[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 143 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 44078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19004]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[IL200-3; FRL-7535-7]


Adequacy Status of the Submitted 2005 and 2007 Revised Attainment 
Demonstration Budgets for the 1-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality 
Standard for Transportation Conformity Purposes for the Chicago, IL 
Severe Ozone Nonattainment Area

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that we have found 
the revised attainment year motor vehicle emissions budgets 
(``budgets'') for volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides 
(NOX) in the submitted revision to the 1-hour ozone 
attainment demonstration state implementation plan (SIP) for the 
Chicago, Illinois severe nonattainment area to be adequate for 
conformity purposes. These attainment year budgets were recalculated 
using EPA's latest motor vehicle emissions factor model, MOBILE6. On 
March 2, 1999, the DC Circuit Court ruled that submitted state 
implementation plan budgets cannot be used for conformity 
determinations until EPA has affirmatively found them adequate. As a 
result of our finding, the Chicago, Illinois severe ozone nonattainment 
area can use the revised 2007 attainment year budgets of VOC and 
NOX from the submitted revision to the 1-hour ozone 
attainment demonstration SIP for future conformity determinations. 
Illinois also submitted an updated 2005 VOC budget as part of the Rate 
Of Progress requirement. As a result of this finding, the 2005 VOC 
budget can also be used for conformity determinations in the Chicago, 
Illinois area.

DATES: This finding is effective August 11, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Morris, Environmental 
Scientist, 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) 353-8656, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, whenever ``we'', 
``us'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.

Background

    Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that we have 
already made. EPA Region 5 sent a letter to the Illinois Environmental 
Protection Agency on June 26, 2003, stating that the revised attainment 
year motor vehicle emissions budgets in the Chicago, Illinois submitted 
1-hour ozone attainment demonstration SIP revision (dated April 11, 
2003) are adequate for conformity purposes. The purpose of Illinois's 
April 11, 2003 submittal was to address its enforceable commitment to 
revise the attainment year budgets using MOBILE6 within two years of 
the release of the model. This enforceable commitment was approved by 
EPA on November 13, 2001 (66 FR 56903). EPA's adequacy finding will 
also be announced on EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/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. EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation 
plans, programs, and projects conform to SIPs and establishes the 
criteria and procedures for determining whether or not they conform. 
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 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, which can also be found 
on EPA's Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/traq, in making our 
adequacy determination.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. et seq.

    Dated: July 9, 2003.
Bharat Mathur,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 03-19004 Filed 7-24-03; 8:45 am]
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