[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 8, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 33409-33414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-11380]



[[Page 33409]]

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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 81

[OAR-2003-0090; FRL-7921-9]
RIN 2060-AN04


Extension of the Deferred Effective Date for 8-hour Ozone 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Early Action Compact Areas

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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

SUMMARY: The EPA is proposing to extend the deferral of the effective 
date of air quality designations for certain areas of the country that 
have entered into Early Action Compacts. Early Action Compact areas 
have agreed to reduce ground-level ozone pollution earlier than the 
Clean Air Act (CAA) requires. On April 30, 2004, EPA published a notice 
designating all areas of the country for the 8-hour ozone National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). In the designation rule, EPA 
deferred the effective date of the nonattainment designation for 14 
areas that had entered into Early Action Compacts. The current 
effective date is September 30, 2005. The EPA is now proposing to 
extend the deferral of the effective date for all 14 Early Action 
compact areas until December 31, 2006.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 8, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. OAR-2003-
0090, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
     Agency Web site: http://www.epa.gov/edocket. EDOCKET, 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, is EPA's preferred 
method for receiving comments. Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail: Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) 
to [email protected], Attention Docket ID No. OAR-2003-0090.
     Fax: Fax your comments to: 202-566-1741, Attention Docket 
ID No. OAR-2003-0090.
     Mail: Send your comments to: Air and Radiation Docket, 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code: 6102T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC, 20460, Attention Docket ID No. 
OAR-2003-0090.
     Hand Delivery: Air and Radiation Docket, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room: 
B102, Washington, DC 20004, Attention Docket ID No. OAR-2003-0090. 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 Docket ID No. OAR-2003-0090. 
The 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.epa.gov/edocket, 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 EDOCKET, regulations.gov, or e-
mail. The EPA EDOCKET and the federal regulations.gov Web sites are 
``anonymous access'' systems, 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 EDOCKET 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. For additional instructions on submitting 
comments, go to Supplementary Information, Part I--General Information.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the EDOCKET index 
at http://www.epa.gov/edocket. 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 EDOCKET or in hard 
copy at the OAR Docket, EPA/DC, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution 
Ave, NW., Washington, DC. The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The 
telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the 
telephone number for the OAR Docket is (202) 566-1742.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Barbara Driscoll, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mail Code C504-02, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, phone number (919) 
541-1051 or by e-mail at: [email protected] or Mr. David Cole, 
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mail Code C539-02, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, 
phone number (919) 541-5565 or by e-mail at: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

    In addition, please send a copy of your comments to: Barbara 
Driscoll, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality 
Planning and Standards by one of the means listed:
     E-Mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (919) 541-0824, Attention: Barbara Driscoll.
     Mail: Barbara Driscoll, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Mail Code: C504-
02, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711.
     Hand Delivery: Barbara Driscoll, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, 109 
T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

Outline

    The following is an outline of the preamble.

I. General Information
II. What Is the Purpose of This Document?
III. What Action Has EPA Taken to Date for Early Action Compact 
Areas?
    A. What progress are compact areas making toward completing 
their milestones?
    B. What is today's proposed action for compact areas?
    C. What is EPA's schedule for taking further action to continue 
to defer the effective date of nonattainment designation for compact 
areas?
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
    A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review
    B. Paperwork Reduction Act
    C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
    D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
    E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
    F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination with 
Indian Tribal Governments
    G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children from 
Environmental Health and Safety Risks

[[Page 33410]]

    H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect 
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use
    I. National Technology Transfer Advancement Act
    J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions to Address 
Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income 
Populations

II. What Is the Purpose of This Document?

    The purpose of this document is to propose to extend the deferral 
of the effective date of the 8-hour ozone nonattainment designations 
for 14 participants in Early Action Compacts. Currently, the effective 
designation date is September 30, 2005, and this proposal would extend 
that date to December 31, 2006.

