[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 225 (Friday, November 23, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65682-65686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22868]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 81

[EPA-R09-2007-OAR-1109; FRL-8498-7]


Determination of Nonattainment and Reclassification of the 
Imperial County Nonattainment Area: 8-Hour Ozone

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to find that the Imperial County marginal 8-
hour ozone nonattainment area has failed to attain the 8-hour ozone 
national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or standard) by June 15, 
2007, the attainment deadline set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA) and 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for marginal nonattainment areas. If 
EPA finalizes this finding, the Imperial County area will be 
reclassified, by operation of law, as a moderate 8-hour ozone 
nonattainment area. The moderate area attainment date for the Imperial 
County area would then be as expeditiously as practicable but no later 
than June 15, 2010. Once reclassified, California must submit State 
Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions that meet the 8-hour ozone 
nonattainment requirements for moderate areas as required by the CAA. 
In this action, EPA is also proposing the schedule for the State's 
submittal of the SIP revisions required for moderate areas once the 
area is reclassified.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 24, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R09-
2007-OAR-1109 by one of the following methods:
    1. www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
    2. E-mail: [email protected].
    3. Fax: 415-947-3579.
    4. Mail or deliver: Adrienne Priselac (AIR-2), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 
94105-3901.
    Instructions: All comments will be included in the public docket 
without change and may be made available online at 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 the 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 directly below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrienne Priselac, EPA Region IX, 
(415) 972-3285, [email protected].

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

Table of Contents

I. What is the background for this proposed action?
    A. What are the National Ambient Air Quality Standards?
    B. What is the standard for 8-hour ozone?
    C. What is a SIP and how does it relate to the NAAQS for 8-hour 
ozone?
    D. What is the Imperial County nonattainment area, and what is 
its current 8-hour ozone nonattainment classification?
    E. What are the CAA provisions regarding determinations of 
nonattainment and reclassifications?
II. What is EPA's evaluation of the Imperial County area's 8-hour 
ozone data?
III. What action is EPA proposing?
    A. Determination of Nonattainment, Reclassification of Imperial 
County Nonattainment Area and New Attainment Date
    B. Proposed Date for Submitting a Revised SIP for the Imperial 
County Area
IV. Proposed Action
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. What is the background for this proposed action?

A. What are the National Ambient Air Quality Standards?

    The CAA requires EPA to establish a NAAQS for pollutants that ``may 
reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare'' and 
to develop a primary and secondary

[[Page 65683]]

standard for each NAAQS. The primary standard is designed to protect 
human health with an adequate margin of safety and the secondary 
standard is designed to protect public welfare and the environment. EPA 
has set NAAQS for six common air pollutants referred to as criteria 
pollutants: Carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate 
matter, and sulfur dioxide. These standards present state and local 
governments with the air quality levels they must meet to comply with 
the CAA. Also, these standards allow the American people to assess 
whether or not the air quality in their communities is healthful.

B. What is the standard for 8-hour ozone?

    On July 18, 1997, EPA promulgated a revised 8-hour ozone standard 
of 0.08 parts per million (ppm). This new standard is more stringent 
than the previous 1-hour ozone standard. Under EPA regulations at 40 
CFR part 50, the 8-hour ozone standard is attained when the 3-year 
average of the annual fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average 
ambient air quality ozone concentrations is less than or equal to 0.08 
ppm (i.e., 0.084 ppm when rounding is considered). (See 69 FR 23857 
(April 30, 2004) for further information). Ambient air quality 
monitoring data for the 3-year period must meet a data completeness 
requirement. The ambient air quality monitoring data completeness 
requirement is met when the average percent of days with valid ambient 
monitoring data is greater than 90 percent, and no single year has less 
than 75 percent data completeness as determined in Appendix I of part 
50. Specifically, section 2.3 of 40 CFR part 50, Appendix I, 
``Comparisons with the Primary and Secondary Ozone Standards'' states:
    ``The primary and secondary ozone ambient air quality standards are 
met at an ambient air quality monitoring site when the 3-year average 
of the annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone 
concentration is less than or equal to 0.08 ppm. The number of 
significant figures in the level of the standard dictates the rounding 
convention for comparing the computed 3-year average annual fourth-
highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration with the level 
of the standard. The third decimal place of the computed value is 
rounded, with values equal to or greater than 5 rounding up. Thus, a 
computed 3-year average ozone concentration of 0.085 ppm is the 
smallest value that is greater than 0.08 ppm.''
    The value of 0.085 ppm can also be expressed as 85 parts per 
billion (ppb).

