Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 101 / Wednesday, May 26, 2010 / Notices 29537 

1 40 CFR 93.102(b)(1) defines PM2.5 and PM10 as 

particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than or 

equal to a nominal 2.5 and 10 micrometers, 

respectively. 

2EPA’s new motor vehicle emissions model, 

MOVES2010, was released in December 2009 and 

is capable of performing project-level emissions 

analyses from on-road sources. MOVES2010 will be 

approved for use in quantitative PM hot-spot 

analyses in areas outside of California when this 

draft guidance is finalized. 

3 In May 2006, the Environmental Defense Fund, 

Natural Resources Defense Council, and Sierra Club 

challenged the March 2006 final rule 

(Environmental Defense et al. v. Environmental 

Protection Agency, No. 06–1164 (DC Cir.)). On May 

19, 2007, petitioners and EPA entered into a 

settlement agreement in which EPA agreed to 

publish a Federal Register notice announcing the 

availability of the draft guidance for public 

comment for a period of at least 30 days. 

4EPA stated in the March 2006 final rule that the 

PM hot-spot modeling guidance would ‘‘consider 

how projects of air quality concern are predicted to 

impact air quality at existing and potential PM2.5

monitor locations which are appropriate to allow 

the comparison of predicted PM2.5 concentrations to 

the current PM2.5 standards, based on PM2.5 monitor 

siting requirements (40 CFR Part 58).’’ (71 FR 12471) 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[FRL–9153–6] 

Draft Transportation Conformity 

Guidance for Quantitative Hot-spot 

Analyses in PM2.5 and PM10

Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice of Availability; Request 

for Public Comment. 

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the 

availability of a draft transportation 

conformity guidance document for 

public comment. Once finalized, this 

guidance would help state and local 

agencies complete quantitative PM2.5

and PM10 hot-spot analyses for projectlevel transportation conformity 

determinations of certain highway and 

transit projects. A hot-spot analysis 

includes an estimation of project-level 

emissions, air quality modeling, and a 

comparison to the relevant national 

ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) 

in PM2.5 and PM10 nonattainment and 

maintenance areas. The U.S. 

Department of Transportation (DOT) is 

EPA’s federal partner in implementing 

the transportation conformity 

regulation, and EPA coordinated with 

DOT on the development of this draft 

guidance. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before July 19, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may 

obtain a copy of the draft guidance from 

EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air 

Quality Web site at: http:// 

www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/ 

transconf/olicy.htm 

EPA will accept comments as follows: 

E-mail: Comments can be sent 

electronically to the following e-mail 

address: PMhotspot-comments@epa.gov 

Mail: Comments sent by mail should 

be addressed to Meg Patulski, State 

Measures and Conformity Group, 

Transportation and Regional Programs 

Division, U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann 

Arbor, MI 48105. 

Fax: Comments can also be faxed to 

the attention of Meg Patulski at (734) 

214–4052. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meg 

Patulski, State Measures and Conformity 

Group, Transportation and Regional 

Programs Division, U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood 

Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, e-mail 

address: patulski.meg@epa.gov, 

telephone number: (734) 214–4842, fax 

number: (734) 214–4052. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

contents of this notice are listed in the 

following outline: 

I. What Is Transportation Conformity? 

II. Background on the Draft Guidance 

III. What Is in the Draft Guidance? 

IV. Request for Comments 

I. What Is Transportation Conformity? 

Transportation conformity is required 

under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 

176(c) (42 U.S.C. 7506(c)) to ensure that 

transportation plans, transportation 

improvement programs (TIPs) and 

federally supported highway and transit 

projects are consistent with (‘‘conform 

to’’) the purpose of the state air quality 

implementation plan (SIP). Conformity 

to the purpose of the SIP means that 

transportation activities will not cause 

or contribute to new air quality 

violations, worsen existing violations, or 

delay timely attainment of the relevant 

national ambient air quality standard(s) 

(NAAQS) or any interim milestones. 

