Environmental Protection Agency April 26, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This SIP revision amends Pennsylvania's prior, Federally approved enhanced vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) SIP, in particular to the I/M test type to apply to sixteen counties (Berks, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin, Erie, Lancaster, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Northampton and York). Pennsylvania had previously adopted (but did not commence) a different form of testing for these counties, which EPA previously SIP-approved. Pennsylvania's revised SIP: Incorporates onboard diagnostic computer system checks for vehicles equipped with second generation onboard diagnostic systems (OBD-II) in the 8-county South Central Region (comprised of Berks, Dauphin, Cumberland, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh and York Counties); applies different I/M test requirements for the South Central Region versus the 8-county Northern Region (comprised of Blair, Cambria, Centre, Erie, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming and Mercer Counties) in order to address the different air pollution concerns and vehicle fleets of those regions; revises Pennsylvania's motor vehicle safety inspection program (as it applies to forty-two counties not subject to Federal I/M program requirements) to include a visual inspection of safety-subject vehicles for the presence of certain emissions-related components, consistent with visual inspections performed under the I/M program in I/M-subject counties; revises the prior approved I/M SIP to incorporate miscellaneous program changes made by Pennsylvania since commencement of the enhanced I/M program in 1997 in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Regions; removes references in the prior approved SIP to the now defunct basic inspection program, which operated in the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton program area until 1999. EPA proposes to approve Pennsylvania's I/M program revision submitted December 1, 2003, as amended April 24, 2004. This action is being taken under the authority of the Clean Air Act.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request for a new collection. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

EPA proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maryland Department of the Environment for the purpose of clarifying exception provisions of the visible emissions regulations for several source categories. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP submittal as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.