[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 143 (Monday, July 27, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 40044-40046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20007]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[KY-90-1-9735a: FRL-6130-3]


Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans Kentucky: 
Adoption of General Conformity Regulations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: On November 10, 1995, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, through 
the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet 
(KNREPC), submitted revisions to EPA concerning the adoption of general 
conformity rules into the Kentucky State Implementation Plan (SIP). 
Since general conformity rules are required by Section 176 of the Clean 
Air Act (CAA) in all nonattainment and maintenance areas and the 
Kentucky submittal is consistent with EPA requirements, these revisions 
are being incorporated into the Federally approved Kentucky SIP.

DATES: This direct final rule is effective on September 25, 1998 
without further notice, unless EPA receives adverse comment by August 
26, 1998. If adverse comment is received, EPA will publish a timely 
withdrawal of the direct final rule in the Federal Register and inform 
the public that the rule will not take effect.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on this action should be addressed to 
Gregory O. Crawford at the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 
Air Planning Branch, 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. 
Copies of documents relative to this action are available for public 
inspection during normal business hours at the locations below. 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 KY-90-9735. The Region 4 office may have 
additional background documents not available at the other 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 Planning Branch, 61 
Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Gregory O. Crawford, 404/
562-9046.
Commonwealth of Kentucky, Natural Resources and Environmental

[[Page 40045]]

Protection Cabinet, 803 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, 502/
564-3350.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory O. Crawford, 404/562-9046, 
Regulatory Planning Section, Air Planning Branch, Air, Pesticides & 
Toxics Management Division, Region 4 Environmental Protection Agency, 
61 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: After the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, EPA 
designated Boone County, Boyd County, Campbell County, Daviess County, 
Edmonson County, Fayette County, Greenup County, Hancock County, 
Jefferson County, Kenton County, Livingston County, Marshall County, 
Scott County, and portions of Bullitt and Oldham Counties, Kentucky, as 
nonattainment areas for the ozone national ambient air quality 
standards (NAAQS). In the November 30, 1993, Federal Register (58 FR 
63214), EPA issued a final rule establishing criteria and procedures 
for determining conformity of general Federal actions to state or 
Federal implementation plans.
    Because the counties mentioned above are either maintenance or 
nonattainment areas, the general conformity rule is applicable in those 
counties. Before any industrial development requiring approval from a 
Federal agency can occur, a determination must be reached that such 
action, when taken, will conform to the Kentucky SIP to maintain the 
NAAQS for ozone. The Commonwealth was therefore required to revise 
their SIP, to include general conformity criteria and procedures that 
are consistent with the Federal rule. On October 11, 1995, KNREPC 
formally adopted criteria and procedures for demonstrating and assuring 
the ``Conformity of General Federal Actions to the Kentucky Air Quality 
Implementation Plan.'' These regulations were submitted to EPA on 
November 10, 1995, for adoption into the Federally enforceable SIP.
    EPA has evaluated this SIP revision and has determined that the 
Commonwealth of Kentucky has fully adopted by reference, the provisions 
of the Federal general conformity rules specified in 40 CFR part 51, 
subpart W. Therefore, EPA believes that the Commonwealth has met all 
applicable requirements, and is approving the SIP revision concerning 
the adoption of the general conformity regulations.

Final Action

    EPA is approving the aforementioned changes to the SIP. 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.
    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 be effective 
September 25, 1998 without further notice unless the Agency receives 
relevant adverse comments by August 26, 1998.
    If the EPA receives such comments, then EPA will publish a document 
withdrawing the final rule and informing the public that the rule will 
not take effect. 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. Only parties interested in 
commenting should do so at this time. If no such comments are received, 
the public is advised that this rule will be effective on September 25, 
1998 and no further action will be taken on the proposed rule.
    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.
    Nothing in this action should be construed as making any 
determination or expressing any position regarding Kentucky's audit 
privilege and penalty immunity law KRS 224.01-040 or its impact upon 
any approved provision in the SIP, including the revision at issue 
here. The action taken herein does not express or imply any viewpoint 
on the question of whether there are legal deficiencies in this or any 
other Clean Air Act program resulting from the effect of Kentucky's 
audit privilege and immunity law. A state audit privilege and immunity 
law can affect only state enforcement and cannot have any impact on 
federal enforcement authorities. EPA may at any time invoke its 
authority under the Clean Air Act, including, for example, sections 
113, 167, 205, 211 or 213, to enforce the requirements or prohibitions 
of the state plan, independently of any state enforcement effort. In 
addition, citizen enforcement under section 304 of the Clean Air Act is 
likewise unaffected by a state audit privilege or immunity law.

I. Administrative Requirements

A. Executive Order 12866

    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted this 
regulatory action from review under Executive Order 12866, entitled 
Regulatory Planning and Review.

B. Executive Order 13045

    The final rule is not subject to Executive Order 13045, entitled 
Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety 
Risks, because it is not an ``economically significant'' action under 
Executive Order 12866.

C. Regulatory Flexibility

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) generally requires an agency 
to conduct a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to 
notice and comment rulemaking requirements unless the agency certifies 
that the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. Small entities include small 
businesses, small not-for-profit enterprises, and small governmental 
jurisdictions. This final rule will not have a significant impact on a 
substantial number of small entities because 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 
create any new requirements, I certify that this action will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
Moreover, due to the nature of the Federal-State relationship under the 
Clean Air Act, preparation of 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).

D. 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

[[Page 40046]]

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

E. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General

    The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally 
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating 
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, 
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the 
United States. EPA will submit 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 United States prior 
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. This rule is not a 
``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

F. 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 September 25, 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).)

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Carbon monoxide, 
Hydrocarbons, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, 
Lead, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur oxides.

    Dated: June 25, 1998.
 A. Stanley Meiburg,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.

    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 et seq.

Subpart S--Kentucky

    2. Section 52.938 is added to read as follows:


Sec. 52.938  General conformity.

    The General Conformity regulations were submitted on November 10, 
1995, and adopted into the Kentucky State Implementation Plan (SIP). 
The Commonwealth of Kentucky incorporated by reference regulations 40 
CFR part 51, subpart W--determining conformity of General Federal 
Actions to State or Federal Implementation Plans.

[FR Doc. 98-20007 Filed 7-24-98; 8:45 am]
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