[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 115 (Thursday, June 13, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50227-50231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12805]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA-R04-OAR-2023-0057; FRL-11847-02-R4]


Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Revision to Approved Motor 
Vehicle Emissions Budgets

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a 
revision to the North Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP), 
submitted by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality 
(NCDEQ), Division of Air Quality, on December 19, 2022. The revision 
updates the 2026 on-road and nonroad emissions inventories and safety 
margins and allocates a portion of the newly available 2026 safety 
margins in the 2008 8-hour Ozone Maintenance Plan to the 2026 nitrogen 
oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) motor 
vehicle emissions budgets (``budgets'') for the North Carolina portion 
of the Charlotte-Rock Hill, NC-SC bi-state Area (hereinafter referred 
to as the ``North Carolina portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area'') 
to accommodate updates from the EPA Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator 
(MOVES3) model. The SIP revision also revises the current 2026 budgets 
based on the MOVES3 updates and recalculates new available safety 
margins. NCDEQ's December 19, 2022, submission supplements the revised 
2008 8-hour Ozone Maintenance Plan submitted by NCDEQ on July 16, 2020, 
and approved by EPA on August 25, 2021. EPA is approving North 
Carolina's December 19, 2022, SIP revision pursuant to section 
110(a)(1) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and deeming the budgets adequate 
for transportation conformity purposes because they meet the applicable 
statutory and regulatory requirements.

DATES: This rule is effective July 15, 2024.

ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket 
Identification No. EPA-R04-OAR-2023-0057. All documents in the docket 
are listed on the www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the 
index, some information may not be publicly available, i.e., 
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 electronically through www.regulations.gov or in hard 
copy at the Air Regulatory Management Section, Air Planning and 
Implementation Branch, Air and Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 
30303-8960. EPA requests that if at all possible, you contact the 
person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to 
schedule your inspection. The Regional Office's official hours of 
business are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding 
Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dianna Myers, Air Regulatory 
Management Section, Air Planning and Implementation Branch, Air and 
Radiation Division, Region 4, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 61 
Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. The telephone number is 
(404) 562-9207. Ms. Dianna Myers can also be reached via electronic 
mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. This Action

    EPA is approving NCDEQ's December 19, 2022, SIP revision which 
updates the 2026 on-road and nonroad emissions inventories with the 
latest (at the time of NCDEQ's submission) approved EPA mobile 
emissions model, MOVES3, allocates a portion of the newly available 
safety margin, revises the 2026 NOX and VOC budgets, and 
recalculates the available safety margins for the North Carolina 
portion of Charlotte 2008 8-hour Ozone Maintenance Area \1\ for 
transportation conformity purposes.
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    \1\ The North Carolina portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area 
for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards 
(NAAQS or standards) is comprised of the following counties: 
Mecklenburg County in its entirety and portions of Cabarrus, Gaston, 
Iredell, Lincoln, Rowan, and Union Counties.
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    The revised 2026 NOX and VOC budgets from NCDEQ's 
December 19, 2022, SIP revision will replace the existing budgets in 
the State's 2008 8-hour Ozone Maintenance Plan approved on August 25, 
2021. See 86 FR 47387. When today's action is effective, the newly 
revised 2026 budgets must be used in future transportation conformity 
analyses for the Area according to the Transportation Conformity Rule. 
See 40 CFR 93.118. Therefore, the August 25, 2021, approved budgets 
will no longer be applicable for transportation conformity purposes.
    This action revises the 2026 on-road and nonroad emissions 
inventories and the NOX and VOC safety margins using MOVES3. 
The revision also allocates a portion of the revised available safety 
margins to the 2026 NOX and VOC budgets and recalculates new 
available safety margins. The emissions inventories for point and area 
sources from NCDEQ's July 16, 2020, SIP revision remain the same. EPA 
is approving North Carolina's December 19, 2022, SIP revision because 
it continues to demonstrate maintenance for the Charlotte Maintenance 
Area.

