Air Plan Revisions; California; Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District; Imperial County Air Pollution Control District; Correcting Amendments, 75234-75236 [2023-23740]
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75234
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 211 / Thursday, November 2, 2023 / Rules and Regulations
and all fair housing and equal
opportunity requirements. The purpose
of the plan and requirements is to
achieve a condition in which eligible
families of similar income levels in the
same housing market have a like range
of housing choices available to them
regardless of their race, color, religion,
sex (including actual or perceived
sexual orientation and gender identity),
disability, familial status, or national
origin.
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8. In § 891.750, revise the introductory
text of paragraph (b) and paragraphs
(b)(3), (c)(1), (2), and (3)(i) to read as
follows:
■
§ 891.750
tenants.
Selection and admission of
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(b) Determination of eligibility and
selection of tenants. The Borrower is
responsible for determining whether
applicants are eligible for admission and
for the selection of families. To be
eligible for admission, an applicant
family must be a family that includes a
person with a disability (that meets the
definition of ‘‘handicapped family’’ in
24 CFR 891.505); meet any project
occupancy requirements approved by
HUD; meet the disclosure and
verification requirements for Social
Security Numbers, as provided by 24
CFR part 5, subpart B; and be a lowincome family, as defined in part 5,
subpart F of this title, as modified by 24
CFR 891.505. Under certain
circumstances, HUD may permit the
leasing of units (or residential space in
a group home) to ineligible families
under § 891.720.
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(3) If the Borrower determines that an
applicant is ineligible for admission or
the Borrower is not selecting the
applicant for other reasons, the
Borrower will promptly notify the
applicant in writing of the
determination, the reasons for the
determination, and that the applicant
has a right to request a meeting to
review the rejection, in accordance with
HUD requirements. The review, if
requested, may not be conducted by the
member of the Borrower’s staff who
made the initial decision to reject the
applicant. The applicant may also
exercise other rights, including filing a
complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair
Housing and Equal Opportunity, if the
applicant believes the applicant is being
discriminated against on the basis of
race, color, religion, sex (including
actual or perceived sexual orientation
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15:47 Nov 01, 2023
Jkt 262001
and gender identity), disability, familial
status, or national origin.
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(c) * * *
(1) Regular reexaminations. If the
family occupies an assisted unit (or
residential space in a group home), the
Borrower must reexamine the income
and composition of the family at least
every 12 months. Upon verification of
the information, the Borrower shall
make appropriate adjustments in the
total tenant payment in accordance with
§ 5.657 of this title and must adjust the
rent. The Borrower must also request an
appropriate adjustment to the project
assistance payment. Further, the
Borrower must determine whether the
family’s unit size is still appropriate and
must carry out any unit transfer in
accordance with HUD standards. At the
time of reexamination, the Borrower
must require the family to meet the
disclosure and verification requirements
for Social Security Numbers, as
provided by 24 CFR part 5, subpart B.
For requirements regarding the signing
and submitting of consent forms by
families for obtaining wage and claim
information from State Wage
Information Collection Agencies, see 24
CFR part 5, subpart B.
(2) Interim reexamination. If the
family occupies an assisted unit (or
residential space in a group home) the
family must comply with the provisions
in § 5.657 of this title regarding interim
reporting of changes in income. If the
Borrower receives information
concerning a change in the family’s
income or other circumstances between
regularly scheduled reexaminations, the
Borrower must consult with the family
and make any adjustments determined
to be appropriate. See 24 CFR part 5,
subpart B, for the requirements for the
disclosure and verification of Social
Security Number at interim
reexaminations involving new
household members. For requirements
regarding the signing and submitting of
consent forms by families for obtaining
wage and claim information from State
Wage Information Collection agencies,
see 24 CFR part 5, subpart B. Any
change in the family’s income or other
circumstances that result in an
adjustment in the total tenant payment,
tenant rent, or project assistance
payment must be verified.
