[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 171 (Friday, September 3, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 54031-54033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-21960]
[[Page 54031]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52 and 81
[EPA-R09-OAR-2010-0336; FRL-9191-1]
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Designation of
Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; State of California; PM-10;
Redesignation of the Coso Junction Planning Area to Attainment;
Approval of PM-10 Maintenance Plan for the Coso Junction Planning Area
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: EPA is approving the State of California's request to
redesignate the Coso Junction planning area (CJPA) to attainment for
the particulate matter of ten microns or less (PM-10) national ambient
air quality standard (NAAQS). EPA is also approving the PM-10 emissions
inventory and the maintenance plan for the CJPA, including control
measures for Owens Lake, the primary cause of PM-10 nonattainment in
the CJPA. Finally, EPA is finding the contribution of motor vehicles to
the area's PM-10 problem insignificant; consequently, the State will
not have to complete a regional emissions analysis for PM-10 in any
future transportation conformity determination for the CJPA.
DATES: Effective Date: This rule is effective on October 4, 2010.
ADDRESSES: You may inspect the supporting information for this action,
identified by docket number EPA-R09-OAR-2010-0336, by one of the
following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking portal, http://www.regulations.gov, please
follow the online instructions; or,
2. Visit our regional office at, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-3901.
Docket: The index to the docket for this action is available
electronically at http://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., Confidential Business Information). To inspect the hard copy
materials, please schedule an appointment during normal business hours
with the contact listed directly below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Lo, EPA Region IX, (415) 972-
3959, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, ``we,'' ``us'' and
``our'' refer to EPA.
Table of Contents
I. Summary of Proposed Action
II. The Coso Junction PM-10 Monitoring Site
III. Public Comments and EPA Responses
IV. EPA's Final Action
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Summary of Proposed Action
On June 24, 2010 (75 FR 36023), based on EPA's review of the ``2010
PM-10 Maintenance Plan and Redesignation Request for the Coso Junction
Planning Area,'' (the 2010 Plan) submitted by California, air quality
monitoring data, and other relevant materials, EPA proposed to approve
the State of California's request to redesignate the CJPA to attainment
of the PM-10 NAAQS, pursuant to Clean Air Act (CAA) sections
107(d)(3)(E) and 175A. The background for today's actions is discussed
in detail in EPA's June 24 proposed rulemaking, and in EPA's
determination that the CJPA has attained the PM-10 NAAQS. 75 FR 13710
(March 23, 2010) and 75 FR 27944 (May 19, 2010).
EPA proposed to approve the State's redesignation request, based on
EPA's determination that the most recent three years of complete,
quality-assured data for the period 2007-2009 showed that the CJPA had
attained the PM-10 NAAQS, and on EPA's finding that the area meets all
other CAA redesignation requirements under sections 107(d)(3)(E) and
175.
EPA proposed to approve the State's maintenance plan, which
includes control measures for Owens Lake implemented through the Great
Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (GBUAPCD) Board Order
080128-01 (Appendix C of the 2010 Plan). EPA's proposal
discussed the historical relationship between PM-10 emissions from
Owens Lake and violations of the PM-10 NAAQS in the CJPA, the
application of control measures on Owens Lake that have resulted in
attainment of the PM-10 NAAQS in the CJPA, and the continued controls
that are expected to provide for maintenance of the PM-10 NAAQS into
the future. We also proposed to approve the emissions inventory
submitted with the maintenance plan as meeting the requirements of
section 172(c)(3).
Finally, EPA proposed to find that motor vehicle-related PM-10
emissions are insignificant contributors to the area's PM-10 problem.
As a result of this finding, the state would not have to complete a
regional emissions analysis for PM-10 in any future transportation
conformity determination for the CJPA.
EPA's June 24, 2010 proposal was based on a ``parallel processing''
\1\ request from the State of California. 40 CFR part 51, Appendix V.
As expected, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted the 2010
Plan on June 24, 2010 and submitted the 2010 Plan to EPA on July 14,
2010. The July 14, 2010 submittal is identical to the materials CARB
submitted for parallel processing on May 28, 2010. Consequently, there
is no need to revise our June 24, 2010 proposal and we may proceed with
today's final action on the basis of our prior proposal.
