The EPA Acting Regional Administrator, Alexis Strauss, signed the following rule on November 10, 2016 and EPA 

is submitting it for publication in the Federal Register (FR). While we have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this 

version of this rule, it is not the official version. Please refer to the official version in a forthcoming FR publication 

appearing on the Government Printing Office website, 

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=FR, and on www.regulations.gov in Docket 

Number EPA-R09-OAR-2016-0393.

6560-50-P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA-R09-OAR-2016-0393; FRL-]

Approval of California Air Plan Revisions, Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control 

District

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve a

revision to the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (GBUAPCD) portion of the 

California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns emissions of particulate 

matter at Owens Lake, CA. We are approving a local rule that regulates these emissions under 

the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

DATES: This rule will be effective on [Insert date 30 days after the date of publication in the 

Federal Register].

ADDRESSES: The EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPAR09-OAR-2016-0393. All documents in the docket are listed on the http://www.regulations.gov

web site. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI 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 
This document is a prepublication version signed by Acting EPA Regional Administrator Alexis Strauss on 

November 10, 2016. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

2

copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available 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: Christine Vineyard, EPA Region IX, (415) 

947-4125, vineyard.christine@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, “we,” “us” and “our”

refer to the EPA.

Table of Contents 

I. Proposed Action

II. Public Comments and EPA Responses

III. EPA Action

IV. Incorporation by Reference

V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. Proposed Action

On September 13, 2016 (81 FR 62849), the EPA proposed to approve the following rule into the 

California SIP.

Local 

Agency

Rule # Rule Title Adopted Submitted

GBUAPCD 433 Control of Particulate Emissions at 

Owens Lake

04/13/16 06/09/16

We proposed to approve this rule because we determined that it complied with the 
This document is a prepublication version signed by Acting EPA Regional Administrator Alexis Strauss on 

November 10, 2016. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

3

relevant CAA requirements. Our proposed action contains more information on the rule and our 

evaluation.

II. Public Comments and EPA Responses

The EPA’s proposed action provided a 30-day public comment period. During this 

period, we received one comment that was submitted anonymously.

Comment: The comment begins, “I don’t see why this would not be approved right 

away,” and generally supports the EPA’s proposal to approve Rule 433. The comment also 

includes general statements and questions such as “the fact that ‘Indian’ is still the term being 

used in this proposed rule is troublesome,” “it would be nice to see them go above and beyond 

the EPA’s suggested guidelines,” “what does this mean for the Indigenous land,” “who is in 

charge of regulation,” “how will this alter the particle [sic] matters given off by this lakebed,” 

“what happened to cause this lakebed to behave in such a way... shouldn’t that be looked into 

instead of altering the way nature is now,” and “instead of being a reactive society we should be 

more proactive and investigate into ‘unintended consequences’ more so than we do now.”

Response: The comment generally supports EPA’s proposed approval of Rule 433. The 

comment does not provide specific information related to the basis for EPA’s proposed approval 

and does not request any changes to our proposed action. In addition, most of the statements and 

questions in the comment are not relevant to EPA’s action approving Rule 433 or are outside of 

the scope of this action. For those reasons, the EPA is finalizing its proposed approval of Rule 

433 without change based on the comment.

III. EPA Action
This document is a prepublication version signed by Acting EPA Regional Administrator Alexis Strauss on 

November 10, 2016. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

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No comments were submitted that change our assessment of the rule as described in our 

proposed action. Therefore, as authorized in section 110(k)(3) of the Act, the EPA is fully 

approving this rule into the California SIP. 

IV. Incorporation by Reference

In this rule, 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 GBUAPCD rule described in the amendments to 40 CFR part 52 set forth below.

The EPA has made, and will continue to make, these documents available through 

www.regulations.gov and at the EPA Region IX Office (please contact the person identified in 

the “FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT” section of this preamble for more 

information).

V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

Under the Clean Air Act, 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, 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); 
This document is a prepublication version signed by Acting EPA Regional Administrator Alexis Strauss on 

November 10, 2016. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

5

• 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 (Public Law 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 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).

In addition, 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 will not impose 
This document is a prepublication version signed by Acting EPA Regional Administrator Alexis Strauss on 

November 10, 2016. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

6

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. section 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 [Insert date 60 

days after date of publication in the Federal Register]. 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, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
This document is a prepublication version signed by Acting EPA Regional Administrator Alexis Strauss on 

November 10, 2016. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

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November 10, 2016 //signed//

Dated: Alexis Strauss,

Acting Regional Administrator,

Region IX.
This document is a prepublication version signed by Acting EPA Regional Administrator Alexis Strauss on 

November 10, 2016. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version. 

8

Part 52, Chapter I, Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows:

PART 52 - APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

1. The authority citation for Part 52 continues to read as follows:

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

Subpart F - California

2. Section 52.220 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(483) to read as follows:

§52.220 Identification of plan – in part.

* * * * *

(c) * * *

(483) A new regulation was submitted on June 9, 2016 by the Governor’s Designee.

(i) Incorporation by Reference.

(A) Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District.

(1) Rule 433, “Control of Particulate Emissions at Owens Lake,” adopted on April 13, 2016.

* * * * *