[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 61 (Tuesday, March 31, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15293-15294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8057]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[OR-69-7284a; FRL-5984-7]


Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans: Oregon

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approves a revision to 
the Oregon State Implementation Plan. This revision establishes a 
source specific Reasonable Available Control Technology (RACT) 
determination for Dura Industries, Inc. at 4466 NW Yeon, Portland, 
Oregon 97210. This action is taken under Part D of Title I of the Clean 
Air Act (Act).

DATES: This action is effective on June 1, 1998 unless adverse or 
critical comments are received by April 30, 1998. If the effective date 
is delayed, timely notice will be published in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: Montel Livingston, 
SIP Manager, Office of Air Quality (OAQ-107), EPA, 1200 Sixth Avenue, 
Seattle, Washington 98101.
    Documents which are incorporated by reference are available for 
public inspection at the Air and Radiation Docket and Information 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, 
D.C. 20460. Copies of material submitted to EPA may be examined during 
normal business hours at the following locations: EPA, Region 10, 
Office of Air Quality, 1200 Sixth Avenue (OAQ-107), Seattle, Washington 
98101, and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) 811 SW 
Sixth Ave, Portland, Oregon 97204-1390.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tracy Oliver, Office of Air Quality 
(OAQ-107), EPA, Seattle, Washington 98101, (206) 553-1388.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Section 172(a)(2) and (b)(3) of the Act, as amended in 1977, 
requires sources of volatile organic compounds (VOC) to install, at a 
minimum, RACT in order to reduce emissions of ozone precursors. EPA has 
defined RACT as the lowest emission limitation a source is capable of 
meeting with control technology that is reasonably available, 
considering technological and economic feasibility (44 FR 53762).
    EPA develops Control Technology Guidelines (CTG) to advise state 
and local agencies of available air pollution control techniques for 
reducing emissions from various source categories. CTGs establish 
``presumptive norm'' emission levels based on EPA's evaluation of the 
capabilities and problems associated with control technologies. EPA has 
recommended that states adopt RACT requirements consistent with these 
presumptive norm levels.
    In Section 182(a)(2)(A), Congress statutorily adopted the 
requirement that ozone nonattainment areas improve their deficient RACT 
rules for ozone precursors. Areas designated nonattainment before the 
effective date of the 1990 amendments which retained that designation 
with a marginal or worse classification were subject to RACT ``fix-
up.'' States were mandated to correct their RACT requirements by May 
15, 1991. The corrected requirements were to be in compliance with 
section 172(b), as it existed before the 1990 amendments and as 
interpreted in the pre-amendment guidance. Oregon was subject to this 
requirement.
    On May 13, 1991, the State of Oregon submitted OAR 340-22-100 
through OAR 340-22-220, General Emission Standards for Volatile Organic 
Compounds, as an amendment to the Oregon SIP. On September 29, 1993, 
EPA approved these revisions and incorporated the rules by reference 
into the Oregon SIP (58 FR 50848).
    The Portland-Vancouver Air Quality Maintenance Area was designated 
as a non attainment area for ozone in 1978. On October 7, 1982, EPA 
approved the Portland-Vancouver area ozone attainment plan, including 
an extended attainment date of December 31, 1987 (47 FR 44262). On 
November 15, 1990, the area was redesignated to marginal non-attainment 
under section 181(a)(1) of the 1990 Act for failing to attain the 
standard. An attainment deadline of November 15, 1993 was established. 
Ambient air monitoring data from 1991 through 1997 showed no violations 
of the ozone standard. On May 19, 1997, EPA redesignated the Portland-
Vancouver area to attainment for ozone and approved its maintenance 
plan.
    Section 4.50.3.2.3.4 Industrial Emission Strategies of the approved 
maintenance plan includes RACT requirements for VOC sources. This 
includes implementing: (1) Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 340-022-
0104 which requires VOC emission limits for new and existing sources 
located within the Portland-Vancouver area; and (2) OAR 340-022-0170 
which defines the VOC emission limits for surface coating in 
manufacturing, consistent with EPA's 1976 CTGs for this source 
category.
    On October 30, 1997, Oregon submitted an alternative RACT 
determination for Dura Industries, Inc., a high performance 
architectural coating operation in Portland, Oregon. The alternative 
RACT determination modifies Dura Industries' Air Contaminant Discharge 
Permit to allow 6.5 lbs/gal VOC instead of 3.5 lbs/gal VOC, the 
standard RACT for this source category. The higher VOC content is 
accompanied by additional requirements on the source to develop 
compliant coatings. This submission is subject to OAR 340-022-0104 and 
OAR 340-022-0170.
    This Federal Register document approves the rule revision as an 
amendment to the Oregon SIP.

II. Summary of Action

    EPA is approving the revision to the Oregon State Implementation 
Plan submitted on October 30, 1997, as source specific amendment for 
Dura Industries, Inc. EPA finds the alternative RACT determination 
meets all of the applicable requirements of the Act and the Oregon SIP.
    EPA is not taking action on the entire Air Contaminant Discharge 
Permit for Dura Industries, Inc., but only the conditions necessary for 
implementation and enforcement of the RACT requirement in OAR 340-022-
0104(4). Because the RACT requirements are contained in the approved 
SIP, the source specific RACT limits will remain in effect as a matter 
of state law, even if the Oregon permit expires.
    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 and regulatory requirements.
    EPA is publishing this rule without prior proposal because the 
Agency views this as a noncontroversial amendment and anticipates no 
adverse comments. However, in the proposed rules section of this 
Federal Register publication, EPA is publishing a separate document 
that will serve as the proposal to approve the SIP revision should 
relevant adverse comments be filed. This rule will become effective 
without further notice unless the Agency receives relevant adverse 
comment on the parallel notice of

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proposed rulemaking on or before April 30, 1998.
    Should the Agency receive such comments, it will publish a document 
withdrawing this rule. All public comments received will then be 
addressed in a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule. The 
EPA will not institute a second comment period on the proposed rule. 
Any parties interested in commenting on the proposed rule should do so 
at this time. If no such comments are received, the public is advised 
that this rule will be effective on June 1, 1998 and no further action 
will be taken on the proposed rule.

III. Administrative Requirements

A. Executive Order 12866

    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted this 
regulatory action from E.O. 12866 review.

B. 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 
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. E.P.A., 427 U.S. 246, 256-66 (S.Ct. 1976); 42 
U.S.C. 7410(a)(2).

C. 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 
the 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 
requirements. Accordingly, no additional costs to State, local, or 
tribal governments, or to the private sector, result from this action.

D. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General

    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).

E. Petitions for Judicial Review

    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 June 1, 1998. 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), 42 
U.S.C. 7607(b)(2).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

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

    Note: Incorporation by reference of the Implementation Plan for 
the State of Oregon was approved by the Director of the Office of 
Federal Register on July 1, 1982.

    Dated: March 6, 1998.
Chuck Findley,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region X.

    Part 52, chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is 
amended as follows:
    1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:

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

Subpart MM--Oregon

    2. Section 52.1970 is amended by adding paragraph (c) (124) to read 
as follows:


Sec. 52.1970  Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (124) On October 30, 1997 the director of the Oregon Department of 
Environmental Quality (ODEQ) submitted a source specific Reasonable 
Available Control Technology (RACT) determination as a SIP revision for 
VOC emissions and standards.
    (i) Incorporation by reference.
    (A) Letter dated October 30, 1997 from the Director of ODEQ 
submitting a SIP revision for Dura Industries, Inc. , an architectural 
surface coating operation in Portland, Oregon--permit #26-3112 dated 
September 14, 1995.

[FR Doc. 98-8057 Filed 3-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P