C. What is a SIP and how does it relate to the NAAQS for 8-hour ozone?

    Section 110 of the CAA requires states to develop air pollution 
regulations and control strategies to ensure that state air quality 
meets the NAAQS established by EPA. Each state must submit these 
regulations and control strategies to EPA for approval and 
incorporation into the Federally-enforceable SIP. Each Federally-
approved SIP protects air quality primarily by addressing air pollution 
at its point of origin. These SIPs can be extensive. They may contain 
state regulations or other enforceable documents and supporting 
information such as emission inventories, monitoring networks, and 
modeling demonstrations.

D. What is the Imperial County nonattainment area, and what is its 
current 8-hour ozone nonattainment classification?

    The Imperial County 8-hour ozone nonattainment area is located in 
the southeastern corner of California. It has borders with Mexico to 
the south, Arizona to the east, San Diego County to the west, and the 
Coachella Valley to the north. The local jurisdiction that is 
responsible for air pollution control is the Imperial County Air 
Pollution Control District (ICAPCD).
    For areas subject to Subpart 2 of the CAA, such as the Imperial 
County nonattainment area, the maximum period for attainment runs from 
the effective date of designations and classifications for the 8-hour 
ozone NAAQS (69 FR 23858, April 30, 2004) and will be the same periods 
as provided in Table 1 of CAA Section 181(a): Marginal--3 years; 
Moderate--6 years; Serious--9 years, Severe--15 or 17 years; and 
Extreme--20 years (40 CFR 51.903(a)). The effective date of 
designations and classifications for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS was June 
15, 2004 (69 FR 23951, April 30, 2004).
    The Imperial County area was designated nonattainment for the 8-
hour ozone standard on April 30, 2004, and classified ``marginal'' 
based on a 2001-2003 design value of 91 (ppb) with a maximum attainment 
date of June 15, 2007 (69 FR 23858). The design value of an area, which 
characterizes the severity of the air quality concern, is represented 
by the annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone 
concentration measured at each monitor averaged over any three-year 
period.

E. What are the CAA provisions regarding determinations of 
nonattainment and reclassifications?

    Section 181(b)(2) prescribes the process for making determinations 
upon failure of an ozone nonattainment area to attain by its attainment 
date, and for reclassification of an ozone nonattainment area. Section 
181(b)(2)(A) of the Act requires that we determine, based on the area's 
design value (as of the attainment date), whether the area attained the 
ozone standard by that date. For marginal, moderate, and serious areas, 
if EPA finds that the nonattainment area has failed to attain the ozone 
standard by the applicable attainment date, the area is reclassified by 
operation of law to the higher of (1) the next higher classification 
for the area, or (2) the classification applicable to the area's design 
value as determined at the time of the required Federal Register 
notice. Section 181(b)(2)(B) requires EPA to publish in the Federal 
Register a notice identifying any area that has failed to attain by its 
attainment date and the resulting reclassification.

