[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 100 (Thursday, May 23, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 36135-36136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-12966]



[[Page 36135]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 81

[Docket: AK-02-003; FRL-7216-7]


Determination of Attainment for the Carbon Monoxide National 
Ambient Air Quality Standard for Fairbanks Carbon Monoxide 
Nonattainment Area, Alaska

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to find that the Fairbanks nonattainment area 
in Alaska has attained the National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
(NAAQS) for carbon monoxide (CO) as of December 31, 2001.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 24, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed to Connie Robinson, Office 
of Air Quality, Mail code OAQ-107, EPA Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue, 
Seattle, Washington 98101. Copies of documents relevant to this action 
are available for public review during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m.) at this same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Robinson, Office of Air 
Quality, Mail Code OAQ-107, EPA Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, 
Washington 98101, (206) 553-1086.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, the words ``we,'' 
``us,'' or ``our'' means the EPA.

Table of Comments

I. Background
    A. Designation and Classification of CO Nonattainment Areas
    B. How Does EPA Make Attainment Determinations?
    C. What is the Attainment Date for the Fairbanks CO 
Nonattainment Area?
II. EPA's Proposed Action
III. Basis for EPA's Action
IV. Request for Public Comments
V. Administrative Requirements

I. Background

A. Designation and Classification of CO Nonattainment Areas

    The Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990 authorized EPA to 
designate areas across the country as nonattainment, and to classify 
these areas according to the severity of the air pollution problem. 
Pursuant to section 107(d) of the CAAA, following enactment on November 
15, 1990, States were requested to submit lists, within 120 days, which 
designated all areas of the country as either attainment, 
nonattainment, or unclassifiable for CO. The EPA was required to 
promulgate these lists of areas no later than 240 days following 
enactment of the CAAA (See 56 FR 56694, (November 6, 1991)).
    On enactment of the CAAA, a new classification structure was 
created for CO nonattainment areas, pursuant to section 186 of the 
CAAA, which included both a moderate and a serious area classification. 
Under this classification structure, moderate areas with a design value 
of 9.1-16.4 ppm, were expected to attain the CO NAAQS as expeditiously 
as practicable, but no later than December 31, 1995. CO nonattainment 
areas designated as serious, with a design value of 16.5 ppm and above, 
were expected to attain the CO NAAQS as expeditiously as practicable, 
but no later than December 31, 2000. Fairbanks did not have the two 
years of clean data required to attain the standard by December 31, 
2000, the required attainment date for CO serious areas, and under 
section 186(a)(4) of the CAAA. Alaska requested and EPA granted a one 
year extension of the attainment date deadline to December 31, 2001(See 
66 FR 28836, (May 25, 2001)).
    States containing areas classified as either moderate or serious 
for CO had the responsibility of developing and submitting to EPA State 
Implementation Plans (SIPs) which addressed the nonattainment air 
quality problems in those areas. The EPA issued general guidance 
concerning the requirements for SIP submittals, which included 
requirements for CO nonattainment area SIPs, pursuant to Title I of the 
CAAA (See generally, 57 FR 13498 (April 16, 1992), and 57 FR 18070 
(April 28, 1992)). The air quality planning requirements for moderate 
and serious CO nonattainment areas are addressed in sections 186-187 
respectively of the CAAA, which pertain to the classification of CO 
nonattainment areas as well as to the requirements for the submittal of 
both moderate and serious area SIPs.
    The EPA has the responsibility for determining whether a 
nonattainment area has attained the CO NAAQS by the applicable 
attainment date.\1\ In this case the EPA is required to make 
determinations concerning whether serious CO nonattainment areas 
attained the NAAQS by their attainment date. Pursuant to the CAAA, the 
EPA is required to make an attainment determination for this area by 
June 30, 2002, no later than 6 months following the attainment date for 
the area. Therefore, this action is being taken to make a determination 
of attainment for a serious CO nonattainment area with a December 31, 
2001 attainment date.
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    \1\ See sections 172(C), 179(c) and 186(b)(2) of the CAAA.
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B. How Does EPA Make Attainment Determinations?

    Section 179(c)(1) of the CAAA provides that attainment 
determinations are to be based upon an area's ``air quality as of the 
attainment date,'' and section 186(b)(2) is consistent with this 
requirement. EPA will make the determination as to whether an area's 
air quality is meeting the CO NAAQS based upon air quality data 
gathered at CO monitoring sites in the nonattainment area which have 
been entered into the Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS). 
This data is reviewed to determine the area's air quality status in 
accordance with EPA guidance at 40 CFR 50.8, and in accordance with EPA 
policy and guidance as stated in a memorandum from William G. Laxton, 
Director Technical Support Division, entitled ``Ozone and Carbon 
Monoxide Design Value Calculations,'' dated June 18, 1990.
    The 8-hour CO design value is used to determine attainment of CO 
areas, and is computed by first finding the maximum and second maximum 
(non-overlapping) 8-hour values at a monitoring site for the most 
recent 2 years of air quality data. Then the maximum value of the 
second high values is used as the design value for the monitoring site. 
The CO NAAQS requires that not more than one 8-hour average per year 
can exceed 9.0 ppm (values below 9.5 are rounded down to 9.0 and are 
not considered exceedances). CO attainment is evaluated and determined 
by reviewing 8 quarters of data, or a total of 2 complete calendar 
years of data for an area. If an area has a design value that is 
greater than 9.0 ppm, this means that a monitoring site in the area, 
where the second highest (non-overlapping) 8-hour average was measured, 
was greater than 9.0 ppm in at least 1 of the 2 years being reviewed to 
determine attainment for the area. Then this indicates that there were 
at least two values which measured above the NAAQS for CO. Thus, the 
standard was not met in the area.

