[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 201 (Wednesday, October 17, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 52761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-26091]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[AZ057-NOA; FRL-7084-8]


Adequacy Status of the Maricopa County, Arizona, Submitted CO 
Attainment Plan for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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

SUMMARY: In this document, EPA is notifying the public that we have 
found that submitted Revised Maricopa County Carbon Monoxide (CO) 
Attainment Plan is adequate for conformity purposes. As a result of our 
finding, the Maricopa Association of Governments and the Federal 
Highway Administration are required to use the CO motor vehicle 
emissions budget from the submitted CO Attainment Plan for future 
conformity determinations.

DATES: This budget is effective November 1, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The finding is available at EPA's 
conformity Web site: 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 Frances Wicher, 
U.S. EPA, Region IX, Air Division AIR-2, 75 Hawthorne Street, San 
Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 744-1248 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Today's document is simply an announcement 
of a finding that we have already made. EPA Region IX sent a letter to 
the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Maricopa 
Association of Governments on September 28, 2001 stating that the 
Revised Maricopa County CO Attainment Plan (submitted on April 18, 
2001) is adequate for conformity purposes. This finding has also been 
announced on our conformity Web site: 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). Please note that an adequacy review is separate 
from our completeness review which is required by section 110(k)(1) of 
the Clean Air Act, 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 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 adequacy 
determination.

    Dated: October 9, 2001.
Sally Seymour,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 01-26091 Filed 10-16-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P