Source: http://thefederalregister.com/2012/10/29/2012-26528.html
Timestamp: 2018-09-18 21:18:44
Document Index: 49889936

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 50', 'art 50', 'art 50', 'art 58', 'art 58', 'art 58', 'art 58', 'art 50', 'art 50', 'art 50', 'art 58', 'art 58', 'art 1']

Federal Register | Determination of Attainment for the San Francisco Bay Area No
[EPA-R09-OAR-2012-0782; FRL-9747-1]
SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to determine that the San Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area in California has attained the 2006 24-hour fine particle (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). This proposed determination is based upon complete, quality-assured, and certified ambient air monitoring data showing that this area has monitored attainment of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5NAAQS based on the 2009-2011 monitoring period. EPA is further proposing that, if EPA finalizes this determination of attainment, the requirements for this area to submit an attainment demonstration, together with reasonably available control measures (RACM), a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, and contingency measures for failure to meet RFP and attainment deadlines shall be suspended for so long as the area continues to attain the 2006 24-hour PM2.5NAAQS.
EPA is proposing to determine that the San Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area has clean data for the 2006 24-hour NAAQS for fine particles (generally referring to particles less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers in diameter, PM2.5). This determination is based upon complete, quality-assured, and certified ambient air monitoring data showing the area has monitored attainment of the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS based on 2009-2011 monitoring data. Preliminary data in EPA's Air Quality System (AQS) for 2012 indicate that the area continues to attain the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS. Based on this determination, we are also proposing to suspend the obligations on the State of California to submit certain state implementation plan (SIP) revisions related to attainment of this standard for this area for as long as the area continues to attain the standard.
Under section 109 of the Clean Air Act (CAA or “Act”), EPA has established national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or “standards”) for certain pervasive air pollutants (referredto as “criteria pollutants”) and conducts periodic reviews of the NAAQS to determine whether they should be revised or whether new NAAQS should be established.
Effective December 14, 2009, EPA established the initial air quality designations for most areas in the United States for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5NAAQS. See 74 FR 58688; (November 13, 2009). Among the various areas designated in 2009, EPA designated the San Francisco Bay Area2 in California as nonattainment for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5NAAQS.3 The boundaries for this area are described in 40 CFR 81.305.
2The San Francisco Bay Area PM2.5nonattainment area includes southern Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara and the western part of Solano counties.
Within three years of the effective date of designations, states with areas designated as nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS are required to submit SIP revisions that, among other elements, provide for implementation of reasonably available control measures (RACM), reasonable further progress (RFP), attainment of the standard as expeditiously as practicable but no later than five years from the nonattainment designation (in this instance, no later than December 14, 2014), as well as contingency measures. See CAA section 172(a)(2), 172(c)(1), 172(c)(2), and 172(c)(9). Prior to the due date for submittal of these SIP revisions, the State of California requested that EPA make a determination that the San Francisco Bay Area4 nonattainment area has attained the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS and determine that attainment-related SIP submittal requirements are not applicable for as long as the area continues to attain the standard. Today's proposal responds to the State's request.
4On December 8, 2011, James Goldstene, Executive Officer of the California Air Resources Board, submitted a request to Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA Region IX, to find the San Francisco Bay Area PM2.5nonattainment area had attained the 2006 24-hour PM2.5NAAQS.
Under EPA regulations in 40 CFR part 50, section 50.13 and in accordance with appendix N, the 2006 24-hour PM2.5standard is met when the design value is less than or equal to 35 µg/m3(based on the rounding convention in 40 CFR part 50, appendix N) at each monitoring site within the area.5 The PM2.524-hour average is considered valid when 75 percent of the hourly averages for the 24-hour period are available. Data completeness requirements for a given year are met when at least 75 percent of the scheduled sampling days for each quarter have valid data.
