[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 180 (Friday, September 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 56052]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20975]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Docket : ID-04-004; FRL-7815-1]


Adequacy Status of the Portneuf Valley, Pocatello, ID Submitted 
Particulate Matter (PM10) Maintenance Plan for 
Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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

SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that we have found 
the submitted motor vehicle emissions budgets for PM10 in 
the Moderate Portneuf Valley, Pocatello, Idaho PM10 
Maintenance Plan (Maintenance Plan) are adequate for transportation 
conformity purposes. On March 2, 1999, the D.C. Circuit Court ruled 
that submitted SIPs cannot be used for conformity determinations until 
EPA has affirmatively found them adequate. As a result of this adequacy 
finding, the Bannock Planning Organization, Idaho Transportation 
Department, and the Federal Highway Administration are required to use 
the motor vehicle emissions budgets from this submitted Maintenance 
Plan for future conformity determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective October 4, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The finding is available at EPA's 
conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp.htm, (once there, 
click on the ``Transportation Conformity'' button, then look for 
``Adequacy Review of SIP Submissions''). You may also contact Wayne 
Elson, U.S. EPA, Region 10, Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics (AWT-107), 
1200 Sixth Ave, Seattle WA 98101; (206) 553-1463 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that we have 
already made. EPA Region 10 sent a letter to Idaho Department of 
Environmental Quality on August 31, 2004, stating that the motor 
vehicle emissions budgets in the Maintenance Plan are adequate.
    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 (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 and it also should not be used to prejudge 
our ultimate approval of the SIP. Even if we find a budgets 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 in making our adequacy 
determination. For the reader's ease, we have excerpted the motor 
vehicle emission budgets from the Maintenance Plan. The budgets in tons 
per year are as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Particulate                         Volatile organic
                          Year                              matter PM10      Nitrogen oxides       compounds
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2005...................................................                897              1,575                983
2010...................................................              1,120              1,085                716
2020...................................................              1,364                514                585
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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

    Dated: September 8, 2004.
Julie Hagensen,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 04-20975 Filed 9-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P