[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 18 (Friday, January 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4118-4119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1632]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Docket No. R10-OAR-2005-WA-001; FRL-7864-9]


Adequacy Status of the Spokane, WA Carbon Monoxide Maintenance 
Plan and Redesignation Request for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that we have found 
that the motor vehicle emissions budget contained in the submitted 
Spokane Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan and Redesignation Request is 
adequate for transportation conformity purposes. On March 2, 1999, the 
D.C. Circuit Court ruled that submitted State Implementation Plans 
(SIPs) cannot be used for conformity determinations

[[Page 4119]]

until EPA has found them adequate. This affects future transportation 
conformity determinations prepared, reviewed and approved by the 
Spokane Regional Transportation Council, Washington State Department of 
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit 
Administration.

DATES: This finding is effective February 14, 2005.

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 the Washington Department 
of Ecology January 13, 2005, stating that the SIP is adequate for 
transportation conformity purposes.
    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 SIPs. 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 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 SIP adequate for conformity, the SIP could later 
be disapproved. For the reader's ease, the 2002 motor vehicle emission 
budget excerpted from the Maintenance Plan is 279 tons per winter time 
day of carbon monoxide.
    We have described our process for determining adequacy in SIPs in 
guidance dated May 14, 1999. This guidance is now reflected in the 
amended transportation conformity rule, July 1, 2004 (69 FR 40004). We 
followed this process in making our adequacy determination.

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

    Dated: January 20, 2005.
Julie M. Hagensen,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 05-1632 Filed 1-27-05; 8:45 am]
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