Environmental Protection Agency December 11, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is proposing to approve a redesignation request and State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of West Virginia. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) is requesting that the West Virginia portion of the Wheeling, WV-OH fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area (``Wheeling Area'' or ``Area'') be redesignated as attainment for the 1997 annual PM2.5 national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). The Wheeling Area is comprised of Marshall and Ohio Counties in West Virginia and Belmont County in Ohio. In conjunction with its redesignation request, West Virginia submitted a SIP revision consisting of a maintenance plan for the West Virginia portion of the Area that provides for continued attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS for at least 10 years after redesignation. The maintenance plan includes the 2005 base year emissions inventory that EPA is proposing to approve in this rulemaking in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The maintenance plan also includes an insignificance determination for the onroad motor vehicle contribution of PM2.5, nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) for the West Virginia portion of the Area. It should be noted that EPA has already initiated a comment period on the proposed insignificance determination for the West Virginia portion of the Area on the Web site for the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) to allow for a 30-day review of this proposed insignificance determination in conjunction with this proposed rulemaking.\1\ EPA is proposing to find that West Virginia's insignificance determination for transportation conformity is adequate. EPA previously determined that the West Virginia portion of the Wheeling Area has attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS, and EPA is proposing to find that the Area continues to attain the standard. This action to propose approval of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS redesignation request, the maintenance plan, the 2005 base year emissions inventory, and insignificance determination for transportation conformity for the West Virginia portion of the Area is based on EPA's determination that the Area has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment specified in the CAA. EPA is taking separate action to propose redesignation for the Ohio portion of the Wheeling Area.

EPA is approving the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) 2002 base year emissions inventory portion of the West Virginia State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of West Virginia, through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), on May 28, 2009. The emissions inventory is part of the May 28, 2009 SIP revision that was submitted to meet nonattainment requirements related to the West Virginia portion of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH nonattainment area for the 1997 PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). EPA is approving the 2002 base year PM2.5 emissions inventory in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).