[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 168 (Thursday, August 29, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 45419-45422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18594]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA-R10-OAR-2018-0809; FRL-9998-71-Region 10]


Air Plan Approval; AK: Adoption Updates and Permitting Rule 
Revisions

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving 
revisions to the Alaska State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted on 
October 25, 2018. The revisions adopt changes to federal emissions 
factors and modeling guidelines, update pre-construction permitting of 
stationary sources, and fix typographical and grammatical errors. The 
EPA is also approving the submitted revisions as meeting major source 
pre-construction permitting requirements for the Fairbanks North Star 
Borough fine particulate matter nonattainment area. On the effective 
date of this rule, the Alaska SIP will include provisions for 
electronic permit applications, online notice of draft permits, revised 
modeling guidelines, and updated fine particulate matter requirements 
in nonattainment areas.

DATES: This final rule is effective September 30, 2019.

ADDRESSES: The EPA has established a docket for this action under 
Docket ID

[[Page 45420]]

No. EPA-R10-OAR-2018-0809. All documents in the docket are listed on 
the https://www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the index, 
some information is not publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business 
Information or other information the disclosure of which 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 at https://www.regulations.gov, or please contact the person listed in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section for additional availability 
information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristin Hall (15-H13), EPA Region 10, 
Air and Radiation Division, 1200 Sixth Avenue (Suite 155), Seattle, WA 
98101, at (206) 553-6357 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document wherever ``we,'' 
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, it means the EPA.

Table of Contents

    I. Background
    II. Final Action
    III. Incorporation by Reference
    IV. Statutory and Executive Order Review

I. Background

    On October 25, 2018, Alaska submitted revisions to the Alaska SIP 
for approval by the EPA. The submission includes revisions to Alaska 
Administrative Code, Title 18, Environmental Conservation, Chapter 50, 
Air Quality Control (18 AAC 50), state effective September 15, 2018. We 
proposed to approve the submitted revisions on June 11, 2019 (84 FR 
27049). An explanation of the Clean Air Act requirements, a detailed 
analysis of the submission, and our reasons for proposing approval were 
provided in the proposal and will not be restated here. The public 
comment period for the proposal ended on July 11, 2019. We received no 
comments.

II. Final Action

    The EPA is approving, and incorporating by reference, revisions to 
the Alaska SIP submitted on October 25, 2018. We are also approving the 
submitted revisions as fulfilling nonattainment new source review 
requirements that were triggered upon reclassification of the Fairbanks 
North Star Borough fine particulate matter nonattainment area from 
``moderate'' to ``serious'' on May 10, 2017 (82 FR 21711). On the 
effective date of this rule, the Alaska SIP will contain the following 
rule sections, state effective September 15, 2018:
     18 AAC 50.025 Visibility and Other Special Protection 
Areas;
     18 AAC 50.035 Documents, Procedures, and Methods Adopted 
by Reference, except (a)(6), (a)(9), and (b)(4);
     18 AAC 50.040 Federal Standards Adopted by Reference, 
except (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g), (j), and (k);
     18 AAC 50.055 Industrial Processes and Fuel-Burning 
Equipment, except (d)(2)(B);
     18 AAC 50.215 Ambient Air Quality Analysis Methods, except 
(a)(4);
     18 AAC 50.220 Enforceable Test Methods, except (c)(1)(A), 
(B), (C), and (c)(2);
     18 AAC 50.225 Owner-Requested Limits;
     18 AAC 50.230 Preapproved Emission Limits, except (d);
     18 AAC 50.260 Guidelines for Best Available Retrofit 
Technology under the Regional Haze Rule;
     18 AAC 50.311 Nonattainment Area Major Stationary Source 
Permits;
     18 AAC 50.345 Construction, Minor and Operating Permits: 
Standard Permit Conditions, except (b), (c)(3), and (l).
     18 AAC 50.502 Minor Permits for Air Quality Protection;
     18 AAC 50.540 Minor Permit: Application;
     18 AAC 50.542 Minor Permit: Review and Issuance;
     18 AAC 50.560 General Minor Permits; and
     18 AAC 50.990 Definitions.
    The listed exceptions were not submitted in the October 25, 2018 
submission and are not part of the current federally-approved Alaska 
SIP.\1\ For more information, please see our prior actions on September 
19, 2014 (79 FR 56268) and August 14, 2007 (72 FR 45378).
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    \1\ The excepted provisions implement New Source Performance 
Standards (NSPS), National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air 
Pollutants (NESHAPs), and title V of the Clean Air Act and are not 
relied on by the state to attain or maintain the NAAQS under Clean 
Air Act section 110 and the SIP; or are inconsistent with Clean Air 
Act requirements.
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III. Incorporation by Reference

