[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 12651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6000]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[AK-04-001; FRL-7637-6]


Adequacy Status of the Anchorage, Alaska Carbon Monoxide 
Maintenance Plan for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy determination.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this action, EPA is notifying the public that we have found 
that the motor vehicle emissions budgets in the Anchorage, Alaska 
Serious Carbon Monoxide (CO) Maintenance Plan, submitted by the 
Governor on February 18, 2004, are adequate for conformity purposes. On 
March 2, 1999, the D.C. Circuit Court ruled that submitted State 
Implementation Plans (SIPs) cannot be used for conformity 
determinations until EPA has affirmatively found them adequate. As a 
result of our finding, the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska Department 
of Transportation & Public Facilities, and the U.S. Department of 
Transportation are required to use the motor vehicle emissions budgets 
in this submitted maintenance plan for future transportation conformity 
determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective April 1, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The finding will be available at EPA's 
conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/conform/adequacy.htm. You may also contact Wayne Elson, U.S. EPA, Region 10 
(OAQ-107), 1200 Sixth Ave, Seattle WA 98101; (206) 553-1463 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Today's notice is simply an announcement of 
a finding that we have already made. EPA Region 10 sent a letter to The 
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation on March 5, 2004, 
stating that the motor vehicle emissions budgets in the Maintenance 
Plan for the Serious Carbon Monoxide (CO) Maintenance Area for 
Anchorage are adequate.
    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act. EPA's conformity rule requires transportation plans, 
programs, and projects to conform to SIPs and establishes the criteria 
and procedures for determining whether or not they do. 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 budget is 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.
    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 in making our adequacy 
determination.

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

    Dated: March 8, 2004.
L. John Iani,
Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 04-6000 Filed 3-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P