[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 235 (Thursday, December 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62845-62846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29895]



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[[Page 62846]]


ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5342-4]


Acid Rain Program: Status of State Acid Rain Programs

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Title IV of the Clean Air Act requires EPA to establish the 
Acid Rain Program to reduce the adverse environmental and public health 
effects of acidic deposition. Under titles IV and V of the Act, state 
and local permitting authorities develop and administer acid rain 
programs as part of their title V operating permits programs. The 
purpose of this notice is to (1) provide a status report on the 
progress of specific state and local permitting authorities in 
establishing regulatory authority to issue acid rain permits, (2) 
describe in general terms the degree to which state and local 
permitting authorities can currently take part in acid rain permit 
issuance given the current status of their title V programs and (3) to 
identify which permitting authorities should receive Phase II acid rain 
permit applications (due January 1, 1996) from designated 
representatives of affected sources. This notice is for informational 
purposes only and does not supplant any other Federal Register notices 
under title V.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Miller, U.S. EPA, Acid Rain 
Division (6204J), 401 M St., SW, Washington, DC 20460, (202) 233-9077.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 29, 1995, the Acid Rain Division 
issued guidance describing the extent to which permitting authorities 
could participate in the acid rain permit issuance process given the 
status of their title V programs, including the acid rain portion. The 
guidance outlined criteria by which acid rain permitting authorities 
are grouped into one of three categories, `A,' `B,' or `C.'
    Category A permitting authorities have EPA-approved title V 
programs with acid rain regulations that are sufficient for issuing 
Phase II acid rain permits covering sulfur dioxide. Such permits must 
be issued no later than December 31, 1997.
    Category B permitting authorities have not yet received final EPA 
approval of their title V programs and acid rain regulations, and so 
cannot yet issue acid rain permits. However, they have sufficient 
regulatory authority to perform completeness reviews and process Phase 
II acid rain permits up to issuance of draft permits. Most category B 
permitting authorities are expected to receive final EPA approval of 
their title V programs and their acid rain regulations sometime in 
1996. If, as anticipated, their title V programs and acid rain 
regulations are approved by January 1, 1997, they will be the 
permitting authorities for issuing acid rain permits to sources within 
their respective jurisdictions.
    Category C permitting authorities have also not yet received EPA 
approval of their title V programs, but have not yet established a 
sufficient degree of regulatory authority, e.g., because they lack 
final title V and acid rain regulations or because their title V 
programs have been rejected. Category C permitting authorities will 
issue the Phase II acid rain permits if their title V programs and acid 
rain regulations are approved by January 1, 1997. If not, then EPA 
intends to begin to take steps to issue the initial Phase II acid rain 
permits.
    The designated representatives of affected sources within the 
jurisdiction of permitting authorities in categories A or B should 
submit the original Phase II acid rain permit application and all 
required copies to the appropriate state or local permitting authority. 
The application should not be submitted to EPA. The designated 
representatives of affected sources with state or local permitting 
authorities in category C must submit the original Phase II acid rain 
permit application and 1 copy to the appropriate EPA Regional office 
and two copies to their respective state or local permitting authority.
    The status of state and local acid rain programs is noted on a 
document updated weekly on EPA's Technology Transfer Network (TTN) and 
is available for downloading under the ``Clean Air Act,'' ``Title IV,'' 
``Policy and Guidance,'' subdirectories, entitled ``ARDGUID.WPF.''
    As of November 15, 1995, the status of state and local permitting 
authorities with regard to acid rain is as follows:

Region 1

Category A: None
Category B: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Category C: Connecticut, Maine

Region 2

Category A: None
Category B: New Jersey
Category C: New York

Region 3

Category A: West Virginia
Category B: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C.
Category C: Virginia

Region 4

Category A: Florida, South Carolina
Category B: Alabama (including the city of Huntsville and Jefferson 
Co.), Georgia, Kentucky (including Jefferson and Memphis-Shelby Cos.), 
Mississippi, North Carolina (including Western North Carolina), 
Tennessee (including Chattanooga-Hamilton, Knox, and Nashville-Davidson 
Cos.)
Category C: None

Region 5

Category A: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Category B: Michigan, Ohio
Category C: None

Region 6

Category A: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico (including the city of 
Albuquerque)
Category B: Oklahoma, Texas
Category C: None

Region 7

Category A: Iowa, Nebraska (including Lincoln-Lancaster and Omaha-
Douglas Cos.)
Category B: Kansas, Missouri
Category C: None

Region 8

Category A: North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah
Category B: Colorado, Montana, Wyoming
Category C: None

Region 9

Category A: Bay Area, Imperial Co., Monterey Bay, North Coast (all in 
California), Clark Co. (in Nevada)
Category B: Arizona (including Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal Cos.) Mojave 
Desert, San Diego Co., San Luis Obispo Co., South Coast, Ventura Co. 
(all in California), Nevada
Category C: None

Region 10

Category A: Oregon, Washington (including Northwest, Olympic, Puget 
Sound, Southwest, Spokane, Benton-Franklin, and Yakima)
Category B: Idaho
Category C: None

    Dated: November 21, 1995.
Brian J. McLean,
Director, Acid Rain Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, Office of 
Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 95-29895 Filed 12-6-95; 8:45 am]
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