[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72879-72880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28967]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9903-79-Region 3]


Adequacy Status of the Submitted Redesignation Requests and 
Maintenance Plans for the Charleston, West Virginia 1997 and 2006 Fine 
Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards Nonattainment 
Area for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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

SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that EPA has made 
insignificance findings through the transportation conformity adequacy 
process, under the Clean Air Act (CAA), for directly emitted fine 
particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides 
(NOX) in the Charleston, West Virginia 1997 and 2006 
PM2.5 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) 
nonattainment area. West Virginia submitted the insignificance findings 
with the redesignation requests and maintenance plans submittal on 
December 6, 2012. As a result of EPA's findings, the Charleston, West 
Virginia nonattainment area is no longer required to perform a regional 
emissions analysis for directly emitted PM2.5, or

[[Page 72880]]

NOX, as part of future PM2.5 conformity 
determinations for the 1997 and 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS.

DATES: Effective on December 19, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Becoat, Environmental 
Scientist, Office of Air Program Planning (3AP30), United States 
Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, 
Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 814-2036; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Today's notice is simply an announcement of 
a finding that EPA has already made. EPA Region III sent a letter to 
the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection on October 29, 
2013 stating that EPA has made insignificance findings, through the 
adequacy process, for PM2.5 and NOX for the 
Charleston, WV 1997 and 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS nonattainment area, 
as the State had requested in its redesignation requests and 
maintenance plans submittal. Receipt of the submittal was announced on 
EPA's transportation conformity Web site. No comments were received. 
The findings letter is available at EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.
    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the CAA. 
EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation plans, 
transportation improvement programs, and projects conform to state air 
quality implementation plans (SIPs) 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 EPA determine whether a SIP's motor vehicle 
emission budgets are adequate for conformity purposes are outlined in 
40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). EPA described the process for determining the 
adequacy of submitted SIP budgets in a July 1, 2004 preamble starting 
at 69 FR 40038 and used the information in these resources in making 
this adequacy determination. Please note that an adequacy review is 
separate from EPA's completeness review, and should not be used to 
prejudge EPA's ultimate approval action for the SIP. Even if EPA finds 
a budget adequate, the SIP could later be disapproved.
    The finding and the response to comments are available at EPA's 
conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.

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

    Dated: November 14, 2013.
W.C. Early,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region III.
[FR Doc. 2013-28967 Filed 12-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P