Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter NR 489, Section NR 489.03 - Applicability | Wisconsin Administrative Code

(1) Conformity determinations for federal actions related to transportation plans, programs and projects developed, funded or approved under title 23 USC or the federal transit act, 49 USC 1601 to 1625, shall meet the procedures and criteria of the state implementation plan provision adopted under 40 CFR part 51 subpart T in lieu of the procedures in this chapter.

(2) For federal actions not covered by sub. (1), a conformity determination is required for each pollutant where the total of direct and indirect emissions in a nonattainment or maintenance area caused by a federal action would equal or exceed any of the rates in par. (a) or (b).

(a) For purposes of this subsection, the following rates apply in nonattainment areas:

Tons/Year
Ozone (VOC or NOx)
Serious nonattainment areas	50
Severe nonattainment areas	25
Extreme nonattainment areas	10
Other ozone nonattainment areas outside an ozone transport region	100
Rural transport, marginal and moderate nonattainment areas inside an ozone transport region
VOC	50
NOx	100
Carbon monoxide
All nonattainment areas	100
SO2 or NO2
All nonattainment areas	100
PM10
Moderate nonattainment areas	100
Serious nonattainment areas	70
Pb
All nonattainment areas	25

(b) For purposes of this subsection, the following rates apply in maintenance areas:

Tons/Year
Ozone (NOx), SO2 or NO2
All maintenance areas	100
Ozone (VOC)
Maintenance areas inside an ozone
transport region	50
Maintenance areas outside an ozone
transport region	100
Carbon monoxide
All maintenance areas	100
PM10
All maintenance areas	100
Pb
All maintenance areas	25

Note: There are no counties located in an ozone transport region in Wisconsin.

(3) The requirements of this chapter do not apply to:

(a) Actions where the total of direct and indirect emissions are below the emissions levels specified in sub. (2).

(b) The following actions, which would result in no emissions increase or an increase in emissions that is clearly de minimis:

1. Judicial and legislative proceedings.

2. Continuing and recurring activities such as permit renewals where activities conducted will be similar in scope and operation to activities currently being conducted.

3. Rulemaking and policy development and issuance.

4. Routine maintenance and repair activities, including repair and maintenance of administrative sites, roads, trails and facilities.

5. Civil and criminal enforcement activities, such as investigations, audits, inspections, examinations, prosecutions and the training of law enforcement personnel.

6. Administrative actions such as personnel actions, organizational changes, debt management or collection, cash management, internal agency audits, program budget proposals, and matters relating to the administration and collection of taxes, duties and fees.

7. The routine, recurring transportation of material and personnel.

8. Routine movement of mobile assets, such as ships and aircraft, in home port reassignments and stations, when no new support facilities or personnel are required, to perform as operational groups or for repair or overhaul.

9. Maintenance dredging and debris disposal where no new depths are required, applicable permits are secured, and disposal will be at an approved disposal site.

10. With respect to existing structures, properties, facilities and lands where future activities conducted will be similar in scope and operation to activities currently being conducted at the existing structures, properties, facilities and lands, actions such as relocation of personnel, disposition of federally-owned existing structures, properties, facilities and lands, rent subsidies, operation and maintenance cost subsidies, the exercise of receivership or conservatorship authority, assistance in purchasing structures, and the production of coins and currency.

11. The granting of leases, licenses such as for exports and trade, permits and easements where activities conducted will be similar in scope and operation to activities currently being conducted.

12. Planning, studies and provision of technical assistance.

13. Routine operation of facilities, mobile assets and equipment.

14. Transfers of ownership, interests and titles in land, facilities and real and personal properties, regardless of the form or method of the transfer.

15. The designation of empowerment zones, enterprise communities, or viticultural areas.

16. Actions by any of the federal banking agencies or the federal reserve banks, including actions regarding charters, applications, notices, licenses, the supervision or examination of depository institutions or depository institution holding companies, access to the discount window, or the provision of financial services to banking organizations or to any department, agency or instrumentality of the United States.

17. Actions by the board of governors of the federal reserve system or any federal Reserve Bank to effect monetary or exchange rate policy.

18. Actions that implement a foreign affairs function of the United States.

19. Actions, or portions thereof, associated with transfers of land, facilities, title and real properties through an enforceable contract or lease agreement where the delivery of the deed is required to occur promptly after a specific, reasonable condition is met, such as promptly after the land is certified as meeting the requirements of the comprehensive environmental response, compensation and liability act (CERCLA), and where the federal agency does not retain continuing authority to control emissions associated with the lands, facilities, title or real properties.

20. Transfers of real property, including land, facilities and related personal property from a federal entity to another federal entity and assignments of real property, including land, facilities and related personal property from a federal entity to another federal entity for subsequent deeding to eligible applicants.

21. Actions by the department of the treasury to effect fiscal policy and to exercise the borrowing authority of the United States.

(c) Actions where the emissions are not reasonably foreseeable, such as electric power marketing activities that involve the acquisition, sale and transmission of electric energy.

(d) Individual actions which implement a decision to conduct or carry out a program that has been found to conform to the applicable implementation plan, such as prescribed burning actions which are consistent with a land management plan that has been found to conform to the applicable implementation plan. The land management plan shall have been found to conform within the past 5 years.