III. What Action Has EPA Taken to Date for Early Action Compact Areas?

    This section discusses EPA's actions to date with respect to 
deferring the effective date of nonattainment designations for certain 
areas of the country that are participating in the Early Action Compact 
program. The EPA's April 30 designation rule (68 FR 70108) provides a 
description of the compact approach, the requirements for areas 
participating in the program and the impacts of the program on those 
areas.
    On December 31, 2002, we entered into compacts with 33 communities. 
To receive the first deferral, these Early Action Compact areas agreed 
to reduce ground-level ozone pollution earlier than the CAA would 
require. On December 16, 2003 (68 FR 70108), we published a proposed 
rule to defer until September 30, 2005, the effective date of 
designation for Early Action Compact areas that did not meet the 8-hour 
ozone NAAQS. Fourteen of the 33 compact areas did not meet the 8-hour 
ozone NAAQS. Table 1 describes the milestones and submissions that 
compact areas are required to complete to continue eligibility for a 
deferred effective date of nonattainment designation for the 8-hour 
ozone standard.

                Table 1.--Early Action Compact Milestones
------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Submittal date                     Compact milestone
------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 31, 2002......................  Submit Compact for EPA
                                          signature.
June 16, 2003..........................  Submit preliminary list and
                                          description of potential local
                                          control measures under
                                          consideration.
March 31, 2004.........................  Submit complete local plan to
                                          State (includes specific,
                                          quantified and permanent
                                          control measures to be
                                          adopted).
December 31, 2004......................  State submits adopted local
                                          measures to EPA as a SIP
                                          revision that, when approved,
                                          will be federally enforceable.
2005 Ozone Season (or no later than      Implement SIP control measures.
 December 31, 2005).
June 30, 2006..........................  State reports on implementation
                                          of measures and assessment of
                                          air quality improvement and
                                          reductions in NOX and VOC
                                          emissions to date.
December 31, 2007......................  Area attains 8-hour ozone
                                          NAAQS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The final designation rule published April 30, 2004 (69 FR 23858), 
included the following actions for compact areas: deferred the 
effective date of nonattainment designation for 14 compact areas until 
September 30, 2005; detailed the progress compact areas had made toward 
completing their milestones; described the final action required for 
compact areas; detailed EPA's schedule for taking further action to 
extend the deferral of the effective date of nonattainment 
designations, if appropriate; and described the consequences for 
compact areas that do not meet a milestone. In the April 2004 action, 
we also discussed three compact areas which did not meet the March 31, 
2004 milestone; Knoxville, Memphis, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. 
Knoxville and Memphis were designated nonattainment effective June 15, 
2004. Chattanooga was later determined to have met the March 31, 2004 
milestone, and we deferred the designation date until September 30, 
2005 (69 FR 34080). This brought the number of participating compact 
areas to 31.

A. What Progress are Compact Areas Making Toward Completing Their 
Milestones?

    In this section, we describe the status of the Early Action Compact 
areas' progress toward meeting their milestones. In general, the 
remaining 29 compact areas \1\ have made satisfactory progress toward 
timely completion of their milestones. A compiled list of local 
measures is found on EPA's Web site for compact areas at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/ozone/eac/. By December 31, 2004, all States with 
compacts were required to submit to EPA State Implementation Plans 
(SIPs) revisions with locally adopted measures which if approved by 
EPA, are federally enforceable. Notices for each of the proposed SIP 
revisions will be published in the Federal Register by the respective 
EPA Regional Office as indicated in Table 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Haywood and Putnam Counties decided to withdraw from the 
compact arrangement.

  Table 2.--Regional Offices Issuing Federal Register Notices on Early
                             Action Compacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Regional offices                          States
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Makeba Morris, Branch Chief, Air         Delaware, District of Columbia,
 Quality Planning Branch, EPA Region      Maryland, Pennsylvania,
 III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia,     Virginia, and West Virginia.
 PA 19103-2187, (215) 814-2187.
Richard A. Schutt, Chief, Regulatory     Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
 Development Section, EPA Region IV,      Kentucky, Mississippi, North
 Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, 61      Carolina, South Carolina, and
 Forsyth Street, SW, 12th Floor,          Tennessee.
 Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 562-9033.