    In this document, the EPA is finalizing regulatory text that 
includes incorporation by reference. In accordance with requirements of 
1 CFR 51.5, the EPA is finalizing the incorporation by reference of the 
provisions set forth below as amendments to 40 CFR part 52. The EPA has 
made, and will continue to make, these materials generally available 
electronically through https://www.regulations.gov and at the EPA 
Region 10 office (please contact the person identified in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this preamble for more 
information). Therefore, these materials have been approved by the EPA 
for inclusion in the State Implementation Plan, have been incorporated 
by reference by the EPA into that plan, are fully federally-enforceable 
under sections 110 and 113 of the Clean Air Act as of the effective 
date of the final rulemaking of the EPA's approval, and will be 
incorporated by reference in the next update to the SIP compilation.\2\
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    \2\ 62 FR 27968 (May 22, 1997).
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IV. Statutory and Executive Order Review

    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, the 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);

[[Page 45421]]

     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 this action does not involve technical standards; and
     Does not provide the 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).
    The SIP is not approved to apply on any Indian reservation land or 
in any other area where the 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 it 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. The 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 October 28, 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 52

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

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

    Dated: July 31, 2019.
Chris Hladick,
Regional Administrator, Region 10.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 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.

Subpart C--Alaska

0
2. In Sec.  52.70, the table in paragraph (c) is amended by revising 
entries ``18 AAC 50.025'', ``18 AAC 50.035'', ``18 AAC 50.040'', ``18 
AAC 50.055'', ``18 AAC 50.215', ``18 AAC 50.220'', ``18 AAC 50.225'', 
``18 AAC 50.230'', ``18 AAC 50.260'', ``18 AAC 50.311'', ``18 AAC 
50.345'', ``18 AAC 50.502'', ``18 AAC 50.540'', ``18 AAC 50.542'', ``18 
AAC 50.560'', and ``18 AAC 50.990'' to read as follows:


Sec.  52.70  Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *

                                  EPA-Approved Alaska Regulations and Statutes
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                                                           State
        State citation             Title/subject      effective date    EPA approval date       Explanations
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   Alaska Administrative Code Title 18 Environmental Conservation, Chapter 50--Air Quality Control (18 AAC 50)
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                              18 AAC 50--Article 1. Ambient Air Quality Management
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                                                  * * * * * * *
18 AAC 50.025................  Visibility and Other        9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert
                                Special Protection                     Federal Register
                                Areas.                                 citation].
18 AAC 50.035................  Documents,                  9/15/2018  8/29/2019,[Insert     except (a)(6),
                                Procedures, and                        Federal Register      (a)(9), and (b)(4).
                                Methods Adopted by                     citation].
                                Reference.
18 AAC 50.040................  Federal Standards           9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert    except (a), (b),
                                Adopted by Reference.                  Federal Register      (c), (d), (e), (g),
                                                                       citation].            (j), and (k).
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
18 AAC 50.055................  Industrial Processes        9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert    except (d)(2)(B).
                                and Fuel-Burning                       Federal Register
                                Equipment.                             citation].
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
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                                  18 AAC 50--Article 2. Program Administration
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                                                  * * * * * * *
18 AAC 50.215................  Ambient Air Quality         9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert    except (a)(4).
                                Analysis Methods.                      Federal Register
                                                                       citation].
18 AAC 50.220................  Enforceable Test            9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert    except (c)(1)(A),
                                Methods.                               Federal Register      (B), (C), and
                                                                       citation].            (c)(2).

[[Page 45422]]

 
18 AAC 50.225................  Owner-Requested             9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert
                                Limits.                                Federal Register
                                                                       citation].
18 AAC 50.230................  Preapproved Emission        9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert    except (d).
                                Limits.                                Federal Register
                                                                       citation].
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
18 AAC 50.260................  Guidelines for Best         9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert
                                Available Retrofit                     Federal Register
                                Technology under the                   citation].
                                Regional Haze Rule.
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                              18 AAC 50--Article 3. Major Stationary Source Permits
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                                                  * * * * * * *
18 AAC 50.311................  Nonattainment Area          9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert
                                Major Stationary                       Federal Register
                                Source Permits.                        citation].
18 AAC 50.345................  Construction, Minor         9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert    except (b), (c)(3),
                                and Operating                          Federal Register      and (l).
                                Permits: Standard                      citation].
                                Permit Conditions.
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
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                                       18 AAC 50--Article 5. Minor Permits
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18 AAC 50.502................  Minor Permits for Air       9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert
                                Quality Protection.                    Federal Register
                                                                       citation].
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
18 AAC 50.540................  Minor Permit:               9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert
                                Application.                           Federal Register
                                                                       citation].
18 AAC 50.542................  Minor Permit: Review        9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert
                                and Issuance.                          Federal Register
                                                                       citation].
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
18 AAC 50.560................  General Minor Permits       9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert
                                                                       Federal Register
                                                                       citation].
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
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                                    18 AAC 50--Article 9. General Provisions
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                                                  * * * * * * *
18 AAC 50.990................  Definitions..........       9/15/2018  8/29/2019, [Insert
                                                                       Federal Register
                                                                       citation].
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
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[FR Doc. 2019-18594 Filed 8-28-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P