Air Plan Approval; FL, GA, NC, SC; Interstate Transport (Prongs 1 and 2) for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone Standard, 68413-68421 [2021-26144]
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Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate
matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile
organic compounds.
‘‘Section 1.5217,’’ ‘‘Section 1.5218,’’
‘‘Section 1.5219,’’ ‘‘Section 1.5220,’’
‘‘Section 1.5221,’’ ‘‘Section 1.5222,’’ and
‘‘Section 1.5232’’ and adding in their
place entries for ‘‘Rule 1.5212,’’ ‘‘Rule
1.5213,’’ ‘‘Rule 1.5214,’’ ‘‘Rule 1.5215,’’
‘‘Rule 1.5217,’’ ‘‘Rule 1.5218,’’ ‘‘Rule
1.5219,’’ ‘‘Rule 1.5220,’’ ‘‘Rule 1.5221,’’
‘‘Rule 1.5222,’’ and ‘‘Rule 1.5232’’ to
read as follows:
PART 52—APPROVAL AND
PROMULGATION OF
IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
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Dated: November 26, 2021.
John Blevins,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
For the reasons stated in the
preamble, EPA amends 40 CFR part 52
as follows:
Subpart II—North Carolina
2. In § 52.1770(c)(3), the table is
amended by removing the entries for
‘‘Section 1.5212,’’ ‘‘Section 1.5213,’’
‘‘Section 1.5214,’’ ‘‘Section 1.5215,’’
■
§ 52.1770
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(3) EPA APPROVED MECKLENBURG COUNTY REGULATIONS
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effective
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Air Quality Permits
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BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R04–OAR–2019–0156; FRL–8697–02–
R4]
Air Plan Approval; FL, GA, NC, SC;
Interstate Transport (Prongs 1 and 2)
for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone Standard
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Applications ..................................................
Action on Application; Issuance of Permit ....
Commencement of Operation ......................
Application Processing Schedule .................
Confidential Information ................................
Compliance Schedule for Previously Exempted Activities.
Retention of Permit at Permitted Facility ......
Applicability Determination ...........................
Permitting of Numerous Similar Facilities ....
Permitting of Facilities at Multiple Temporary Sites.
[FR Doc. 2021–26141 Filed 12–1–21; 8:45 am]
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This rule is effective January 3,
2022.
EPA has established a
docket for this action under Docket
Identification No. EPA–R04–OAR–
2019–0156. All documents in the docket
are listed on the www.regulations.gov
ADDRESSES:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA or Agency) is approving
State Implementation Plan (SIP)
SUMMARY:
submissions from Florida, Georgia,
North Carolina, and South Carolina,
addressing the Clean Air Act (CAA or
Act) Good Neighbor interstate transport
infrastructure SIP requirements for the
2015 8-hour ozone National Ambient
Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or
standards). EPA has determined that
each state’s SIP contains adequate
provisions to prohibit emissions that
will significantly contribute to
nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance of the 2015 ozone NAAQS
in any other state. This action is being
taken in accordance with the CAA.
DATES:
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
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Permitting Provisions for Air Pollution Sources, Rules and Operating Regulations for Acid Rain Sources, Title V and
Toxic Air Pollutants
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website. Although listed in the index,
some information may not be publicly
available, i.e., Confidential Business
Information or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, is not placed on
the internet and will be publicly
available only in hard copy form.
Publicly available docket materials are
available either electronically through
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the Air Regulatory Management Section,
Air Planning and Implementation
Branch, Air and Radiation Division,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta,
Georgia 30303–8960. EPA requests that
if at all possible, you contact the person
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section to schedule your
inspection. The Regional Office’s
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official hours of business are Monday
through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
excluding Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Evan Adams of the Air Regulatory
Management Section, Air Planning and
Implementation Branch, Air and
Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth
Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960.
Mr. Adams can be reached by telephone
at (404) 562–9009, or via electronic mail
at adams.evan@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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I. Background
On December 30, 2019, EPA proposed
to approve SIP submissions from
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, and
Tennessee 1 as meeting the interstate
transport requirements of CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), or the Good Neighbor
provision, for the 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS. See 84 FR 71854. Specifically,
the 2019 notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM) originally proposed to find that
emissions from sources in these states
will not significantly contribute to
nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance of the 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS in any other state based on
information for the analytic year 2023,
consistent with the 2024 Moderate area
attainment date. Refer to the December
30, 2019 NPRM for an explanation of
the CAA requirements, the four-step
framework that EPA applies under the
Good Neighbor provision for ozone
NAAQS, a detailed summary of the state
submissions, and EPA’s proposed
rationale for approval. See 84 FR 71854.
The public comment period for the
December 30, 2019, NPRM closed on
January 29, 2020.2
1 The submittals from these six southeastern
states were submitted separately under the
following cover letters: Alabama Department of
Environmental Management dated August 20, 2018
(received by EPA on August 27, 2018); Florida
Department of Environmental Protection dated
September 18, 2018 (received by EPA on September
26, 2018); Georgia Environmental Protection
Division dated September 19, 2018 (received by
EPA on September 24, 2018); North Carolina
Department of Environmental Quality dated
September 27, 2018 (received by EPA October 10,
2018); South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control dated and received by EPA
on September 7, 2018; and Tennessee Department
of Environment and Conservation dated September
13, 2018 (received by EPA on September 17, 2018).
2 On March 24, 2020, former EPA Region 4
Administrator Mary Walker signed a document
(hereinafter referred to as the March 24, 2020
document) that EPA had intended to become a final
rule upon publication in the Federal Register.
However, the March 24, 2020 document was never
published in the Federal Register. Further, on
January 19, 2021, former EPA Region 4
Administrator Mary Walker signed a second
document (hereinafter referred to as the January 19,
2021 document) that EPA had intended to become
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Subsequent to the publication of the
NPRM on December 30, 2019, two
events caused EPA to adjust its analysis
of the aforementioned SIP submissions.
First, the United States Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C.
Circuit) issued its ruling in Maryland v.
EPA, 958 F.3d 1185 (D.C. Cir. 2020)
(Maryland), which held that EPA must
address Good Neighbor obligations
consistent with the 2021 attainment
date for downwind areas classified as
being in Marginal nonattainment under
the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS, ‘‘not at
some later date.’’ 958 F.3d at 1203–04
(citing Wisconsin v. EPA, 938 F.3d 303,
314 (D.C. Cir. 2019) (Wisconsin)).3
Second, on October 30, 2020, EPA
released and accepted public comment
on updated 2023 modeling that used the
2016 emissions platform developed
under the EPA/Multi-Jurisdictional
Organization (MJO)/state collaborative
project as the primary source for the
base year and future year emissions
data. On April 30, 2021, EPA published
the final Revised Cross-State Air
Pollution Rule (CSAPR) Update for the
2008 ozone NAAQS (Revised CSAPR
Update) using the same modeling that
was made publicly available in the
proposed rulemaking for the Revised
CSAPR Update.4 Although that
modeling focused on the year 2023, EPA
conducted an interpolation analysis of
these modeling results to generate air
a final rule, which EPA posted to its website at
https://www.epa.gov/air-quality-implementationplans/epas-approval-2015-8-hour-ozone-interstatetransport-requirements. EPA noted in that posting
‘‘Notwithstanding the fact that the EPA is posting
a pre-publication version, the final rule will not be
promulgated until published in the Federal
Register.’’ EPA will not publish either the March
24, 2020 document or the January 19, 2021
document in the Federal Register, and now intends
that this notice constitutes final action with respect
to the 2019 proposal, superseding all versions of
previous draft final action documents.
3 Maryland involved EPA’s denial of
administrative petitions filed by the states of
Maryland and Delaware under CAA section 126(b),
seeking to have EPA impose emissions limits on
sources in upwind states alleged to be emitting in
violation of the Good Neighbor Provision. The court
disagreed with EPA that use of a 2023 analytic year,
consistent with the 2024 attainment date for areas
classified as being in Moderate nonattainment, was
a proper reading of the court’s earlier decision in
Wisconsin. Id. at 1204.
4 Revised Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update
for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS, 86 FR 23054; see also
Emissions Modeling TSD titled ‘‘Preparation of
Emissions Inventories for the 2016v1 North
American Emissions Modeling Platform.’’ This TSD
is available in the docket for this action and at
https://www.epa.gov/air-emissionsmodeling/
2016v1-platform. The underlying modeling files are
available on data drives in the Docket office for
public review. See the docket for the Revised
CSAPR Update (EPA–HQ–OAR–2020–0272). See
also Air Quality Modeling Data Drives_Final
RCU.pdf, available in the docket for this action for
a file inventory and instructions on how to access
the modeling files.
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quality and contribution values for the
2021 analytic year, consistent with the
Maryland holding, as the relevant
analytic year for the 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS.
As a result, EPA issued a
supplemental notice of proposed
rulemaking (SNPRM) on July 19, 2021,
which relied on the new modeling and
analysis to supplement EPA’s proposed
finding in the December 30, 2019 NPRM
that emissions from sources in Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South
Carolina will not significantly
contribute to nonattainment or interfere
with maintenance of the 2015 8-hour
ozone NAAQS in any other state.5 See
86 FR 37942. The new modeling and
analysis indicated that Florida, Georgia,
North Carolina, and South Carolina,
individually, will not contribute greater
than one percent of the 2015 8-hour
ozone NAAQS to any potential
nonattainment or maintenance receptors
in 2021. In addition, EPA analyzed past
and projected emissions of ozone
precursors (nitrogen oxides (NOX) and
volatile organic compounds (VOCs)),
finding a downward trend in emissions
to support the modeling analysis and
indicate that the contributions from
emissions from sources in Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South
Carolina to ozone receptors in
downwind states will continue to
decline and remain below one percent
of the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Thus,
the July 19, 2021 SNPRM provided that
‘‘EPA continues to propose to approve
the interstate transport portions of the
infrastructure SIP submissions from
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and
South Carolina as meeting CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) requirements for the
2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS.’’ See 86 FR
37942.
The technical rationale for EPA’s
proposed action is given in the July 19,
2021 SNPRM and in supportive
materials contained in the docket for
this action. The comment period for the
July 19, 2021 SNPRM closed on August
18, 2021, and EPA received no
additional comments. However, EPA
did receive comments on the original
December 30, 2019 NPRM, and relevant
responses are provided in section II.
EPA is finalizing the approval of this
action based on the technical rationale
5 EPA previously proposed to approve
infrastructure SIP elements submitted to fulfill the
interstate transport requirements of CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the states of Alabama and
Tennessee for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS in the
December 30, 2019, NPRM referenced previously in
this rule. However, the July 19, 2021 SNPRM did
not address these submissions, and EPA is deferring
action on the referenced SIP submissions from
Alabama and Tennessee at this time.
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presented in the July 19, 2021 SNPRM
and in accordance with the CAA.
II. Response to Comments
EPA received four sets of adverse
comments and one set of supportive
comments on the December 30, 2019,
NPRM. The comments were submitted
by the Midwest Ozone Group, Sierra
Club, New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection, New York
State Department of Environmental
Conservation, and one anonymous
commenter. The full set of comments is
provided in the docket for this final
rule. This section contains summaries of
the comments and EPA’s responses.
