[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 231 (Tuesday, December 2, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 63658-63662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31408]



[[Page 63658]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[LA35-1-7305a; FRL-5928-2]


Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans, 
Louisiana; Reasonable Available Control Technology for Emissions of 
Volatile Organic Compounds

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this action, the EPA is conditionally approving in part, 
and fully approving in part, revisions to the Louisiana State 
Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions incorporate regulations to 
control Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions from major stationary 
sources by means of Reasonable Available Control Technology (RACT). The 
major stationary source category controlled by the conditionally 
approved regulation is Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing 
Industry (SOCMI) batch processes. The major stationary source 
categories controlled by the fully approved regulations are SOCMI 
reactors, SOCMI distillation, and industrial cleanup solvents. The 
intended effect of these rules is to reduce VOC emissions into the 
ambient air and thereby reduce ground-level ozone concentrations. Both 
EPA's full and conditional approval of these regulations makes them 
federally enforceable.
    The full approval of the revisions to the SIP to control VOC 
emissions from the batch processes source category is contingent upon 
the State of Louisiana submitting a revision of the single unit 
operation exemptions of the SOCMI batch processing rule. If the State 
fails to submit a revision to the batch processing rule within one year 
of the conditional approval of these SIP revisions, the conditional 
approval will convert to a disapproval.
    In the proposed rules section of today's Federal Register, the EPA 
is proposing and seeking public comment on the same conditional and 
final approvals of the Louisiana SIP that are discussed in this notice. 
If adverse comments are received on these approvals, the EPA will 
withdraw the direct final rule and address the comments received in a 
subsequent final rule, based on the related proposed rule. No 
additional opportunity for public comment will be provided.

DATES: This action is effective on February 2, 1998 unless adverse or 
critical comments are received by January 2, 1998. If the effective 
date is delayed, a timely notice will be published in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on this action should be addressed to Mr. 
Thomas Diggs, Chief, Air Planning Section (6PD-L), at the EPA Region 6 
Office listed below.
    Copies of the documents relevant to this action are available for 
public inspection during normal business hours at the following 
locations. Interested persons wanting to examine these documents should 
make an appointment with the appropriate office at least two working 
days in advance.
    Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, Air Planning Section 
(6PD-L), Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division, Region 6, Dallas, 
1445 Ross Avenue, Texas 75202-2733, telephone: (214) 665-7214.
    Air Quality Division, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality 
(LDEQ), 7290 Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810, 
telephone: (504) 765-7247.
    Documents which are incorporated by reference are available for 
public inspection at the Air and Radiation Docket and Information 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Eaton R. Weiler, Air Planning 
Section (6PD-L), Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, 
Texas 75202-2733, telephone: (214) 665-2174.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

A. Background of VOC RACT Rule Requirements

    Section 172 of the Clean Air Act (the Act) as amended in 1990, 
entitled Nonattainment Plan Provisions in General, requires that states 
adopt RACT rules for major stationary sources of VOCs located in ozone 
nonattainment areas. The RACT is defined as the lowest emission 
limitation that a particular source is capable of meeting by the 
application of control technology that is reasonably available, 
considering technological and economic feasibility as defined in 44 FR 
53761 (September 17, 1979). In accordance with section 108 of the Act, 
the EPA publishes Control Technique Guideline (CTG) documents in order 
to assist the States in developing RACT rules for source categories. 
The CTGs provide information on available air pollution control 
techniques and provide recommendations on what the EPA considers the 
``presumptive norm'' for RACT.
    Sections 182(b)(2) and 182(c) of the Act as amended in 1990 require 
States to adopt RACT rules for three general groups of major stationary 
sources of VOCs located in ozone nonattainment areas designated as 
moderate or above. The first group consists of sources covered by an 
existing CTG (a CTG issued prior to the enactment of the 1990 Act 
amendments). The second group consists of sources covered by a CTG 
issued after the enactment of the 1990 Act amendments. These CTGs are 
referred to as ``post-enactment'' CTGs. The third group consists of 
major sources not covered by a CTG. These sources are referred to as 
``non-CTG'' sources.
    Under section 302(j), the Act defines major source as any source 
which has the potential to emit 100 tons per year or more of any air 
contaminant unless otherwise expressly provided. Under section 182(c), 
a major source is defined as any source which is located in an area 
designated as a serious ozone non-attainment area and has the potential 
to emit 50 tons per year or more of VOCs. Therefore, in the Baton Rouge 
five parish serious ozone nonattainment area, a major source definition 
is the potential to emit 50 tons per year or more of VOCs.
    Under section 183 of the Act as amended in 1990, entitled Federal 
Ozone Measures, the EPA is required to issue CTGs for 13 source 
categories by November 15, 1993. Two specific source categories are 
listed under section 183: aerospace coatings and solvents, and 
shipbuilding operations. The other 11 categories are listed in 57 FR 
18077 (April 28, 1992) and are as follows:

