[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 37 (Thursday, February 25, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9272-9278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4434]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[DC017-2013a; FRL-6234-6]


Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; 
District of Columbia; Reasonably Available Control Technology for 
Oxides of Nitrogen

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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[[Page 9273]]

SUMMARY: EPA is conditionally approving a State Implementation Plan 
(SIP) revision submitted by the District of Columbia. This revision 
requires major sources of nitrogen oxides (NOX) in the 
District to implement reasonably available control technology (RACT). 
The effect of this action is to approve the SIP revision on the 
condition that deficiencies in the regulation are corrected and that 
the revised regulation is resubmitted within one year of this approval.

DATES: This direct final rule is effective on April 26, 1999 without 
further notice, unless EPA receives adverse comment by March 29, 1999. 
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 should be mailed to David L. Arnold, Chief, 
Ozone and Mobile Sources Branch, Mailcode 3AP21, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania 19103. Copies of the documents relevant to this action are 
available for public inspection during normal business hours at the Air 
Protection Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 
1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103; the Air and 
Radiation Docket and Information Center, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460; and the District of 
Columbia Department of Public Health, Air Quality Division, 2100 Martin 
Luther King Ave, S.E., Washington, DC 20020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristeen Gaffney at (215) 814-2092, or 
by e-mail at [email protected]. While information may be 
requested via e-mail, any comments must be submitted in writing to the 
EPA Region III address above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Pursuant to section 182 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), ozone 
nonattainment areas classified as serious or above are required to 
implement RACT for all major sources of NOX by no later than 
May 31, 1995. The major source size is determined by the classification 
of the nonattainment area and whether it is located in the Ozone 
Transport Region which was established by the CAA. Since the District 
of Columbia is classified as a serious ozone nonattainment area, major 
stationary sources are defined as those that emit or have the potential 
to emit 50 tons or more of NOX per year.
    On January 13, 1994, the District of Columbia Department of 
Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) submitted revisions to its State 
Implementation Plan (SIP) that included a new regulation, Section 805, 
of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulation (DCMR) No. 20, 
Subtitle I entitled ``Reasonably Available Control Technology for Major 
Stationary Sources of Oxides of Nitrogen.'' Section 805 requires 
sources which emit or have the potential to emit 50 tons or more of 
NOX per year to comply with RACT requirements by May 31, 
1995. This action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air 
Act.

II. Summary of the SIP Revision and EPA Evaluation

General Provisions

    Subtitle I of 20 DCMR was amended to add a new section 805 that 
applies to all sources in the District having the potential to emit 
(PTE) 50 tons or more of NOX per year. Exemptions from the 
requirements of section 805 are provided for sources that have a permit 
from the District limiting the potential to emit to less than 50 tons 
per year (TPY) and for emergency stand-by engines operated less than 
500 hours per 12 month period. Section 805 contains presumptive 
emission limits for certain source categories of NOX 
including: stationary combustion turbines, fossil-fuel-fired steam-
generating units and asphalt concrete plants. Individual sources in 
these categories with presumptive RACT emission limits may also apply 
for alternative emission limits which reflect the application of 
source-specific RACT. Approval of alternative determinations are 
subject to approval by the District and EPA. All other major source 
categories of NOX must have a RACT emission limit approved 
by the District and EPA in an emissions control plan. All major sources 
of NOX must submit an emissions control plan to the District 
that describes the source and demonstrates how RACT will be 
implemented. The District will conduct a public hearing for those 
sources that apply for alternative emission limits and those not 
subject to specific source category emission limits before final 
approval is issued.

EPA Evaluation

    EPA defines potential to emit in 40 CFR 51.165(a)(1)(iii) as the 
maximum capacity of a source to emit unless federally enforceable 
restrictions are imposed that would limit emissions. Subsection 
805.1(c) in the District's rule exempts sources with a District permit 
limiting PTE to less than 50 TPY, but does not also require sources to 
have federally enforceable restrictions on PTE. In order to correct 
this deficiency, the District must revise section 805.1(c) to allow 
exemptions only where there are federally-enforceable restrictions that 
limit NOX emissions to less than 50 TPY.