Transportation conformity applies to 

areas that are designated nonattainment 

and those areas redesignated to 

attainment after 1990 (‘‘maintenance 

areas’’) for transportation-related criteria 

pollutants: Carbon monoxide (CO), 

ozone, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and 

particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10).1

EPA’s transportation conformity rule 

(40 CFR Parts 51 and 93) establishes the 

criteria and procedures for determining 

whether transportation activities 

conform to the SIP. EPA first 

promulgated the transportation 

conformity rule on November 24, 1993 

(58 FR 62188) and has subsequently 

published several amendments. 

II. Background on the Draft Guidance 

The conformity rule includes a 

specific requirement that certain 

transportation projects be analyzed for 

local air quality impacts (a ‘‘hot-spot’’ 

analysis), in addition to other 

conformity requirements. In its March 

10, 2006 final rule (71 FR 12468), EPA 

stated that quantitative PM2.5 and PM10

hot-spot analyses would not be required 

until EPA releases hot-spot modeling 

guidance and an appropriate motor 

vehicle emissions model is available to 

conduct such hot-spot analyses.2 For 

projects where a hot-spot analysis is 

required, the conformity rule requires a 

qualitative PM hot-spot analysis until 

EPA releases guidance on how to 

conduct quantitative PM hot-spot 

analyses and announces in the Federal 

Register that these requirements are in 

effect (40 CFR 93.123(b)). In addition, 

today’s draft PM hot-spot modeling 

guidance is being released for public 

comment to comply with EPA’s 

obligations under a settlement 

agreement.3

In keeping with the commitment EPA 

made in its March 2006 final rule (71 FR 

12502), this draft guidance was 

developed in coordination with DOT 

(Federal Highway Administration and 

Federal Transit Administration) and 

with several transportation conformity 

stakeholder groups. In addition, EPA 

also worked with the California Air 

Resources Board (CARB) and the 

California Department of Transportation 

(Caltrans) to develop the portions of the 

guidance relating to the use of CARB’s 

EMFAC2007 model in California. 

III. What Is in the Draft Guidance? 

The draft PM hot-spot modeling 

guidance describes conformity 

requirements for quantitative PM hotspot analyses; provides technical 

guidance on estimating project 

emissions using EPA’s MOVES2010 

model, California’s EMFAC2007 model, 

and other methods; and outlines how to 

apply air quality dispersion models for 

quantitative PM hot-spot analyses. The 

draft guidance also discusses how to 

calculate design values for comparison 

to each PM NAAQS, as well as how to 

determine which air quality modeling 

receptors may or may not be appropriate 

for PM hot-spot analyses.4 The draft 

guidance also describes how the 

interagency consultation process should 

be used to develop quantitative hot-spot 

analyses in PM2.5 and PM10

nonattainment and maintenance areas. 

In addition, the draft guidance includes 

other resources and examples to assist 

in conducting quantitative PM hot-spot 

modeling analyses. However, the draft 


wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with NOTICES_PART 1
29538 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 101 / Wednesday, May 26, 2010 / Notices 

guidance does not change transportation 

conformity rule requirements for hotspot analyses, such as what types of 

projects are subject to hot-spot analyses. 

EPA notes that the guidance, once 

finalized, would help implement 

existing requirements in the CAA and 

conformity rule and is not a regulation. 

IV. Request for Comments 

EPA is seeking comment on all 

aspects of the draft PM hot-spot 

modeling guidance. In particular, EPA is 

seeking comments on the following: 

(1) Does the draft guidance provide 

sufficient information on how to 

configure and run MOVES2010 and 

EMFAC2007 at the project level? 

(2) Do the air quality modeling 

sections of the draft guidance and 

references to other existing documents 

provide sufficient detail for air quality 

modelers to conduct PM hot-spot 

analyses using AERMOD or 

CAL3QHCR? 

(3) Is there sufficient information in 

the draft guidance to calculate design 

values and determine appropriate 

receptors? If not, what additional 

information is necessary? 

(4) Are there issues that the draft 

guidance does not address that should 

be addressed in the final guidance or in 

other EPA efforts? 

(5) What types of outreach, training, 

and other technical assistance would be 

helpful in implementing the final 

guidance? 

EPA encourages those submitting 

comments to provide specific details 

and/or examples wherever possible. 

Dated: May 17, 2010. 

Margo Tsirigotis Oge, 

Director, Office of Transportation and Air 

Quality. 

