[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 85 (Friday, May 2, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25049-25054]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10106]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 49
[EPA-R10-OAR-2012-0557; FRL-9910-30-Region 10]
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Swinomish
Indian Tribal Community; Tribal Implementation Plan
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The EPA is proposing to approve a Tribal implementation plan
(TIP) submitted by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (SITC or the
Tribe). The TIP was submitted to the EPA on June 28, 2012, and
supplementary submittals were received on September 24, 2013, November
18, 2013, and January 28, 2014. The TIP establishes regulations for
open burning that will apply to all persons within the exterior
boundaries of the Swinomish Reservation (the Reservation). The EPA
approved the SITC for treatment in the same manner as a State (TAS) to
regulate open burning on the Swinomish Reservation under the Clean Air
Act (CAA or the Act) on February 16, 2010. This action proposes to
federally approve the TIP. If the EPA finalizes this approval, the
provisions of the TIP would become federally enforceable. Upon the
effective date of a final action to approve the TIP, the SITC's open
burning TIP would replace the Federal Implementation Plan (FIP)
provisions regulating open burning within the exterior boundaries of
the Swinomish Reservation.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 2, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R10-
OAR-2012-0557, by one of the following methods:
A. www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for
submitting comments.
B. EMail: [email protected].
C. Mail: Claudia Vergnani Vaupel, U.S. EPA Region 10, Office of
Air, Waste, and Toxics (AWT-107), 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900,
Seattle, Washington 98101.
D. Hand Delivery: U.S. EPA Region 10 Mailroom, 9th Floor, 1200
Sixth Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101. Attention: Claudia Vergnani
Vaupel, Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics (AWT-107). Such deliveries are
only accepted during normal hours of operation, and special
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R10-OAR-
2012-0557. 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 the
disclosure of which 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
[[Page 25050]]
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. For additional information about the EPA's public docket visit
the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the electronic docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other information
the disclosure of which 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 in
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy during normal business hours at the
Office of Air, Waste and Toxics, EPA Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue,
Seattle, Washington 98101.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Claudia Vergnani Vaupel at (206) 553-
6121, [email protected], or the above EPA, Region 10 address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, it is intended to refer to the EPA.
Information is organized as follows:
Table of Contents
I. Background for This Proposed Action
II. CAA Requirements and the Role of Indian Tribes
A. What is the Clean Air Act and its relationship to Indian
Tribes?
B. What is an implementation plan?
C. How do Tribal implementation plans compare to State
implementation plans?
III. Tribal Implementation Plan Requirements
IV. Evaluation of the SITC TIP
A. What air quality goals does the SITC TIP address?
B. Has the SITC obtained a determination from the EPA that it is
eligible for TAS for purposes of the TIP?
C. Has the SITC submitted to the EPA a TIP that is approvable as
satisfying the requirements of the Act and relevant regulations?
D. How would the SITC administer the TIP?
E. What requirements does the SITC TIP contain?
V. Proposed Action
VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background for This Proposed Action
The EPA is proposing to approve a TIP submitted by the SITC for
approval under section 110 of the CAA. The TIP regulates open burning
practices and establishes a Tribal regulatory program applicable to all
persons within the exterior boundaries of the Reservation under the CAA
to maintain or improve ambient air quality related to open burning. The
Swinomish TIP for open burning was formally submitted to the EPA on
June 28, 2012, and the EPA received supplementary submittals on
September 24, 2013, November 18, 2013, and January 28, 2014.\1\
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\1\ The EPA is taking no action on the provisions identified in
the TIP submission, Part I, ``The following provisions are not part
of the TIP being submitted to EPA for approval''.
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If the EPA finalizes approval of the TIP, the SITC TIP for open
burning would replace the currently effective open burning provisions
in the FIP for the Swinomish Reservation (found in 40 CFR 49.10960(g)).
The EPA promulgated the FIP to protect air quality on 39 Indian
reservations in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, including the Swinomish
Reservation. The EPA intended that these rules would be implemented by
the EPA, or a delegated Tribal authority, until replaced by TIPs (67 FR
51802, March 18, 2002).
