Air Plan Approval; Utah; Interstate Transport of Air Pollution for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard, 25918-25923 [2025-11250]
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Issued in Washington, DC, on June 16,
2025.
Brian Eric Konie,
Manager (A), Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2025–11220 Filed 6–17–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
16 CFR Parts 2 and 3
[File No. R507004]
Petition for Rulemaking of Alliance for
Natural Health USA; Xlear, Inc.; and
Better Way Health
Federal Trade Commission.
Receipt of petition; request for
comment.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Please take notice that the
Federal Trade Commission
(‘‘Commission’’) received a petition for
rulemaking from Alliance for Natural
Health USA; Xlear, Inc.; and Better Way
Health, and has published that petition
online at https://www.regulations.gov.
The Commission invites written
comments concerning the petition.
Publication of this petition is pursuant
to the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure and does not affect the
legal status of the petition or its final
disposition.
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SUMMARY:
Comments must identify the
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ADDRESSES: You may view the petition,
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0036, and submit written comments
concerning its merits by using the
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DATES:
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www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
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Do not submit sensitive or confidential
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This petition requests to reform FTC
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purpose of this document is to facilitate
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comment does not include any sensitive
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April J. Tabor,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025–11271 Filed 6–17–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R08–OAR–2025–0054; FRL–12595–
01–R8]
Air Plan Approval; Utah; Interstate
Transport of Air Pollution for the 2008
8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air
Quality Standard
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the Federal Clean
Air Act (CAA or the Act), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is proposing to approve a portion of a
Utah State Implementation Plan (SIP)
submission addressing interstate
transport for the 2008 8-hour ozone
national ambient air quality standard
(NAAQS). The ‘‘interstate transport’’
provision requires that each state’s SIP
contain adequate provisions to prohibit
emissions from within the state from
significantly contributing to
nonattainment or interfering with
maintenance of the NAAQS in other
states. In this action, EPA is only
addressing the requirement prohibiting
interference with maintenance, referred
to as ‘‘prong 2,’’ for the 2008 ozone
NAAQS.
SUMMARY:
Written comments must be
received on or before July 18, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R08–
OAR–2025–0054, to the Federal
Rulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Once submitted, comments cannot be
edited or removed from https://
www.regulations.gov. EPA may publish
any comment received to its public
DATES:
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docket. Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Multimedia
submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be
accompanied by a written comment.
The written comment is considered the
official comment and should include
discussion of all points you wish to
make. The EPA will generally not
consider comments or comment
contents located outside of the primary
submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or
other file sharing system). For
additional submission methods, the full
EPA public comment policy,
information about CBI or multimedia
submissions, and general guidance on
making effective comments, please visit
https://www.epa.gov/dockets/
commenting-epa-dockets.
Docket: All documents in the docket
are listed in the https://
www.regulations.gov index. Although
listed in the index, some information is
not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
will be publicly available only in hard
copy. Publicly available docket
materials are available electronically in
https://www.regulations.gov. Please
email or call the person listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section if
you need to make alternative
arrangements for access to the docket.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Adam Clark, Air and Radiation
Division, EPA, Region 8, Mailcode
8ARD–IO, 1595 Wynkoop Street,
Denver, Colorado 80202–1129,
telephone number: (303) 312–7104,
email address: clark.adam@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document whenever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
EPA.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. EPA’s Ozone Transport Modeling
Information
III. Selection of Analytic Year
IV. Summary of Utah’s Submission
V. EPA’s Evaluation
VI. Proposed Action
VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
On March 12, 2008, EPA strengthened
the NAAQS for ozone. (73 FR 16436;
March 27, 2008). EPA revised the level
of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS from 80
parts per billion (ppb) to 75 ppb. EPA
also revised the secondary 8-hour
standard to the level of 75 ppb making
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it identical to the revised primary
standard.
Section 110(a)(1) of the CAA imposes
an obligation upon states to submit SIP
submissions that provide for the
implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement of a new or revised
NAAQS within 3 years following the
promulgation of that NAAQS. Section
110(a)(2) lists specific requirements that
states must meet in these SIP
submissions, as applicable. EPA refers
to this type of SIP submission as the
‘‘infrastructure’’ SIP because the SIP
ensures that states can implement,
maintain, and enforce the air quality
standards. Within these requirements,
CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) contains
requirements to address interstate
transport of NAAQS pollutants or their
precursors. CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), which is also known
as the ‘‘interstate transport’’ provision,
requires SIPs to contain provisions
prohibiting any source or other type of
emissions activity within the State from
emitting any air pollutant in amounts
that will contribute significantly to
nonattainment of the NAAQS in any
other state (commonly referred to as
prong 1) or interfere with maintenance
of the NAAQS in any other state (prong
2). A SIP addressing this provision is
often referred to as an ‘‘interstate
transport SIP.’’
Through the development and
implementation of several previous
rulemakings,1 EPA, working in
partnership with states, established the
following 4-step framework to address
the requirements of the interstate
transport provision for ground-level
ozone NAAQS: (1) identifying
downwind ozone air quality monitors,
termed ‘‘receptors,’’ that are expected to
have problems attaining or maintaining
the NAAQS; (2) determining which
upwind states contribute to these
identified problems in amounts
sufficient to ‘‘link’’ them to downwind
air quality problems; (3) for states linked
to downwind air quality problems,
identifying upwind emissions that
significantly contribute to downwind
nonattainment or interfere with
downwind maintenance of the NAAQS;
and (4) for states that are found to have
emissions that significantly contribute
to downwind nonattainment or interfere
with maintenance of the NAAQS
downwind, implementing the necessary
emissions reductions through
enforceable measures.
1 See, e.g., the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
(CSAPR) at 76 FR 48208 (August 8, 2011), the
CSAPR Update at 81 FR 74504 (October 26, 2016),
and the Revised CSAPR Update at 86 FR 23054
(April 30, 2021).
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On August 4, 2015, EPA issued a
Notice of Data Availability (NODA)
containing air quality modeling to assist
states with meeting section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) requirements for the
2008 ozone NAAQS within the context
of the 4-step framework.2 Specifically,
the air quality modeling helped states
address steps 1 and 2 of the framework
by (1) identifying locations in the
United States where EPA anticipated
nonattainment or maintenance issues in
2017 for the 2008 ozone NAAQS, and
(2) quantifying the projected
contributions from emissions from
upwind states to downwind ozone
concentrations at the receptors in 2017.
EPA used this modeling to support the
Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update
for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS (‘‘CSAPR
Update’’) proposed rule (80 FR 75706;
December 3, 2015), and updated this
modeling in 2016 to support the CSAPR
Update final rule (81 FR 74504; October
26, 2016). The 2017 projections in this
updated version of the modeling
(hereon referred to as the ‘‘CSAPR
Update modeling’’) were part of the
technical record for EPA’s final action
disapproving the prong 2 portion of the
Utah 2008 Ozone Infrastructure SIP (81
FR 71991; October 19, 2016), which is
discussed in more detail later in this
document.
In the CSAPR Update, EPA used the
CSAPR Update modeling to identify
downwind nonattainment and
maintenance receptors at step 1 of the
4-step framework (see 81 FR 74530–
74532; October 26, 2016). Specifically,
EPA identified nonattainment receptors
as those monitoring sites with current
measured design values exceeding the
NAAQS that also have projected (i.e., in
2017) average design values exceeding
the NAAQS.3 EPA identified
maintenance receptors as those
monitoring sites with projected
maximum design values exceeding the
NAAQS. EPA considered all
nonattainment receptors to also be
maintenance receptors because a
monitoring site with a projected average
design value above the standard
necessarily also has a projected
maximum design value above the
standard. Monitoring sites with
2 See Notice of Availability of the Environmental
Protection Agency’s Updated Ozone Transport
Modeling Data for the 2008 Ozone National
Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), 80 FR
46271 (August 4, 2015); see also ‘‘Updated Air
Quality Modeling Technical Support Document for
the 2008 Ozone NAAQS Transport Assessment,’’
August 2015 (included in the docket to the NODA).
