiencies,
and Deviations,'' EPA, May 25, 1988 (the Bluebook, revised January
11, 1990).
3. ``Guidance Document for Correcting Common VOC & Other Rule
Deficiencies,''
[[Page 17569]]
EPA Region 9, August 21, 2001 (the Little Bluebook).
4. ``Alternative Control Techniques Document--NOX
Emissions from Industrial/Commercial/Institutional (ICI) Boilers''
(EPA-453/R-94-022, March 1994).
5. ``Alternative Control Techniques Document--NOX
Emissions from Process Heaters (Revised),'' revised September 1993
(EPA-453/R-93-034 1993/09).
6. ``Alternative Control Techniques Document--NOX
Emissions from Stationary Reciprocating Internal Combustion
Engines'' (EPA-453/R-93-032, July 1993).
B. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria?
These rules are consistent with CAA requirements and relevant
guidance regarding enforceability, RACT, and SIP revisions. The TSDs
have more information on our evaluation.
C. The EPA's Recommendations To Further Improve the Rules
The TSDs describe additional rule revisions that we recommend for
the next time the local agencies modify their rules.
D. Public Comment and Proposed Action
As authorized in section 110(k)(3) of the Act, the EPA proposes to
fully approve the submitted rules because they fulfill all relevant
requirements. We will accept comments from the public on this proposal
until May 5, 2021. If we take final action to approve the submitted
rules, our final action will incorporate these rules into the federally
enforceable SIP.
III. Incorporation by Reference
In this rule, 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 California air district rules described in Table 1 of
this preamble. The EPA has made, and will continue to make, these
materials available through www.regulations.gov and at the EPA Region
IX Office (please contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this preamble for more information).
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the Clean Air Act, 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 Clean Air 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);
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.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: March 30, 2021.
Deborah Jordan,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2021-06928 Filed 4-2-21; 8:45 am]
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