[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 23 (Friday, February 2, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3821-3824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-1926]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52

[GA-21-2-5930a; FRL-5321-6]


Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Georgia: Title 
V, Section 507, Small Business Stationary Source Technical and 
Environmental Compliance Assistance Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is approving revisions to the State Implementation Plan 
(SIP) submitted by the State of Georgia through the Georgia 
Environmental Protection Division for the purpose of establishing a 
Small Business Stationary Source Technical and Environmental Compliance 
Assistance Program (PROGRAM). This implementation plan was originally 
submitted by the State on November 13, 1992. On September 27, 1995, the 
State of Georgia resubmitted the SIP establishing the PROGRAM and 
formally requested to withdraw the November 13, 1992, submittal. This 
PROGRAM satisfies the federal mandate to ensure that small businesses 
have access to the technical assistance and regulatory information 
necessary to comply with the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA).

DATES: This action is effective April 2, 1996, unless notice is 
received March 4, 1996 that someone wishes to submit adverse or 
critical comments. If the effective date is delayed, timely notice will 
be published in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: Ms. Kimberly 
Bingham, Regulatory Planning and Development Section, Air Programs 
Branch, Air, Pesticides & Toxics Management Division, Region 4 
Environmental Protection Agency, 345 Courtland Street NE., Atlanta, 
Georgia 30365.
    Copies of the material submitted by the State of Georgia may be 
examined during normal business hours at the following locations:

Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (Air Docket 6102), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 20460
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, Air Programs Branch, 345 
Courtland Street NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30365
Environmental Protection Division, Air Protection Branch, 4244 
International Parkway, Suite 120, Atlanta, Georgia 30354.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kimberly Bingham, Regulatory 
Planning and Development Section, Air Programs Branch, Air, Pesticides 
& Toxics Management Division, Region 4 Environmental Protection Agency, 
345 Courtland Street NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30365. The telephone number 
is 404/347-3555 x4195.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Implementation of the CAA will require small 
businesses to comply with specific regulations in order for areas to 
attain and maintain the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) 
and reduce the emission of air toxics. In anticipation of the impact of 
these requirements on small businesses, the CAA requires that states 
adopt a PROGRAM, and submit this PROGRAM as a revision to the federally 
approved SIP. In addition, the CAA directs the EPA to oversee the small 
business assistance program and report to Congress on their 
implementation. The requirements for establishing a PROGRAM are set out 
in section 507 of 

[[Page 3822]]
title V of the CAA and the EPA guidance document Guidelines for the 
Implementation of Section 507 of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. In 
order to gain full approval, the state submittal must provide for each 
of the following PROGRAM elements: (1) The establishment of a Small 
Business Assistance Program (SBAP) to provide technical and compliance 
assistance to small businesses; (2) the establishment of a state Small 
Business Ombudsman to represent the interests of small businesses in 
the regulatory process; and (3) the creation of a Compliance Advisory 
Panel (CAP) to determine and report on the overall effectiveness of the 
SBAP. The plan must also determine the eligibility of small business 
stationary sources for assistance in the PROGRAM. The plan includes the 
duties, funding and schedule of implementation for the three PROGRAM 
components.
    Section 507(a) and (e) of the CAA set forth requirements the State 
must meet to have an approvable PROGRAM. The State of Georgia has 
addressed these requirements and established a PROGRAM as described 
below.

1. Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP)

