[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 57 (Friday, March 23, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 12694-12696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06025]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R09-OAR-2018-0120; FRL-9975-81--Region 9]
Approval of California Air Plan Revisions; Butte County Air
Quality Management District; Stationary Source Permits
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to
approve a revision to the Butte County Air Quality Management District
(BCAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP).
This revision concerns the District's New Source Review (NSR)
permitting program for new and modified sources of air pollution. We
are proposing action on a local rule under the Clean Air Act as amended
in 1990 (CAA or the Act). We are taking comments on this proposal and
plan to follow with a final action.
DATES: Any comments must arrive by April 23, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R09-
OAR-2018-0120 at http://www.regulations.gov, or via email to T. Khoi
Nguyen, at [email protected]. For comments submitted at
Regulations.gov, follow the online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be removed or edited from
Regulations.gov. For either manner of submission, the EPA may publish
any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically
any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information
(CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a
written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment
and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA
will generally not consider comments or comment contents located
outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other
file sharing system). For additional submission methods, please contact
the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
For the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or
multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective
comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: T. Khoi Nguyen, EPA Region IX, (415)
947-4120, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, ``we,'' ``us'' and
``our'' refer to the EPA.
Table of Contents
I. The State's Submittal
A. What rule did the State submit?
B. Are there other versions of this rule?
C. What is the purpose of the submitted rule?
II. The EPA's Evaluation and Action
A. How is the EPA evaluating the rule?
B. Does the rule meet the evaluation criteria?
C. Public Comment and Proposed Action
III. Incorporation by Reference
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. The State's Submittal
A. What rule did the State submit?
Table 1 lists the rule addressed by this proposal with the dates
that it was amended by the BCAQMD and submitted by the California Air
Resources Board (CARB), which is the governor's designee for California
SIP submittals.
Table 1--Submitted Rule
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Local agency Rule No. Rule title Amended Submitted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BCAQMD........................... 432............... Federal New Source Review 3/23/17 6/12/17
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On December 12, 2017, the submittal for the BCAQMD was deemed by
operation of law to meet the completeness criteria in 40 CFR part 51
Appendix V, which must be met before formal EPA review.
B. Are there other versions of this rule?
On December 22, 2016, the EPA finalized a limited approval and
limited disapproval of Rule 432. 81 FR 93820.
C. What is the purpose of the submitted rule?
Section 110(a) of the CAA requires states to submit regulations
that include a pre-construction permit program for certain new or
modified stationary sources of pollutants, including a permit program
as required by Part D of Title I of the CAA.
The purpose of District Rule 432 is to implement a federal
preconstruction permit program for new and modified minor sources of
regulated NSR pollutants, and new and modified major sources of
regulated NSR pollutants for which the area is designated
nonattainment. BCAQMD is currently designated as a nonattainment area
for the 2008 8-hr ozone and 2006 24-hr PM2.5 NAAQS. The rule
revision further corrects a deficiency in which the EPA previously
finalized a limited disapproval of Rule 432 because we determined that
the rule does not fully satisfy 40 CFR 51.165(a)(13)'s requirements for
regulation of PM2.5 precursors as it pertains to ammonia. We
present our evaluation under the CAA and the EPA's regulations of the
revised NSR rule submitted by CARB, as identified in Table 1, and
provide our reasoning in general terms below and a more detailed
analysis in our technical support document (TSD), which is available in
the docket for the proposed rulemaking.
II. The EPA's Evaluation and Action
A. How is the EPA evaluating the rule?
The submitted rule must meet the CAA's general requirements for
SIPs and SIP revisions in CAA sections 110(a)(2), 110(l), and 193 as
well as the applicable requirements contained in part D of title I of
the Act (sections 172 and 173) for a nonattainment NSR permit program.
In addition, the submitted rule must contain the applicable regulatory
provisions of 40 CFR 51.160-51.165 and 40 CFR 51.307.
