[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 239 (Friday, December 12, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 69318-69320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-30773]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[CA 296-0427; FRL-7594-2]


Interim Final Determination To Stay and Defer Sanctions, South 
Coast Air Quality Management District

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Interim final rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is making an interim final determination to stay and defer 
imposition of sanctions based on a proposed approval of revisions to 
the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portion of the 
California State Implementation Plan (SIP) published elsewhere in 
today's Federal Register. The revisions concern SCAQMD Rule 1168.

DATES: This interim final determination is effective on December 12, 
2003. However, comments will be accepted until January 12, 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.
South Coast Air Quality Management District, 21865 E. Copley Drive, 
Diamond Bar, CA 91765.
    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 website 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 SCAQMD Rule 1168. 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).

[[Page 69319]]



                                    Table 1.--Rule Previously Acted on by Us
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Local agency                Rule No.            Rule title               Adopted        Submitted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCAQMD...............................         1168  Adhesive and Sealant                09/15/00        03/14/01
                                                     Applications.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We based our limited disapproval action on a deficiency 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.
    SCAQMD adopted revisions to Rule 1168 to correct the deficiency 
identified in our limited disapproval action. Table 2 lists the rule 
that was submitted to correct the deficiency 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCAQMD...............................         1168  Adhesive and Sealant                10/03/03        11/14/03
                                                     Applications.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the Proposed Rules section of today's Federal Register, we have 
proposed approval of this submittal because we believe it corrects the 
deficiency 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 and defer 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 and deferral of sanctions. If comments are submitted that change 
our assessment described in this final determination and the proposed 
full approval of revised SCAQMD Rule 1168, 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 and defer CAA 
section 179 sanctions associated with SCAQMD Rule 1168 based on our 
concurrent proposal to approve the State's SIP revision as correcting 
the deficiency that initiated sanctions.
    Because EPA has preliminarily determined that the State has 
corrected the deficiency 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 deficiency 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 deficiency 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 deficiency 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 and defer 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 and defers 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 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.

[[Page 69320]]

    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 12, 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 10, 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 20, 2003.
Laura Yoshii,
Deputy Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 03-30773 Filed 12-11-03; 8:45 am]
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