[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46288-46290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19524]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[R08-CO-2011-0001; FRL-9447-1]


Adequacy Determination for Colorado Springs, Ca[ntilde]on City, 
Greeley, Pagosa Springs, and Telluride; Carbon Monoxide and 
PM10 Maintenance Plans' Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets for 
Transportation Conformity Purposes; State of Colorado

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that the Agency 
has found the following State Implementation Plan (SIP) submittals 
adequate for transportation conformity purposes: ``Revised Carbon 
Monoxide Attainment/Maintenance Plan Colorado Springs Attainment/
Maintenance Area'' and ``Revised Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan 
Greeley Attainment/Maintenance Area.'' In addition, EPA is notifying 
the public that the Agency has found the following SIP submittals and 
their respective motor vehicle emissions budgets adequate for 
transportation conformity purposes: ``PM10 Maintenance Plan for 
Ca[ntilde]on City,'' ``Final Revised PM10 Maintenance Plan for the 
Pagosa Springs Attainment/Maintenance Area,'' and ``Revised PM10 
Attainment/Maintenance Plan Telluride

[[Page 46289]]

Attainment/Maintenance Area.'' (PM10 refers to particulate 
matter less than or equal to 10 microns in size.) Once this finding 
becomes effective, the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG), 
the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO), the 
Colorado Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of 
Transportation are required to use the relevant motor vehicle emissions 
budgets for future transportation conformity determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective August 17, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Russ, Air Program, Mailcode 8P-AR, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, 
Colorado 80202-1129, telephone number (303) 312-6479, fax number (303) 
312-6064, or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, whenever ``we,'' 
``us,'' or ``our,'' are used, we mean EPA.
    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act (CAA). The conformity rule provisions at 40 CFR part 93 
require that transportation plans, programs, and projects conform to 
SIPs and establish 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 Standard (NAAQS).
    The criteria by which we determine whether a SIP's motor vehicle 
emissions budget (MVEB) is adequate for conformity purposes are 
outlined in 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4), which was promulgated August 15, 1997 
(62 FR 43780). We described our process for determining the adequacy of 
submitted SIP MVEBs in our July 1, 2004 Transportation Conformity Rule 
Amendments (69 FR 40004). In addition, in certain areas with monitored 
ambient carbon monoxide values significantly below the NAAQS, EPA has 
allowed states to use limited maintenance plans (LMPs), which contain 
no future year maintenance projections and, therefore, no MVEBs. (See 
``Limited Maintenance Plan Option for Nonclassifiable CO Nonattainment 
Areas,'' signed by Joseph Paisie, Group Leader, Integrated Policy and 
Strategies Group (MD-15), October 6, 1995, also known as EPA's ``LMP 
Policy.'') In an area covered by an approved LMP, the Regional 
Transportation Plan (RTP) and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) 
are presumed to automatically satisfy the emissions budget test 
requirement, and no regional emissions analysis with respect to a MVEB 
under sections 40 CFR 93.118 or 93.119 (i.e., MVEB(s), build less than 
no-build, or build less than base year) of the conformity rule is 
required for RTP and TIP conformity. We used these resources in making 
our adequacy determinations announced in this notice.
    This notice is simply an announcement of findings that we have 
already made and are as described below:
    Colorado Springs (Carbon Monoxide): The State submitted the 
``Revised Carbon Monoxide Attainment/Maintenance Plan Colorado Springs 
Attainment/Maintenance Area'' on March 31, 2010. The State prepared the 
submittal to meet the requirements of section 175A(b) of the CAA for a 
second 10-year maintenance plan and used, as appropriate, the 
provisions of EPA's LMP policy. Thus, the LMP contains no MVEB. EPA 
sent a letter to the Colorado Department of Public Health and 
Environment (CDPHE) on March 3, 2011, stating that the submitted 
Colorado Springs second 10-year maintenance plan was adequate for 
transportation conformity purposes. We note that we posted the 
``Revised Carbon Monoxide Attainment/Maintenance Plan Colorado Springs 
Attainment/Maintenance Area'' for adequacy review on EPA's 
transportation conformity Web site on November 10, 2010. The public 
comment period closed on December 10, 2010, and we did not receive any 
comments in response to the adequacy review posting (see http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/currsips.htm#co-springs).
    Greeley (Carbon Monoxide): The State submitted the ``Revised Carbon 
Monoxide Maintenance Plan Greeley Attainment/Maintenance Area'' on 
March 31, 2010. The State prepared the submittal to meet the 
requirements of section 175A(b) of the CAA for a second 10-year 
maintenance plan and used, as appropriate, the provisions of EPA's LMP 
policy. Thus, the LMP contains no MVEB. EPA sent a letter to CDPHE on 
March 4, 2011, stating that the submitted Greeley second 10-year 
maintenance plan was adequate for transportation conformity purposes. 
We note that we posted the ``Revised Carbon Monoxide Maintenance Plan 
Greeley Attainment/Maintenance Area'' for adequacy review on EPA's 
transportation conformity Web site on November 10, 2010. The public 
comment period closed on December 10, 2010, and we did not receive any 
comments in response to the adequacy review posting (see http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/currsips.htm#greeley).
    Ca[ntilde]on City (PM10): The State submitted the ``PM10 
Maintenance Plan for Ca[ntilde]on City'' on June 18, 2009. The State 
prepared the submittal to meet the requirements of section 175A(b) of 
the CAA for a second 10-year maintenance plan. EPA sent a letter to 
CDPHE on May 4, 2011, stating that the submitted Ca[ntilde]on City 
PM10 second 10-year maintenance plan and the 2020 
PM10 MVEB were adequate for transportation conformity 
purposes. We note that we posted the ``PM10 Maintenance Plan for 
Ca[ntilde]on City'' for adequacy review on EPA's transportation 
conformity Web site on March 15, 2011. The public comment period closed 
on April 14, 2011, and we did not receive any comments in response to 
the adequacy review posting (see http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/currsips.htm#canon).
    Pagosa Springs (PM10): The State submitted the ``Final Revised PM10 
Maintenance Plan for the Pagosa Springs Attainment/Maintenance Area'' 
on March 31, 2010. The State prepared the submittal to meet the 
requirements of section 175A(b) of the CAA for a second 10-year 
maintenance plan. EPA sent a letter to CDPHE on March 17, 2011, stating 
that the submitted Pagosa Springs PM10 second 10-year 
maintenance plan and the 2021 PM10 MVEB were adequate for 
transportation conformity purposes. We note that we posted the ``Final 
Revised PM10 Maintenance Plan for the Pagosa Springs Attainment/
Maintenance Area'' for adequacy review on EPA's transportation 
conformity Web site on November 22, 2010. The public comment period 
closed on December 22, 2010, and we did not receive any comments in 
response to the adequacy review posting (see http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/currsips.htm#pagosa).
    Telluride (PM10): The State submitted the ``Revised PM10 
Attainment/Maintenance Plan Telluride Attainment/Maintenance Area'' on 
March 31, 2010. The State prepared the submittal to meet the 
requirements of section 175A(b) of the CAA for a second 10-year 
maintenance plan. EPA sent a letter to CDPHE on March 21, 2011, stating 
that the submitted Telluride PM10 second 10-year maintenance 
plan and the 2021 PM10 MVEB were adequate for transportation 
conformity purposes. We note that we posted the ``Revised

