[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 247 (Thursday, December 27, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 66631-66635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27903]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 81

[EPA-R05-OAR-2018-0368; EPA-R05-OAR-2018-0556; FRL-9988-38-Region 5]


Air Plan Approval; Illinois; Indiana; Revised Designation of 
Illinois and Indiana 2012 PM2.5 Unclassifiable Areas

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving 
Illinois' May 8, 2018 request to revise the designation for the entire 
State of Illinois from unclassifiable to unclassifiable/attainment and 
Indiana's July 3, 2018 request to revise the designation for the 
Indiana portions of the Chicago IL-IN and Louisville KY-IN areas from 
unclassifiable to unclassifiable/attainment for the 2012 primary and 
secondary annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). EPA is approving these requests 
because valid, quality-assured, and certified ambient air monitoring 
data show that the PM2.5 monitors in the areas are meeting 
the 2012 primary and secondary annual PM2.5 NAAQS.

DATES: This final rule is effective on January 28, 2019.

ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID 
No. EPA-R05-OAR-2018-0368 (Illinois) or EPA-R05-OAR-2018-0556 
(Indiana). 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. 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 Michelle Becker, Life Scientist, at (312) 886-3901 
before visiting the Region 5 office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Becker, Life Scientist, at 
(312) 886-3901, Attainment Planning and Maintenance Section, Air 
Programs Branch (AR-18J), Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 
West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886-3901, 
[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. Background
II. What action is EPA taking?
III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. Background

    On December 14, 2012, EPA revised the primary annual NAAQS for 
PM2.5 to a level of 12 micrograms per cubic meter ([micro]g/
m\3\), based on a 3-year average of annual mean PM2.5 
concentrations. See 78 FR 3085 (January 15, 2013). EPA established the 
standard based on significant evidence and numerous health studies 
demonstrating that serious health effects are associated with exposures 
to particulate matter.
    The process for designating areas following promulgation of a new 
or revised NAAQS is contained in section 107(d)(1) of the Clean Air Act 
(CAA). On January 15, 2015 (80 FR 2206) and April 7, 2015 (80 FR 
18535), EPA designated areas across the country as nonattainment, 
unclassifiable, or unclassifiable/attainment for the PM2.5 
NAAQS based upon air quality monitoring data from monitors for calendar 
years 2011-2013 or 2012-2014.
    In the first action, EPA designated the entire State of Illinois, 
including the multi-State areas of Chicago, IL-IN and St. Louis, MO-IL 
as unclassifiable because the ambient air quality monitoring sites 
lacked complete data for the relevant periods, which were from 2011-
2013. Therefore, EPA could not determine, based on available 
information, whether those areas were meeting the 2012 PM2.5 
NAAQS. EPA also designated the Louisville, KY-IN area as nonattainment, 
based on monitoring data for Indiana counties Clark and Floyd for 2011-
2013 showing that a monitor in Clark County had a design value above 
the standard.
    However, in the April 7, 2015 (80 FR 18535) action, EPA changed the 
designation for Louisville, KY-IN area from nonattainment to 
unclassifiable due to invalid monitoring data for Jefferson County, 
Kentucky.
    On May 8, 2018, Illinois submitted a request to revise the 
designation for the entire State of Illinois from unclassifiable to 
unclassifiable/attainment and on July 3, 2018 Indiana submitted a 
request to revise the designation for the Indiana portions of the 
Chicago IL-IN and Louisville KY-IN areas from unclassifiable to 
unclassifiable/attainment for the 2012 annual PM2.5 NAAQS.
    In a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on October 9, 
2018 (83 FR 50556), EPA proposed to approve Illinois' request to revise 
the entire State of Illinois from unclassifiable to unclassifiable/
attainment, and Indiana's request to similarly revise the designation 
for the Indiana portions of the Chicago IL-IN and Louisville KY-IN, for 
the 2012 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. The details of Illinois' and 
Indiana's submittals and the rationale for EPA's actions are further 
explained in the NPRM. EPA did not receive any adverse comments on the 
proposed action.

II. What action is EPA taking?

    EPA is approving Illinois' May 8, 2018 request to revise the 
designation of the entire State from unclassifiable to unclassifiable/
attainment as well as Indiana's July 3, 2018 request to similarly 
revise the designation of the Indiana portions of the Louisville and 
Chicago areas for the 2012 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. The revised 
designations change the legal designation, found at 40 CFR part 81, for 
the Illinois and Indiana counties of Lake, Porter, Clark, and Floyd 
from unclassifiable to unclassifiable/attainment for the 2012 annual 
PM2.5 NAAQS.

