[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 145 (Monday, July 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 43751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-17223]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-R01-OAR-2008-0485; A-1-FRL-8698-4]


Adequacy Status of the Submitted 2009 VOC and NOX 
Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets for Transportation Conformity Purposes; 
New Hampshire; Boston-Manchester-Portsmouth (SE), New Hampshire, 8-Hour 
Ozone Area.

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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

SUMMARY: EPA is notifying the public that EPA has found that the 2009 
motor vehicle emissions budgets in the May 28, 2008 New Hampshire State 
Implementation Plan (SIP) revision are adequate for transportation 
conformity purposes. The submittal includes MOBILE 6.2 motor vehicle 
emission budgets for 2009 for the Boston-Manchester-Portsmouth 
(Southeast), New Hampshire; 8-hour ozone area. As a result of our 
finding, the State of New Hampshire must use these motor vehicle 
emission budgets for future conformity determinations for the Boston-
Manchester-Portsmouth (Southeast), New Hampshire; 8-hour ozone area.

DATES: These motor vehicle emissions budgets are effective August 12, 
2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald O. Cooke, Environmental 
Scientist, Air Quality Planning Unit, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, EPA New England Regional Office, One Congress Street, Suite 
1100 (CAQ), Boston, MA 02114-2023, (617) 918-1668, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, whenever ``we,'' 
``us'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.
    Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that we have 
already made. EPA New England sent a letter to the New Hampshire 
Department of Environmental Services on July 9, 2008, stating that the 
2009 MOBILE6.2 motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) in the May 28, 
2008 SIP are adequate for transportation conformity purposes. This 
submittal will also be announced on EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm, (once there, 
click on ``What SIP submissions has EPA already found adequacy or 
inadequate?''). The adequate 2009 MVEBs are provided in the following 
table:

                Adequate Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         VOC (tons per    NOX (tons per
                                          summer day)      summer day)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 2009 MVEBs for the Boston-                  15.31            28.53
 Manchester-Portsmouth (Southeast),
 New Hampshire; 8-Hour Ozone Area.....
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 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 
emissions 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.

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

    Dated: July 21, 2008.
Robert W. Varney,
Regional Administrator, EPA New England.
 [FR Doc. E8-17223 Filed 7-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P