[[Page 33411]]

 
Rebecca Weber, Associate Director, Air   Arkansas, Louisiana, New
 Programs, EPA Region VI, 1445 Ross       Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
 Avenue, Dallas, TX 75202, (214) 665-
 6656.
Richard R. Long, Director, Air and       Colorado, Montana, North
 Radiation Program, EPA Region VIII,      Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
 999 18th Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO   and Wyoming.
 80202-2466, (303) 312-6005.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. What Is Today's Proposed Action for Compact Areas?

    Today, we are proposing to extend the deferred effective date of 
the nonattainment designation for the 14 compact areas. These 14 areas 
have met all compact milestones through the December 31, 2004 
submission. We are extending until December 31, 2006 the deferral of 
the effective date of the 8-hour ozone nonattainment designation for 
the compact area counties listed in Table 3 and are revising 40 CFR 
part 81 in the final rule to reflect this extension.

 Table 3.--Compact Areas Which Qualify for a Deferred Effective Date of
                            December 31, 2006
     [Note: Name of designated 8-hour ozone nonattanment area is in
                              parentheses.]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         Counties which
                                        Counties with      are part of
                    Compact area         designation    compacts and are
    State        (designated area)       deferred to       designated
                                        December 31,     unclassifiable/
                                            2006           attainment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              EPA Region 3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
VA...........  Northern Shenandoah    Winchester City;
                Valley Region          Frederick
                (Frederick County,     County.
                VA), adjacent to
                Washington, DC-MD-VA.
VA...........  Roanoke Area           Roanoke County;
                (Roanoke, VA).         Botetourt
                                       County; Roanoke
                                       City; Salem
                                       City.
MD...........  Washington County      Washington
                (Washington County     County.
                (Hagerstown, MD),
                adjacent to
                Washington, DC-MD-VA.
WV...........  The Eastern Pan        Berkeley County;  ................
                Handle Region          Jefferson
                (Berkeley &            County.
                Jefferson Counties,
                WV), Martinsburg
                area.
--------------
                              EPA Region 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NC...........  Unifour (Hickory-      Catawba County;
                Morganton-Lenoir,      Alexander
                NC).                   County; Burke
                                       County (part);
                                       Caldwell County
                                       (part).
NC...........  Triad (Greensboro-     Randolph County;  Surry County;
                Winston-Salem-High     Forsyth County;   Yadkin County;
                Point, NC).            Davie County;     Stokes County.
                                       Alamance
                                       County; Caswell
                                       County;
                                       Davidson
                                       County;
                                       Guilford
                                       County;
                                       Rockingham
                                       County.
NC...........  Cumberland County      Cumberland
                (Fayetteville, NC).    County.
SC...........  Appalachian--A         Spartanburg       Cherokee County;
                (Greenville-           County;           Pickens County;
                Spartanburg-           Greenville        Oconee County.
                Anderson, SC).         County;
                                       Anderson County.
SC...........  Central Midlands--I    Richland County   Newberry County;
                Columbia area..        (part);           Fairfield
                                       Lexington         County.
                                       County (part).
TN/GA........  Chattanooga            Hamilton County,  Marion County,
                (Chattanooga, TN-GA).  TN; Meigs         TN; Walker
                                       County, TN;       County, GA.
                                       Catoosa County,
                                       GA.
TN...........  Nashville (Nashville,  Davidson County;  Robertson
                TN).                   Rutherford        County;
                                       County;           Cheatham
                                       Williamson        County; Dickson
                                       County; Wilson    County.
                                       County; Sumner
                                       County.
TN...........  Johnson City-          Sullivan Co, TN;  Washington Co,
                Kingsport-Bristol      Hawkins County,   TN; Unicoi
                Area (TN portion       TN.               County, TN;
                only).                                   Carter County,
                                                         TN; Johnson
                                                         County, TN.
--------------
                              EPA Region 6
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TX...........  San Antonio..........  Bexar County;     Wilson County.
                                       Comal County;
                                       Guadalupe
                                       County.
--------------
                              EPA Region 8
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CO...........  Denver (Denver-        Denver County;
                Boulder-Greeley-Ft.    Boulder County
                Collins-Love, CO).     (includes part
                                       of Rocky Mtn
                                       Nat. Park);
                                       Jefferson
                                       County; Douglas
                                       County;
                                       Broomfield;
                                       Adams County;
                                       Arapahoe
                                       County; Larimer
                                       County (part);
                                       Weld County
                                       (part).
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 33412]]