Comment 1: Several commenters
asserted that EPA’s December 30, 2019
NPRM improperly focused on the
analytic year of 2023, which the
commenters argue ignores the August
2021 attainment date faced by Marginal
2015 ozone nonattainment areas. These
commenters asserted that EPA’s
decision focused on 2023 (consistent
with the August 2024 attainment date
for Moderate nonattainment areas under
the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS, rather
than the August 2021 attainment date
for Marginal nonattainment areas),
which contravenes the statutory text
and the Wisconsin decision, and is
arbitrary and capricious. The
commenters specifically mention that
the distinction EPA has drawn between
Marginal and Moderate areas is
misleading, that it is unreasonable for
EPA to expect downwind areas to
voluntarily request reclassifications to
Moderate, and that EPA has not
provided adequate support for its
assumption that Marginal areas will
achieve attainment by 2021. A
commenter also contended that the
CSAPR Update is insufficient to bring
all downwind states into attainment
with the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS,
citing a conclusion made in the
December 30, 2019, NPRM in support of
a 2023 analytic year and monitoring
data from the 2017 ozone season
indicating certain 8-hour daily
maximum concentrations at air quality
monitors in Delaware were above the
level of the NAAQS. In addition, a
commenter asserted that recent
monitoring data at other monitoring
sites suggests that these areas will
continue to have difficulty attaining the
NAAQS in 2021.
Response 1: The comments related to
the 2023 analytic year refer to a D.C.
Circuit court decision addressing, in
part, the issue of the relevant analytic
year for the purposes of evaluating
interstate ozone transport under the
Good Neighbor provision. On
September 13, 2019, the D.C. Circuit
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issued the Wisconsin decision,
remanding the CSAPR Update (81 FR
74504, October 26, 2016) to the extent
that it failed to require upwind states to
eliminate their significant contribution
no later than the next applicable
attainment date by which downwind
states must come into compliance with
the NAAQS, as established under CAA
section 181(a). See 938 F.3d 303, 313. In
the December 30, 2019 NPRM, EPA had
interpreted that holding as limited to
the attainment dates for Moderate
nonattainment area or higher
classifications under CAA section 181
on the basis that Marginal
nonattainment areas have reduced
planning requirements and other
considerations. See 84 FR 71854,
71856–58.
On May 19, 2020, however, the D.C.
Circuit issued the Maryland decision
that cited the Wisconsin decision in
holding that EPA must assess the impact
of interstate transport on air quality at
the next downwind attainment date,
including Marginal area attainment
dates, in evaluating the basis for EPA’s
denial of a petition under CAA section
126(b). See 958 F.3d 1185, 1203–04. The
court noted that ‘‘section 126(b)
incorporates the Good Neighbor
Provision,’’ and therefore ‘‘the EPA
must find a violation [of section 126] if
an upwind source will significantly
contribute to downwind nonattainment
at the next downwind attainment
deadline. Therefore, the EPA must
evaluate downwind air quality at that
deadline, not at some later date.’’ Id. at
1204 (emphasis added). EPA interprets
the court’s holding in Maryland as
requiring the Agency, under the Good
Neighbor provision, to address Good
Neighbor obligations by no later than
the next applicable attainment date for
downwind areas, including a Marginal
area attainment date under section 181
for ozone nonattainment.6
The December 30, 2019 NPRM
proposing approval of the 2015 8-hour
ozone Good Neighbor SIPs for Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South
Carolina on the basis of a 2023 analytic
year analysis predates the D.C. Circuit’s
decisions in Wisconsin and Maryland.
6 EPA notes that the court in Maryland did not
have occasion to evaluate circumstances in which
EPA may determine that an upwind linkage to a
downwind air quality problem exists at steps 1 and
2 of the four-step interstate transport framework by
a particular attainment date, but for reasons of
impossibility or profound uncertainty the Agency is
unable to mandate upwind pollution controls by
that date. See Wisconsin, 938 F.3d at 320. The D.C.
Circuit noted in Wisconsin that upon a sufficient
showing, these circumstances may warrant a certain
degree of flexibility in effectuating the
implementation of the Good Neighbor provision.
Such circumstances are not at issue in the present
action.
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In the July 19, 2021 SNPRM, EPA
explained why it now considers 2021 to
be the relevant analytic year for the
purposes of determining whether
sources in Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina, and South Carolina will
significantly contribute to downwind
nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance of the 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS in any other state. See 86 FR
37944. Also in the July 19, 2021
SNPRM, EPA conducted an additional
analysis for the year 2021, and provided
additional notice and opportunity for
public comment. Id. Thus, comments
regarding the improper use of 2023 as a
model year are now moot.7
Multiple commenters stated that the
approach for identifying nonattainment
and maintenance receptors in the
original December 30, 2019 NPRM
failed to identify all of the potential
receptors relevant in a 2021 analytic
year. In addition to their objections to
EPA’s selection of the 2023 analytic
year, these commenters argued that
measured design values at certain
monitoring sites made clear that certain
areas would not be able to attain the
2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS by the 2021
Marginal area attainment date. The shift
in the July 19, 2021 SNPRM and this
final action to a 2021 analytic year
partially addresses the concerns raised
by these commenters. To the extent
commenters are arguing that EPA’s
method of defining nonattainment and
maintenance receptors for Good
Neighbor purposes ignores certain areas
that may have air quality problems in
2021 based solely on historical
measured data, EPA disagrees with
these comments. EPA’s method of
defining these receptors, as described in
section II of the SNPRM takes into
account both measured data and
reasonable projections based on
modeling analysis.8
7 EPA recognizes that this action is now being
finalized after the Marginal area attainment date has
passed and after the close of the 2021 ozone season.
However, this does not change EPA’s analysis or its
conclusion. The modeling information available in
the record and included in the supplemental
proposal also indicates that these four states will
not be linked to any downwind nonattainment or
maintenance receptors in 2023 and 2028,
confirming that no new linkages to downwind
receptors are projected in later years.
8 Further, as recognized by the court in
Wisconsin, 938 F.3d at 320, nonattainment areas
that measure clean data in a given year, even if not
sufficient to be redesignated to attainment based on
the three-year design value, may qualify for up to
two one-year extensions of their attainment dates,
as provided at CAA section 181(a)(5). Thus, simply
providing the value that would be needed in 2020
in order for an area to be designated to attainment
using the three-year average, as some commenters
did, does not present a complete picture of the
likelihood that an area will be ‘‘reclassified’’ or
‘‘bumped-up.’’
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Regarding the contention that the
CSAPR Update, which covered the 2008
8-hour ozone NAAQS, will not be
sufficient to bring areas into attainment
of the 2008 or 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS, this is not relevant to the
analysis in support of this action.
Whether downwind states may or may
not reach attainment of the 2015 8-hour
ozone NAAQS with the assistance of the
upwind state emissions reductions
resulting from the CSAPR Update is not
determinative of whether Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South
Carolina have Good Neighbor
obligations for the 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS pursuant to the CAA. At issue
is whether Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina, and South Carolina will
significantly contribute to downwind
nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance of the 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS in any other state. The updated
information presented in the SNPRM
made clear that they will not, and no
party commented on that updated
information.
Comment 2: Several commenters call
into question certain assumptions used
in EPA’s 2023 air quality modeling
described in the March 2018
memorandum. A number of commenters
contend that EPA’s modeling was
flawed because it relied on
‘‘unenforceable emissions limitations,’’
including assumptions that power
plants equipped with selective catalytic
reduction (SCR) controls would emit at
or below 0.10 pounds per one million
British Thermal Units (lb/mmBtu)
beginning in 2017. One commenter
contended that many plants emit above
that rate. Another commenter asserts
that EPA should not approve any prong
1 and 2 SIPs 9 that reflect ‘‘EPA’s flawed
data showing attainment by 2023.’’
Response 2: As discussed previously
and in the SNPRM, EPA is relying on
updated modeling and analysis based
on the 2021 analytic year and not the
2023 air quality modeling described in
the March 2018 memorandum.
However, EPA disagrees that its
assessment of air quality and
contributions at step 1 and 2 of the fourstep interstate transport framework is
flawed because it relies on
unenforceable emission assumptions for
electric generating units (EGUs) or that
those assumptions are otherwise
unrealistic. As an initial matter, in this
context it is appropriate for EPA to
9 Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) requires SIPs to contain
adequate provisions that prohibit any source or
other types of emissions activity in one state from
contributing significantly to nonattainment of the
NAAQS in another state (prong 1) and from
interfering with maintenance of the NAAQS in
another state (prong 2).
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focus on actual EGU emission
projections, rather than modeling only
enforceable limits (sometimes referred
to as ‘‘allowable’’ emissions). EPA has
previously explained that its analysis at
steps 1 and 2 of the four-step interstate
transport framework is appropriately
focused on a projection of actual air
quality concentrations and upwind-state
contributions. As EPA explained in the
final CSAPR Close-out, this approach to
conducting future-year modeling in the
Good Neighbor analysis to identify
downwind air quality problems and
linked states is consistent with the use
of current measured data in the
designations process under section 107
of the CAA. See 83 FR 65878, 65887–
88 (December 21, 2018).10 In both cases,
the purpose is to determine whether
there is an actual air quality problem
that needs to be further addressed (in
the designations context, whether an
area is in nonattainment of a NAAQS;
in the Good Neighbor context, whether
there are expected future air quality
problems (i.e., downwind
nonattainment or maintenance
receptors) and upwind state
contribution to these downwind
nonattainment or maintenance receptors
that require further analysis at steps 3
and 4). EPA’s future-year air quality
projections reflect a variety of factors,
including current emissions data, onthe-books control measures, economic
market influences, and meteorology.
Like the factors that affect measured
ozone concentrations used in the
designations process, not all of the
factors influencing EPA’s modeling
projections are or can be subject to
enforceable limitations on emissions or
ozone concentrations. However, EPA
believes that consideration of these
factors contributes to a reasonable
estimate of anticipated future ozone
concentrations and contributions at
steps 1 and 2 of the four-step interstate
transport framework. In short, EPA’s
consideration of these factors—even
when not based on or amendable to
enforceable limits or controls—in its
future-year modeling projections used at
steps 1 and 2 of the Good Neighbor
analysis is reasonable. See 83 FR at
65888 (December 21, 2018). Only where
such analysis indicates an upwind-state
linkage under projected conditions does
further analysis proceed at steps 3 and
4 of the four-step interstate transport
framework to determine what
enforceable emissions limits should be
required in the linked upwind state.
EPA’s air quality modeling and analysis
10 The CSAPR Close-out was vacated on grounds
unrelated to this issue. See New York v. EPA, 781
F. App’x. 4 (D.C. Cir. 2019).
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is designed to reflect what downwind
air quality problems will exist in the
relevant analytic year, and the
assumptions used are based on realistic
projections of source emissions.
In response to the commenters’
contention that EPA should not model
using the 0.1 lb/mmBtu emission rate
assumption for EGUs because it is not
enforceable and some units emit higher
than this rate, this concern is addressed
by the updates contained in the updated
2023 modeling used to derive EPA’s
2021 air quality analysis for this final
action. Specifically, as noted in the
SNPRM, EPA is relying on updated
Integrated Planning Model (IPM)
modeling for its EGU projection in the
updated analysis for this final action.
