[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 87 (Friday, May 5, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 22289-22296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10972]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Parts 52 and 81
[OH54-1-6164a; FRL-5201-2]
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation
of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes: State of Ohio
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Direct final rule.
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SUMMARY: USEPA is approving, through ``direct final'' procedure, a
redesignation request and maintenance plan for the Dayton-Springfield,
Ohio area as a revision to Ohio's State Implementation Plan (SIP) for
ozone. The revision is based on a request from the State of Ohio to
redesignate Montgomery, Greene, Clark, and Miami Counties from
nonattainment to attainment for ozone, and to approve the maintenance
plan for the area. The State has met the requirements for redesignation
contained in the Clean Air Act (CAA), as amended in 1990. The
redesignation request is based on ambient monitoring data that show no
violations of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS)
during the three-year period from 1990 through 1992. In the proposed
rules section of this Federal Register, USEPA is proposing approval of
this requested redesignation and SIP revision, and is now soliciting
public comments on this action. If adverse comments are received on
this direct final rule, USEPA will withdraw this final rule and address
these comments in a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule.
DATES: This final rule is effective July 5, 1995 unless adverse or
critical comments are received by June 5, 1995. If the effective date
is delayed, timely notice will be published in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the SIP revision request and USEPA's analysis are
available for inspection at the following address: (It is recommended
that you telephone Angela Lee at (312) 353-5142 before visiting the
Region 5 Office.) United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region
5, Air and Radiation Division, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
Illinois 60604.
Written comments can be mailed to: William MacDowell, Chief,
Regulation Development Section, Air Enforcement Branch (AE-17J), United
States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60604.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela Lee, Regulation Development
Section, Air Enforcement Branch (AE-17J), United States Environmental
Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
Illinois 60604, (312) 353-5142.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 8, 1993, Ohio submitted a
redesignation request and section 175A maintenance plan for Montgomery,
Greene, Miami, and Clark Counties. The USEPA reviewed these submittals
against the redesignation criteria set forth by section 107(d)(3)(E) of
the Act, which are discussed in a September 4, 1992, memorandum from
John Calcagni, Director of the Air Quality Management Division, Office
of Air Quality Planning and Standards, to Directors of Regional Air
Divisions, entitled, ``Procedures for Processing Requests to
Redesignate Areas to Attainment'' (Calcagni Memorandum). A second
memorandum dated September 17, 1993, signed by Michael Shapiro, Acting
Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, entitled, ``State
Implementation Plan (SIP) Requirements for Areas Submitting Requests
for Redesignation to Attainment of the Ozone and Carbon Monoxide NAAQS
on or after November 15, 1992'' was also used to evaluate Ohio's
request. An analysis of these submittals is contained in a Technical
Support Document (TSD), dated January 17, 1995.
I. Background
The 1977 Act required areas that were designated nonattainment
based on a failure to meet the ozone NAAQS, to develop SIPs with
sufficient control measures to expeditiously attain and maintain the
standard. For Ohio, Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Clark Counties were
designated nonattainment for ozone, see 43 FR 8962 (March 3, 1978), 43
FR 45993 (October 5, 1978), and 40 CFR part 81.
After enactment of the amended Act on November 15, 1990, the
nonattainment designation of the Dayton-Springfield area continued by
operation of law according to section 107(d)(1)(C)(i) of the Act;
furthermore, it was classified by operation of law as moderate for
ozone pursuant to section 181(a)(1) (56 FR 56694, November 6, 1991),
codified at 40 CFR 81.336.
More recently, ambient monitoring data show no violations of the
ozone NAAQS in the Dayton-Springfield area during the period from 1990
through 1992. Therefore, the area became eligible for redesignation
from nonattainment to attainment consistent with the amended Act. To
ensure continued attainment of the ozone standard, Ohio submitted an
ozone maintenance SIP for the Dayton Springfield area to USEPA on
November 8, 1993. On November 8, 1993 Ohio requested redesignation of
the area to attainment with respect to the ozone NAAQS. On December 20,
1993, Ohio held a public hearing on the maintenance plan and
redesignation request.
II. Evaluation Criteria
The 1990 Amendments revised section 107(d)(3)(E) to provide five
specific requirements that an area must [[Page 22290]] meet in order to
be redesignated from nonattainment to attainment.
1. The area must have attained the applicable NAAQS.
2. The area has meet all relevant requirements under section 110
and part D of the Act.
3. The area has a fully approved SIP under section 110(d) of the
Act.
4. The air quality improvement must be permanent and enforceable.
5. The area must have a fully approved maintenance plan pursuant to
section 175A of the Act.
Each of these requirements are addressed below.