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\1\ Parallel processing is used for expediting the review of a
plan. Parallel processing allows a State to submit the plan prior to
actual adoption by the State and provides an opportunity for the
State to consider EPA comments prior to submittal of the final plan
for final review and action.
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II. The Coso Junction PM-10 Monitoring Site
In EPA's proposed rule, we noted that the GBUAPCD had determined
that the Coso Junction monitoring site had been violating siting
criteria since January 2010. 75 FR 36023, 36025. As discussed in the
proposed rule, during a site visit on May 27, 2010, the GBUAPCD learned
that the monitoring site had not been watered for several years
resulting in a lack of vegetation surrounding the site thus exposing
friable soils that could impact monitor readings. In addition, the
GBUAPCD learned that beginning in January 2010 a contractor for the
property owner, the Coso Operating Company, was driving over the
unpaved access road adjacent to the monitor on a regular basis, thus
causing the deterioration in the condition of the unpaved access road
which had previously been covered by gravel. This combination of events
near the monitor led the District to conclude that the data collected
from January 2010 through May 27, 2010 must be considered invalid for
regulatory purposes, and EPA agreed with the District's assessment.
Following the site visit, the District and the Coso Operating Company
promptly started to work on resolving the problems in order to be able
to again collect valid data as soon as possible. The Coso Operating
Company thereafter restricted traffic on the unpaved access road to the
monitor and moved the contractor's trailer to a location away from the
monitor site. The District and the Coso Operating Company also planned
to develop a mitigation plan to apply water to the
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monitor site area and to re-vegetate the area. Id.
Since our proposed rule, the GBUAPCD has reported that the new
location of the contractor's trailer does not require the contractors
to drive past the monitor site, the drive area around the monitor site
is now covered with gravel to reduce dust and the turning area pavement
was enlarged to prevent kicking up dust at the edges. See July 20, 2010
e-mail from Meredith Kurpius, EPA Region 9, Air Quality Assessment
Office, to Doris Lo, EPA Region 9, Air Planning Office, Re: Summary of
monitoring issues that should be addressed by the Great Basin District.
The GBUAPCD has also reported that the Coso Operating Company has begun
watering of the area around the Coso Junction monitor site and that a
crust is beginning to form which will allow the District to begin
collecting valid data on August 1, 2010. See July 28, 2010 e-mail from
Ted Schade, Air Pollution Control Officer, GBUAPCD, to Doris Lo, EPA
Region 9, Air Planning Office, with attachments. The Coso Operating
Company has submitted to the GBUAPCD a dust control plan (or, as
referred to in the proposed rule, a mitigation plan) for the Coso
Junction monitor area which includes commitments for application and
monitoring of gravel, application of water to form a visual crust,
monitoring of the visual crust and reapplication of water as necessary,
re-vegetation in the fall season in areas that had previously been
vegetated, limiting road access to authorized personnel and providing
monthly status reports to GBUAPCD through June 2011. See attachment to
July 28, 2010 e-mail from Ted Schade, ``Coso PM10 Containment Area
Fugitive Dust Plan.'' Moreover, the Coso Operating Company is required
by conditions in a permit to operate issued by GBUAPCD to maintain the
Coso Junction monitor site and to collect PM-10 samples using EPA-
approved reference or equivalent method samplers. See attachment to
July 28, 2010 e-mail from Ted Schade, Permit to Operate, Permit Number
234, conditions 27 and 36. Finally, the GBUAPCD plans to install a Web
camera to help monitor activities near the monitor site in the future.
See July 28, 2010 e-mail from Ted Schade to Doris Lo. EPA will continue
to work with the GBUACPD to ensure that the Coso Junction monitor site
issues are fully resolved and that the site is maintained in order for
the District to meet its commitment to continue daily PM-10 monitoring
at the Coso Junction monitoring site in order to verify continued
attainment of the PM-10 standard in the CJPA. See 75 FR 36023, 36030.
III. Public Comments and EPA Responses
EPA provided for a 30-day public comment period on our proposed
action. This comment period ended on July 26, 2010. We received no
comments.
IV. EPA's Final Action
Based on our review of the 2010 Plan submitted by the State, air
quality monitoring data, and other relevant materials, EPA believes the
State has satisfied all requirements for redesignation of the CJPA to
attainment, pursuant to CAA sections 107(d)(3)(E) and 175A.
