[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 10, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50849-50851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21875]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R05-OAR-2017-0060; FRL-9985-12-Region 5]
Air Plan Approval; Minnesota; Infrastructure SIP Requirements for
the 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS; Multistate Transport
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving
elements of the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from
Minnesota regarding the infrastructure requirements of section 110 of
the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2012 annual fine particulate matter
(PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or
standard). The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that
the structural components of each state's air quality management
program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the
CAA. This action pertains specifically to infrastructure requirements
concerning interstate transport provisions.
DATES: This final rule is effective on November 9, 2018.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA-R05-OAR-2017-0060. All documents in the docket are listed on
the www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, i.e., Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is
not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard
copy form.
[[Page 50850]]
Publicly available docket materials are available either through
www.regulations.gov or at the Environmental Protection Agency, Region
5, Air and Radiation Division, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
Illinois 60604. This facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. We recommend that
you telephone Anthony Maietta, Environmental Protection Specialist, at
(312) 353-8777 before visiting the Region 5 office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony Maietta, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Control Strategies Section, Air Programs Branch
(AR-18J), Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 353-8777,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA. This supplementary information
section is arranged as follows:
I. What is being addressed by this document?
II. What comments did we receive on the proposed action?
III. What action is EPA taking?
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. What is being addressed by this document?
On January 23, 2017, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)
submitted a request for EPA to approve its infrastructure SIP for the
2012 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. On August 13, 2018, EPA proposed to
approve the portion of the submission dealing with requirements one and
two (otherwise known as ``prongs'' one and two) of the provision for
interstate pollution transport under Clean Air Act Section
110(a)(2)(D)(i), also known as the ``good neighbor'' provision.\1\
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\1\ There are four prongs to the Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) ``good
neighbor'' provision, which are: Prohibit any source or other type
of emissions activity in one state from contributing significantly
to nonattainment of the NAAQS in another state (prong one); prohibit
any source or other type of emissions activity in one state from
interfering with maintenance of the NAAQS in another state (prong
two); prohibit any source or other type of emissions activity in one
state from interfering with measures required to prevent significant
deterioration (PSD) of air quality in another state (prong three);
and protect visibility in another state (prong four).
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The January 23, 2017 MPCA submittal included a demonstration that
Minnesota's SIP contains sufficient major programs related to the
interstate transport of pollution. Minnesota's submittal also included
a technical analysis of its interstate transport of pollution relative
to the 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS that demonstrates that current
controls are adequate for Minnesota to show that it meets prongs one
and two of the ``good neighbor'' provision. After review, EPA proposed
to approve Minnesota's request relating to prongs one and two of the
``good neighbor'' provision.
II. What comments did we receive on the proposed action?
Our August 13, 2018 proposed rule provided a 30-day review and
comment period. The comment period closed on September 12, 2018. EPA
did not receive any comments on the proposed action.
III. What action is EPA taking?
EPA is approving the portion of Minnesota's January 23, 2017
submission certifying that the current Minnesota SIP is sufficient to
meet the required infrastructure requirements under CAA section
110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), specifically prongs one and two, as set forth
above.
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the Clean Air Act, the Administrator is required to approve a
SIP submission that complies with the provisions of the Clean Air 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 that reason, this action:
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to review
by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Orders 12866 (58
FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011);
Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 2,
2017) regulatory action because SIP approvals are exempted under
Executive Order 12866;
Does not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
Is 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.);
Does 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);
Does not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
Is not an economically significant regulatory action based
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
Is 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 CAA; and
Does 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, the SIP is not approved to apply on any Indian
reservation land or in any other area where EPA or an Indian tribe has
demonstrated that a tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian
country, the rule does not have tribal implications and will not impose
substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law as
specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
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 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 Clean Air Act, petitions for
judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court
of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by December 10, 2018. 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
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enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).)
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Particulate matter, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: September 25, 2018.
James Payne,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:
PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
0
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
0
2. In Sec. 52.1220, the table in paragraph (e) is amended by revising
the entry for ``Section 110(a)(2) Infrastructure Requirements for the
2012 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) NAAQS'' to read as
follows:
Sec. 52.1220 Identification of plan.
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(e) * * *
EPA-Approved Minnesota Nonregulatory Provisions
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State submittal
Name of nonregulatory SIP Applicable geographic date/ effective EPA approved date Comments
provision or nonattainment area date
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Section 110(a)(2) Statewide............. 6/12/2014, 5/26/ 10/10/2018, Fully approved
Infrastructure Requirements 2016 and 1/23/ [Insert Federal for all CAA
for the 2012 fine particulate 2017. Register elements except
matter (PM2.5) NAAQS. citation]. the visibility
protection
requirements of
(D)(i)(II).
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[FR Doc. 2018-21875 Filed 10-9-18; 8:45 am]
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