    1. SOCMI distillation.
    2. SOCMI reactors.
    3. Wood furniture.
    4. Plastic parts business machines.
    5. Plastic parts coating (other).
    6. Offset lithography.
    7. Industrial wastewater.
    8. SOCMI batch processing.
    10. Volatile Organic Liquid (VOL) storage tanks.
    11. Clean-up solvents.

    To date, CTGs have been published for four of the thirteen source 
categories: SOCMI distillation, SOCMI reactors, wood furniture, and 
shipbuilding. As described in a January 20, 1994 memorandum from John 
Seitz, Director of the EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards, the EPA plans to make available Alternative Control 
Technology (ACT) documents for the CTG source categories for which CTG 
documents have not yet been published.

[[Page 63659]]

These ACT documents provide much of the same information as the CTG 
documents, however, instead of establishing a presumptive norm for RACT 
rule, these documents provide options for control.
    On April 28, 1992 (57 FR 18077), the EPA interpreted the Act to 
allow a State to submit a non-CTG rule by November 15, 1992, or to 
defer submittal of a RACT rule for sources that the State anticipated 
would be covered by a post-enactment CTG. For post-enactment CTGs, the 
amended Act requires States to submit RACT rules in accordance with the 
schedule specified in the corresponding CTG document. If the EPA failed 
to issue a CTG by November 15, 1993, the responsibility shifted to the 
State to submit a non-CTG RACT rule for those sources by November 15, 
1994.

B. Negative Declarations

    In agreement with EPA policy, if there are no major sources of VOC 
emissions in a CTG source category located in a nonattainment area, the 
State should submit a formal statement of the nonexistence of such 
major sources, i.e., a negative declaration. On April 6 and June 20, 
1994, the State of Louisiana submitted letters of negative declaration 
for the following CTG source categories: aerospace coatings and 
solvents, shipbuilding operations, offset lithography, plastic parts--
business machines, plastic parts--other, and wood furniture. The EPA 
approved these letters on October 30, 1996, in 61 FR 55894. A CTG 
document was published in April 1996, for wood furniture which lowered 
the threshold for a source to be considered major in the wood furniture 
source category to 25 tons per year or more in an ozone nonattainment 
area. On January 28, 1997, the State of Louisiana submitted a letter of 
negative declaration for the wood furniture category based on the lower 
major source threshold.

II. State Submittal

    On December 15, 1995, the State of Louisiana submitted to the EPA 
five sets of rules which require six source categories to apply RACT to 
VOC emissions from major stationary sources located in the Baton Rouge 
ozone nonattainment area. In Louisiana, the following five parishes 
areas are designated as serious: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, 
Iberville, Livingston, and West Baton Rouge. The applicable source 
categories are VOL tank storage, SOCMI reactors, SOCMI distillation, 
SOCMI batch processes, industrial wastewater, and industrial cleanup 
solvents. The rules also apply to Pointe Coupee Parish and Calcasieu 
Parish, formerly serious and marginal ozone nonattainment areas, 
respectively. These rules were published in the Louisiana Register on 
April 20, September 20, and November 20, 1995.
    No action is being taken on the industrial wastewater portion of 
the December 15, 1995, submittal. The EPA has identified provisions 
which are deficient with respect to EPA guidance. In short, the EPA has 
concerns with the rule provisions which are followed to determine the 
characteristics of the wastewater stream, and the testing requirements 
for biological treatment units.
    The EPA has previously approved Louisiana's RACT rule for VOL tank 
storage, 33 Louisiana Administrative Code (LAC) 2103, on October 22, 
1996 (61 FR 57470) as part of the 15% rate of progress plan submitted 
to the EPA on December 15, 1995.