II. CAA Requirements and the Role of Indian Tribes
A. What is the Clean Air Act and its relationship to Indian Tribes?
The Clean Air Act (Act) was originally passed in 1970 and has been
the subject of substantial amendments, most recently in 1990. Among
other things, the Act: Requires the EPA to establish National Ambient
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for certain pollutants; requires the EPA
to develop programs to address specific air quality problems;
establishes the EPA's enforcement authority; and provides for air
quality research. As part of the 1990 amendments, Congress added
section 301(d) to the Act authorizing the EPA to treat eligible Indian
Tribes in the same manner as States (TAS) and directing the EPA to
promulgate regulations specifying those provisions of the Act for which
TAS is appropriate. In February of 1998, the EPA implemented this
requirement by promulgating the Tribal Authority Rule (TAR) (63 FR
7254, February 12, 1998, codified at 40 CFR part 49). The EPA included
relevant provisions relating to implementation plans among the
provisions for which TAS is appropriate (exceptions are identified in
40 CFR 49.4).
Under the provisions of the Act and the EPA's regulations, Indian
Tribes must demonstrate that they meet the eligibility criteria in
section 301(d) of the Act and the TAR in order to be treated in the
same manner as States. The eligibility criteria are: (1) The Indian
Tribe is federally-recognized; (2) the Indian Tribe has a governing
body carrying out substantial governmental duties and powers; (3) the
functions the Indian Tribe is applying to carry out pertain to the
management and protection of air resources within the exterior
boundaries of the reservation (or other areas within the Indian Tribe's
jurisdiction); and, (4) the Indian Tribe is reasonably expected to be
capable of performing the functions the Indian Tribe is applying to
carry out in a manner consistent with the terms and purposes of the Act
and all applicable regulations.
B. What is an implementation plan?
An implementation plan is a set of programs and regulations
developed by the appropriate regulatory agency to assure healthy air
quality through the attainment and maintenance of the NAAQS. These
plans can be developed by States, eligible Indian Tribes, or the EPA,
depending on the entity with jurisdiction and the EPA's approval in a
particular area. For States, such plans, once approved by the EPA, are
referred to as State implementation plans or SIPs. Similarly, for
eligible Indian Tribes these plans, once approved, are called Tribal
implementation plans or TIPs. Occasionally, the EPA will develop an
implementation plan for a specific area or source. This is referred to
as a Federal implementation plan or a FIP. Once final approval becomes
effective as published in the Federal Register, the provisions of an
implementation plan become federally enforceable. An applicable
implementation plan may be comprised of both TIPs and FIPs and/or SIPs
and FIPs.
The contents of a typical implementation plan may fall into three
categories: (1) Agency-adopted control measures, which consist of
rules, regulations or source-specific requirements (e.g., orders,
consent decrees or permits); (2) agency-submitted ``non-regulatory''
components (e.g., attainment plans, rate of progress plans, emission
inventories, transportation control measures, statutes demonstrating
legal authority, monitoring programs); and (3) additional requirements
promulgated by the EPA (in the absence of a commensurate agency
provision) to satisfy a mandatory Clean Air Act section 110 or part D
requirement. The implementation plan is a living document which can be
revised by the State or eligible Indian Tribe as necessary to address
air pollution problems. Accordingly, the EPA from time to time must
take action on implementation plan revisions which
[[Page 25051]]
may contain new and/or revised regulations that will become part of the
implementation plan.
Upon submittal to the EPA, the Agency reviews implementation plans
for conformance with Federal policies and regulations. If the
implementation plan conforms, the State's or eligible Indian Tribe's
regulations become federally enforceable upon the EPA's approval. The
codification is usually accomplished by first announcing the EPA's
findings in the Federal Register through a proposed rulemaking action,
with an appropriate public comment period. After evaluating comments
received on the proposal, a final rulemaking action will be published
by the EPA, which will incorporate the implementation plan, if
approved, into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
C. How do Tribal implementation plans compare to State implementation
plans?
