[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 7939-7941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4327]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
40 CFR Part 70

[AD-FRL-5689-6]


Clean Air Act Final Interim Approval of Operating Permits 
Program; Delegation of Section 112 Standards; State of Maine

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final interim approval.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is promulgating source category-limited interim 
approval of the Operating Permits Program submitted by the State of 
Maine for the purpose of complying with Federal requirements for an 
approvable State program to issue operating permits to all major 
stationary sources, and to certain other sources. EPA is also proposing 
elsewhere in this Federal Register to add a sixth interim approval 
issue which would require Maine to remove some of the activities listed 
as insignificant in the State's rules. See the proposed rulemaking on 
Maine's Title V program.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 24, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the State's submittal and other supporting 
information used in developing the final interim approval are available 
for inspection during normal business hours at the following location: 
Office of Ecosystem Protection, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Region I, One Congress Street, 11th floor, Boston, MA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald Dahl, (617) 565-4298.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Title V of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (sections 501-507 of 
the Clean Air Act (``the Act'')), and implementing regulations at 40 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 70 require that States develop 
and submit operating permits programs to EPA by November 15, 1993, and 
that EPA act to approve or disapprove each program within 1 year after 
receiving the submittal. The EPA's program review occurs pursuant to 
section 502 of the Act and the part 70 regulations, which together 
outline criteria for approval or disapproval. Where a program 
substantially, but not fully, meets the requirements of part 70, EPA 
may grant the program interim approval for a period of up to 2 years. 
If EPA has not fully approved a program by the end of an interim 
program, it must establish and implement a Federal program.
    On September 19, 1996, EPA proposed interim approval of the 
operating permits program for the State of Maine. See 61 FR 49289. The 
EPA received comments from the Town of Jay on the proposal. In this 
document EPA is taking final action to promulgate interim approval of 
the operating permits program for the State of Maine. In addition, EPA 
is also proposing in this Federal Register to add a sixth interim 
approval issue in response to the comment from the Town of Jay and 
information submitted by other parties concerned about Jay's comment.

II. Response to Comments

    The comments received on EPA's September 19, 1996 proposal to grant 
interim approval to the Maine Program and EPA's response to those 
comments are as follows:
    Comment: The Town of Jay believes that EPA should require the State 
of Maine to remove six activities from the State's list of 
insignificant activities. The six activities are: (1) Paper forming; 
(2) vacuum system exhaust; (3) liquor clarifier and storage tanks and 
associated pumping, piping, and handling; (4) stock cleaning and 
pressurized pulp washing; (5) broke beaters, repulpers, pulp and 
repulping tanks, stock chests and bulk pulp handling; and (6) sewer 
manholes, junction boxes, sumps and lift stations associated with 
wastewater treatment systems.
    Response: Based on the Town's comment and other information EPA has 
received concerning this issue, EPA is proposing in this Federal 
Register to require the State of Maine to remove the six activities 
listed above from its list of insignificant activities. Please refer to 
the proposed action elsewhere in this Federal Register for a discussion 
of this issue.

III. Final Action

    The EPA is promulgating source category-limited interim approval of 
the operating permits program submitted by the State of Maine on 
October 23, 1995. The State must make the changes specified in the 
proposed rulemaking, under II.B., Proposed Action, in order to be 
granted full approval. See 61 FR 49292-49293 (September 19, 1996) for a 
complete discussion of those conditions. In brief they are: (1) Failure 
to allow for Section 502(b)(10) changes; (2) failure to require 
processing ``Part 70 Minor Change'' within 90 days; (3) allowing a 
change at a facility, defined as ``Part 70 Minor Revision,'' that could 
increase emissions up to 4 tons per year of a regulated pollutant or 8 
tons per year for all regulated pollutants to be processed without EPA 
or affected state review; (4) allowing a facility, under limited 
circumstances, to continue to emit up to the previous licensed level 
for up to 24 months after the license is amended; and (5) allowing an 
activity that emits between 1 and 4 tons of hazardous air pollutants to 
be classified as insignificant.
    The scope of the State of Maine's Part 70 program approved in this 
document applies to all Part 70 sources (as defined in the approved 
program) within the State of Maine, except any sources of air pollution 
over which an Indian Tribe has jurisdiction. See, e.g., 59 FR 55813, 
55815-18 (Nov. 9, 1994). The term ``Indian Tribe'' is defined under the 
Act as ``any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or 
community, including any Alaska Native village, which is Federally 
recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided 
by the United States to Indians because of their status as

[[Page 7940]]

