Environmental Protection Agency August 13, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) submitted a request on November 6, 2006, and supplemented it on November 29, 2006, December 4, 2006, December 13, 2006, January 11, 2007, March 9, 2007, March 27, 2007, and May 31, 2007, for redesignation of the Dayton-Springfield, Ohio area (Clark, Greene, Miami, and Montgomery Counties) to attainment for the 8-hour ozone standard. On June 20, 2007, EPA proposed to approve this submission. EPA provided a 30-day review and comment period. The comment period closed on July 20, 2007. EPA received one comment in favor of redesignation from the Dayton area Regional Air Pollution Control Agency. Today, EPA is approving Ohio's request and the associated plan for continuing to attain the standard. As part of this action, EPA is making a determination that the Dayton- Springfield area has attained the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). This determination is based on three years of complete, quality-assured ambient air quality monitoring data for the 2004-2006 ozone seasons that demonstrate that the 8-hour ozone NAAQS has been attained in the area. Preliminary 2007 air quality data show that the area continues to attain the 8-hour ozone standard. EPA is approving the maintenance plan for this area and is redesignating the area to attainment. Finally, EPA is approving, for purposes of transportation conformity, the motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for the years 2005 and 2018.

EPA proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of establishing a variance for the International Paper, Franklin Paper Mill facility located in Franklin, Virginia. The variance provides regulatory relief from compliance with state regulations governing new source review for the implementation of the International Paper, Franklin Paper Mill innovation project. In lieu of compliance with these regulatory requirements, the variance requires the facility to comply with site-wide emission caps. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the Commonwealth'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.