[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 86 (Monday, May 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23714-23715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11000]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[WI115-01-7345; FRL-7493-7]


Adequacy Status of the MOBILE6 Transportation Conformity Motor 
Vehicle Emissions Budgets for Wisconsin

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that EPA has found 
that the Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets (MVEB) in the January 31, 
2003, Wisconsin State Implementation Plans (SIP) revision are adequate 
for conformity purposes. The submittal included MOBILE6 MVEB updates 
for the Milwaukee severe ozone area and the Sheboygan ozone maintenance 
area, and new maintenance plan MVEBs for the Manitowoc moderate ozone 
area and the Door marginal ozone area. On March 2, 1999, the DC 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, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, and Door areas 
can use the MVEBs from the submitted plan for future conformity 
determinations. These budgets are effective May 20, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The finding and the response to 
comments will be available at EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/, (once there, click on the ``Conformity'' 
button, then look for ``Adequacy Review of SIP Submissions for 
Conformity'').
    Michael Leslie, Environmental Engineer, Regulation Development 
Section (AR-18J), Air Programs Branch, Air and Radiation Division, 
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West 
Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 353-6680, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that we have 
already made. EPA Region 5 sent a letter to the Wisconsin Department of 
Natural Resources on March 25, 2003, stating that the Milwaukee, 
Sheboygan, Manitowoc, and Door MVEBs in the submitted are adequate. 
This finding will also be announced on EPA's conformity Web site: 
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/, (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. EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation 
plans, programs, and projects conform to state air quality 
implementation plans and establishes the criteria and procedures for 
determining whether or not they do. Transportation 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, and it also should not be used to 
prejudge EPA's ultimate approval of the SIP. Even if we find a budget 
adequate, the EPA, may later disapprove the SIP.
    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 the guidance in making our adequacy 
determination.

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


[[Page 23715]]


    Dated: April 22, 2003.
Bharat Mathur,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 03-11000 Filed 5-2-03; 8:45 am]
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