[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 12, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 47296-47297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-22330]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 70

[LA-001; FRL-5293-3]


Clean Air Act Final Full Approval of Operating Permits Program; 
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final full approval.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is promulgating full approval of the Louisiana 
Operating Permits program submitted by the Governor of Louisiana for 
the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) for the 
purpose of complying with Federal requirements which mandate that 
States develop, and submit to EPA, programs for issuing operating 
permits to all major stationary sources, and to certain other sources.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This program will be effective October 12, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the State's submittal and other supporting 
information used in developing the final full approval are available 
for inspection during normal business hours at the following location:

Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, Air Permits Section (6PD-R), 
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 700, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733.
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Air Quality, 
7290 Bluebonnet Boulevard, P.O. Box 82135, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 
70884-2135.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joyce P. Stanton, Multimedia Planning 
and Permitting Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, 
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 700, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733, telephone 214-
665-7547.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background and Purpose

A. Introduction

    Title V of the Clean Air Act (``the Act''), and implementing 
regulations at 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 70 require 
that States develop and submit operating permits programs to the EPA by 
November 15, 1993, and that the EPA act to approve or disapprove each 
program within one year after receiving the submittal. The EPA's 
program review occurs pursuant to section 502 of the Act and the part 
70 regulations, which together outline criteria for approval or 
disapproval. Where a program substantially, but not fully, meets the 
requirements of part 70, the EPA may grant the program interim approval 
for a period of up to two years. If the EPA has not fully approved a 
program by two years after the date of November 15, 1993, or by the end 
of an interim program, it must establish and implement a Federal 
program.
    On August 25, 1994, the EPA proposed interim approval of the 
Operating Permits program submitted by the LDEQ on November 15, 1993, 
to meet the requirements of part 70 and title V of the Act. (See 59 FR 
43797, August 25, 1994) (hereafter Interim Approval Notice). Many 
comments were received on the Interim Approval Notice. The LDEQ 
provided comments and revised their Operating Permits program to 
address the issues discussed in the Interim Approval Notice. These 
revisions were sent to the EPA on November 10, 1994. On April 7, 1995, 
the EPA rescinded the proposed interim approval, addressed all comments 
received on the Interim Approval Notice, and proposed full approval of 
the Operating Permits program for the LDEQ based on the revised 
Operating Permits program. (See 60 FR 17750, April 7, 1995) (hereafter 
Full Approval Notice). The EPA received public comment on the Full 
Approval Notice and compiled a technical support document which 
describes the Operating Permits program in greater detail.
    A single commentor, the National Environmental Development 
Association-Clean Air Regulatory Project (NEDA-CARP), provided comments 
on the Full Approval Notice. NEDA-CARP was concerned that the EPA was 
requiring the LDEQ to revise its regulatory provision on research and 
development (R&D) facilities to prevent R&D facilities from being 
considered separately from sources with which they are co-located, in 
order to receive full approval. NEDA-CARP stated its belief that the 
EPA was not correct in its interpretation of 40 CFR part 70 and that it 
is likely that the part 70 rules will be revised in the near future to 
allow States the flexibility to consider co-located R&D facilities 
separately from the source. The EPA appreciates NEDA-CARP's concerns; 
however, the Louisiana Operating Permits program must be evaluated 
based on the part 70 rules and interpretations in place at the time of 
approval. In any case, the premise of NEDA-CARP's comment is incorrect. 
Apparently basing its comment on drafts of a proposed revision to part 
70, NEDA-CARP claims that the proposal would allow an R&D facility to 
be treated separately for applicability purposes regardless of its 
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code or whether it functions 
as a support facility. While it is true that the proposed rule would 
create a separate industrial classification for R&D, the preamble to 
the proposed rule clarifies that this is a codification of the EPA's 
previous understanding of the SIC code test embodied in the current 
part 70, which would allow an R&D facility to be treated separately 
only if it belongs to a separate two digit SIC code. Moreover, the 
proposal expressly retains from the SIC code approach the duty to 
aggregate an R&D facility with other on-site sources for which it 
functions as a support facility. Therefore, the EPA continues to 
believe that these changes to Louisiana's Operating Permits program 
were necessary for full approval.
    NEDA-CARP's other comments were supportive of the positions taken 
by the EPA in the Full Approval Notice such as the definitions of 
``title I modification'' and ``case-by-case'' determinations, and the 
approval of the insignificant activities and criteria.
    In this notice, the EPA is taking final action to promulgate full 
approval of the Operating Permits program for the LDEQ.