3 For the 2008 ozone NAAQS, the air quality
design value for a monitoring site is the 3-year
average annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8hour average ozone concentration. See 73 FR 16513
(March 27, 2008).
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projected maximum design values that
exceed the standard and which are not
also nonattainment receptors were thus
referred to as maintenance-only
receptors.
At step 2 of the 4-step framework in
the CSAPR Update, EPA used the
CSAPR Update modeling to determine
whether states’ impact on each
projected downwind air quality problem
would be considered significant (see 80
FR 75713–75714; December 3, 2015).
EPA’s modeling projected ozone
concentrations and contributions in
2017, which would be the last ozone
season before the then-upcoming July
2018 attainment date for nonattainment
areas classified as Moderate for the 2008
ozone NAAQS. Consistent with the
original CSAPR rulemaking (76 FR
48208; August 8, 2011), EPA identified
linkages between upwind states and
downwind nonattainment and
maintenance receptors in the CSAPR
Update. See 81 FR 74518 (October 26,
2016).
In its January 31, 2013 infrastructureSIP submission to address the 2008
ozone NAAQS, the Utah Division of Air
Quality (UDAQ) addressed
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) by citing EPA
Administrator Gina McCarthy’s
November 19, 2012 memo 4 which
outlined EPA’s intention to abide by the
decision of the United States Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit (D.C. Circuit) in EME Homer City
Generation, L.P. v. E.P.A., 696 F.3d 7
(D.C. Cir. 2012)). The EME Homer City
decision addressed the original CSAPR
rulemaking promulgated by EPA to
address the interstate transport
requirements under section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) with respect to the
1997 ozone NAAQS, the 1997 fine
particulate matter (PM2.5) NAAQS, and
the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS. Among other
things, the D.C. Circuit held that states
did not have an obligation to submit
SIPs addressing section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)
interstate transport requirements as to
any NAAQS until EPA first quantified
each state’s emissions reduction
obligation. Id. at 30–31. In its
submission, UDAQ noted that EPA had
not quantified Utah’s transport
obligation as to the 2008 ozone NAAQS
and that Utah’s infrastructure SIP was
therefore adequate with regard to CAA
section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I).
Subsequent to the UDAQ submission,
on April 29, 2014, the U.S. Supreme
Court reversed and remanded the D.C.
4 Memorandum from Gina McCarthy to Air
Division Directors, Regions 1–10 re: Next Steps for
Pending Redesignation Requests and State
Implementation Plan Actions Affected by the
Recent Court Decision Vacating the 2011 CrossState Air Pollution Rule (Nov. 19, 2012).
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Circuit’s EME Homer City decision on
CSAPR and held, among other things,
that under the plain language of the
CAA, states must submit SIPs
addressing interstate transport
requirements of CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) within three years of
the promulgation of a new or revised
NAAQS, regardless of whether EPA first
provides guidance, technical data or
rulemaking to quantify the state’s
obligation. See EPA v. EME Homer City
Generation, L.P., 134 S. Ct. 1584, 1601
(2014). UDAQ therefore additionally
addressed 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) prongs 1 and
2 for the 2008 ozone NAAQS as part of
its December 22, 2015 infrastructure
submission that otherwise addressed the
2012 PM2.5 NAAQS.
In its December 22, 2015
infrastructure submission, UDAQ
acknowledged the changed legal
landscape, and asserted that emissions
from the State did not significantly
contribute to nonattainment or interfere
with maintenance of the 2008 ozone
NAAQS in any other state. UDAQ cited
air quality modeling assessing interstate
transport of ozone that was released as
part of EPA’s August 4, 2015 NODA,
and explained that it did not consider
Utah’s modeled contribution levels to
nonattainment and maintenance
receptors in the Denver, Colorado area
and in southern California to be
significant.
On October 19, 2016, EPA took a final
action disapproving the prong 2 portion
of both submissions for the 2008 ozone
NAAQS. See 81 FR 71991.5 This
disapproval was largely based on the
2016 air quality modeling included with
the final CSAPR Update, which
projected that contributions from Utah
would interfere with maintenance with
respect to three maintenance receptors
in the Denver, Colorado area in 2017. Id.
at 71992. This disapproval established a
2-year deadline, under CAA section
110(c), for EPA to promulgate a federal
implementation plan (FIP) or approve a
SIP that meets the requirements of
prong 2 of the interstate transport
provision for the 2008 ozone NAAQS
for Utah.6
On January 29, 2020, Utah submitted
an infrastructure SIP submission (‘‘2020
submission’’) to address the deficiencies
identified in EPA’s October 19, 2016,
disapproval. Specifically, the 2020
submission addressed prong 2 for the
5 EPA
separately approved Utah’s interstate
transport SIP for the 2008 ozone NAAQS as to
prong 1. 82 FR 9155 (Feb. 3, 2017).
6 EPA has not promulgated a FIP for Utah for the
2008 ozone NAAQS and is under a consent decree
deadline to take final action on the SIP by
December 15, 2025. See Our Children’s Earth
Foundation v. EPA, No. 23–cv–04955 (N.D. Cal.).
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2008 ozone NAAQS as part of an
infrastructure SIP that otherwise
addressed the 2015 ozone NAAQS. In
this proposed action, EPA is only
addressing the 2008 ozone NAAQS
prong 2 portion of the 2020
submission.7 In the 2020 submission,
UDAQ relied, in part, on updated EPA
air quality modeling. Below, EPA
provides further detail on the updated
air quality modeling used by UDAQ and
subsequent iterations that were
developed following the State’s 2020
submission.
II. EPA’s Ozone Transport Modeling
Information
In general, EPA has performed
nationwide air quality modeling to
project ozone design values which are
used in combination with measured
data to identify nonattainment and
maintenance receptors at step 1. To
quantify the contribution of emissions
from individual upwind states on 2023
and 2026 ozone design values for the
identified downwind nonattainment
and maintenance receptors at step 2,
EPA has performed multiple iterations
of nationwide, state-level ozone source
apportionment modeling for 2023 and
2026. The source apportionment
modeling projected contributions to
ozone at receptors from precursor
emissions of anthropogenic nitrogen
oxides (NOX) and volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) in individual
upwind states.
EPA has released several documents
containing projected ozone design
values, contributions, and information
relevant to air agencies for evaluation of
interstate transport with respect to the
ozone NAAQS. First, on January 6,
2017, EPA published a NODA in which
the Agency requested comment on
preliminary interstate ozone transport
data including projected ozone design
values and interstate contributions for
2023 using a 2011 base year platform.8
In the 2017 NODA, EPA used the year
2023 as the analytic year for this
preliminary modeling because this year
aligns with the expected attainment year
for Moderate ozone nonattainment areas
for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS.9 On
October 27, 2017, EPA released a
memorandum (October 2017
memorandum) containing updated
modeling data on receptors for 2023,
7 EPA addressed most other parts of the January
29, 2020 submission regarding the 2015 ozone
NAAQS. See 85 FR 57731 (September 15, 2020).
