[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 150 (Friday, August 3, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38114-38115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16004]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 52 and 81

[EPA-R07-OAR-2017-0734; FRL 9981-28--Region 7]


Air Plan Approval and Air Quality Designation; MO; Redesignation 
of the Missouri Portion of the St. Louis Missouri-Illinois Area to 
Attainment of the 1997 Annual Standards for Fine Particulate Matter and 
Approval of Associated Maintenance Plan

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: On January 5, 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
published in the Federal Register an advanced notice of proposed 
rulemaking (ANPR) specifically requesting early input and comments on 
the Agency's interpretation that air quality monitoring data from 2015-
2017 support a finding that the Missouri Portion of the St. Louis 
nonattainment area attains the 1997 Annual National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The 
notice also provided an evaluation of Missouri's 1997 Annual 
PM2.5 NAAQS maintenance plan, which includes the 2008 and 
2025 NOX and PM2.5 motor vehicle emission budgets 
(MVEBs) and established the 2008 base year emissions inventory. EPA 
received no comments on the ANPR. EPA is now taking direct final action 
on three items, consistent with the ANPR. First, EPA is approving the 
state's request to redesignate the Missouri portion of the St. Louis 
MO-IL nonattainment area to attainment for the 1997 Annual 
PM2.5 NAAQS as the monitoring values demonstrate the area 
attains the standard. Second, EPA is approving the state implementation 
plan (SIP) revision containing a maintenance plan for the Missouri 
portion of the area including the motor vehicle emissions budget. 
Third, EPA is approving Missouri's 2008 base year emissions inventory 
in accordance with section 172(c)(3) of the CAA. In the ``Rules and 
Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, we are approving the 
state's SIP revisions as a direct final rule without a prior proposed 
rule. If we receive no adverse

[[Page 38115]]

comment, we will not take further action on this proposed rule.

DATES: Comments must be received September 4, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R07-
OAR-2017-0734 to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot 
be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. The EPA may publish any 
comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any 
information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) 
or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a 
written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment 
and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA 
will generally not consider comments or comment contents located 
outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other 
file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full EPA 
public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, 
and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lachala Kemp, Environmental Protection 
Agency, Air Planning and Development Branch, 11201 Renner Boulevard, 
Lenexa, Kansas 66219 at (913) 551-7214, or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document proposes to take action on the 
State of Missouri request to redesignate the Missouri portion of the 
St. Louis MO-IL nonattainment area to attainment for the 1997 Annual 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate 
matter (PM2.5), and to approve the state's 2008 emissions 
inventory. We have published a direct final rule approving the State's 
SIP revision(s) in the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this 
Federal Register, because we view this as a noncontroversial action and 
anticipate no relevant adverse comment. We have explained our reasons 
for this action in the preamble to the direct final rule. If we receive 
no adverse comment, we will not take further action on this proposed 
rule. If we receive adverse comment, we will withdraw the direct final 
rule and it will not take effect. We would address all public comments 
in any subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. We do not 
intend to institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties 
interested in commenting must do so at this time. For further 
information, please see the information provided in the ADDRESSES 
section of this document.

List of Subjects

40 CFR Part 52

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by 
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate 
matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur oxides, 
Volatile organic compounds.

40 CFR Part 81

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Air pollution control, Designations and classifications, 
Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate matter, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile 
organic compounds.

    Dated: July 16, 2018.
James B. Gulliford,
Regional Administrator, Region 7.
[FR Doc. 2018-16004 Filed 8-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P