III. Analysis of State Submittal

A. Industrial Cleaning Solvents

    Chapter 21 of 33 LAC has been amended to include Section 2157, (33 
LAC 2157) Limiting Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Cleanup 
Solvent Processing. Section 2157 is intended to incorporate regulations 
which represent RACT for the cleanup solvents CTG-source category.
    Facilities affected are those which emit or have the potential to 
emit 50 tons per year or more of VOCs, and which use solvents in one or 
more of the following nine solvent-cleaning operations: spray gun 
cleaning, spray booth cleaning, large manufactured components cleaning, 
equipment cleaning, floor cleaning, line cleaning, parts cleaning, tank 
cleaning, and small manufactured components cleaning. Geographically, 
these rules apply to the five parish Baton Rouge ozone nonattainment 
area, and Pointe Coupee and Calcasieu Parishes.
    To assist State agencies in developing rules to limit emission of 
VOCs which result from industrial cleaning with organic solvents, in 
February 1994, the EPA published the ACT document titled Industrial 
Cleaning Solvents (EPA-453/R-94-015). The ACT document does not provide 
a model regulation or a recommended emission limit representing RACT. 
The ACT document does provide considerable information on feasible RACT 
options which States can use to define their own RACT levels.
    The ACT document recommends the application of an accounting system 
which tracks the use, fate, and associated costs (purchase and 
disposal) of the cleanup solvents. The accounting system should utilize 
the Unit Operations System (UOS) approach. A UOS is defined as the 
ensemble of equipment around which a material balance is performed and 
includes all possible points/sources from which losses to the 
atmosphere could occur as a result of them being cleaned. Completion of 
the material balance around a UOS requires measurement of all input and 
output VOC-based liquid solvent streams. The difference between these 
streams may be assumed to have evaporated as solvent emissions. The UOS 
ensembles for the nine solvent-operations listed above are described in 
Appendix C of the ACT document.
    Another control option discussed in the ACT document is to require 
major sources to conduct intensive, short-term studies of solvent types 
and uses. The study would review purchase records, distribution 
sources, cleanup operations, recycling records and waste disposal 
records. The study would identify potential VOC usage reductions such 
as cleaning solvent changes and equipment changes.
    Utilizing the information gained from the implementation of the UOS 
accounting system, the ACT document recommends the State require major 
sources to submit individual solvent reduction plans.
    Section 2157 of 33 LAC incorporates, as requirements, the control 
options outlined in the above listed ACT document. The regulation is 
approvable as RACT for the cleanup solvents CTG-source category.
    Section 2157 of 33 LAC, requires affected facilities to implement 
the following actions: conduct a three-month intensive study of solvent 
types and usage, utilize accounting on a unit operation system and, 
submit plans to the administrative authority to reduce VOC emissions. 
As an alternative to submitting reduction plans, the owner or operator 
of affected facilities may report the controls and/or work practices 
deemed to be Maximum Achievable Control Technology.
    These submitted plans become State enforceable upon approval. A 
violation of 33 LAC 2157 occurs if the affected facility does not meet 
the state-approved solvent reduction target.

B. Batch Processes

1. EPA Analysis
    Chapter 21 of 33 LAC has been amended to include Section 2149, (33 
LAC 2149) Limiting Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Batch 
Processing. Section 2149 is intended to incorporate regulations which 
represent

[[Page 63660]]