C. What Is EPA's Schedule for Taking Further Action to Continue to 
Defer the Effective Date of Nonattainment Designation for Compact 
Areas?

    With this action, we are proposing to extend the deferred effective 
date of the nonattainment designation for compact areas which have met 
their obligations through December 31, 2006. Provided the extension is 
promulgated as proposed, we would propose and as appropriate, 
promulgate a further extension of the deferred effective date until 
December 31, 2007, for those areas that continue to meet all compact 
milestones through December 31, 2006. Before December 31, 2007, we 
intend to determine whether the compact areas that received the 
technical extension have attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS and have met 
all compact milestones. By April 2008, we will issue our determination. 
If the area has not attained the standard, the nonattainment 
designation will take effect. If the compact area has attained the 
standard, EPA will issue an attainment designation for the area. Any 
compact area that has not attained the NAAQS and has an effective 
nonattainment designation will be subject to full planning requirements 
of title I, part D of the CAA, and the area will be required to submit 
a revised attainment demonstration SIP within 1 year of the effective 
date of designation.

IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

    This action proposes to extend the deferral of the effective date 
of the nonattainment designation for 14 compact areas until December 
30, 2006.

A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review

    Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), the 
Agency must determine whether the regulatory action is ``significant'' 
and, therefore, subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review 
and the requirements of the Executive Order. The Order defines 
``significant regulatory action'' as one that is likely to result in a 
rule that may:
    (1) have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or 
adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the 
economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public 
health or safety, or State, local, or Tribal governments or 
communities;
    (2) create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an 
action taken or planned by another agency;
    (3) materially alter the budgetary impact of entitlements, grants, 
user fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients 
thereof; or
    (4) raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal 
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in 
the Executive Order.
    It has been determined that this rule is not a ``significant 
regulatory action'' under the terms of Executive Order 12866 and is 
therefore not subject to OMB review.

B. Paperwork Reduction Act

    This action does not impose an information collection burden under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. 
This proposal does not require the collection of any information.
    Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or 
provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time 
needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize 
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to 
comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; 
train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; 
search data sources; complete and review the collection of information; 
and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9.

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) generally requires an Agency 
to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to 
notice and comment rulemaking requirements under the Administrative 
Procedures Act or any other statute unless the Agency certifies the 
rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities. Small entities include small businesses, 
small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions.
    For purposes of assessing the impacts of today's proposed rule on 
small entities, small entity is defined as: (1) A small business that 
is a small industrial entity as defined in the Small Business 
Administration's (SBA) regulations at 13 CFR 121.201; (2) a small 
governmental jurisdiction that is a government of a city, county, town, 
school district or special district with a population of less than 
50,000; and (3) a small organization that is any not-for-profit 
enterprise which is independently owned and operated and is not 
dominant in its field.
    After considering the economic impacts of today's proposed rule on 
small entities, I certify that this rule will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This 
proposed rule will not impose any requirements on small entities. 
Rather, this rule would extend the deferral of the effective date of 
the nonattainment designation for areas that implement control measures 
and achieve emissions reductions earlier than otherwise required by the 
CAA in order to attain the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. We continue to be 
interested in the potential impacts of the proposed rule on small 
entities and welcome comments on issues related to such impacts.