Additionally, EPA has modeled a range
of scenarios reflecting alternative EGU
assumptions—each resulting in the
same finding made in this action.11
Although EPA disagrees with these
comments regarding the modeling
approach it took at the original proposal
with respect to projecting EGU
emissions,12 the Agency made updates
to incorporate the latest modeling and
data, which address the concerns
expressed by the commenters. The
December 30, 2019 NPRM rule relied on
air quality modeling analysis and data
released in 2018 that showed results
from analytic work completed in 2017
(prior to the completion of the first year
of CSAPR Update compliance).13 As
explained in the modeling TSD
referenced in the July 19, 2021 SNPRM,
EPA started with the latest historical
data at that time (2016) and assumed
that, on average, SCR-controlled coal
units would operate at 0.1 lb/mmBtu if
not already doing so (reflecting the
fleet’s response (on average) to the
CSAPR Update that would begin in
2017).14 In this final action, EPA’s
future year air quality projections are
informed by actual compliance data
from 2019, which allows EPA to rely
less on compliance assumptions and
more on actual data from the past three
years in evaluating likely EGU
emissions in 2021. EPA estimated future
11 See the Ozone Air Quality Assessment Tool
(AQAT) spreadsheet and the Ozone Policy Analysis
TSD located in the docket for this action for details
about these scenarios, emissions, and air quality
estimates.
12 As explained further in this rule, the analysis
supporting the December 30, 2019 proposal overestimated EGU emissions.
13 See March 2018 memorandum, located in the
docket for this action.
14 Technical Support Document (TSD) Additional
Updates to Emissions Inventories for the Version
6.3, 2011 Emissions Modeling Platform for the Year
2023, available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/
production/files/2017-11/documents/2011v6.3_
2023en_update_emismod_tsd_oct2017.pdf.
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 229 / Thursday, December 2, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
year emissions using the January 2020
IPM Reference Case, which was
informed by actual 2018 compliance
rates rather than anticipated compliance
rates (i.e., 2018 reported emission rates
(not a 0.1 lb/mmBtu assumption)). This
largely obviates the commenters’
concern regarding the 0.1 lb/mmBtu
assumption at proposal. Moreover, the
IPM modeling explicitly includes the
CSAPR Update enforceable limits (i.e.,
the states’ trading allowance budgets) at
both the regional and state level. With
these enforceable limits included, the
model allowed covered sources to emit
up to those limits if it would be
economically advantageous to do so, but
this did not occur in the modeling.
EPA projected future 2021 and 2023
baseline EGU emissions using the
version 6—January 2020 reference case
of the IPM.15 16 IPM, developed by ICF
Consulting, is a state-of-the-art, peerreviewed, multi-regional, dynamic,
deterministic linear programming model
of the contiguous U.S. electric power
sector. It provides forecasts of least cost
capacity expansion, electricity dispatch,
and emission control strategies while
meeting energy demand and
environmental, transmission, dispatch,
and reliability constraints. EPA has used
IPM for over two decades to better
understand power sector behavior under
future business-as-usual conditions and
to evaluate the economic and emission
impacts of prospective environmental
policies. The model is designed to
reflect electricity markets as accurately
as possible. EPA uses the best available
information from utilities, industry
experts, gas and coal market experts,
financial institutions, and government
statistics as the basis for the detailed
power sector modeling in IPM. The
model documentation provides
additional information on the
assumptions discussed here as well as
all other model assumptions and inputs.
The IPM version 6—January 2020
reference base case accounts for updated
federal and state environmental
regulations, committed EGU retirements
and new builds, and technology cost
and performance assumptions as of late
2019. This projected base case accounts
for the effects of the finalized Mercury
and Air Toxics Standards rule, the
CSAPR and the CSAPR Update, New
Source Review settlements, final actions
EPA has taken to implement the
Regional Haze Rule, and other on-thebooks federal and state rules through
2019 impacting sulfur dioxide, NOX,
directly emitted particulate matter, and
CO2. For the new 2023 air quality
modeling used to interpolate air quality
projections in 2021, EPA relied on these
2023 EGU emissions to inform the
broader emissions inventory.
The EGU emissions data—both
historical and projected—are shown in
Table 1, and compared with the CSAPR
Update enforceable budget,
demonstrate: (1) The reasonableness of
EPA’s practice of not solely using
enforceable levels in deriving
projections of actual conditions and
contribution at steps 1 and 2 of the
interstate-transport framework for
ozone, and (2) the robustness of its
examination.
TABLE 1—REPORTED OZONE SEASON NOX EMISSIONS FROM EGUS IN THE CSAPR UPDATE REGION 17
Reported ozone season NOX emissions
(tons)
2015
2016
2017
2018
IPM
projection
(tons) 18
2019
2020
CSAPR
Update
budget
(enforceable
tons)
2021
2021
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398,831
371,994
294,483
289,988
251,763
227,325
222,900
313,626
In sum, EPA’s EGUs assumptions
show that its projected ozone-season
EGU emissions levels from proposal of
283,164 tons in 2023 was, if anything,
conservative—that is, it is likely that
emissions levels from EGUs will be
lower than what was projected in the
proposal, not higher as suggested by the
commenter. The 2019 ozone-season data
reflected emissions that were already 20
percent below the CSAPR Update
budgets, reflecting a 13 percent drop
from the prior year, and at a pace of
reduction that strongly suggests actual
emissions from EGUs in 2021 will be
well below the CSAPR Update budget
levels. In other words, the emissions
levels that the commenter claimed were
not reasonable to expect in 2023 have
already been achieved—four years
ahead of that analytic year. The EGU
projections EPA used in its analysis for
2021, as discussed previously, are
reasonable and properly inform its
analysis of ozone levels and
contribution in that analytic year. In
order for emissions in 2021 to rise to
total budget levels (e.g., 313,626 tons,
representing the aggregate budgets for
the covered states), a decade-long
decline in ozone-season NOX emissions
would have to not only cease but
reverse sharply.
Supported by the most recent
reported emissions data, EPA concludes
that its EGU projections used in the
most recent modeling and in the
interpolation of that modeling to 2021
are reasonable and conservative. Thus,
EPA believes it is reasonable and
appropriate to rely on these emissions
projections in its air quality analysis for
2021 to approve the 2015 8-hour ozone
transport SIP submissions for Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South
Carolina.
Comment 3: A commenter states that
EPA’s 2023 modeling described in the
March 2018 memorandum is also
flawed given the modeling’s reliance on
certain federal emissions reduction
programs, which the commenter argues
EPA is ‘‘actively working to
undermine.’’ For example, the
commenter points to EPA’s proposed
repeal of its rule regulating emissions
from glider vehicles, glider engines, and
glider kits, 82 FR 53442 (November 16,
2017) (Proposed Repeal of the Glider
Rule), noting that EPA has estimated
unregulated glider vehicles would
increase emissions by approximately
300,000 tons annually in 2025. The
15 See https://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/analysisrevised-cross-state-air-pollution-rule-update (last
accessed November 8, 2021).
16 The January 2020 IPM reference case is a later
version than what was released with 2016v1.
17 This data analysis relies on 40 CFR part 75
emissions reporting data as available in EPA Air
Markets Program Data available at https://
ampd.epa.gov/ampd/.
18 These values are available in the Air Quality
Modeling Base Case State Emissions file (fossil
>25 MW worksheet) available at https://
www.epa.gov/airmarkets/analysis-revised-crossstate-air-pollution-rule-update. Additionally, as
noted in the Revised CSAPR proposal, EPA’s earlier
engineering analytics used a more conservative
283,164 tons for 2023. As a sensitivity analysis for
the proposed Revised CSAPR Update Modeling
using IPM, EPA also used an updated engineering
analytics EGU estimate (relying on 2019 data) that
resulted in a 2021 estimate of 238,798 tons.
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commenter notes that even though EPA
never finalized the Proposed Repeal of
the Glider Rule, EPA’s enforcement
office issued a memorandum on July 6,
2018, stating that it would not enforce
the Glider Rule. The commenter states
that although this ‘‘no action assurance’’
is being challenged in court and has
been temporarily stayed, ‘‘EPA’s nonenforcement efforts underline the
unreasonableness of relying on the
emissions reductions from this rule as a
basis for concluding that Marginal
nonattainment areas will attain the 2015
NAAQS by 2021.’’ The commenter also
asserts that EPA’s recent actions
‘‘weakening’’ the Corporate Average
Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for
light-duty vehicles and EPA’s recent
proposal to withdraw the Control
Techniques Guidelines (CTGs) for the
Oil and Natural Gas Industry call into
question the accuracy of EPA’s 2023
modeling, and that ‘‘each deregulatory
action . . . demonstrates the
arbitrariness of EPA’s assumption that
Marginal nonattainment areas will
comply with the 2015 NAAQS by 2021
without additional ozone-precursor
pollution reductions from southeastern
upwind states.’’
Response 3: As an initial matter, the
updated 2023 modeling used to
interpolate 2021 contributions that was
relied on did not make different
regulatory assumptions than the
previous 2023 modeling released with
the March 2018 memorandum regarding
the Glider Rule and the light-duty CAFE
standards, so the comment is relevant to
the updated modeling as presented in
the SNPRM. However, EPA disagrees
that EPA’s updated air quality modeling
did not properly account for expected
changes in projected emissions that
would result from changes to federal
programs. The mobile source and nonEGU emissions inventories in both the
previous and updated modeling do not
reflect changes in emissions resulting
from rulemakings finalized in calendar
year 2016 or later, nor do they reflect
any rules proposed but not yet finalized
since 2016, as only finalized rules are
reflected in modeling inventories. This
reflects EPA’s normal practice to only
include changes in emissions from final
regulatory actions in its modeling
because, until such rules are finalized,
any potential changes in NOX or VOC
emissions are speculative.
EPA did not finalize the Proposed
Repeal of the Glider Rule. EPA
announced in the U.S. Office of
Management and Budget’s Spring 2020
Unified Agenda and Regulatory Plan
that ‘‘EPA is no longer pursuing this
action, and the emission standards and
other requirements for heavy-duty glider
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vehicles, glider engines, and glider kits
will remain in place as published in the
‘Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel
Efficiency Standards for Medium- and
Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles Phase
2’ final rule on October 26, 2016 (81 FR
73478).’’ 19 Additionally, EPA withdrew
the conditional no action assurance for
small manufacturers of glider vehicles
in a memorandum dated July 26, 2018.20
EPA did not finalize the proposed
withdrawal of the CTGs for oil and
natural gas sources. On March 9, 2018,
for reasons explained in the Federal
Register (83 FR 10478), EPA proposed
to withdraw the 2016 CTG for the oil
and natural gas industry. However, EPA
did not finalize the proposal to
withdraw the CTG. EPA announced in
the U.S. Office of Management and
Budget’s Spring 2020 Unified Agenda
and Regulatory Plan that ‘‘the CTG will
remain in place as published on October
27, 2016 (81 FR 74798).’’ 21
EPA and the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration have finalized the
revisions to the greenhouse gas (GHG)
and CAFE standards for light duty
vehicles.22 However, that final action is
not expected to have a meaningful
impact on 2021 ozone-precursor
emissions. Because the vehicles affected
by the 2017–2025 GHG standards would
still need to meet applicable criteria
pollutant emissions standards (e.g., the
Tier 3 emissions standards; see 79 FR
23414), the SAFE Vehicles Rule
anticipated that any impacts of the
SAFE Vehicles Rule on ozone precursor
emissions ‘‘would most likely be far too
small to observe.’’ See 85 FR 25041.