RACT for the batch processing CTG-source category.
    Facilities affected are those which emit or have the potential to 
emit 50 tons per year or more of VOCs, and fall into one of the 
following Standard Industrial Classification code categories: plastic 
materials and resins (2821), pharmaceuticals (2833 and 2834), gum and 
wood chemicals (2861), cyclic crudes and intermediates (2865), 
industrial organic chemicals (2869), and agricultural chemicals (2879). 
Geographically, these rules apply to the five parish Baton Rouge ozone 
nonattainment area, and Pointe Coupee and Calcasieu Parishes.
    To assist State agencies in developing rules to limit emission of 
VOCs which result from batch processes, in February 1994, the EPA 
published the ACT document titled Control of Volatile Organic Compound 
Emissions from Batch Processes (EPA-453/R-93-017). The ACT document 
provides a model regulation representing RACT, as well as providing 
considerable information on emissions, controls, control options, and 
costs that States can use in developing RACT regulations.
    In developing a batch processing RACT regulation, the State of 
Louisiana closely followed the model rule provided in the ACT. The 
purpose of most of the changes from the model rule is to make the 
regulations more explicit. All changes are insignificant except the 
change to single-unit operation exemptions as discussed below.
    As a change to the model rule's single unit operation exemptions, 
the State replaced the 500-pound annual emission exemption with the 
following annual emission exemptions for specific unit operations: 1800 
lbs. for reactors, 1200 lbs. for holding tanks, and 8700 lbs. for 
centrifuges. No justification for the revised levels of these 
thresholds was provided. Furthermore, by deleting the general single 
unit operation exemption and including only three specific unit 
operation exemptions, all other unit operations not listed would not be 
exempt for analyses no matter how low the level of annual emissions.
2. State Commitment of Revision
    On June 17, 1997, the LDEQ submitted a letter committing to revise, 
within one year of the date of the publication of this Federal Register 
conditional approval, the single unit operation exemptions of the batch 
processing rule.
    The revision would eliminate the individual process single unit 
operation exemptions and set the overall single unit operation 
exemption to 500 lb./yr. or less. The revision would also incorporate 
language which more explicitly defines the control requirements.
3. EPA Conclusion
    With the exception of the single unit operation exemption as 
discussed above, 33 LAC 2149, incorporates as requirements, the control 
options outlined in the above listed ACT document. With the letter 
committing to revise Section 2149(b)(2), single unit operation 
exemptions, the regulation is conditionally approvable as RACT for the 
batch processing CTG source category.
C. SOCMI Distillation and Reactors
    Chapter 21 of 33 LAC, has been amended to include Section 2147, (33 
LAC 2147) Limiting Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Reactor 
Processes and Distillation Operations in the Synthetic Organic Chemical 
Manufacturing Industry. Section 2147 is intended to incorporate 
regulations which represent RACT for both the SOCMI reactors and SOCMI 
distillation source categories.
    Facilities affected are those which emit or have the potential to 
emit 50 tons per year or more of VOCs, and have the Standard Industrial 
Major Code 28 classification, Chemicals And Allied Products. 
Geographically, these rules apply to the five parish Baton Rouge ozone 
nonattainment area, and Pointe Coupee and Calcasieu Parishes.
    To assist State agencies in developing rules to limit emission of 
VOCs which result from batch processes, in August 1993 the EPA 
published the CTG document entitled Control of Volatile Organic 
Compound Emissions from Reactor Processes and Distillation Operations 
Processes in the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry. As 
well as providing considerable information on emissions, controls, and 
costs that the States can use in developing RACT regulations, the CTG 
provides a model regulation representing RACT. In developing a SOCMI 
distillation and reactor regulation, the State of Louisiana closely 
followed the model rule provided in the CTG. The purpose of most of the 
changes from the model rule is to make the regulations more explicit. 
All changes are unsubstantive except the change made to the flow rate 
exemption as discussed below.
    As a change to the model rule flow-rate exemption, the State raised 
the minimum control flow rate from 0.0085 to 0.011 standard cubic 
meters per minute. This change was made to the model rule to be 
consistent with the new source performance standards for reactor 
processes, 40 CFR 60.700(c)(4). In this way, the RACT rule will not be 
more stringent than the performance standards for new sources for 
reactor processes. The EPA finds this revision acceptable.
    Section 2149 of 33 LAC incorporates as requirements, the control 
options outlined in the above listed CTG document. The regulation is 
approvable as RACT for the SOCMI reactor and SOCMI distillation source 
categories.