(3) * * *
(i) A family occupying an assisted
unit (or residential space in a group
home) shall remain eligible for project
assistance payments until the total
tenant payment equals or exceeds the
gross rent (or a pro rata share of the
gross rent in a group home). The
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termination of subsidy eligibility will
not affect the family’s other rights under
its lease. Project assistance payments
may be resumed if, as a result of
changes in income, rent, or other
relevant circumstances during the term
of the PAC, the family meets the income
eligibility requirements of § 5.657 of this
title (as modified in § 891.105) and
project assistance is available for the
unit or residential space under the terms
of the PAC. The family will not be
required to establish its eligibility for
admission to the project under the
remaining requirements of paragraph (b)
of this section.
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Julia R. Gordon,
Assistant Secretary for Housing—FHA
Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 2023–24236 Filed 11–1–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R09–OAR–2017–0760, EPA–R09–
OAR–2020–0476, and EPA–R09–OAR–2021–
0176; FRL–11409–01–R9]
Air Plan Revisions; California;
Antelope Valley Air Quality
Management District; Imperial County
Air Pollution Control District;
Correcting Amendments
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule; correcting
amendments.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is taking final action to
correct sections in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), erroneously caused
by administrative oversight, to reflect
the current status of conditional
approval provisions in the California
State Implementation Plan (SIP). These
corrections concern Antelope Valley Air
Quality Management District’s
(AVAQMD’s) reasonably available
control technology (RACT) SIP
demonstration requirements for the
1997 and 2008 8-hour ozone National
Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) and Imperial County Air
Pollution Control District’s (ICAPCD’s)
RACT SIP demonstration requirements
for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS.
DATES: These correcting amendments
are effective on November 2, 2023.
ADDRESSES: The EPA has established
dockets for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA–R09–OAR–2017–0760, EPA–
R09–OAR–2020–0476, and EPA–R09–
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\02NOR1.SGM
02NOR1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 211 / Thursday, November 2, 2023 / Rules and Regulations
OAR–2021–0176. All documents in the
dockets are listed on the https://
www.regulations.gov website. Although
listed in the index, some information is
not publicly available, e.g., Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
is not placed on the internet and will be
publicly available only in hard copy
form. Publicly available docket
materials are available through https://
www.regulations.gov, or please contact
the person identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section for
additional availability information. If
you need assistance in a language other
than English or if you are a person with
disabilities who needs a reasonable
accommodation at no cost to you, please
contact the person identified in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
75235
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Elijah Gordon, EPA Region IX, 75
Hawthorne St., San Francisco, CA
94105. By phone: (415) 972–3158 or by
email at gordon.elijah@epa.gov.
Table 1
lists the documents addressed by this
corrective action with the dates they
were locally adopted, revised, or
amended, and submitted by the
California Air Resources Board (CARB).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
TABLE 1—RACT SIP DEMONSTRATIONS AND SIP-APPROVED RULES
Local agency
Document
Local action
AVAQMD ....................
AVAQMD 8-Hour Reasonably Available Control Technology—
State Implementation Plan Analysis (RACT SIP Analysis)—1997
8-hour Ozone NAAQS ‘‘2006 RACT SIP’’.
AVAQMD 8-Hour Reasonably Available Control Technology—
State Implementation Plan Analysis (2015 RACT SIP Analysis)—2008 8-hour Ozone NAAQS ‘‘2015 RACT SIP’’.
Rule 1151.1—Motor Vehicle Assembly Coating Operations ............
Rule 1110.2—Emissions from Stationary, Non-Road and Portable
Internal Combustion Engines.
Reasonably Availability Control Technology Analysis for the 2017
Imperial County State Implementation Plan for the 2008 8-Hr
Ozone Standard ‘‘2017 RACT SIP’’.
Rule 415—Transfer and Storage of Gasoline ..................................
Adopted 09/19/2006 ....................
01/31/2007
Adopted 07/21/2015 ....................
10/23/2015
Adopted 6/20/2017 ......................
Amended 09/18/2018 ..................
8/9/2017
10/30/2018
Adopted 09/12/2017 ....................
11/14/2017
Revised 11/03/2020 ....................
02/19/2021
AVAQMD ....................
AVAQMD ....................
AVAQMD ....................
ICAPCD ......................
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ICAPCD ......................
