[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 111 (Thursday, June 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31217-31219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14769]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6357-8]


Adequacy Status of Submitted State Implementation Plans for 
Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Adequacy Status.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, we are publicizing the list of submitted state 
implementation plans (SIPs) with motor vehicle emissions budgets that 
we have found adequate or inadequate for transportation conformity 
purposes. On March 2, 1999, the D.C. Circuit Court ruled that submitted 
SIPs cannot be used for conformity determinations until EPA has 
affirmatively found them adequate.
    Areas can use the SIPs that we have found adequate in conformity 
determinations, and any conformity determination already made using a 
SIP that is adequate will remain valid. SIPs that we have found 
inadequate cannot be used for further conformity determinations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regarding this notice or future 
guidance: Laura Voss, U.S. EPA, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 
48105. [email protected] (734) 214-4858.
    Regarding specific areas listed in the table: see the EPA Regional 
contact person listed in the table.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act. EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation 
plans, programs, and projects conform to state air quality 
implementation plans (SIPs) and establishes the criteria and procedures 
for determining whether or not they do. Conformity to a SIP means that 
transportation activities will not produce new air quality violations, 
worsen existing violations, or delay timely attainment of the national 
ambient air quality standards.
    The criteria by which we determine whether a SIP's motor vehicle 
emission budgets are adequate for conformity purposes are outlined in 
40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). Please note that an adequacy review is separate 
from EPA's completeness review, and it also should not be used to 
prejudge EPA's ultimate approval of the SIP. Even if we find a budget 
adequate, the SIP could later be disapproved when reviewed with the 
entire SIP submission.
    The list in this notice is not a complete list of all SIPs that 
have been submitted to EPA. This is merely a list of those pending SIP 
submissions that we have found adequate or inadequate to date. We have 
approved some SIPs, and we are still reviewing the adequacy of others. 
We've described our future process for determining the adequacy of 
submitted SIP budgets in guidance (May 14, 1999 memo titled 
``Conformity Guidance on Implementation of March 2, 1999 Conformity 
Court Decision''). We will be revising our conformity rules shortly to 
codify this guidance. You can obtain a copy of this guidance from EPA's 
conformity website: http://www.epa.gov/oms/transp.htm, or by calling 
the contact name listed in For Further Information Contact section. 
Future adequacy determinations will also be announced in the Federal 
Register.
    Status of Submitted Budgets:

[[Page 31218]]