The Act requires each State to develop, adopt, and submit an
implementation plan for the EPA's approval into the SIP. Several
sections of title I of the Act provide structured schedules and
mandatory requirements for SIP preparation and contents. These are
further developed in 40 CFR part 51. The SIP program reflects each
State's particular needs and air quality issues. At a minimum, SIPs
must meet minimum Federal standards. If a State fails to submit an
approvable SIP within the schedules provided in the Act, sanctions can
be imposed on the State, and if the State still does not submit an
approvable implementation plan, the EPA is required to develop and
enforce a FIP to implement the applicable Act requirements for that
State.
Sections 110 and 301(d) of the Act and the EPA's implementing
regulation at 40 CFR part 49 provide for Tribal implementation of
various Act programs including TIPs. Eligible Indian Tribes can choose
to implement certain Act programs by developing and adopting a TIP and
submitting the TIP to the EPA for approval. TIPs: (1) Are optional; (2)
may be modular; (3) have flexible submission schedules; and (4) may
allow for joint Tribal and EPA management as appropriate.
1. Optional
The Act requires each State to develop, adopt and submit a proposed
SIP for the EPA's approval. Unlike States, Indian Tribes are not
required to adopt an implementation plan. In the TAR, the EPA
recognized that not all Indian Tribes will have the need or the desire
for an air pollution control program, and the EPA specifically
determined that it was not appropriate to treat Indian Tribes in the
same manner as States for purposes of mandatory plan submittal and
implementation deadlines. See 40 CFR 49.4.
2. Modular
The TAR offers eligible Indian Tribes the flexibility to include in
a TIP only those implementation plan elements that address their
specific air quality needs and that they have the capacity to manage.
Under this modular approach, the TIP elements the eligible Indian Tribe
adopts must be ``reasonably severable'' from the package of elements
that can be included in a whole TIP. As provided in the TAR,
``reasonably severable'' means that the parts or elements selected for
the TIP are not necessarily connected to or interdependent on parts not
included in the TIP, and are consistent with applicable Act and
regulatory requirements. TIPs are fundamentally different than SIPs
because, while the Act requires States to prepare an implementation
plan that meets all of the requirements of section 110 of the Act, an
Indian Tribe may adopt TIP provisions that address only some elements
of section 110.
3. Have Flexible Submission Schedules
Neither the Act nor the TAR requires Indian Tribes to develop TIPs.
Therefore, unlike States, Indian Tribes are not required to meet the
implementation plan submission deadlines or attainment dates specified
in the Act. Indian Tribes can establish their own schedules and
priorities for developing TIP elements (e.g., regulations to limit
emissions of a specific air pollutant) and submitting the TIP to the
EPA for approval. Indian Tribes will not face sanctions for failing to
submit or for submitting incomplete or deficient implementation plans.
See 40 CFR 49.4.
4. Allow for Joint Tribal and EPA Management
Consistent with the Act and the TAR, eligible Indian Tribes can
revise a TIP to include appropriate new programs or return programs to
the EPA for Federal implementation as necessary or appropriate based on
changes in Tribal need or capacity. The EPA may regulate emission
sources that the Indian Tribe chooses not to include in a TIP if the
EPA determines such regulation is necessary or appropriate to
adequately protect air quality. This type of joint management is
expected to result in a program fully protective of Tribal air
resources.
III. Tribal Implementation Plan Requirements
For an Indian Tribe to receive the EPA's approval of a TIP, the
Indian Tribe must, among other things: (1) Obtain a determination from
the EPA that the Indian Tribe is eligible for TAS for purposes of the
TIP; and (2) submit to the EPA a TIP that satisfies the requirements of
the Act and relevant regulations that apply to the plan elements and
functions for which the Indian Tribe seeks approval.
1. Determination of Eligibility for TAS for Purposes of the TIP
To be found eligible for TAS for the purpose of carrying out an
implementation plan under the Act, an Indian Tribe must meet the
requirements of section 301(d) of the Act and 40 CFR 49.6:
The Indian Tribe must be federally recognized;
The Indian Tribe must have a governing body carrying
out substantial governmental duties and powers over a defined area;
The functions to be exercised by the Indian Tribe must
pertain to the management and protection of air resources within the
exterior boundaries of the Indian Tribe's reservation or other areas
within the Indian Tribe's jurisdiction;
The Indian Tribe must be reasonably expected to be
capable, in the EPA Regional Administrator's judgment, of carrying
out the functions to be exercised in a manner consistent with the
terms and purposes of the Act and all applicable regulations.