The EPA conditionally approved
revisions to the AVAQMD portion of the
California SIP on October 10, 2017 (82
FR 46923). These revisions concerned
AVAQMD’s demonstration regarding
RACT requirements for the AVAQMD
portion of the Western Mojave Desert
nonattainment area for the 1997 8-hour
ozone NAAQS, and the AVAQMD
portion of the West Mojave Desert
nonattainment area for the 2008 8-hour
ozone NAAQS. In the October 10, 2017
action, we added paragraphs (b), (b)(1),
(b)(2), (b)(3), and (b)(4) to the
‘‘Identification of plan—conditional
approval’’ section of 40 CFR part 52,
subpart F (40 CFR 52.248), addressing
RACT demonstrations for rules deemed
to not meet RACT requirements.
According to 40 CFR 52.248(b), if the
State failed to meet its commitment to
address the identified deficiencies by
November 9, 2018, the conditional
approval would be treated as a
disapproval. The State submitted SIP
revisions addressing all identified
deficiencies for the rules listed in
paragraphs 40 CFR 52.248(b)(1) through
(4) in advance of this November 9, 2018
deadline.
We subsequently approved the SIP
revisions addressing the identified
deficiencies. We finalized approval of
Rule 1151.1 on May 24, 2018 (83 FR
24033). In that rulemaking action, we
evaluated Rule 1151.1 for RACT-level
stringency, and stated in our proposal
that Rule 1151.1 regulates activities
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15:47 Nov 01, 2023
Jkt 262001
covered by the CTG document ‘‘Control
Techniques Guidelines for Automobile
and Light-Duty Truck Assembly
Coatings’’ (EPA–453/R–08–006,
September 2008).1 Our approval of Rule
1151.1 as establishing RACT for this
CTG cured the identified deficiencies
associated with our conditional
approval of the portion of the District’s
RACT SIP associated with Rule 1151 in
40 CFR 52.248(b)(3).
Additionally, we finalized approval of
Rule 1110.2 on September 10, 2021 (86
FR 50645). In that rulemaking action,
we evaluated Rule 1110.2 for RACTlevel stringency, and stated in our
proposal that Rule 1110.2 was
submitted in order to address the RACT
deficiencies identified in our previous
conditional approval for major source
NOX RACT.2 Our approval of Rule
1110.2 as establishing RACT for the
major stationary sources regulated by
this rule cured the identified deficiency
associated with our conditional
approval of the portion of the District’s
RACT SIP associated with Rule 1110.2
in 40 CFR 52.248(b)(2).
1 83 FR 11944 (March 19, 2018). In the District’s
commitment letter to CARB (dated 06/26/2017) and
CARB’s forwarded letter to the EPA (dated 06/27/
2017), AVAQMD stated that rather than adopt a
modification to Rule 1151 to address the RACT
deficiency, it would adopt a new rule, Rule 1151.1,
to correct the identified deficiency. They also stated
their commitment to revise and correct identified
deficiencies within Rule 1110.2.
2 86 FR 17567 (April 5, 2021).
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Submitted
Due to an administrative oversight,
our notices approving these new
revisions neglected to remove the
conditional approval language from 40
CFR 52.248(b)(2), 40 CFR 52.248(b)(3),
and, consequently, 40 CFR 52.248(b).
This action addresses this
administrative oversight.
Separately, the EPA conditionally
approved a revision to the ICAPCD
portion of the California SIP on
February 13, 2020 (85 FR 8181). This
revision concerned ICAPCD’s
demonstration regarding RACT
requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone
NAAQS in the Imperial County ozone
nonattainment area. In the February 13,
2020 action, we added paragraph (i) to
40 CFR 52.248, addressing RACT
demonstrations for Rule 415, and stating
that if the State failed to meet its
commitment to address these identified
deficiencies by one year from the date
of the conditional approval, the
conditional approval would be treated
as a disapproval.3 The State submitted
a revised Rule 415, addressing these
deficiencies in advance of this deadline.
We finalized approval of the revised
Rule 415 on September 2, 2021 (86 FR
49248). In that rulemaking action, we
evaluated Rule 415 for RACT-level
stringency, and stated in our proposal
3 In the District’s commitment letter to CARB
(dated 05/08/2019) and CARB’s forwarded letter to
the EPA (dated 05/28/2019), ICAPCD stated their
commitment to revise and correct identified
deficiencies within Rule 415.
