[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 166 (Monday, August 28, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 50875-50881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14214]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA-R09-OAR-2006-0590; FRL-8213-4]


Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Revisions to 
the Nevada State Implementation Plan; Requests for Rescission

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is proposing, under the Clean Air Act, approval of 
revisions to the applicable state implementation plan for the State of 
Nevada and disapproval of other revisions. These revisions involve 
certain regulations and statutes for which the State of Nevada is 
requesting rescission. EPA is also proposing approval of certain 
updated statutes submitted by the State of Nevada as replacements for 
outdated statutes in the applicable plan. The approval proposed herein 
is contingent upon receipt of certain public notice and hearing 
documentation from the State of Nevada. EPA is proposing this action 
under the Clean Air Act obligation to take action on State submittals 
of revisions to state implementation plans. The intended effect is to 
rescind unnecessary provisions from the applicable plan, retain 
necessary provisions, and approve replacement provisions for certain 
statutes for which rescissions are proposed for disapproval. EPA is 
taking comments on this proposal and plans to follow with a final 
action.

DATES: Any comments must arrive by September 27, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments, identified by docket number EPA-R09-OAR-
2006-0590, by one of the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the on-line instructions.
    2. E-mail: [email protected].
    3. Mail or deliver: Andrew Steckel (Air-4), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 
94105-3901.

[[Page 50876]]

    Instructions: All comments will be included in the public docket 
without change and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes Confidential Business Information (CBI) or 
other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Information that you consider CBI or otherwise protected should be 
clearly identified as such and should not be submitted through 
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. www.regulations.gov is an ``anonymous 
access'' system, and EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send e-mail directly to EPA, your e-mail address will be automatically 
captured and included as part of the public comment. 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.
    Docket: The index to the docket for this action is available 
electronically at www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at EPA Region 
IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California. While all documents 
in the docket are listed in the index, some information may be publicly 
available only at the hard copy location (e.g., copyrighted material), 
and some may not be publicly available in either location (e.g., CBI). 
To inspect the hard copy materials, please schedule an appointment 
during normal business hours with the contact listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Rose, EPA Region IX, (415) 947-
4126, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, the terms ``we,'' 
``us'' and ``our'' refer to EPA.

Table of Contents

I. The State's Submittal
    A. Which rules and statutes did the state submit for rescission?
    B. What is the regulatory history of the Nevada SIP?
    C. What is the purpose of this proposed rule?
II. EPA's Evaluation and Action
    A. How is EPA evaluating the rules and statutes requested for 
rescission?
    B. Do the rescissions meet the evaluation criteria?
    C. Public Comment and Proposed Action
III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. The State's Submittal

A. Which rules and statutes did the state submit for rescission?

    The State of Nevada's Department of Conservation and Natural 
Resources, Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) submitted a 
large revision to the applicable SIP on January 12, 2006. This 2006 SIP 
revision submittal supersedes the regulatory portion of the earlier SIP 
revision submittal dated February 16, 2005.\1\ On March 26, 2006, we 
found that the Nevada SIP submittal dated January 12, 2006 satisfied 
the completeness criteria in 40 CFR part 51, appendix V, which must be 
met before formal EPA review.
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    \1\ The February 16, 2005 SIP submittal also includes 
documentation of public notice and hearing for new or amended rules. 
The January 12, 2006 SIP submittal was not a complete re-submittal 
of the earlier submittal in that it did not include this 
documentation.
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    The primary purpose of this SIP revision is to clarify and 
harmonize the provisions approved by EPA into the applicable SIP with 
the current provisions adopted by the State. Because this revision 
incorporates so many changes from the 1970s and 1980s vintage SIP 
regulations, EPA has decided to review and act on the submittal in a 
series of separate actions. The first such action was proposed in the 
Federal Register on September 13, 2005 (70 FR 53975) and finalized on 
March 27, 2006 (71 FR 15040). The second such action was proposed in 
the Federal Register on June 9, 2006 (71 FR 33413).
    In today's action, we are taking another step in the process of 
acting on the State's January 12, 2006 SIP revision submittal by 
proposing action on the State's request for rescission of nearly 200 
rules and statutes currently approved in the applicable SIP.\2\ The 
remaining portions of the submittal will be acted on in future Federal 
Register actions.
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    \2\ Of the nearly 200 rules and statutes for which NDEP requests 
rescission, we are proposing action today on all but 15, including 
12 that we are deferring to separate rulemakings and 3 that we plan 
to take no action on. The rules and statutes that we are deferring 
include rule 25 of general order number 3 of the Nevada Public 
Service Commission; article 1.60--Effective date; article 1.72--
Existing facility; NAC 445.535--Kilogram-calorie; NAC 445.655 
Abbreviations; article 13.1.3(3) [related to minor source BACT]; 
article 16.3.3.1--Opacity from kilns; NAC 445.667--Excess emissions: 
scheduled maintenance, testing, malfunctions; NAC 445.694--Emission 
discharge information; NAC 445.706(2)--Application date; payment of 
fees; NAC 445.715--Operation permits: revocation; and NRS 704.820 to 
704.900--Construction of utility facilities: utility environmental 
protection act. We do not plan to take action on article 1.207--
vehicle trip, article 14 (14.1 to 14.5.1.4)--supplementary control 
system (submitted June 14, 1974), and article 14.1--supplementary 
control system (submitted November 17, 1981) because they are not in 
the applicable SIP.
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B. What is the regulatory history of the Nevada SIP?