Comment 4: Two commenters
disagree with EPA guidance that a 1 ppb
contribution threshold is acceptable to
determine whether an upwind
contribution is significant, stating it is
arbitrary and capricious. One
commenter also asserts that allowing
different states contributing to a
collective problem to use different air
quality threshold rates to avoid
regulation is inequitable. The
commenters refer to EPA’s August 31,
2018 memorandum from Peter
Tsirigotis, titled ‘‘Analysis of
19 See also https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202004&RIN=2060-AT79
(last accessed October 10, 2021).
20 See https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/
2018-07/documents/memo_re_withdrawal_of_
conditional_naa_regarding_small_manufacturers_
of_glider_vehicles_07-26-2018.pdf (last accessed
October 10, 2021).
21 See https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202004&RIN=2060-AT76
(last accessed October 10, 2021).
22 ‘‘The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE)
Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021–2026 Passenger
Cars and Light Trucks,’’ 85 FR 24174 (April 30,
2020) (SAFE Vehicles Rule).
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Contribution Thresholds for Use in
Clean Air At Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)
Interstate Transport State
Implementation Plan Submissions for
the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air
Quality Standards’’ (‘‘August 2018
memorandum’’),23 and generally
contend that the August 2018
memorandum provides an insufficient
evaluation regarding the result of such
approach on downwind states’ ability to
attain and maintain the relevant
NAAQS and shifts the responsibility for
upwind pollution from upwind to
downwind states.
Response 4: As the commenters
correctly note, the August 2018
memorandum suggested that states
could potentially justify the use of an
alternative contribution threshold of
1 ppb with respect to the 2015 8-hour
ozone NAAQS in step 2 of EPA’s fourstep interstate framework under the
Good Neighbor provision. However,
EPA is not making a determination in
this final action to approve a state’s use
of an alternative 1 ppb threshold.
Neither EPA’s NPRM, SNRPM, nor this
final action rely on a 1 ppb threshold
and are instead based on a finding that
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and
South Carolina will not contribute at or
above one percent of the level of the
NAAQS at any projected nonattainment
or maintenance receptor based on EPA
modeling. The use of the one percent
threshold is consistent with all of EPA’s
ozone transport actions since the
promulgation of the original CSAPR in
2011. For the 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS, where the impacts of a state’s
emissions on all out of state receptors
are below a one percent of the NAAQS
threshold, no further analysis is
required to determine that that state is
not contributing to an out of state air
quality problem under the Good
Neighbor provision. Therefore, there is
no need to evaluate any potential higher
contribution threshold, as discussed in
the August 2018 memorandum, in the
present final action.
Comment 5: A commenter states that
ozone exposure has significant health
impacts, particularly for the respiratory
system. The commenter cites the 2013
EPA Integrated Science Assessment for
Ozone and Related Photochemical
Oxidants (Final Report) and several
other health studies in order to describe
numerous health impacts associated
with ozone exposure in detail.
Response 5: EPA agrees that ozone
has a number of adverse health impacts.
23 Available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/
production/files/2018-09/documents/contrib_
thresholds_transport_sip_subm_2015_ozone_
memo_08_31_18.pdf.
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 229 / Thursday, December 2, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
See National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Ozone, Final Rule, 80 FR
65292 (October 26, 2015).24 EPA
evaluates air quality criteria and
impacts to public health and welfare as
part of the comprehensive standard
setting process. Id. EPA’s final rule
revising the primary and secondary
ozone NAAQS includes a thorough
explanation of human exposure and
health risk assessments conducted in
support of the Agency’s review of
evidence of ambient ozone exposures on
human health effects, as well as detailed
rationales for the Administrator’s
decisions on both standards. See 80 FR
65292.
The commenter does not explain how
the information they provided regarding
health impacts from ambient ozone
exposure should influence EPA’s action
on the Florida, Georgia, North Carolina,
and South Carolina Good Neighbor SIP
submissions for the 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS, and EPA considers such
comments to be outside of the scope of
this action. As stated previously, EPA’s
evaluation of air quality criteria and
impacts to public health and welfare are
part of the standard setting process,
rather than a step completed through
actions on individual SIP submissions
that address Good Neighbor interstate
transport infrastructure SIP
requirements pursuant to CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I). EPA’s evaluation of
individual SIP revisions is limited to
determining whether the statutory
criteria for implementation and
attainment of the NAAQS and other
CAA requirements, as applicable, have
been satisfied. See CAA section
110(k)(2), (3).
Comment 6: EPA received one
supportive set of comments on the
December 30, 2019, NPRM. The
comments support EPA’s application of
the 4-step process, and state that EPA
correctly concluded that none of the
states in EPA’s December 30, 2019,
NPRM contributed above 1 percent to
downwind receptors. Commenters also
expressed support for flexibility in
addressing the Good Neighbor SIPs.
Response 6: EPA agrees with
commenter that it appropriately applied
steps 1 and 2 of the four-step interstate
transport framework (which the
commenter refers to as the 4-step
process), and that, according to EPA’s
analysis, neither Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina nor South Carolina contribute
above one percent of the 2015 8-hour
ozone NAAQS to any downwind state.
24 See also National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Ozone, Final Rule for the 2008
NAAQS, 73 FR 16436 (March 27, 2008), 16440,
16450–51, 16470–71 & n.20.
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With respect to the portion of the
comment regarding retaining the ability
for states to take different approaches to
analyzing and addressing their Good
Neighbor obligations, EPA’s use of
certain analytic methods in this action
(such as the use of a one percent of
NAAQS contribution threshold or the
definition of nonattainment and
maintenance receptors) does not in itself
necessarily preclude different
approaches to Good Neighbor analysis
in other contexts, where EPA
determines to be appropriate and
consistent with legal requirements and
governing case law.
III. Final Action
EPA is finalizing approval of revisions
to the Florida, Georgia, North Carolina,
and South Carolina SIPs. EPA finds that
emissions from sources in Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South
Carolina will not significantly
contribute to nonattainment or interfere
with maintenance of the 2015 8-hour
ozone NAAQS in any other state. Thus,
EPA is approving the interstate
transport portions of the infrastructure
SIP submissions from Florida, Georgia,
North Carolina, and South Carolina,
separately, as meeting CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) requirements for the
2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is
required to approve a SIP submission
that complies with the provisions of the
Act and applicable Federal regulations.
See 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a).
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions,
EPA’s role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of
the CAA. These actions merely approve
state law as meeting Federal
requirements and do not impose
additional requirements beyond those
imposed by state law. For that reason,
these actions:
• Are not significant regulatory
actions 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);
• Do not impose an information
collection burden under the provisions
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
• Are 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.);
• Do not contain any unfunded
mandate or significantly or uniquely
affect small governments, as described
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68419
in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4);
• Do not have Federalism
implications as specified in Executive
Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10,
1999);
• Are not economically significant
regulatory actions based on health or
safety risks subject to Executive Order
13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997);
• Are not significant regulatory
actions subject to Executive Order
13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
• Are 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
• Do 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, for Florida, Georgia, and
North Carolina, the Good Neighbor SIPs
are not approved to apply on any Indian
reservation land or in any other area
where EPA or an Indian tribe has
demonstrated that a tribe has
jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian
country, the rule does not have tribal
implications as specified by Executive
Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9,
2000), nor will it impose substantial
direct costs on tribal governments or
preempt tribal law.
For South Carolina, because this final
action merely approves state law as
meeting Federal requirements and does
not impose additional requirements
beyond those imposed by state law, this
action for the state of South Carolina
does not have Tribal implications as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65
FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
Therefore, this final action will not
impose substantial direct costs on Tribal
governments or preempt Tribal law. The
Catawba Indian Nation Reservation is
located within the boundary of York
County, South Carolina. Pursuant to the
Catawba Indian Claims Settlement Act,
S.C. Code Ann. 27–16–120 (Settlement
Act), ‘‘[a]ll state and local
environmental laws and regulations
apply to the [Catawba Indian Nation
and] Reservation and are fully
enforceable by all relevant state and
local agencies and authorities.’’ The
Catawba Indian Nation also retains
authority to impose regulations
applying higher environmental
standards to the Reservation than those
imposed by state law or local governing
bodies, in accordance with the
Settlement Act.
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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 31, 2022. 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 CAA
section 307(b)(2).
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Volatile
organic compounds.
Dated: November 26, 2021.
John Blevins,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.
Agency amends 40 CFR part 52 as
follows:
PART 52—APPROVAL AND
PROMULGATION OF
IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart K—Florida
2. In § 52.520(e), amend the table by
adding a new entry for ‘‘110(a)(1) and
(2) Infrastructure Requirements for the
2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS’’ at the end
of the table to read as follows:
■
§ 52.520
*
For the reasons stated in the
preamble, the Environmental Protection
Identification of plan.
*
*
(e) * * *
*
*
EPA-APPROVED FLORIDA NON-REGULATORY PROVISIONS
State effective
date
Provision
*
*
110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone
NAAQS.
EPA approval
date
*
9/18/2018
12/2/2021
Federal Register notice
Explanation
*
*
[Insert citation of publication] ....................
*
*
Addressing Prongs 1 and 2 of section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) only.
(2) Infrastructure Requirements for the
2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS’’ at the end
of the table to read as follows:
Subpart L—Georgia
3. In § 52.570(e) amend the table by
adding a new entry for ‘‘110(a)(1) and
■
§ 52.570
*
Identification of plan.
*
*
(e) * * *
*
*
EPA-APPROVED GEORGIA NON-REGULATORY PROVISIONS
Name of nonregulatory SIP provision
Applicable geographic or nonattainment area
State submittal
date/effective
date
*
*
*
110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure Require- Georgia ................
ments for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone
NAAQS.
Subpart II—North Carolina
4. In § 52.1770(e), amend the table by
adding a new entry for ‘‘110(a)(1) and
■
9/24/2018
EPA approval date
Explanation
*
*
12/2/2021, [Insert citation of publication]
*
*
Addressing Prongs 1 and 2 of section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) only.
(2) Infrastructure Requirements for the
2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS’’ at the end
of the table to read as follows:
§ 52.1770
*
Identification of plan.
*
*
(e) * * *
*
*
EPA-APPROVED NORTH CAROLINA NON-REGULATORY PROVISIONS
State effective
date
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*
*
110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone
NAAQS.
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date
*
9/27/2018
PO 00000
12/2/2021
Frm 00032
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Explanation
*
*
[Insert citation of publication] ....................
*
*
Addressing Prongs 1 and 2 of section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) only.
