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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 108 (Friday, June 5, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 32026-32029]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-13680]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA-R09-OAR-2015-0228; FRL-9928-07-Region 9]

Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Eastern 
Kern Air Pollution Control District, Mojave Desert Air Quality 
Management District

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct 
final action to approve revisions to the Eastern Kern Air Pollution 
Control District (EKAPCD) and Mojave Desert Air Quality Management 
District (MDAQMD) portions of the California State Implementation Plan 
(SIP). These revisions concern volatile organic compound (VOC) 
emissions from polyester resin operations and oil-water separators. The 
EPA is approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under 
the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

DATES: These rules are effective on August 4, 2015 without further 
notice, unless the EPA receives adverse comments by July 6, 2015. If we 
receive such comments, we will publish a timely withdrawal in the 
Federal Register to notify the public that this direct final rule will 
not take effect.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments, identified by docket number EPA-R09-OAR-
2015-0228 by one of the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-
line instructions.
    2. Email: steckel.andrew@epa.gov.
    3. Mail or deliver: Andrew Steckel (Air-4), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 
94105-3901.
    Instructions: All comments will be included in the public docket 
without change and may be made available online at www.regulations.gov, 
including any personal information provided, unless the comment 
includes Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Information that you 
consider CBI or otherwise protected should be clearly identified as 
such and should not be submitted through www.regulations.gov or email. 
www.regulations.gov is an ``anonymous access'' system, and the EPA will 
not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in 
the body of your comment. If you send email directly to the EPA, your 
email address will be automatically captured and included as part of 
the public comment. If the EPA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the 
EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should 
avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be 
free of any defects or viruses.
    Docket: Generally, documents in the docket for this action are 
available electronically at www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at EPA 
Region IX, 75

[[Page 32027]]

Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105-3901. While all 
documents in the docket are listed at www.regulations.gov, some 
information may be publicly available only at the hard copy location 
(e.g., copyrighted material, large maps), and some may not be publicly 
available in either location (e.g., CBI). To inspect the hard copy 
materials, please schedule an appointment during normal business hours 
with the contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Levin, EPA Region IX, (415) 972-
3848, levin.nancy@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, ``we,'' ``us,'' 
and ``our'' refer to the EPA.

Table of Contents

I. The State's Submittal
    A. What rules did the State submit?
    B. Are there other versions of these rules?
    C. What is the purpose of the submitted rules?
II. EPA's Evaluation and Action
    A. How is the EPA evaluating the rules?
    B. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria?
    C. EPA Recommendations to Further Improve the Rules
    D. Public Comment and Final Action
III. Incorporation by Reference
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. The State's Submittal

A. What rules did the State submit?

    Table 1 lists the rules addressed by this proposal with the dates 
that they were adopted by the local air agencies and submitted by the 
California Air Resources Board.

                                            Table 1--Submitted Rules
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Adopted/
             Local agency                  Rule No.            Rule title             amended        Submitted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EKAPCD................................             432  Polyester Resin               03/13/2014      07/25/2014
                                                         Operations.
MDAQMD................................             464  Oil-Water Separators....      06/23/2014       11/6/2014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On September 11, 2014, the EPA determined that the submittal for 
EKAPCD Rule 432 met the completeness criteria in 40 CFR part 51, 
appendix V, which must be met before formal EPA review. On December 18, 
2014, the EPA determined that the submittal for MDAQMD Rule 464 met the 
completeness criteria in 40 CFR part 51, appendix V.

B. Are there other versions of these rules?

    There are no previous versions of Rule 432 in the SIP. We approved 
an earlier version of Rule 464 into the SIP on September 27, 1995 (60 
FR 49772).

C. What is the purpose of the submitted rules?

    VOCs help produce ground-level ozone and smog, which harm human 
health and the environment. Section 110(a) of the CAA requires States 
to submit regulations that control VOC emissions.
    The purpose of Rule 432 is to reduce VOC emissions from polyester 
resin operations. Rule 432 requires that for open molding processes, 
operators must use materials that comply with limits specified in Table 
1 of the rule. It also sets requirements for non-monomer VOC content 
and for the use of resins containing a vapor suppressant. Rule 432 
requires use of a closed-mold system or installation and operation of a 
VOC emission control system that meets specific requirements, including 
an overall capture and control efficiency of at least 90 percent by 
weight. In addition, the rule sets requirements for touch up, repair, 
and small jobs, spray application, organic solvents used in cleaning 
operations, and solvent storage and disposal. Rule 432 provides 
exemptions for small uses and certain solvent cleaning operations. It 
includes recordkeeping requirements, test methods, and compliance 
schedules.
    The purpose of Rule 464 is to reduce VOC emissions from oil-water 
separators. Revised Rule 464 updates the rule's applicability to 
include additional oil-water separators, specifies cover seal 
tolerances, updates the required overall control efficiency from 90% to 
95%, addresses the processing of oil or tar skimmed from separators, 
reduces the threshold for fugitive leak violations, clarifies 
exemptions, extends the recordkeeping requirement to 5 years, and adds 
test methods.
    EPA's technical support documents (TSDs) have more information 
about these rules.

