[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 9, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 61279-61281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24628]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R04-OAR-2012-0238; FRL-9738-6]
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Mississippi;
110(a)(2)(G) Infrastructure Requirement for the 1997 and 2006 Fine
Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: EPA is taking final action to approve the State Implementation
Plan (SIP) revision, submitted by the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality, on July 26, 2012. This SIP revision was
submitted to address Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) section 110(a)(2)(G).
Specifically, EPA is approving Mississippi's July 26, 2012, submission
addressing section 110(a)(2)(G), of the CAA for both the 1997 and 2006
fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS). Section 110(a) of the CAA requires that each state
adopt and submit a SIP for the implementation, maintenance, and
enforcement of each NAAQS promulgated by the EPA, which is commonly
referred to as an ``infrastructure'' SIP. The subject of this notice is
limited to infrastructure element 110(a)(2)(G). All other applicable
Mississippi infrastructure elements are being addressed in a separate
rulemakings.
DATES: Effective Date: This rule will be effective on November 8, 2012.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket
Identification No. EPA-R04-OAR-2012-0238. All documents in the docket
are listed on the www.regulations.gov Web site. Although listed in the
index, some information is not publicly available, i.e., Confidential
Business Information or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted
material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available
only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are
available either electronically through www.regulations.gov or in hard
copy at the Regulatory Development Section, Air Planning Branch, Air,
Pesticides and Toxics Management Division, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW., Atlanta, Georgia
30303-8960. EPA requests that if at all possible, you contact the
person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to
schedule your inspection. The Regional Office's official hours of
business are Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:30 excluding Federal
holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sean Lakeman, Regulatory Development
Section, Air Planning Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth
Street SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. The telephone number is (404)
562-9043. Mr. Lakeman can be reached via electronic mail at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. This Action
III. Final Action
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
Upon promulgation of a new or revised NAAQS, sections 110(a)(1) and
(2) of the CAA require states to address basic SIP requirements,
including emissions inventories, monitoring, and modeling to assure
attainment and maintenance for that new NAAQS. On July 18, 1997 (62 FR
38652), EPA promulgated a new annual PM2.5 NAAQS and on
October 17, 2006 (71 FR 61144), EPA promulgated a new 24-hour NAAQS. On
July 31, 2012, EPA proposed to approve Mississippi's submission
addressing section 110(a)(2)(G). A summary of the background for
today's final action is provided below. See EPA's July 31, 2012,
proposed rulemaking at 77 FR 45320 for more detail.
Section 110(a) of the CAA requires states to submit SIPs to provide
for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of a new or
revised NAAQS within three years following the promulgation of such
NAAQS, or within such shorter period as EPA may prescribe. Section
110(a) imposes the obligation upon states to make a SIP submission to
EPA for a new or revised NAAQS, but the contents of that submission may
vary depending upon the facts and circumstances. The data and
analytical tools available at the time the state develops and submits
the SIP for a new or revised NAAQS affects the content of the
submission. The contents of such SIP submissions may also vary
depending upon what provisions the state's existing SIP already
contains. In the case of the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour
PM2.5 NAAQS, states typically have met the basic program
elements required in section 110(a)(2) through
[[Page 61280]]
earlier SIP submissions in connection with previous PM NAAQS.
More specifically, section 110(a)(1) provides the procedural and
timing requirements for SIPs. Section 110(a)(2) lists specific elements
that states must meet for ``infrastructure'' SIP requirements related
to a newly established or revised NAAQS. As already mentioned, these
requirements include SIP infrastructure elements such as modeling,
monitoring, and emissions inventories that are designed to assure
attainment and maintenance of the NAAQS. However, EPA is only
addressing element 110(a)(2)(G) in this action.
II. This Action
EPA is taking final action to approve Mississippi's infrastructure
submission as demonstrating that the State meets the applicable
requirements of section 110(a)(2)(G) of the CAA for the 1997 annual and
2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. Section 110(a) of the CAA requires
that each state adopt and submit a SIP for the implementation,
maintenance, and enforcement of each NAAQS promulgated by the EPA,
which is commonly referred to as an ``infrastructure'' SIP. In a draft
SIP revision provided to EPA on July 13, 2012, for parallel processing,
Mississippi provided public notification of its certification that the
Mississippi SIP contains provisions that ensure the 1997 annual and
2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS, as it relates to section
110(a)(2)(G), is implemented, enforced, and maintained in Mississippi.
