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[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 28, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 81477-81480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32487]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA-R03-OAR-2008-0073; FRL-9243-5]

 Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; 
Virginia; Amendments to Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate 
Matter

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision 
submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia. This revision consists of 
amendments to the Commonwealth of Virginia's ambient air quality 
standards for particulate matter (PM). This action is being taken under 
the Clean Air Act (CAA).

DATES: Effective Date: This final rule is effective on January 27, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID 
Number EPA-R03-OAR-2008-0073. All documents in the docket are listed in 
the http://www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the 
electronic docket, some information is not publicly available, i.e., 
confidential business information (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 copy form. Publicly available docket 
materials are available either electronically through http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy for public inspection during normal 
business hours at the Air Protection Division, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania 19103. Copies of the State submittal are available at the 
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, 629 East Main Street, 
Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Becoat, (215) 814-2036, or by 
e-mail at becoat.gregory@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On November 17, 2008 (73 FR 67825), EPA published a notice of 
proposed rulemaking (NPR) for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The NPR 
proposed approval of amendments to the Commonwealth's existing ambient 
air quality standards for particulate matter in 9VAC5 Chapter 30. The 
formal SIP revision was submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia on 
January 7, 2008. EPA received no comments on the proposal to approve 
Virginia's SIP revision. However, regulation 9VAC5-30-65E included an 
incorrect reference of the Federal Register document for the annual and 
24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS that were established by the EPA on July 
18, 1997 as 62 FR 28856 instead of 62 FR 38652. On September 29, 2010, 
EPA received a correction to the regulation (9VAC5 Chapter 30) that 
contains the ambient air quality standards set out in 40 CFR 50. The 
SIP revision made the necessary correction to reference the Federal 
Register document appropriately.

II. Summary of SIP Revision

    The Commonwealth's SIP revision to the Virginia Regulations for the 
Control

[[Page 81478]]

and Abatement of Air Pollution: 9VAC5 Chapter 30--Ambient Air Quality 
Standards incorporates the annual and 24-hour PM2.5 national 
ambient air quality standards that were established by the EPA on July 
18, 1997 and on October 17, 2006. The revision is consistent with the 
national ambient air quality standards. The SIP revision amends the 
PM2.5 standard to add the new 24-hour standard of 35 
[micro]g/m\3\, retains the current 24-hour standard of 65 [micro]g/m\3\ 
during the transition to the new standard, adds transitional language 
to clarify implementation of these standards, and removes obsolete 
language referencing the annual PM10 standard. The SIP 
revision also adds new reference conditions.