    Pursuant to the Clean Air Amendments of 1970, the Governor of 
Nevada submitted the original Nevada SIP to EPA in January 1972. EPA 
approved certain portions of the original SIP and disapproved other 
portions under CAA section 110(a). See 37 FR 10842 (May 31, 1972). For 
some of the disapproved portions of the original SIP, EPA promulgated 
substitute provisions under CAA section 110(c).\3\ This original SIP 
included various rules, codified as articles within the Nevada Air 
Quality Regulations (NAQR), and various statutory provisions codified 
in chapter 445 of the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS). In the early 
1980's, Nevada reorganized and re-codified its air quality rules into 
sections within chapter 445 of the Nevada Administrative Code (NAC). 
Today, Nevada codifies its air quality regulations in chapter 445B of 
the NAC and codifies air quality statutes in chapter 445B (``Air 
Pollution'') of title 40 (``Public Health and Safety'') of the NRS.
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    \3\ Provisions that EPA promulgates under CAA section 110(c) in 
substitution of disapproved State provisions are referred to as 
Federal Implementation Plans (FIPs).
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    Nevada adopted and submitted many revisions to the original set of 
regulations and statutes in the SIP, some of which EPA approved on 
February 6, 1975 at 40 FR 5508; on March 26, 1975 at 40 FR 13306; on 
January 9, 1978 at 43 FR 1341; on January 24, 1978 at 43 FR 3278; on 
August 21, 1978 at 43 FR 36932; on July 10, 1980 at 45 FR 46384; on 
April 14, 1981 at 46 FR 21758; on August 27, 1981 at 46 FR 43141; on 
March 8, 1982 at 47 FR 9833; on April 13, 1982 at 47 FR 15790; on June 
18, 1982 at 47 FR 26386; on June 23, 1982 at 47 FR 27070; on March 27, 
1984 at 49 FR 11626. Since 1984, EPA has approved very few revisions to 
Nevada's applicable SIP despite numerous changes that have been adopted 
by the State Environmental Commission. As a result, the version of the 
rules enforceable by NDEP is often quite different from the SIP version 
enforceable by EPA.

C. What is the purpose of this proposed rule?

    The purpose of this proposal is to present EPA's conclusions with 
respect to the State's request contained in NDEP's January 12, 2006 SIP 
revision submittal for rescission of nearly 200 rules and statutes in 
the applicable SIP. We provide our reasoning in general terms below but 
provide a more detailed analysis for each of the relevant rules and 
statutes in the technical support document (TSD) that has been prepared 
for this proposed rulemaking.