[FR Doc. 2010–12607 Filed 5–25–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OPP–2010–0001; FRL–8825–1] 

SFIREG Full Committee; Notice of 

Public Meeting 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Association of American 

Pesticide Control Officials (AAPCO)/ 

State FIFRA Issues Research and 

Evaluation Group (SFIREG) Full 

Committee will hold a 2–day meeting, 

beginning on June 21, 2010 and ending 

June 22, 2010. This notice announces 

the location and times for the meeting 

and sets forth the tentative agenda 

topics. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Monday, June 21, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. 

to 5 p.m. and 8:30 a.m to 12 noon on 

Tuesday, June 22, 2010. 

To request accommodation of a 

disability, please contact the person 

listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATON

CONTACT, preferably at least 10 days 

prior to the meeting, to give EPA as 

much time as possible to process your 

request. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

EPA. One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.) 

2777 Crystal Dr., Arlington VA. 1st 

Floor South Conference Room. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron 

Kendall, Field and External Affairs 

Division (7506P), Office of Pesticide 

Programs, Environmental Protection 

Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 

Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone 

number: (703) 305–5561 fax number: 

(703) 308–1850; e-mail address: 

kendall.ron@epa.gov, or Grier Stayton, 

SFIREG Executive Secretary, P.O. Box 

466, Milford DE 19963; telephone 

number: (302) 422–8152; fax (302) 422– 

2435; e-mail address: aapcosfireg@comcast.net. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information 

A. Does this Action Apply to Me? 

You may be potentially affected by 

this action if you are interested in 

SFIREG information exchange 

relationship with EPA regarding 

important issues related to human 

health, environmental exposure to 

pesticides, and insight into EPA’s 

decision-making process. You are 

invited and encouraged to attend the 

meetings and participate as appropriate. 

Potentially affected entities may 

include, but are not limited to: 

Those persons who are or may be 

required to conduct testing of chemical 

substances under the Federal Food, 

Drug and Cosmetics Act (FFDCA), or the 

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 

Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). 

B. How Can I Get Copies of this 

Document and Other Related 

Information? 

1. Docket. EPA has established a 

docket for this action under docket ID 

number EPA–HQ–OPP–2010–0001. 

Publicly available docket materials are 

available either in the electronic docket 

at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only 

available in hard copy, at the Office of 

Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory 

Public Docket in Rm. S–4400, One 

Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. 

Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The hours of 

operation of this Docket Facility are 

from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, excluding legal 

holidays. The Docket Facility telephone 

number is (703) 305–5805. 

2. Electronic access. You may access 

this Federal Register document 

electronically through the EPA Internet 

under the ‘‘Federal Register’’ listings at 

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr. 

II. Background 

1. Regional Report Questions and 

Discussion - Issue Paper Introduction. 

2. EQI and POM WC Reports. 

3. ASPCRO Issues Update. 

4. AAPSE Issues Update. 

5. TPPC Issues Update. 

6. PPDC Update. 

7. Drift PR Notice. 

8. Lab Directors PREP Report. 

9. NPDES Status/Update. 

10. Soil Fumigant Update/Label 

Review. 

11. DfE Criteria/Survey for success. 

12. Label Directions - Applicator 

Interpretation. 

13. OECA/OPP Updates. 

14. EPA Product Label Quality 

Assurance Update. 

15. Issue Papers - Reg 10 

Communication - Case Referrals and 

Product Quality Issues, status updates. 

III. How Can I Request to Participate in 

this Meeting? 

This meeting is open for the public to 

attend. You may attend the meeting 

without further notification. 

List of Subjects 

Environmental protection, Pesticides 

and pests. 

Dated: May 10, 2010. 

William R. Diamond, 

Director, Field and External Affairs Division, 

Office of Pesticide Programs. 

[FR Doc. 2010–12270 Filed 5–25–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–S 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OPP–2010–0178; FRL–8828–2] 

Spirotetramat; Receipt of Application 

for Emergency Exemption and 

Solicitation of Public Comment 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: EPA has received a specific 

exemption request from the Nevada 

Department of Agriculture to use the 

pesticide spirotetramat (CAS No. 


wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with NOTICES_PART 1