[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 82 (Monday, May 1, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 20294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-08660]
[[Page 20294]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R01-OAR-2016-0092; FRL-9961-56-Region 1]
Air Plan Approval; Rhode Island; Repeal of NOX Budget Trading
Program
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a State
Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Rhode
Island. This revision removes Air Pollution Control (APC) Regulation
41, entitled ``NOX Budget Trading Program'' (Rhode Island
NBP) from the Rhode Island SIP. The Rhode Island NBP was a market-based
cap and trade program, which was created to reduce emissions of
nitrogen oxides (NOX) from power plants and other large
combustion sources in response to EPA's 1998 NOX SIP Call.
By 2009, EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) had effectively
replaced NOX Budget Trading Programs in eastern states. CAIR
has since been replaced by the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR),
which was first implemented on January 1, 2015. Rhode Island was not
covered by CAIR or CSAPR. The State's NBP was repealed under state law
effective July 29, 2014. The five sources meeting the NBP applicability
criteria have Title V permits, which contain SIP-derived NOX
emissions limits, that limit their NOX emissions below the
maximum emissions (936 tons) that were allowed under the Rhode Island
NBP and, therefore, the requirements of the NOX SIP Call are
satisfied by the emissions limits contained in those sources' permits.
This renders Regulation 41 unnecessary. This action is being taken in
accordance with the Clean Air Act.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 31, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R01-
OAR-2016-0092 at http://www.regulations.gov, or via email to
[email protected]. For comments submitted at Regulations.gov, follow
the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted,
comments cannot be edited or removed 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 http://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alison C. Simcox, Air Quality Planning
Unit, Air Programs Branch (Mail Code OEP05-02), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 1, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Boston,
Massachusetts 02109-3912; (617) 918-1684; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Final Rules section of this Federal
Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP submittal as a direct final
rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a
noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A
detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final
rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action
rule, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse
comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public
comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on
this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any
parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this
time. Please note that if EPA receives adverse comment on an amendment,
paragraph, or section of this rule and if that provision may be severed
from the remainder of the rule, EPA may adopt as final those provisions
of the rule that are not the subject of an adverse comment.
For additional information, see the direct final rule which is
located in the Rules section of this Federal Register.
Dated: March 23, 2017.
Deborah A. Szaro,
Acting Regional Administrator, EPA New England.
[FR Doc. 2017-08660 Filed 4-28-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P