[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 3, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 60341-60343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24379]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 63
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0708, FRL-9736-7]
RIN 2060-AQ58
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for
Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines; New Source Performance
Standards for Stationary Internal Combustion Engines
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.
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SUMMARY: The EPA is reopening the public comment period for the
proposed amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous
Air Pollutants for Stationary Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines
to solicit comment on specific issues raised during the initial public
comment period regarding existing engines on offshore vessels.
DATES: Comments. Comments must be received on or before November 2,
2012.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2008-0708, by one of the following methods:
[[Page 60342]]
www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for
submitting comments.
Email: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov.
Fax: (202) 566-1741.
Mail: Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460. Please include a total of two copies.
The EPA requests a separate copy also be sent to the contact person
identified below (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Hand Delivery: Air and Radiation Docket and Information
Center, U.S. EPA, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington,
DC. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours
of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of
boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2008-0708. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be
included in the public docket without change and may be made available
online at www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov
or email. The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access''
system, which means the EPA will not know your identity or contact
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you
send an email comment directly to the EPA without going through
www.regulations.gov, your email address will be automatically captured
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket
and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic
comment, the EPA recommends that you include your name and other
contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or
CD-ROM you submit. If the EPA cannot read your comment due to technical
difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the EPA may not
be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use
of special characters, any form of encryption and be free of any
defects or viruses.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. The EPA also relies on documents in Docket
ID Nos. EPA-HQ-OAR-2002-0059, EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0029, EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-
0030 and EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0295, and incorporated those dockets into the
record for this action. Although listed in the index, some information
is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Air and Radiation Docket,
EPA/DC, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington,
DC. The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the
Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the
Air Docket is (202) 566-1742.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Melanie King, Energy Strategies
Group, Sector Policies and Programs Division (D243-01), Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711;
telephone number (919) 541-2469; facsimile number (919) 541-5450; email
address king.melanie@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 7, 2012, the EPA published in the
Federal Register the proposed rule, ``National Emission Standards for
Hazardous Air Pollutants for Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines;
New Source Performance Standards for Stationary Internal Combustion
Engines'' (77 FR 33812). The June 7, 2012, action proposed to make
specific amendments to the national emission standards for hazardous
air pollutants (NESHAP) for stationary reciprocating internal
combustion engines (RICE), as well as other regulations. The EPA
received comments during the public comment period recommending that
the RICE NESHAP be amended such that for any existing compression
ignition (CI) RICE on offshore drilling vessels on the Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS) that become subject to the RICE NESHAP as a
result of the operation of the OCS regulations (40 CFR part 55), such
engines may meet the NESHAP through management practices rather than
numeric emission limits.\1\ This amendment was not contained or
contemplated in the proposal that was published on June 7, 2012.
However, the comments indicate several significant issues related to
application of the NESHAP to regulation of existing marine vessel
engines located in the OCS as a result of the OCS regulations; in
particular, whether the numerical standards applicable to other CI
engines located at area sources (marine vessels located in the OCS are
generally located at area sources) are technologically feasible for
existing marine engines located in the OCS. Some commenters note
specific technological issues relevant to engines on marine vessels in
the OCS. Commenters suggest that, to the extent marine vessel engines
become subject to the NESHAP as a result of the OCS regulations, they
should be subject to generally available control technology (GACT)
requirements that they believe are more appropriate for these types of
engines. Given the significance of these issues, the EPA believes it is
appropriate to request comment on these issues in the context of this
rulemaking.
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\1\ See document numbers EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0708-0965 (comment from
BHP Billiton Petroleum), EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0708-1004 at p. 3 (comment
from Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association), EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-
0708-1020 (comment from Anadarko Petroleum Corporation), EPA-HQ-OAR-
2008-0708-1071 (comment from Offshore Operators Committee), EPA-HQ-
OAR-2008-0708-1105 at p. 6 (comment from American Petroleum
Institute), and EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0708-1145 at p. 2 (comment from
Alaska Oil and Gas Association).
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The RICE NESHAP does not on its face apply to mobile sources,
including marine vessels. However, OCS Air Regulations, codified at 40
CFR part 55, specify that vessels are OCS sources when they are (1)
permanently or temporarily attached to the seabed and erected thereon
and used for the purpose of exploring, developing or producing
resources therefrom, within the meaning of section 4(a)(1) of the OCS
Lands Act (43 U.S.C. Sec. 1331, et seq.); or (2) physically attached
to an OCS facility, in which case only the stationary sources aspects
of the vessels will be regulated. 40 CFR 55.2. In addition, the OCS
regulations provide that NESHAP requirements apply to a marine vessel
that is an OCS source where the provisions are ``rationally related to
the attainment and maintenance of the Federal or State ambient air
quality standards or the requirements of part C of title I of the
Act.'' 40 CFR 55.13(e). As a result, the commenters have requested that
any marine vessel that becomes subject to the requirements of the RICE
NESHAP as a result of the operation of 40 CFR part 55, be subject to
maintenance-based management practices similar to those proposed for
remote spark ignition (SI) engines, rather than the numerical emission
limits otherwise applicable. The commenters indicated that these
management practices are more appropriate as GACT for existing
stationary CI RICE on vessels operating on the OCS. The management
practices proposed for remote SI engines and
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currently required in the rule for smaller CI engines include changing
the oil and filter, inspecting the air cleaner or spark plugs and
inspecting all hoses and belts within specified intervals. Facilities
have the option of using an oil analysis program to extend the oil
change requirement. The EPA requests comment on the information
provided in the public comments regarding compliance by existing
stationary CI RICE on vessels operating on the OCS with the current
RICE NESHAP emission limits, in particular, the comments related to
technological feasibility.
How can I get copies of this document and other related information?
The EPA has established a docket for the proposed rule, ``National
Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Reciprocating
Internal Combustion Engines; New Source Performance Standards for
Stationary Internal Combustion Engines'' under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2008-0708, available at www.regulations.gov.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 63
Environmental Protection, Administrative practice and procedure,
Air pollution control, Hazardous substances, Intergovernmental
relations, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: September 25, 2012.
Gina McCarthy,
Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-24379 Filed 10-2-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P