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 229 / Thursday, December 2, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
(2) Infrastructure Requirements for the
2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS’’ at the end
of the table to read as follows:
Subpart PP—South Carolina
5. In § 52.2120(e), amend the table by
adding a new entry for ‘‘110(a)(1) and
■
State effective
date
Provision
*
*
110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure Requirements
for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS.
*
9/7/2018
[FR Doc. 2021–26144 Filed 12–1–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
EPA–R04–OAR–2020–0428; FRL–8911–02–
R4]
Air Plan Approval; TN; Montgomery
County Limited Maintenance Plan for
the 1997 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is taking final action to
approve a state implementation plan
(SIP) revision submitted by the State of
Tennessee, through the Tennessee
Department of Environment and
Conservation (TDEC), Air Pollution
Control Division, on June 23, 2020. The
SIP revision includes the 1997 8-hour
ozone national ambient air quality
standards (NAAQS) Limited
Maintenance Plan (LMP) for the
Montgomery County, Tennessee portion
of the Clarksville-Hopkinsville Area
(hereinafter referred to as the
‘‘Montgomery County Area’’ or ‘‘Area’’).
The Clarksville-Hopkinsville Area is
comprised of Montgomery County,
Tennessee, and Christian County,
Kentucky. EPA is approving
Tennessee’s LMP for the Montgomery
County Area because it provides for the
maintenance of the 1997 8-hour ozone
NAAQS within the Montgomery County
Area through the end of the second 10year portion of the maintenance period.
The effect of this action would be to
make certain commitments related to
maintenance of the 1997 8-hour ozone
NAAQS in the Montgomery County
Area federally enforceable as part of the
Tennessee SIP.
DATES: This rule is effective January 3,
2022.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a
docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA–R04–OAR–2020–0428. All
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:00 Dec 01, 2021
Jkt 256001
*
Identification of plan.
*
*
(e) * * *
EPA approval date
I. Background
In 1979, under section 109 of the
Clean Air Act (CAA or Act), EPA
established primary and secondary
NAAQS for ozone at 0.12 parts per
million (ppm), averaged over a 1-hour
period. See 44 FR 8202 (February 8,
1979). On July 18, 1997, EPA revised the
primary and secondary NAAQS for
ozone to set the acceptable level of
ozone in the ambient air at 0.08 ppm,
averaged over an 8-hour period. See 62
FR 38856 (July 18, 1997).1 EPA set the
1 In March 2008, EPA completed another review
of the primary and secondary ozone NAAQS and
tightened them further by lowering the level for
Frm 00033
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
*
*
Explanation
*
*
12/2/2021, [Insert citation of publication] ...........
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
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 can either be retrieved
electronically via www.regulations.gov
or in hard copy at the Air Regulatory
Management Section, Air Planning and
Implementation Branch, Air and
Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth
Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960.
EPA requests that if at all possible, you
contact the person listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to
schedule your inspection. The Regional
Office’s official hours of business are
Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., excluding Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sarah LaRocca, Air Regulatory
Management Section, Air Planning and
Implementation Branch, Air and
Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth
Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960.
The telephone number is (404) 562–
8994. Ms. LaRocca can also be reached
via electronic mail at larocca.sara@
epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
§ 52.2120
*
Addressing Prongs 1
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) only.
*
and
2
of
section
8-hour ozone NAAQS based on
scientific evidence demonstrating that
ozone causes adverse health effects at
lower concentrations and over longer
periods of time than was understood
when the pre-existing 1-hour ozone
NAAQS was set. EPA determined that
the 8-hour ozone NAAQS would be
more protective of human health,
especially children and adults who are
active outdoors, and individuals with a
pre-existing respiratory disease, such as
asthma.
Following promulgation of a new or
revised NAAQS, EPA is required by the
CAA to designate areas throughout the
nation as attaining or not attaining the
NAAQS. On April 15, 2004, EPA
designated the Clarksville-Hopkinsville
Area, which included Montgomery
County, Tennessee, and Christian
County, Kentucky, as nonattainment for
the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS, and the
designation became effective on June 15,
2004. See 69 FR 23858 (April 30, 2004).
Similarly, on May 21, 2012, EPA
designated areas as unclassifiable/
attainment or nonattainment for the
2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA
designated Montgomery County as
unclassifiable/attainment for the 2008 8hour ozone NAAQS. This designation
became effective on July 20, 2012. See
77 FR 30088 (May 21, 2012). In
addition, on November 16, 2017, areas
were designated for the 2015 8-hour
ozone NAAQS. The Montgomery
County Area was designated attainment/
unclassifiable for the 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS, with an effective date of
January 16, 2018. See 82 FR 54232
(November 16, 2017).
A state may submit a request to
redesignate a nonattainment area that is
attaining a NAAQS to attainment, and,
if the area has met other required
criteria described in section 107(d)(3)(E)
of the CAA, EPA may approve the
both to 0.075 ppm. See 73 FR 16436 (March 27,
2008). Additionally, in October 2015, EPA
completed a review of the primary and secondary
ozone NAAQS and tightened them by lowering the
level for both to 0.070 ppm. See 80 FR 65292
(October 26, 2015).
E:\FR\FM\02DER1.SGM
02DER1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 229 (Thursday, December 2, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 68413-68421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26144]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R04-OAR-2019-0156; FRL-8697-02-R4]
Air Plan Approval; FL, GA, NC, SC; Interstate Transport (Prongs 1
and 2) for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone Standard
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is
approving State Implementation Plan (SIP) submissions from Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, addressing the Clean Air
Act (CAA or Act) Good Neighbor interstate transport infrastructure SIP
requirements for the 2015 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality
Standard (NAAQS or standards). EPA has determined that each state's SIP
contains adequate provisions to prohibit emissions that will
significantly contribute to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance
of the 2015 ozone NAAQS in any other state. This action is being taken
in accordance with the CAA.
DATES: This rule is effective January 3, 2022.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket
Identification No. EPA-R04-OAR-2019-0156. All documents in the docket
are listed on the www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the
index, some information may not be publicly available, i.e.,
Confidential Business Information or other information whose disclosure
is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted
material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available
only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are
available either electronically through www.regulations.gov or in hard
copy at the Air Regulatory Management Section, Air Planning and
Implementation Branch, Air and Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia
30303-8960. EPA requests that if at all possible, you contact the
person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to
schedule your inspection. The Regional Office's
[[Page 68414]]
official hours of business are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., excluding Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Evan Adams of the Air Regulatory
Management Section, Air Planning and Implementation Branch, Air and
Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61
Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. Mr. Adams can be
reached by telephone at (404) 562-9009, or via electronic mail at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On December 30, 2019, EPA proposed to approve SIP submissions from
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Tennessee \1\ as meeting the interstate transport requirements of CAA
section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), or the Good Neighbor provision, for the
2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS. See 84 FR 71854. Specifically, the 2019 notice
of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) originally proposed to find that
emissions from sources in these states will not significantly
contribute to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the 2015
8-hour ozone NAAQS in any other state based on information for the
analytic year 2023, consistent with the 2024 Moderate area attainment
date. Refer to the December 30, 2019 NPRM for an explanation of the CAA
requirements, the four-step framework that EPA applies under the Good
Neighbor provision for ozone NAAQS, a detailed summary of the state
submissions, and EPA's proposed rationale for approval. See 84 FR
71854. The public comment period for the December 30, 2019, NPRM closed
on January 29, 2020.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The submittals from these six southeastern states were
submitted separately under the following cover letters: Alabama
Department of Environmental Management dated August 20, 2018
(received by EPA on August 27, 2018); Florida Department of
Environmental Protection dated September 18, 2018 (received by EPA
on September 26, 2018); Georgia Environmental Protection Division
dated September 19, 2018 (received by EPA on September 24, 2018);
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality dated September
27, 2018 (received by EPA October 10, 2018); South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental Control dated and received by
EPA on September 7, 2018; and Tennessee Department of Environment
and Conservation dated September 13, 2018 (received by EPA on
September 17, 2018).
\2\ On March 24, 2020, former EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary
Walker signed a document (hereinafter referred to as the March 24,
2020 document) that EPA had intended to become a final rule upon
publication in the Federal Register. However, the March 24, 2020
document was never published in the Federal Register. Further, on
January 19, 2021, former EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary Walker
signed a second document (hereinafter referred to as the January 19,
2021 document) that EPA had intended to become a final rule, which
EPA posted to its website at https://www.epa.gov/air-quality-implementation-plans/epas-approval-2015-8-hour-ozone-interstate-transport-requirements. EPA noted in that posting ``Notwithstanding
the fact that the EPA is posting a pre-publication version, the
final rule will not be promulgated until published in the Federal
Register.'' EPA will not publish either the March 24, 2020 document
or the January 19, 2021 document in the Federal Register, and now
intends that this notice constitutes final action with respect to
the 2019 proposal, superseding all versions of previous draft final
action documents.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subsequent to the publication of the NPRM on December 30, 2019, two
events caused EPA to adjust its analysis of the aforementioned SIP
submissions. First, the United States Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) issued its ruling in Maryland v.
EPA, 958 F.3d 1185 (D.C. Cir. 2020) (Maryland), which held that EPA
must address Good Neighbor obligations consistent with the 2021
attainment date for downwind areas classified as being in Marginal
nonattainment under the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS, ``not at some later
date.'' 958 F.3d at 1203-04 (citing Wisconsin v. EPA, 938 F.3d 303, 314
(D.C. Cir. 2019) (Wisconsin)).\3\ Second, on October 30, 2020, EPA
released and accepted public comment on updated 2023 modeling that used
the 2016 emissions platform developed under the EPA/Multi-
Jurisdictional Organization (MJO)/state collaborative project as the
primary source for the base year and future year emissions data. On
April 30, 2021, EPA published the final Revised Cross-State Air
Pollution Rule (CSAPR) Update for the 2008 ozone NAAQS (Revised CSAPR
Update) using the same modeling that was made publicly available in the
proposed rulemaking for the Revised CSAPR Update.\4\ Although that
modeling focused on the year 2023, EPA conducted an interpolation
analysis of these modeling results to generate air quality and
contribution values for the 2021 analytic year, consistent with the
Maryland holding, as the relevant analytic year for the 2015 8-hour
ozone NAAQS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Maryland involved EPA's denial of administrative petitions
filed by the states of Maryland and Delaware under CAA section
126(b), seeking to have EPA impose emissions limits on sources in
upwind states alleged to be emitting in violation of the Good
Neighbor Provision. The court disagreed with EPA that use of a 2023
analytic year, consistent with the 2024 attainment date for areas
classified as being in Moderate nonattainment, was a proper reading
of the court's earlier decision in Wisconsin. Id. at 1204.
