[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 204 (Thursday, October 22, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 56568-56573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28232]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[FL-065-9623a; FRL-6167-4]
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of
Florida
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Direct final rule.
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SUMMARY: EPA is approving revisions to the Dade County, Broward County
and Palm Beach County portions of the Florida State Implementation Plan
(SIP) submitted on November 15, 1995, through the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (FDEP). The submittal revises emissions
budgets for transportation conformity. The purpose of this action is to
incorporate revised motor vehicle emissions budgets into the Southeast
Florida maintenance plan for use in demonstration of conformity of
transportation plans, programs, and projects with the Florida SIP for
the Southeast Florida maintenance area. This action is in accordance
with the Transportation Conformity Rule promulgated on November 24,
1993, and subsequent amendments.
DATES: This direct final rule will become effective on December 21,
1998, without further notice unless EPA receives adverse comments by
November 23, 1998. Should the EPA receive such comments, it will
publish a timely document in the Federal Register withdrawing this rule
and
[[Page 56569]]
informing the public that this rule will not take effect.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: Kelly Sheckler at
the Region 4, Environmental Protection Agency, Air Planning Branch, 61
Forsyth Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Copies of the documents
relative to this action are available for public inspection during
normal business hours at the following locations. The persons wanting
to examine these documents should make an appointment with the
appropriate office at least 24 hours before the visiting day. Reference
file number FL-065-9623. 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,
D.C. 20460.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 Air Planning Branch, 61
Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.
Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, Twin Towers Office
Building, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida, 32399-2400.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Sheckler at (404) 562-9042.
Reference file FL-065-9623.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990 (CAA),
defines conformity to an implementation plan to mean conformity to the
plan's purpose of reducing the severity and number of violations of the
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and achieving
expeditious attainment of such standards. Specifically, the CAA
requires determinations that federally funded or approved actions will
not cause or contribute to any new violation, increase the frequency or
severity of any existing violation, or delay timely attainment of any
standard or any required interim emission reductions or other
milestones in any area. Therefore, the emissions expected from
implementation of such transportation plans and programs must be
consistent with estimates of emissions from a maintenance plan.
The State of Florida through the FDEP submitted an attainment and
maintenance plan for the Southeast Florida counties of Dade, Broward
and Palm Beach on November 13, 1993. The State of Florida's request for
redesignation of the Southeast Florida area was approved by EPA because
the area attained the ozone NAAQS, met all relevant requirements under
section 110 and part D of the CAA, had a fully approved SIP under
section 110(k) of the CAA, demonstrated permanent and enforceable air
quality improvement, and had maintenance plan satisfying the
requirements of section 175A of the CAA. For further detail on this
rulemaking refer to 60 FR 10325, dated February 24, 1995. On November
16, 1992, the State of Florida submitted comprehensive inventories of
VOC, NOx, and CO emissions from the Southeast Florida area.
The inventories include biogenic, area, stationary, and mobile sources
using 1990 as the base year for calculations to demonstrate
maintenance. The 1990 inventory is considered representative of
attainment conditions because the NAAQS was not violated during 1990.
EPA approved this revision of the Florida SIP and redesignated the area
from nonattainment to attainment for ozone effective April 27, 1995. At
the time of this submittal, EPA had not finalized the Transportation
Conformity rule which provides the criteria and procedures by which the
transportation planning authorities must show that transportation plans
and projects conform to the emission estimates in the applicable state
maintenance plan. As a result the State's maintenance plan did not
provide an explicit motor vehicles emissions budget for the purposes of
showing conformity.
The Transportation Conformity regulations at 40 CFR 51.456 were
promulgated on November 24, 1993, establishing the criteria and
procedures for determining conformity of transportation activities to
the SIP. Under these provisions states may revise their emissions
budgets at any time through the standard SIP revision process, provided
the SIP demonstrates that the revised emissions budget will not
threaten attainment and maintenance of the standard or any milestones
in the required time frame. The conformity rule provides states the
option to revise the emission budget to reallocate emissions among
sources or between pollutants and precursors so long as this budget
overall maintains total emissions for the area below the attainment
inventory levels. The difference between the attainment inventory
levels and the projected emissions levels is referred to as a safety
margin.