On July 31, 2012, EPA proposed to approve Mississippi's July 13,
2012, draft SIP revision addressing section 110(a)(2)(G). EPA's July
31, 2012 (77 FR 45320), proposed approval was contingent upon
Mississippi providing EPA with a final SIP revision that was not
changed significantly from the July 13, 2012, draft SIP revision.
Mississippi provided its final SIP revision on July 26, 2012. There
were no significant changes made to the final submittal. All other
applicable Mississippi infrastructure elements are being addressed in a
separate rulemakings.
EPA received one off-topic comment on its July 31, 2012, proposed
rulemaking to approve Mississippi's July 13, 2012, draft SIP revision
as meeting the section 110(a)(2)(G) requirements of the CAA for the
1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. The Commenter
stated that EPA's PM2.5 standard forces expensive mandates
on states and industry and the designation process places a strain on
local resources and discourages economic growth and EPA should withdraw
the PM2.5 standard. Also, the Commenter stated that EPA
should consider public interest prior to entering into consent decrees.
This comment does not appear to be related to the issues presented
in the proposed rulemaking, and instead, appears related to a wholly
separate topic--promulgation of the PM NAAQS. Promulgations of NAAQS
involve public comment opportunities, and that would be the time to
raise concerns specific to a particular NAAQS. Additionally, with
regard to Commenter's general statement about consent decrees, although
it is not clear to which specific consent decree Commenter is
referring, the CAA does provide for opportunities for public input
regarding certain consent decrees.
EPA does not interpret these comments as relevant to the topic of
EPA's July 31, 2012, proposed action, which proposed approval of
Mississippi's draft SIP revision pertaining to section 110(a)(2)(G)
infrastructure requirements for the existing 1997 annual and 2006 24-
hour PM2.5 NAAQS. Instead, EPA interprets these comments as
being off-topic and outside of the scope of today's final rulemaking.
Mississippi's infrastructure submission regarding section
110(a)(2)(G), provided to EPA on July 26, 2012, in final form,
addressed the 110(a)(2)(G) requirements for the 1997 annual and 2006
24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA has determined that Mississippi's
July 26, 2012, submission is consistent with section 110 of the CAA.
III. Final Action
As already described, Mississippi has addressed section
110(a)(2)(G) requirements pursuant to EPA's October 2, 2007, guidance
to ensure that 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS are
implemented, enforced, and maintained in Mississippi. EPA is taking
final action to approve Mississippi's July 26, 2012, submission for
1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS because the
submission is consistent with section 110 of the CAA. Today's action is
not approving any specific rule, but rather making a determination that
Mississippi's already approved SIP meets certain CAA requirements.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP
submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and applicable
federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in
reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state choices,
provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. Accordingly, this
action merely approves state law as meeting federal requirements and
does not impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by state
law. For that reason, this action:
Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' subject to
review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order
12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993);
Does not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
Is certified as not having a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
Does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4);
Does not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
Is not an economically significant regulatory action based
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
Is not subject to requirements of Section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272
note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent
with the CAA; and
Does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to
address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental
effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
In addition, this rule does not have tribal implications as specified
by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because the
SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country, and EPA notes that it
will not impose substantial direct costs on tribal governments or
preempt tribal law.
The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General
[[Page 61281]]
of the United States. EPA will submit a report containing this action
and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot
take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal
Register. This action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C.
804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for
the appropriate circuit by December 10, 2012. Filing a petition for
reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect
the finality of this action for the purposes of judicial review nor
does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may
be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such rule or
action. This action may not be challenged later in proceedings to
enforce its requirements. See section 307(b)(2).
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate
Matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic
compounds.
Dated: September 25, 2012.
A. Stanley Meiburg,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.
40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:
PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
0
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart Z--Mississippi
0
2. Section 52.1270 paragraph (e), is amended by adding a new entry for
``110(a)(2)(G) Infrastructure Requirement for the 1997 and 2006 Fine
Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards'' at the end
of the table to read as follows:
Sec. 52.1270 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(e) * * *
EPA-Approved Mississippi Non-Regulatory Provisions
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Applicable State
Name of nonregulatory SIP geographic or submittal date/ EPA approval date Explanation
provision nonattainment area effective date
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* * * * * * *
110(a)(2)(G) Infrastructure Mississippi........ 7/26/2012 10/9/2012 [Insert ...................
Requirement for the 1997 and citation of
2006 Fine Particulate Matter publication].
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards.
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[FR Doc. 2012-24628 Filed 10-5-12; 8:45 am]
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