(4) Notwithstanding the other requirements of this chapter, a conformity determination is not required for the following federal actions, or portion thereof:

(a) The portion of an action that includes major new or modified stationary sources that require a permit under the new source review (NSR) program, section 173 of the act (42 USC 7503), or the prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) program, title I, part C of the act (42 USC 7470 to 7492).

(b) Actions in response to emergencies or natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, etc., which are commenced on the order of hours or days after the emergency or disaster and, if applicable, which meet the requirements of sub. (5).

(c) Research, investigations, studies, demonstrations or training, other than those exempted under sub. (3) (b), where no environmental detriment is incurred or the particular action furthers air quality research, as determined by the department.

(d) Alteration of and additions to existing structures as specifically required by new or existing applicable environmental legislation or environmental regulations, such as hush houses for aircraft engines and scrubbers for air emissions.

(e) Direct emissions from remedial and removal actions carried out under the comprehensive environmental response, compensation and liability act (CERCLA) and associated regulations to the extent such emissions either comply with the substantive requirements of the PSD or NSR permitting program or are exempted from other environmental regulation under the provisions of CERCLA and applicable regulations issued under CERCLA.

(5) Federal actions which are part of a continuing response to an emergency or disaster under sub. (4) (b) and which are to be taken more than 6 months after the commencement of the response to the emergency or disaster under sub. (4) (b) are exempt from the requirements of this chapter only if:

(a) The federal agency taking the actions makes a written determination that, for a specified period not to exceed an additional 6 months, it is impractical to prepare the conformity analyses which would otherwise be required and the actions cannot be delayed due to overriding concerns for public health and welfare, national security interests and foreign policy commitments; or

(b) For actions which are to be taken after those actions covered by par. (a), the federal agency makes a new determination as provided in par. (a).

(6) Notwithstanding other requirements of this chapter, individual actions or classes of actions specified by individual federal agencies that have met the criteria set forth in either sub. (7) (a) or (b) and the procedures set forth in sub. (8) are presumed to conform, except as provided in sub. (10).

(7) The federal agency shall meet the criteria for establishing activities that are presumed to conform by fulfilling the requirements set forth in either par. (a) or (b):

(a) The federal agency shall clearly demonstrate using methods consistent with this chapter that the total of direct and indirect emissions from the type of activities which would be presumed to conform would not:

1. Cause or contribute to any new violation of any NAAQS in any area;

2. Interfere with provisions in the applicable implementation plan for maintenance of any NAAQS;

3. Increase the frequency or severity of any existing violation of any NAAQS in any area; and

4. Delay timely attainment of any NAAQS or any required interim emission reductions or other milestones in any area including, where applicable, emission levels specified in the applicable implementation plan for purposes of:

a. A demonstration of reasonable further progress;

b. A demonstration of attainment; or

c. A maintenance plan; or

(b) The federal agency shall provide documentation that the total of direct and indirect emissions from such future actions would be below the emission rates for a conformity determination that are established in sub. (2), based, for example, on similar actions taken over recent years.

(8) In addition to meeting the criteria for establishing exemptions set forth in sub. (7) (a) or (b), the following procedures shall also be complied with by the federal agency for activities that are presumed to conform:

(a) The federal agency shall identify through publication in the federal register its list of proposed activities that are presumed to conform and the analysis, assumptions, emissions factors and criteria used as the basis for the presumptions;

(b) The federal agency shall notify the appropriate EPA regional office, state and local air quality agencies and, where applicable, the agency designated under section 174 of the act (42 USC 7504) and the MPO and provide at least 30 days for the public to comment on the list of proposed activities presumed to conform;

(c) The federal agency shall document its response to all the comments received and make the comments, response and final list of activities available to the public upon request; and

(d) The federal agency shall publish the final list of such activities in the federal register.

(9) Notwithstanding the other requirements of this chapter, when the total of direct and indirect emissions of any pollutant from a federal action does not equal or exceed the rates specified in sub. (2), but represents 10% or more of a nonattainment or maintenance area's total emissions of that pollutant, the action is defined as a regionally significant action and the requirements of ss. NR 489.01 and 489.05 to shall apply 489.10 for the federal action.

(10) Where an action presumed to be de minimis under sub. (3) (a) or (b) or otherwise presumed to conform under sub. (6) is a regionally significant action or where an action otherwise presumed to conform under sub. (6) does not in fact meet one of the criteria in sub. (7) (a), that action may not be considered de minimis or presumed to conform and the requirements of ss. NR 489.01 and 489.05 to shall apply 489.10 for the federal action.

(11) The provisions of this chapter shall apply in all nonattainment and maintenance areas.

Wisconsin Administrative CodeDepartment of Natural ResourcesNR 400-499 - Environmental Protection - Air Pollution ControlChapter NR 489 - Conformity of general federal actions to state implementation plansSection NR 489.03 - Applicability

Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 400-499 - Environmental Protection - Air Pollution Control
Chapter NR 489 - Conformity of general federal actions to state implementation plans
Section NR 489.03 - Applicability