[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 242 (Monday, December 16, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 65955-65957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31592]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[FL-067-1-9635a; FRL-5640-4]


Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans Florida: 
Approval of Revisions to Florida Regulations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is approving revisions to the Florida State Implementation 
Plan (SIP) for ozone. These revisions were submitted to EPA through the 
Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (FDER) on April 8, 1996, 
and revise regulations for Stage II vapor recovery (Stage II) in 
Florida's SIP. These revisions meet all of EPA's requirements for Stage 
II programs and do not adversely affect the ability of the State to 
maintain the ozone standard. Therefore EPA is approving the SIP, 
revisions.

DATES: This action is effective February 14, 1997 unless adverse or 
critical comments are received by January 15, 1997. If the effective 
date is delayed, timely notice will be published n the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on this action should be addressed to Alan 
Powell at the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 Air Programs 
Branch, 100 Alabama Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Copies of 
documents relative to this action are available for public inspection 
during normal business hours at the following locations. The interested 
persons wanting to examine these documents should make an appointment 
with the appropriate office at least 24 hours before the visiting day. 
Reference file FL-067. The Region 4 office may have additional 
background documents not available at the other locations.
    Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 Air Programs Branch, 100 
Alabama Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Alan Powell, 404/562-9045.
    Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Twin Towers Office 
Building, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan W. Powell of the EPA Region 4 Air 
Programs Branch at (404) 562-9045.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 15, 1990, the President signed 
into law the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The Clean Air Act (CAA) 
as amended in 1990 includes new requirements for the improvement of air 
quality in ozone nonattainment areas. Under section 181(a) of the CAA, 
nonattainment areas were categorized by the severity of the area's 
ozone problem, and progressively more stringent control measures were 
required for each category of higher ozone concentrations. The basis 
for classifying an area in a specific category was the ambient air 
quality data obtained in the three year period 1987-1989. The CAA 
delineates in section 182 the SIP requirements for ozone nonattainment 
areas based on their classifications. Specifically, section 182(b)(3) 
requires areas classified as moderate to implement Stage II controls 
unless and until EPA promulgates On

[[Page 65956]]

Board Vapor Recovery (OBVR) regulations pursuant to section 202(a)(6) 
of the CAA. Based on consultation with the National Highway 
Transportation Safety Board, EPA determined that OBVR systems were 
unsafe and therefore moderate areas must implement a Stage II program. 
On January 22, 1993, the United States Court of Appeals for the 
District of Columbia ruled that EPA's previous decision not to require 
OBVR controls be set aside and that OBVR regulations be promulgated 
pursuant to section 202(a)(6) of the CAA. Subsequently, EPA reached a 
settlement with the plaintiffs which required EPA to promulgate final 
regulations by January 22, 1994. The EPA Administrator signed the OBVR 
final rule on January 24, 1994, and moderate areas are not required to 
implement Stage II regulations. However, Florida implemented a Stage II 
program in the three county South Florida area on January 8, 1993, 
which was approved by EPA on March 24, 1994 (59 FR 13883). Florida 
intends to continue Stage II as part of its long term maintenance plan. 
Based on issues identified during the implementation phase of the 
regulation, Florida issued variances to nine sources in the Everglades 
in West Palm Beach County. The variance request to the Stage II rule is 
discussed below.

Rule 62-252. Gasoline Vapor Recovery STAGE II

    Under section 182(b)(3) of the CAA, Florida submitted Stage II 
vapor recovery rules for this area, and EPA approved the regulation. 
During the implementation phase, FDEP received request from nine 
facilities located in the Westernmost areas of Palm Beach County. These 
facilities requested variances from the time schedule set forth in the 
regulation, because they would suffer economic hardship by installing 
Stage II now instead of in conjunction with a state funded underground 
storage tank replacement program. FDEP determined that the emissions 
from these sources would not affect the maintenance plan of the area 
and granted the variances on February 28, 1996. Eight facilities will 
install Stage II vapor recovery in conjunction with scheduled tank 
replacement in 2009. The other facility will comply in 2005. EPA's 
review of the request confirmed that despite the delay in emissions 
reductions, the projected emissions in the area continue to be 
consistent with the maintenance plan.

Final Action

    The Agency has reviewed this request for revision of the federally-
approved State implementation plan for conformance with the provisions 
of the 1990 amendments enacted on November 15, 1990. The Agency has 
determined that this action conforms with those-requirements.
    The EPA is publishing this rule without a prior proposal for 
approval because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial amendment 
and anticipates no adverse comments. However, in a separate document in 
this Federal Register publication, the EPA is proposing to approve the 
SIP revision should adverse or critical comments be filed. This action 
will be effective February 14, 1997 unless, by January 15, 1997, 
adverse or critical comments are received.
    If the 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 separate proposed 
rule. 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 February 14, 1997.
    Nothing in this action should be construed as permitting or 
allowing or establishing a precedent for any future request for 
revision to any state implementation plan. Each request for revision to 
the state implementation plan shall be considered separately in light 
of specific technical, economic, and environmental factors and in 
relation to relevant statutory andregulatory requirements.
    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, 1939 (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.
    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 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 thenature 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. USEPA, 427 U.S. 246, 256-66 (S.Ct. 1976); 42 
U.S.C. 7410(a)(2) and 7410(k)(3).
    Under section 202 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(``Unfunded Mandates Act''), signed into law on March 22, 1995, EPA 
must undertake various actions in association with proposed or final 
rules that include a Federal mandate that may result in estimated costs 
of $100 million or more to the private sector, or to State, local, or 
tribal governments in the aggregate.
    Through submission of this state implementation plan or plan 
revision, the State and any affected local or tribal governments have 
elected to adopt the program provided for under Section (insert) of the 
CAA. These rules may bind State, local and tribal governments to 
perform certain actionsand also require the private sector to perform 
certain duties. EPA has examined whether the rules being approved by 
this action will impose any new requirements. Since such sources are 
already subject to these regulations under State law, no new 
requirements are imposed by this approval. Accordingly, no additional 
costs to State, local, or tribal governments, or to the private sector, 
result from this action, and therefore there will be no significant 
impact on a substantial number of small entities.
    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 theComptroller 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 
U.S.C. 804(2).
    Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. 
7607(b)(1), petitions for judicial review of this

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action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the 
appropriate circuit by February 14, 1997. 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).)

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

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

    Dated: September 5, 1996.
A. Stanley Meiburg,
Acting Regional Administrator.

    Part 52 of 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 K--Florida

    2. Section 52.520 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(96) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 52.520  Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (96) Nine variances to F.A.C. Chapter 62-252 were submitted by the 
Florida Department of Environmental Protection on April 8, 1996. The 
submittal granted variances from the regulations for vapor recovery for 
nine facilities.
    (i) Incorporation by reference.
    (A) Florida Department of Environmental Protection Order Granting 
Variance effecctive February 28, 1996 for: FAC #508514770; FAC 
#508944721; FAC #508630588; FAC #50863023; FAC #508514723; FAC 
#508514722; FAC #508514484; FAC #508513991; FAC #508841861.
    (ii) Other material. None.
[FR Doc. 96-31592 Filed 12-13-96; 8:45 am]
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