II. EPA's Evaluation and Action

A. How is the EPA evaluating the rules?

    SIP rules must be enforceable (see CAA section 110(a)(2)), must not 
interfere with applicable requirements concerning attainment and 
reasonable further progress or other CAA requirements (see CAA section 
110(l)), and must not modify certain SIP control requirements in 
nonattainment areas without ensuring equivalent or greater emissions 
reductions (see CAA section 193).
    Guidance and policy documents that we use to evaluate 
enforceability, revision/relaxation and rule stringency requirements 
for the applicable criteria pollutants include the following:

    1. ``Issues Relating to VOC Regulation Cutpoints, Deficiencies, 
and Deviations'' (``the Bluebook,'' U.S. EPA, May 25, 1988; revised 
January 11, 1990).
    2. ``Guidance Document for Correcting Common VOC & Other Rule 
Deficiencies'' (``the Little Bluebook'', EPA Region 9, August 21, 
2001).

    Generally, SIP rules must require Reasonably Available Control 
Technology (RACT) for each category of sources covered by a Control 
Techniques Guidelines (CTG) document as well as each VOC major source 
in ozone nonattainment areas classified as moderate or above (see 
sections 182(b)(2) and 182(f)).
    The EPA has designated the EKAPCD as a Moderate nonattainment area 
for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard and as a Marginal nonattainment area 
for the 2008 8-hour ozone standard. See 40 CFR 81.305. Rule 432 must 
implement RACT for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard because RACT 
requirements apply in areas designated as Moderate or above (i.e., or 
Serious, Severe, or Extreme).
    The EPA has designated a portion of the MDAQMD as a Severe 
nonattainment area for both the 1997 and 2008 8-hour ozone standards. 
Rule 464 must implement RACT because RACT requirements apply in areas 
designated as Moderate or above.

B. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria?

    We believe these rules are consistent with the relevant policy and 
guidance regarding enforceability, RACT, and SIP relaxations. The TSDs 
have more information on our evaluation.

C. The EPA's Recommendations To Further Improve the Rules

    The TSDs describe additional rule revisions that we recommend for 
the

[[Page 32028]]

next time the local agencies modify the rules but are not currently the 
basis for rule disapproval.

D. Public Comment and Final Action

    As authorized in section 110(k)(3) of the Act, the EPA is fully 
approving the submitted rules because we believe they fulfill all 
relevant requirements. We do not think anyone will object to this 
approval, so we are finalizing it without proposing it in advance. 
However, in the Proposed Rules section of this Federal Register, we are 
simultaneously proposing approval of the same submitted rules. If we 
receive adverse comments by July 6, 2015, we will publish a timely 
withdrawal in the Federal Register to notify the public that the direct 
final approval will not take effect and we will address the comments in 
a subsequent final action based on the proposal. If we do not receive 
timely adverse comments, the direct final approval will be effective 
without further notice on August 4, 2015. This will incorporate these 
rules into the federally enforceable SIP.
    Please note that if the EPA receives adverse comment on an 
amendment, paragraph, or section of this rule and if that provision may 
be severed from the remainder of the rule, the EPA may adopt as final 
those provisions of the rule that are not the subject of an adverse 
comment.

III. 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 
EKAPCD and MDAQMD rules described in the amendments to 40 CFR part 52 
set forth below. The EPA has made, and will continue to make, these 
documents generally available electronically through 
www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at the appropriate EPA office (see 
the ADDRESSES section of this preamble for more information).

IV. 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);
     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 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 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. 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 August 4, 2015. 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. Parties with objections to this direct final 
rule are encouraged to file a comment in response to the parallel 
notice of proposed rulemaking for this action published in the Proposed 
Rules section of this Federal Register, rather than file an immediate 
petition for judicial review of this direct final rule, so that the EPA 
can withdraw this direct final rule and address the comment in the 
proposed rulemaking. 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, Ozone, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds.

    Dated: May 8, 2015.
Alexis Strauss,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.

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

PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

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

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

Subpart F--California

0
2. Section 52.220 is amended by adding paragraphs (c)(447)(i)(D) and 
(c)(457)(i)(B) to read as follows:

Sec.  52.220  Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *

[[Page 32029]]

    (447) * * *
    (i) * * *
    (D) Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District.
    (1) Rule 432, ``Polyester Resin Operations,'' adopted on March 13, 
2014.
* * * * *
    (457) * * *
    (i) * * *
    (B) Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District.
    (1) Rule 464, ``Oil-Water Separators,'' amended on June 23, 2014.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2015-13680 Filed 6-4-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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