Environmental Protection Agency January 3, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Tennessee State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Tennessee, through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), on December 21, 1999, March 15, 2000, and January 12, 2001. The revisions pertain to the Knox County portion of the Tennessee SIP and include changes to the Knox County Air Quality Regulations (KCAQR) Section 13.0``Definitions'' and Section 22.0 ``Regulation of Fugitive Dust and Materials.'' These revisions are part of Knox County's strategy to attain and maintain the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), and are considered by the TDEC to be at least as stringent as the State's requirements. This action is being taken pursuant to section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2007. 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 is proposing to approve several revisions to the Tennessee State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Tennessee, through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, on March 16, 2000, July 23, 2002, December 10, 2004, and January 31, 2006. The revisions pertain to the Knox County portion of the Tennessee SIP and include changes to Knox County Air Quality Regulations Section 16.0Open Burning, Section 25.0Permits, and Section 46.0Regulation of Volatile Organic Compounds. EPA is not taking any action at this time on Section 13.0Definitions (part of the December 10, 2004, submittal) and Section 16.4.D., which was part of the January 31, 2006, submittal but subsequently withdrawn by Knox County. The SIP revisions described above are part of Knox County's strategy to attain and maintain the national ambient air quality standards. This action is being taken pursuant to the Clean Air Act. In the Final Rules Section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving revisions to the Tennessee SIP for these Tennessee SIP submittals as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views these as a noncontroversial submittals, and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no significant, material, and adverse comments are received in response to this rule, 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 on this document. Any parties interested in commenting on this document should do so at this time.

EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District (ICAPCD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern the permitting of air pollution sources. We are proposing to approve local rules under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act).

EPA proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maryland for the purpose of incorporation by reference of EPA approved test methods for stack testing for particulate matter with a particle size of 10 microns or less (PM-10). 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.

This action promulgates national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants to regulate hazardous air pollutant emissions from oil and natural gas production facilities that are area sources. The final national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for major sources was promulgated on June 17, 1999, but final action with respect to area sources was deferred. Oil and natural gas production is identified in the Urban Air Toxics Strategy as an area source category for regulation under section 112(c)(3) of the Clean Air Act because of benzene emissions from triethylene glycol dehydration units located at such facilities. This final rule also amends a general provision in the regulation to allow the use of an ASTM standard as an alternative test method to EPA Method 18 in the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants From Oil and Natural Gas Production Facilities.

EPA is updating the materials submitted by Pennsylvania that are incorporated by reference (IBR) into the State implementation plan (SIP). The regulations affected by this update have been previously submitted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and approved by EPA. This update affects the SIP materials that are available for public inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center located at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC, and the Regional Office.