Source Category RACT

    RACT for specific categories of NOX sources is 
established in subsections 805.4, 805.5, 805.6 and 805.8. of DCMR No. 
20, Subtitle 1 as listed in the table below, entitled ``RACT for 
NOX Sources'':

                                              RACT for NOX Sources
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Rated heat
         Source category               Fuel type           capacity       NOX emission limit   Averaging period
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simple Cycle Turbine............  Oil...............  100      75 ppmvd @ 15% O2   Not specified.
                                                       MMBTU/hr *.         **.
Combustion Turbine (not           Not specified.....  100      Exempt if operated  N/A.
 otherwise classified).                                MMBTU/hr.           less than 500
                                                                           hours/year.
Utility Boiler (not otherwise     Fossil Fuel.......  20       No limit, RACT is   Not specified.
 specified).                                           MMBTU/hr.           defined as an
                                                      <50 MMBTU/hr         annual combustion
                                                                           adjustment.
Utility Boiler--tangential or     Oil...............  50       0.3 lbs./MMBTU....  Calendar day.
 face-fired.                                           MMBTU/hr.
                                                      <100 MMBTU/hr.....
Utility Boiler--dry bottom:       Coal..............  100      0.43 lbs./MMBTU...  Calendar day.
    --tangential--face-fired--                         MMBTU/hr.
 stoker
Utility Boiler--tangential or     Oil...............  100      0.25 lbs./MMBTU...  Calendar day.
 face-fired.                                           MMBTU/hr.

[[Page 9274]]

 
Utility Boiler--tangential or     Oil and Natural     100      0.25 lbs./MMBTU...  Calendar day.
 face-fired.                       Gas combined.       MMBTU/hr.
Utility Boiler--tangential......  Natural Gas only..  100      0.20 lbs./MMBTU...  Calendar day.
                                                       MMBTU/hr.
Asphalt Concrete Plants.........  N/A...............  N/A...............  150 ppmvd NOX and   Not specified.
                                                                           500 ppmvd CO @ 7%
                                                                           O2.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Million British Thermal Units (MMBTU) per hour (hr).
** Parts per million dry volume (ppmvd).

    Subsection 805.4 establishes emission limits for stationary 
combustion turbines. Subsection 805.4(b)(1) exempts combustion turbines 
operated less than 500 hours per calendar year from meeting the 
NOX RACT limits in subsection 805.4. Subsection 805.5 
establishes presumptive RACT for fossil-fueled steam-generating units. 
Utility boilers with a rated heat capacity of 100 MMBTU or greater must 
demonstrate compliance with the applicable emission limit using 
approved continuous emissions monitoring (CEM) technology pursuant to 
40 CFR part 60, appendix B. All other utility boilers and turbines 
subject to these source category requirements may choose between CEM 
technology or alternative test methods approved by the District and 
EPA.
    Subsection 805.5(a) requires any fossil fuel fired steam-generating 
units with an energy input capacity greater than or equal to 20 MMBTU 
per hour must adjust the combustion process on a yearly basis to 
minimize the total emissions representing the sum of the NOX 
emission rate and one-half the carbon moxide (CO) emission rate 
(subsection 805.8). Although sources subject to this requirement must 
record the results of the combustion process adjustments, this 
requirement will not result in an additional emission limitation. The 
combustion process adjustment is the only RACT requirement for sources 
with a rated heat capacity equal to or greater than 20 MMBTU but less 
than 50 MMBTU.
    Subsection 805.6 specifies an emission limit of 150 ppmvd 
NOX and 500 ppmvd CO corrected to 7% oxygen for asphalt 
concrete plants that emit 50 TPY or greater of NOX. Sources 
may choose between CEM or test methods approved by the District and EPA 
to demonstrate compliance. However, if a source chooses to use testing, 
subsection 805.6(d)(2) requires that testing be conducted at least 
annually and demonstrate that the NOX emission rate does not 
exceed the rate specified in subsection 805.5.