A. Section 107(d)(3)(E)(i). The Administrator determines that the
area has attained the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
For ozone, an area is considered in attainment of the NAAQS if there
are no violations, as determined in accordance with 40 CFR 50.9, based
on quality assured monitoring data for three complete, consecutive
calendar years. A violation of the NAAQS occurs when the annual average
number of expected exceedances is greater than 1.0 at any site in the
area at issue. An exceedance occurs when the maximum hourly ozone
concentration exceeds 0.124 ppm. The data should be collected and
quality-assured in accordance with 40 CFR Part 58, and recorded in the
Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS) in order for it to be
available to the public for review.
Ohio submitted ozone monitoring data recorded in the Dayton-
Springfield area during the years 1983 through June, 1993. The ozone
monitoring network consists of five monitors. Two are located in Clark
County, one in Montgomery County, and the other in Preble County. Two
slight exceedances of the ozone standard have been monitored since
1989. One exceedance of 0.125 ppm occurred in 1993 at the Timberlane
monitor in Montgomery County. The other exceedance which occurred at
the Urbana Road monitor (Clark County) in 1994 also measured 0.125 ppm.
Data stored in AIRS was used to determine the annual average expected
exceedances for the years 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994. Data
contained in AIRS have undergone quality assurance review by the State
and USEPA. Since the annual average number of expected exceedances for
each monitor during the most recent three years are less than 1.0, the
Dayton-Springfield area is considered to have attained the standard.
B. Section 107(d)(3)(iii). The Administrator determines that the
improvement in air quality is due to permanent and enforceable
measures. The State must be able to reasonably attribute the
improvement in air quality to emission reductions which are permanent
and enforceable. To satisfy this requirement, Ohio estimated emission
reductions from a nonattainment year (1988) to an attainment year
(1990). Ohio submitted documentation which showed that in 1990 VOC
emissions dropped almost ten percent from 1988 levels.
Most of the emission reductions which occurred over this time
period resulted from federally mandated controls on the volatility of
gasoline1 and air pollution controls installed on new automobiles
through the Federal Motor Vehicle Emissions Control Program (FMVCP).
These controls reduced mobile source emissions by about 32 tons per day
(tpd). Since these reductions result from federally mandated controls,
the USEPA considers these reductions to be permanent and enforceable.
\1\The Reid Vapor Pressure changed from 11.5 psi in 1988 to 10.5
psi in 1990.
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Stationary source shutdowns accounted for a decrease of 3.2 tpd in
actual VOC emissions between 1988 and 1990. A 2.7 tpd increase in
actual stationary source VOC emissions was estimated from permits to
install (PTIs) issued in the area between 1988 and 1990. Since the
operating permits for the shut down stationary sources have been
revoked, and have been documented in the redesignation request, the
USEPA considers the emission reductions to be permanent and
enforceable. Overall, stationary source VOC emissions declined 0.5 tpd
between 1988 and 1990.
Ohio used economic indicators to show that the area was not
experiencing an economic downturn during this time period. Bureau of
Economic Analysis (BEA) projections for manufacturing earnings from
1988 to 1995 indicate an annual growth rate of one percent for all
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. BEA regional
projections of population, personal income and earnings, and employment
by place of work from 1973 to 1988 and from 1995 to 2040 increase from
1988 levels to 1995.
Ohio's demonstration that the improvement in air quality was due to
permanent and enforceable reductions meets the requirements set forth
in the Calcagni Memorandum.
C. The Area must have a fully approved maintenance plan meeting the
requirements of Section 175A. Section 175A of the CAA sets forth the
elements of a maintenance plan for areas seeking redesignation from
nonattainment to attainment. The maintenance plan is a SIP revision
which provides for maintenance of the relevant NAAQS in the area for at
least 10 years after redesignation. The Calcagni Memorandum provides
further guidance on the required content of a maintenance plan.
An ozone maintenance plan should address the following five areas:
The attainment inventory, maintenance demonstration, monitoring
network, verification of continued attainment and a contingency plan.
The attainment emissions inventory identifies the emissions level in
the area which is sufficient to attain the ozone NAAQS, and includes
emissions during the time period which had no monitored violations.
Maintenance is demonstrated by showing that future emissions will not
exceed the level established by the attainment inventory. Provisions
for continued operation of an appropriate air quality monitoring
network are to be included in the maintenance plan. The State must show
how it will track and verify the progress of the maintenance plan.
Finally, the maintenance plan must include contingency measures which
ensure prompt correction of any violation of the ozone standard.
1. Attainment Inventory
The State has developed an adequate attainment emission inventory
for 1990 that identifies the level of emissions in the Dayton-
Springfield area sufficient to attain the ozone NAAQS. The 1990
attainment inventory was based on comprehensive inventories of VOC and
NOX emissions from area, stationary, and mobile sources for 1990.
