[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 146 (Friday, July 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46454-46455]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-19120]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6842-6]


Inadequacy Status of the Portneuf Valley, Pocatello, ID; 
Submitted Particulate Matter (PM10) Air Quality Improvement Plan for 
Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of inadequacy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this document, EPA is notifying the public that we have 
found that the motor vehicle emissions budget for PM10 in the Portneuf 
Valley, Pocatello, Idaho submitted PM10 Air Quality Improvement Plan is 
inadequate 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, Portneuf Valley cannot use the motor vehicle 
emissions budget from the submitted PM-10 Air Quality Improvement Plan 
for future conformity determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective August 14, 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 Wayne Elson, U.S. EPA, Region 10 (OAQ-107), 1200 
Sixth Ave, Seattle WA 98101; (206) 553-1463 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Today's document is simply an announcement of a finding that we 
have already made. EPA Region 10 sent a letter to Idaho Division of 
Environmental Quality on June 8, 2000 stating that the motor vehicle 
emissions budget in the Portneuf Valley submitted Particulate Matter 
(PM-10) Air Quality Improvement Plan is inadequate. This finding is 
based on the exceedences of the PM10 National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards recorded in December 1999, and the need to re-visit the 
planning effort for the Portneuf Valley PM10 nonattainment area. 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.

[[Page 46455]]

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.
    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. 7401-7671 q.

    Dated: July 18, 2000.
Chuck Findley,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 00-19120 Filed 7-27-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P