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75236
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 211 / Thursday, November 2, 2023 / Rules and Regulations
that Rule 415 regulates activities
covered by the CTG document ‘‘Control
of Hydrocarbons from Tank Truck
Gasoline Loading Terminals’’ (EPA–
450/2–77–026, October 1977).4 That
proposal stated that Rule 415 was
revised in response to the EPA’s
previous conditional approval and that
the updated version of Rule 415
corrected the identified deficiencies.
Therefore, our approval of Rule 415 as
establishing RACT for this CTG cured
the identified deficiency associated with
our conditional approval of the portion
of the District’s RACT SIP associated
with Rule 415 in 40 CFR 52.248(i). Due
to an administrative oversight, our
notice approving Rule 415 neglected to
remove the conditional approval
language from 40 CFR 52.248(i). This
action addresses this administrative
oversight.
For the reasons described above, this
action corrects the regulatory text to
reflect the current status of AVAQMD’s
RACT SIP demonstration for the 1997
and 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. The
EPA is removing Rule 1110.2,
‘‘Emission from Stationary, Non-road &
Portable Internal Combustion Engines,’’
and Rule 1151, ‘‘Motor Vehicle and
Mobile Equipment Coating Operations,’’
from the regulatory text at 40 CFR
52.248(b)(2) and 40 CFR 52.248(b)(3),
respectively. Consequently, AVAQMD
has met its RACT SIP obligations for
these 1997 and 2008 8-hour NAAQS
and, therefore, the EPA is removing the
prior conditional approvals for these
RACT SIP demonstrations from the
Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR
52.248(b)), leaving only the
subsequently approved rules in the
California SIP. This action also corrects
the regulatory text to reflect the current
status of ICAPCD’s RACT SIP
demonstration for the 2008 8-hour
ozone NAAQS. ICAPCD has met its
RACT SIP obligations for this NAAQS
and, therefore, the EPA will remove the
prior conditional approval for this
RACT SIP demonstration from the Code
of Federal Regulations (40 CFR
52.248(i)), leaving only the subsequently
approved rule in the California SIP.
The EPA has determined that this
action falls under the ‘‘good cause’’
exemption in section 553(b)(3)(B) of the
Administrative Procedure Act (APA)
which, upon finding ‘‘good cause,’’
authorizes agencies to dispense with
public participation where public notice
and comment procedures are
impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary
to public interest. Public notice and
comment for this action is unnecessary
because the underlying rules and RACT
4 86
evaluations were already subject to a 30day comment period, and this action is
merely making administrative changes
and updating the regulatory text
accordingly. Further, this action is
consistent with the purpose and
rationale of the final rules. Because this
action does not change the EPA’s
analyses or overall actions, no purpose
would be served by additional public
notice and comment. Consequently,
additional public notice and comment
are unnecessary.
The EPA also finds that there is good
cause under APA section 553(d)(3) for
these amendments to become effective
on the date of publication of this action.
Section 553(d)(3) of the APA allows an
effective date of less than 30 days after
publication ‘‘as otherwise provided by
the agency for good cause found and
published with the rule.’’ 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3). The purpose of the 30-day
waiting period prescribed in APA
section 553(d)(3) is to give affected
parties a reasonable time to adjust their
behavior and prepare before the final
rule takes effect. This rule does not
create any new regulatory requirements
such that affected parties would need
time to prepare before the rule takes
effect. This action merely corrects
incomplete amendatory instructions in
previous rulemakings. For these
reasons, the EPA finds good cause under
APA section 553(d)(3) for these changes
to become effective on the date of
publication of this action.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations,
Nitrogen oxides, Ozone, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Volatile
organic compounds.
Dated: October 19, 2023.
Martha Guzman Aceves,
Regional Administrator, Region IX.
Part 52, chapter I, title 40 of the Code
of Federal Regulations is amended as
follows:
PART 52—APPROVAL AND
PROMULGATION OF
IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
1. The authority citation for part 52
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
FR 24835 (May 10, 2021).
