[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 82 (Thursday, April 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25394-25395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09968]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-R10-OAR-2015-0854: FRL-9945-88-Region 10]


Adequacy Determination for the Medford, Oregon Carbon Monoxide 
State Implementation Plan for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

[[Page 25395]]


ACTION: Notice of adequacy determination.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is notifying the 
public of its finding that the Medford, Oregon second 10-year limited 
maintenance plan (LMP) for carbon monoxide (CO) is adequate for 
transportation conformity purposes. The LMP was submitted to the EPA by 
the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ or the 
State) on December 11, 2015, and a supplement was submitted on December 
30, 2015. As a result of our adequacy finding, regional emissions 
analyses will no longer be required as part of the transportation 
conformity determinations for CO for the Medford area.

DATES: This finding is effective May 13, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The finding will be available at the 
EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm. You may also contact Dr. Karl Pepple, U.S. EPA, 
Region 10 (OAWT-107), 1200 Sixth Ave., Suite 900, Seattle WA 98101; 
(206) 553-1778; or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action provides notice of the EPA's 
adequacy finding regarding the second 10-year CO limited maintenance 
plan (LMP) for the Medford area for purposes of transportation 
conformity. The EPA's finding was made pursuant to the adequacy review 
process for implementation plan submissions delineated at 40 CFR 
93.118(f)(1) under which the EPA reviews the adequacy of a state 
implementation plan (SIP) submission prior to the EPA's final action on 
the implementation plan.
    The State submitted the LMP to the EPA on December 11, 2015, and 
submitted a supplement to EPA on December 30, 2015. Pursuant to 40 CFR 
93.118(f)(1), the EPA notified the public of its receipt of this plan 
and its review for an adequacy determination on the EPA's Web site and 
requested public comment by no later than February 22, 2016. The EPA 
received no comments on the plan during the comment period. As part of 
our analysis, we also reviewed the State's compilation of public 
comments and response to comments that were submitted during the 
State's public process for the LMP. There were no applicable adverse 
comments directed at the on-road portion of the LMP.
    Based on our review, the EPA believes it is appropriate to find 
this LMP adequate for use in transportation conformity determinations 
prior to final action on the LMP. The EPA notified ODEQ in a letter 
dated March 1, 2016 (adequacy letter), subsequent to the close of the 
EPA comment period, that the EPA had found the LMP to be adequate for 
use in transportation conformity determinations. A copy of the adequacy 
letter and its enclosure are available in the docket for this action 
and at the EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 93.109(e), limited maintenance plans are not 
required to contain on-road motor vehicle emissions budgets. 
Accordingly, as a result of this adequacy finding, regional emissions 
analyses will no longer be required as a part of the transportation 
conformity determinations for CO for the Medford area. However, other 
conformity requirements still remain such as consultation (40 CFR 
93.112), transportation control measures (40 CFR 93.113), and project 
level analysis (40 CFR 93.116).
    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act. Transportation conformity to a SIP means that on-road 
transportation activities will not produce new air quality violations, 
worsen existing violations, or delay timely attainment of the national 
ambient air quality standards. The minimum criteria by which we 
determine whether a SIP is adequate for conformity purposes are 
specified at 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). The EPA's analysis of how the LMP 
satisfies these criteria is found in the adequacy letter and its 
enclosure.

    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 7401-767Iq.

    Dated: April 19, 2016.
Dennis J. McLerran,
Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 2016-09968 Filed 4-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P