The 1990 base year emission inventory represents 1990 average summer
day actual emissions for the Dayton-Springfield area, and was prepared
in accordance with USEPA guidance. USEPA's TSD prepared for the 1990
base year emission inventory SIP revision contains a detailed analysis
of this inventory. This inventory was approved as satisfying the
requirements of section 182(a)(1) for an emissions inventory on March
22, 1995 (60 FR 15053).
2. Maintenance Demonstration
To demonstrate continued attainment, Ohio projected point, area,
and mobile source VOC and NOX emissions from the year 1990 to the
year 2005. The projections incorporate reductions from existing
controls, the enhanced vehicle inspection and maintenance I/M program
(enhanced I/M) and Stage II vapor recovery program (Stage II). The
Stage II Vapor Recovery program is currently being implemented in the
Dayton-Springfield area. The enhanced [[Page 22291]] I/M program is
expected to be operational in 1996. The emissions reductions from Stage
II and enhanced I/M offset emissions increases during the maintenance
period. The projections also provide for a growth cushion for existing
and new industrial sources. These projections show that the level of
emissions established by the attainment inventory will not be exceeded
during the maintenance period 1990-2005. Table 1 lists the emissions
for the years 1990, 1996, 2000, and 2005. All emissions were converted
to tons per day for a typical summer day.
Area source emissions were projected using population as a growth
indicator for all area source subcategories. This method is acceptable
since the recommended growth factors for the four largest area source
subcategories in terms of emissions in the Dayton-Springfield area are
less than the population growth factor. The recommended growth factors
for area source subcategories are listed in Table III.3 of USEPA's
guidance document entitled ``Procedures for Preparing Emissions
Projections'', dated July 1991. Projections of total population for the
period 1990 to 2005 were obtained using data from the Ohio Data User's
Center and population patterns. This data yields a growth rate of less
than one percent. A one percent annual growth rate was used because of
expected residential growth in Greene and Miami Counties, and because
point source growth by SIC has been forecast by the Ohio Environmental
Protection Agency (OEPA) to be about one percent per year for any
category.
Ohio projected point source emissions by estimating changes in
emissions expected from source shutdowns, growth from new sources and
potential growth from existing sources. Historical data for point
source growth from 1988 to 1992 indicate that PTIs averaged about 700
tons per year (tpy). Shutdowns from 1988 to 1992 accounted for a
reduction of 300 tons per year of actual emissions. Based on this
information, Ohio added 400 tons of VOC emissions to each year out to
the year 2005 to account for new, non-offset source growth. Existing
companies were assumed to expand their actual emissions to permitted
levels. The difference between actual and allowable emissions is 3250
tons. This was spread equally, areawide, over the 15 year period from
1990 to 2005. Ohio accounted for known changes to sources for each year
between 1990 and 2005 and applied a growth factor based on
manufacturing employment data provided by the Bureau of Economic
Analysis (BEA), United States Department of Commerce, to derive
inventories for all ensuing years. (BEA manufacturing employment growth
for the aggregate of source categories is one percent.) To account for
growth of existing sources, Ohio added 217 TPY each year to the total
emissions from the previous year.
Mobile source emissions were projected by forecasting vehicle miles
travelled (VMT) from the year 1990 to the year 2005. A 1.28 percent per
year VMT growth rate was used for the four county area. This growth
rate was determined by considering the future highway network,
forecasts of socio-economic data, and 1990 Highway Performance Modeling
System (HPMS) data. Stage II and enhanced I/M were accounted for in the
MOBILE5a program which was used to determine the emission factors for
the Dayton-Springfield area. Mobile source emissions for the year 2005
were produced by multiplying MOBILE5a VOC and NOX emission factors
by the projected average weekday VMT for each county.
Table 1.--Maintenance Demonstration
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Source category 1990 1996 2000 2005
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VOC Emissions (tons per day)
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Point................................... 37.4 61.6 77.7 97.4
Biogenic................................ 105.2 105.2 105.2 105.2
Area.................................... 54.9 58.3 60.6 64.4
Mobile (on-road)........................ 103.6 45.5 39.4 31.7
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Total............................. 301.1 270.6 282.9 298.7
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NOX Emissions (tons per day)
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Point................................... 32.2 34.4 36.0 38.2
Area.................................... 36.5 38.5 39.9 41.7
Mobile (on-road)........................ 60.9 42.7 41.2 39.4
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Total............................. 129.6 115.6 117.1 119.3
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3. Maintenance Measures
Ohio chose to implement Stage II and enhanced I/M in the Dayton-
Springfield area as maintenance measures. The Ohio Stage II rule
requires owners and operators of gasoline dispensing facilities that
dispense greater than 10,000 gallons of fuel per month (50,000 gallons
per month in the case of an independent small business marketer) to
install and operate gasoline vehicle refueling vapor recovery systems.
