[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 40 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 10785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4784]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[NH-044-7171, FRL-6542-1]


Adequacy Status of the Nashua, New Hampshire and Manchester, New 
Hampshire Submitted Carbon Monoxide Redesignation Requests for 
Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that we have found 
the motor vehicle emissions budgets for the New Hampshire cities of 
Nashua and Manchester, received on February 8, 1999 as part of the 
carbon monoxide redesignation requests for each of those areas, 
adequate for 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. As a 
result of our finding, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation 
and the Federal Highway Administration are required to use the motor 
vehicle emissions budgets from the submitted carbon monoxide 
redesignation requests in future conformity determinations.

DATES: These budgets are effective March 15, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The finding and the response to 
comments will be 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 Jeff Butensky, Environmental Planner, One Congress 
Street, Suite 1100 (CAQ), Boston, MA 02114-2023; (617) 918-1665; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Today's notice is simply an announcement of 
a finding that we have already made. EPA New England sent a letter to 
the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services on November 2, 
1999 stating that the motor vehicle emissions budgets contained in the 
submitted carbon monoxide redesignation requests for Nashua and 
Manchester for the year 2010 were adequate for conformity purposes. 
This finding will also be announced on 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'').
    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 conform. 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.
    We've 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 adequacy 
determination.

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

    Dated: February 14, 2000.
Mindy S. Lubber,
Acting Regional Administrator, EPA New England.
[FR Doc. 00-4784 Filed 2-28-00; 8:45 am]
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