IV. Final Action

    By this action, the EPA is conditionally approving in part and 
fully approving in part the revisions to the Louisiana SIP submitted on 
December 15, 1995. The EPA is conditionally approving the revisions to 
the SIP to control VOC emissions utilizing RACT from the SOCMI batch 
processing source category. The EPA is fully approving in the revisions 
to the SIP to control VOC emissions utilizing RACT from the following 
major source categories: SOCMI distillation, SOCMI reactor, and clean-
up solvents. The EPA is also approving the letter of negative 
declaration for the wood furniture major source category from the LDEQ 
dated January 21, 1997.
    The full approval of the revision to control VOC emissions 
utilizing RACT from the batch processing source category is contingent 
upon the State of Louisiana submitting a revision to the single unit 
operation exemptions rule. If the State fails to submit a revision to 
the batch processing rule within one year of the conditional approval 
of these SIP revisions, the conditional approval will convert to a 
disapproval.
    With the approval of these rules, the applicable requirements 
relating to RACT rules of the 12 of the 13 CTG source categories have 
been met. The industrial wastewater source category is the only 
remaining CTG source category for which no action has been taken. This 
source category will be handled in a separate rulemaking action.
    The EPA is publishing this action without prior proposal because 
the Agency views this as a noncontroversial amendment and anticipates 
no adverse comments. However, in a separate document in this Federal 
Register publication, EPA is proposing to approve the SIP revision 
should adverse or critical comments be filed. This action will be 
effective on February 2, 1998, unless, by January 2, 1998, adverse or 
critical comments are received.
    If EPA receives such comments, this action will be withdrawn before 
the effective date by publishing a subsequent action that will withdraw

[[Page 63661]]

the final action. All public comments received will be addressed in a 
subsequent final rule based the proposed rule in today's Federal 
Register, which incorporate by reference the discussion in this direct 
final action. The EPA will not institute a second comment period on 
this action. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should 
do so at this time. If no such comments are received, the public is 
advised that this action will be effective February 2, 1998.
    Nothing in this action should be construed as permitting or 
allowing or establishing a precedent for any future request for 
revision to any SIP. Each request for revision to the SIP shall be 
considered separately in light of specific technical, economic, and 
environmental factors and in relation to relevant statutory and 
regulatory requirements.

V. Administrative Requirements

A. Executive Order (E.O.) 12866

    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted this 
regulatory action from E.O. 12866 review.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 600 et seq., EPA 
must prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis assessing the impact of 
any proposed or final rule on small entities. See 5 U.S.C. 603 and 604. 
Alternatively, EPA may certify that the rule will not have a 
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. Small 
entities include small businesses, small not-for-profit enterprises, 
and government entities with jurisdiction over populations of less than 
50,000.
    The SIP approvals under section 110 and subchapter I, part D of the 
Act do not create any new requirements but simply approve requirements 
that the State is already imposing. Therefore, because the Federal SIP 
approval does not impose any new requirements, I certify that it does 
not have a significant impact on any small entities affected. Moreover, 
due to the nature of the Federal-State relationship under the Act, 
preparation of a flexibility analysis would constitute Federal inquiry 
into the economic reasonableness of State action. The Act forbids EPA 
to base its actions concerning SIPs on such grounds. See Union Electric 
Co. v. U.S. EPA, 427 U.S. 246, 255-66 (1976); 42 U.S.C. 7410(a)(2).
    Conditional approvals of SIP submittals under section 110 and 
subchapter I, part D of the Act do not create any new requirements but 
simply approve requirements that the State is already imposing. 
Therefore, because the Federal SIP approval does not impose any new 
requirements, I certify that it does not have a significant impact on 
any small entities affected. Moreover, due to the nature of the 
Federal-State relationship under the Act, preparation of a flexibility 
analysis would constitute Federal inquiry into the economic 
reasonableness of State action. The Act forbids EPA to base its actions 
concerning SIPs on such grounds. See Union Electric Co. v. U.S. EPA, 
427 U.S. 246, 255-66 (1976); 42 U.S.C. 7410(a)(2).
    If the conditional approval is converted to a disapproval under 
section 110(k), based on the State's failure to meet the commitment, it 
will not affect any existing State requirements applicable to small 
entities. Federal disapproval of the State submittal does not affect 
its State-enforceability. Moreover, EPA's disapproval of the submittal 
does not impose a new Federal requirement. Therefore, EPA certifies 
that this disapproval action does not have a significant impact on a 
substantial number of small entities because it does not remove 
existing requirements nor does it substitute a new Federal requirement.

