Environmental Protection Agency September 26, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is proposing to partially approve and partially disapprove State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Montana on June 25, 2010 and May 28, 2003. The revisions contain new and amended rules in Subchapter 7 (Permit, Construction, and Operation of Air Contaminant Sources) that pertain to the issuance of Montana air quality permits, in addition to other minor administrative changes to the Administrative Rules of Montana. The intended effect of this action is to propose to approve the rules that are approvable and to propose to disapprove the rules that are inconsistent with the Clean Air Act (CAA.) This action is being taken under section 110 and 112 of the CAA.

EPA is proposing to approve SIP revisions submitted on December 18, 2009, and December 22, 2010 (supplemental submission) by the State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR), Division of Air Quality (DAQ), to support North Carolina's request to redesignate the Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area (hereafter the ``Greensboro Area'' or ``Area'') to attainment for the 1997 Annual PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The Greensboro Area is comprised of Davidson and Guilford Counties in their entireties. EPA is now proposing four separate but related actions. First, EPA is proposing to approve the December 18, 2009, PM2.5 redesignation request, including the December 22, 2010, Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) mobile model supplement for the Greensboro Area, provided that EPA takes final action to approve specific provisions of the North Carolina Clean Smokestacks Act (NCCSA). Second, EPA is proposing to approve North Carolina's 2008 emissions inventory for the Greensboro Area under section 172(c)(3) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). Third, subject to the same proviso regarding the NCCSA and final approval of the 2008 emissions inventory, EPA is proposing to approve the 1997 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS maintenance plan for the Greensboro Area, including the 2008 baseline emissions inventory, and the motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOX) for the years 2011 and 2021 for the Greensboro Area. EPA is also describing the status of its transportation conformity adequacy determination for the new 2011 and 2021 MVEBs for PM2.5 and NOX that are contained in the 1997 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS maintenance plan for the Greensboro Area. Fourth and separate from the action to redesignate the Area, EPA is proposing to determine that the Greensboro Area has attained the 1997 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS by its applicable attainment date of April 5, 2010. These proposed actions are being taken pursuant to the CAA and its implementing regulations.

Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, EPA gives notice of a meeting of the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC). The FRRCC is a policy-oriented committee that provides policy advice, information, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities. The purpose of this meeting is to advance discussion of specific topics of unique relevance to agriculture such as effective approaches to addressing water quality issues associated with agricultural production, in such a way as to provide thoughtful advice and useful insights to the Agency as it crafts environmental policies and programs that affect and engage agriculture and rural communities. A copy of the meeting agenda will be posted at https://epa.gov/ofacmo/frrcc/ meetings.htm.

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Maryland State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions establish transportation conformity regulations for the State of Maryland. EPA is approving these revisions in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of North Carolina for the purpose of establishing system-wide emission limitations from the North Carolina Clean Smokestacks Act (CSA) into the North Carolina SIP. On August 21, 2009, the State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR), Division of Air Quality (DAQ), submitted an attainment demonstration for the Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir and Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point 1997 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area. That submittal included a request that the system-wide emission limitations from the North Carolina CSA be incorporated into the State's federally approved SIP. EPA has determined that the CSA portion of this SIP revision is approvable pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).