[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 62 (Friday, March 29, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 22086-22087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06372]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA-R05-OAR-2023-0515; EPA-R05-OAR-2023-0516; EPA-R05-OAR-2023-0517; 
FRL-11718-01-R5]


Adequacy Status of the Allegan, Berrien, and Muskegon Counties, 
Michigan Submitted Reasonable Further Progress Plan for Transportation 
Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notification of adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 
notifying the public that we have found that the volatile organic 
compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) motor vehicle 
emissions budgets (budgets) in the submitted 2015 Ozone moderate 
Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) plan for Allegan, Berrien, and 
Muskegon Counties are adequate for conformity purposes. As a result of 
our finding, these areas must use the budgets from the submitted RFP 
plan for future conformity determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective April 15, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Leslie, Control Strategies 
Section, Air Programs Branch (AR 18J), Environmental Protection Agency, 
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 
353-6680; [email protected].

[[Page 22087]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is simply an announcement of a 
finding that we have already made. EPA Region 5 sent a letter to the 
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy on January 
17, 2024, stating that the VOC and NOX budgets for Allegan, 
Berrien, and Muskegon Counties submitted in the 2015 RFP plan for the 
2023 milestone year are adequate. The finding is available at EPA's 
conformity website: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.
    The budgets are as follows:

   2023 VOC and NOX RFP budgets for the Allegan, Berrien, and Muskegon
                          Counties Ozone Areas
                     [Listed in tons per day (tpd)]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           NOX      VOC
                          Area                            (tpd)    (tpd)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allegan County.........................................     1.15    0.70
Berrien County.........................................     2.98    1.85
Muskegon County........................................     1.73    1.74
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Transportation conformity is required by Clean Air Act section 
176(c). EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation plans, 
transportation improvement programs, and projects conform to air 
quality state implementation plans (SIPs) and establishes the criteria 
and procedures for determining whether or not they do. Conformity to a 
SIP means that transportation activities will not produce new air 
quality violations, worsen existing violations, or delay timely 
attainment of the national ambient air quality standards.
    The criteria by which we determine whether a SIP's motor vehicle 
emission budgets are adequate for conformity purposes are outlined in 
40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). We've described our process for determining the 
adequacy of submitted SIP budgets in our July 1, 2004, preamble 
starting at 69 FR 40038 and we used the information in these resources 
in making our adequacy determination. Please note that an adequacy 
review is separate from EPA's completeness review and should not be 
used to prejudge EPA's ultimate approval action for the SIP. Even if we 
find a budget adequate, the SIP could later be disapproved.
    The finding is available at EPA's conformity website: https://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.

    Dated: February 22, 2024.
Debra Shore,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 2024-06372 Filed 3-28-24; 8:45 am]
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