Environmental Protection Agency September 25, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 November 30, 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

EPA is proposing to approve a redesignation request and State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) is requesting that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre ozone nonattainment area (``Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Area'' or ``Area'') be redesignated as attainment for the 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Area is comprised of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe and Wyoming Counties. EPA is proposing to approve the ozone redesignation request for the Scranton/Wilkes- Barre Area. In conjunction with its redesignation request, the Commonwealth submitted a SIP revision consisting of a maintenance plan for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Area that provides for continued attainment of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS for at least 10 years after redesignation. EPA is proposing to make a determination that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Area has attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS, based upon three years of complete, quality-assured ambient air quality monitoring data for 2004-2006. EPA's proposed approval of the 8-hour ozone redesignation request is based on its determination that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Area has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment specified in the Clean Air Act. In addition, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has also submitted a 2002 base-year inventory for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Area, and EPA is proposing to approve that inventory for the Area as a SIP revision. EPA is also providing information on the status of its adequacy determination for the motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) that are identified in the maintenance plan for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Area for purposes of transportation conformity, and is proposing to approve those MVEBs. EPA is proposing approval of the redesignation request, the maintenance plan, and 2002 base-year inventory SIP revisions in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act.

On July 25, 2007 (72 FR 40746), the EPA published in the Federal Register a final rule that approved a request that the Franklin County nonattainment area (``Franklin County Area'' or ``Area'') be redesignated as attainment for the 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) and that approved the maintenance plan and the 2002 base-year emissions inventory as revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA). That July 25, 2007 final rule established an effective date of July 25, 2007. This document corrects the effective date of the rule to July 27, 2007 to be consistent with sections 801 and 808 of the Congressional Review Act, enacted as part of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 and 808.