2. Submission of an Approvable TIP
Implementation plans are governed by section 110 of the CAA. Under
sections 110(o) and 301(d) of the CAA and the TAR (40 CFR 49.9(h)), any
TIP submitted to the EPA shall generally be reviewed in accordance with
the provisions for review of State implementation plans set forth in
CAA section 110. Thus, the TIP must include not only the substantive
rules by which the Indian Tribe proposes to help achieve the air
quality goals of the CAA, but also provide assurances that the Indian
Tribe will have adequate personnel, funding, and authority to
administer the plan, as required by CAA section 110(a)(2)(E), and
requirements governing conflicts of interest as required by CAA section
128.\2\
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\2\ See section 110(a)(2)(E) of the Act, which requires all
implementation plans to contain the requirements described in
section 128 of the Act. Tribal implementation plans must comply with
section 128 as neither section 110(a)(2)(E) nor section 128 of the
Act are listed in the TAR as provisions that are inapplicable to
Indian Tribes seeking TIP approval under the Act. See 40 CFR 49.4.
The EPA explicitly contemplated the applicability of CAA section 128
in the preamble to the proposed TAR. See 59 FR 43964, August 25,
1994.
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Under CAA section 128, implementation plans must contain
requirements that (1) any ``board or body'' that approves permits or
enforcement orders have at least a majority of members who represent
the public interest and do not derive any significant portion of their
income from persons subject to the permits or orders, and (2) conflicts
of interest are disclosed. The EPA does not intend to read CAA section
128 to limit an Indian Tribe's flexibility in creating a regulatory
infrastructure that ensures an adequate separation between the
regulator and the regulated entity (59 FR 43964, August 25, 1994).
The following technical elements may be included in a TIP:
A list of regulated pollutants affected by the plan;
Locations of affected sources and the air quality
designation (i.e., attainment, unclassifiable, nonattainment) of the
source location;
Projected estimates of changes in current actual
emissions from affected sources;
Modeling information (i.e., input and output data,
justification of models used, data and assumptions used);
Documentation that the plan contains emission
limitations, work practice standards, and recordkeeping/reporting
requirements;
Regulations.
The TAR allows Indian Tribes to develop, adopt, and submit an
implementation plan for approval as a TIP in a modular fashion, so it
may not be necessary that a plan meet all of the requirements
identified above to be approvable.
IV. Evaluation of the SITC TIP
A. What air quality goals does the SITC TIP address?
The SITC TIP for open burning provides a regulatory structure to
protect air quality from the impacts of open burning within the
boundaries of the Swinomish Reservation. The SITC TIP is comprised of
two parts. Part I is the ``Swinomish Tribal Implementation Plan for
Open Burning'', describing the Tribe's open burning program, including
requirements on conflicts of interest (per CAA section 128), public
notification and public hearings (per 40 CFR 51.285 and 51.102) and
demonstrating available resources (per 40 CFR 51.280). Part II of the
TIP is the ``Clean Air Act,'' chapter 2 of title 19 of the Swinomish
Tribal Code (STC). Part II includes regulations governing open burning
practices within the boundaries of the Swinomish Reservation.
In general, the TIP establishes:
1. A tribally-operated permitting program to authorize open
burning under specified parameters;
2. standards for open burning;
3. a list of prohibited materials that may not be burned;
4. the circumstances under which the Tribe may call a burn ban
during periods of impaired air quality or high fire danger;
5. a permitting fee system; and
6. a system of enforcement, including authority to perform
inspections and issue enforcement orders, and a process for appeals.
B. Has the SITC obtained a determination from the EPA that it is
eligible for TAS for purposes of the TIP?
On February 16, 2010, the EPA determined that the SITC had
demonstrated that it was eligible for TAS for the purpose of
implementing a TIP to regulate open burning on the Swinomish
Reservation under section 110 of the CAA. The SITC's eligibility
application submitted January 6, 2009, addressed the requirements of
section 301(d) of the Act and 40 CFR 49.6. The EPA found that the SITC
satisfied those requirements and notified the SITC of its TAS
eligibility determination to implement an open burning TIP. See letter
dated February 16, 2010, from Michelle Pirzadeh, Acting Regional
Administrator, EPA Region 10, to the Honorable M. Brian Cladoosby,
Tribal Chairperson, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, included in the
docket for this action.