C. What Is the Attainment Date for the Fairbanks CO Nonattainment Area?

    As stated above, the Fairbanks CO nonattainment area was designated 
nonattainment for CO by operation of law upon enactment of the CAAA of 
1990. Under 186(a) of the CAAA, each CO area designated nonattainment 
was also classified by operation of law as

[[Page 36136]]

either ``moderate'' or ``serious'' depending on the severity of the 
area's air quality problem. States containing areas that were 
classified as moderate nonattainment were required to attain the CO 
NAAQS as expeditiously as practicable but no later than December 31, 
1995. On March 30, 1998, EPA made a finding that Fairbanks did not 
attain the CO NAAQS by the December 31, 1995 attainment date for the 
moderate nonattainment area. This finding was based on EPA's review of 
monitored air quality data for compliance with the CO NAAQS. As a 
result of this finding the Fairbanks CO nonattainment area was 
reclassified as a serious CO nonattainment area by operation of law 
[See 63 FR 9945, (February 27, 1998)]. Fairbanks did not have the two 
years of clean data required to attain the standard by December 31, 
2000, the required attainment date for CO serious areas, and under 
section 186(a)(4) of the CAAA, Alaska requested and EPA granted a one 
year extension of the attainment date deadline to December 31, 2001.

II. EPA's Proposed Action

    EPA is, by today's action, making the determination that the 
Fairbanks serious CO nonattainment area did attain the CO NAAQS by the 
attainment date of December 31, 2001. As explained below, the Fairbanks 
nonattainment area remains classified a serious CO nonattainment area, 
and today's action does not redesignate the Fairbanks nonattainment 
area to attainment.

III. Basis for EPA's Action

    Alaska has three CO monitoring sites in the Fairbanks CO 
nonattainment area. The air quality data in AIRS for these monitors 
show that, for the 2-year period from 2000 through 2001, there were no 
violations of the annual CO standard. The second highest 8-hour average 
measured during this 2-year period was at the Second and Cushman 
monitoring site in 2000 when the site measured 8.9 ppm. Based on this 
information, EPA has determined that the area attained the CO NAAQS 
standard as of the attainment date of December 31, 2001.
    In summary, EPA proposes to find that the Fairbanks CO 
nonattainment area attained the CO NAAQS as of the attainment date of 
December 31, 2001. If we finalize this proposal, consistent with CAAA 
section 188, the area will remain a serious CO nonattainment area with 
the additional planning requirements that apply to serious CO 
nonattainment areas. This proposed finding of attainment should not be 
confused with a redesignation to attainment under CAAA section 107(d). 
Alaska has not submitted a maintenance plan as required under section 
175A(a) of the CAAA or met the other CAAA requirements for 
redesignation to attainment. The designation status in 40 CFR part 81 
will remain serious nonattainment for the Fairbanks CO nonattainment 
area until such time as EPA finds that Alaska has met the CAAA 
requirements for redesignations to attainment.

IV. Request for Public Comments

    We are soliciting public comments on EPA's proposal to find that 
the Fairbanks CO nonattainment area has attained the CO NAAQS as of the 
December 31, 2001, attainment date. These comments will be considered 
before taking final action. Interested parties may participate in the 
Federal rulemaking process by submitting written comments to the EPA 
Regional office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document.

V. Administrative Requirements

    Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this 
proposed action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' and 
therefore is not subject to review by the Office of Management and 
Budget. For this reason, this action is also not subject to Executive 
Order 13211, ``Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect 
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001). This 
proposed action merely proposes to approve state law as meeting Federal 
requirements and imposes no additional requirements beyond those 
imposed by state law. Accordingly, the Administrator certifies that 
this proposed rule will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). Because this rule proposes to approve pre-
existing requirements under state law and does not impose any 
additional enforceable duty beyond that required by state law, it does 
not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or uniquely affect 
small governments, as described in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 
1995 (Public Law 104-4).
    This proposed rule also does not have tribal implications because 
it will not have a substantial direct effect on one or more Indian 
tribes, on the relationship between the Federal Government and Indian 
tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities between 
the Federal Government and Indian tribes, as specified by Executive 
Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000). This action also does not 
have Federalism implications because it does not have substantial 
direct effects on the States, on the relationship between the national 
government and the States, or on the distribution of power and 
responsibilities among the various levels of government, as specified 
in Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999). This action 
merely proposes to approve a state rule implementing a Federal 
standard, and does not alter the relationship or the distribution of 
power and responsibilities established in the Clean Air Act. This 
proposed rule also is not subject to Executive Order 13045 ``Protection 
of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 
19885, April 23, 1997), because it is not economically significant.
    In reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state 
choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act. In 
this context, in the absence of a prior existing requirement for the 
State to use voluntary consensus standards (VCS), EPA has no authority 
to disapprove a SIP submission for failure to use VCS. It would thus be 
inconsistent with applicable law for EPA, when it reviews a SIP 
submission, to use VCS in place of a SIP submission that otherwise 
satisfies the provisions of the Clean Air Act. Thus, the requirements 
of section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement 
Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) do not apply. This proposed rule does 
not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, National parks, 
Wilderness areas.

    Dated: May 14, 2002.
L. John Iani,
Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 02-12966 Filed 5-22-02; 8:45 am]
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