    The State of Georgia has established a mechanism to implement the 
following six requirements set forth in section 507 of title V of the 
CAA:
    A. The establishment of adequate mechanisms for developing, 
collecting and coordinating information concerning compliance methods 
and technologies for small business stationary sources, and programs to 
encourage lawful cooperation among such sources and other persons to 
further comply with the CAA;
    B. The establishment of adequate mechanisms for assisting small 
business stationary sources with pollution prevention and accidental 
release detection and prevention, including providing information 
concerning alternative technologies, process changes, products and 
methods of operation that help reduce air pollution;
    C. The development of a compliance and technical assistance program 
for small business stationary sources which assist small businesses in 
determining applicable permit requirements and in receiving permits 
under the CAA in a timely and efficient manner;
    D. The development of adequate mechanisms to assure that small 
business stationary sources receive notice of their rights under the 
CAA in such manner and form as to assure reasonably adequate time for 
such sources to evaluate compliance methods and any relevant or 
applicable proposed or final regulation or standards issued under the 
CAA;
    E. The development of adequate mechanisms for informing small 
business stationary sources of their obligations under the CAA, 
including mechanisms for referring such sources to qualified auditors, 
or at the option of the State, for providing audits of the operations 
of such sources to determine compliance with the CAA; and
    F. The development of procedures for consideration of requests from 
a small business stationary source for modification of (A) any work 
practice or technological method of compliance, or (B) the schedule of 
milestones for implementing such work practice or method of compliance 
preceding any applicable compliance date, based on the technological 
and financial capability of any such small business stationary source.
    The State of Georgia acknowledges the heart of the PROGRAM is the 
Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP), which resides in the Air 
Protection Branch within the Environmental Protection Division. The 
SBAP will provide an information clearinghouse and refer small 
businesses to State technical experts within the Branch who are trained 
to handle specific questions relevant to achieving compliance with the 
CAA. In addition, the SBAP will provide for the collection and 
dissemination of information to small businesses on determining 
applicable requirements under the CAA, permit issuance, small 
businesses' rights and obligations, compliance methods, acceptable 
control technologies, pollution prevention, accidental release 
prevention and detection, audit programs and procedures, and other 
matters deemed useful or necessary by the Division. The specific 
mechanisms for collection and dissemination of information will be 
developed by the Ombudsman. The SBAP also will consider requests from 
small business stationary sources for modifications of work practices, 
technological methods of compliance, or compliance procedures and 
provide guidance as necessary. The SBAP will utilize, on an as needed 
basis, the services of other in-state entities with expertise in 
various aspects related to the PROGRAM.
    The dissemination of information to small businesses in Georgia 
through the SBAP involves both a proactive and a reactive component. 
The SBAP will actively advertise the PROGRAM to ensure the regulated 
communities are aware of their obligations under the CAA. The reactive 
component takes place after the regulated community recognizes that 
there is or could be some obligation on their part to comply with the 
CAA. The Division is committed to supporting the proactive component of 
the program which includes, but is not limited to the following: 
utilizing the Georgia Department of Industry and Trade manufacturing 
directory; providing informational packets which describe in layman 
terms compliance and technical information relevant to small businesses 
as required by the Act; and holding meetings throughout the State with 
interested parties. Reactive components of the SBAP include: the 
designation of a trained technical specialist to handle inquiries from 
small businesses; a technical specialist to interface with the Air 
Protection Branch's engineering, permitting, and compliance programs 
for needed information; and an information clearinghouse of information 
from EPA's technical support services, other state ombudsman offices, 
and professional organizations.
    The SBAP will assist small businesses in determining applicable 
requirements and will provide information on permit issuance, 
compliance methods, acceptable control technologies, pollution 
prevention, accidental release prevention and detection, and audit 
programs. The SBAP will inform small businesses about their rights 
under the CAA; assist in the preparation of guidance documents and 
ensure that technical and compliance information is available to the 
small business community and the general public; answer regulatory 
questions raised by small businesses and provide them with clean air 
compliance information; obtain information and counsel from other 
appropriate state agencies; and participate and sponsor meetings on air 
quality requirements, pollution prevention, and other regulatory 
issues.
    A small business may petition the Division to modify work 
practices, compliance methods or implementation schedules in accordance 
with established procedures as described in the SIP.

2. Ombudsman

    Section 507(a)(3) of the CAA requires the designation of a state 
office to serve as the Ombudsman for small business stationary sources. 
Georgia has appointed a Small Business Ombudsman and established the 
Office of the Ombudsman within the Environmental Protection Division. 
Through that office, the Ombudsman will have access to the Governor, 
the Director of the Environmental Protection Division, the Chief of the 
Air Protection Branch, and other state and Federal agencies. The 
Ombudsman will 

[[Page 3823]]
have the necessary autonomy to function independently of the air 
program.