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                                                                                                    Adequate/
    State            Pollutant                 Area            Submitted SIP   Date of finding     inadequate
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Region 1: Contact Donald Cooke, U.S. EPA Region 1, Suite 1100 (CAQ), One Congress Street, Boston, MA 02114-2023,
                                       [email protected] (617) 918-1668
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ME...........  Ozone................  Portland Area........  15%.............  April 28, 1999.  Adequate.
NH...........  Ozone................  Boston-Lawrence-       Post-96 rate of   April 29, 1999.  Adequate.
                                       Worcester Area.        progress.        August 19, 1998  Adequate.
                                                             Attainment
                                                              demonstration.
NH...........  Ozone................  Portsmouth-Dover-      Post-96 rate of   April 29, 1999.  Adequate.
                                       Rochester Area.        progress.        August 19, 1998  Adequate.
                                                             Attainment
                                                              demonstration.
MA...........  Ozone................  Boston-Lawrence-       15%.............  June 5, 1997...  Adequate.
                                       Worcester (E. Mass)   Post-96 rate of   June 5, 1997...  Adequate.
                                       Area.                  progress.
MA...........  Ozone................  Boston-Lawrence-       Attainment        February 19,     Adequate.
                                       Worcester (E. Mass)    demonstration.    1999.
                                       Area.
MA...........  Ozone................  Springfield (W. Mass)  Attainment        February 19,     Adequate.
                                       Area.                  demonstration.    1999.
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  Region 2: Contact Rudolph Kapichak, U.S. EPA Region 2, Air Programs Branch, 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007,
                                     [email protected] (212) 637-3804
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NY...........  Ozone................  New York Portion of    Post-96 rate of   September 17,    Adequate.
                                       the NY-NJ-CT severe    progress.         1997.
                                       ozone nonattainment
                                       area.
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 Region 3: Contact Paul Wentworth (Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. areas); Larry Budney (Delaware areas); U.S. EPA
 Region 3, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, [email protected] (215) 814-2183; [email protected]
                                                 (215) 814-2184
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DC...........  Ozone................  Washington DC........  Post-96 rate of   December 31,     Adequate.
                                                              progress.         1997.
MD...........  Ozone................  Maryland portion of    Post-96 rate of   February 27,     Adequate.
                                       DC area.               progress.         1998.
VA...........  Ozone................  Northern Virginia      Post-96 rate of   February 27,     Adequate.
                                       portion of DC area.    progress.         1998.
MD...........  Ozone................  Baltimore............  Post-96 rate of   April 28, 1999.  Adequate.
                                                              progress.
MD...........  Ozone................  Cecil County.........  Post-96 rate of   April 28, 1999.  Adequate.
                                                              progress.
DE...........  Ozone................  New Castle County....  Post-96 rate of   April 29, 1999.  Adequate.
                                                              progress.
DE...........  Ozone................  Kent County..........  Post-96 rate of   April 29, 1999.  Adequate.
                                                              progress.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Region 4: Contact Kay Prince, U.S. EPA Region 4, Air, Pesticides, and Toxics Management Division, 61 Forsyth
                        Street S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303, [email protected] (404) 562-9026
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KY...........  Ozone................  Louisville...........  15%.............  April 29, 1999.  Adequate.
TN...........  Ozone................  Memphis..............  Maintenance plan  August 7, 1998.  Adequate.
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 Region 5: Contact Ryan Bahr, U.S. EPA Region 5, Air and Radiation Division, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, AR-18J,
                            Chicago, IL 60604-3590, [email protected] (312) 353-4366
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IN...........  Ozone................  Lake and Porter        Post-96 rate of   February 2,      Adequate.
                                       County.                progress.         1998.
IL...........  Ozone................  Chicago area.........  Post-96 rate of   February 3,      Adequate.
                                                              progress.         1998.
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   Region 6: Contact Jahan Behnam, U.S. EPA Region 6, Fountain Place 12th Floor Suite 1200, 1445 Ross Avenue,
                        Dallas, TX 75202-2733, [email protected] (214) 665-7247
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LA...........  Ozone................  Baton Rouge..........  Attainment        April 28, 1999.  Adequate.
                                                              demonstration.
TX...........  Ozone................  El Paso..............  Section 179B      January 12,      Adequate.
                                                              international     1998.
                                                              border plan.
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        Region 8: Contact Jeff Houk, U.S. EPA Region 8, 999 18th Street Suite 500, Denver, CO 80202-2466,
                                        [email protected] (303) 312-6446
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CO...........  Carbon monoxide......  Colorado Springs.....  Maintenance plan  April 29, 1999.
                                                             1998--2009                         Inadequate.
                                                              budgets.                          Adequate.
                                                             2010 budget and
                                                              beyond.

[[Page 31219]]

 
CO...........  Carbon monoxide......  Longmont.............  Maintenance plan  May 14, 1999...  Inadequate.
UT...........  Carbon monoxide......  Ogden................  Maintenance plan  April 29, 1999.  Adequate.
UT...........  Carbon monoxide......  Provo................  Attainment        May 14, 1999...  Inadequate.
                                                              demonstration.
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       Region 9: Contact Karina O'Connor, U.S. EPA Region 9, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105,
                                     [email protected] (415) 744-1247.
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AZ...........  Carbon monoxide......  Phoenix..............  Attainment        May 5, 1999....  Inadequate.
                                                              demonstration.
AZ...........  Ozone................  Phoenix..............  Attainment        May 5, 1999....  Inadequate.
                                                              demonstration
                                                              and 15%.
CA...........  PM 10................  San Joaquin Valley...  Attainment        May 5, 1999....  Inadequate.
                                                              demonstration.
NV...........  Carbon monoxide......  Las Vegas............  Attainment        May 5, 1999....  Inadequate.
                                                              demonstration.
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  Region 10: Contact Wayne Elson, U.S. EPA Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, [email protected]
                                                 (206) 553-1463.
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AK...........  Carbon monoxide......  Anchorage............  Attainment        May 14, 1999...  Inadequate.
                                                              demonstration.
AK...........  Carbon monoxide......  Fairbanks............  Attainment        May 14, 1999...  Inadequate.
                                                              demonstration.
WA...........  Carbon monoxide......  Spokane..............  Attainment        May 14, 1999...  Inadequate.
                                                              demonstration.
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    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.

    Dated: June 3, 1999.
Robert Perciasepe,
Assistant Administrator for Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 99-14769 Filed 6-9-99; 8:45 am]
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