8 See Notice of Availability of the Environmental
Protection Agency’s Preliminary Interstate Ozone
Transport Modeling Data for the 2015 8-hour Ozone
National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS),
82 FR 1733 (January 6, 2017).
9 Id. at 1735.
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which incorporated changes made in
response to comments on the 2017
NODA, and was intended to provide
information to assist states’ efforts to
develop SIP submissions to address
interstate transport obligations for the
2008 ozone NAAQS.10 EPA notes that
UDAQ relied upon 2023 modeling
receptor data released with October
2017 memorandum in developing its
2020 SIP submission.
On March 27, 2018, EPA issued a
memorandum (March 2018
memorandum) noting that the same
2023 modeling data released in the
October 2017 memorandum could also
be useful for identifying potential
downwind air quality problems with
respect to the 2015 ozone NAAQS at
step 1 of the 4-step interstate transport
framework.11 The March 2018
memorandum also included the then
newly available contribution modeling
data for 2023 to assist states in
evaluating their impact on potential
downwind air quality problems for the
2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS under step
2 of the 4-step interstate transport
framework.12 Utah did not reference the
modeling data shared in the March 2018
memorandum within the 2008 ozone
NAAQS interstate transport prong 2
portion of their January 29, 2020
submission.
Following the release of the modeling
data shared in the March 2018
memorandum, EPA performed updated
modeling using a 2016-based emissions
modeling platform (i.e. 2016 Version 1
Emissions Platform Modeling, or
‘‘2016v1’’). This emissions platform was
developed under the EPA/MultiJurisdictional Organization (MJO)/state
collaborative project.13 This
10 See Information on the Interstate Transport
State Implementation Plan Submissions for the
2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality
Standards under Clean Air Act Section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), October 27, 2017, available in the
docket for this action.
11 See Information on the Interstate Transport
State Implementation Plan Submissions for the
2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality
Standards under Clean Air Act Section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), March 27, 2018 (‘‘March 2018
memorandum’’), available in the docket for this
action.
12 The March 2018 memorandum, however,
provided, ‘‘While the information in this
memorandum and the associated air quality
analysis data could be used to inform the
development of these SIPs, the information is not
a final determination regarding states’ obligations
under the good neighbor provision. Any such
determination would be made through notice-andcomment rulemaking.’’
13 The results of this modeling, as well as the
underlying modeling files, are included in Docket
ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2021–0663. The 2016v1
emissions modeling technical support document is
available in Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2020–
0272–0187. Both dockets are available at https://
www.regulations.gov.
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collaborative project was a multi-year
joint effort by EPA, MJOs, and states to
develop a new, more recent emissions
platform as an improvement over the
dated 2011-based platform that EPA had
used to project ozone design values and
contribution data provided in the 2017
and 2018 memoranda.14 15
Following the final Revised CSAPR
Update, EPA made further updates to
the 2016-based emissions platform to
include updated onroad mobile
emissions and updated emissions for
electric generating units (EGUs) that
reflect the reductions from the Revised
CSAPR Update, and other inventorydata improvements.16 17 EPA performed
air quality modeling using the 2016v2
emissions to provide projections of
ozone design values and contributions
in 2023 and 2026 that reflect the effects
on air quality of the 2016v2 emissions
platform.
In response to comments on the
2016v2 emissions inventories, EPA
made a number of updates to the 2016v2
inventories and model design to
construct another emissions platform,
2016v3, which was used to update the
air quality modeling. EPA used this
2016v3 updated modeling to inform a
rulemaking taking final action on 21
interstate transport SIP submissions for
the 2015 ozone NAAQS and to inform
EPA’s FIP addressing those
disapprovals.18 19 Additional details
related to the updated 2016v3 emissions
platform are located in the Technical
Support Document (TSD) titled
‘‘Preparation of Emissions Inventories
for the 2016v3 North American
Emissions Modeling Platform.’’ 20
In this proposed action, in addition to
considering the modeling and other
information submitted by Utah, EPA
relies on the modeling for 2026 using
the updated 2016v3 emissions platform,
which will generally be referenced
14 See
85 FR 68964, 68981.
Air Quality Modeling Technical Support
Document for the Final Revised Cross-State Air
Pollution Rule Update, in Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2021–0663.
16 https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-modeling/
2016v2-platform.
17 See Technical Support Document (TSD):
Preparation of Emissions Inventories for the 2016v2
North American Emissions Modeling Platform, in
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2021–0663 for
information on the construct of the updated
emissions platform, 2016v2.
18 See 88 FR 9336 (February 13, 2023), and 88 FR
36654 (June 5, 2023).
19 See Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2021–0668–
1157 on https://www.regulations.gov for details on
the air quality modeling and methods for projecting
design values and determining contributions in
2023 and 2026.
20 See Preparation of Emissions Inventories for
the 2016v3 North American Emissions Modeling
Platform, in Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2021–
0663.
15 See
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25921
within this action as the ‘‘2016v3
modeling.’’ In using these modeling
results, EPA is taking into account the
most current and technically
appropriate information for this
proposed rulemaking. In this proposed
action, EPA is accepting public
comment on the application of the
2016v3 modeling solely as it relates to
Utah’s interstate transport obligations
for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. EPA is not
reopening for comment any other
aspects of the 2016v3 modeling or the
use of this modeling in relation to any
other state or regulatory action. Any
comments received on the modeling
that are not relevant to the evaluation of
Utah’s interstate transport obligations
will be treated as beyond the scope of
this action.
III. Selection of Analytic Year
States and EPA must implement the
interstate transport provision in a
manner ‘‘consistent with the provisions
of [title I of the CAA.]’’ See CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I). This requires, among
other things, that these obligations are
addressed consistently with the
timeframes for downwind areas to meet
their CAA obligations. With respect to
ozone NAAQS, under CAA section
181(a), this means obligations must be
addressed ‘‘as expeditiously as
practicable’’ and no later than the
schedule of attainment dates provided
in CAA section 181(a)(1). Several D.C.
Circuit court decisions address the issue
of the relevant analytic year for the
purposes of evaluating ozone transport
air-quality problems. On September 13,
2019, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision
in Wisconsin vs EPA, remanding the
CSAPR Update to the extent that it
failed to require upwind states to
eliminate their significant contribution
by the next applicable attainment date
by which downwind states must come
into compliance with the NAAQS, as
established under CAA section 181(a).
See Wisconsin v. EPA, 938 F.3d 303,
313 (D.C. Cir. 2019).
On May 19, 2020, the D.C. Circuit
issued a decision in Maryland v. EPA
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) Maryland v. EPA, 958 F.3d 1185,
1203–04 (D.C. Cir. 2020) (Maryland).
The court noted that ‘‘section 126(b)
incorporates the Good Neighbor
Provision,’’ and, therefore, ‘‘EPA must
find a violation [of section 126] if an
upwind source will significantly
contribute to downwind nonattainment
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 116 / Wednesday, June 18, 2025 / Proposed Rules
at the next downwind attainment
deadline. Therefore, the agency 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 states and the Agency to
assess downwind air quality as
expeditiously as practicable and no later
than the next applicable attainment
date,21 which is currently the 2008
ozone NAAQS Severe area attainment
date of July 20, 2027 under CAA section
181.22 Thus, 2026 is currently the
appropriate year for analysis of
interstate transport obligations for the
2008 ozone NAAQS because the 2026
ozone season is the last relevant ozone
season during which achieved emission
reductions in linked upwind states
could assist downwind states with
meeting the July 20, 2027 Severe area
attainment date.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
IV. Summary of Utah’s Submission
UDAQ submitted an infrastructure
SIP submission to EPA addressing the
CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) prong 2
interstate transport requirement for the
2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS on January
29, 2020.23 In this submission, UDAQ
concluded it will not interfere with
maintenance of the 2008 ozone NAAQS
in any other state.24 To support this
conclusion, UDAQ used EPA’s 4-step
framework. For steps 1 and 2, Utah
specifically noted three Denver-area
ozone monitors (site IDs 80590006,
80590011, and 80350004) that were
projected by the CSAPR Update
modeling to be maintenance receptors
for the 2008 ozone NAAQS (in 2017),
21 We note 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 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
flexibility in effectuating the purpose of the
interstate transport provision.