D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public 
Law 104-4, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the 
effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and Tribal 
governments and the private sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA, EPA 
generally must prepare a written statement, including a cost-benefit 
analysis, for proposed and final rules with ``Federal mandates'' that 
may result in expenditures to State, local, and Tribal governments, in 
the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 million or more in any 
1 year. Before promulgating an EPA rule for which a written statement 
is needed, section 205 of the UMRA generally requires EPA to identify 
and consider a reasonable number of regulatory alternatives and adopt 
the least costly, most cost-effective or least burdensome alternative 
that achieves the objectives of the rule. The provisions of section 205 
do not apply when they are inconsistent with applicable law. Moreover, 
section 205 allows EPA to adopt an alternative other than the least 
costly, most cost-effective or least burdensome alternative if the 
Administrator publishes with the final rule an explanation why that 
alternative was not adopted. Before EPA establishes any regulatory 
requirements that may significantly or uniquely affect small 
governments, including Tribal governments, it must have developed under 
section 203 of the UMRA a small government agency plan. The plan must 
provide for notifying potentially affected small governments, enabling

[[Page 33413]]

officials of affected small governments to have meaningful and timely 
input in the development of EPA regulatory proposals with significant 
Federal intergovernmental mandates, and informing, educating, and 
advising small governments on compliance with the regulatory 
requirements.
    The EPA has determined that this rule does not contain a Federal 
mandate that may result in expenditures of $100 million or more for 
State, local, and Tribal governments, in the aggregate, or the private 
sector in any 1 year. In this proposal, EPA is deferring the effective 
date of nonattainment designations for certain areas that have entered 
into compacts with us. Thus, today's proposed rule is not subject to 
the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of the UMRA.

E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism

    Executive Order 13132, entitled ``Federalism'' (64 FR 43255, August 
10, 1999), requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure 
``meaningful and timely input by State and local officials in the 
development of regulatory policies that have federalism implications.'' 
``Policies that have federalism implications'' is defined in the 
Executive Order to include regulations that have ``substantial direct 
effects on the States, on the relationship between the national 
government and the States, or on the distribution of power and 
responsibilities among the various levels of government.''
    This proposed rule does not have federalism implications. It will 
not have substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship 
between the national government and the States, or on the distribution 
of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government, 
as specified in Executive Order 13132. The CAA establishes the scheme 
whereby States take the lead in developing plans to meet the NAAQS. 
This proposed rule would not modify the relationship of the States and 
EPA for purposes of developing programs to implement the NAAQS. Thus, 
Executive Order 13132 does not apply to this proposed rule.
    In the spirit of Executive Order 13132, and consistent with EPA 
policy to promote communications between EPA and State and local 
governments, EPA specifically solicits comment on this proposed rule 
from State and local officials.

F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian 
Tribal Governments

    Executive Order 13175, entitled ``Consultation and Coordination 
with Indian Tribal Governments'' (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), 
requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure ``meaningful 
and timely input by tribal officials in the development of regulatory 
policies that have tribal implications.'' This proposed rule does not 
have ``Tribal implications'' as specified in Executive Order 13175. It 
does not have a substantial direct effect on one or more Indian Tribes, 
since no Tribe has implemented a CAA program to attain the 8-hour ozone 
NAAQS at this time or has participated in a compact.
    The EPA specifically solicits additional comment on this proposed 
rule from Tribal officials.