EPA Evaluation

    The emission limits for large utility boilers are supported by data 
gathered by the State and Territorial Air Pollution Program 
Administrators (STAPPA) and the Association of Local Air Pollution 
Control Officials (ALAPCO). EPA has published RACT-level NOX 
emission rates for selected types of utility boilers that are to be 
applied to groups of boilers on an areawide, BTU-weighted basis 
(November 25, 1992, 57 FR 55620, 55625). The District's emission limits 
for individual source units are very similar to EPA's areawide averages 
and should provide the same level of control recommended by EPA. The 
emission limit for oil-fired combustion turbines is supported by data 
gathered for existing turbines by the Northeast States for Coordinated 
Air Use Management (NESCAUM) and is acceptable. EPA has not issued 
guidance on reducing NOX emissions from asphalt concrete 
plants. EPA finds that the emission limit established for asphalt 
concrete plants in section 805.6 of the District's rule constitutes an 
acceptable level of RACT.
    The District has defined RACT for combustion sources equal to or 
greater than 20 MMBTU/hour but less than 50 MMBTU/hour as combustion 
adjustments to minimize the result of the following equation: 
NOX emission rate + (0.5 * CO emission rate).
    The technical basis for this equation is unsupported, particularly 
with respect to the partial addition of the CO emission rate. In some 
cases, a NOX emission limit for a combustion source is 
accompanied by a CO limit due to the potential for increased CO 
emissions from NOX controls. However, EPA cannot determine a 
logical basis for considering the sum of the two emissions rates in the 
manner required by the District. The District's definition of RACT also 
fails to require any measurable degree of control that would 
demonstrate that the technology used is technically or economically 
appropriate. With respect to the method used to regulate combustion 
adjustments, the District must replace the equation with a technically 
justifiable method to regulate combustion adjustments. In order to 
correct the deficiency in RACT requirements for sources with a heat 
input of 20 MMBTU or greater but less than 50 MMBTU the District must 
either (1) revise the regulation to provide specific numeric emission 
limitations or appropriate and enforceable operating and maintenance 
requirements for these sources or (2) revise the regulation to require 
specific emission limitation(s) for each source or provide an adequate 
justification that it is unreasonable for the source to comply with 
RACT considering technological and economic feasibility.

Source-specific (Generic) RACT Provisions

    All other NOX sources having the potential to emit 50 
tons of NOX per year not listed on the table above must 
submit an emission control plan to the District specifying a RACT 
emission limit that will be met by May 31, 1995 (subsection 805.7). The 
emission control plan must be approved by the District and approved as 
a SIP revision by EPA. Sources must demonstrate compliance using either 
CEM technology or testing approved by the District and EPA. Testing, if 
chosen, must be conducted annually and must demonstrate that the 
NOX emission rate does not exceed the emission rate 
specified in subsection 805.5 for the applicable fossil fuel steam-
generating unit. Daily records must be maintained and kept for three 
years to demonstrate compliance with the applicable emission rate. 
Emissions that are subject to any other regulation in subtitle I of 20 
DCMR or those that have emission limits approved in a federally 
enforceable regulation as meeting Best Available Control Technology 
(BACT) or Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) since January 1, 1990, 
are exempt from these requirements.

EPA Evaluation

    Under subsection 805.7, major NOX sources that are not 
otherwise covered by presumptive emission limits under section 805 are 
subject to a process to develop and submit individual source

[[Page 9275]]

RACT determinations for the District's approval and submission to EPA 
as SIP revisions. For all other major NOX sources or those 
NOX sources electing not to comply with presumptive emission 
requirements, the District provides the option of a source-specific 
RACT determination through subsections 805.2(b) and 805.7. Subsections 
805.2(b) and 805.7 specifically allow sources to have RACT approved via 
the SIP revision process. EPA refers to this type of provision as a 
``generic RACT'' provision in a state regulation. Specifically, 
``generic RACT rules'' are defined as rules that merely require sources 
to identify RACT-level controls which the state will later submit 
through the SIP process.
    EPA has long interpreted the RACT requirements of the Clean Air Act 
to mean that states must adopt and submit regulations that include 
emission limits as applicable to the subject sources. In other words, a 
state would not fully meet the RACT requirement until it establishes 
emission limits on all major sources. In a November 7, 1996 EPA policy 
memorandum from Sally Shaver, Director, Air Quality Strategies and 
Standards Division, to all Regional Air Division Directors, EPA 
outlined the necessary prerequisites for approving a state's (or in 
this case the District's) generic RACT regulation. In this memo, EPA 
recognized that in most instances a generic RACT rule strengthens the 
SIP to the extent that it sets dates by which sources must submit RACT 
and comply with requirements.
    The November 7, 1996 memo recommends that approval should be 
granted to a state's generic rule as long as EPA believes that the 
state has submitted all the source-specific RACT determinations and has 
submitted a declaration that to the best of its knowledge, there are no 
remaining unregulated sources. Full approval, however, should not be 
granted until EPA has also determined through rulemaking that the 
source-specific determinations also meet the RACT requirements.
    In a letter dated December 16, 1998, the District of Columbia 
Department of Health notified EPA that all major stationary sources of 
NOX emissions in the District are subject to the presumptive 
source category RACT limits of subsections 805.4, 805.5 or 805.6. In 
other words, no major sources in the District have elected to apply for 
alternative RACT determinations through the source-specific process. 
Furthermore, the December 16, 1998 letter included a ``negative 
declaration'' pertaining to the entire universe of all other categories 
of major sources of NOX. In other words, the District has no 
other major sources of NOX, such as incinerators, 
reciprocating internal combustion engines, glass manufacturing, nitric/
adipic acid production, cement manufacturing and iron/steel 
manufacturing plants, etc. The District has not and will not be 
submitting any source-specific RACT determinations because the entire 
of universe of major sources of NOX in the District are 
subject to RACT emission limits under section 805. Because all major 
sources of NOX in the District are subject to RACT, as 
established in section 805, EPA finds that the requirements of sections 
182 and 184 of the Clean Air Act have been met regardless of the 
generic provisions of section 805.