II. Background

    Effective July 20, 2012, EPA designated the Charlotte-Rock Hill, 
NC-SC Area as Marginal nonattainment for the 2008 8-hour ozone national 
ambient air quality standard (hereinafter referred to as NAAQS or 
standard). The North Carolina portion of the Charlotte 2008 Maintenance 
Area includes Mecklenburg in its entirety and portions of Cabarrus, 
Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Rowan, and Union Counties. The Charlotte 
Maintenance Area also includes a portion of York County located in Rock 
Hill, South Carolina. See 77 FR 30088 (May 21, 2012). The North 
Carolina portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area is comprised of 
three metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs): the Charlotte 
Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) which covers 
Iredell, Mecklenburg, and Union Counties; the Cabarrus-Rowan 
Metropolitan Planning Organization (CRMPO) which covers Cabarrus and 
Rowan Counties; and the Gaston-Cleveland-Lincoln Metropolitan Planning 
Organization (GCLMPO) which covers Gaston, Cleveland, and Lincoln 
Counties. Although Cleveland County is included in the GCLMPO planning 
boundary, it was not included in the North Carolina portion of the 
Charlotte Maintenance Area. Each MPO has its own budget referred to as 
a ``sub-area budget.'' The York County, South Carolina, portion of this 
maintenance area has a separate MPO and budgets. The South Carolina 
portion of the maintenance area implements transportation conformity 
independent of the North Carolina portion.

[[Page 50228]]

    EPA originally approved NCDEQ's 2008 8-hour ozone redesignation 
request and maintenance SIP for the North Carolina portion of the 
Charlotte Maintenance Area on July 28, 2015 (80 FR 44873), with base 
year NOX and VOC actual emissions inventories for 2014; 
projected, future, and interim year inventories for 2015, 2018, and 
2022; and projected final year emission inventory for 2026. On August 
17, 2015 (80 FR 49164), EPA approved North Carolina's section 110(l) 
noninterference demonstration requesting relaxation of the Federal Reid 
Vapor Pressure requirement from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 
psi and a revision to the 2026 NOX and VOC sub-area budgets 
for Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties only. See 80 FR 44868 (July 28, 
2015).
    On September 11, 2019 (84 FR 47889), EPA approved NCDEQ's July 25, 
2018, SIP revision related to North Carolina's I/M Program. The 
September 11, 2019, SIP approval updated the on-road mobile source 
inventory and revised the 2026 sub-area VOC and NOX budgets; 
these remain the current SIP-approved budgets and inventories. The 
revised 2026 budgets became effective on October 11, 2019.
    On August 25, 2021, EPA approved NCDEQ's July 16, 2020, SIP 
revision which allocated a portion of the available safety margin to 
the 2026 sub-area NOX and VOC budgets to accommodate updates 
to the travel demand model used to calculate vehicle miles traveled in 
the Area. See 86 FR 47387. The revision to the 2026 sub-area budgets 
became effective on September 24, 2021.
    EPA's analysis of North Carolina's December 19, 2022, SIP submittal 
indicates that maintenance will continue to be demonstrated for the 
Charlotte Maintenance Area with the revised MOVES3 on-road and nonroad 
emissions inventories, revised safety margins and new allocations of 
the available safety margins to the 2026 budgets because the total 
level of emissions from all source categories remains equal to or less 
than the attainment level of emissions.
    In a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on April 12, 
2024 (89 FR 25849), EPA proposed to approve the December 19, 2022, SIP 
revision. The details of North Carolina's submittal and the rationale 
for EPA's action are explained further in the April 12, 2024, NPRM. 
Comments on the NPRM were due on or before May 13, 2024. EPA did not 
receive any comments on the April 12, 2024, NPRM.
    Tables 1 through 3, below, provide the Revised NOX and 
VOC Total Man-Made Emissions and Safety Margins.\2\
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    \2\ A safety margin is the difference between the attainment 
level of emissions from all source categories (i.e., point, area, 
on-road, and nonroad) and the projected level of emissions in the 
maintenance year from all source categories.

   Table 1--Revised Total Man-Made NOX Emissions for North Carolina Portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area
                                                   [Tons/day]
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             County                    2014            2015            2018            2022            2026
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Cabarrus *......................           11.49           10.73            6.78            5.44            4.61
Gaston *........................           27.89           27.62           12.03            6.41            7.87
Iredell *.......................            6.86            6.49            5.41            4.68            4.42
Lincoln *.......................            4.36            4.71            6.41            4.29            2.48
Mecklenburg.....................           56.71           52.97           39.16           33.52           34.95
Rowan *.........................           11.74           11.31            8.28            7.01            6.02
Union *.........................           11.13           10.36            6.63            5.09            4.40
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    Total.......................          130.18          124.19           84.69           66.44           64.75
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* Emissions for the portion of the county included in the maintenance area.


   Table 2--Revised Total Man-Made VOC Emissions for North Carolina Portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area
                                                   [Tons/day]
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             County                    2014            2015            2018            2022            2026
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Cabarrus *......................           11.50           11.27            9.51            9.23            8.57
Gaston *........................           12.96           12.74           11.53           10.94           10.42
Iredell *.......................            6.33            6.22            5.29            5.11            4.88
Lincoln *.......................            6.55            6.47            4.81            4.66            4.63
Mecklenburg.....................           50.10           49.16           45.31           44.47           43.72
Rowan *.........................           12.59           12.38           12.47           12.19           11.96
Union *.........................           13.09           12.85           10.91           10.68           10.39
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    Total.......................          113.12          111.09           99.82           97.28           94.57
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* Emissions for the portion of the county included in the maintenance area.