Vapor recovery systems control the release of VOC, benzene, and toxics
emitted during the refueling process. Enhanced I/M will be implemented
in Green, Montgomery and Clark Counties (Miami County is excluded
because its population is less than 100,000). Ohio's emissions
projections show that the Stage II rule and enhanced I/M requirements
provide the necessary VOC emissions reductions to offset desired new
source growth and allow for maintenance of the ozone NAAQS.
The Stage II and enhanced I/M SIP revisions must be fully approved
before USEPA can consider the maintenance plan to be fully approved. On
October 20, 1994, the USEPA partially approved and partially
disapproved Ohio's SIP revision for implementation of the Stage II
program (58 FR 52911). As stated in that rulemaking action, with the
exception of paragraph 3745-21-09 (DDD)(5), USEPA considers Ohio's
Stage II program to fully satisfy the criteria set forth in the USEPA
guidance document for such programs entitled ``Enforcement Guidance for
Stage II Vehicle Refueling Control Programs.'' Only those Stage II
provisions previously approved by USEPA are part of the Dayton-
Springfield maintenance plan. Ohio's I/M SIP revision, which allows an
area to opt into enhanced I/M, was approved on April 4, 1995 (60 FR
16989). (The approval of the redesignation is contingent upon the
approval of the I/M SIP revision. Consequently, should the direct final
notice approving the I/M SIP Revision be withdrawn as a result of
adverse comment, this direct final notice approving the redesignation
will also be withdrawn and final action will be taken on the
redesignation at a later date.)
All existing VOC RACT controls required in the ozone SIP for the
Dayton-Springfield area and new RACT controls incorporated in the VOC
RACT SIP revision approved on March 23, 1995, remain in effect after
redesignation of the region to attainment.
4. Tracking Maintenance
The OEPA and Regional Air Pollution Control Agency (RAPCA) will
regularly monitor ozone air quality. In the redesignation request,
RAPCA committed to continue operating and maintaining the five existing
ozone monitors consistent with the requirements of Federal and State
monitoring guidelines. Backup monitoring equipment will also be
maintained.
The OEPA and RAPCA will develop comprehensive mobile, point, and
area emissions inventories every 3 years beginning with the year 1993.
Updates will be provided for intervening years. [[Page 22292]] The
point source inventory will be updated annually with facility and
permit data. The area source inventory will be updated using new data
and estimation procedures. The mobile source inventory will be updated
to incorporate new VMT estimates and revised USEPA mobile emissions
models. OEPA will submit annual progress reports to USEPA which
summarize available VOC emissions data.
5. Emission Budgets
The mobile source emissions budgets for purposes of determining the
conformity status of transportation plans and transportation
improvement plans in the Dayton-Springfield maintenance area are 31.7
tons VOC/day and 39.4 tons NOX/day. Ohio obtained this emissions
budget by calculating emissions for each county. The emissions budget
for Clark County is 7.8 tons NOX/day and 4.31 tons VOC/day.
6. Contingency Plan
If a violation is monitored, Ohio has committed to adopt and
implement new Control Technology Guideline (CTG) VOC RACT rules and
NOX RACT rules according to schedules shown in Table 2. If the sum
of point, area, and mobile source VOC emissions exceed the 1990
attainment inventory level, Ohio has committed to adopt and implement
new CTG VOC RACT rules according to the schedule shown in Table 2. The
new VOC RACT rules that will serve as a contingency measure include
rules for the following 11 Control Technology Guideline (CTG)
categories found in section 183(a) of the amended CAA: Synthetic
Organic Chemicals Manufacturing Industry (SOCMI) distillation, SOCMI
reactors, wood furniture, plastic parts coating (business machines),
plastic parts coating (other), offset lithography, industrial
wastewater, autobody refinishing, SOCMI batch processing, VOL storage
tanks, and clean up solvents.
The maintenance plan for Montgomery, Greene, Clark and Miami
Counties contains all the necessary elements and is acceptable.
Table 2.--Contingency Measure Implementation Schedule
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Completion date
Control measure Triggering Event Action (from trigger)
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New CTG VOC RACT rules..... violation of ozone NAAQS or Identify and verify ambient 1 month.
exceedance of 1990 attainment violation or exceedance of
inventory. attainment inventory.
Survey potential VOC categories 3 months.
or specific sources.
Propose revised rules for the 6 months.
Dayton-Springfield area.
Adopt rule revisions for the 9 months.
