The EPA Regional Administrator, Jared Blumenfeld signed the following proposed rule on March 30, 2015 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, http://fdsys.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/home.action, 

and on www.regulations.gov in Docket Number EPA-R09-OAR-2014-0256.

Billing Code: 6560-50-P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

40 CFR Part 52 

[EPA-R09-OAR-2014-0256; FRL-____-_ 

Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Arizona; 

Phased Discontinuation of Stage II Vapor Recovery Program 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing 

to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision from the 

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality related to the 

removal of “Stage II” vapor recovery equipment at gasoline 

dispensing facilities in the Phoenix-Mesa area. Specifically, 

the EPA is proposing to approve a SIP revision that eliminates 

the requirement to install and operate such equipment at new 

gasoline dispensing facilities, and that provides for the phased 

removal of such equipment at existing gasoline dispensing 

facilities from October 2016 through September 2018. The EPA has 

previously determined that onboard refueling vapor recovery is 

in widespread use nationally and waived the stage II vapor 

recovery requirement. The EPA is proposing to approve this SIP 

revision because the resultant short-term incremental increase 
This document is a prepublication version signed by EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld on March 30, 

2015. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version.

2 

in emissions would not interfere with attainment or maintenance 

of the national ambient air quality standards or any other 

requirement of the Clean Air Act and because it would avoid 

longer-term increases in emissions from the continued operation 

of stage II vapor recovery equipment at gasoline dispensing 

facilities in the Phoenix-Mesa area. 

DATES: Comments must be received by [INSERT DATE 30 DAYS AFTER 

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket No. EPAR09-OAR-2014-0256, by one of the following methods:

1. Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 

Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. 

2. E-mail: Jeffrey Buss at buss.jeffrey@epa.gov. 

3. Fax: Jeffrey Buss, Air Planning Office (AIR-2), at fax 

number 415-947-3579. 

4. Mail: Jeffrey Buss, Air Planning Office (AIR-2), U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne, 

San Francisco, California 94105. 

5. Hand or Courier Delivery: Jeffrey Buss, Air Planning 

Section (AIR-2), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Region IX, 75 Hawthorne, San Francisco, California 94105. 

Such deliveries are only accepted during the Regional 
This document is a prepublication version signed by EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld on March 30, 

2015. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version.

3 

Office’s normal hours of operation. Special arrangements 

should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R09-

OAR-2014-0256. EPA's policy is that all comments received 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 information 

claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 

information the disclosure of which is restricted by statute. 

Do not submit information through www.regulations.gov or e-mail 

that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected from 

disclosure. The www.regulations.gov website is an anonymous 

access system, which means the EPA will not know your identity 

or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your 

comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to the EPA 

without going through www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address 

will be automatically captured and included as part of the 

comment that is placed in the public docket and made available 

on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, the EPA 

recommends that you include your name and other contact 

information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CDROM you submit. If the EPA cannot read your comment due to 

technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, 
This document is a prepublication version signed by EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld on March 30, 

2015. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version.

4 

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: All documents in the docket are listed in the 

www.regulations.gov index. 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, will be publicly 

available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials 

are available either electronically in www.regulations.gov or in 

hard copy at the Air Planning Office (AIR-2), U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San 

Francisco, California 94105. The EPA requests that if at all 

possible, you contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER 

INFORMATION CONTACT section to schedule your inspection during 

normal business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Buss, Office of Air 

Planning, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, (415) 

947-4152, e-mail: buss.jeffrey@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the “Rules and Regulations” 

section of this Federal Register, the EPA is approving the State 

of Arizona’s Stage II vapor recovery SIP revision in a direct 

final action without prior proposal because we believe this SIP 
This document is a prepublication version signed by EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld on March 30, 

2015. We have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this version, but it is not the official version.

5 

revision is not controversial. A detailed rationale for the 

approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If we receive 

adverse comments, however, we will publish a timely withdrawal 

of the direct final rule and address the comments in a 

subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. 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. 

We do not plan to open a second comment period, so anyone 

interested in commenting should do so at this time. If we do not 

receive adverse comments, no further activity is planned. For 

further information, see please see the direct final action. 

Dated: _March 30, 2015._ ________//signed//_________ 

Jared Blumenfeld, 

Regional Administrator, 

Region IX.