22 See CAA section 181(a); 40 CFR 51.1103;
‘‘Implementation of the 2008 National Ambient Air
Quality Standards for Ozone: Nonattainment Area
Classifications Approach, Attainment Deadlines
and Revocation of the 1997 Ozone Standards for
Transportation Conformity Purposes,’’ 77 FR 30170
(May 21, 2012, effective July 20, 2012).
23 State of Utah 110(a)(2) SIP Infrastructure
Elements for Ozone: Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I):
Interstate Transport Provisions Prong II: Interfere
with Maintenance, hereon ‘‘Utah 2020 SIP
Submission,’’ located in the docket for this
rulemaking at https://regulations.gov, Docket ID No.
EPA–R08–OAR–2025–0054. Although portions of
the submission shared to EPA by Utah include a
watermark indicating they are a draft, this was an
inadvertent clerical error and is treating the
document as the final version of Utah’s submission.
24 Id. at 14.
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and to which Utah interfered with
maintenance,25 were all projected to
attain the 2008 ozone NAAQS in 2023
in the October 2017 memorandum
modeling.26 The State asserted that,
because they did not contribute to any
downwind air quality problem at step 2
of the 4-step framework, they were not
required to complete steps 3 or 4.
UDAQ also referenced EPA’s July 3,
2018 approval of the State of Colorado’s
attainment demonstration for the 2008
8-Hour Ozone Standard for the Denver
Metro/North Front Range Moderate
nonattainment area (hereon ‘‘DMNFR
attainment demonstration’’).27 Utah
cited language from EPA’s proposed
approval of Colorado’s DMNFR
attainment demonstration, in which
EPA acknowledged that certain high
ozone days from 2009 to 2013 that were
likely influenced by atypical activities
such as wildfire or stratospheric
intrusion ‘‘do affect the baseline design
values and thus affect the model
projected future design value for 2017’’
and that ‘‘all future [2017] design values
are below the 0.75 ppb NAAQS . . .
when data possibly influenced by
atypical activities are excluded in the
calculation of the 2011 design
values.’’ 28 Utah asserted that, based on
EPA’s approval of the DMNFR
attainment demonstration, it would be
appropriate to consider the three
Denver-area receptors to which Utah
was linked in the CSAPR Update
modeling to be ‘‘attainment receptors,’’
rather than maintenance receptors.29
Utah asserted that Colorado’s attainment
demonstration shows that Utah would
not interfere with maintenance of the
2008 ozone NAAQS at the three
monitors.30
Lastly, UDAQ notes that they have
benefited from, but does not rely on or
seek adoption into their SIP, actions
resulting in reductions in ozone
precursor pollutants (NOX and VOC) in
the state.31
UDAQ concluded, based on the
above, that Utah does not interfere with
maintenance of the 2008 ozone NAAQS
in any downwind state.32
V. EPA’s Evaluation
EPA is proposing to find that Utah’s
SIP meets the State’s obligations with
25 See
81 FR 71992 (October 19, 2016).
Utah 2020 SIP Submission at 11–12. See
also October 2017 memorandum, attachment A.
27 Utah 2020 SIP Submission at 12 (citing 83 FR
31068, July 3, 2018).
28 Id. (quoting 83 FR 14807, April 6, 2018, at
14812–14813).
29 Id. at 12.
30 Id. at 12–13.
31 Id. at 13–14.
32 Id. at 14.
26 See
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respect to prohibiting emissions that
interfere with maintenance of the 2008
8-hour ozone NAAQS in any other state.
EPA’s decision to propose approval of
this portion of Utah’s January 29, 2020
SIP submission is based on our
evaluation of the SIP using the 4-step
interstate transport framework, which is
the same framework Utah used (Utah
2020 SIP Submission at 11–12).
At step 1 and step 2 of the 4-step
interstate transport framework, UDAQ
relied on EPA modeling released with
the CSAPR Update, and in the October
2017 memorandum, to identify
nonattainment and maintenance
receptors and upwind state linkages to
those receptors in 2023. In this
proposal, EPA has also considered the
Agency’s most recently available
modeling (2016v3) to identify upwind
contributions and linkages to downwind
air quality problems in 2026, which
serves to verify Utah’s conclusion in its
submission.
As described in section II. of this
proposal, EPA performed air quality
modeling to project ozone design values
and contributions for 2023 and 2026
using the 2016v3 emissions platform.
EPA proposes to rely on this modeling
in evaluating Utah’s transport SIP
submission, and specifically the 2026
projections given that year’s relevance
to 2008 ozone attainment planning as
discussed in section III. The design
values and contributions from the
updated modeling were examined to
determine if Utah interferes with
maintenance at any downwind
nonattainment or maintenance receptor.
The data 33 indicates that the highest
contributions from Utah to downwind
nonattainment or maintenance-only
receptors for the 2008 ozone NAAQS,
all of which are located in the state of
California, are 0.13 ppb and 0.07 ppb,
respectively, in 2026.34
EPA’s evaluation of 2026 projections
indicates that the contribution to ozone
concentrations in other states from
emissions from sources in Utah will not
interfere with maintenance of the 2008
ozone NAAQS. Thus, EPA proposes to
find that the State does not impact
downwind air quality problems at step
2 of the 4-step framework, and therefore
does not warrant further review and
analysis at steps 3 and 4. The results of
33 Design values and contributions at individual
monitoring sites nationwide are provided in Docket
ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2021–0668–1130 on https://
www.regulations.gov.
34 EPA’s analysis indicates that in 2026 Utah will
have a 0.13 ppb impact at the projected
nonattainment receptor in San Bernadino,
California (site ID 60710005), and a 0.07 ppb impact
at the projected maintenance-only receptors in
Madera County, California (site IDs 60392010,
60390004).
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EPA’s evaluation are consistent with the
conclusion drawn by UDAQ in its 2020
SIP submission that emissions from
sources in Utah will not interfere with
maintenance of the 2008 ozone NAAQS
in any other state. For these reasons,
EPA is proposing to approve the 2008
ozone portion of Utah’s 2020 SIP
submission with regard to the interstate
transport prong 2 requirement of CAA
section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I).
VI. Proposed Action
Based on EPA’s evaluation of the
impact of air emissions from Utah to
downwind states using 2026 analytic
year modeling as described in this
document, EPA is proposing to approve
Utah’s January 29, 2020 SIP submission
as meeting the prong 2 interstate
transport requirement of CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the 2008 ozone
NAAQS.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
VII. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is
required to approve a SIP submission
that complies with the provisions of the
Act and applicable Federal regulations.
42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a).
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions,
EPA’s role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of
the CAA. Accordingly, this action
merely proposes to approve state law as
meeting Federal requirements and does
not impose additional requirements
beyond those imposed by state law. For
that reason, this action:
• Is not a significant regulatory action
subject to review by the Office of
Management and Budget under
Executive Orders 12866 (58 FR 51735,
October 4, 1993);
• Is not subject to Executive Order
14192 (90 FR 9065, February 6, 2025)
because SIP actions are exempt from
review under Executive Order 12866;
• Does not impose an information
collection burden under the provisions
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
• Is certified as not having a
significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
• Does not contain any unfunded
mandate or significantly or uniquely
affect small governments, as described
in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
of 1995 (Public Law 104–4);
• Does not have federalism
implications as specified in Executive
Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10,
1999);
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• Is not subject to Executive Order
13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997)
because it approves a state program;
• Is not a significant regulatory action
subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR
28355, May 22, 2001);
• Is not subject to requirements of
section 12(d) of the National
Technology Transfer and Advancement
Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because
application of those requirements would
be inconsistent with the CAA; and
In addition, the SIP is not approved
to apply on any Indian reservation land
or in any other area where EPA or an
Indian Tribe has demonstrated that a
Tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of
Indian country, the proposed rule does
not have Tribal implications and will
not impose substantial direct costs on
Tribal governments or preempt Tribal
law as specified by Executive Order
13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
Environmental protection, Air
pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Ozone.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: June 2, 2025.
