[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 126 (Monday, July 1, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 44062-44065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16361]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[CA 243-0357a; FRL-7232-6]
Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan; Bay Area
Air Quality Management District; South Coast Air Quality Management
District
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Direct final rule.
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SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the
portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) that are
associated with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). These
revisions concern volatile organic compound emissions from solid waste
disposal sites. We are approving local rules that regulate these
emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the
Act).
DATES: This rule is effective on August 30, 2002, without further
notice, unless EPA receives adverse comments by July 31, 2002. If we
receive such comment, we will publish a timely withdrawal in the
Federal Register to notify the public that this rule will not take
effect.
ADDRESSES: Mail comments to Andy Steckel, Rulemaking Office Chief (AIR-
4), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne
Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-3901.
You can inspect copies of the submitted SIP revisions and EPA's
technical support documents at our Region IX office during normal
business hours. You may also see copies of the submitted SIP revisions
at the following locations:
Environmental Protection Agency, Air Docket (6102), Ariel Rios
Building,
[[Page 44063]]
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington DC 20460.
California Air Resources Board, Stationary Source Division, Rule
Evaluation Section, 1001 ``I'' Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Bay Area Air Quality Management District, 939 Ellis Street, San
Francisco, CA 94109-7799.
South Coast Air Quality Management District, 21865 E. Copley Drive,
Diamond Bar, CA 91765-4182.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mae Wang, Rulemaking Office (AIR-4),
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, (415) 947-4124.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, ``we,'' ``us'' and
``our'' refer to EPA.
Table of Contents
I. The State's Submittal
A. What rules did the State submit?
B. Are there other versions of these rules?
C. What is the purpose of the submitted rule revisions?
II. EPA's Evaluation and Action
A. How is EPA evaluating the rules?
B. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria?
C. EPA recommendations to further improve the rules.
D. Public comment and final action.
III. Background information
A. Why were these rules submitted?
IV. Administrative Requirements
I. The State's Submittal
A. What Rules Did the State Submit?
Table 1 lists the rules we are approving with the dates that they
were adopted by the local air agencies and submitted by the California
Air Resources Board (CARB).
Table 1.--Submitted Rules
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Local agency Rule No. Rule title Adopted Submitted
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BAAQMD.................................... 8-34 Solid Waste Disposal Sites... 10/06/99 12/11/00
SCAQMD.................................... 1150.1 Control of Gaseous Emissions 03/17/00 07/26/00
from Municipal Solid Waste
Landfills.
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On February 8, 2001, and October 4, 2000, these rule submittals
were found to meet the completeness criteria in 40 CFR part 51 Appendix
V, which must be met before formal EPA review.
B. Are There Other Versions of These Rules?
We approved a version of BAAQMD Rule 8-34 into the California SIP
on March 22, 1995. The BAAQMD adopted revisions to the SIP-approved
version of Rule 8-34 on July 17, 1996, but this version was not
submitted for the SIP.
SCAQMD adopted Rule 1150.1, ``Control of Gaseous Emissions from
Active Landfills,'' and Rule 1150.2, ``Control of Gaseous Emissions
from Inactive Landfills,'' on April 5, 1985 and October 18, 1985,
respectively. On May 6, 1997, EPA published a limited approval/limited
disapproval of these rules (62 FR 24574). As a result, sanctions clocks
were started on July 7, 1997. On April 10, 1998, SCAQMD amended Rule
1150.1 to correct the deficiencies identified in EPA's limited
disapproval action. SCAQMD also rescinded Rule 1150.2 and incorporated
the requirements of Rule 1150.2 into amended Rule 1150.1, which was
retitled: ``Control of Gaseous Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste
Landfills.'' On June 23, 1998 CARB submitted the amended Rule 1150.1,
``Control of Gaseous Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills,''
to replace both Rule 1150.1 and Rule 1150.2. On January 6, 1999, EPA
published a proposed approval of amended Rule 1150.1 (64 FR 818). EPA
also published an interim final determination that the SCAQMD had
corrected the deficiencies for which the sanctions clocks began on July
7, 1997 (64 FR 754). The interim final determination did not stop the
sanctions clocks but did defer the imposition of sanctions. EPA never
finalized the proposed approval because SCAQMD had begun working on
another revision to the rule. SCAQMD amended Rule 1150.1 on March 17,
2000, and CARB submitted this version of the rule on July 26, 2000.
C. What Is the Purpose of the Submitted Rule Revisions?
These rules control landfill gas emissions, which include volatile
organic compounds. Each rule has an associated Technical Support
Document (TSD) that contains more information about the rule and EPA's
evaluation.
II. EPA's Evaluation and Action
A. How Is EPA Evaluating the Rules?
Generally, SIP rules must be enforceable (see section 110(a) of the
Act), must require Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for
major sources in nonattainment areas (see section 182(a)(2)(A)), and
must not relax existing requirements (see sections 110(l) and 193). The
BAAQMD and SCAQMD regulate ozone nonattainment areas (see 40 CFR part
81), so BAAQMD Rule 8-34 and SCAQMD Rule 1150.1 must fulfill RACT.