Exemptions

    Subsections 805.7(a)(1) and (2) allow major sources of 
NOX that are subject to any other regulation in subtitle I 
of 20 DCMR or those that have emission limits approved in a federally 
enforceable regulation as meeting Best Available Control Technology 
(BACT) or Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) since January 1, 1990, 
to be excluded when calculating potential to emit to determine major 
source applicability. Subtitle I embodies all of the District's air 
pollution control regulations. Subsections 805.7(a)(1) and (2) allow 
all NOX sources subject to any other regulation in subtitle 
I of 20 DCMR or sources receiving LAER determinations since January 1, 
1990 to be declared RACT without EPA approval via the SIP process.

EPA Evaluation

    These provisions are unacceptable because EPA cannot delegate the 
responsibility of approving RACT determinations to a state or other 
regulatory authority such as the District. The CAA requires that EPA 
make a determination as to whether a major source or source category's 
requirement constitutes RACT. EPA cannot agree to LAER or any other 
determination under subtitle I of 20 DCMR as RACT since those 
determinations have not been before the EPA for review. Therefore, 
subsections 805.7(a)(1) and (2) are inconsistent with the CAA and the 
District must correct this deficiency.

Monitoring, Recordkeeping and Reporting

    For sources subject to the presumptive limits found in section 805, 
subsection 805.2(a) requires such sources to demonstrate compliance 
with the applicable emission limits using continuous emission monitors 
according to 40 CFR part 60, appendix B, or through other test methods 
approved by the District and EPA. For combustion turbines and utility 
boilers, compliance will be determined using an emission monitoring 
system to continuously monitor and record the NOX emission 
rate and demonstrate that the NOX emission rate does not 
exceed the applicable allowable NOX emission rate 
(subsections 805.4(d) and 805.5(e)). For sources electing alternative 
emission limits as RACT, subsections 805.2(c) and 805.7(d) require all 
sources to maintain continuous compliance through installation of a 
continuous emissions monitoring system or other methods consistent with 
the operational parameters and limits set forth in any permit or 
certificate approved by the District and EPA.

EPA Evaluation

    Specific recordkeeping requirements necessary to determine 
compliance are not contained in the regulation. Subsection 805.3(c)(4) 
requires all emission control plans to include recordkeeping procedures 
for air pollution control equipment used to reduce NOX 
emissions. However, since the emission control plans for sources 
subject to source category limits in subsections 805.4 through 805.6 
are not required to be submitted as SIP revisions they are not made 
federally enforceable through this regulation. EPA believes that this 
deficiency is resolved through Chapter 5 of subtitle I of the 
District's regulations. This SIP-approved Chapter requires stationary 
sources with emissions greater than 25 TPY to conduct testing and 
maintain adequate records for compliance with applicable requirements.
    Sources subject to the emission limits for asphalt concrete plants 
that choose to perform testing, as opposed to CEM, are required to meet 
additional emission limits that are unidentifiable and technically 
infeasible. Subsection 805.6(c)(2)(C) requires testing to demonstrate 
that the emission rate does not exceed the applicable emission rate in 
subsection 805.5. The latter section establishes presumptive RACT 
technology and specific emission limits for fossil-fuel steam-
generating units. The District's rule should require that asphalt 
concrete sources subject to the emission limits in subsection 805.6 to 
conduct testing to demonstrate compliance with emission limits for 
asphalt concrete sources established in 805.6.
    Similarly, in subsection 805.7(d)(2)(C), sources subject to case-
by-case RACT determinations that conduct testing (as opposed to