C. Has the SITC submitted to the EPA a TIP that is approvable as
satisfying the requirements of the Act and relevant regulations?
In accordance with CAA section 110(a), the SITC submittal includes
documentation that the Tribe issued a public notice soliciting comments
on its proposed TIP on December 21, 2012, and held a public hearing on
January 26, 2012, with no public comments received. The Swinomish
Indian Senate adopted the TIP for open burning on March 6, 2012, and
the ordinance that amended chapter 2 of title 19 of the STC was
approved by the Superintendent of the Puget Sound Agency of the Bureau
of Indian Affairs on March 9, 2012--the effective date of chapter 2 of
title 19 of the STC. The SITC formally submitted the TIP to the EPA on
June 28, 2012, and the EPA received supplementary submittals on
September 24, 2013, November 18, 2013, and January 28, 2014.\3\
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\3\ The SITC made four TIP submissions which included more than
one version of certain components of the TIP. The EPA is taking
action on the most recent versions of these components as detailed
in the docket for this action.
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D. How would the SITC administer the TIP?
As noted above, CAA section 110(a)(2)(E) requires an implementation
plan to provide assurances that the Indian Tribe will have adequate
personnel, funding, and authority to administer the plan. Under CAA
section 128, implementation plans must contain requirements governing
conflicts of interest.
The SITC TIP will be administered and enforced by the air program
staff within the Swinomish Office of Planning and Community Development
(the Planning Department or the Department). Under the SITC TIP, the
air program staff is responsible for issuing open burning permits,
declaring burn bans, conducting inspections, issuing enforcement
orders, and publishing public notices and conducting hearings.
The SITC TIP describes the resources necessary to implement the TIP
for open burning. These include staff time, supplies for equipment
maintenance, travel, training, and indirect costs. The TIP describes
anticipating funding from the EPA as part of the SITC's section 105 air
program grant and seeking funding from other sources as needed,
including, but not limited to, additional support through the Tribal
budget process. The TIP also establishes permit fees.
In accordance with CAA section 128, the SITC TIP requires any board
or individual exercising approval authority over permits or enforcement
orders issued pursuant to the TIP to: (1) Have at least a majority of
members who represent the public interest and do not derive any
significant portion of their income from persons subject to permits or
enforcement orders (provided, however, that elected officials or
employees of the Tribe who receive income from the Tribe for the
performance of their official duties may exercise approval authority
over permits or enforcement orders issued to the Tribe); and (2) shall
adequately disclose any potential conflicts of interest. Any such
disclosures will be in writing to the Planning Commission (a Swinomish
Tribal Senate committee that provides policy and guidance) and will
become a part of the record of the permit or enforcement order.
E. What requirements does the SITC TIP contain?
The SITC TIP open burning regulations apply to open burns conducted
within the Reservation,
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except for burns conducted for tribally-recognized cultural or
spiritual purposes. An open burn permit is required for any person who
commences an open burn that is four or more feet in diameter or three
or more feet in height. The regulations prohibit the burning of certain
materials, including, but not limited to, structures, garbage, dead
animals, junked motor vehicles, tires or rubber materials, plastics,
tar, petroleum products, paints, paper products other than what is
necessary to start a fire, lumber or timbers treated with
preservatives, construction debris or demolition waste, pesticides,
herbicides, fertilizers, or other chemicals, insulated wire, batteries,
light bulbs, materials containing mercury, asbestos or asbestos-
containing materials, pathogenic waste, hazardous waste, any material
other than natural vegetation that normally emits dense smoke or
noxious fumes when burned, any material from a site other than the
parcel number upon which the open burn is conducted, or fireworks or
associated packaging other than those permitted under STC title 15,
chapter 2.