Cyrus M. Western,
Regional Administrator, Region 8.
[FR Doc. 2025–11250 Filed 6–17–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R06–OAR–2013–0388; FRL–12796–
01–R6]
Air Plan Approval; Texas; Interstate
Transport Requirements for the 2010
SO2 NAAQS
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the Federal Clean
Air Act (CAA or the Act), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is proposing to approve the portion of
the State Implementation Plan (SIP)
submittal from the State of Texas
demonstrating that the State satisfies the
interstate transport requirements, also
known as the ‘‘good neighbor’’
provision of the Clean Air Act, for the
2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2)
primary National Ambient Air Quality
Standard (NAAQS). The good neighbor
provision requires each State’s
implementation plan to contain
adequate provisions prohibiting the
interstate transport of air pollution in
SUMMARY:
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25923
amounts that will contribute
significantly to nonattainment, or
interfere with maintenance, of a NAAQS
in any other State.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before July 18, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R06–
OAR–2013–0388, at https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Once submitted, comments cannot be
edited or removed from Regulations.gov.
The EPA may publish any comment
received to its public docket. Do not
submit electronically any information
you consider to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Multimedia
submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be
accompanied by a written comment.
The written comment is considered the
official comment and should include
discussion of all points you wish to
make. The EPA will generally not
consider comments or comment
contents located outside of the primary
submission (i.e. on the web, cloud, or
other file sharing system). For
additional submission methods, please
contact Nevine Salem, (214) 665–7222,
salem.nevine@epa.gov. For the full EPA
public comment policy, information
about CBI or multimedia submissions,
and general guidance on making
effective comments, please visit https://
www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epadockets.
Docket: The index to the docket for
this action is available electronically at
https://www.regulations.gov. While all
documents in the docket are listed in
the index, some information may not be
publicly available due to docket file size
restrictions or content (e.g., CBI).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nevine Salem, telephone number: (214)
665–7222, email address: salem.nevine@
epa.gov. We encourage the public to
submit comments via https://
www.regulations.gov. Please call or
email the contact listed above if you
need alternative access to material
indexed but not provided in the docket.
Copyrighted materials are available for
review in person at EPA Region 6 office
located at 1201 Elm Street, Suite 500,
Dallas, Texas 75270.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document wherever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
the EPA.
I. Background
A. Infrastructure SIPs
On June 2, 2010, the EPA established
a revised primary 1-hour SO2 NAAQS
E:\FR\FM\18JNP1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 116 (Wednesday, June 18, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25918-25923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11250]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R08-OAR-2025-0054; FRL-12595-01-R8]
Air Plan Approval; Utah; Interstate Transport of Air Pollution
for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a portion
of a Utah State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission addressing
interstate transport for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air
quality standard (NAAQS). The ``interstate transport'' provision
requires that each state's SIP contain adequate provisions to prohibit
emissions from within the state from significantly contributing to
nonattainment or interfering with maintenance of the NAAQS in other
states. In this action, EPA is only addressing the requirement
prohibiting interference with maintenance, referred to as ``prong 2,''
for the 2008 ozone NAAQS.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before July 18, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R08-
OAR-2025-0054, to the Federal Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from
https://www.regulations.gov. EPA may publish any comment received to
its public
[[Page 25919]]
docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio,
video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written
comment is considered the official comment and should include
discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA will generally not
consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary
submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For
additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy,
information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance
on making effective comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available electronically in
https://www.regulations.gov. Please email or call the person listed in
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section if you need to make
alternative arrangements for access to the docket.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adam Clark, Air and Radiation
Division, EPA, Region 8, Mailcode 8ARD-IO, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver,
Colorado 80202-1129, telephone number: (303) 312-7104, email address:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. EPA's Ozone Transport Modeling Information
III. Selection of Analytic Year
IV. Summary of Utah's Submission
V. EPA's Evaluation
VI. Proposed Action
VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
On March 12, 2008, EPA strengthened the NAAQS for ozone. (73 FR
16436; March 27, 2008). EPA revised the level of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS
from 80 parts per billion (ppb) to 75 ppb. EPA also revised the
secondary 8-hour standard to the level of 75 ppb making it identical to
the revised primary standard.
Section 110(a)(1) of the CAA imposes an obligation upon states to
submit SIP submissions that provide for the implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement of a new or revised NAAQS within 3 years
following the promulgation of that NAAQS. Section 110(a)(2) lists
specific requirements that states must meet in these SIP submissions,
as applicable. EPA refers to this type of SIP submission as the
``infrastructure'' SIP because the SIP ensures that states can
implement, maintain, and enforce the air quality standards. Within
these requirements, CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) contains
requirements to address interstate transport of NAAQS pollutants or
their precursors. CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), which is also known
as the ``interstate transport'' provision, requires SIPs to contain
provisions prohibiting any source or other type of emissions activity
within the State from emitting any air pollutant in amounts that will
contribute significantly to nonattainment of the NAAQS in any other
state (commonly referred to as prong 1) or interfere with maintenance
of the NAAQS in any other state (prong 2). A SIP addressing this
provision is often referred to as an ``interstate transport SIP.''
Through the development and implementation of several previous
rulemakings,\1\ EPA, working in partnership with states, established
the following 4-step framework to address the requirements of the
interstate transport provision for ground-level ozone NAAQS: (1)
identifying downwind ozone air quality monitors, termed ``receptors,''
that are expected to have problems attaining or maintaining the NAAQS;
(2) determining which upwind states contribute to these identified
problems in amounts sufficient to ``link'' them to downwind air quality
problems; (3) for states linked to downwind air quality problems,
identifying upwind emissions that significantly contribute to downwind
nonattainment or interfere with downwind maintenance of the NAAQS; and
(4) for states that are found to have emissions that significantly
contribute to downwind nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of
the NAAQS downwind, implementing the necessary emissions reductions
through enforceable measures.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See, e.g., the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) at 76
FR 48208 (August 8, 2011), the CSAPR Update at 81 FR 74504 (October
26, 2016), and the Revised CSAPR Update at 86 FR 23054 (April 30,
2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On August 4, 2015, EPA issued a Notice of Data Availability (NODA)
containing air quality modeling to assist states with meeting section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) requirements for the 2008 ozone NAAQS within the
context of the 4-step framework.\2\ Specifically, the air quality
modeling helped states address steps 1 and 2 of the framework by (1)
identifying locations in the United States where EPA anticipated
nonattainment or maintenance issues in 2017 for the 2008 ozone NAAQS,
and (2) quantifying the projected contributions from emissions from
upwind states to downwind ozone concentrations at the receptors in
2017. EPA used this modeling to support the Cross-State Air Pollution
Rule Update for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS (``CSAPR Update'') proposed rule
(80 FR 75706; December 3, 2015), and updated this modeling in 2016 to
support the CSAPR Update final rule (81 FR 74504; October 26, 2016).