Dayton-Springfield area.
Source demonstration of 12 months.
compliance or submittal of
schedule to achieve.
Achieve compliance with revised 24 months.
requirements of OAC 3745-21.
NOx RACT rules............. Violation of ozone NAAQS........ Identify and verify ambient 1 month.
violation and issue Director's
Orders.
Adoption of NOx RACT rules..... 9 months.
Achieve compliance with 18 months.
requirements of OAC 2745-14-03
or request extension.
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D. The Area must have met all applicable requirements under Section
110 and Part D. Section 107(d)(3)(E) requires that, for an area to be
redesignated, the area must have met all applicable requirements under
section 110 and Part D. The USEPA interprets section 107(d)(3)(E)(v) to
mean that for a redesignation to be approved, the State must have met
all requirements that applied to the subject area prior to or at the
time of the submission of a complete redesignation request.
Requirements of the Act that come due subsequently continue to be
applicable to the area at those later dates (see section 175A(c)) and,
if the redesignation of the area is disapproved, the State remains
obligated to fulfill those requirements.
1. Section 110 Requirements
General SIP elements are delineated in section 110(a)(2) of Title
I, Part A. These requirements include but are not limited to the
following: submittal of a SIP that has been adopted by the State after
reasonable notice and public hearing, provisions for establishment and
operation of appropriate apparatus, methods, systems and procedures
necessary to monitor ambient air quality, implementation of a permit
program, provisions for Part C (PSD) and D (NSR) permit programs,
criteria for stationary source emission control measures, monitoring,
and reporting, provisions for modeling, and provisions for public and
local agency participation. For purposes of redesignation, the Ohio SIP
was reviewed to ensure that all requirements under the amended Act were
satisfied. Section 110 was amended in 1990, and the Dayton area SIP
meets the requirements of the amended section 110(a)(2). A number of
the requirements did not change in substance and, therefore, USEPA
believes that the pre-1990 amendment SIP meets those requirements. Many
of the requirements that were amended in 1990 are duplicative of other
requirements in the Act, and USEPA has determined that the Dayton SIP
is consistent with the requirements of section 110 of the amended Act.
2. Part D Requirements
Before the Dayton area may be redesignated to attainment, it must
have fulfilled the applicable requirements of part D. Under part D, an
area's classification determines the requirements to which it is
subject. Subpart 1 of part D sets forth the basic nonattainment
requirements applicable to all nonattainment areas. Subpart 2 of part D
establishes additional requirements for nonattainment areas classified
under table 1 of section 181(a). As described in the General Preamble
for the Implementation of Title 1, specific requirements of subpart 2
may override subpart 1's general provisions (57 FR 13501 (April 16,
1992)). The Dayton area was classified as moderate (56 FR 56694).
Therefore, in order to be redesignated, the State must
[[Page 22293]] meet the applicable requirements of subpart 1 of part
D--specifically sections 172(c) and 176, as well as the applicable
requirements of subpart 2 of part D.
a. Section 172(c) Requirements
Section 172(c) sets forth general requirements applicable to all
nonattainment areas. Under section 172(b), the section 172(c)
requirements are applicable as determined by the Administrator, but no
later than 3 years after an area has been designated as nonattainment
under the amended Act. Furthermore, as noted above, some of these
section 172(c) requirements are superseded by more specific
requirements in subpart 2 of part D. The State has satisfied all of the
section 172(c) requirements necessary for the Dayton area to be
redesignated upon the basis of the November 8, 1993, redesignation
request.
USEPA has determined that the section 172(c)(2) reasonable further
progress (RFP) requirement (with parallel requirements for a moderate
ozone nonattainment area under subpart 2 of part D, due November 15,
1993) was not applicable, as the State of Ohio submitted this
redesignation request on November 8, 1993, and RFP was not due until
November 15, 1993. Also the section 172(c)(9) contingency measures and
additional section 172(c)(1) non-RACT reasonable available control
measures (RACM) beyond those required in the SIP, are no longer
necessary, since no earlier date was set for requirement of these
measures.
The section 172(c)(3) emissions inventory requirement has been met
by the submission and approval (60 FR 15053) of the 1990 base year
inventory required under subpart 2 of part D, section 182(a)(1).
As for the section 172(c)(5) NSR requirement, USEPA has determined
that areas being redesignated need not comply with the NSR requirement
prior to redesignation provided that the area demonstrates maintenance
of the standard without part D NSR in effect. The rationale for this
view is described fully and a memorandum from Mary Nichols, Assistant
Administrator for Air and Radiation, dated October 14, 1994, entitled,
``Part D New Source Review (part D NSR) Requirements for Areas
Requesting Redesignation to Attainment'' and is based on the Agency's
authority to establish de minimis exceptions to statutory requirements.