  Table 3--Revised Safety Margins for the North Carolina Portion of the
                       Charlotte Maintenance Area
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                                          NOX (tons/day)
                  Year                                    VOC (tons/day)
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2014....................................             N/A             N/A
2015....................................           -5.99           -2.03
2018....................................          -45.49          -13.30

[[Page 50229]]

 
2022....................................          -63.74          -15.84
2026....................................          -65.43          -18.55
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    Table 4 provides the Revised On-road NOX and VOC 
Emissions Inventories and Table 5 provides the NOX and VOC 
Percentage of the On-Road Emissions Allocated to the Motor Vehicle 
Emissions Budget.

  Table 4--Revised On-Road Mobile Source NOX and VOC Summer Day Emissions in 2014 and 2026 for the North Carolina Portion of the Charlotte Maintenance
                                                                          Area
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                                                          2014 NOX                  2014 VOC                  2026 NOX                  2026 VOC
                     County                      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    tons/day      kg/day      tons/day      kg/day      tons/day      kg/day      tons/day      kg/day
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Cabarrus *......................................         6.60        5,989         4.15        3,765         2.43        2,208         1.76        1,600
Gaston *........................................         8.11        7,357         4.61        4,179         2.45        2,224         1.68        1,524
Iredell *.......................................         3.36        3,045         1.95        1,768         1.29        1,171         0.86          782
Lincoln *.......................................         3.00        2,723         1.91        1,737         1.06          963         0.76          688
Mecklenburg *...................................        26.99       24,488        14.40       13,060        12.08       10,957         7.14        6,476
Rowan *.........................................         6.42        5,825         3.76        3,408         1.94        1,757         1.37        1,246
Union *.........................................         5.67        5,146         3.54        3,210         2.29        2,074         1.62        1,471
                                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................        60.15       54,572        34.32       31,127        23.54       21,354        15.19       13,787
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* Emissions for the portion of the county included in the maintenance area.


  Table 5--Percentage of On-Road Emissions Allocated to the 2026 Motor
                        Vehicle Emissions Budget
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                 County                       NOX (%)         VOC (%)
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Cabarrus................................              65              67
Gaston..................................              60              62
Iredell.................................              62              62
Lincoln.................................              62              62
Mecklenburg.............................              57              57
Rowan...................................              65              67
Union...................................              60              62
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    Based on the on-road emissions inventory revisions in Table 4, the 
following tables provide the NOX and VOC sub-area budgets 
with the proposed safety margin allocations in kg/day for 
transportation conformity purposes for 2026 (2014 is only shown for 
illustration because no changes are being made to the budgets for that 
year).

           Table 6--Cabarrus-Rowan Metropolitan Planning Organization (CRMPO) Budgets in 2014 and 2026
                                                   [kg/day] *
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                                                     2014 NOX        2014 VOC        2026 NOX        2026 VOC
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Base On-road Emissions..........................          11,814           7,173           3,965           2,846
Safety margin allocated to budget...............  ..............  ..............           2,578           1,907
Conformity budget...............................          11,814           7,173           6,543           4,753
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* Includes the portions of Cabarrus and Rowan Counties in the maintenance area.


     Table 7--Gaston-Cleveland-Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization (GCLMPO) Budgets in 2014 and 2026
                                                   [kg/day] *
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                                                     2014 NOX        2014 VOC        2026 NOX        2026 VOC
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Base On-road Emissions..........................          10,079           5,916           3,187           2,212
Safety margin allocated to budget...............  ..............  ..............           1,930           1,371
Conformity budget...............................          10,079           5,916           5,117           3,583
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* Includes the portions of Gaston and Lincoln Counties in the maintenance area. Although Cleveland County is
  included in the MPO, it is not included in the Charlotte ozone maintenance area.


[[Page 50230]]


  Table 8--Proposed Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) Rocky River Rural Planning
                                  Organization (RRRPO) Budgets in 2014 and 2026
                                                   [kg/day] *
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                                                     2014 NOX        2014 VOC        2026 NOX        2026 VOC
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Base On-road Emissions..........................          32,679          18,038          14,202           8,729
Safety margin allocated to budget...............  ..............  ..............           8,215           5,089
Conformity budget...............................          32,679          18,038          22,417          13,818
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* Includes all of Mecklenburg County and a portion of Iredell and Union Counties in the maintenance area.

