[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 70 (Thursday, April 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17686-17687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8827]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OR-01-006; FRL-7169-9]


Adequacy Status of the State Implementation Plan Revision for 
Carbon Monoxide in the Medford Urban Growth Boundary, Medford, Oregon

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy determination.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that we have found 
that the motor vehicle emissions budget submitted in the Revised 
Maintenance Plan for the Moderate Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Area for 
Medford, Oregon 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 Rogue Valley Council of 
Governments, Oregon Department of Transportation, and the U.S. 
Department of Transportation are required to use the motor vehicle 
emissions budget in this submitted maintenance plan for future 
transportation conformity determinations.

[[Page 17687]]


DATES: This finding is effective April 26, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The finding 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: Today's notice is simply an announcement of 
a finding that we have already made. EPA Region 10 sent a letter to The 
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on March 21, 2002, stating 
that the motor vehicle emissions budget in the State Implementation 
Plan Revision for Carbon Monoxide in the Medford Urban Growth Boundary, 
Medford, Oregon is adequate.
    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 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 budget is 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 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.

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

    Dated: March 30, 2002.
Ronald Kreizenbeck,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 02-8827 Filed 4-10-02; 8:45 am]
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