See Alabama Power Co. v. Costle, 636 F. 2d 323, 360-61 (D.C. Cir.
1979). As discussed below, the State of Ohio has demonstrated that the
Dayton area will be able to maintain the standard without part D NSR in
effect and, therefore, the State need not have a fully-approved part D
NSR program prior to approval of the redesignation request for Dayton.
Ohio's part C PSD program will become effective in the Dayton area upon
redesignation to attainment.
Finally, for purposes of redesignation, the Dayton SIP was reviewed
to ensure that all requirements of section 110(a)(2), containing
general SIP elements, were satisfied. As noted above, USEPA believes
the SIP satisfies all of those requirements.
b. Section 176 Conformity Plan Provisions
Section 176(c) of the Act requires States to revise their SIPs to
establish criteria and procedures to ensure that, before they are
taken, Federal actions conform to the air quality planning goals in the
applicable State SIP. The requirement to determine conformity applies
to transportation plans, programs and projects developed, funded or
approved under Title 23 U.S.C. or the Federal Transit Act
(transportation conformity), as well as to all other Federal actions
(general conformity).
The USEPA promulgated final transportation conformity regulations
on November 24, 1993 (58 FR 62188) and general conformity regulations
on November 30, 1993 (58 FR 63214). Pursuant to section 51.396 of the
transportation conformity rule and section 51.851 of the general
conformity rule, the State of Ohio is required to submit a SIP revision
containing transportation conformity criteria and procedures consistent
with those established in the Federal rule by November 25, 1994, and
November 30, 1994, respectively. Because the deadlines for these
submittals did not come due prior to the date the Dayton redesignation
request was submitted, however, they are not applicable requirements
under section 107(d)(3)(E)(v) and, thus, do not affect approval of this
redesignation request.
3. Subpart 2 Requirements
The Dayton-Springfield area is classified moderate nonattainment;
therefore, part D, subpart 2, section 182(b) requirements apply. The
requirements which came due prior to the submission of the request to
redesignate the Dayton-Springfield area must be fully approved into the
SIP prior to redesignating the area to attainment. These requirements
are discussed below:
(i) 1990 Base Year Emission Inventory
The 1990 base year emission inventory was due on November 15, 1992.
It was submitted to the USEPA on March 15, 1994. The USEPA approved
this submittal on March 22, 1995 (60 FR 15053).
(ii) Emission Statements
The emissions statement SIP was due on November 15, 1992. It was
submitted to the USEPA on March 15, 1994. The USEPA approved this SIP
revision through a direct final rulemaking action published on October
13, 1994 (59 FR 51863).
(iii) VOC RACT Requirements
Sections 182(a)(2)(A) and 182(b)(2) establish VOC RACT requirements
applicable to moderate ozone nonattainment areas such as Dayton.
Section 182(a)(2)(A) required the submission to USEPA of all rules and
corrections to existing VOC RACT rules that were required under the
RACT provision of the pre-1990 CAA (referred to as RACT ``fix-ups'').
Section 182(b)(2) required the submission to USEPA of (1) VOC RACT
rules for all VOC sources covered by a CTG issued before the date of
enactment of the 1990 CAA amendments (a requirement that the State has
previously met), (2) VOC RACT for each VOC source covered by a CTG
issued between the enactment of the 1990 CAAA and the attainment date
(which is not an applicable requirement for purposes of this
redesignation since the due date for these rules is November 15, 1994,
a date after the submission of the redesignation request), and (3) VOC
RACT for all other major stationary sources of VOC located in the area.
On June 9, 1988, August 24, 1990, and June 7, 1993, Ohio submitted
VOC RACT rules to USEPA for approval. In a final rulemaking action, the
USEPA partially approved, partially disapproved, and granted partial
limited approval/limited disapproval to portions of Ohio's VOC RACT
rules on May 9, 1994 (see 58 FR 49458). Ohio submitted negative
declarations for source categories which must be subject to RACT but
for which there are no sources in the Dayton-Springfield area. The
USEPA has reviewed revised VOC RACT rules which addressed identified
deficiencies. Ohio's VOC RACT rules submittals have now been approved
in a direct final notice published on March 23, 1995 (60 FR 15235).
Thus, the State has now satisfied all of the VOC RACT requirements
applicable to the Dayton area. (The approval of this redesignation is
contingent upon the approval of the VOC RACT rules and the 1990 Base-
[[Page 22294]] Year Emissions Inventory. Thus, this redesignation will
not become effective until the approval of the VOC RACT rules and the
1990 Base-Year Emissions Inventory become effective. Consequently,
should the direct final notice approving the VOC RACT rules or 1990
Base-Year Inventory be withdrawn as a consequence of adverse comment,
this direct final notice approving the redesignation will also be
withdrawn and final action will be taken on the redesignation at a
later date.)
