[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 189 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50713-50715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24526]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[WA49-1-7122; WA37-1-6853; OR52-1-7267; FRL-5601-6]


Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans: Washington and 
Oregon

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to procedures described in the January 19, 1989 
Federal Register, EPA recently approved a number of minor State 
Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the Washington 
Department of Ecology (WDOE) and the Oregon Department of Environmental 
Quality (ODEQ). These revisions included; local air pollution control 
regulations submitted by WDOE from the Puget Sound Air Pollution 
Control Agency (PSAPCA) which adjust civil penalty and registration fee 
amounts to cover program costs and which update delegations for Federal 
New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emission Standard 
for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS); the repeal of two WDOE 
regulations which have no adverse impact on air quality; and a revision 
from ODEQ to better define existing air quality control regions and 
nonattainment and maintenance areas of Oregon (the revision did not 
change any existing boundaries). This document lists the revisions EPA 
approved and incorporates the relevant material into the Code of 
Federal Regulations.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 27, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Copies of Washington's and Oregon's State SIP revision 
requests and EPA's letter notices of approval are available for public 
inspection during normal business hours at the following locations: 
EPA, Region 10, Office of Air Quality, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 
98101; WDOE, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey, WA 98504-8711; and ODEQ, 811 SW 
6th Ave., Portland, OR 97204-1390.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Montel Livingston, Office of Air 
Quality, EPA, Seattle, WA, (206) 553-0180.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA Region 10 has approved the following 
minor SIP revision requests under section 110(a) of the Act:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              Date of         Date of   
     State           Subject matter         submission       approval   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
WA............  Amendment to SIP                12-27-95         1-25-96
                 affecting PSAPCA's                                     
                 regulation I and                                       
                 regulation II--adjusts                                 
                 civil penalty and                                      
                 registration fee                                       
                 amounts for inflation,                                 
                 and updates delegation                                 
                 of federal NSPS and                                    
                 NESHAPS.                                               
WA............  Amendment to SIP to              1-26-95         3-20-96
                 repeal two state                                       
                 regulations: Chapter                                   
                 173-402 and Chapter 173-                               
                 440.                                                   
OR............  Amendment to SIP which           9-20-95         2-29-96
                 better defines the air                                 
                 quality control regions                                
                 and nonattainment and                                  
                 maintenance areas of                                   
                 Oregon.                                                
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 50714]]

    The repeal request from WDOE affected two state regulations, 
Chapter 173-402 WAC Civil Sanctions under Washington Clean Air Act, and 
Chapter 173-440 WAC Sensitive Areas. The repeal of Chapter 173-402 WAC 
did not affect the state of the law, and the repeal of Chapter 173-440 
WAC did not have an adverse impact on air quality as a result of 
emission increases at affected wigwam burners.
    EPA has determined that each of these SIP revisions complies with 
all applicable requirements of the Act and EPA policy and regulations 
concerning such revisions. Due to the minor nature of these revisions, 
EPA concluded that conducting notice-and-comment rulemaking prior to 
approving the revisions would have been ``unnecessary and contrary to 
the public interest,'' and hence, was not required by the 
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. section 553(b). Each of these 
SIP approvals became final and effective on the date of EPA approval as 
listed in the chart above.

Administrative Requirements

Executive Order 12866

    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.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 600 et seq., EPA 
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, EPA 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.
    SIP approvals under section 110 and subchapter I, part D of the 
Clean Air 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, the 
Administrator certifies 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 flexibility 
analysis would constitute Federal inquiry into the economic 
reasonableness of state action. The Clean Air Act forbids EPA to base 
its actions concerning SIPs on such grounds. Union Electric Co. v. U.S. 
EPA, 427 U.S. 246, 255-66 (1976); 42 U.S.C. 7410(a)(2).

Unfunded Mandates

    Under Section 202 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(``Unfunded Mandates Act''), signed into law on March 22, 1995, 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 
private sector, of $100 million or more. Under Section 205, 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 requires EPA to establish a plan for 
informing and advising any small governments that may be significantly 
or uniquely impacted by the rule.
    EPA has determined that the approval action promulgated 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.

Submission to Congress and the General Accounting Office

    Under 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) as added by the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, EPA submitted a report 
containing this rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, 
the U.S. House of Representatives and the Comptroller General of the 
General Accounting Office prior to publication of the rule in today's 
Federal Register. This rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 
U.S.C. 804(2).

Petitions for Judicial Review

    Under section 307(b)(1) of the Act, as amended, judicial review of 
this action is available only by filing a petition for review in the 
United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by November 
26, 1996. These actions may not be challenged later in proceedings to 
enforce their requirements. See section 307(b)(2).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

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

    Dated: August 15, 1996.

Charles Findley,
Acting Regional Administrator.
    Note: Incorporation by reference of the Implementation Plans for 
the States of Washington and Oregon were approved by the Director of 
the Office of Federal Register on July 1, 1982.

PART 52--[AMENDED]

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

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

Subpart WW--Washington

    2. Section 52.2470 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(64) to read 
as follows:


Sec. 52.2470   Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (64) Minor revisions consisting of amended regulations affecting 
WDOE and a local air agency, PSAPCA, were submitted to EPA from WDOE 
for inclusion into the Washington SIP.
    (i) Incorporation by Reference.
    (A) Letters dated January 26, 1995 and December 27, 1995 from the 
Director of the WDOE to the EPA Regional Administrator which included 
deletion of two regulations from the Washington SIP (Chapter 173-402 
WAC Civil Sanctions under Washington Clean Air Act, and Chapter 173-440 
WAC Sensitive Areas), adopted on February 1, 1995, and the following 
revisions to PSAPCA's regulations for inclusion into the SIP: 
Regulation I, Section 3.11 Civil Penalties, Section 5.07 Registration 
Fees, and Section 5.11 Registration of Oxygenated Gasoline Blenders; 
and Regulation III, Section 1.01 Policy, all adopted on September 14, 
1995.

Subpart MM--Oregon

    2. Section 52.1970 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(115) to read 
as follows:


Sec. 52.1970   Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (115) A minor revision consisting of clarification of existing air 
quality control regions and nonattainment and

[[Page 50715]]

maintenance areas of Oregon (the revision did not change any existing 
boundaries) was submitted to EPA from ODEQ for inclusion into the 
Oregon SIP.
    (i) Incorporation by Reference.
    (A) Letter dated September 20, 1995 from the Director of the ODEQ 
to the EPA Regional Administrator submitting a revision to better 
define Oregon's existing air quality boundaries found in State 
regulations OAR 340-23-065 through 340-23-075 (Rules for Open Burning), 
OAR 340-31-120 (Air Pollution Control Standards for Air Purity and 
Quality), and OAR 340-31-500 through 340-31-530 (The Air Quality 
Control Regions and Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas of Oregon), 
effective May 25, 1995.

[FR Doc. 96-24526 Filed 9-26-96; 8:45 am]
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