[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 28, 2004)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 77690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-28198]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[RME R03-OAR-2004-DC-0001; FRL-7855-4 ]


Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; 
District of Columbia; Amendments to the Size Thresholds for Defining 
Major Sources and to the NSR Offset Ratios for Sources of VOC and NOX

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA proposes to approve revisions to the District of Columbia 
(the District) State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions reduce 
the size thresholds for defining major sources and increase the new 
source review (NSR) offset ratio requirements for sources of ozone 
precursors to meet the Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for 1-hour 
ozone nonattainment areas classified as severe. These amendments to the 
District's SIP are required pursuant to the reclassification of the 
Metropolitan Washington, DC 1-hour ozone nonattainment area from 
serious to severe. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, 
EPA is approving the District's SIP submittal as a direct final rule 
without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a 
noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A 
detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final 
rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, 
no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, 
the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments 
received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this 
proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any 
parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this 
time.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing by January 27, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Regional Material in 
EDocket (RME) ID Number R03-OAR-2004-DC-0001 by one of the following 
methods:
    A. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
    B. Agency Web site: http://www.docket.epa.gov/rmepub/ RME, EPA's 
electronic public docket and comment system, is EPA's preferred method 
for receiving comments. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting 
comments.
    C. E-mail: [email protected].
    D. Mail: R03-OAR02004-DC-0001, Makeba Morris, Chief, Air Quality 
Planning Branch, Mailcode 3AP21, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.
    E. Hand Delivery: At the previously-listed EPA Region III address. 
Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of 
operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of 
boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to RME ID No. R03-OAR-2004-DC-
0001. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the public docket without change, and may be made available online at 
http://www.docket.epa.gov/rmepub/, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through RME, regulations.gov 
or e-mail. The EPA RME and the Federal regulations.gov Web sites are an 
``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your 
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of 
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without 
going through RME or regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be 
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you 
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name 
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any 
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA 
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid 
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of 
any defects or viruses.
    Docket: All documents in the electronic docket are listed in the 
RME index at http://www.docket.epa.gov/rmepub/. Although listed in the 
index, some information is not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other 
material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet 
and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly 
available docket materials are available either electronically in RME 
or in hard copy during normal business hours at the Air Protection 
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch 
Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. Copies of the District 
submittal are available at the District of Columbia Department of 
Public Health, Air Quality Division, 51 N Street, NE., Washington, DC 
20002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Miller, (215) 814-2068, or by e-
mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For further information on this proposed 
approval of revisions to 20 DCMR Chapters 1, 2, 7 and 8 which reduce 
the major source size thresholds and increase the offset ratio 
requirements in order to satisfy the mandatory CAA requirements 
pursuant to the reclassification of the Metropolitan Washington DC 1-
hour ozone nonattainment area from serious to severe, please see the 
information provided in the direct final action, with the same title, 
that is located in the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this 
Federal Register publication.

    Dated: December 14, 2004.
Donald S. Welsh,
Regional Administrator, Region III.
[FR Doc. 04-28198 Filed 12-27-04; 8:45 am]
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