The 2017 projections in this updated version of the modeling (hereon
referred to as the ``CSAPR Update modeling'') were part of the
technical record for EPA's final action disapproving the prong 2
portion of the Utah 2008 Ozone Infrastructure SIP (81 FR 71991; October
19, 2016), which is discussed in more detail later in this document.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ See Notice of Availability of the Environmental Protection
Agency's Updated Ozone Transport Modeling Data for the 2008 Ozone
National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), 80 FR 46271 (August
4, 2015); see also ``Updated Air Quality Modeling Technical Support
Document for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS Transport Assessment,'' August
2015 (included in the docket to the NODA).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the CSAPR Update, EPA used the CSAPR Update modeling to identify
downwind nonattainment and maintenance receptors at step 1 of the 4-
step framework (see 81 FR 74530-74532; October 26, 2016). Specifically,
EPA identified nonattainment receptors as those monitoring sites with
current measured design values exceeding the NAAQS that also have
projected (i.e., in 2017) average design values exceeding the NAAQS.\3\
EPA identified maintenance receptors as those monitoring sites with
projected maximum design values exceeding the NAAQS. EPA considered all
nonattainment receptors to also be maintenance receptors because a
monitoring site with a projected average design value above the
standard necessarily also has a projected maximum design value above
the standard. Monitoring sites with
[[Page 25920]]
projected maximum design values that exceed the standard and which are
not also nonattainment receptors were thus referred to as maintenance-
only receptors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ For the 2008 ozone NAAQS, the air quality design value for a
monitoring site is the 3-year average annual fourth-highest daily
maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration. See 73 FR 16513 (March
27, 2008).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
At step 2 of the 4-step framework in the CSAPR Update, EPA used the
CSAPR Update modeling to determine whether states' impact on each
projected downwind air quality problem would be considered significant
(see 80 FR 75713-75714; December 3, 2015). EPA's modeling projected
ozone concentrations and contributions in 2017, which would be the last
ozone season before the then-upcoming July 2018 attainment date for
nonattainment areas classified as Moderate for the 2008 ozone NAAQS.
Consistent with the original CSAPR rulemaking (76 FR 48208; August 8,
2011), EPA identified linkages between upwind states and downwind
nonattainment and maintenance receptors in the CSAPR Update. See 81 FR
74518 (October 26, 2016).
In its January 31, 2013 infrastructure-SIP submission to address
the 2008 ozone NAAQS, the Utah Division of Air Quality (UDAQ) addressed
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) by citing EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy's November
19, 2012 memo \4\ which outlined EPA's intention to abide by the
decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) in EME Homer City Generation, L.P. v.
E.P.A., 696 F.3d 7 (D.C. Cir. 2012)). The EME Homer City decision
addressed the original CSAPR rulemaking promulgated by EPA to address
the interstate transport requirements under section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)
with respect to the 1997 ozone NAAQS, the 1997 fine particulate matter
(PM2.5) NAAQS, and the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS. Among
other things, the D.C. Circuit held that states did not have an
obligation to submit SIPs addressing section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)
interstate transport requirements as to any NAAQS until EPA first
quantified each state's emissions reduction obligation. Id. at 30-31.
In its submission, UDAQ noted that EPA had not quantified Utah's
transport obligation as to the 2008 ozone NAAQS and that Utah's
infrastructure SIP was therefore adequate with regard to CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I).
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\4\ Memorandum from Gina McCarthy to Air Division Directors,
Regions 1-10 re: Next Steps for Pending Redesignation Requests and
State Implementation Plan Actions Affected by the Recent Court
Decision Vacating the 2011 Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (Nov. 19,
2012).
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Subsequent to the UDAQ submission, on April 29, 2014, the U.S.
Supreme Court reversed and remanded the D.C. Circuit's EME Homer City
decision on CSAPR and held, among other things, that under the plain
language of the CAA, states must submit SIPs addressing interstate
transport requirements of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) within three
years of the promulgation of a new or revised NAAQS, regardless of
whether EPA first provides guidance, technical data or rulemaking to
quantify the state's obligation. See EPA v. EME Homer City Generation,
L.P., 134 S. Ct. 1584, 1601 (2014). UDAQ therefore additionally
addressed 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) prongs 1 and 2 for the 2008 ozone NAAQS as
part of its December 22, 2015 infrastructure submission that otherwise
addressed the 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS.
In its December 22, 2015 infrastructure submission, UDAQ
acknowledged the changed legal landscape, and asserted that emissions
from the State did not significantly contribute to nonattainment or
interfere with maintenance of the 2008 ozone NAAQS in any other state.
UDAQ cited air quality modeling assessing interstate transport of ozone
that was released as part of EPA's August 4, 2015 NODA, and explained
that it did not consider Utah's modeled contribution levels to
nonattainment and maintenance receptors in the Denver, Colorado area
and in southern California to be significant.
On October 19, 2016, EPA took a final action disapproving the prong
2 portion of both submissions for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. See 81 FR
71991.\5\ This disapproval was largely based on the 2016 air quality
modeling included with the final CSAPR Update, which projected that
contributions from Utah would interfere with maintenance with respect
to three maintenance receptors in the Denver, Colorado area in 2017.
Id. at 71992. This disapproval established a 2-year deadline, under CAA
section 110(c), for EPA to promulgate a federal implementation plan
(FIP) or approve a SIP that meets the requirements of prong 2 of the
interstate transport provision for the 2008 ozone NAAQS for Utah.\6\
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\5\ EPA separately approved Utah's interstate transport SIP for
the 2008 ozone NAAQS as to prong 1. 82 FR 9155 (Feb. 3, 2017).
\6\ EPA has not promulgated a FIP for Utah for the 2008 ozone
NAAQS and is under a consent decree deadline to take final action on
the SIP by December 15, 2025. See Our Children's Earth Foundation v.
EPA, No. 23-cv-04955 (N.D. Cal.).
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On January 29, 2020, Utah submitted an infrastructure SIP
submission (``2020 submission'') to address the deficiencies identified
in EPA's October 19, 2016, disapproval. Specifically, the 2020
submission addressed prong 2 for the 2008 ozone NAAQS as part of an
infrastructure SIP that otherwise addressed the 2015 ozone NAAQS. In
this proposed action, EPA is only addressing the 2008 ozone NAAQS prong
2 portion of the 2020 submission.\7\ In the 2020 submission, UDAQ
relied, in part, on updated EPA air quality modeling. Below, EPA
provides further detail on the updated air quality modeling used by
UDAQ and subsequent iterations that were developed following the
State's 2020 submission.
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\7\ EPA addressed most other parts of the January 29, 2020
submission regarding the 2015 ozone NAAQS. See 85 FR 57731
(September 15, 2020).
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II. EPA's Ozone Transport Modeling Information
In general, EPA has performed nationwide air quality modeling to
project ozone design values which are used in combination with measured
data to identify nonattainment and maintenance receptors at step 1. To
quantify the contribution of emissions from individual upwind states on
2023 and 2026 ozone design values for the identified downwind
nonattainment and maintenance receptors at step 2, EPA has performed
multiple iterations of nationwide, state-level ozone source
apportionment modeling for 2023 and 2026. The source apportionment
modeling projected contributions to ozone at receptors from precursor
emissions of anthropogenic nitrogen oxides (NOX) and
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in individual upwind states.
EPA has released several documents containing projected ozone
design values, contributions, and information relevant to air agencies
for evaluation of interstate transport with respect to the ozone NAAQS.