[[Page 50877]]

II. EPA's Evaluation and Action

A. How is EPA evaluating the rules and statutes requested for 
rescission?

    Under CAA section 110(k)(2), EPA is obligated to take action on 
submittals by States of SIPs and SIP revisions. CAA section 110(k)(3) 
authorizes EPA to approve or disapprove, in whole or in severable part, 
such submittals. EPA has reviewed the regulations and statutes 
submitted on January 12, 2006 by NDEP for rescission for compliance 
with the CAA requirements for SIPs in general set forth in CAA section 
110(a)(2) and 40 CFR part 51 and also for compliance with CAA 
requirements for SIP revisions in CAA sections 110(l) and 193.\4\ We 
have also applied the principles set forth in a policy memorandum from 
Johnnie L. Pearson, Chief Regional Activities Section, U.S. EPA Office 
of Air Quality Planning and Standards, dated February 12, 1990, and 
entitled, ``Review of State Regulation Recodifications.'' As described 
below, EPA is proposing approval and disapproval of portions of the 
State's rescission request and approval of certain replacement 
provisions.
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    \4\ CAA section 110(l) prohibits EPA from approving any SIP 
revision that would interfere with any applicable requirement 
concerning attainment and reasonable further progress, or any other 
applicable requirement of the CAA. CAA section 193 prohibits 
modifications in control requirements that were in effect before the 
CAA of 1990 in any nonattainment area unless the modification 
ensures equivalent or greater emission reductions of the 
nonattainment pollutant.
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B. Do the rescissions meet the evaluation criteria?

    We are proposing to approve most of the rules for which NDEP has 
requested rescission (see Table 1), but are proposing disapproval for 
rescission requests related to certain rules and statutes (see Table 
2), and are proposing to approve submitted replacement provisions (see 
Table 3) for certain provisions for which we believe the State's 
rescission request should be disapproved.
    Table 1 lists all of the SIP (or FIP) provisions for which the 
State's rescission request is proposed for approval along with the 
related submittal and approval dates. The vast majority of the 
provisions in table 1 represent defined terms that, although approved 
by EPA and therefore made part of the applicable SIP, are not relied 
upon by any rule or statute in the existing applicable SIP nor in any 
rule or statute in the submitted SIP revision and thus are unnecessary 
and appropriate for rescission. We are also proposing approval of the 
rescission request with respect to certain other rules and statutes 
(and one FIP) that we have found to be unnecessary because they are not 
needed generally in a SIP under CAA section 110(a)(2) or under 40 CFR 
part 51 or because there are other federally enforceable provisions 
that would provide equivalent or greater control. Neither NDEP's 
February 16, 2005 nor January 12, 2006 SIP submittal contained 
documentation of notice and public hearing for repeal or rescission of 
these provisions as required under CAA section 110(l) for all SIP 
revisions. Thus, we are making our proposed approval of these 
rescissions contingent upon receipt of this documentation from NDEP.
    The TSD provides more details concerning our proposal and rationale 
with respect to each of the items listed in table 1.

           Table 1.--SIP Provisions for Which the State's Rescission Request Is Proposed for Approval
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           SIP (or FIP) provision                           Title                 Submittal date   Approval date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAC 445.440................................  Aluminum equivalent................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.442................................  Anode bake plant...................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.443................................  Asphalt concrete plant.............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.446................................  Barite dryer.......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.451................................  Basic oxygen process furnace.......        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.453................................  Bituminous coal....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.454................................  Blast furnace......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.455................................  Blowing tap........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.456................................  Brass or bronze....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.459................................  Calcium carbide....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.460................................  Calcium silicon....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.461................................  Capture system.....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.462................................  Charge chrome......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.463................................  Charge period......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.465................................  Coal preparation plant.............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.466................................  Coal processing and conveying              10/26/82        03/27/84
                                              equipment.
NAC 445.467................................  Coal refuse........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.468................................  Coal storage system................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.469................................  Coke burn-off......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.474................................  Commercial fuel oil................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.475................................  Complex source.....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.476................................  Condensate.........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.477................................  Confidential information...........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.481................................  Control device.....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.483................................  Copper converter...................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.484................................  Custody transfer...................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.485................................  Cyclonic flow......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.487................................  Diesel fuel........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.489................................  Direct shell evacuation system.....        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.490................................  Drilling and production facility...        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.491................................  Dross reverberatory furnace........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.493................................  Dust handling equipment............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.494................................  Dusts..............................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.495................................  Electric arc furnace...............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.496................................  Electric furnace...................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.497................................  Electric smelting furnace..........        10/26/82        03/27/84