3. Compliance Advisory Panel

    Section 507(e) of the CAA requires the State to establish a 
Compliance Advisory Panel (CAP) that must include two members selected 
by the Governor who are not owners or representatives of owners of 
small businesses. Four members will be selected by the state 
legislature who are owners, or represent owners, of small businesses. 
The majority and minority leadership in both the house and the senate 
shall each appoint one member of the panel. One member will be selected 
by the Chief of the Air Protection Branch. The State of Georgia has 
established a CAP with a membership consistent with the aforementioned 
CAA requirements.
    The duties of the CAP include: providing advisory opinions to the 
EPA regarding the effectiveness of the state PROGRAM, the difficulties 
encountered by small businesses, and the severity of enforcement; 
reviewing information for small business stationary air pollution 
sources to assure such information is understandable to the lay person; 
and to make periodic reports to the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency in accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and the Equal Access to 
Justice Act. The SBAP will serve as the secretariat to the CAP in the 
development and dissemination of reports, advisory opinions, and other 
information.

4. Source Eligibility

    Georgia has incorporated section 507(c)(1) of the CAA and defined a 
Small Business Stationary Source as a source that:
    (1) Is owned or operated by a person who employs 100 or fewer 
individuals;
    (2) is a small business concern as defined in the Small Business 
Act;
    (3) is not a major stationary source; and
    (4) does not emit 50 tons per year (tpy) of any regulated pollutant 
and emits less than 75 tpy of all regulated pollutants.
    Georgia has established the following mechanisms as required by 
section 507: (1) A process for ascertaining the eligibility of a source 
to receive assistance under the PROGRAM, including an evaluation of a 
source's eligibility using the criteria in section 507(c)(1) of the 
CAA; (2) A process for public notice and comment on grants of 
eligibility to sources that do not meet the provisions of sections 
507(c)(1) (C), (D), and (E) of the CAA, but do not emit more than 100 
tpy of all regulated pollutants; and (3) a process for exclusion from 
the small business stationary source definition, after consultation 
with the EPA and the Small Business Administration Administrator and 
after providing notice and opportunity for public comment, of any 
category or subcategory of sources that the Division determines to have 
sufficient technical and financial capabilities to meet the 
requirements of the CAA.

Final Action

    In this action, EPA is approving the SIP revision establishing a 
Small Business Stationary Source Technical and Environmental Compliance 
Assistance program submitted by the State of Georgia through the 
Environmental Protection Division. The EPA is publishing this action 
without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a 
noncontroversial amendment and anticipates no adverse comments. 
However, in a separate document in this Federal Register publication, 
EPA is proposing to approve the SIP revision should adverse or critical 
comments be filed. This action will be effective April 2, 1996 unless, 
by March 4, 1996, adverse or critical comments are received.
    If EPA receives such comments, this action will be withdrawn before 
the effective date by publishing a subsequent document that will 
withdraw the final action. All public comments received will then be 
addressed in a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule 
published with this action. The EPA will not institute a second comment 
period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting on this 
action should do so at this time. If no such comments are received, the 
public is advised that this action will be effective April 2, 1996.
    Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. 7607(b)(1), petitions 
for judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States 
Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by April 2, 1996. Filing a 
petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule 
does not affect the finality of this rule for 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) of the CAA, 42 
U.S.C. 7607(b)(2).)
    This action has been classified as a Table 3 action for signature 
by the Regional Administrator under the procedures published in the 
Federal Register on January 19, 1989 (54 FR 2214-2225), as revised by a 
July 10, 1995 memorandum from Mary Nichols, Assistant Administrator for 
Air and Radiation. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has 
exempted this regulatory action from E.O. 12866 review.
    By today's action, the USEPA is approving a State program created 
for the purpose of assisting small business stationary sources in 
complying with existing statutory and regulatory requirements. The 
program being approved today does not impose any new regulatory burden 
on small business stationary sources; it is a program under which small 
business stationary sources may elect to take advantage of assistance 
provided by the State. Therefore, because the USEPA's approval of this 
program does not impose any new regulatory requirements on small 
businesses, I certify that it does not have a significant economic 
impact on any small entities affected.
    SIP approvals under section 110 and subchapter I, part D of the CAA 
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 any small entities affected. Moreover, 
due to the nature of the federal-state relationship under the CAA, 
preparation of a regulatory flexibility analysis would constitute 
federal inquiry into the economic reasonableness of state action. The 
CAA forbids EPA to base its actions concerning SIPs on such grounds. 
Union Electric Co. v. Environmental Protection Agency, 427 U.S. 246, 
256-66 (S.Ct. 1976); 42 U.S.C. sections 7410(a)(2) and 7410(k).
    Nothing in this action shall be construed as permitting or allowing 
or establishing a precedent for any future request for a revision to 
any SIP. Each request for revision to the SIP shall be considered 
separately in light of specific technical, economic, and environmental 
factors and in relation to relevant statutory and regulatory 
requirements.
    Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (``UMRA''), 
P.L. 104-4, establishes requirements for the Federal agencies to assess 
the effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and tribal 
governments and the private sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA, EPA 
generally must prepare a written 

