[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 233 (Thursday, December 4, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 67807-67809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-30168]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[CA 291-0424; FRL-7590-6]


Interim Final Determination To Stay Sanctions, Ventura County Air 
Pollution Control District

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Interim final rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is making an interim final determination to stay 
imposition of sanctions based on a proposed approval of revisions to 
the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD) portion of 
the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) published elsewhere in 
today's Federal Register. The revisions concern VCAPCD Rule 74.20.

DATES: This interim final determination is effective on December 4, 
2003. However, comments will be accepted until January 5, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Andy Steckel, Rulemaking Office Chief (AIR-
4), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne 
Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 or e-mail to [email protected], or 
submit comments at http://www.regulations.gov.
    You can inspect copies of the submitted rule revisions, EPA's 
technical support document (TSD), and public comments at our Region IX 
office during normal business hours by appointment. You may also see 
copies of the submitted rule revisions by appointment at the following 
locations:
    Rulemaking Office (AIR-4), Air Division, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 
94105.
    California Air Resources Board, Stationary Source Division, Rule 
Evaluation Section, 1001 ``I'' Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

[[Page 67808]]

    Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, 669 County Square 
Drive, 2nd Floor, Ventura, CA 93003.
    A copy of the rule may also be available via the Internet at http://www.arb.ca.gov/drdb/drdbltxt.htm. Please be advised that this is not 
an EPA Web site and may not contain the same version of the rule that 
was submitted to EPA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yvonne Fong, EPA Region IX, (415) 947-
4117, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, ``we,'' ``us'' and 
``our'' refer to EPA.

I. Background

    On April 26, 2002 (67 FR 20645), we published a limited approval 
and limited disapproval of VCAPCD Rule 74.20. Table 1 lists the rule 
addressed by our prior limited approval and disapproval with the dates 
that it was adopted by the local air agency and submitted by the 
California Air Resources Board (CARB).

                                    Table 1.--Rule Previously Acted on by Us
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Local agency                 Rule No.             Rule title              Adopted        Submitted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VCAPCD.............................           74.20   Adhesives and Sealants....        01/14/97        03/03/97
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    We based our limited disapproval action on certain deficiencies in 
the submittal. This disapproval action started a sanctions clock for 
imposition of offset sanctions 18 months after May 28, 2002 and highway 
sanctions 6 months later, pursuant to section 179 of the Clean Air Act 
(CAA) and our regulations at 40 CFR 52.31.
    VCAPCD adopted revisions to Rule 74.20 to correct the deficiencies 
identified in our limited disapproval action. Table 2 lists the rule 
that was submitted to correct the deficiencies noted in the previous 
version with the dates that it was adopted by the local air agency and 
submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

                                            Table 2.--Submitted Rule
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Local agency                 Rule No.             Rule title              Adopted        Submitted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VCAPCD.............................           74.20   Adhesives and Sealants....        09/09/03        09/19/03
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the Proposed Rules section of today's Federal Register, we have 
proposed approval of this submittal because we believe it corrects the 
deficiencies identified in our April 26, 2002 disapproval action. Based 
on today's proposed approval, we are taking this final rulemaking 
action, effective on publication, to stay imposition of sanctions that 
would be triggered by our April 26, 2002 limited disapproval.
    EPA is providing the public with an opportunity to comment on this 
stay of sanctions. If comments are submitted that change our assessment 
described in this final determination and the proposed full approval of 
revised VCAPCD Rule 74.20, we intend to take subsequent final action to 
reimpose sanctions pursuant to 40 CFR 51.31(d). If no comments are 
submitted that change our assessment, then all sanctions and sanction 
clocks will be permanently terminated on the effective date of a final 
rule approval.

II. EPA Action

    We are making an interim final determination to stay CAA section 
179 sanctions associated with VCAPCD Rule 74.20 based on our concurrent 
proposal to approve the State's SIP revision as correcting deficiencies 
that initiated sanctions.
    Because EPA has preliminarily determined that the State has 
corrected the deficiencies identified in EPA's limited disapproval 
action, relief from sanctions should be provided as quickly as 
possible. Therefore, EPA is invoking the good cause exception under the 
Administrative Procedure Act (APA) in not providing an opportunity for 
comment before this action takes effect (5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)). However, 
by this action EPA is providing the public with a chance to comment on 
EPA's determination after the effective date, and EPA will consider any 
comments received in determining whether to reverse such action.
    EPA believes that notice-and-comment rulemaking before the 
effective date of this action is impracticable and contrary to the 
public interest. EPA has reviewed the State's submittal and, through 
its proposed action, is indicating that it is more likely than not that 
the State has corrected the deficiencies that started the sanctions 
clocks. Therefore, it is not in the public interest to initially impose 
sanctions or to keep applied sanctions in place when the State has most 
likely done all it can to correct the deficiencies that triggered the 
sanctions clocks. Moreover, it would be impracticable to go through 
notice-and-comment rulemaking on a finding that the State has corrected 
the deficiencies prior to the rulemaking approving the State's 
submittal. Therefore, EPA believes that it is necessary to use the 
interim final rulemaking process to stay sanctions while EPA completes 
its rulemaking process on the approvability of the State's submittal. 
Moreover, with respect to the effective date of this action, EPA is 
invoking the good cause exception to the 30-day notice requirement of 
the APA because the purpose of this notice is to relieve a restriction 
(5 U.S.C. 553(d)(1)).

III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

    This action stays federal sanctions and imposes no additional 
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.
    This action is not subject to Executive Order 13211, ``Actions 
Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 
Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001) because it is not a 
significant regulatory action.
    The administrator certifies that this action 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.).
    This rule does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or 
uniquely affect small governments, as

[[Page 67809]]

described in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-
4).
    This rule 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 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 rule 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.
    The requirements of section 12(d) of the National Technology 
Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272) do not apply to 
this rule because it imposes no standards.
    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. 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 to Congress and the Comptroller 
General. However, section 808 provides that any rule for which the 
issuing agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedure 
thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public 
interest, shall take effect at such time as the agency promulgating the 
rule determines. 5 U.S.C. 808(2). EPA has made such a good cause 
finding, including the reasons therefor, and established an effective 
date of December 4, 2003. 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 rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 
804(2).
    Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review 
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for 
the appropriate circuit by February 2, 2004. Filing a petition for 
reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect 
the finality of this rule for the purpose of judicial review nor does 
it extend the time within which 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)).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental 
regulations, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile 
organic compounds.

    Dated: November 7, 2003.
Keith Takata,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 03-30168 Filed 12-3-03; 8:45 am]
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