[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 21, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43508-43510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17795]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 52 and 81

[EPA-R05-OAR-2019-0239; FRL-9998-50-Region 5]


Air Plan Approval; Ohio; Redesignation of the Columbus, Ohio Area 
to Attainment of the 2015 Ozone Standard

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finds that the 
Columbus, Ohio area is attaining the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air 
Quality Standard (NAAQS or standard) and is acting in accordance with a 
request from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) to 
redesignate the area to attainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS because the 
request meets the statutory requirements for redesignation under the 
Clean Air Act (CAA). The Columbus area includes Delaware, Fairfield, 
Franklin, and Licking Counties. Ohio EPA submitted this request on 
April 23, 2019. EPA is also approving, as a revision to the Ohio State 
Implementation Plan (SIP), the State's plan for maintaining the 2015 
ozone NAAQS through 2030 in the Columbus area. Finally, EPA finds 
adequate and is approving Ohio's 2023 and 2030 volatile organic 
compound (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) Motor Vehicle 
Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for the Columbus area.

DATES: This final rule is effective August 21, 2019.

ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID 
No. EPA-R05-OAR-2019-0239. All documents in the docket are listed in 
the http://www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the index, 
some information is not publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business 
Information 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 
http://www.regulations.gov, or please contact the person identified in 
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section for additional availability 
information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen D'Agostino, Environmental 
Scientist, Attainment Planning and Maintenance Section, Air Programs 
Branch (AR-18J), Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West 
Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886-1767, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document whenever ``we,'' 
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.

I. What is being addressed in this document?

    This rule takes action on the April 23, 2019, submission from Ohio 
EPA requesting redesignation of the Columbus area to attainment for the 
2015 ozone standard. The background for this action is discussed in 
detail in EPA's proposal, dated July 3, 2019 (84 FR 31814). In that 
rulemaking, we noted that, under EPA regulations at 40 CFR part 50, the 
2015 ozone NAAQS is attained in an area when the 3-year average of the 
annual fourth highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration 
is equal to or less than 0.070 parts per million, when truncated after 
the third decimal place, at all of the ozone monitoring sites in the 
area. (See 40 CFR 50.15 and appendix U of part 50.) Under the CAA, EPA 
may redesignate nonattainment areas to attainment if sufficient 
complete, quality-assured data are available to determine that the area 
has attained the standard and if it meets the other CAA redesignation 
requirements in section 107(d)(3)(E). The proposed rule provides a 
detailed discussion of how Ohio has met these CAA requirements.
    As discussed in the proposed rule, quality-assured and certified 
monitoring data for 2016-2018 and preliminary data for 2019 show that 
the Columbus area has attained and continues to attain the 2015 ozone 
standard. In the maintenance plan submitted for the area, Ohio has 
demonstrated that the ozone standard will be maintained in the area 
through 2030. Finally, Ohio has adopted 2023 and 2030 VOC and 
NOX MVEBs for the Columbus area that are supported by Ohio's 
maintenance demonstration.

II. What comments did we receive on the proposed rule?

    EPA provided a 30-day review and comment period for the July 3, 
2019, proposed rule. The comment period ended on August 2, 2019. We 
received one comment in support of EPA's proposed action. We received 
no adverse comments on the proposed rule.