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Subpart F—California
§ 52.248
[Amended]
2. Section 52.248 is amended by
removing and reserving paragraphs (b)
and (i).
■
[FR Doc. 2023–23740 Filed 11–1–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R09–OAR–2023–0479; FRL–11425–
02–R9]
Determination To Defer Sanctions;
California; California Air Resources
Board
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Interim final determination.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is making an interim final
determination that the California Air
Resources Board (CARB) has submitted
a rule and other materials that correct
deficiencies in its Clean Air Act (CAA
or ‘‘Act’’) state implementation plan
(SIP) provisions concerning emissions
of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
from vapor recovery systems of gasoline
cargo tanks. This determination is based
on a proposed approval, published
elsewhere in this Federal Register, of
CARB’s California Code of Regulations,
Title 17, Division 3, Chapter 1,
Subchapter 8, Article 1, Section 94014
(‘‘Section 94014’’) which regulates this
source category. The effect of this
interim final determination is that the
imposition of sanctions that were
triggered by a previous limited
disapproval by the EPA in 2022 is now
deferred. If the EPA finalizes its
approval of CARB’s submission, relief
from these sanctions will become
permanent.
SUMMARY:
This interim final determination
is effective November 2, 2023. However,
comments will be accepted on or before
December 4, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R09–
OAR–2023–0479 at https://
www.regulations.gov. For comments
submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments
cannot be edited or removed from
Regulations.gov. The EPA may publish
any comment received to its public
docket. Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\02NOR1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 211 (Thursday, November 2, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 75234-75236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23740]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R09-OAR-2017-0760, EPA-R09-OAR-2020-0476, and EPA-R09-OAR-2021-
0176; FRL-11409-01-R9]
Air Plan Revisions; California; Antelope Valley Air Quality
Management District; Imperial County Air Pollution Control District;
Correcting Amendments
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule; correcting amendments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final
action to correct sections in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),
erroneously caused by administrative oversight, to reflect the current
status of conditional approval provisions in the California State
Implementation Plan (SIP). These corrections concern Antelope Valley
Air Quality Management District's (AVAQMD's) reasonably available
control technology (RACT) SIP demonstration requirements for the 1997
and 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
and Imperial County Air Pollution Control District's (ICAPCD's) RACT
SIP demonstration requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS.
DATES: These correcting amendments are effective on November 2, 2023.
ADDRESSES: The EPA has established dockets for this action under Docket
ID No. EPA-R09-OAR-2017-0760, EPA-R09-OAR-2020-0476, and EPA-R09-
[[Page 75235]]
OAR-2021-0176. All documents in the dockets are listed on the https://www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is
not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard
copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available through
https://www.regulations.gov, or please contact the person identified in
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section for additional availability
information. If you need assistance in a language other than English or
if you are a person with disabilities who needs a reasonable
accommodation at no cost to you, please contact the person identified
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elijah Gordon, EPA Region IX, 75
Hawthorne St., San Francisco, CA 94105. By phone: (415) 972-3158 or by
email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Table 1 lists the documents addressed by
this corrective action with the dates they were locally adopted,
revised, or amended, and submitted by the California Air Resources
Board (CARB).
Table 1--RACT SIP Demonstrations and SIP-Approved Rules
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local agency Document Local action Submitted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AVAQMD............................... AVAQMD 8-Hour Reasonably Adopted 09/19/2006....... 01/31/2007
Available Control Technology--
State Implementation Plan
Analysis (RACT SIP Analysis)--
1997 8-hour Ozone NAAQS
``2006 RACT SIP''.
AVAQMD............................... AVAQMD 8-Hour Reasonably Adopted 07/21/2015....... 10/23/2015
Available Control Technology--
State Implementation Plan
Analysis (2015 RACT SIP
Analysis)--2008 8-hour Ozone
NAAQS ``2015 RACT SIP''.
AVAQMD............................... Rule 1151.1--Motor Vehicle Adopted 6/20/2017........ 8/9/2017
Assembly Coating Operations.
AVAQMD............................... Rule 1110.2--Emissions from Amended 09/18/2018....... 10/30/2018
Stationary, Non-Road and
Portable Internal Combustion
Engines.
