[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 104 (Wednesday, June 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 31441]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10991]



[[Page 31441]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[R06-OAR-2005-TX-0027; FRL-7920-4]


Adequacy Status of Submitted State Implementation Plans (SIP) for 
Transportation Conformity Purposes: 5% Increment of Progress Motor 
Vehicle Emissions Budgets for the Dallas-Fort Worth 8-Hour Ozone 
Nonattainment Area

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy determination.

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SUMMARY: In this action, EPA is notifying the public that we have found 
the on-road motor vehicle emissions budgets contained in the Dallas-
Fort Worth moderate 8-hour ozone nonattainment area 5% Increment of 
Progress SIP adequate for transportation conformity purposes. As a 
result of our finding, the budgets from the submitted SIP revision must 
be used for future conformity determinations in the Dallas-Fort Worth 
area.

DATES: These budgets are effective June 16, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The essential information in this 
notice will be available at EPA's conformity website: http://www.epa.gov/oms/transp/conform/adequacy.htm. You may also contact Ms. 
Peggy Wade, Air Planning Section (6PD-L), U.S. EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross 
Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733, telephone (214) 665-7247, Email 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document ``we,'' ``us,'' and 
``our'' refers to EPA. The word ``budget(s)'' refers to the mobile 
source emissions budget for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the 
mobile source emissions budget for nitrogen oxides (NOX). 
The word ``SIP'' in this document refers to the State Implementation 
Plan submitted as a transition SIP between the 1-hour ozone National 
Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and the 8-hour ozone NAAQS, per 
the option given in 40 CFR 51.905(a)(ii)(B). This transitional SIP is 
also called the 5% Increment of Progress (IOP) Plan.
    On May 17, 2005, we received the 5% IOP SIP for the Dallas-Fort 
Worth 9-county 8-hour ozone nonattainment area. There are two motor 
vehicle emissions budgets found in this plan for 2007. The emissions 
budget for VOCs is 104.14 tons/day; the NOX emissions budget 
is 201.32 tons/day. On January 20, 2005, the availability of these 
budgets was posted on EPA's website for the purpose of soliciting 
public comments. A technical error in the budgets was discovered during 
the review process and they were revised accordingly. An update 
announcing the availability of the revised MVEBs was posted on April 
13, 2005. The comment period closed on May 12, 2005, and we received no 
comments.
    Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that we have 
already made. EPA Region 6 sent a letter to the Texas Commission on 
Environmental Quality on May 16, 2005, finding that the motor vehicle 
emissions budgets in the Dallas-Fort Worth 9-county ozone nonattainment 
area are adequate and must be used for transportation conformity 
determinations.
    Transportation conformity is required by Section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act. EPA's conformity rule, 40 CFR part 93, requires that 
transportation plans, programs and projects conform to SIPs and 
establishes the criteria and procedures for determining whether or not 
they do so. 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 EPA determines whether a SIP's 
motor vehicle emission budgets are adequate for conformity purposes are 
outlined in 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). Please note that such an adequacy 
review is separate from EPA's completeness review, and it should not be 
used to prejudge EPA's ultimate action on the SIP. Even if we find a 
budget adequate, the SIP could later be disapproved.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental 
relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Volatile organic compounds.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.

    Dated: May 25, 2005.
Richard E. Greene,
Regional Administrator, Region 6.
[FR Doc. 05-10991 Filed 5-31-05; 8:45 am]
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