[[Page 3824]]
statement, including a cost-benefit analysis, for proposed and final 
rules with ``Federal mandates'' that may result in expenditures to 
State, local and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or to the 
private sector, of $100 million or more in any one year. When a written 
statement is needed for an EPA rule, section 205 of the UMRA generally 
requires EPA to identify and consider a reasonable number of regulatory 
alternatives and adopt the least costly, most cost-effective or least 
burdensome alternative that achieves the objectives of the rule. The 
provisions of section 205 do not apply when they are inconsistent with 
applicable law. Moreover, section 205 allows EPA to adopt an 
alternative other than the least costly, most cost-effective or least 
burdensome alternative if the Administrator publishes with the final 
rule an explanation why that alternative was not adopted. Before EPA 
establishes any regulatory requirements that may significantly or 
uniquely affect small governments, including tribal governments, it 
must have developed under section 203 of the UMRA a small government 
agency plan. The plan must provide for notifying potentially affected 
small governments, giving them meaningful and timely input in the 
development of EPA regulatory proposals with significant federal 
intergovernmental mandates, and informing, educating, and advising them 
on compliance with the regulatory requirements.
    Through submission of the SIP or plan revisions approved in this 
action, the State and any affected local or tribal governments have 
elected to adopt the program provided for under section 175A of the 
Clean Air Act. The submission approved in this action may bind State, 
local and tribal governments to perform certain actions and also may 
ultimately lead to the private sector being required to perform certain 
duties. To the extent that the submission being approved by this action 
will impose or lead to the imposition of any mandate upon the State, 
local or tribal governments either as the owner or operator of a source 
or as a regulator, or would impose or lead to the imposition of any 
mandate upon the private sector, EPA's action will impose no new 
requirements; such sources are already subject to these requirements 
under State law. Accordingly, no additional costs to State, local, or 
tribal governments, or to the private sector, result from this action.
    The EPA has determined that this rule does not contain a Federal 
mandate that may result in expenditures of $100 million or more for 
State, local, or tribal governments in the aggregate, or on the private 
sector, in any one year. Thus, today's rule is not subject to the 
requirements of sections 202 and 205 of the UMRA EPA has determined 
that this rule contains no regulatory requirements that might 
significantly or uniquely affect small governments.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by 
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    Dated: October 17, 1995.
Patrick M. Tobin,
Acting Regional Administrator.

    Chapter I, title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, is amended as 
follows:

PART 52--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 42.U.S.C. 7401-7671q.

Subpart L--Georgia

    2. Section 52.570 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(43) read as 
follows:


Sec. 52.570  Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (43) The Georgia Environmental Protection Division has submitted 
revisions to the Georgia State Implementation Plan on September 27, 
1995. These revisions address the requirements of section 507 of Title 
V of the Clean Air Act and establish the Small Business Stationary 
Source Technical and Environmental Program.
    (i) Incorporation by reference.
    (A) The submittal of the state of Georgia's Small Business 
Stationary Source Technical and Environmental Compliance Assistance 
Program which was adopted on July 20, 1995.
    (ii) Additional Material. None.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-1926 Filed 2-1-96; 8:45 am]
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