Proposed Rules. Proposed rule

Agency: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Action: Proposed rule
Citation: FR Doc. 2010-28256 · EPA-R03-OAR-2010-0574; FRL-9223-1 · 40 CFR 81

Summary

EPA is proposing to extend the attainment date from June 15, 2010 to June 15, 2011 for the Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania portions of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City nonattainment area (Philadelphia Area), which is classified as moderate for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). This extension is based in part on air quality data recorded during the 2009 ozone season. Specifically, the Philadelphia Area's 4th highest daily 8-hour monitored ozone value during the 2009 ozone season is 0.084 parts per million (ppm) or less. Accordingly, EPA is revising the tables concerning the 8-hour ozone attainment dates for the Philadelphia Area in the States of Delaware and Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. EPA is proposing to approve the extension of the attainment date for the Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania portions of the Philadelphia Area in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA is proposing to approve the extension of the attainment date for the New Jersey portion of the Philadelphia Area in a separate rulemaking in this Federal Register .

Dates

Written comments must be received on or before December 9, 2010.

Supplementary Information

I. Requests for Attainment Date Extension for the Philadelphia Area The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the States of Maryland and Delaware (the States) requested a one-year attainment date extension for the Philadelphia Area on January 8, 2010, March 12, 2010, and May 18, 2010, respectively. The Philadelphia Area, which is classified as moderate for the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS, consists of: Cecil County in Maryland; Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; the entire State of Delaware; and Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Ocean, and Salem Counties in New Jersey. Since this area was classified as a moderate ozone nonattainment area, the statutory ozone attainment date, as prescribed by section 181(a) of the CAA, is June 15, 2010. The States' requested that the attainment date be extended to June 15, 2011. As stated above, EPA is approving the extension of the attainment date for the New Jersey portion of the Philadelphia Area in a separate rulemaking notice in today's Federal Register. II. CAA Requirements and EPA Actions Regarding One-Year Extensions Section 172(a)(2)(C) of subpart 1 of the CAA provides for EPA to extend the attainment date for an area by one year if the State has complied with all the requirements and commitments pertaining to the area in the applicable implementation plan and no more than a minimal number of exceedances of the NAAQS has occurred in the attainment year. Up to two one-year extensions may be issued for a single nonattainment area. Section 181(a)(5) of subpart 2 contains a similar provision for the ozone NAAQS, but instead of providing for an extension where there has been a “minimal” number of exceedances, it allows an extension only if there is no more than one exceedance of the NAAQS in the year proceeding the extension year. However, the language in section 181(a)(5) reflects the form of the 1-hour ozone NAAQS and not the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. 40 CFR 51.907 sets forth how sections 172(a)(2)(C) and 181(a)(5) apply to an area subject to the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Under 40 CFR 51.907, an area will meet the requirement of section 172(a)(2)(C)(ii) or 181(a)(5)(B) of the CAA pertaining to one-year extensions of the attainment date if: (a) For the first 1-year extension, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour average in the attainment year is 0.084 ppm or less; (b) For the second 1-year extension, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour value, averaged over both the original attainment year and the first extension year, is 0.084 ppm or less; and (c) For purposes of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the area's 4th highest daily 8-hour average shall be from the monitor with the highest 4th highest daily 8-hour average of all the monitors that represent that area. EPA's review of the actual ozone air quality data in the Air Quality System shows that the 4th highest daily average 8-hour ozone concentrations for the 2009 attainment year ozone season, for all monitors in the Philadelphia Area are measured at 0.084 ppm or less (Table 1), as required by 40 CFR 51.907(a). The monitoring data has been quality controlled and quality assured. In the Technical Support Document (TSD) for this action, EPA evaluates the air quality monitoring data for the Philadelphia Area. For details, please refer to EPA's TSD. Table 1—Monitoring Data for 8-Hour Ozone in the Philadelphia Area Site ID County/state Year 4th Max 8-hr (ppm) 10-001-0002 Kent/Delaware 2009 .066 10-003-1007 New Castle/Delaware 2009 .068 10-003-1010 New Castle/Delaware 2009 .068 10-003-1013 New Castle/Delaware 2009 .069 10-005-1002 Sussex/Delaware 2009 .067 10-005-1003 Sussex/Delaware 2009 .069 24-015-0003 Cecil/Maryland 2009 .072 42-017-0012 Bucks/Pennsylvania 2009 .074 42-029-0100 Chester/Pennsylvania 2009 .067 42-045-0002 Delaware/Pennsylvania 2009 .065 42-091-0013 Montgomery/Pennsylvania 2009 .070 42-101-0004 Philadelphia/Pennsylvania 2009 .059 42-101-0024 Philadelphia/Pennsylvania 2009 .072 34-001-0006 Atlantic/New Jersey 2009 .071 34-007-1001 Camden/New Jersey 2009 .071 34-011-0007 Cumberland/New Jersey 2009 .072 34-015-0002 Gloucester/New Jersey 2009 .071 34-021-0005 Mercer/New Jersey 2009 .071 34-029-0006 Ocean/New Jersey 2009 .071 EPA has determined that the requirements for a one-year extension of the attainment date have been fulfilled as follows: (1) The States have complied with all requirements and commitments pertaining to the area in the applicable ozone implementation plan. The applicable ozone implementation plans can be found at 40 CFR 52.420, 40 CFR 52.1070, 40 CFR 52.2020, for the States of Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, respectively; and (2) The Philadelphia Area's 4th highest daily 8-hour monitored value during the 2009 ozone season is 0.084 ppm or less. Therefore, EPA approves the States' attainment date extension requests for the Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania portions of the Philadelphia Area. As a result, the charts in 40 CFR 81.308, 40 CFR 81.321, and 40 CFR 81.339 are being modified to reflect EPA's approval of the States' attainment date extension request. Those charts are entitled “Delaware-Ozone (8-Hour Standard)”, “Maryland-Ozone (8-Hour Standard)”, and “Pennsylvania-Ozone (8-Hour Standard)”, respectively. III. Proposed Action EPA is proposing to approve the attainment date extension from June 15, 2010 to June 15, 2011 for the Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania portions of the Philadelphia Area, which is classified as moderate for the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA is soliciting public comments on the issues discussed in this document. These comments will be considered before taking final action. 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 Act 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 proposes to approve State law as meeting Federal requirements and does not impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by State law. For that reason, this proposed action: • Is not a “significant regulatory action” subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993); • 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, this proposed extension of the attainment deadline for the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS for the Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania portions of the Philadelphia Area does not have Tribal implications as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because the SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in the State, and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct costs on Tribal governments or preempt Tribal law. List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental relations, Ozone. Dated: October 28, 2010. W.C. Early, Acting, Regional Administrator, Region III. [FR Doc. 2010-28256 Filed 11-8-10; 8:45 am]