III. General Information Pertaining to SIP Submittals From the 
Commonwealth of Virginia

    In 1995, Virginia adopted legislation that provides, subject to 
certain conditions, for an environmental assessment (audit) 
``privilege'' for voluntary compliance evaluations performed by a 
regulated entity. The legislation further addresses the relative burden 
of proof for parties either asserting the privilege or seeking 
disclosure of documents for which the privilege is claimed. Virginia's 
legislation also provides, subject to certain conditions, for a penalty 
waiver for violations of environmental laws when a regulated entity 
discovers such violations pursuant to a voluntary compliance evaluation 
and voluntarily discloses such violations to the Commonwealth and takes 
prompt and appropriate measures to remedy the violations. Virginia's 
Voluntary Environmental Assessment Privilege Law, Va. Code Sec. 10.1-
1198, provides a privilege that protects from disclosure documents and 
information about the content of those documents that are the product 
of a voluntary environmental assessment. The Privilege Law does not 
extend to documents or information (1) that are generated or developed 
before the commencement of a voluntary environmental assessment; (2) 
that are prepared independently of the assessment process; (3) that 
demonstrate a clear, imminent and substantial danger to the public 
health or environment; or (4) that are required by law.
    On January 12, 1998, the Commonwealth of Virginia Office of the 
Attorney General provided a legal opinion that states that the 
Privilege law, Va. Code Sec. 10.1-1198, precludes granting a privilege 
to documents and information ``required by law,'' including documents 
and information ``required by Federal law to maintain program 
delegation, authorization or approval,'' since Virginia must ``enforce 
Federally authorized environmental programs in a manner that is no less 
stringent than their Federal counterparts. * * * '' The opinion 
concludes that ``[r]egarding Sec.  10.1-1198, therefore, documents or 
other information needed for civil or criminal enforcement under one of 
these programs could not be privileged because such documents and 
information are essential to pursuing enforcement in a manner required 
by Federal law to maintain program delegation, authorization or 
approval.''
    Virginia's Immunity law, Va. Code Sec. 10.1-1199, provides that 
``[t]o the extent consistent with requirements imposed by Federal 
law,'' any person making a voluntary disclosure of information to a 
state agency regarding a violation of an environmental statute, 
regulation, permit, or administrative order is granted immunity from 
administrative or civil penalty. The Attorney General's January 12, 
1998 opinion states that the quoted language renders this statute 
inapplicable to enforcement of any Federally authorized programs, since 
``no immunity could be afforded from administrative, civil, or criminal 
penalties because granting such immunity would not be consistent with 
Federal law, which is one of the criteria for immunity.''
    Therefore, EPA has determined that Virginia's Privilege and 
Immunity statutes will not preclude the Commonwealth from enforcing its 
program consistent with the Federal requirements. In any event, because 
EPA has also determined that a state audit privilege and immunity law 
can affect only state enforcement and cannot have any impact on Federal 
enforcement authorities, EPA may at any time invoke its authority under 
the CAA, including, for example, sections 113, 167, 205, 211 or 213, to 
enforce the requirements or prohibitions of the state plan, 
independently of any state enforcement effort. In addition, citizen 
enforcement under section 304 of the Clean Air Act is likewise 
unaffected by this, or any, state audit privilege or immunity law.

IV. Final Action

    EPA is approving the amendments to the existing air quality 
standards for particulate matter in 9VAC5 Chapter 30 as a revision to 
the Virginia SIP.

V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. General Requirements

    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, 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 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 rule 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

[[Page 81479]]

it will not impose substantial direct costs on tribal governments or 
preempt tribal law.

B. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General

    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. 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).

C. Petitions for Judicial Review

    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 February 28, 2011. 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, amending ambient air quality 
standards for particulate matter, 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, Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate matter, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur oxides.

    Dated: December 14, 2010.
W.C. Early,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region III.

0
40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:

PART 52--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority citation for 40 CFR part 52 continues to read as 
follows:

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

Subpart VV--Virginia

0
2. In Sec.  52.2420, the table in paragraph (c) is amended by revising 
the entries for 5-30-60 and 5-30-65, and adding entries 5-30-15 and 5-
30-66 to read as follows:

Sec.  52.2420  Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *

                                 EPA-Approved Virginia Regulations and Statutes
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                                                         State                              Explanation [former
       State citation            Title/subject      effective date    EPA approval date        SIP  citation]
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                                                  * * * * * * *
----------------------------
9VAC5, Chapter 30            Ambient Air Quality Standards [Part III]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
5-30-15....................  Reference Conditions.          8/1/07  12/28/10 [Insert page  Added section.
                                                                     number where the
                                                                     document begins].
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
5-30-60....................  Particulate Matter             8/1/07  12/28/10 [Insert page  Removed PM10 annual
                              (PM10).                                number where the       standard.
                                                                     document begins].
5-30-65....................  Particulate Matter             8/1/07  12/28/10 [Insert page  Removed PM10
                              (PM2.5).                               number where the       standard.
                                                                     document begins].
5-30-66....................  Particulate Matter             8/1/07  12/28/10 [Insert page  Added section.
                              (PM2.5).                               number where the
                                                                     document begins].
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
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[[Page 81480]]

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[FR Doc. 2010-32487 Filed 12-27-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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