(iv) Stage II Vapor Recovery (Stage II)
Section 182(b)(3) required States to submit Stage II rules to USEPA
for moderate ozone nonattainment areas by November 15, 1992. Ohio
submitted Stage II regulations as a SIP revision on June 7, 1993.
However, as the USEPA promulgated onboard rules on April 6, 1994 (59 FR
16262), Stage II is no longer required for moderate ozone nonattainment
areas (see section 202(a)(b). Thus, a Stage II program is not an
applicable requirement for purposes of determining if the area has met
all the section 110 and part D requirements. However, Ohio is
implementing Stage II as a maintenance measure.
(v) Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I/M)
The USEPA's final I/M regulations in 40 CFR Part 85 require the
State to submit to the USEPA a fully adopted
I/M program by November 15, 1992. Ohio submitted the I/M rules on May
26, 1994. This submittal was approved on April 4, 1995, at 60 FR 16989.
(The approval of this redesignation is contingent upon the approval of
the I/M SIP revision. Consequently, should the direct final notice
approving the I/M SIP Revision be withdrawn as a consequence of adverse
comment, this direct final notice approving the redesignation will also
be withdrawn and final action will be taken on the redesignation at a
later date.)
(vi) 1.15:1 VOC and NOX Offsets Requirement for NSR
As explained above, USEPA has determined that areas need not comply
with the part D NSR requirements of the Act in order to be
redesignated, provided that the area is able to demonstrate maintenance
without part D NSR in effect. As maintenance has been demonstrated for
the Dayton area without part D NSR in effect, USEPA is not requiring
that the area have a fully-approved part D NSR plan meeting the
requirements of sections 182 (a) and (b) prior to redesignation.
(vii) NOX Requirement
Section 182(f) establishes NOX requirements for ozone
nonattainment areas. However, such requirement does not apply to an
area such as Dayton if the Administrator determines that NOX
reductions would not contribute to attainment. The Administrator has
made such a determination based upon three years of clean air quality
data and has approved the State of Ohio's request to exempt the Dayton
area from the section 182(f) NOX requirements (60 FR 3760). Thus,
the State of Ohio need not comply with the NOX requirements of
section 182(f) for Dayton to be redesignated. If a violation is
monitored in the Dayton-Springfield area, Ohio has committed to adopt
and implement NOX RACT rules as a contingency measure.
E. Section 107(d)(3)(E)(ii). The Administrator has fully approved
the applicable implementation plan for the area under Section 110(k).
USEPA has reviewed the SIP to ensure that it contains all measures that
were due under the amended 1990 Act. Based on the approval of
submittals under the pre-amended CAA, and USEPA's approval of SIP
revisions under the amended CAA, USEPA has determined that the Dayton-
Springfield area has a fully approved SIP under section 110(k), which
also meets the applicable requirements of section 110 and part D as
discussed below. (45 FR 72122, 60 FR 3760, 60 FR 15035, 60 FR 15235,
and 60 FR 16989.
III. Transport of Ozone Precursors to Downwind Areas
Preliminary modeling results utilizing USEPA's regional oxidant
model (ROM) indicate that ozone precursor emissions from various States
west of the ozone transport region (OTR) in the northeastern United
States contribute to increases in ozone concentrations in the OTR. The
State of Ohio has provided documentation that VOC and NOX
emissions in the Dayton-Springfield area will remain below attainment
levels for the next eleven years. Should emissions exceed attainment
levels, the contingency plan will be triggered. In addition, Ohio is
required to submit a revision to the maintenance plan eight years after
redesignation to attainment which demonstrates that the NAAQS will be
maintained until the year 2015. The USEPA is currently developing
policy which will address long range impacts of ozone transport. The
USEPA is working with the States and other organizations to design and
complete studies which consider upwind sources and quantify their
impacts. The USEPA intends to address the transport issue through
Section 110 based on a domain-wide modeling analysis.
The USEPA notified Environment Canada of this action. The
redesignation is not expected to have any adverse impact on Canada
since emissions are expected to remain below levels associated with
attainment conditions in the Dayton area.
IV. Final Rulemaking Action
The State of Ohio has met the requirements of the Act for revising
the Ohio ozone SIP. The USEPA approves the redesignation of Montgomery,
Greene, Miami, and Clark Counties to attainment areas for ozone. In
addition, the USEPA approves the maintenance plan into the ozone SIP
for these Counties. As noted earlier, this approval is contingent upon
the direct final approval of Dayton's VOC RACT rules, Ohio's I/M SIP
revision, and Dayton's 1990 Base-Year Emissions Inventory becoming
effective.