[[Page 9276]]

continuous emission monitoring) are required to demonstrate compliance 
with the NOX emission rate specified in subsection 805.5. 
The reference to subsection 805.5 is incorrect in that this section 
establishes emission limits specifically for fossil-fuel steam-
generating units. Subsection 805.7(d)(2)(C) should require affected 
sources to conduct testing to demonstrate compliance with the limits 
contained in an approved emission control plan that has been submitted 
and approved by EPA as a SIP revision.
    EPA has evaluated section 805 of the District's regulation for 
consistency with the CAA and EPA regulations, and has found, as noted 
above, certain deficiencies which result in enforceability problems and 
in the regulation of a smaller population of sources than required by 
the CAA. A more detailed description of the District's submittal and 
EPA's evaluation are included in the Technical Support Document (TSD) 
prepared in support of this rulemaking action. A copy of the TSD is 
available, upon request, from the EPA Regional Office listed in the 
ADDRESSES section of this document.

III. Final Action

    EPA is conditionally approving section 805, subtitle I of 20 DCMR, 
the requirements to implement RACT on major sources of NOX, 
submitted by the District of Columbia into the District's SIP. In a 
letter dated December 16, 1998, the District of Columbia Department of 
Health requested EPA to propose conditional approval of the District's 
NOX RACT SIP and committed to correct deficiencies 
identified in today's rulemaking and resubmit such revisions to EPA as 
a SIP submittal.
    EPA is conditionally approving section 805 of the District of 
Columbia's NOX RACT regulation, pursuant to section 
110(k)(4) of the CAA on the basis that section 805 strengthens the SIP 
by establishing compliance dates and RACT limits on major categories of 
NOX sources. The District must correct the deficiencies 
enumerated below within twelve months of the effective date of today's 
rulemaking. If the District fails to revise and resubmit the regulation 
within one year of this conditional approval the conditional approval 
will convert to a disapproval.
    1. The District must revise subsection 805.1(c) to allow exemptions 
only where there are federally-enforceable restrictions that limit 
NOX emissions to less than 50 tons per year.
    2. With respect to the method used to regulate combustion 
adjustments in subsection 805.8, the District must replace the equation 
with a technically justifiable method to regulate combustion 
adjustments. In order to correct the deficiency in RACT requirements 
for sources with a heat input of 20 MMBTU or greater but less than 50 
MMBTU, the District must either (1) revise the regulation to provide 
specific numeric emission limits or appropriate and enforceable 
operating and maintenance requirements for these sources or (2) revise 
the regulation to require specific emission limit(s) for each source or 
provide an adequate justification that it is unreasonable for the 
source to comply with RACT considering technological and economic 
feasibility.
    3. The District must remove the exclusions found in subsections 
805.7(a)(1) and (2) for the purposes of determining potential 
emissions.
    4. The District must correct subsection 805.7(d)(2)(C) to require 
affected sources to conduct testing to demonstrate compliance with the 
limitations contained in an approved emission control plan that has 
been submitted and approved by EPA as a SIP revision.
    5. The District must correct subsection 805.6(c)(2)(C) to require 
that asphalt concrete sources subject to the emission limits in 
subsection 805.6 conduct testing to demonstrate compliance with 
emission limits for asphalt concrete sources.
    If the District fails to meet the conditions of this approval 
action, the EPA Regional Administrator will make a finding, by letter, 
that the conditional approval is converted to a disapproval and the 
clock for imposition of sanctions under section 170(a) of the CAA will 
start as of the date of the letter. Subsequently, a document will be 
published in the Federal Register announcing that the SIP revision has 
been disapproved.
    EPA is publishing this rule without prior proposal because the 
Agency views this as a noncontroversial amendment and anticipates no 
adverse comment. However, in the ``Proposed Rules'' section of today's 
Federal Register, EPA is publishing a separate document that will serve 
as the proposal to conditionally approve the District's NOX 
RACT SIP revision if adverse comments are filed. This rule will be 
effective on April 26, 1999 without further notice unless EPA receives 
adverse comment by March 29, 1999. If EPA receives adverse comment, EPA 
will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register informing the 
public that the rule will not take effect. EPA will address all public 
comments in a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule. EPA 
will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties 
interested in commenting must do so at this time.