The total emissions in the revised emissions budget for the
Southeast Florida maintenance area are below the 1990 levels through
the period of projection necessary for the attainment and maintenance
plan, 2005. Due to reductions expected from new and/or future federal
emission standards, non-road source emissions are projected to decrease
below the levels projected in the original maintenance plan. The safety
margin created from this category is allotted to the on-road mobile
source emissions budget. As provided in the Table below, the reallotted
emissions budget maintains the 1990 levels and is consistent with the
redesignation/maintenance demonstration SIP.
Dade County VOC Emissions Inventory Summary
[Tons per day]
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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005
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Point.......................................... 14.24 14.57 11.17 8.09 8.59
Area........................................... 158.60 146.39 111.00 111.92 107.18
On-Road Mobile................................. 156.60 96.88 88.89 82.79 79.40
Off-Road Mobile................................ 65.09 66.10 69.98 72.96 77.86
Biogenic....................................... 154.89 154.89 154.89 154.89 154.89
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Total...................................... 549.42 478.83 435.93 430.65 427.92
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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 70.59 113.49 118.77 121.50
Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 51.89 59.88 65.98 69.37
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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile
budget)................................... 530.72 495.81 496.63 497.29
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Total Mobile Source Budget (on-road)....... 148.77 148.77 148.77 148.77
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[[Page 56570]]
Broward County VOC Emissions Inventory Summary
[Tons per day]
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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005
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Point.......................................... 14.03 15.73 14.87 14.89 14.16
Area........................................... 52.55 49.67 38.18 41.23 35.03
On-Road Mobile................................. 109.84 66.46 60.44 55.91 53.31
Off-Road Mobile................................ 37.84 40.29 42.24 44.29 47.95
Biogenic....................................... 46.80 46.80 46.80 46.80 46.80
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Total...................................... 261.06 219.00 246.44 251.56 248.29
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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 42.06 58.53 57.94 63.81
Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 37.89 43.91 48.44 51.04
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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile
budget)................................... ........... 256.89 246.44 251.56 248.29
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Total Mobile Source Budget (onroad)........ ........... 104.35 104.35 104.35 104.35
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Palm Beach County VOC Emissions Inventory Summary
[Tons per day]
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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005
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Point.......................................... 1.16 1.22 1.29 1.36 1.51
Area........................................... 84.06 84.84 81.30 79.02 78.29
On-Road Mobile................................. 70.20 43.49 40.53 38.04 37.54
Off-Road Mobile................................ 26.05 28.42 40.53 32.54 32.54
Biogenic....................................... 123.64 123.34 123.34 123.34 123.34
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Total...................................... 305.11 281.61 277.41 274.60 273.52
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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 23.50 27.70 30.51 31.59
Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 23.20 26.16 28.65 29.15
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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile
budget)................................... ........... 304.81 303.57 303.25 302.67
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Total Mobile Source Budget (onroad)............ ........... 66.69 66.69 66.69 66.69
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Dade County NOX Emissions Inventory Summary
[Tons per day]
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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005
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Point.......................................... 47.26 48.65 31.97 31.98 32.00
Area........................................... 5.97 6.06 6.28 6.43 6.65
On-Road Mobile................................. 117.70 111.19 107.01 101.92 98.99
Off-Road Mobile................................ 47.92 48.13 50.89 52.99 56.52
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Total...................................... 218.85 214.03 196.15 193.32 194.16
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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 4.82 17.89 15.63 11.86
Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a .63 4.81 9.90 12.83
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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile
budget)................................... ........... 214.66 200.96 203.22 206.99
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Total Mobile Source Budget (On-Road)....... ........... 111.82 111.82 111.82 111.82
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Broward County NOX Emissions Inventory Summary
[Tons per day]