II. Final Action and Implications
A. Analysis of State Submission

    On April 7, 1995, the EPA proposed full approval of the State of 
Louisiana's Title V Operating Permits program. (See 60 FR 17750). The 
program elements discussed in the proposed notice are unchanged from 
the analysis in the Full Approval Notice and continue to fully meet the 
requirements of 40 CFR part 70.
    In the Interim Approval Notice, the following items were delineated 
as deficiencies in the Louisiana Operating permit program: State 
confidentiality provisions could be interpreted to protect the contents 
of the permit itself from disclosure; Louisiana Administrative Code 
(LAC) 33:III.501.B.7 allowed the permitting authority to consider a 
certain complex within a facility as a source separate from the 
facility with which it is co-located, provided that the complex is used 
solely for R & D of new processes 

[[Page 47297]]
and/or products, and is not engaged in the manufacture of products for 
commercial sale; deadlines for submittal of Acid Rain permits were 
inconsistent; LAC 33.III.521.A.6 appeared to allow administrative 
amendments to permits to incorporate certain ``off-permit'' changes; it 
was unclear whether the State could lawfully require records to be 
retained for five years; LAC 33.III.527.A.3 allowed certain changes 
that rendered existing compliance terms irrelevant to be incorporated 
through minor modification procedures, yet was unclear whether the 
criteria in the State rule conformed to 40 CFR 70.4(b)(14); State 
provisions did not include a requirement that the permit specify the 
origin of and reference the authority for each term or condition, nor 
did they identify differences in form from the applicable requirements 
upon which the terms were based or contain various other elements 
required by 40 CFR 70.6; inadequate definition of ``title I 
modification;'' provisions to determine insignificant activities were 
not included with the State's original submittal. As discussed in the 
notice proposing full approval, Louisiana has addressed all of these 
items. For further discussion of these items, please see the proposed 
full approval and the Technical Support Document.

B. Options for Approval/Disapproval

    The EPA is promulgating full approval of the Operating Permits 
program submitted to the EPA for the LDEQ on November 15, 1993, and 
revised on November 10, 1994. Among other things, the LDEQ has 
demonstrated that the program will be adequate to meet the minimum 
elements of a State operating permits program as specified in 40 CFR 
part 70.
    Requirements for approval, specified in 40 CFR 70.4(b), encompass 
section 112(l)(5) requirements for approval of a program for delegation 
of section 112 standards as promulgated by the EPA as they apply to 
part 70 sources. Section 112(l)(5) requires that the State's program 
contain adequate authorities, adequate resources for implementation, 
and an expeditious compliance schedule, which are also requirements 
under part 70.
    Therefore, the EPA is also promulgating full approval under section 
112(l)(5) and 40 CFR 63.91 of the State's program for receiving 
delegation of section 112 standards that are unchanged from Federal 
standards as promulgated. This program for delegations only applies to 
sources covered by the part 70 program.

III. Administrative Requirements

A. Docket

    Copies of the State's submittal and other information relied upon 
for the final full approval, including the public comments received and 
reviewed by the EPA on the proposal, are contained in the docket 
maintained at the EPA Regional Office. The docket is an organized and 
complete file of all the information submitted to, or otherwise 
considered by, the EPA in the development of this final full approval. 
The docket is available for public inspection at the location listed 
under the ADDRESSES section of this document.

B. Executive Order 12866

    The Office of Management and Budget has exempted this action from 
Executive Order 12866 review.

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The EPA's actions under section 502 of the Act do not create any 
new requirements, but simply address operating permits programs 
submitted to satisfy the requirements of 40 CFR part 70. Because this 
action does not impose any new requirements, it does not have a 
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.

D. Unfunded Mandates

    Under Section 202 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(``Unfunded Mandates Act''), signed into law on March 22, 1995, the EPA 
must prepare a budgetary impact statement to accompany any proposed or 
final rule that includes a Federal mandate that may result in estimated 
costs to State, local, or tribal governments in the aggregate; or to 
the private sector, of $100 million or more. Under Section 205, the EPA 
must select the most cost-effective and least burdensome alternative 
that achieves the objectives of the rule and is consistent with 
statutory requirements. Section 203 of the Unfunded Mandates Act 
requires the EPA to establish a plan for informing and advising any 
small governments that may be significantly or uniquely impacted by the 
rule.
    The EPA has determined that the approval action promulgated today 
does not include a Federal mandate that may result in estimated costs 
of $100 million or more to either State, local, or tribal governments 
in the aggregate, or to the private sector. This Federal action 
approves pre-existing requirements under State or local law, and 
imposes no new Federal requirements. Accordingly, no additional costs 
to State, local, or tribal governments, or to the private sector, 
result from this action.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 70

    Administrative practice and procedure, Air pollution control, 
Environmental protection, Intergovernmental relations, Operating 
permits, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: August 25, 1995.
A. Stanley Meiburg,
Acting Regional Administrator (6RA).

    40 CFR Part 70 is amended as follows:

PART 70--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 70 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401, et seq.

    2. Appendix A is amended by adding an entry for ``Louisiana'' in 
alphabetical order to read as follows:

Appendix A to Part 70--Approval Status of State and Local Operating 
Permits Programs

* * * * *

Louisiana

    (a) The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Air 
Quality Division submitted an Operating Permits program on November 
15, 1993, which was revised November 10, 1994, and became effective 
on October 12, 1995.
    (b) [Reserved]
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[FR Doc. 95-22330 Filed 9-11-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P