III. Administrative Requirements

A. Executive Order 12866

    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted this 
regulatory action from review under 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 EPA complies by consulting, E.O. requires EPA to 
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

    E.O. 13045, entitled ``Protection of Children from Environmental 
Health Risks and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), applies 
to any rule that the EPA determines (1) is ``economically 
significant,'' as defined under E.O. 12866, and (2) the environmental 
health or safety risk addressed by the rule has 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 final rule is not subject to E.O. 13045 because it is not an 
economically significant regulatory action as defined

[[Page 9277]]

by E.O. 12866, and it does not address an environmental health or 
safety risk that would have a disproportionate effect on children.

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 EPA complies by 
consulting, Executive Order 13084 requires EPA to 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, Executive Order 13084 
requires EPA to develop an effective process permitting elected and 
other 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. This action does not involve or impose 
any requirements that affect Indian Tribes. 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 conditional approvals of 
SIP submittals 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 Clean Air 
Act, 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).
    If the conditional approval is converted to a disapproval under 
section 110(k), based on the State's failure to meet the commitment, it 
will not affect any existing state requirements applicable to small 
entities. Federal disapproval of the state submittal does not affect 
its state-enforceability. Moreover, EPA's disapproval of the submittal 
does not impose a new Federal requirement. Therefore, the EPA certifies 
that this disapproval action does not have a significant impact on a 
substantial number of small entities because it does not remove 
existing requirements nor does it substitute a new federal requirement.

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 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. 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 to conditionally approve the District of 
Columbia's NOX RACT regulations in section 805, subtitle I 
of 20 DCMR, must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the 
appropriate circuit by April 26, 1999. 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, Nitrogen dioxide, 
Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: February 12, 1999.
 Thomas C. Voltaggio,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region III.

    40 CFR part 52 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 J--District of Columbia

    2. Section 52.473 is amended by adding paragraph (c) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 52.473  Conditional approval.

* * * * *
    (c) The District of Columbia's January 13, 1994 SIP submittal of 
section 805 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulation (DCMR) No. 
20, Subtitle I, ``Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for 
Major Stationary Sources of Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX),'' is 
conditionally approved based on certain contingencies. The condition 
for approval is to revise section 805 and resubmit the section as a SIP 
revision

[[Page 9278]]

within one year of April 26, 1999, according to the following:
    (1) The District must revise subsection 805.1(c) to allow 
exemptions only where there are federally-enforceable restrictions that 
limit NOX emissions to less than 50 tons per year.
    (2) With respect to the method used to regulate combustion 
adjustments in subsection 805.8, the District must replace the equation 
with a technically justifiable method to regulate combustion 
adjustments. In order to correct the deficiency in RACT requirements 
for sources with a heat input of 20 MMBTU or greater but less than 50 
MMBTU the District must either revise the regulation to provide 
specific numeric emission limits or appropriate and enforceable 
operating and maintenance requirements for these sources, or revise the 
regulation to require specific emission limit(s) for each source or 
provide an adequate justification that it is unreasonable for the 
source to comply with RACT considering technological and economic 
feasibility.
    (3) The District must remove the exclusions found in subsections 
805.7(a)(1) and (2) for the purposes of determining potential 
emissions.
    (4) The District must correct subsection 805.7(d)(2)(C) to require 
affected sources to conduct testing to demonstrate compliance with the 
limits contained in an approved emission control plan that has been 
submitted and approved by EPA as a SIP revision.
    (5) The District must correct subsection 805.6(c)(2)(C) to require 
that asphalt concrete sources subject to the emission limits in 
subsection 805.6 conduct testing to demonstrate compliance with 
emission limits for asphalt concrete sources.

[FR Doc. 99-4434 Filed 2-24-99; 8:45 am]
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