\4\ Revised Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update for the 2008
Ozone NAAQS, 86 FR 23054; see also Emissions Modeling TSD titled
``Preparation of Emissions Inventories for the 2016v1 North American
Emissions Modeling Platform.'' This TSD is available in the docket
for this action and at https://www.epa.gov/air-emissionsmodeling/2016v1-platform. The underlying modeling files are available on data
drives in the Docket office for public review. See the docket for
the Revised CSAPR Update (EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0272). See also Air
Quality Modeling Data Drives_Final RCU.pdf, available in the docket
for this action for a file inventory and instructions on how to
access the modeling files.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a result, EPA issued a supplemental notice of proposed
rulemaking (SNPRM) on July 19, 2021, which relied on the new modeling
and analysis to supplement EPA's proposed finding in the December 30,
2019 NPRM that emissions from sources in Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina, and South Carolina will not significantly contribute to
nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the 2015 8-hour ozone
NAAQS in any other state.\5\ See 86 FR 37942. The new modeling and
analysis indicated that Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South
Carolina, individually, will not contribute greater than one percent of
the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS to any potential nonattainment or
maintenance receptors in 2021. In addition, EPA analyzed past and
projected emissions of ozone precursors (nitrogen oxides
(NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)), finding a
downward trend in emissions to support the modeling analysis and
indicate that the contributions from emissions from sources in Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to ozone receptors in
downwind states will continue to decline and remain below one percent
of the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Thus, the July 19, 2021 SNPRM provided
that ``EPA continues to propose to approve the interstate transport
portions of the infrastructure SIP submissions from Florida, Georgia,
North Carolina, and South Carolina as meeting CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) requirements for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS.'' See
86 FR 37942.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ EPA previously proposed to approve infrastructure SIP
elements submitted to fulfill the interstate transport requirements
of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the states of Alabama and
Tennessee for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS in the December 30, 2019,
NPRM referenced previously in this rule. However, the July 19, 2021
SNPRM did not address these submissions, and EPA is deferring action
on the referenced SIP submissions from Alabama and Tennessee at this
time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The technical rationale for EPA's proposed action is given in the
July 19, 2021 SNPRM and in supportive materials contained in the docket
for this action. The comment period for the July 19, 2021 SNPRM closed
on August 18, 2021, and EPA received no additional comments. However,
EPA did receive comments on the original December 30, 2019 NPRM, and
relevant responses are provided in section II. EPA is finalizing the
approval of this action based on the technical rationale
[[Page 68415]]
presented in the July 19, 2021 SNPRM and in accordance with the CAA.
II. Response to Comments
EPA received four sets of adverse comments and one set of
supportive comments on the December 30, 2019, NPRM. The comments were
submitted by the Midwest Ozone Group, Sierra Club, New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection, New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation, and one anonymous commenter. The full set
of comments is provided in the docket for this final rule. This section
contains summaries of the comments and EPA's responses.
Comment 1: Several commenters asserted that EPA's December 30, 2019
NPRM improperly focused on the analytic year of 2023, which the
commenters argue ignores the August 2021 attainment date faced by
Marginal 2015 ozone nonattainment areas. These commenters asserted that
EPA's decision focused on 2023 (consistent with the August 2024
attainment date for Moderate nonattainment areas under the 2015 8-hour
ozone NAAQS, rather than the August 2021 attainment date for Marginal
nonattainment areas), which contravenes the statutory text and the
Wisconsin decision, and is arbitrary and capricious. The commenters
specifically mention that the distinction EPA has drawn between
Marginal and Moderate areas is misleading, that it is unreasonable for
EPA to expect downwind areas to voluntarily request reclassifications
to Moderate, and that EPA has not provided adequate support for its
assumption that Marginal areas will achieve attainment by 2021. A
commenter also contended that the CSAPR Update is insufficient to bring
all downwind states into attainment with the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS,
citing a conclusion made in the December 30, 2019, NPRM in support of a
2023 analytic year and monitoring data from the 2017 ozone season
indicating certain 8-hour daily maximum concentrations at air quality
monitors in Delaware were above the level of the NAAQS. In addition, a
commenter asserted that recent monitoring data at other monitoring
sites suggests that these areas will continue to have difficulty
attaining the NAAQS in 2021.
Response 1: The comments related to the 2023 analytic year refer to
a D.C. Circuit court decision addressing, in part, the issue of the
relevant analytic year for the purposes of evaluating interstate ozone
transport under the Good Neighbor provision. On September 13, 2019, the
D.C. Circuit issued the Wisconsin decision, remanding the CSAPR Update
(81 FR 74504, October 26, 2016) to the extent that it failed to require
upwind states to eliminate their significant contribution no later than
the next applicable attainment date by which downwind states must come
into compliance with the NAAQS, as established under CAA section
181(a). See 938 F.3d 303, 313. In the December 30, 2019 NPRM, EPA had
interpreted that holding as limited to the attainment dates for
Moderate nonattainment area or higher classifications under CAA section
181 on the basis that Marginal nonattainment areas have reduced
planning requirements and other considerations. See 84 FR 71854, 71856-
58.
On May 19, 2020, however, the D.C. Circuit issued the Maryland
decision that cited the Wisconsin decision in holding that EPA must
assess the impact of interstate transport on air quality at the next
downwind attainment date, including Marginal area attainment dates, in
evaluating the basis for EPA's denial of a petition under CAA section
126(b). See 958 F.3d 1185, 1203-04. The court noted that ``section
126(b) incorporates the Good Neighbor Provision,'' and therefore ``the
EPA must find a violation [of section 126] if an upwind source will
significantly contribute to downwind nonattainment at the next downwind
attainment deadline. Therefore, the EPA must evaluate downwind air
quality at that deadline, not at some later date.'' Id. at 1204
(emphasis added). EPA interprets the court's holding in Maryland as
requiring the Agency, under the Good Neighbor provision, to address
Good Neighbor obligations by no later than the next applicable
attainment date for downwind areas, including a Marginal area
attainment date under section 181 for ozone nonattainment.\6\
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\6\ EPA notes that the court in Maryland did not have occasion
to evaluate circumstances in which EPA may determine that an upwind
linkage to a downwind air quality problem exists at steps 1 and 2 of
the four-step interstate transport framework by a particular
attainment date, but for reasons of impossibility or profound
uncertainty the Agency is unable to mandate upwind pollution
controls by that date. See Wisconsin, 938 F.3d at 320. The D.C.
Circuit noted in Wisconsin that upon a sufficient showing, these
circumstances may warrant a certain degree of flexibility in
effectuating the implementation of the Good Neighbor provision. Such
circumstances are not at issue in the present action.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The December 30, 2019 NPRM proposing approval of the 2015 8-hour
ozone Good Neighbor SIPs for Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and
South Carolina on the basis of a 2023 analytic year analysis predates
the D.C. Circuit's decisions in Wisconsin and Maryland. In the July 19,
2021 SNPRM, EPA explained why it now considers 2021 to be the relevant
analytic year for the purposes of determining whether sources in
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina will significantly
contribute to downwind nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of
the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS in any other state. See 86 FR 37944. Also
in the July 19, 2021 SNPRM, EPA conducted an additional analysis for
the year 2021, and provided additional notice and opportunity for
public comment. Id. Thus, comments regarding the improper use of 2023
as a model year are now moot.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ EPA recognizes that this action is now being finalized after
the Marginal area attainment date has passed and after the close of
the 2021 ozone season. However, this does not change EPA's analysis
or its conclusion. The modeling information available in the record
and included in the supplemental proposal also indicates that these
four states will not be linked to any downwind nonattainment or
maintenance receptors in 2023 and 2028, confirming that no new
linkages to downwind receptors are projected in later years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Multiple commenters stated that the approach for identifying
nonattainment and maintenance receptors in the original December 30,
2019 NPRM failed to identify all of the potential receptors relevant in
a 2021 analytic year. In addition to their objections to EPA's
selection of the 2023 analytic year, these commenters argued that
measured design values at certain monitoring sites made clear that
certain areas would not be able to attain the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS
by the 2021 Marginal area attainment date. The shift in the July 19,
2021 SNPRM and this final action to a 2021 analytic year partially
addresses the concerns raised by these commenters. To the extent
commenters are arguing that EPA's method of defining nonattainment and
maintenance receptors for Good Neighbor purposes ignores certain areas
that may have air quality problems in 2021 based solely on historical
measured data, EPA disagrees with these comments. EPA's method of
defining these receptors, as described in section II of the SNPRM takes
into account both measured data and reasonable projections based on
modeling analysis.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Further, as recognized by the court in Wisconsin, 938 F.3d
at 320, nonattainment areas that measure clean data in a given year,
even if not sufficient to be redesignated to attainment based on the
three-year design value, may qualify for up to two one-year
extensions of their attainment dates, as provided at CAA section
181(a)(5). Thus, simply providing the value that would be needed in
2020 in order for an area to be designated to attainment using the
three-year average, as some commenters did, does not present a
complete picture of the likelihood that an area will be
``reclassified'' or ``bumped-up.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 68416]]
Regarding the contention that the CSAPR Update, which covered the
2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS, will not be sufficient to bring areas into
attainment of the 2008 or 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS, this is not relevant
to the analysis in support of this action. Whether downwind states may
or may not reach attainment of the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS with the
assistance of the upwind state emissions reductions resulting from the
CSAPR Update is not determinative of whether Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina, and South Carolina have Good Neighbor obligations for the
2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS pursuant to the CAA. At issue is whether
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina will significantly
contribute to downwind nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of
the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS in any other state. The updated information
presented in the SNPRM made clear that they will not, and no party
commented on that updated information.
Comment 2: Several commenters call into question certain
assumptions used in EPA's 2023 air quality modeling described in the
March 2018 memorandum. A number of commenters contend that EPA's
modeling was flawed because it relied on ``unenforceable emissions
limitations,'' including assumptions that power plants equipped with
selective catalytic reduction (SCR) controls would emit at or below
0.10 pounds per one million British Thermal Units (lb/mmBtu) beginning
in 2017. One commenter contended that many plants emit above that rate.
Another commenter asserts that EPA should not approve any prong 1 and 2
SIPs \9\ that reflect ``EPA's flawed data showing attainment by 2023.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) requires SIPs to contain adequate
provisions that prohibit any source or other types of emissions
activity in one state from contributing significantly to
nonattainment of the NAAQS in another state (prong 1) and from
interfering with maintenance of the NAAQS in another state (prong
2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Response 2: As discussed previously and in the SNPRM, EPA is
relying on updated modeling and analysis based on the 2021 analytic
year and not the 2023 air quality modeling described in the March 2018
memorandum. However, EPA disagrees that its assessment of air quality
and contributions at step 1 and 2 of the four-step interstate transport
framework is flawed because it relies on unenforceable emission
assumptions for electric generating units (EGUs) or that those
assumptions are otherwise unrealistic. As an initial matter, in this
context it is appropriate for EPA to focus on actual EGU emission
projections, rather than modeling only enforceable limits (sometimes
referred to as ``allowable'' emissions). EPA has previously explained
that its analysis at steps 1 and 2 of the four-step interstate
transport framework is appropriately focused on a projection of actual
air quality concentrations and upwind-state contributions. As EPA
explained in the final CSAPR Close-out, this approach to conducting
future-year modeling in the Good Neighbor analysis to identify downwind
air quality problems and linked states is consistent with the use of
current measured data in the designations process under section 107 of
the CAA. See 83 FR 65878, 65887-88 (December 21, 2018).\10\ In both
cases, the purpose is to determine whether there is an actual air
quality problem that needs to be further addressed (in the designations
context, whether an area is in nonattainment of a NAAQS; in the Good
Neighbor context, whether there are expected future air quality
problems (i.e., downwind nonattainment or maintenance receptors) and
upwind state contribution to these downwind nonattainment or
maintenance receptors that require further analysis at steps 3 and 4).