II. What is EPA's evaluation of the Imperial County area's 8-hour ozone 
data?

    We make attainment determinations for ozone nonattainment areas 
using available quality-assured air quality data. Within the Imperial 
County area, ground-level ozone is measured at 6 monitors throughout 
the County. In recent years, the El Centro and Westmorland monitors 
have measured some of the highest 8-hour average ozone concentrations 
in the Imperial County area. For example, the fourth-highest daily 
maximum readings for 2004, 2005, and 2006 at the El Centro monitor were 
79, 86, and 91 ppb, respectively. The fourth-highest daily maximum 
readings for 2004, 2005, and 2006 at the Westmorland monitor were 79, 
90, and 86 ppb, respectively. For the Imperial County ozone 
nonattainment area, the attainment determination is based on 2004-2006 
air quality data. The area has a 2004-2006 design value of 85 ppb. 
Therefore, pursuant to section 181(b)(2) of the CAA, we find that the 
Imperial County area did not attain the 8-hour ozone NAAQS by the June 
15, 2007, deadline for marginal areas.

[[Page 65684]]



      Table 1.--Imperial County Area Fourth Highest 8-Hour Ozone Concentrations and Design Values (ppb)\1\
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                                                                      4th highest daily max             Design
                                                             ---------------------------------------   value 3
                            Site                                                                         year
                                                                  2004         2005         2006       average
                                                                                                     (2004-2006)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calexico-Grant (06-025-0004)................................           63           80           65           69
Calexico-Ethel (06-025-0005)................................           72           82           68           74
Calexico-East (06-025-0006).................................           74           77           78           76
El Centro (06-025-1003).....................................           79           86           91           85
Westmorland (06-025-4003)...................................           79           90           86           85
Niland (06-025-4004)........................................           75           72           72          73
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Unlike the 1-hour ozone standard, design value calculations for the 8-hour ozone standard are based on a
  rolling three-year average of the annual 4th highest values (40 CFR Part 50, Appendix I).

    Under Sections 172(a)(2)(C) and 181(a)(5) of the CAA, an area can 
qualify for up to two one-year extensions of its attainment date based 
on the number of exceedances in the attainment year and if the State 
has complied with all requirements and commitments pertaining to the 
area in the applicable implementation plan. For the 8-hour ozone 
standard, if an area's 4th highest daily 8-hour ozone average in the 
attainment year is 84 ppb or less (40 CFR 51.907), the area is eligible 
for the first of up to two one-year attainment date extensions. The 
attainment year is the year immediately preceding the nonattainment 
area's attainment date. For Imperial County the attainment year is 
2006. In 2006, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour ozone average value 
was 91 ppb. Based on this information, the Imperial County area 
currently does not qualify for a one-year extension of the attainment 
date.
    Section 181(b)(2)(A) of the Act provides that, when we find that an 
area failed to attain by the applicable date, the area is reclassified 
by operation of law to the higher of (1) the next higher classification 
or (2) the classification applicable to the area's ozone design value 
at the time of the required notice under Section 181(b)(2)(B). Section 
181(b)(2)(B) requires EPA to publish a notice in the Federal Register 
identifying the reclassification status of an area that has failed to 
attain the standard by its attainment date. The classification that 
would be applicable to the Imperial County area's ozone design value at 
the time of today's notice is ``marginal'' since the area's 2006 
calculated design value, based on quality-assured ozone monitoring data 
from 2004-2006, is 85 ppb. By contrast, the next higher classification 
for the Imperial County area is ``moderate.'' Because ``moderate'' is a 
higher nonattainment classification than ``marginal'' under the 
statutory scheme, upon the effective date of a final rulemaking, the 
Imperial County area would be reclassified by operation of law as 
``moderate,'' for failing to attain the standard by the marginal area 
applicable attainment date of June 15, 2007.

III. What action is EPA proposing?

A. Determination of Nonattainment, Reclassification of Imperial County 
Nonattainment Area and New Attainment Date

    Pursuant to section 181(b)(2), EPA is proposing to find that the 
Imperial County area has failed to attain the 8-hour ozone NAAQS by the 
June 15, 2007, attainment deadline prescribed under the CAA for 
marginal ozone nonattainment areas. If EPA finalizes this finding and 
it takes effect, the Imperial County area will be reclassified by 
operation of law from marginal nonattainment to moderate nonattainment. 
Moderate areas are required to attain the standard ``as expeditiously 
as practicable,'' but no later than 6 years after designation, or June 
15, 2010. The ``as expeditiously as practicable'' attainment date will 
be determined as part of the action on the required SIP submittal 
demonstrating attainment of the 8-hour ozone standard. EPA is proposing 
a schedule by which California will submit the SIP revisions necessary 
for the proposed reclassification to moderate nonattainment of the 8-
hour ozone standard.