Although there is no Control Technique Guideline document for the
source category regulated by these rules, the following guidance and
policy documents were used for reference to help evaluate specific
enforceability and RACT requirements:
1. Portions of the proposed post-1987 ozone and carbon monoxide
policy that concern RACT, 52 FR 45044, November 24, 1987.
2. ``Issues Relating to VOC Regulation Cutpoints, Deficiencies, and
Deviations; Clarification to Appendix D of November 24, 1987 Federal
Register Notice,'' (Blue Book), notice of availability published in the
May 25, 1988 Federal Register.
3. The New Source Performance Standards for Municipal Solid Waste
Landfills, as found in 40 CFR part 60, Subpart WWW.
B. Do the Rules Meet the Evaluation Criteria?
We believe these rules are consistent with the relevant policy and
guidance regarding enforceability, RACT, and SIP relaxations. The TSDs
contain more information on our evaluation.
C. EPA Recommendations To Further Improve the Rules
The TSDs describe additional rule recommendations that do not
affect EPA's current action but are recommended for the next time the
local agency modifies the rule.
D. Public Comment and Final Action
As authorized in section 110(k)(3) of the Act, EPA is fully
approving the submitted rules because we believe they fulfill all
relevant requirements. This action will also stop the sanctions clocks
that began on July 7, 1997, for SCAQMD Rules 1150.1 and 1150.2. We do
not think anyone will object to this approval, so we are finalizing it
without proposing it in advance. However, in the Proposed Rules section
of this Federal Register, we are simultaneously proposing approval of
the same
[[Page 44064]]
submitted rules. If we receive adverse comments by July 31, 2002, we
will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register to notify the
public that this direct final approval will not take effect and we will
address the comments in a subsequent final action based on the
proposal. If we do not receive timely adverse comments, the direct
final approval will be effective without further notice on August 30,
2002. This will incorporate these rules into the federally enforceable
SIP.
Please note that if EPA receives adverse comment on an amendment,
paragraph, or section of this rule and if that provision may be severed
from the remainder of the rule, EPA may adopt as final the provisions
of this rule that are not the subject of an adverse comment.
III. Background Information
A. Why Were These Rules Submitted?
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) help produce ground-level ozone
and smog, which harm human health and the environment. Section 110(a)
of the CAA requires States to submit regulations that control VOC
emissions. Table 2 lists some of the national milestones leading to the
submittal of these local agency VOC rules.
Table 2.--Ozone Nonattainment Milestones
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Date Event
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March 3, 1978................ EPA promulgated a list of ozone
nonattainment areas under the Clean Air
Act as amended in 1977. 43 FR 8964; 40
CFR 81.305.
May 26, 1988................. EPA notified Governors that parts of
their SIPs were inadequate to attain and
maintain the ozone standard and
requested that they correct the
deficiencies (EPA's SIP-Call). See
section 110(a)(2)(H) of the pre-amended
Act.
November 15, 1990............ Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 were
enacted. Pub. L. 101-549, 104 Stat.
2399, codified at 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.
May 15, 1991................. Section 182(a)(2)(A) requires that ozone
nonattainment areas correct deficient
RACT rules by this date.
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IV. Administrative Requirements
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this
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 action
merely approves State law as meeting Federal requirements and imposes
no additional requirements beyond those imposed by State law.
Accordingly, the Administrator certifies that this 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 approves 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 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 approves 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 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 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.).
The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. section 801 et seq., as
added by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996, generally provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency
promulgating the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy
of the rule, to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller
General of the United States. EPA will submit a report containing this
rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House
of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States
prior to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule
cannot take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal
Register. This action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C.
section 804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for
judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court
of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by August 30, 2002. Filing a
petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule
does not affect the finality of this rule for the purposes of judicial
review nor does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial
review may be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such
rule or action. This action may not be challenged later in proceedings
to enforce its requirements (See section 307(b)(2)).
[[Page 44065]]
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Hydrocarbons,
Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Ozone,
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: June 6, 2002.
Laura Yoshii,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
Part 52, Chapter I, Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is
amended as follows:
PART 52--[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for Part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart F--California
2. Section 52.220 is amended by adding paragraphs (c)(280)(i)(A)(3)
and (c)(285)(i)(C)(2) to read as follows:
Sec. 52.220 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(280) * * *
(i) * * *
(A) * * *
(3) Rule 1150.1, adopted on April 5, 1985 and amended on March 17,
2000.
* * * * *
(285) * * *
(i) * * *
(C) * * *
(2) Regulation 8, Rule 34, adopted on October 6, 1999.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 02-16361 Filed 6-28-02; 8:45 am]
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