G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental 
Health and Safety Risks

    Executive Order 13045: ``Protection of Children From Environmental 
Health and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997) applies to any 
rule that (1) is determined to be ``economically significant'' as 
defined under Executive Order 12866, and (2) concerns an environmental 
health or safety risk that EPA has reason to believe may have 
disproportionate effect on children. If the regulatory action meets 
both criteria, the Agency must evaluate the environmental health or 
safety effects of the planned rule on children, and explain why the 
planned regulation is preferable to other potentially effective and 
reasonably feasible alternatives considered by the Agency.
    The EPA interprets Executive Order 13045 as applying only to those 
regulatory actions that are based on health or safety risks, such that 
the analysis required under section 5-501 of the Order has the 
potential to influence the regulation. This proposal is not subject to 
Executive Order 13045 because it does not establish an environmental 
standard intended to mitigate health or safety risks.

H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy 
Supply, Distribution, or Use

    This proposed rule is not a ``significant energy action'' as 
defined in Executive Order 13211, ``Actions That Significantly Affect 
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use,'' (66 FR 28355; May 22, 2001) 
because it is not likely to have a significant adverse effect on the 
supply, distribution, or use of energy.

I. National Technology Transfer Advancement Act

    Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer Advancement Act 
of 1995 (NTTAA), Public Law No. 104-113, section 12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272 
note) directs EPA to use voluntary consensus standards (VCS) in its 
regulatory activities unless to do so would be inconsistent with 
applicable law or otherwise impractical. Voluntary consensus standards 
are technical standards (e.g., materials specifications, test methods, 
sampling procedures, and business practices) that are developed or 
adopted by VCS bodies. The NTTAA directs EPA to provide Congress, 
through OMB, explanations when the Agency decides not to use available 
and applicable VCS.
    This proposed rulemaking does not involve technical standards. 
Therefore, EPA is not considering the use of any VCS.
    The EPA will encourage States that have compact areas to consider 
the use of such standards, where appropriate, in the development of 
their SIPs.

J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental 
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations

    Executive Order 12898 requires that each Federal agency make 
achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and 
addressing, as appropriate, disproportionate high and adverse human 
health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and 
activities on minorities and low-income populations.
    The EPA believes that this proposed rule should not raise any 
environmental justice issues. The health and environmental risks 
associated with ozone were considered in the establishment of the 8-
hour, 0.08 ppm ozone NAAQS. The level is designed to be protective with 
an adequate margin of safety.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81

    Air pollution control, Environmental protection, National parks, 
Wilderness areas.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7408; 42 U.S.C. 7410; 42 U.S.C. 7501-7511f; 
42 U.S.C. 7601(a)(1).

    Dated: June 2, 2005.
Stephen L. Johnson,
Administrator.
    40 CFR part 81 is amended as follows:

PART 81--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as follows:

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

[[Page 33414]]

Subpart C--Section 107 Attainment Status Designations

    2. Section 81.300 is amended by revising paragraphs (e)(3)(i) and 
(e)(3)(ii)(B) and (C) to read as follows:


Sec.  81.300  Scope.

* * * * *
    (e) * * *
    (3) * * *
    (i) General. Notwithstanding clauses (i) through (iv) of section 
107(d)(1)(B) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7407(d)(1)(B)), the 
Administrator shall defer until December 31, 2006 the effective date of 
a nonattainment designation of any area subject to a compact that does 
not meet (or that contributes to ambient air quality in a nearby area 
that does not meet) the 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality 
standard if the Administrator determines that the area subject to a 
compact has met the requirements in paragraphs (e)(2)(i) through (iii) 
of this section.
    (ii) * * *
    (B) Prior to expiration of the deferred effective date on December 
31, 2006, if the Administrator determines that an area or the State 
subject to a compact has not met either requirement in paragraphs 
(e)(2)(iv) and (v) of this section, the nonattainment designation shall 
become effective as of the deferred effective date, unless EPA takes 
affirmative rulemaking action to further extend the deadline.
    (C) If the Administrator determines that an area subject to a 
compact and/or State has not met any requirement in paragraphs 
(e)(2)(iv) through (vi) of this section, the nonattainment designation 
shall become effective as of the deferred effective date, unless EPA 
takes affirmative rulemaking action to further extend the deadline.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 05-11380 Filed 6-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P