[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4965-4966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-2181]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[NV-0038-0019; FRL-6530-7]


Adequacy Status of the Clark County, Nevada Submitted CO 
Attainment Plan for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY:  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:  Notice of inadequacy determination.

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SUMMARY:  In this document, EPA is notifying the public that we have 
found that the submitted Clark County (Las Vegas, NV) serious area 
carbon monoxide (CO) attainment plan is inadequate for transportation 
conformity purposes. As a result of our finding, the Regional 
Transportation Commission and the Federal Highway Administration cannot 
use the CO motor vehicle emissions budgets from the submitted plan for 
future conformity determinations.

DATES:  This determination is effective February 17, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  The finding is available at EPA's 
conformity website: http://www.epa.gov/oms/traq, (once there, click on 
the ``Conformity'' button, then look for ``Adequacy Review of SIP 
Submissions for Conformity''). You may also contact Karina O'Connor, 
U.S. EPA, Region IX, Air Division AIR-2, 75 Hawthorne Street, San 
Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 744-1247 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This document announces our finding that the Carbon Monoxide Air 
Quality Implementation Plan for the Clark County Non-Attainment Area, 
submitted by Nevada on October 6, 1999, is inadequate for 
transportation conformity purposes. EPA Region IX made this finding in 
a letter to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection on January 
12, 2000. We are also announcing this finding on our conformity 
website: http://www.epa.gov/oms/traq, (once there, click on the 
``Conformity'' button, then look for ``Adequacy Review of SIP 
Submissions for Conformity''). Transportation conformity is required by 
section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act. Our 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). One of these criterion is that the plan provide 
for attainment of the relevant ambient air quality standard by the 
applicable Clean Air Act attainment date. We have

[[Page 4966]]

preliminarily determined that the Clark County CO plan does not provide 
for attainment of the CO standards and therefore, cannot be found 
adequate.
    We have described our 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 followed this guidance in making our inadequacy 
determination on the Clark County CO plan.

    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.


    Dated: January 18, 2000.
Laura Yoshii,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 00-2181 Filed 2-1-00; 8:45 am]
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