EPA's future-year air quality projections reflect a variety of factors,
including current emissions data, on-the-books control measures,
economic market influences, and meteorology. Like the factors that
affect measured ozone concentrations used in the designations process,
not all of the factors influencing EPA's modeling projections are or
can be subject to enforceable limitations on emissions or ozone
concentrations. However, EPA believes that consideration of these
factors contributes to a reasonable estimate of anticipated future
ozone concentrations and contributions at steps 1 and 2 of the four-
step interstate transport framework. In short, EPA's consideration of
these factors--even when not based on or amendable to enforceable
limits or controls--in its future-year modeling projections used at
steps 1 and 2 of the Good Neighbor analysis is reasonable. See 83 FR at
65888 (December 21, 2018). Only where such analysis indicates an
upwind-state linkage under projected conditions does further analysis
proceed at steps 3 and 4 of the four-step interstate transport
framework to determine what enforceable emissions limits should be
required in the linked upwind state. EPA's air quality modeling and
analysis is designed to reflect what downwind air quality problems will
exist in the relevant analytic year, and the assumptions used are based
on realistic projections of source emissions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ The CSAPR Close-out was vacated on grounds unrelated to
this issue. See New York v. EPA, 781 F. App'x. 4 (D.C. Cir. 2019).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In response to the commenters' contention that EPA should not model
using the 0.1 lb/mmBtu emission rate assumption for EGUs because it is
not enforceable and some units emit higher than this rate, this concern
is addressed by the updates contained in the updated 2023 modeling used
to derive EPA's 2021 air quality analysis for this final action.
Specifically, as noted in the SNPRM, EPA is relying on updated
Integrated Planning Model (IPM) modeling for its EGU projection in the
updated analysis for this final action. Additionally, EPA has modeled a
range of scenarios reflecting alternative EGU assumptions--each
resulting in the same finding made in this action.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ See the Ozone Air Quality Assessment Tool (AQAT)
spreadsheet and the Ozone Policy Analysis TSD located in the docket
for this action for details about these scenarios, emissions, and
air quality estimates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although EPA disagrees with these comments regarding the modeling
approach it took at the original proposal with respect to projecting
EGU emissions,\12\ the Agency made updates to incorporate the latest
modeling and data, which address the concerns expressed by the
commenters. The December 30, 2019 NPRM rule relied on air quality
modeling analysis and data released in 2018 that showed results from
analytic work completed in 2017 (prior to the completion of the first
year of CSAPR Update compliance).\13\ As explained in the modeling TSD
referenced in the July 19, 2021 SNPRM, EPA started with the latest
historical data at that time (2016) and assumed that, on average, SCR-
controlled coal units would operate at 0.1 lb/mmBtu if not already
doing so (reflecting the fleet's response (on average) to the CSAPR
Update that would begin in 2017).\14\ In this final action, EPA's
future year air quality projections are informed by actual compliance
data from 2019, which allows EPA to rely less on compliance assumptions
and more on actual data from the past three years in evaluating likely
EGU emissions in 2021. EPA estimated future
[[Page 68417]]
year emissions using the January 2020 IPM Reference Case, which was
informed by actual 2018 compliance rates rather than anticipated
compliance rates (i.e., 2018 reported emission rates (not a 0.1 lb/
mmBtu assumption)). This largely obviates the commenters' concern
regarding the 0.1 lb/mmBtu assumption at proposal. Moreover, the IPM
modeling explicitly includes the CSAPR Update enforceable limits (i.e.,
the states' trading allowance budgets) at both the regional and state
level. With these enforceable limits included, the model allowed
covered sources to emit up to those limits if it would be economically
advantageous to do so, but this did not occur in the modeling.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ As explained further in this rule, the analysis supporting
the December 30, 2019 proposal over-estimated EGU emissions.
\13\ See March 2018 memorandum, located in the docket for this
action.
\14\ Technical Support Document (TSD) Additional Updates to
Emissions Inventories for the Version 6.3, 2011 Emissions Modeling
Platform for the Year 2023, available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-11/documents/2011v6.3_2023en_update_emismod_tsd_oct2017.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA projected future 2021 and 2023 baseline EGU emissions using the
version 6--January 2020 reference case of the IPM.15 16 IPM,
developed by ICF Consulting, is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed,
multi-regional, dynamic, deterministic linear programming model of the
contiguous U.S. electric power sector. It provides forecasts of least
cost capacity expansion, electricity dispatch, and emission control
strategies while meeting energy demand and environmental, transmission,
dispatch, and reliability constraints. EPA has used IPM for over two
decades to better understand power sector behavior under future
business-as-usual conditions and to evaluate the economic and emission
impacts of prospective environmental policies. The model is designed to
reflect electricity markets as accurately as possible. EPA uses the
best available information from utilities, industry experts, gas and
coal market experts, financial institutions, and government statistics
as the basis for the detailed power sector modeling in IPM. The model
documentation provides additional information on the assumptions
discussed here as well as all other model assumptions and inputs. The
IPM version 6--January 2020 reference base case accounts for updated
federal and state environmental regulations, committed EGU retirements
and new builds, and technology cost and performance assumptions as of
late 2019. This projected base case accounts for the effects of the
finalized Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule, the CSAPR and the
CSAPR Update, New Source Review settlements, final actions EPA has
taken to implement the Regional Haze Rule, and other on-the-books
federal and state rules through 2019 impacting sulfur dioxide,
NOX, directly emitted particulate matter, and
CO2. For the new 2023 air quality modeling used to
interpolate air quality projections in 2021, EPA relied on these 2023
EGU emissions to inform the broader emissions inventory.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ See https://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/analysis-revised-cross-state-air-pollution-rule-update (last accessed November 8, 2021).
\16\ The January 2020 IPM reference case is a later version than
what was released with 2016v1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The EGU emissions data--both historical and projected--are shown in
Table 1, and compared with the CSAPR Update enforceable budget,
demonstrate: (1) The reasonableness of EPA's practice of not solely
using enforceable levels in deriving projections of actual conditions
and contribution at steps 1 and 2 of the interstate-transport framework
for ozone, and (2) the robustness of its examination.
Table 1--Reported Ozone Season NOX Emissions From EGUs in the CSAPR Update Region \17\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reported ozone season NOX emissions (tons) IPM CSAPR Update
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- projection budget
(tons) \18\ (enforceable
-------------- tons)
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 -------------
2021 2021
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
398,831 371,994 294,483 289,988 251,763 227,325 222,900 313,626
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In sum, EPA's EGUs assumptions show that its projected ozone-season
EGU emissions levels from proposal of 283,164 tons in 2023 was, if
anything, conservative--that is, it is likely that emissions levels
from EGUs will be lower than what was projected in the proposal, not
higher as suggested by the commenter. The 2019 ozone-season data
reflected emissions that were already 20 percent below the CSAPR Update
budgets, reflecting a 13 percent drop from the prior year, and at a
pace of reduction that strongly suggests actual emissions from EGUs in
2021 will be well below the CSAPR Update budget levels. In other words,
the emissions levels that the commenter claimed were not reasonable to
expect in 2023 have already been achieved--four years ahead of that
analytic year. The EGU projections EPA used in its analysis for 2021,
as discussed previously, are reasonable and properly inform its
analysis of ozone levels and contribution in that analytic year. In
order for emissions in 2021 to rise to total budget levels (e.g.,
313,626 tons, representing the aggregate budgets for the covered
states), a decade-long decline in ozone-season NOX emissions
would have to not only cease but reverse sharply.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ This data analysis relies on 40 CFR part 75 emissions
reporting data as available in EPA Air Markets Program Data
available at https://ampd.epa.gov/ampd/.
\18\ These values are available in the Air Quality Modeling Base
Case State Emissions file (fossil >25 MW worksheet) available at
https://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/analysis-revised-cross-state-air-pollution-rule-update. Additionally, as noted in the Revised CSAPR
proposal, EPA's earlier engineering analytics used a more
conservative 283,164 tons for 2023. As a sensitivity analysis for
the proposed Revised CSAPR Update Modeling using IPM, EPA also used
an updated engineering analytics EGU estimate (relying on 2019 data)
that resulted in a 2021 estimate of 238,798 tons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supported by the most recent reported emissions data, EPA concludes
that its EGU projections used in the most recent modeling and in the
interpolation of that modeling to 2021 are reasonable and conservative.
Thus, EPA believes it is reasonable and appropriate to rely on these
emissions projections in its air quality analysis for 2021 to approve
the 2015 8-hour ozone transport SIP submissions for Florida, Georgia,
North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Comment 3: A commenter states that EPA's 2023 modeling described in
the March 2018 memorandum is also flawed given the modeling's reliance
on certain federal emissions reduction programs, which the commenter
argues EPA is ``actively working to undermine.'' For example, the
commenter points to EPA's proposed repeal of its rule regulating
emissions from glider vehicles, glider engines, and glider kits, 82 FR
53442 (November 16, 2017) (Proposed Repeal of the Glider Rule), noting
that EPA has estimated unregulated glider vehicles would increase
emissions by approximately 300,000 tons annually in 2025. The
[[Page 68418]]
commenter notes that even though EPA never finalized the Proposed
Repeal of the Glider Rule, EPA's enforcement office issued a memorandum
on July 6, 2018, stating that it would not enforce the Glider Rule. The
commenter states that although this ``no action assurance'' is being
challenged in court and has been temporarily stayed, ``EPA's non-
enforcement efforts underline the unreasonableness of relying on the
emissions reductions from this rule as a basis for concluding that
Marginal nonattainment areas will attain the 2015 NAAQS by 2021.'' The
commenter also asserts that EPA's recent actions ``weakening'' the
Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for light-duty vehicles
and EPA's recent proposal to withdraw the Control Techniques Guidelines
(CTGs) for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry call into question the
accuracy of EPA's 2023 modeling, and that ``each deregulatory action .
. . demonstrates the arbitrariness of EPA's assumption that Marginal
nonattainment areas will comply with the 2015 NAAQS by 2021 without
additional ozone-precursor pollution reductions from southeastern
upwind states.''
Response 3: As an initial matter, the updated 2023 modeling used to
interpolate 2021 contributions that was relied on did not make
different regulatory assumptions than the previous 2023 modeling
released with the March 2018 memorandum regarding the Glider Rule and
the light-duty CAFE standards, so the comment is relevant to the
updated modeling as presented in the SNPRM. However, EPA disagrees that
EPA's updated air quality modeling did not properly account for
expected changes in projected emissions that would result from changes
to federal programs. The mobile source and non-EGU emissions
inventories in both the previous and updated modeling do not reflect
changes in emissions resulting from rulemakings finalized in calendar
year 2016 or later, nor do they reflect any rules proposed but not yet
finalized since 2016, as only finalized rules are reflected in modeling
inventories. This reflects EPA's normal practice to only include
changes in emissions from final regulatory actions in its modeling
because, until such rules are finalized, any potential changes in
NOX or VOC emissions are speculative.