[[Page 50878]]

 
NAC 445.498................................  Electric submerged arc furnace.....        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.502................................  Equivalent P2O5 feed...............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.503................................  Equivalent P2O5 stored.............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.509................................  Ferrochrome silicon................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.510................................  Ferromanganese silicon.............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.511................................  Ferrosilicon.......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.514................................  Fossil fuel-fired steam generating         10/26/82        03/27/84
                                              unit.
NAC 445.515................................  Fresh granular triple                      10/26/82        03/27/84
                                              superphosphate.
NAC 445.518................................  Fuel gas...........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.519................................  Fuel gas combustion device.........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.522................................  Furnace charge.....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.523................................  Furnace cycle......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.524................................  Furnace power input................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.526................................  Granular diammonium phosphate plant        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.527................................  Granular triple super-phosphate            10/26/82        03/27/84
                                              storage facility.
NAC 445.528................................  Heat time..........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.529................................  High-carbon ferrochrome............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.530................................  High level of volatile impurities..        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.531................................  High terrain.......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.532................................  Hydrocarbon........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.534................................  Isokinetic sampling................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.539................................  Low terrain........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.543................................  Meltdown and refining..............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.544................................  Meltdown and refining period.......        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.546................................  Molybdenum.........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.547................................  Molybdenum processing plant........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.551................................  Nitric acid production unit........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.554................................  Nuisance...........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.566................................  Petroleum liquids..................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.567................................  Petroleum refinery.................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.568................................  Pneumatic coal-cleaning equipment..        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.572................................  Potroom............................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.573................................  Potroom group......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.576................................  Primary aluminum reduction plant...        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.577................................  Primary control system.............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.578................................  Primary copper smelter.............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.579................................  Primary lead smelter...............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.580................................  Primary zinc smelter...............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.582................................  Process gas........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.583................................  Process upset gas..................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.586................................  Product change.....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.587................................  Proportional sampling..............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.591................................  Refinery process unit..............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.593................................  Reid vapor pressure................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.594................................  Reverberatory furnace..............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.595................................  Reverberatory smelting furnace.....        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.596................................  Ringelmann chart...................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.598................................  Roof monitor.......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.600................................  Run-of-pile triple superphosphate..        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.602................................  Secondary control system...........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.603................................  Secondary lead smelter.............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.604................................  Shop...............................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.605................................  Shop opacity.......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.608................................  Silicomanganese....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.609................................  Silicomanganese zirconium..........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.610................................  Silicon metal......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.611................................  Silvery iron.......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.614................................  Sinter bed.........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.615................................  Sintering machine..................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.616................................  Sintering machine discharge end....        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.617................................  Six-minute period..................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.619................................  Smelting...........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.620................................  Smelting furnace...................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.626................................  Standard ferromanganese............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.629................................  Steel production cycle.............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.631................................  Storage vessel.....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.632................................  Structure, building, facility or           10/26/82        03/27/84
                                              installation.
NAC 445.634................................  Sulfuric acid plant................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.635................................  Sulfuric acid production unit......        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.636................................  Superphosphoric acid plant.........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.637................................  Tapping............................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.638................................  Tapping period.....................        10/26/82        03/27/84

[[Page 50879]]

