[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 116 (Thursday, June 17, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 32422-32425]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-15267]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[PA121-4088a; FRL-6361-5]


Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; 
Pennsylvania; 1990 NOX Base Year Emission Inventory for the 
Philadelphia Ozone Nonattainment Area

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision 
request that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania submitted on July 31, 
1998 for the Philadelphia severe ozone nonattainment area. The 
Commonwealth submitted this SIP revision in response to the Clean Air 
Act, which requires all ozone nonattainment areas to submit a 
comprehensive inventory of oxides of nitrogen (NOX) 
emissions, from all sources, for the calendar year 1990. This emission 
inventory is known as the 1990 base year inventory. This SIP revision 
applies to the Pennsylvania portion of the Philadelphia ozone 
nonattainment area, which consists of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, 
Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. EPA is approving the 1990 
NOX base year inventory as a revision to Pennsylvania's SIP 
in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act.

DATES: This rule is effective on August 16, 1999, without further 
notice, unless EPA receives adverse written comment by July 19, 1999. 
If EPA receives such comments, we 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: You should mail written comments 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. You can inspect copies of the documents relevant to 
this action during normal business hours at the Air Protection 
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch 
Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, and the Pennsylvania 
Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Air Quality, P.O. Box 
8468, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cristina Fernandez, (215) 814-2178, at 
the EPA Region III address above, or via e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Supplementary Information section is 
organized as follows:

What action is EPA taking today?
What is the effect of this action?
What did Pennsylvania submit?
What is in Pennsylvania's 1990 NOX inventory?
What does the Clean Air Act require?
Where can I get more information?
What is EPA doing in this action?
How does this document comply with the federal administrative 
requirements for rulemaking?

[[Page 32423]]

What Action Is EPA Taking Today?

    EPA is approving the 1990 NOX base year emission 
inventory, submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the 
Pennsylvania portion of the Philadelphia ozone nonattainment area. The 
inventory revision concerns NOX emissions from point, area, 
highway mobile, and non-road mobile biogenic emissions in the five-
county Philadelphia area.

What Is the Effect of This Action?

    EPA's approval of Pennsylvania's 1990 NOX base year 
inventory means that Pennsylvania has met this Clean Air Act 
requirement for the Philadelphia area. For more information, see the 
section entitled, ``What Does the Clean Air Act Require?''

What Did Pennsylvania Submit?

    On July 31, 1998, Pennsylvania submitted a revision to the 
Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP) containing the 1990 
NOX base year inventory for the Philadelphia severe ozone 
nonattainment area and the ``Phase I'' rate-of-progress plan for the 
Philadelphia area. The Pennsylvania portion of the Philadelphia ozone 
nonattainment area includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and 
Philadelphia Counties. Today's action only pertains to the 1990 
NOX base year inventory portion of Pennsylvania's July 31, 
1998 submittal. In a separate rulemaking action, EPA will address the 
remainder of Pennsylvania's July 31, 1998 submittal related to the 
Philadelphia area Phase I plan.

What Is in Pennsylvania's 1990 NOX Inventory?

    The following table contains a summary of the NOX 
emission inventory, broken down by source type and county.

                             1990 Base Year NOX Emissions for the Philadelphia Area
                                          [Tons per summer day (tpsd)]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          County                             Point       Area     Highway    Nonroad     Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks....................................................      15.96       5.36      32.16      13.09      66.57
Chester..................................................      26.97       2.84      25.98      11.25      67.04
Delaware.................................................      65.51       7.45      18.44       9.23     100.63
Montgomery...............................................       7.67       9.13      39.50      20.69      76.99
Philadelphia.............................................      45.79      22.34      42.24      17.94     128.31
                                                          ------------------------------------------------------
    Five-County Area.....................................     161.90      47.12     158.32      72.20     439.54
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What Does the Clean Air Act Require?

    Under the Clean Air Act (the Act), States have the responsibility 
to inventory emissions contributing to national ambient air quality 
standard nonattainment, to track these emissions over time, and to 
ensure that control strategies are being implemented that reduce 
emissions and move areas towards attainment. Section 182(a)(1) of the 
Act requires states containing ozone nonattainment areas classified as 
marginal to extreme to submit a final, comprehensive, accurate, and 
current inventory of actual ozone season, weekday emissions from all 
sources by November 15, 1992. This inventory is for calendar year 1990, 
and is denoted as the 1990 base year inventory. It includes both 
anthropogenic and biogenic sources of VOC, NOX, and carbon 
monoxide (CO) emissions. The inventory is to address actual VOC, 
NOX, and CO emissions for the area during peak ozone season, 
which is generally comprised of the summer months. All emissions from 
stationary point and area sources, as well as highway and non-road 
mobile sources, and biogenic emissions within the nonattainment area, 
are to be included in the compilation. The 1990 base year emissions 
inventory is the primary inventory from which other Clean Air Act 
requirements, including the periodic inventory, the rate-of-progress 
(ROP) target level and projection inventories, and the modeling 
inventory, are derived.

Where Can I Get More Information?

    EPA prepared a technical support document (TSD) for this 
rulemaking. You may request a copy of EPA's TSD from the EPA Regional 
Office listed in the ADDRESSES section, above.
    You can find more information about emission inventories in the 
following documents:
    Emission Inventory Requirements for Ozone State Implementation 
Plans, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning 
and Standards, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, March 1991.
    Guidance on the Adjusted Base Year Emissions Inventory and the 1996 
Target for 15 Percent Rate of Progress Plans, Environmental Protection 
Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle 
Park, North Carolina, October 1992.
    Guidance on the Post '96 Rate-of-Progress Plan (RPP) and Attainment 
Demonstration (Corrected version of February 18, 1994), Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, 
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, February 18, 1994.

What Is EPA Doing in This Action?

    EPA is approving Pennsylvania's 1990 NOX emission 
inventory for the Philadelphia area. Pennsylvania submitted this 
inventory to EPA as a SIP revision on July 31, 1998.

How Does This Document Comply With the Federal Administrative 
Requirements for Rulemaking?

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

[[Page 32424]]

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 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 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 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).

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, pertaining to EPA's approval of 
Pennsylvania's 1990 NOx base year inventory for the five-county 
Philadelphia area, must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals 
for the appropriate circuit by August 16, 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, Intergovernmental 
relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    Dated: June 2, 1999.
Thomas J. Maslany,
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 NN--Pennsylvania

    2. Section 52.2036 is amended by adding paragraph (l) to read as 
follows:

[[Page 32425]]

Sec. 52.2036 1990  Baseyear Emission Inventory.

* * * * *
    (l) EPA approves, as a revision to the Pennsylvania State 
Implementation Plan, the 1990 NOx emission inventory for the 
Philadelphia area, submitted on July 31, 1998 by the Pennsylvania 
Department of Environmental Protection. The submittal consists of 1990 
base year point, area, highway, and non-road mobile NOx emissions 
inventories for the five-county Philadelphia area (Bucks, Chester, 
Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties).

[FR Doc. 99-15267 Filed 6-16-99; 8:45 am]
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