ICAPCD............................... Reasonably Availability Adopted 09/12/2017....... 11/14/2017
Control Technology Analysis
for the 2017 Imperial County
State Implementation Plan for
the 2008 8-Hr Ozone Standard
``2017 RACT SIP''.
ICAPCD............................... Rule 415--Transfer and Storage Revised 11/03/2020....... 02/19/2021
of Gasoline.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The EPA conditionally approved revisions to the AVAQMD portion of
the California SIP on October 10, 2017 (82 FR 46923). These revisions
concerned AVAQMD's demonstration regarding RACT requirements for the
AVAQMD portion of the Western Mojave Desert nonattainment area for the
1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS, and the AVAQMD portion of the West Mojave
Desert nonattainment area for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. In the
October 10, 2017 action, we added paragraphs (b), (b)(1), (b)(2),
(b)(3), and (b)(4) to the ``Identification of plan--conditional
approval'' section of 40 CFR part 52, subpart F (40 CFR 52.248),
addressing RACT demonstrations for rules deemed to not meet RACT
requirements. According to 40 CFR 52.248(b), if the State failed to
meet its commitment to address the identified deficiencies by November
9, 2018, the conditional approval would be treated as a disapproval.
The State submitted SIP revisions addressing all identified
deficiencies for the rules listed in paragraphs 40 CFR 52.248(b)(1)
through (4) in advance of this November 9, 2018 deadline.
We subsequently approved the SIP revisions addressing the
identified deficiencies. We finalized approval of Rule 1151.1 on May
24, 2018 (83 FR 24033). In that rulemaking action, we evaluated Rule
1151.1 for RACT-level stringency, and stated in our proposal that Rule
1151.1 regulates activities covered by the CTG document ``Control
Techniques Guidelines for Automobile and Light-Duty Truck Assembly
Coatings'' (EPA-453/R-08-006, September 2008).\1\ Our approval of Rule
1151.1 as establishing RACT for this CTG cured the identified
deficiencies associated with our conditional approval of the portion of
the District's RACT SIP associated with Rule 1151 in 40 CFR
52.248(b)(3).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 83 FR 11944 (March 19, 2018). In the District's commitment
letter to CARB (dated 06/26/2017) and CARB's forwarded letter to the
EPA (dated 06/27/2017), AVAQMD stated that rather than adopt a
modification to Rule 1151 to address the RACT deficiency, it would
adopt a new rule, Rule 1151.1, to correct the identified deficiency.
They also stated their commitment to revise and correct identified
deficiencies within Rule 1110.2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally, we finalized approval of Rule 1110.2 on September 10,
2021 (86 FR 50645). In that rulemaking action, we evaluated Rule 1110.2
for RACT-level stringency, and stated in our proposal that Rule 1110.2
was submitted in order to address the RACT deficiencies identified in
our previous conditional approval for major source NOX
RACT.\2\ Our approval of Rule 1110.2 as establishing RACT for the major
stationary sources regulated by this rule cured the identified
deficiency associated with our conditional approval of the portion of
the District's RACT SIP associated with Rule 1110.2 in 40 CFR
52.248(b)(2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ 86 FR 17567 (April 5, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Due to an administrative oversight, our notices approving these new
revisions neglected to remove the conditional approval language from 40
CFR 52.248(b)(2), 40 CFR 52.248(b)(3), and, consequently, 40 CFR
52.248(b). This action addresses this administrative oversight.
Separately, the EPA conditionally approved a revision to the ICAPCD
portion of the California SIP on February 13, 2020 (85 FR 8181). This
revision concerned ICAPCD's demonstration regarding RACT requirements
for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS in the Imperial County ozone
nonattainment area. In the February 13, 2020 action, we added paragraph
(i) to 40 CFR 52.248, addressing RACT demonstrations for Rule 415, and
stating that if the State failed to meet its commitment to address
these identified deficiencies by one year from the date of the
conditional approval, the conditional approval would be treated as a
disapproval.\3\ The State submitted a revised Rule 415, addressing
these deficiencies in advance of this deadline.