B. Proposed Date for Submitting a Revised SIP for the Imperial County 
Area

    EPA must address the schedule by which California is required to 
submit a revised SIP. When an area is reclassified, we have the 
authority under section 182(i) of the Act to adjust the Act's submittal 
deadlines for any new SIP revisions that are required as a result of 
the reclassification.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 51.908(d), for each nonattainment area, a state 
must provide for implementation of all control measures needed for 
attainment no later than the beginning of the ``attainment year ozone 
season.'' The ``attainment year ozone season'' is defined as the ozone 
season immediately preceding a nonattainment area's attainment date (40 
CFR 51.900(g)). The ``ozone season'' in a given year for an ozone 
nonattainment area is defined as the ozone monitoring season shown for 
the state in 40 CFR Part 58, Appendix D, section 4.1, Table D-3 (40 CFR 
51.900(n) and 71 FR 61236, October 17, 2006). The ozone monitoring 
season for all of California, including Imperial County, is the full 
calendar year, from January through December.
    A moderate 8-hour ozone nonattainment area must attain the ozone 
NAAQS as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than June 15, 2010 
(40 CFR 51.903). As such, the attainment year ozone season for Imperial 
County is the ozone season in calendar year 2009, which begins on 
January 1. EPA therefore proposes to require a revised SIP submittal 
for the Imperial County moderate nonattainment area as expeditiously as 
practicable, but no later than December 31, 2008.
    A revised SIP must include the following moderate area 
requirements: (1) An attainment demonstration (40 CFR 51.908), (2) 
provisions for reasonably available control technology and reasonably 
available control measures (40 CFR 51.912), (3) reasonable further 
progress reductions in emissions (40 CFR 51.910), (4) contingency 
measures to be implemented in the event of failure to meet a milestone 
or attain the standard (CAA 172(c)(9)), and (5) NOX and VOC 
emission offsets of 1.15 to 1 for major source permits (40 CFR 
51.165(a)). See also the requirements for moderate

[[Page 65685]]

ozone nonattainment areas set forth in CAA section 182(b).\1\
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    \1\ A vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) program would 
normally be listed as a requirement for an ozone moderate or above 
nonattainment area. However, the Federal I/M Flexibility Amendments 
of 1995 determined that urbanized areas with populations less than 
200,000 for 1990 are not mandated to participate in the I/M program 
(60 FR 48027, September 18, 1995).
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IV. Proposed Action

    Pursuant to CAA section 181(b)(2), EPA is proposing to find that 
the Imperial County marginal 8-hour ozone area has failed to attain the 
8-hour ozone NAAQS by June 15, 2007. If EPA finalizes its proposal, the 
area will by operation of law be reclassified as a moderate 8-hour 
ozone nonattainment area. Pursuant to section 182(i) of the CAA EPA is 
also proposing the schedule for submittal of the SIP revision required 
for moderate areas once the area is reclassified. We propose to require 
that this SIP revision be submitted as expeditiously as practicable, 
but no later than December 31, 2008.

V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review

    This action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under the 
terms of Executive Order (EO) 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 
is therefore not subject to review under the EO. The Agency has 
determined that the finding of nonattainment would result in none of 
the effects identified in the Executive Order. Under section 181(b)(2) 
of the CAA, determinations of nonattainment are based upon air quality 
considerations and the resulting reclassifications must occur by 
operation of law.

B. Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule does not impose an information collection burden under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. 
This proposed action to reclassify the Imperial County area as a 
moderate ozone nonattainment area and to adjust applicable deadlines 
does not establish any new information collection burden. 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 this action on small 
entities, small entity is defined as: (1) A small business that is a 
small industrial entity as defined in the U.S. Small Business 
Administration (SBA) size standards (see 13 CFR part 121); (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. Determinations of nonattainment and the 
resulting reclassification of nonattainment areas by operation of law 
under section 181(b)(2) of the CAA do not in and of themselves create 
any new requirements. Instead, this rulemaking only makes a factual 
determination, and does not directly regulate any entities. After 
considering the economic impacts of today's action on small entities, I 
certify that this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities.

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 
one 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 as to 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 
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.
    This proposed action does not include a Federal mandate within the 
meaning of UMRA that may result in expenditures of $100 million or more 
in any one year by either State, local, or Tribal governments in the 
aggregate or to the private sector, and therefore, is not subject to 
the requirements of section 202 and 205 of the UMRA. Also, EPA has 
determined that this rule contains no regulatory requirements that 
might significantly or uniquely affect small governments and therefore, 
is not subject to the requirements of section 203. EPA believes, as 
discussed previously in this document, that the finding of 
nonattainment is a factual determination based upon air quality 
considerations and that the resulting reclassification of the area must 
occur by operation of law. Thus, EPA believes that the proposed finding 
does not constitute a Federal mandate, as defined in section 101 of the 
UMRA, because it does not impose an enforceable duty on any entity.

[[Page 65686]]

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. This action merely proposes to 
determine that the Imperial County area has not attained by its 
applicable attainment date, and to reclassify the Imperial County area 
as a moderate ozone nonattainment area and to adjust applicable 
deadlines. Thus, Executive Order 13132 does not apply to this rule.

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 action does not have 
``Tribal implications'' as specified in Executive Order 13175. This 
action merely proposes to determine that the Imperial County area has 
not attained by its applicable attainment date, and to reclassify the 
Imperial County area as a moderate ozone nonattainment area and to 
adjust applicable deadlines. The Clean Air Act and the Tribal Authority 
Rule establish the relationship of the Federal government and Tribes in 
developing plans to attain the NAAQS, and this rule does nothing to 
modify that relationship. Thus, Executive Order 13175 does not apply to 
this rule.

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 effects 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. This action 
is not subject to Executive Order 13045 because it is not economically 
significant as defined in E.O. 12866, and because the Agency does not 
have reason to believe the environmental health risks or safety risks 
addressed by this rule present a disproportionate risk to children. 
This action merely proposes to determine that the Imperial Valley area 
has not attained the standard by the applicable attainment date, and to 
reclassify the Imperial Valley area as a moderate ozone nonattainment 
area and to adjust applicable deadlines.

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

    This action is not subject to Executive Order 13211, ``Actions That 
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 
28355, May 22, 2001), because it is not a significant regulatory action 
under Executive Order 12866.

I. National Technology Transfer Advancement Act

    As noted in the proposed rule, section 12(d) of the National 
Technology Transfer Advancement Act of 1995 (NTTAA), Public Law 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 action 
merely proposes to determine that the Imperial County area has not 
attained by the applicable attainment date, and to reclassify the 
Imperial County area as a moderate ozone nonattainment area and to 
adjust applicable deadlines. Therefore, EPA did not consider the use of 
any voluntary consensus standards.

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

    Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994) establishes 
Federal executive policy on environmental justice. Its main provision 
directs Federal agencies, to the greatest extent practicable and 
permitted by law, to make environmental justice part of their mission 
by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high 
and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs, 
policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income 
populations in the United States.
    EPA has determined that this proposed rule will not have 
disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental 
effects on minority or low-income populations because it does not 
affect the level of protection provided to human health or the 
environment. This action merely proposes to determine that the Imperial 
County area did not attain the 8-hour ozone NAAQS by the applicable 
attainment date, to reclassify the Imperial County area as a moderate 
ozone nonattainment area and to adjust applicable deadlines.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control.

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

    Dated: November 14, 2007.
Laura Yoshii,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. E7-22868 Filed 11-21-07; 8:45 am]
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