EPA did not finalize the Proposed Repeal of the Glider Rule. EPA
announced in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget's Spring 2020
Unified Agenda and Regulatory Plan that ``EPA is no longer pursuing
this action, and the emission standards and other requirements for
heavy-duty glider vehicles, glider engines, and glider kits will remain
in place as published in the `Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel
Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles
Phase 2' final rule on October 26, 2016 (81 FR 73478).'' \19\
Additionally, EPA withdrew the conditional no action assurance for
small manufacturers of glider vehicles in a memorandum dated July 26,
2018.\20\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\19\ See also https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202004&RIN=2060-AT79 (last accessed October
10, 2021).
\20\ See https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/memo_re_withdrawal_of_conditional_naa_regarding_small_manufacturers_of_glider_vehicles_07-26-2018.pdf (last accessed October 10, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA did not finalize the proposed withdrawal of the CTGs for oil
and natural gas sources. On March 9, 2018, for reasons explained in the
Federal Register (83 FR 10478), EPA proposed to withdraw the 2016 CTG
for the oil and natural gas industry. However, EPA did not finalize the
proposal to withdraw the CTG. EPA announced in the U.S. Office of
Management and Budget's Spring 2020 Unified Agenda and Regulatory Plan
that ``the CTG will remain in place as published on October 27, 2016
(81 FR 74798).'' \21\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\21\ See https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202004&RIN=2060-AT76 (last accessed October
10, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have
finalized the revisions to the greenhouse gas (GHG) and CAFE standards
for light duty vehicles.\22\ However, that final action is not expected
to have a meaningful impact on 2021 ozone-precursor emissions. Because
the vehicles affected by the 2017-2025 GHG standards would still need
to meet applicable criteria pollutant emissions standards (e.g., the
Tier 3 emissions standards; see 79 FR 23414), the SAFE Vehicles Rule
anticipated that any impacts of the SAFE Vehicles Rule on ozone
precursor emissions ``would most likely be far too small to observe.''
See 85 FR 25041.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\22\ ``The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule
for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks,'' 85 FR
24174 (April 30, 2020) (SAFE Vehicles Rule).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comment 4: Two commenters disagree with EPA guidance that a 1 ppb
contribution threshold is acceptable to determine whether an upwind
contribution is significant, stating it is arbitrary and capricious.
One commenter also asserts that allowing different states contributing
to a collective problem to use different air quality threshold rates to
avoid regulation is inequitable. The commenters refer to EPA's August
31, 2018 memorandum from Peter Tsirigotis, titled ``Analysis of
Contribution Thresholds for Use in Clean Air At Section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) Interstate Transport State Implementation Plan
Submissions for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards''
(``August 2018 memorandum''),\23\ and generally contend that the August
2018 memorandum provides an insufficient evaluation regarding the
result of such approach on downwind states' ability to attain and
maintain the relevant NAAQS and shifts the responsibility for upwind
pollution from upwind to downwind states.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\23\ Available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-09/documents/contrib_thresholds_transport_sip_subm_2015_ozone_memo_08_31_18.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Response 4: As the commenters correctly note, the August 2018
memorandum suggested that states could potentially justify the use of
an alternative contribution threshold of 1 ppb with respect to the 2015
8-hour ozone NAAQS in step 2 of EPA's four-step interstate framework
under the Good Neighbor provision. However, EPA is not making a
determination in this final action to approve a state's use of an
alternative 1 ppb threshold. Neither EPA's NPRM, SNRPM, nor this final
action rely on a 1 ppb threshold and are instead based on a finding
that Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina will not
contribute at or above one percent of the level of the NAAQS at any
projected nonattainment or maintenance receptor based on EPA modeling.
The use of the one percent threshold is consistent with all of EPA's
ozone transport actions since the promulgation of the original CSAPR in
2011. For the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS, where the impacts of a state's
emissions on all out of state receptors are below a one percent of the
NAAQS threshold, no further analysis is required to determine that that
state is not contributing to an out of state air quality problem under
the Good Neighbor provision. Therefore, there is no need to evaluate
any potential higher contribution threshold, as discussed in the August
2018 memorandum, in the present final action.
Comment 5: A commenter states that ozone exposure has significant
health impacts, particularly for the respiratory system. The commenter
cites the 2013 EPA Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related
Photochemical Oxidants (Final Report) and several other health studies
in order to describe numerous health impacts associated with ozone
exposure in detail.
Response 5: EPA agrees that ozone has a number of adverse health
impacts.
[[Page 68419]]
See National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, Final Rule, 80 FR
65292 (October 26, 2015).\24\ EPA evaluates air quality criteria and
impacts to public health and welfare as part of the comprehensive
standard setting process. Id. EPA's final rule revising the primary and
secondary ozone NAAQS includes a thorough explanation of human exposure
and health risk assessments conducted in support of the Agency's review
of evidence of ambient ozone exposures on human health effects, as well
as detailed rationales for the Administrator's decisions on both
standards. See 80 FR 65292.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\24\ See also National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone,
Final Rule for the 2008 NAAQS, 73 FR 16436 (March 27, 2008), 16440,
16450-51, 16470-71 & n.20.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The commenter does not explain how the information they provided
regarding health impacts from ambient ozone exposure should influence
EPA's action on the Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South
Carolina Good Neighbor SIP submissions for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS,
and EPA considers such comments to be outside of the scope of this
action. As stated previously, EPA's evaluation of air quality criteria
and impacts to public health and welfare are part of the standard
setting process, rather than a step completed through actions on
individual SIP submissions that address Good Neighbor interstate
transport infrastructure SIP requirements pursuant to CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I). EPA's evaluation of individual SIP revisions is
limited to determining whether the statutory criteria for
implementation and attainment of the NAAQS and other CAA requirements,
as applicable, have been satisfied. See CAA section 110(k)(2), (3).
Comment 6: EPA received one supportive set of comments on the
December 30, 2019, NPRM. The comments support EPA's application of the
4-step process, and state that EPA correctly concluded that none of the
states in EPA's December 30, 2019, NPRM contributed above 1 percent to
downwind receptors. Commenters also expressed support for flexibility
in addressing the Good Neighbor SIPs.
Response 6: EPA agrees with commenter that it appropriately applied
steps 1 and 2 of the four-step interstate transport framework (which
the commenter refers to as the 4-step process), and that, according to
EPA's analysis, neither Florida, Georgia, North Carolina nor South
Carolina contribute above one percent of the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS to
any downwind state. With respect to the portion of the comment
regarding retaining the ability for states to take different approaches
to analyzing and addressing their Good Neighbor obligations, EPA's use
of certain analytic methods in this action (such as the use of a one
percent of NAAQS contribution threshold or the definition of
nonattainment and maintenance receptors) does not in itself necessarily
preclude different approaches to Good Neighbor analysis in other
contexts, where EPA determines to be appropriate and consistent with
legal requirements and governing case law.
III. Final Action
EPA is finalizing approval of revisions to the Florida, Georgia,
North Carolina, and South Carolina SIPs. EPA finds that emissions from
sources in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina will
not significantly contribute to nonattainment or interfere with
maintenance of the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS in any other state. Thus,
EPA is approving the interstate transport portions of the
infrastructure SIP submissions from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina,
and South Carolina, separately, as meeting CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) requirements for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP
submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and applicable
Federal regulations. See 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in
reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. These actions merely
approve state law as meeting Federal requirements and do not impose
additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law. For that
reason, these actions:
Are not significant regulatory actions 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);
Do not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
Are 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.);
Do 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);
Do not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
Are not economically significant regulatory actions based
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
Are not significant regulatory actions subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
Are 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
Do 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, for Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, the Good
Neighbor SIPs are not approved to apply on any Indian reservation land
or in any other area where EPA or an Indian tribe has demonstrated that
a tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian country, the rule
does not have tribal implications as specified by Executive Order 13175
(65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), nor will it impose substantial direct
costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law.
For South Carolina, because this final action merely approves state
law as meeting Federal requirements and does not impose additional
requirements beyond those imposed by state law, this action for the
state of South Carolina does not have Tribal implications as specified
by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000). Therefore,
this final action will not impose substantial direct costs on Tribal
governments or preempt Tribal law. The Catawba Indian Nation
Reservation is located within the boundary of York County, South
Carolina. Pursuant to the Catawba Indian Claims Settlement Act, S.C.
Code Ann. 27-16-120 (Settlement Act), ``[a]ll state and local
environmental laws and regulations apply to the [Catawba Indian Nation
and] Reservation and are fully enforceable by all relevant state and
local agencies and authorities.'' The Catawba Indian Nation also
retains authority to impose regulations applying higher environmental
standards to the Reservation than those imposed by state law or local
governing bodies, in accordance with the Settlement Act.
[[Page 68420]]
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 31, 2022. 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 CAA section 307(b)(2).
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone,
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: November 26, 2021.
John Blevins,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Environmental
Protection Agency amends 40 CFR part 52 as follows:
PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
0
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart K--Florida
0
2. In Sec. 52.520(e), amend the table by adding a new entry for
``110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour
Ozone NAAQS'' at the end of the table to read as follows:
Sec. 52.520 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(e) * * *
EPA-Approved Florida Non-Regulatory Provisions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State EPA approval Federal Register
Provision effective date date notice Explanation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure 9/18/2018 12/2/2021 [Insert citation of Addressing Prongs 1
Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour publication]. and 2 of section
Ozone NAAQS. 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)
only.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subpart L--Georgia
0
3. In Sec. 52.570(e) amend the table by adding a new entry for
``110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour
Ozone NAAQS'' at the end of the table to read as follows:
Sec. 52.570 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(e) * * *
EPA-Approved Georgia Non-Regulatory Provisions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State
Name of nonregulatory SIP Applicable geographic submittal date/ EPA approval date Explanation
provision or nonattainment area effective date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
110(a)(1) and (2) Georgia................ 9/24/2018 12/2/2021, [Insert Addressing Prongs
Infrastructure Requirements citation of 1 and 2 of
for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone publication]. section
NAAQS. 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I
) only.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subpart II--North Carolina
0
4. In Sec. 52.1770(e), amend the table by adding a new entry for
``110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour
Ozone NAAQS'' at the end of the table to read as follows:
Sec. 52.1770 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(e) * * *
EPA-Approved North Carolina Non-Regulatory Provisions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State EPA approval Federal Register
Provision effective date date citation Explanation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure 9/27/2018 12/2/2021 [Insert citation of Addressing Prongs 1
Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour publication]. and 2 of section
Ozone NAAQS. 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)
only.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 68421]]
Subpart PP--South Carolina
0
5. In Sec. 52.2120(e), amend the table by adding a new entry for
``110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour
Ozone NAAQS'' at the end of the table to read as follows:
Sec. 52.2120 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(e) * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State
Provision effective date EPA approval date Explanation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
110(a)(1) and (2) Infrastructure 9/7/2018 12/2/2021, [Insert Addressing Prongs 1 and 2
Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone citation of publication]. of section
NAAQS. 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) only.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[FR Doc. 2021-26144 Filed 12-1-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P