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\3\ In the District's commitment letter to CARB (dated 05/08/
2019) and CARB's forwarded letter to the EPA (dated 05/28/2019),
ICAPCD stated their commitment to revise and correct identified
deficiencies within Rule 415.
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We finalized approval of the revised Rule 415 on September 2, 2021
(86 FR 49248). In that rulemaking action, we evaluated Rule 415 for
RACT-level stringency, and stated in our proposal
[[Page 75236]]
that Rule 415 regulates activities covered by the CTG document
``Control of Hydrocarbons from Tank Truck Gasoline Loading Terminals''
(EPA-450/2-77-026, October 1977).\4\ That proposal stated that Rule 415
was revised in response to the EPA's previous conditional approval and
that the updated version of Rule 415 corrected the identified
deficiencies. Therefore, our approval of Rule 415 as establishing RACT
for this CTG cured the identified deficiency associated with our
conditional approval of the portion of the District's RACT SIP
associated with Rule 415 in 40 CFR 52.248(i). Due to an administrative
oversight, our notice approving Rule 415 neglected to remove the
conditional approval language from 40 CFR 52.248(i). This action
addresses this administrative oversight.
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\4\ 86 FR 24835 (May 10, 2021).
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For the reasons described above, this action corrects the
regulatory text to reflect the current status of AVAQMD's RACT SIP
demonstration for the 1997 and 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. The EPA is
removing Rule 1110.2, ``Emission from Stationary, Non-road & Portable
Internal Combustion Engines,'' and Rule 1151, ``Motor Vehicle and
Mobile Equipment Coating Operations,'' from the regulatory text at 40
CFR 52.248(b)(2) and 40 CFR 52.248(b)(3), respectively. Consequently,
AVAQMD has met its RACT SIP obligations for these 1997 and 2008 8-hour
NAAQS and, therefore, the EPA is removing the prior conditional
approvals for these RACT SIP demonstrations from the Code of Federal
Regulations (40 CFR 52.248(b)), leaving only the subsequently approved
rules in the California SIP. This action also corrects the regulatory
text to reflect the current status of ICAPCD's RACT SIP demonstration
for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. ICAPCD has met its RACT SIP
obligations for this NAAQS and, therefore, the EPA will remove the
prior conditional approval for this RACT SIP demonstration from the
Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR 52.248(i)), leaving only the
subsequently approved rule in the California SIP.
The EPA has determined that this action falls under the ``good
cause'' exemption in section 553(b)(3)(B) of the Administrative
Procedure Act (APA) which, upon finding ``good cause,'' authorizes
agencies to dispense with public participation where public notice and
comment procedures are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to
public interest. Public notice and comment for this action is
unnecessary because the underlying rules and RACT evaluations were
already subject to a 30-day comment period, and this action is merely
making administrative changes and updating the regulatory text
accordingly. Further, this action is consistent with the purpose and
rationale of the final rules. Because this action does not change the
EPA's analyses or overall actions, no purpose would be served by
additional public notice and comment. Consequently, additional public
notice and comment are unnecessary.
The EPA also finds that there is good cause under APA section
553(d)(3) for these amendments to become effective on the date of
publication of this action. Section 553(d)(3) of the APA allows an
effective date of less than 30 days after publication ``as otherwise
provided by the agency for good cause found and published with the
rule.'' 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). The purpose of the 30-day waiting period
prescribed in APA section 553(d)(3) is to give affected parties a
reasonable time to adjust their behavior and prepare before the final
rule takes effect. This rule does not create any new regulatory
requirements such that affected parties would need time to prepare
before the rule takes effect. This action merely corrects incomplete
amendatory instructions in previous rulemakings. For these reasons, the
EPA finds good cause under APA section 553(d)(3) for these changes to
become effective on the date of publication of this action.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen oxides, Ozone,
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: October 19, 2023.
Martha Guzman Aceves,
Regional Administrator, Region IX.
Part 52, chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is
amended as follows:
PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
0
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart F--California
Sec. 52.248 [Amended]
0
2. Section 52.248 is amended by removing and reserving paragraphs (b)
and (i).
[FR Doc. 2023-23740 Filed 11-1-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P