    The remaining new safety margins after the allocation to the 2026 
budgets are 51.41 tons/day and 9.33 tons/day for NOX and 
VOC, respectively, as shown below in Table 9.

    Table 9--New Safety Margins for the North Carolina Portion of the
                       Charlotte Maintenance Area
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                                          NOX (tons/day)
                  Year                                    VOC (tons/day)
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2014....................................             N/A             N/A
2015....................................           -5.99           -2.03
2018....................................          -45.49          -13.30
2022....................................          -63.74          -15.84
2026....................................          -51.41           -9.33
------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Final Action

    EPA has evaluated North Carolina's submittal and has determined 
that it meets the applicable requirements of the CAA and EPA 
regulations and is consistent with EPA policy. Therefore, EPA is 
approving NCDEQ's December 19, 2022, SIP revision to revise the 
Charlotte 2008 8-hour Ozone Maintenance Plan that updates the 2026 on-
road and nonroad emissions inventories and safety margins with MOVES3 
and allocates a portion of the newly available 2026 safety margins to 
the budgets. The SIP revision also updates the current 2026 budgets 
with MOVES3 and recalculates new available safety margins. The revised 
budgets ensure continued attainment of the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS 
through the maintenance year 2026. In addition, EPA is deeming the 
budgets adequate for transportation conformity purposes because the 
budgets meet the adequacy criteria in the conformity rule at 40 CFR 
93.118(e)(4). Once this action is effective, the newly revised MOVES3 
2026 budgets for NOX and VOC identified in Tables 6 through 
8 will be used by the MPOs in future transportation conformity 
determinations.
    Within 24 months from the effective date of this approval, the 
transportation partners are required to demonstrate conformity to the 
revised NOX and VOC budgets pursuant to 40 CFR 93.104(e).

IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

    Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP 
submission that complies with the provisions of the CAA and applicable 
Federal regulations. See 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 14094 (88 FR 21879, April 11, 2023);
     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 subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, 
April 23, 1997) because it approves a State program;
     Is not a significant regulatory action subject to 
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001); and
     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.
    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).
    Executive Order 12898 (Federal Actions to Address Environmental 
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, 59 FR 7629, 
February 16, 1994) directs Federal agencies to identify and address 
``disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental 
effects'' of their actions on minority populations and low-income 
populations to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law. 
EPA defines environmental justice (EJ) as ``the fair treatment and 
meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, 
national origin, or income with respect to the development, 
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws,

[[Page 50231]]

regulations, and policies.'' EPA further defines the term fair 
treatment to mean that ``no group of people should bear a 
disproportionate burden of environmental harms and risks, including 
those resulting from the negative environmental consequences of 
industrial, governmental, and commercial operations or programs and 
policies.''
    NCDEQ did not evaluate EJ considerations as part of its SIP 
submittal; the CAA and applicable implementing regulations neither 
prohibit nor require such an evaluation. EPA did not perform an EJ 
analysis and did not consider EJ in this action. Due to the nature of 
the action being taken here, this action is expected to have a neutral 
to positive impact on the air quality of the affected area. 
Consideration of EJ is not required as part of this action, and there 
is no information in the record inconsistent with the stated goal of 
E.O. 12898 of achieving EJ for people of color, low-income populations, 
and Indigenous peoples.
    This action is subject to the Congressional Review Act, and EPA 
will submit a rule report to each House of the Congress and to the 
Comptroller General of the United States. 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 August 12, 2024. 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, Incorporation by 
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen oxides, Particulate 
matter, Ozone, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, Sulfur oxides, 
Volatile organic compounds.

    Dated: June 4, 2024.
Jeaneanne Gettle,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.

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 II--North Carolina

0
2. In Sec.  52.1770 (e), amend the table by adding a new entry for 
``MVEB Revision to the 2008 8-hour Ozone Maintenance Plan for the North 
Carolina portion of the bi-state Charlotte Area'' at the end of the 
table.
    The addition reads as follows:


Sec.  52.1770   Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (e) * * *

                              EPA-Approved North Carolina Non-Regulatory Provisions
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                                              State       EPA approval       Federal Register
               Provision                 effective date       date               citation           Explanation
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                                                  * * * * * * *
MVEB Revision to the 2008 8-hour Ozone       12/19/2022       6/13/2024  [Insert first page of
 Maintenance Plan for the North                                           Federal Register
 Carolina portion of the bi-state                                         citation].
 Charlotte Area.
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[FR Doc. 2024-12805 Filed 6-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P