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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005
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Point.......................................... 95.30 92.82 85.16 85.16 85.16
Area........................................... 6.94 7.51 7.94 8.21 8.55
On-Road Mobile................................. 80.20 74.24 70.76 66.87 64.47
Off-Road....................................... 27.66 30.42 32.06 33.80 36.98
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Total...................................... 210.10 204.99 195.92 194.04 195.16
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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 5.11 14.18 16.06 14.94
[[Page 56571]]
Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 1.95 5.43 9.32 11.72
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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile
budget)................................... ........... 206.94 201.35 203.36 206.88
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Total Mobile Sources Budget (on-road)...... ........... 76.19 76.19 76.19 76.19
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Palm Beach County NO X Emissions Inventory Summary
[Tons per day]
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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005
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Point.......................................... 37.78 42.45 33.75 34.52 34.54
Area........................................... 4.19 4.40 4.59 4.74 5.03
On-Road Mobile................................. 56.58 54.27 53.02 51.47 50.88
Off-Road....................................... 18.27 19.92 21.47 22.81 25.35
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Total...................................... 116.82 121.04 112.83 113.54 115.80
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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a (-)4.22 3.99 3.28 1.02
Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a (-)0.52 .73 2.28 2.87
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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile
budget)................................... ........... 120.52 113.56 115.82 118.67
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Total Mobile Source Budget (on-road)....... ........... 53.75 53.75 53.75 53.75
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Total 3--County VOC Emissions Inventory Summary
[Tons per day]
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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005
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Point.......................................... 29.43 31.57 27.33 24.34 24.26
Area........................................... 295.21 280.90 230.48 232.17 220.50
On-Road Mobile................................. 336.64 206.83 189.86 176.74 170.25
Off-Road....................................... 128.98 134.81 142.87 149.79 158.35
Biogenic....................................... 325.33 325.33 325.33 323.33 325.33
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Total...................................... 1115.59 979.44 915.87 908.37 898.69
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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 136.98 199.72 207.29 217.21
Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 112.98 129.95 143.07 149.56
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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile)... ........... 1092.42 1045.82 1051.44 1048.25
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Total Mobile Source Budget (on-road)....... ........... 319.81 319.81 319.81 319.81
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Total 3--County NOX Emissions Inventory Summary
[Tons per day]
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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005
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Point.......................................... 180.34 183.92 150.88 151.66 151.70
Area........................................... 17.10 17.97 18.81 19.38 20.23
On-Road Mobile................................. 254.48 239.70 230.79 220.26 214.34
Off-Road....................................... 93.85 98.47 104.42 109.60 118.85
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Total...................................... 545.77 540.06 504.90 500.90 505.12
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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 5.71 40.87 44.87 40.65
Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 2.06 10.97 21.50 27.43
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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile
budget)................................... ........... 542.12 515.87 522.40 532.54
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Total Mobile Source Budget (on-road)....... ........... 241.76 241.76 241.76 241.77
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[[Page 56572]]
Final Action
EPA is approving Florida's revised emissions budget for the
Southeast Florida maintenance area. The Agency has determined that this
request conforms to those requirements. Therefore, this action revises
the motor vehicle emissions budget for the Florida counties of Dade,
Broward and Palm Beach.
EPA is publishing this action without a 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
December 21, 1998 without further notice unless the Agency receives
relevant adverse comments by November 23, 1998.
If the EPA receives such comments, then EPA will publish a timely
withdrawal of the final rule 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 on this rule. Only parties interested
in commenting on this rule should do so at this time. If no such
comments are received, the public is advised that this rule will be
effective on December 21, 1998 and no further action will be taken on
the proposed rule.