The USEPA is publishing this action without prior proposal because
USEPA considers this action as a noncontroversial revision and
anticipates no adverse comments. However, USEPA is publishing a
separate document in this Federal Register publication, which
constitutes a ``proposed approval'' of the requested SIP revision and
clarifies that the rulemaking will not be deemed final if timely
adverse or critical comments are filed. The ``direct final'' approval
shall be effective on July 5, 1995, unless USEPA receives adverse or
critical comments on this redesignation by June 5, 1995, or by April
21, 1995, regarding the 1990 Base-Year Emissions inventory published at
60 FR 15053, or by April 24, 1995, regarding the VOC RACT notice
published at 60 FR 15235, or by May 4, 1995, regarding Ohio's I/M SIP
revision published at 60 FR 16989. If USEPA receives comments adverse
to or critical of any of these approvals, USEPA will withdraw this
redesignation approval before its effective date by publishing a
subsequent Federal Register notice which withdraws this final action.
All public comments received will then be addressed in a subsequent
rulemaking notice(s).
Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at
this time. If no such comments are received, USEPA hereby advises the
public that this redesignation will be effective on July 5, 1995.
The Office of Management and Budget has exempted this regulatory
action from Executive Order 12866 review.
Nothing in this action should be construed as permitting or
allowing or [[Page 22295]] establishing a precedent for any future
request for revision to any SIP. Each request for revision to any SIP
shall be considered separately in light of specific technical,
economic, and environmental factors and in relation to relevant
statutory and regulatory requirements.
This action has been classified as a Table 2 action by the Regional
Administrator under the procedures published in the Federal Register on
January 19, 1989 (54 FR 2214-2225), as revised by an October 4, 1993
memorandum from Michael H. Shapiro, Acting Assistant Administrator for
Air and Radiation. The Office of Management and Budget exempted this
regulatory action from Executive Order 12866 review.
Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 600 et seq., USEPA
must prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis assessing the impact of
any proposed or final rule on small entities (5 U.S.C. 603 and 604).
Alternatively, USEPA may certify that the rule will not have a
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. Small
entities include small businesses, small not-for-profit enterprises,
and government entities with jurisdiction over populations of less than
50,000.
The SIP approvals under section 110 and subchapter I, part D, of
the Act do not create any new requirements, but simply approve
requirements that the State is already imposing. Therefore, because the
Federal SIP approval does not impose any new requirements, I certify
that it does not have a significant impact on small entities affected.
Moreover, due to the nature of the Federal-State relationship under the
Act, preparation of a regulatory flexibility analysis would constitute
Federal inquiry into the economic reasonableness of State action. The
Act forbids USEPA to base its actions concerning SIPs on such grounds.
Union Electric Co. v. USEPA, 427 U.S. 246, 256-66 (1976).
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 July 5, 1995. Filing a
petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule
does not affect the finality of this rule 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
40 CFR Part 52
Air pollution control, Environmental protection, Hydrocarbons,
Intergovernmental relations, Motor vehicle pollution, Ozone, Volatile
organic compounds, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
40 CFR Part 81
Air pollution control, Environmental protection, National parks,
and Wilderness areas.
Dated: March 14, 1995.
Valdas V. Adamkus,
Regional Administrator.
Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, chapter I, is amended
as follows:
PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.
2. Section 52.1885 is amended by removing paragraph (a)(5) and
revising paragraph (b) to read as follows:
Sec. 52.1885 Control strategy: Ozone.
* * * * *
(b) The maintenance plans for the following counties are approved:
(1) Preble County.
(2) Columbiana County.
(3) Jefferson County.
(4) Montgomery, Greene, Miami, and Clark Counties. This plan
includes implementation of Stage II vapor recovery and an enhanced
vehicle inspection and maintenance program.
(5) Lucas and Wood Counties.
* * * * *
PART 81--DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PURPOSES
1. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.
2. Section 81.336 is amended by revising the entry in the ozone
table for the Dayton-Springfield area to read as follows:
Sec. 81.336 Ohio.
* * * * *
Ohio--Ozone
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designation Classification
Designated area -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date\1\ Type Date\1\ Type
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * *
*
Dayton-Springfield Area:
Clark County.......... July 5, 1995......... Attainment.
Greene County......... July 5, 1995......... Attainment.
Miami County.......... July 5, 1995......... Attainment.
Montgomery............ July 5, 1995......... Attainment.
* * * * * *
*
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\1\This date is November 15, 1990, unless otherwise noted.
[[Page 22296]] [FR Doc. 95-10972 Filed 5-4-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P