Consequently, EPA is approving the State's request and is redesignating
the CJPA to attainment for the PM-10 NAAQS. EPA is also approving the
maintenance plan for the CJPA, which includes as a SIP revision GBUAPCD
Board Order 080128-01. EPA is also approving the emissions
inventory submitted with the maintenance plan as meeting the
requirements of CAA section 172(c)(3). Finally, EPA finds that motor
vehicle-related PM-10 emissions are insignificant contributors to the
area's PM-10 problem; consequently, a regional emissions analysis will
not be required for PM-10 in any future transportation conformity
determination for the CJPA, as of the effective date of this final
rule.
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, redesignation of an area to attainment and the
accompanying approval of a maintenance plan under section 107(d)(3)(E)
are actions that affect the status of a geographical area and do not
impose any additional regulatory requirements on sources beyond those
imposed by State law. A redesignation to attainment does not in and of
itself create any new requirements, but rather results in the
applicability of requirements contained in the CAA for areas that have
been redesignated to attainment. Moreover, the Administrator is
required to approve a SIP submission that complies with the provisions
of the Act and applicable Federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40
CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to
approve State choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the
Clean Air Act. Accordingly, this action merely approves State law as
meeting Federal requirements and does not impose additional
requirements beyond those imposed by State law. For these reasons,
these actions:
Are not ``significant regulatory actions'' subject to
review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order
12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993);
Do not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
Are certified as not having a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
Do 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);
Do not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
Are not an economically significant regulatory action
based on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
Are not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
Are not subject to requirements of Section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272
note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent
with the Clean Air Act; and
Do not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to
address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental
effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
In addition, this rule does not have tribal implications as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000),
because the final action does not apply in Indian country located in
the State, and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct
costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law.
The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the
United States. EPA will submit a report containing this action and
other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and
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the Comptroller General of the United States prior to publication of
the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot take effect until
60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. This action is
not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for
the appropriate circuit by November 2, 2010. Filing a petition for
reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect
the finality of this action for the purposes of judicial review nor
does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may
be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such rule or
action. This action may not be challenged later in proceedings to
enforce its requirements (see section 307(b)(2)).
List of Subjects
40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
40 CFR Part 81
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, National parks,
Wilderness areas.
Dated: July 29, 2010.
Jeff Scott,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 9.
0
Chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as
follows:
PART 52--[AMENDED]
0
1. The authority citation for Part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart F--California
0
2. Section 52.220 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(380) to read as
follows:
Sec. 52.220 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(380) The following plan was submitted on July 14, 2010, by the
Governor's Designee.
(i) Incorporation by reference.
(A) Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District.
(1) ``Board Order 080128-01 Requiring the City of Los
Angeles to Undertake Measures to Control PM-10 Emissions from the Dried
Bed of Owens Lake,'' including Attachments A-D, adopted February 1,
2008, and included as Appendix C to the ``2010 PM-10 Maintenance Plan
and Redesignation Request for the Coso Junction Planning Area,''
adopted May 17, 2010.
(ii) Additional materials.
(A) Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (GBUAPCD).
(1) Non-regulatory portions of ``The 2010 PM-10 Maintenance Plan
and Redesignation Request for the Coso Junction Planning Area'' (the
2010 Plan), including Appendices A, B, and D, adopted May 17, 2010.
(2) Letter dated June 10, 2010 from Theodore D. Schade, GBUAPCD, to
Deborah Jordan, United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 9,
regarding Coso Junction PM-10 Contingency Measures.
(3) GBUAPCD Board Resolution 2010-01, dated May 17, 2010, adopting
the 2010 Plan.
(B) California Air Resources Board (CARB).
(1) CARB Resolution 10-25, dated June 24, 2010, adopting the 2010
Plan.
PART 81--[AMENDED]
0
3. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart C--[Amended]
0
4. Section 81.305 is amended in the table for ``California-PM-10'' by
revising the entry under Inyo County for the ``Coso Junction planning
area'' to read as follows:
Sec. 81.305 California.
* * * * *
California--PM-10
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Designation Classification
Designated area -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Type Date Type
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Inyo County
Coso Junction planning area..... October 4, 2010... Attainment........
That portion of Inyo County
contained within Hydrologic
Unit 18090205.
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[FR Doc. 2010-21960 Filed 9-2-10; 8:45 am]
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