 
NAC 445.639................................  Tapping station....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.640................................  Thermal dryer......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.641................................  Thermit process....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.642................................  Total fluorides....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.643................................  Total smelter charge...............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.644................................  Transfer and loading system........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.645................................  Triple superphosphate plant........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.646................................  True vapor pressure................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.648................................  Vapor recovery system..............        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.652................................  Weak nitric acid...................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.654................................  Wet-process phosphoric acid plant..        10/26/82        03/27/84
Article 2.7.4..............................  Confidential Information...........        12/10/76        08/21/78
Articles 2.10.1 and 2.10.1.1...............  Appeal procedures..................        01/28/72        05/31/72
Articles 2.10.1.2, 2.10.2 and 2.10.3.......  Appeal procedures..................        10/31/75        01/09/78
Article 3.3.4..............................  Stop orders........................        01/28/72        05/31/72
Article 4.3.4..............................  Emissions from any mobile equipment        01/28/72        05/31/72
Article 7.2.5..............................  Basic Refractory...................        11/05/80        06/18/82
Article 7.2.9..............................  Sierra Chemical Co.................        11/05/80        06/18/82
Article 8.1................................  Primary Non-Ferrous Smelters.......        06/14/74        02/06/75
Articles 8.1.1, 8.1.2, & 8.1.4.............  Primary Non-Ferrous Smelters.......        10/31/75        01/09/78
Article 8.3.4..............................  Basic..............................        11/05/80        06/18/82
Article 16.3.1.2...........................  Regulations controlling cement             12/29/78        06/18/82
                                              (Applying to Portland cement
                                              plants).
Articles 16.3.2, 16.3.2.1, & 16.3.2.2......  Standard of particulate matter for         12/29/78        06/18/82
                                              clinker cooler (Applying to
                                              Portland cement plants).
Article 16.15..............................  Primary lead smelters..............        12/29/78        06/18/82
Articles 16.15.1 to 16.15.1.2..............  Standard for Particulate Matter            12/29/78        06/18/82
                                              (Applying to primary lead
                                              smelters).
Articles 16.15.2 to 16.15.2.2..............  Standard for Opacity (Applying to          12/29/78        06/18/82
                                              primary lead smelters).
Articles 16.15.3 to 16.15.3.2..............  Standard for Sulfur (Applying to           12/29/78        06/18/82
                                              primary lead smelters).
Article 16.15.4............................  Monitoring Operations (Applying to         12/29/78        06/18/82
                                              primary lead smelters).
NAC 445.662................................  Confidential Information...........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.695................................  Schedules for compliance...........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.698................................  Appeal of director's decision:             10/26/82        03/27/84
                                              Application forms.
NAC 445.700................................  Violations: Manner of paying fines.        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.723................................  Existing copper smelters...........        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.815................................  Molybdenum processing plants.......        09/14/83        03/27/84
NAC 445.816(2) (a), (b), (c), (e), (f),      Processing Plants for Precious             09/14/83        03/27/84
 (g), (h), and (i).                           Metals.
NAC 445.844................................  Odors..............................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NRS 445.401................................  Declaration of public policy.......        12/29/78        07/10/80
Section 13(15) and (19) of Senate Bill No.   [State commission of environmental         01/28/72        05/31/72
 275.                                         protection--review recommendations
                                              of hearing board and delegation].
NRS 445.466................................  Commission regulations: Notice and         12/29/78        07/10/80
                                              hearing.
NRS 445.497................................  Notice of regulatory action:               12/29/78        07/10/80
                                              Requirement; method; contents of
                                              notice.
40 CFR 52.1475(c), (d), and (e)............  Control strategy and regulations:              N.A.        02/06/75
                                              Sulfur oxides.
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    Table 2 lists the rules and statutes for which the State's 
rescission request is proposed for disapproval along with the related 
submittal and approval dates. Generally, we believe that retention of 
these provisions is appropriate to satisfy certain specific 
requirements for SIPs under CAA section 110(a)(2) or that retention is 
appropriate because the State has not provided sufficient documentation 
to show that rescission would not interfere with continued attainment 
of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) as required under 
CAA section 110(l). The TSD provides more details concerning our 
proposal and rationale with respect to each of the items listed in 
table 2.

          Table 2.--SIP Provisions for Which the State's Rescission Request Is Proposed for Disapproval
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               SIP provision                                Title                 Submittal date   Approval date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAC 445.436................................  Air contaminant....................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.570................................  Portland cement plant..............        10/26/82        03/27/84
Article 1.171..............................  Single source......................        12/10/76        08/21/78
NAC 445.630................................  Stop order.........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.660................................  Severability.......................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.663................................  Concealment of emissions prohibited        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.665................................  Hazardous emissions: Order for             10/26/82        03/27/84
                                              reduction or discontinuance.
NAC 445.696................................  Notice of violations; appearance           10/26/82        03/27/84
                                              before commission.
NAC 445.697................................  Stop Orders........................        10/26/82        03/27/84
NAC 445.764................................  Reduction of employees' pay because        10/26/82        03/27/84
                                              of use of system prohibited.
NAC 445.816(3), (4) & (5)..................  Processing Plants for Precious             09/14/83        03/27/84
                                              Metals.