Among other things, section 110 of the Act requires that SIP rules
be enforceable and provides that the EPA
[[Page 12695]]
may not approve a SIP revision if it would interfere with any
applicable requirements concerning attainment and reasonable further
progress or any other requirement of the CAA. In addition, section
110(a)(2) and section 110(l) of the Act require that each SIP or
revision to a SIP submitted by a state must be adopted after reasonable
notice and public hearing.
Section 110(a)(2)(c) of the Act requires each SIP to include a
permit program to regulate the modification and construction of any
stationary source within the areas covered by the SIP as necessary to
assure attainment and maintenance of the NAAQS. The EPA's regulations
at 40 CFR 51.160-51.164 provide general programmatic requirements to
implement this statutory mandate commonly referred to as the ``minor
NSR'' or ``general NSR'' permit program. These NSR program regulations
impose requirements for SIP approval of state and local programs that
are more general in nature as compared to the specific statutory and
regulatory requirements for nonattainment NSR permitting programs under
Part D of title I of the Act.
Part D of title I of the Act contains the general requirements for
areas designated nonattainment for a NAAQS (section 172), including
preconstruction permit requirements for new major sources and major
modifications proposing to construct in nonattainment areas (section
173).
Additionally, 40 CFR 51.165 sets forth the EPA's regulatory
requirements for SIP-approval of a nonattainment NSR permit program.
The protection of visibility requirements that apply to New Source
Review programs are contained in 40 CFR 51.307. This provision requires
that certain actions be taken in consultation with the local Federal
Land Manager if a new major source or major modification may have an
impact on visibility in any mandatory Class I Federal Area.
Section 110(l) of the Act prohibits the EPA from approving any SIP
revisions that would interfere with any applicable requirement
concerning attainment and reasonable further progress (RFP) or any
other applicable requirement of the CAA. Section 193 of the Act, which
only applies in nonattainment areas, prohibits the modification of a
SIP-approved control requirement in effect before November 15, 1990, in
any manner unless the modification insures equivalent or greater
emission reductions of such air pollutant.
The EPA has reviewed the submitted rule in accordance with the rule
evaluation criteria described above. With respect to procedures, based
on our review of the public process documentation included in the June
12, 2017 submittal, we are proposing to approve the submitted rule in
part because we have determined that the BCAQMD has provided sufficient
evidence of public notice and opportunity for comment and public
hearings prior to adoption and submittal of this rule, in accordance
with the requirements of CAA sections 110(a)(2) and 110(l). The
amendment of Rule 432 now also includes ammonia as a potential
precursor to PM2.5, thus resolving the limited disapproval
issue from the December 2016 action. Our TSD, which can be found in the
docket for this rule, contains a more detailed discussion of the
approval criteria.
C. Public Comment and Proposed Action
As authorized in section 110(k)(3) of the Act, the EPA proposes to
fully approve the submitted rule because it fulfills all relevant
requirements. We will accept comments from the public on this proposal
until April 23, 2018. If we take final action to approve the submitted
rule, our final action will incorporate this rule into the federally-
enforceable SIP.
III. Incorporation by Reference
In this rule, the EPA is proposing to include in a final EPA rule
regulatory text that includes incorporation by reference. In accordance
with requirements of 1 CFR 51.5, the EPA is proposing to incorporate by
reference the BCAQMD rule described in Table 1 of this preamble. The
EPA has made, and will continue to make, these materials available
through www.regulations.gov and at the EPA Region IX Office (please
contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section of this preamble for more information).
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the Clean Air Act, 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, the EPA's role is to approve state
choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act.
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 Orders 12866 (58
FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011);
Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 2,
2017) regulatory action because SIP approvals are exempted under
Executive Order 12866.
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 Clean Air Act; 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, the SIP is not approved to apply on any Indian
reservation land or in any other area where EPA or an Indian tribe has
demonstrated that a tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian
country, the rule does not have tribal implications and will not impose
substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
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 12696]]
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 Clean Air Act, petitions for
judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court
of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by May 22, 2018. 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, New Source Review, Particulate
matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: March 9, 2018.
Alexis Strauss,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2018-06025 Filed 3-22-18; 8:45 am]
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