[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 3, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15879-15880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-6150]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OH-165-1; FRL-8294-7]


Adequacy Status of the Parkersburg, Steubenville-Weirton, Lima, 
Wheeling, and Canton, OH, Submitted 8-Hour Ozone Redesignation and 
Maintenance Plans for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this action, EPA is notifying the public that EPA has found 
that the motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for 8-hour ozone for 
five areas in the State of Ohio, submitted as part of the redesignation 
and maintenance plans for these areas, are adequate for conformity 
purposes. As a result of our finding, the Parkersburg (Washington 
County), Steubenville-Weirton (Jefferson County), Lima (Allen County), 
Wheeling (Belmont County), and Canton (Stark County) areas must use the 
MVEBs from the submitted 8-hour ozone redesignation and maintenance 
plans for future conformity determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective April 18, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony Maietta, Life Scientist, 
Criteria Pollutant Section (AR-18J), Air Programs Branch, Air and 
Radiation Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 
353-8777, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, whenever ``we'', 
``us'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.

Background

    Today's action is simply an announcement of findings that we have 
already made. On December 28, 2006,

[[Page 15880]]

EPA Region 5 sent a letter to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency 
(OEPA) stating that the 2009 and 2018 MVEBs in the Steubenville-Weirton 
area are adequate. EPA Region 5 sent letters to OEPA on January 22, 
2007, stating that the 2009 and 2018 MVEBs in the Parkersburg, Lima, 
Wheeling, and Canton areas are adequate. Ohio submitted the budgets as 
part of the 8-hour ozone redesignation requests and maintenance plans 
for these areas. The submittals were announced on EPA's conformity 
website, and received no comments: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm, (once there, click on ``What SIP 
submissions are currently under EPA adequacy review?'').
    The 2009 and 2018 MVEBs, in tons per day, for volatile organic 
compounds (VOC) for these areas are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Area                             2009     2018
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Parkersburg...........................................     2.59     1.67
Steubenville-Weirton..................................     2.63     1.37
Lima..................................................     5.08     2.89
Wheeling..............................................     2.60     1.52
Canton................................................    10.02     5.37
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    The 2009 and 2018 MVEBs, in tons per day, for oxides of nitrogen 
(NOX) for these areas are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Area                             2009     2018
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Parkersburg...........................................     3.58     1.76
Steubenville-Weirton..................................     4.10     1.67
Lima..................................................     8.28     3.47
Wheeling..............................................     4.69     1.91
Canton................................................    18.03     7.08
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    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 state air quality 
implementation plans and establishes the criteria and procedures for 
determining whether or not they do. Conformity to a State 
Implementation Plan (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's motor vehicle 
emission budgets are adequate for conformity purposes are outlined in 
40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). We have described our process for determining the 
adequacy of submitted SIP budgets in our July 1, 2004, preamble 
starting at 69 FR 40038, and we used the information in these resources 
while making our adequacy determination. Please note that an adequacy 
review is separate from EPA's completeness review, and it also should 
not be used to prejudge EPA's ultimate approval of the SIP. Even if we 
find a budget adequate, the SIP could later be disapproved.
    The finding and the response to comments are available at EPA's 
conformity Web site: heep://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/
adequacy.htm.

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

    Dated: March 21, 2007.
Gary Gulezian,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
 [FR Doc. E7-6150 Filed 4-2-07; 8:45 am]
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