[[Page 50880]]

 
NRS 445.451*...............................  State environmental commission:            12/29/78        07/10/80
                                              Creation; composition; chairman;
                                              quorum; salary, expenses of
                                              members; disqualification of
                                              members; technical support.
NRS 445.456*...............................  Department designated as state air         12/29/78        07/10/80
                                              pollution control agency.
NRS 445.473*...............................  Department powers and duties.......        12/29/78        07/10/80
NRS 445.476*...............................  Power of department representatives        12/29/78        07/10/80
                                              to enter and inspect premises.
NRS 445.498*...............................  Appeals to commission; Notice of           12/29/78        07/10/80
                                              appeal.
NRS 445.499*...............................  Appeals to commission; Hearings....        12/29/78        07/10/80
NRS 445.501*...............................  Appeals to commission: Appealable          12/29/78        07/10/80
                                              matters; commission action; rules
                                              for appeals.
NRS 445.526*...............................  Violations: Notice and order by            09/10/75        01/24/78
                                              director; hearing; alternative
                                              procedures.
NRS 445.529*...............................  Violations: Injunctive relief......        12/29/78        07/10/80
NRS 445.576*...............................  Confidential information:                  09/10/75        01/24/78
                                              Definitions; limitations on use;
                                              penalty for unlawful disclosure or
                                              use.
NRS 445.581*...............................  Power of department officers to            12/29/78        07/10/80
                                              inspect, search premises; search
                                              warrants.
NRS 445.596*...............................  Private rights and remedies not            12/29/78        07/10/80
                                              affected.
NRS 445.598*...............................  Provisions for transition in               12/29/78        07/10/80
                                              administration.
NRS 445.601*...............................  Civil penalties; fines not bar to          12/29/78       07/10/80
                                              injunctive relief, other remedies;
                                              disposition of fines.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Asterisk (*) indicates applicable SIP provisions for which replacement provisions are being proposed for
  approval herein (see table 3, below).

    Table 3 lists the submitted provisions for which EPA is proposing 
approval and that, upon final approval, will supersede corresponding 
outdated provisions in the applicable SIP. In its January 12, 2006 SIP 
revision submittal, NDEP requests EPA to approve new statutory 
provisions to replace any outdated State statutory provisions for which 
EPA determines that the rescission request should not be approved. As 
noted above, we are proposing to disapprove requests for rescission of 
certain statutory provisions, and thus, consistent with the State's 
request, we are proposing approval of 14 specific statutory provisions, 
submitted by NDEP in appendix III-E of the January 12, 2006 SIP 
revision submittal, to replace the corresponding statutory provisions 
in the applicable SIP (see table 3, below). In general, we find that 
the current statutory provisions listed in table 3 essentially mirror 
the corresponding outdated provisions in the applicable SIP and thus 
would not relax any existing requirement.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ Because the current statutory provisions essentially mirror 
the outdated provisions, we view our proposed approval of the 
current statutory provisions as a re-codification and, as such, we 
are not taking action to remedy pre-existing deficiencies in the 
applicable SIP. We note, however, that one of the provisions, NRS 
445B.200 (``Creation and composition; chairman; quorum; compensation 
of members and employees; disqualification; technical support''), 
does not meet the related SIP requirements (CAA section 
110(a)(2)(E)(ii) and CAA section 128) and could be the subject of 
some future EPA rulemaking, such as one under CAA section 110(k)(5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The TSD provides more details concerning our proposal and rationale 
with respect to each of the items listed in table 3.

