[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 8711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03609]
[[Page 8711]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9942-60-Region 3]
Adequacy Status of the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard
Reasonable Further Progress Budgets for Volatile Organic Compounds and
Nitrogen Oxides for 2012 for Transportation Conformity Purposes
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of adequacy.
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SUMMARY: In this notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
notifying the public that EPA has found that the Baltimore 1997 8-hour
ozone standard reasonable further progress budgets for volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) for 2012 are
adequate for transportation conformity purposes. As a result of EPA's
finding, the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area must use
these budgets for future conformity determinations.
DATES: This final rule is effective on March 8, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Becoat, Physical Scientist,
Office of Air Program Planning (3AP30), United States Environmental
Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
19103, (215) 814-2036; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 22, 2013, EPA received a State
Implementation Plan (SIP) revision from Maryland Department of the
Environment (MDE). This revision consisted of 2012 reasonable further
progress (RFP) motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for the Baltimore
1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area. This submission established MVEBs
for the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area for the year
2012. The MVEBs are the amount of emissions allowed in the SIP for on-
road motor vehicles; it establishes an emissions ceiling for the
regional transportation network. The MVEBs are provided in Table 1:
Table 1--2012 RFP Mobile Budgets for the Baltimore NonAttainment Area
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Motor vehicle
Motor vehicle emissions
Year emissions budgets for
budgets for NOX VOCs in tons
in tons per day per day
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2012.................................. 93.5 40.2
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On November 23, 2015, EPA posted the availability of the Baltimore
1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area MVEBs on EPA's Web site for the
purpose of soliciting public comments as part of the adequacy process.
The comment period closed on November 23, 2015 and EPA received no
comments.
Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that EPA has
already made. EPA Region III sent a letter to MDE on January 14, 2016,
finding that the 2012 RFP MVEBs in the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone
Nonattainment Area SIP, submitted on July 22, 2013 by MDE, are adequate
and must be used for transportation conformity determinations in the
Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area. The finding and
associated letter is available at EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.
Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the
Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation
plans, transportation improvement programs, and projects conform to
SIPs and establishes the criteria and procedures for determining
whether or not they do. Conformity to a SIP means that transportation
activities will not produce new air quality violations, worsen existing
violations, or delay timely attainment of the national ambient air
quality standards.
The criteria by which EPA determines whether a SIP's MVEBs are
adequate for conformity purposes are outlined in 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4).
EPA described the process for determining the adequacy of submitted SIP
budgets in a July 1, 2004 preamble starting at 69 FR 40038 and used the
information in these resources in making this adequacy determination.
Please note that an adequacy review is separate from EPA's completeness
review, and should not be used to prejudge EPA's ultimate approval
action for the SIP. Even if EPA finds the budgets for the Baltimore
1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area adequate, the SIP could later be
disapproved. The finding and the response to comments are available at
EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.
Dated: February 4, 2016.
Shawn M. Garvin,
Regional Administrator, Region III.
[FR Doc. 2016-03609 Filed 2-19-16; 8:45 am]
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