C. Unfunded Mandates

    Under section 202 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, 
signed into law on March 22, 1995, EPA must prepare a budgetary impact 
statement to accompany any proposed or final rule that includes a 
Federal mandate that may result in estimated costs to State, local, or 
Tribal governments in the aggregate; or to private sector, of $100 
million or more. Under section 205, EPA must select the most cost-
effective and least burdensome alternative that achieves the objectives 
of the rule and is consistent with statutory requirements. Section 203 
requires EPA to establish a plan for informing and advising any small 
governments that may be significantly or uniquely impacted by the rule.
    The EPA has determined that the approval action promulgated does 
not include a Federal mandate that may result in estimated costs of 
$100 million or more to either State, local, or Tribal governments in 
the aggregate, or to the private sector. This Federal action approves 
preexisting requirements under State or local law, and imposes no new 
requirements. Accordingly, no additional costs to State, local, or 
Tribal governments, or to the private sector, result from this action.

D. Submission to Congress and the General Accounting Office

    Under 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) as added by the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, EPA submitted a report 
containing this rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, 
the U.S. House of Representatives and the Comptroller General of the 
General Accounting Office prior to publication of this rule in today's 
Federal Register.
    This rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

E. Petitions for Judicial Review

    Under section 307(b)(1) of the Act, petitions for judicial review 
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for 
the appropriate circuit by February 2, 1998. Filing a petition for 
reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect 
the finality of this rule 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, Hydrocarbons, 
Incorporation by reference, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Volatile organic compounds.

    Note: Incorporation by reference of the SIP for the State of 
Louisiana was approved by the Director of the Federal Register on 
July 1, 1982.

    Dated: November 10, 1997.
Lynda F. Carroll,
Acting Regional Administrator.

    Part 52, chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is 
amended as follows:

PART 52--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation of part 52 continues to read as follows:

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

Subpart T--Louisiana

    2. Section 52.970 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(74) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 52.970  Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (c) *  *  *
    (74) Revisions to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality 
Regulation Title 33, Part III, Chapter 21,

[[Page 63662]]

Control of Emission of Organic Compounds, submitted by the Governor on 
December 15, 1995.
    (i) Incorporation by reference.
    (A) LAC, Title 33, Part III, Chapter 21, Section 2147, Limiting 
Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Reactor Processes and 
Distillation Operations in the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing 
Industry, adopted in the Louisiana Register on April 20, 1995 (LR 
21:380).
    (B) LAC, Title 33, Part III, Chapter 21, Section 2149, Limiting 
Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Batch Processing, adopted in 
the Louisiana Register on April 20, 1995 (LR 21:387).
    (C) LAC, Title 33, Part III, Chapter 21, Section 2151, Limiting 
Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Cleanup Solvent Processing, 
adopted in the Louisiana Register on April 20, 1995 (LR 21:391).
    (ii) Additional material.
    (A) Letter of negative declaration for wood furniture dated January 
21, 1997, from the State of Louisiana Department of Environmental 
Quality.
    3. Section 52.994 is amended by designating the existing text as 
paragraph (a) and adding paragraph (b) to read as follows:


Sec. 52.994  Conditional approvals.

* * * * *
    (b) Reasonable Available Control Technology for the Synthetic 
Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry Batch Processing Source 
Category. A letter dated June 17, 1997 from the Assistant Secretary of 
the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to the EPA Regional 
Administrator commits the State to make corrections in LAC 
33.III.2149.A.2.b to restore the general single unit operation 
exemption to 500 pounds per year or less. The State commits to make the 
above rule change within one year from the Federal Register publication 
of the conditional approval of the batch processing Reasonable 
Available Control Technology rule.

[FR Doc. 97-31408 Filed 12-1-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P