[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 83 (Tuesday, May 1, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 23815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8278]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OH-167-1; FRL-8307-9]


Adequacy Status of the Columbus and Toledo, 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 notice, EPA is notifying the public that we have found 
that the motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for volatile organic 
compounds (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) in the 
Columbus, Ohio area (Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Knox, Licking, and 
Madison Counties) and the Toledo, Ohio area (Lucas and Wood Counties) 
are adequate for use in transportation conformity determinations. Ohio 
submitted the Columbus budgets with an 8-hour ozone redesignation 
request and maintenance plan on December 28, 2006, January 10, 2007, 
and March 9, 2007. Ohio submitted the Toledo budgets with an 8-hour 
ozone redesignation request and maintenance plan on December 22, 2006, 
and March 9, 2007. As a result of our finding, Columbus and Toledo, 
Ohio must use the MVEBs from the submitted 8-hour ozone redesignation 
and maintenance plan for future transportation conformity 
determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective May 16, 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 notice is simply an announcement of a finding that we have 
already made. On April 5, 2007, EPA Region 5 sent a letter to the Ohio 
Environmental Protection Agency stating that the 2009 and 2018 MVEBs 
for the Columbus and Toledo areas, which were submitted with the 8-hour 
ozone redesignation request and maintenance plans, are adequate. 
Receipt of these MVEBs was announced on EPA's transportation conformity 
website, and no comments were submitted. The finding is available at 
EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.
    The adequate 2009 and 2018 MVEBs, in tons per day (tpd), for VOC 
for Columbus and Toledo are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        2009      2018
                                                        MVEB      MVEB
                                                        (tpd)     (tpd)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Columbus............................................     72.16     41.50
Toledo..............................................     18.99     11.20
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    The adequate 2009 and 2018 MVEBs, in tons per day (tpd), for 
NOX for Columbus and Toledo are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        2009      2018
                                                        MVEB      MVEB
                                                        (tpd)     (tpd)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Columbus............................................    125.43     56.30
Toledo..............................................     33.75     14.11
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 transportation 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 
transportation conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.

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

    Dated: April 19, 2007.
Bharat Mathur,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. E7-8278 Filed 4-30-07; 8:45 am]
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