First, on January 6, 2017, EPA published a NODA in which the Agency
requested comment on preliminary interstate ozone transport data
including projected ozone design values and interstate contributions
for 2023 using a 2011 base year platform.\8\ In the 2017 NODA, EPA used
the year 2023 as the analytic year for this preliminary modeling
because this year aligns with the expected attainment year for Moderate
ozone nonattainment areas for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS.\9\ On
October 27, 2017, EPA released a memorandum (October 2017 memorandum)
containing updated modeling data on receptors for 2023,
[[Page 25921]]
which incorporated changes made in response to comments on the 2017
NODA, and was intended to provide information to assist states' efforts
to develop SIP submissions to address interstate transport obligations
for the 2008 ozone NAAQS.\10\ EPA notes that UDAQ relied upon 2023
modeling receptor data released with October 2017 memorandum in
developing its 2020 SIP submission.
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\8\ See Notice of Availability of the Environmental Protection
Agency's Preliminary Interstate Ozone Transport Modeling Data for
the 2015 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS),
82 FR 1733 (January 6, 2017).
\9\ Id. at 1735.
\10\ See Information on the Interstate Transport State
Implementation Plan Submissions for the 2008 Ozone National Ambient
Air Quality Standards under Clean Air Act Section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), October 27, 2017, available in the docket for
this action.
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On March 27, 2018, EPA issued a memorandum (March 2018 memorandum)
noting that the same 2023 modeling data released in the October 2017
memorandum could also be useful for identifying potential downwind air
quality problems with respect to the 2015 ozone NAAQS at step 1 of the
4-step interstate transport framework.\11\ The March 2018 memorandum
also included the then newly available contribution modeling data for
2023 to assist states in evaluating their impact on potential downwind
air quality problems for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS under step 2 of
the 4-step interstate transport framework.\12\ Utah did not reference
the modeling data shared in the March 2018 memorandum within the 2008
ozone NAAQS interstate transport prong 2 portion of their January 29,
2020 submission.
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\11\ See Information on the Interstate Transport State
Implementation Plan Submissions for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient
Air Quality Standards under Clean Air Act Section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), March 27, 2018 (``March 2018 memorandum''),
available in the docket for this action.
\12\ The March 2018 memorandum, however, provided, ``While the
information in this memorandum and the associated air quality
analysis data could be used to inform the development of these SIPs,
the information is not a final determination regarding states'
obligations under the good neighbor provision. Any such
determination would be made through notice-and-comment rulemaking.''
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Following the release of the modeling data shared in the March 2018
memorandum, EPA performed updated modeling using a 2016-based emissions
modeling platform (i.e. 2016 Version 1 Emissions Platform Modeling, or
``2016v1''). This emissions platform was developed under the EPA/Multi-
Jurisdictional Organization (MJO)/state collaborative project.\13\ This
collaborative project was a multi-year joint effort by EPA, MJOs, and
states to develop a new, more recent emissions platform as an
improvement over the dated 2011-based platform that EPA had used to
project ozone design values and contribution data provided in the 2017
and 2018 memoranda.\14\ \15\
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\13\ The results of this modeling, as well as the underlying
modeling files, are included in Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0663.
The 2016v1 emissions modeling technical support document is
available in Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0272-0187. Both dockets
are available at https://www.regulations.gov.
\14\ See 85 FR 68964, 68981.
\15\ See Air Quality Modeling Technical Support Document for the
Final Revised Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update, in Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0663.
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Following the final Revised CSAPR Update, EPA made further updates
to the 2016-based emissions platform to include updated onroad mobile
emissions and updated emissions for electric generating units (EGUs)
that reflect the reductions from the Revised CSAPR Update, and other
inventory-data improvements.\16\ \17\ EPA performed air quality
modeling using the 2016v2 emissions to provide projections of ozone
design values and contributions in 2023 and 2026 that reflect the
effects on air quality of the 2016v2 emissions platform.
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\16\ https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-modeling/2016v2-platform.
\17\ See Technical Support Document (TSD): Preparation of
Emissions Inventories for the 2016v2 North American Emissions
Modeling Platform, in Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0663 for
information on the construct of the updated emissions platform,
2016v2.
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In response to comments on the 2016v2 emissions inventories, EPA
made a number of updates to the 2016v2 inventories and model design to
construct another emissions platform, 2016v3, which was used to update
the air quality modeling. EPA used this 2016v3 updated modeling to
inform a rulemaking taking final action on 21 interstate transport SIP
submissions for the 2015 ozone NAAQS and to inform EPA's FIP addressing
those disapprovals.\18\ \19\ Additional details related to the updated
2016v3 emissions platform are located in the Technical Support Document
(TSD) titled ``Preparation of Emissions Inventories for the 2016v3
North American Emissions Modeling Platform.'' \20\
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\18\ See 88 FR 9336 (February 13, 2023), and 88 FR 36654 (June
5, 2023).
\19\ See Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0668-1157 on https://www.regulations.gov for details on the air quality modeling and
methods for projecting design values and determining contributions
in 2023 and 2026.
\20\ See Preparation of Emissions Inventories for the 2016v3
North American Emissions Modeling Platform, in Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2021-0663.
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In this proposed action, in addition to considering the modeling
and other information submitted by Utah, EPA relies on the modeling for
2026 using the updated 2016v3 emissions platform, which will generally
be referenced within this action as the ``2016v3 modeling.'' In using
these modeling results, EPA is taking into account the most current and
technically appropriate information for this proposed rulemaking. In
this proposed action, EPA is accepting public comment on the
application of the 2016v3 modeling solely as it relates to Utah's
interstate transport obligations for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. EPA is not
reopening for comment any other aspects of the 2016v3 modeling or the
use of this modeling in relation to any other state or regulatory
action. Any comments received on the modeling that are not relevant to
the evaluation of Utah's interstate transport obligations will be
treated as beyond the scope of this action.
III. Selection of Analytic Year
States and EPA must implement the interstate transport provision in
a manner ``consistent with the provisions of [title I of the CAA.]''
See CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I). This requires, among other things,
that these obligations are addressed consistently with the timeframes
for downwind areas to meet their CAA obligations. With respect to ozone
NAAQS, under CAA section 181(a), this means obligations must be
addressed ``as expeditiously as practicable'' and no later than the
schedule of attainment dates provided in CAA section 181(a)(1). Several
D.C. Circuit court decisions address the issue of the relevant analytic
year for the purposes of evaluating ozone transport air-quality
problems. On September 13, 2019, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision in
Wisconsin vs EPA, remanding the CSAPR Update to the extent that it
failed to require upwind states to eliminate their significant
contribution by the next applicable attainment date by which downwind
states must come into compliance with the NAAQS, as established under
CAA section 181(a). See Wisconsin v. EPA, 938 F.3d 303, 313 (D.C. Cir.
2019).
On May 19, 2020, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision in Maryland v.
EPA 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) Maryland v. EPA, 958 F.3d 1185, 1203-04 (D.C. Cir. 2020)
(Maryland). The court noted that ``section 126(b) incorporates the Good
Neighbor Provision,'' and, therefore, ``EPA must find a violation [of
section 126] if an upwind source will significantly contribute to
downwind nonattainment
[[Page 25922]]
at the next downwind attainment deadline. Therefore, the agency 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 states and the Agency to assess
downwind air quality as expeditiously as practicable and no later than
the next applicable attainment date,\21\ which is currently the 2008
ozone NAAQS Severe area attainment date of July 20, 2027 under CAA
section 181.\22\ Thus, 2026 is currently the appropriate year for
analysis of interstate transport obligations for the 2008 ozone NAAQS
because the 2026 ozone season is the last relevant ozone season during
which achieved emission reductions in linked upwind states could assist
downwind states with meeting the July 20, 2027 Severe area attainment
date.
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\21\ We note 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 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
flexibility in effectuating the purpose of the interstate transport
provision.
\22\ See CAA section 181(a); 40 CFR 51.1103; ``Implementation of
the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone:
Nonattainment Area Classifications Approach, Attainment Deadlines
and Revocation of the 1997 Ozone Standards for Transportation
Conformity Purposes,'' 77 FR 30170 (May 21, 2012, effective July 20,
2012).