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PM10 Attainment/Maintenance Plan Telluride Attainment/Maintenance 
Area'' for adequacy review on EPA's transportation conformity Web site 
on November 22, 2010. The public comment period closed on December 22, 
2010, and we did not receive any comments in response to the adequacy 
review posting (see http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/currsips.htm#telluride).
    The MVEBs we found adequate are presented in the following table:

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                                                                                  2020 PM10         2021 PM10
            Area of applicability               CO emissions (tons per day)       emissions         emissions
                                                                              (pounds per day)  (pounds per day)
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Colorado Springs (CO).......................  N/A \1\.......................  ................  ................
Greeley (CO)................................  N/A \1\.......................  ................  ................
Ca[ntilde]on City (PM10)....................  ..............................              1613  ................
Pagosa Springs (PM10).......................  ..............................  ................               946
Telluride (PM10)............................  ..............................  ................              1108
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\1\ LMP area--no MVEB required. Prior MVEBs may apply, as described in our adequacy letters to the State.

    Please note that our adequacy review described above is separate 
from our rulemaking action on the five maintenance plans discussed 
above and should not be used to prejudge our ultimate approval or 
disapproval of each of the SIP revisions. Even if we find a maintenance 
plan or a maintenance plan and its MVEB adequate for transportation 
conformity purposes, we may later disapprove the SIP revision.

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

    Dated: July 25, 2011.
James B. Martin,
Regional Administrator, Region 8.
[FR Doc. 2011-19524 Filed 8-1-11; 8:45 am]
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