III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

    Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP 
submission

[[Page 66632]]

that complies with the provisions of the CAA 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 CAA. 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 Clean Air Act; 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 CAA, petitions for judicial review 
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for 
the appropriate circuit by February 25, 2019. 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 
enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2)).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Particulate 
matter.

    Dated: December 12, 2018.
Cathy Stepp,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.

    40 CFR part 81 is amended as follows:

PART 81--DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES

0
1. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as follows:

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


0
2. Section 81.314 is amended by removing the table entitled 
``Illinois--2012 24-Hour PM2.5 NAAQS'' and adding the table 
entitled ``Illinois--2012 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS'' in its place 
to read as follows:


Sec.  81.314  Illinois.

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                                                            Illinois--2012 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS
                                                                        [Primary]
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                                                   Designation                                               Classification
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Designated area \1\          Date
                                    \2\                    Type                               Date \2\                               Type
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                                                                     Chicago, IL-IN:
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Cook County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
DuPage County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Grundy County (part)............  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Goose Lake and Aux Sable          .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
 Townships.
Kane County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Kendall County (part)...........  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Oswego Township.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Lake County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
McHenry County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Will County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
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                                                            Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IL:
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Rock Island County..............  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Henry County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.

[[Page 66633]]

 
Mercer County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
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                                                                    St. Louis, MO-IL:
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Madison County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Monroe County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Randolph County (part)..........  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Baldwin Village.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
St. Clair County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
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                                                                     Rest of State:
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Adams County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Alexander County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Bond County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Boone County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Brown County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Bureau County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Calhoun County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Carroll County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Cass County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Champaign County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Christian County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Clark County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Clay County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Clinton County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Coles County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Crawford County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Cumberland County...............  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
DeKalb County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
De Witt County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Douglas County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Edgar County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Edwards County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Effingham County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Fayette County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Ford County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Franklin County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Fulton County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Gallatin County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Greene County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Grundy County (remainder).......  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Hamilton County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Hancock County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Hardin County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Henderson County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Iroquois County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Jackson County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Jasper County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Jefferson County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Jersey County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Jo Daviess County...............  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Johnson County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Kankakee County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Kendall County (remainder)......  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Knox County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
La Salle County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Lawrence County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Lee County......................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Livingston County...............  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Logan County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
McDonough County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
McLean County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Macon County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Macoupin County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Marion County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Marshall County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Mason County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Massac County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.

[[Page 66634]]

 
Menard County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Montgomery County...............  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Morgan County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Moultrie County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Ogle County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Peoria County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Perry County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Piatt County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Pike County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Pope County.....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Pulaski County..................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Putnam County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Randolph County (remainder).....  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Richland County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Saline County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Sangamon County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Schuyler County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Scott County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Shelby County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Stark County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Stephenson County...............  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Tazewell County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Union County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Vermilion County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Wabash County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Warren County...................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Washington County...............  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Wayne County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
White County....................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Whiteside County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Williamson County...............  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Winnebago County................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
Woodford County.................  .......  Unclassifiable/Attainment.
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\1\ Includes Indian Country located in each county or area, except as otherwise specified.
\2\ This date is January 28, 2019, unless otherwise noted.

* * * * *

0
3. Section 81.315 is amended by revising the entries ``Louisville, KY-
IN:'' and ``Chicago Area, IL-IN:'' in the table entitled ``Indiana--
2012 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS'' to read as follows:


Sec.  81.315  Indiana.

* * * * *

                                                            Indiana--2012 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS
                                                                        [Primary]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Designation                                                Classification
      Designated area \1\      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Date \2\                    Type                              Date \2\                             Type
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   Louisville, KY-IN:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clark County..................       1/28/2018  Unclassifiable/Attainment.........
Floyd County..................       1/28/2018  Unclassifiable/Attainment.........
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Chicago Area, IL-IN:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lake County...................       1/28/2018  Unclassifiable/Attainment.........
Porter County.................       1/28/2018  Unclassifiable/Attainment.........
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                                                                      * * * * * * *
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\1\ Includes areas of Indian country located in each county or area, except as otherwise specified.
\2\ This date is April 15, 2015, unless otherwise noted.


[[Page 66635]]

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[FR Doc. 2018-27903 Filed 12-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P