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IV. Summary of Utah's Submission
UDAQ submitted an infrastructure SIP submission to EPA addressing
the CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) prong 2 interstate transport
requirement for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS on January 29, 2020.\23\ In
this submission, UDAQ concluded it will not interfere with maintenance
of the 2008 ozone NAAQS in any other state.\24\ To support this
conclusion, UDAQ used EPA's 4-step framework. For steps 1 and 2, Utah
specifically noted three Denver-area ozone monitors (site IDs 80590006,
80590011, and 80350004) that were projected by the CSAPR Update
modeling to be maintenance receptors for the 2008 ozone NAAQS (in
2017), and to which Utah interfered with maintenance,\25\ were all
projected to attain the 2008 ozone NAAQS in 2023 in the October 2017
memorandum modeling.\26\ The State asserted that, because they did not
contribute to any downwind air quality problem at step 2 of the 4-step
framework, they were not required to complete steps 3 or 4.
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\23\ State of Utah 110(a)(2) SIP Infrastructure Elements for
Ozone: Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I): Interstate Transport Provisions
Prong II: Interfere with Maintenance, hereon ``Utah 2020 SIP
Submission,'' located in the docket for this rulemaking at https://regulations.gov, Docket ID No. EPA-R08-OAR-2025-0054. Although
portions of the submission shared to EPA by Utah include a watermark
indicating they are a draft, this was an inadvertent clerical error
and is treating the document as the final version of Utah's
submission.
\24\ Id. at 14.
\25\ See 81 FR 71992 (October 19, 2016).
\26\ See Utah 2020 SIP Submission at 11-12. See also October
2017 memorandum, attachment A.
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UDAQ also referenced EPA's July 3, 2018 approval of the State of
Colorado's attainment demonstration for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone Standard
for the Denver Metro/North Front Range Moderate nonattainment area
(hereon ``DMNFR attainment demonstration'').\27\ Utah cited language
from EPA's proposed approval of Colorado's DMNFR attainment
demonstration, in which EPA acknowledged that certain high ozone days
from 2009 to 2013 that were likely influenced by atypical activities
such as wildfire or stratospheric intrusion ``do affect the baseline
design values and thus affect the model projected future design value
for 2017'' and that ``all future [2017] design values are below the
0.75 ppb NAAQS . . . when data possibly influenced by atypical
activities are excluded in the calculation of the 2011 design values.''
\28\ Utah asserted that, based on EPA's approval of the DMNFR
attainment demonstration, it would be appropriate to consider the three
Denver-area receptors to which Utah was linked in the CSAPR Update
modeling to be ``attainment receptors,'' rather than maintenance
receptors.\29\ Utah asserted that Colorado's attainment demonstration
shows that Utah would not interfere with maintenance of the 2008 ozone
NAAQS at the three monitors.\30\
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\27\ Utah 2020 SIP Submission at 12 (citing 83 FR 31068, July 3,
2018).
\28\ Id. (quoting 83 FR 14807, April 6, 2018, at 14812-14813).
\29\ Id. at 12.
\30\ Id. at 12-13.
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Lastly, UDAQ notes that they have benefited from, but does not rely
on or seek adoption into their SIP, actions resulting in reductions in
ozone precursor pollutants (NOX and VOC) in the state.\31\
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\31\ Id. at 13-14.
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UDAQ concluded, based on the above, that Utah does not interfere
with maintenance of the 2008 ozone NAAQS in any downwind state.\32\
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\32\ Id. at 14.
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V. EPA's Evaluation
EPA is proposing to find that Utah's SIP meets the State's
obligations with respect to prohibiting emissions that interfere with
maintenance of the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS in any other state. EPA's
decision to propose approval of this portion of Utah's January 29, 2020
SIP submission is based on our evaluation of the SIP using the 4-step
interstate transport framework, which is the same framework Utah used
(Utah 2020 SIP Submission at 11-12).
At step 1 and step 2 of the 4-step interstate transport framework,
UDAQ relied on EPA modeling released with the CSAPR Update, and in the
October 2017 memorandum, to identify nonattainment and maintenance
receptors and upwind state linkages to those receptors in 2023. In this
proposal, EPA has also considered the Agency's most recently available
modeling (2016v3) to identify upwind contributions and linkages to
downwind air quality problems in 2026, which serves to verify Utah's
conclusion in its submission.
As described in section II. of this proposal, EPA performed air
quality modeling to project ozone design values and contributions for
2023 and 2026 using the 2016v3 emissions platform. EPA proposes to rely
on this modeling in evaluating Utah's transport SIP submission, and
specifically the 2026 projections given that year's relevance to 2008
ozone attainment planning as discussed in section III. The design
values and contributions from the updated modeling were examined to
determine if Utah interferes with maintenance at any downwind
nonattainment or maintenance receptor. The data \33\ indicates that the
highest contributions from Utah to downwind nonattainment or
maintenance-only receptors for the 2008 ozone NAAQS, all of which are
located in the state of California, are 0.13 ppb and 0.07 ppb,
respectively, in 2026.\34\
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\33\ Design values and contributions at individual monitoring
sites nationwide are provided in Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0668-
1130 on https://www.regulations.gov.
\34\ EPA's analysis indicates that in 2026 Utah will have a 0.13
ppb impact at the projected nonattainment receptor in San Bernadino,
California (site ID 60710005), and a 0.07 ppb impact at the
projected maintenance-only receptors in Madera County, California
(site IDs 60392010, 60390004).
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EPA's evaluation of 2026 projections indicates that the
contribution to ozone concentrations in other states from emissions
from sources in Utah will not interfere with maintenance of the 2008
ozone NAAQS. Thus, EPA proposes to find that the State does not impact
downwind air quality problems at step 2 of the 4-step framework, and
therefore does not warrant further review and analysis at steps 3 and
4. The results of
[[Page 25923]]
EPA's evaluation are consistent with the conclusion drawn by UDAQ in
its 2020 SIP submission that emissions from sources in Utah will not
interfere with maintenance of the 2008 ozone NAAQS in any other state.
For these reasons, EPA is proposing to approve the 2008 ozone portion
of Utah's 2020 SIP submission with regard to the interstate transport
prong 2 requirement of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I).
VI. Proposed Action
Based on EPA's evaluation of the impact of air emissions from Utah
to downwind states using 2026 analytic year modeling as described in
this document, EPA is proposing to approve Utah's January 29, 2020 SIP
submission as meeting the prong 2 interstate transport requirement of
CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the 2008 ozone NAAQS.
VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP
submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and applicable
Federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in
reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. Accordingly, this
action merely proposes to approve state law as meeting Federal
requirements and does not impose additional requirements beyond those
imposed by state law. For that reason, this action:
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to review
by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Orders 12866 (58
FR 51735, October 4, 1993);
Is not subject to Executive Order 14192 (90 FR 9065,
February 6, 2025) because SIP actions are exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866;
Does not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
Is certified as not having a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
Does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-4);
Does not have federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
Is not subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885,
April 23, 1997) because it approves a state program;
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
Is not subject to requirements of section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272
note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent
with the CAA; and
In addition, the SIP is not approved to apply on any Indian
reservation land or in any other area where EPA or an Indian Tribe has
demonstrated that a Tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian
country, the proposed rule does not have Tribal implications and will
not impose substantial direct costs on Tribal governments or preempt
Tribal law as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November
9, 2000).
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Ozone.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: June 2, 2025.
Cyrus M. Western,
Regional Administrator, Region 8.
[FR Doc. 2025-11250 Filed 6-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P