The TIP also authorizes the Planning Department to call burn bans
in the case of impaired air quality or the high risk of fire. The
Department shall declare a burn ban based on impaired air quality when
pollutant concentrations are measured or predicted within the
Reservation to: (1) Exceed 75% of the currently effective NAAQS for
PM2.5 or PM10; or (2) exceed any other of the
currently effective NAAQS.
Notice of burn bans will be issued with signs near access roads,
and on the open burning hotline. Burn bans apply to all open burning on
the Reservation with the exception of burns for cooking, recreational
or heating purposes, or an open burn conducted for tribally-recognized
cultural or spiritual purposes. If a burn begins prior to the ban being
issued and its cessation would cause greater emissions than allowing it
to continue, the Planning Department may authorize the open burn to
continue. The Department may also use its discretion to ban all open
burning on the Reservation based on the severity of air quality
conditions or risk of fire danger. This includes fires for cooking,
recreational or heating purposes, with the exception of fires in homes
that use woodstoves as a primary source of heat.
The TIP establishes requirements and procedures for obtaining an
open burn permit on land within the exterior boundaries of the
Swinomish Reservation. A complete permit application must be submitted
and a permit obtained at least three working days prior to the date of
the open burn. The Planning Department may issue an open burn permit if
after review it is determined that the open burn will not cause adverse
air quality or endanger the public. Issued permits will contain
standard permit conditions and may contain additional permit
conditions. These permit conditions establish parameters for open
burning designed to protect air quality. There are also special
permitting provisions for training fires and agricultural burning. The
TIP establishes a fee system for open burning and special use permits.
The TIP includes provisions to be followed by the Tribe in
enforcing the open burning TIP. The Planning Department is authorized
to conduct inspections to ensure compliance with the open burning
conditions. If violations are found, a permit may be revoked and/or an
enforcement order may be issued requiring the responsible party to
cease and abate the violating activity, and/or pay a civil penalty and/
or damages. Notices of violations will cite specific details of the
violation, including applicable permit conditions. The director of the
Planning Department must disclose any conflicts of interest with regard
to persons issued a permit or subject to an enforcement order.
The TIP also identifies a system for appeals. Any person whose
permit application is denied or to whom the Department issues an
enforcement order may appeal the decision to the Planning Commission,
Swinomish Tribal Senate, and Swinomish Tribal Court in accordance with
the appeals process described in STC 19-04.560 through 19-04.600.
The EPA is proposing to approve the provisions of title 19, chapter
2 of the STC into the Swinomish TIP as part of today's proposed action
(with the exception of the operating permits, nuisance, and carbon
emission fee provisions that were not included in the Tribe's
submittal). We note that approval of any Tribal enforcement-related
authorities (e.g., enforcement, penalties, damages, hearings, appeals)
into the TIP would have no effect on the EPA's independent authorities
under sections 113 and 114 of the Act. Any enforcement of the TIP's
requirements brought by the EPA would proceed under the EPA's
independent authorities under the Clean Air Act provisions noted above.
If the EPA issues a final approval of the TIP, the SITC TIP for
open burning would replace the currently effective open burning
provisions in the FIP for the Swinomish Reservation (found at 40 CFR
49.10960(g)). All other provisions of the FIP for the Swinomish
Reservation will be unaffected by this action.
The EPA has the authority, under the Act, to enforce the
requirements in an approved TIP. The EPA will work cooperatively with
the Indian Tribe in exercising its enforcement authority. The EPA
recognizes that, in certain circumstances, eligible Indian Tribes have
limited criminal enforcement authority. The TAR specifically provides
that such limitations on an Indian Tribe's criminal enforcement
authority do not prevent a TIP from being approved. Where
implementation of the TIP requires criminal enforcement authority, and
to the extent an Indian Tribe is precluded from asserting such
authority, the Federal government has primary criminal enforcement
responsibility. A memorandum of agreement between an Indian Tribe and
the EPA is an appropriate way to address circumstances in which the
Indian Tribe is incapable of exercising applicable enforcement
requirements as described in 40 CFR 49.7(a)(6) and 40 CFR 49.8. In
2010, the Tribe and the EPA entered into a memorandum of agreement that
addresses the process by which the Tribe will provide potential
investigative leads to the EPA and/or other appropriate Federal
entities in an appropriate and timely manner.