    Table 3.--Submitted Provisions Which Are Proposed for Approval as
       Replacements for Outdated Provisions in the Applicable SIP
------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Submitted provisions                Title             Submittal date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NRS 445B.200................  Creation and composition;  01/12/06
                               chairman; quorum;
                               compensation of members
                               and employees;
                               disqualification;
                               technical support.
NRS 445B.205................  Department designated as   01/12/06
                               state air pollution
                               control agency.
NRS 445B.230................  Powers and duties of       01/12/06
                               department.
NRS 445B.240................  Power of representatives   01/12/06
                               of department to enter
                               and inspect premises.
NRS 445B.340................  Appeals to commission:     01/12/06
                               notice of appeal.
NRS 445B.350................  Appeals to commission:     01/12/06
                               hearings.
NRS 445B.360................  Appeals to commission:     01/12/06
                               appealable matters;
                               action by commission;
                               regulations.
NRS 445B.450................  Notice and order by        01/12/06
                               director; hearing;
                               alternative procedures.
NRS 445B.460................  Injunctive relief........  01/12/06
NRS 445B.570................  Confidentiality and use    01/12/06
                               of information obtained
                               by department; penalty.
NRS 445B.580................  Officer of department may  01/12/06
                               inspect or search
                               premises; search warrant.
NRS 445B.600................  Private rights and         01/12/06
                               remedies not affected.
NRS 445B.610................  Provisions for transition  01/12/06
                               in administration.
NRS 445B.640................  Levy and disposition of    01/12/06
                               administrative fines;
                               additional remedies
                               available; penalty.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 50881]]

C. Public Comment and Proposed Action

    Under CAA section 110(k)(3), EPA is proposing approval of most of 
the State of Nevada's requests to rescind nearly 200 rules and statutes 
from the applicable SIP but is proposing disapproval of some of those 
requests. EPA is also proposing approval of certain statutory 
provisions submitted by the State of Nevada as replacements for 
outdated provisions in the applicable SIP. The approval proposed herein 
is contingent upon receipt of certain public notice and hearing 
documentation from the State of Nevada. We will accept comments from 
the public on this proposal for the next 30 days.
    Unless we receive convincing new information during the comment 
period, we intend to publish a final approval action that will rescind 
the rules and statutes shown in table 1, above, from the applicable SIP 
(contingent upon receipt of public notice and hearing documentation), 
retain certain rules and statutes in the applicable SIP (shown in table 
2, above), and approve certain replacement provisions (shown in table 
3, above).

III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

    Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this 
proposed action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' and 
therefore is not subject to review by the Office of Management and 
Budget. For this reason, this action is also not subject to Executive 
Order 13211, ``Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect 
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001). This 
action merely proposes to approve or disapprove a State request for 
rescission and to approve certain replacement provisions as meeting 
Federal requirements and imposes no additional requirements beyond 
those imposed by state law. Accordingly, the Administrator certifies 
that this proposed rule will not have a significant economic impact on 
a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). Because this rule proposes to approve pre-
existing requirements under state law and does not impose any 
additional enforceable duty beyond that required by state law, it does 
not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or uniquely affect 
small governments, as described in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 
1995 (Pub. L. 104-4).
    This proposed rule also does not have tribal implications because 
it will not have a substantial direct effect on one or more Indian 
tribes, on the relationship between the Federal Government and Indian 
tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities between 
the Federal Government and Indian tribes, as specified by Executive 
Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000). This action also does not 
have Federalism implications because it does 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 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999). This action 
merely proposes to approve or disapprove a State request for rescission 
and to approve certain replacement provisions implementing a Federal 
standard, and does not alter the relationship or the distribution of 
power and responsibilities established in the Clean Air Act. This 
proposed rule also is not subject to Executive Order 13045 ``Protection 
of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 
19885, April 23, 1997), because it is not economically significant.
    In reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state 
choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act. In 
this context, in the absence of a prior existing requirement for the 
State to use voluntary consensus standards (VCS), EPA has no authority 
to disapprove a SIP submission for failure to use VCS. It would thus be 
inconsistent with applicable law for EPA, when it reviews a SIP 
submission, to use VCS in place of a SIP submission that otherwise 
satisfies the provisions of the Clean Air Act. Thus, the requirements 
of section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement 
Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) do not apply. This proposed rule does 
not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental 
relations, Lead, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Sulfur oxides.

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

    Dated: August 16, 2006.
Jane Diamond,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. E6-14214 Filed 8-25-06; 8:45 am]
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