The ozone SIP is designed to satisfy the requirements of part D of
the CAA and to provide for attainment and maintenance of the ozone
NAAQS. Approval of this motor vehicle emissions budget should not be
interpreted as authorizing the State to delete, alter, or rescind any
of the VOC or NOX emission limitations and restrictions
contained in the approved ozone SIP. Changes to ozone SIP VOC
regulations rendering them less stringent than those contained in the
EPA approved plans cannot be made unless a revised maintenance plan is
submitted to and approved by EPA. Unauthorized relaxations, deletions,
and changes could result in both a finding of non-implementation
[section 173(b) of the CAA] and in a SIP deficiency call made pursuant
to section 110(a)(2)(H) of the CAA.
IV. Administrative Requirements
A. Executive Order 12866
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted this
regulatory action from Executive Order (E.O.) 12866, entitled
``Regulatory Planning and Review.''
B. Executive Order 12875
Under E.O. 12875, EPA may not issue a regulation that is not
required by statute and that creates a mandate upon a state, local, or
tribal government, unless the Federal government provides the funds
necessary to pay the direct compliance costs incurred by those
governments. If the mandate is unfunded, EPA must provide to the Office
of Management and Budget a description of the extent of EPA's prior
consultation with representatives of affected state, local, and tribal
governments, the nature of their concerns, copies of written
communications from the governments, and a statement supporting the
need to issue the regulation. In addition, E.O. 12875 requires EPA to
develop an effective process permitting elected officials and other
representatives of state, local, and tribal governments ``to provide
meaningful and timely input in the development of regulatory proposals
containing significant unfunded mandates.'' Today's rule does not
create a mandate on state, local or tribal governments. The rule does
not impose any enforceable duties on these entities. Accordingly, the
requirements of section 1(a) of E.O. 12875 do not apply to this rule.
C. Executive Order 13045
Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety
Risks (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), applies to any rule that: (1) is
determined to be ``economically significant'' as defined under E.O.
12866, and (2) concerns an environmental health or safety risk that EPA
has reason to believe may have a disproportionate effect on children.
If the regulatory action meets both criteria, the Agency must evaluate
the environmental health or safety effects of the planned rule on
children, and explain why the planned regulation is preferable to other
potentially effective and reasonably feasible alternatives considered
by the Agency.
This rule is not subject to E.O. 13045 because it is does not
involve decisions intended to mitigate environmental health or safety
risks.
D. Executive Order 13084
Under E.O. 13084, EPA may not issue a regulation that is not
required by statute, that significantly affects or uniquely affects the
communities of Indian tribal governments, and that imposes substantial
direct compliance costs on those communities, unless the Federal
government provides the funds necessary to pay the direct compliance
costs incurred by the tribal governments. If the mandate is unfunded,
EPA must provide to the Office of Management and Budget, in a
separately identified section of the preamble to the rule, a
description of the extent of EPA's prior consultation with
representatives of affected tribal governments, a summary of the nature
of their concerns, and a statement supporting the need to issue the
regulation. In addition, representatives of Indian tribal governments
``to provide meaningful and timely input in the development of
regulatory policies on matters that significantly or uniquely affect
their communities.'' Today's rule does not significantly or uniquely
affect the communities of Indian tribal governments. Accordingly, the
requirements of section 3(b) of E.O. 13084 do not apply to this rule.
E. Regulatory Flexibility Act
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).
F. 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 56573]]
that includes a Federal mandate that may result in estimated annual
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 annual 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.
G. 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. A major rule cannot
take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal
Register. This rule is not a ``major'' rule as defined by 5 U.S.C.
804(2).
H. 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 December 21, 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,
Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone.
Dated: September 3, 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 K--Florida
2. Section 52.520, is amended by adding paragraph (c)(95) to as
follows:
Sec. 52.520 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(95) The maintenance plan for Southeast Florida submitted by the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection on November 15, 1995, as
part of the Florida SIP.
(i) Incorporation by reference. Revision of the Attainment/
Maintenance Plan for the Southeast Florida Ozone Nonattainment Area
(Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties) effective on November 15,
1995.
(ii) Other material. None.
[FR Doc. 98-28232 Filed 10-21-98; 8:45 am]
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