V. Proposed Action
Under CAA sections 110(o), 110(k)(3) and 301(d), the EPA is
proposing to approve the TIP that was submitted by the SITC on June 28,
2012, and the supplementary submittals received on September 24, 2013,
November 18, 2013, and January 28, 2014, for regulating open burning
within the exterior boundaries of the Swinomish Reservation. The SITC
TIP includes regulations governing prohibited materials, burn bans,
open burning permit requirements and fees, and provisions related to
enforcement of the TIP. Although the EPA is proposing to approve the
regulations discussed above, the EPA is not proposing to incorporate by
reference into the CFR the enforcement-related authorities for the
reasons discussed in section IV. If the EPA takes final action to
approve this TIP, the SITC TIP for open burning will apply to all
persons within the exterior boundaries of the Reservation and will
replace the existing open burning provisions in the FIP for the
Swinomish Reservation (49.10956(g) and 49.10960(g)).
[[Page 25054]]
VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this
proposed action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' and
therefore is not subject to review by the Office of Management and
Budget. For this reason, this action is also not subject to Executive
Order 13211, ``Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001). This
proposed action merely proposes to approve laws of an eligible Indian
Tribe as meeting Federal requirements and imposes no additional
requirements beyond those imposed by Tribal law. Accordingly, the
Administrator certifies that this proposed rule will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601, et seq.). Because
this rule proposes to approve pre-existing requirements under Tribal
law and does not impose any additional enforceable duty beyond that
required by Tribal law, it 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).
Executive Order 13175, entitled ``Consultation and Coordination
With Indian Tribal Governments'' (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000),
requires the EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure
``meaningful and timely input by Tribal officials in the development of
regulatory policies that have Tribal implications.'' The EPA has
concluded that this proposed rule will have Tribal implications in that
it will have substantial direct effects on the SITC. However, it will
neither impose substantial direct compliance costs on Tribal
governments, nor preempt Tribal law. The EPA is proposing to approve
the SITC's TIP at the request of the Tribe. Tribal law will not be
preempted as the SITC incorporated the TIP into Tribal law on March 9,
2012. The Tribe has applied for, and fully supports, the proposed
approval of the TIP. If it is finally approved, the TIP will become
federally enforceable.
The EPA worked with Tribal air program staff early in the process
of developing the TIP to allow for meaningful and timely input into its
development. To administer an approved TIP, Indian Tribes must be
determined eligible (40 CFR part 49) for TAS for the purpose of
administering a TIP. During the TAS eligibility process, the Tribe and
the EPA worked together to ensure that the appropriate information was
submitted to the EPA. The SITC and the EPA also worked together
throughout the process of development and Tribal adoption of the TIP.
This action also does not have Federalism implications because it
does not have substantial direct effects on the States, on the
relationship between the national government and the States, or on the
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of
government, as specified in Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August
10, 1999). This action merely proposes to approve a TIP covering areas
within the exterior boundaries of the SITC Reservation, and does not
alter the relationship or the distribution of power and
responsibilities between States and the Federal government established
in the Clean Air Act. This proposed rule does not provide the 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, ``Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations'' (59 FR 7629, February 16,
1994). This proposed rule also is not subject to Executive Order 13045
``Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety
Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), because it is not economically
significant.
The requirements of section 12(d) of the National Technology
Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272) do not
apply to this proposed rule. In reviewing TIP submissions, the EPA's
role is to approve an eligible Indian Tribe's submission, provided that
it meets the criteria of the Clean Air Act. In this context, in the
absence of a prior existing requirement for the Indian Tribe to use
voluntary consensus standards (VCS), the EPA has no authority to
disapprove a TIP submission for failure to use VCS. It would thus be
inconsistent with applicable law for the EPA, when it reviews a TIP
submission, to use VCS in place of a TIP submission that otherwise
satisfies the provisions of the Clean Air Act. Thus, the requirements
of section 12(d) of the NTTAA do not apply.
This proposed rule does not impose an information collection burden
under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3501, et seq.).
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 49
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental
relations, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Dated: April 21, 2014.
Dennis J. McLerran,
Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 2014-10106 Filed 5-1-14; 8:45 am]
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