Indians.'' See section 302(r) of the CAA; see also 59 FR 43956, 43962 
(Aug. 25, 1994); 58 FR 54364 (Oct. 21, 1993). EPA is taking no position 
in this notice on the question whether any Indian Tribe located in 
Maine has jurisdiction over sources of air pollution.
    This interim approval extends until March 22, 1999. During this 
interim approval period, the State of Maine is protected from 
sanctions, and EPA is not obligated to promulgate, administer and 
enforce a Federal operating permits program in the State of Maine. 
Permits issued under a program with interim approval have full standing 
with respect to part 70, and the 1-year time period for submittal of 
permit applications by subject sources begins upon the effective date 
of this interim approval, as does the 3-year time period for processing 
the initial permit applications.
    If the State of Maine fails to submit a complete corrective program 
for full approval by September 21, 1998, EPA will start an 18-month 
clock for mandatory sanctions. If the State of Maine then fails to 
submit a corrective program that EPA finds complete before the 
expiration of that 18-month period, EPA will be required to apply one 
of the sanctions in section 179(b) of the Act, which will remain in 
effect until EPA determines that the State of Maine has corrected the 
deficiency by submitting a complete corrective program. If, six months 
after application of the first sanction, the State of Maine still has 
not submitted a corrective program that EPA has found complete, a 
second sanction will be required.
    If EPA disapproves the State of Maine's complete corrective 
program, EPA will be required to apply one of the section 179(b) 
sanctions on the date 18 months after the effective date of the 
disapproval, unless prior to that date the State of Maine has submitted 
a revised program and EPA has determined that it corrected the 
deficiencies that prompted the disapproval. If, six months after EPA 
applies the first sanction, the State of Maine has not submitted a 
revised program that EPA has determined corrects the deficiencies, a 
second sanction is required.
    In addition, discretionary sanctions may be applied where warranted 
any time after the expiration of an interim approval period if the 
State of Maine has not timely submitted a complete corrective program 
or EPA has disapproved its submitted corrective program. Moreover, if 
EPA has not granted full approval to the State of Maine program by the 
expiration of this interim approval, since the expiration would occur 
after November 15, 1995, EPA would be required to promulgate, 
administer and enforce a Federal permits program for the State of Maine 
upon interim approval expiration.
    Requirements for approval, specified in 40 CFR 70.4(b), encompass 
section 112(l)(5) requirements for approval of a program for delegation 
of section 112 standards as promulgated by EPA as they apply to Part 70 
sources. Section 112(l)(5) requires that the State's program contain 
adequate authorities, adequate resources for implementation, and an 
expeditious compliance schedule, which are also requirements under part 
70. As discussed in the September 19, 1996 proposal to approve Maine's 
authority to take delegation of section 112 standards, Maine submitted 
a supplemental letter dated June 24, 1996 addressing the 112(l)(5) 
requirements for area/minor sources. Therefore, the EPA is also 
promulgating approval under section 112(l)(5) and 40 CFR 63.91 of the 
State's program for receiving delegation of section 112 standards that 
are unchanged from Federal standards as promulgated. This program for 
delegations applies to sources covered by the Part 70 program as well 
as area/minor sources.

IV. Administrative Requirements

A. Docket

    Copies of the State's submittal and other information relied upon 
for the final interim approval, including comments received by the 
State of Maine and reviewed by EPA on the proposal, are contained in 
the docket maintained at the EPA Regional Office. The docket is an 
organized and complete file of all the information submitted to, or 
otherwise considered by, EPA in the development of this final interim 
approval. The docket is available for public inspection at the location 
listed under the ADDRESSES section of this document.

B. 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 April 22, 1997. 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).)

C. Executive Order 12866

    The Office of Management and Budget has exempted this action from 
Executive Order 12866 review.

D. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The EPA's actions under section 502 of the Act do not create any 
new requirements, but simply address operating permits programs 
submitted to satisfy the requirements of 40 CFR part 70. Because this 
action does not impose any new requirements, it does not have a 
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.

E. Unfunded Mandates

    Under sections 202 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(``Unfunded Mandates Act''), 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 
the 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.
    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 pre-
existing requirements under State or local law, and imposes no new 
Federal requirements. Accordingly, no additional costs to State, local, 
or tribal governments, or to the private sector, result from this 
action. Additionally, it will not cost $100 million to operate or 
comply with this program.

F. Submission to Congress and the General Accounting Office

    Under 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 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 the rule in today's Federal Register. This rule is not a 
``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

[[Page 7941]]

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 70

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Air pollution control, Intergovernmental relations, Operating permits, 
and Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: February 5, 1997.
John P. DeVillars,
Regional Administrator, Region I.

    Part 70, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as 
follows:

PART 70--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for Part 70 continues to read as follows:

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

    2. Appendix A to Part 70 is amended by adding the entry for Maine 
in alphabetical order to read as follows:

Appendix A to Part 70--Approval Status of State and Local Operating 
Permits Programs

* * * * *

Maine

    (a) Department of Environmental Protection: submitted on October 
23, 1995; source category-limited interim approval effective on 
March 24, 1997; source category-limited interim approval expires 
March 22, 1999.
    (b) [Reserved]
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[FR Doc. 97-4327 Filed 2-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P