III. What action is EPA taking?

    EPA is determining that the Columbus nonattainment area is 
attaining the 2015 ozone standard, based on quality-assured and 
certified monitoring data for 2016-2018 and that the area has met the 
requirements for redesignation under section 107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA. 
EPA is thus changing the legal designation of the Columbus area from 
nonattainment to attainment for the 2015 ozone standard. EPA is also 
approving, as a revision to the Ohio SIP, the State's maintenance plan 
for the area. The maintenance plan is designed to keep the Columbus 
area in attainment of the 2015 ozone NAAQS through 2030. Finally, EPA 
finds adequate and is approving the newly-established 2023 and 2030 
MVEBs for the Columbus area.
    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(d), EPA finds there is good cause 
for these actions to become effective immediately upon publication. 
This is because a delayed effective date is unnecessary due to the 
nature of a redesignation to attainment, which relieves the area from 
certain CAA requirements that would otherwise apply to it. The 
immediate effective date for this action is authorized under both 5 
U.S.C. 553(d)(1), which provides that rulemaking actions may become 
effective less than 30 days after publication if the rule ``grants or 
recognizes an exemption or relieves a restriction,'' and section 
553(d)(3), which allows an effective date less than 30 days after 
publication ``as otherwise provided by the agency for good cause found 
and published with the rule.'' The purpose of the 30-day waiting period 
prescribed in section 553(d) is to give affected parties a reasonable 
time to adjust their behavior and prepare before the final rule takes 
effect. This rule, however, does not create any new regulatory 
requirements such that affected parties would need time to prepare 
before the rule takes effect. Rather, this rule relieves the State of 
planning requirements for this ozone nonattainment area. For these 
reasons, EPA finds good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) for these 
actions to become effective on the date of publication of these 
actions.

[[Page 43509]]

IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

    Under the CAA, redesignation of an area to attainment and the 
accompanying approval of a maintenance plan under section 107(d)(3)(E) 
are actions that affect the status of a geographical area and do not 
impose any additional regulatory requirements on sources beyond those 
imposed by state law. A redesignation to attainment does not in and of 
itself create any new requirements, but rather results in the 
applicability of requirements contained in the CAA for areas that have 
been redesignated to attainment. Moreover, the Administrator is 
required to approve a SIP submission 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 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, this rule does not have tribal implications as specified by 
Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because 
redesignation is an action that affects the status of a geographical 
area and does not impose any new regulatory requirements on tribes, 
impact any existing sources of air pollution on tribal lands, nor 
impair the maintenance of ozone national ambient air quality standards 
in tribal lands.
    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 October 21, 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

40 CFR Part 52

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by 
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Oxides of nitrogen, Ozone, 
Volatile organic compounds.

40 CFR Part 81

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, National parks, 
Wilderness areas.

    Dated: August 8, 2019.
Cathy Stepp,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
    Title 40 CFR parts 52 and 81 are 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.  52.1870, the table in paragraph (e) is amended under 
``Summary of Criteria Pollutant Maintenance Plan'' by adding a new 
entry for ``Ozone (8-Hour, 2015)'' before the entry for ``PM-10'' to 
read as follows:


Sec.  52.1870   Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (e) * * *

                         EPA-Approved Ohio Nonregulatory and Quasi-Regulatory Provisions
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                                      Applicable
             Title               geographical or non-     State date       EPA approval           Comments
                                    attainment area
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                                                  * * * * * * *
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                                 Summary of Criteria Pollutant Maintenance Plan
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[[Page 43510]]

 
                                                  * * * * * * *
Ozone (8-Hour, 2015)..........  Columbus (Delaware,          4/23/2019  8/21/2019,
                                 Fairfield, Franklin,                    [insert Federal
                                 and Licking Counties.                   Register
                                                                         citation].
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
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PART 81--DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES

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

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

0
4. Section 81.336 is amended by revising the entry for Columbus, OH in 
the table entitled ``Ohio-2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS [Primary and 
Secondary]'' to read as follows:


Sec.  81.336   Ohio.

* * * * *

                                          Ohio--2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
                                             [Primary and secondary]
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                                               Designation                           Classification
       Designated area \1\        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Date \2\             Type               Date \2\               Type
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                                                  * * * * * * *
Columbus, OH:....................       8/21/2019  Attainment.........
    Delaware County
    Fairfield County
    Franklin County
    Licking County
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
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\1\ Includes any Indian country in each county or area, unless otherwise specified. EPA is not determining the
  boundaries of any area of Indian country in this table, including any area of Indian country located in the
  larger designation area. The inclusion of any Indian country in the designation area is not a determination
  that the state has regulatory authority under the Clean Air Act for such Indian country.
\2\ This date is August 3, 2018, unless otherwise noted.

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[FR Doc. 2019-17795 Filed 8-20-19; 8:45 am]
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