5The PM2.524-hour standard design value is the 3-year average of annual 98th percentile 24-hour average values recorded at each monitoring site [see 40 CFR part 50, appendix N, section 1.0(c)], and the 24-hour PM2.5NAAQS is met when the 24-hour standard design value at each monitoring site is less than or equal to 35 µg/m3.
In the San Francisco Bay Area PM2.5nonattainment area, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) is the agency responsible for monitoring ambient air quality.6 BAAQMD submits annual monitoring network plans to EPA. These plans describe the monitoring network operated by BAAQMD in the San Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area and discuss the status of the air monitoring network, as required under 40 CFR 58.10.
6The BAAQMD is one of four monitoring agencies in California designated as a Primary Quality Assurance Organization.
Since 2007, EPA regularly reviews these annual plans for compliance with the applicable reporting requirements in 40 CFR part 58. With respect to PM2.5, EPA has found that the area's network plans operated by BAAQMD meet the applicable requirements under 40 CFR part 58. See EPA letters to BAAQMD approving its annual network plans for years 2009, 2010, and 2011.7 EPA also concluded8 from its Technical System Audit of the BAAQMD Primary Quality Assurance Organization (conducted during the summer of 2009), that the ambient air monitoring network operated by BAAQMD currently meets or exceeds the requirements for the minimum number of SLAMS for PM2.5in the San Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area. BAAQMD annually certifies that the data it submits to AQS are complete and quality-assured.9
7Letter from Joe Lapka, Acting Manager, Air Quality Analysis Office, U.S. EPA Region IX, to Gary Kendall, Director of Technical Services, BAAQMD (December 17, 2009) (approving “2008 Air Monitoring Network Report”); Letter from Matthew Lakin, Manager, Air Quality Analysis Office, U.S. EPA Region IX, to Eric Stevenson, Director of Technical Services, BAAQMD (November 1, 2010) (approving the “2009 Air Monitoring Network Review for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District”); Letter from Matthew Lakin, Manager, Air Quality Analysis Office, U.S. EPA Region IX, to Eric Stevenson, Director of Technical Services, BAAQMD (October 31, 2011) (approving BAAQMD's “2010 Air Monitoring Network Report”).
8Letter from Deborah Jordan, Director, Air Division, U.S. EPA Region IX, to Jack Broadbent, Air Pollution Control Officer, BAAQMD, transmitting “System Audit of the Ambient Monitoring Program: Bay Area Air Quality Management District, May 26-June 4, 2009,” with enclosure, January 18, 2011.
9See, e.g., letter from Jack Broadbent, Executive Officer, BAAQMD, to Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA Region IX, certifying calendar year 2011 ambient air quality data and quality assurance data, April 18, 2012.
There were 10 PM2.5SLAMS located throughout the San Francisco Bay Area PM2.5nonattainment area in calendar years 2009, 2010, and 2011. EPA defines specific monitoring site types and spatial scales of representativeness to characterize the nature and location of required monitors. Eight of the sites have a spatial scale of neighborhood scale,10 and the monitoring objective is population exposure. Two of the sites (i.e., Oakland (AQS ID 06-001-0009) and San Rafael (AQS ID 06-041-0001)) have a spatial scale of middle scale,11 and the monitoring objective is population exposure.12
10In this context, “neighborhood” spatial scale defines concentrations within some extended area of the city that has relatively uniform land use with dimensions in the 0.5 to 4.0 kilometers range. See 40 CFR part 58, appendix D, section 1.2.
11In this context, “middle” spatial scale defines the concentration typical of areas up to several city blocks in size with dimensions ranging from about 100 meters to 0.5 kilometer. See 40 CFR part 58, appendix D, section 1.2.
12See BAAQMD's2010 Air Monitoring Network Report(July 1, 2011); U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Monitor Description Report, October 15, 2012.
Consistent with the requirements contained in 40 CFR part 50, we have reviewed the quality-assured, and certified PM2.5ambient air monitoring data as recorded in AQS for the applicable monitoring period collected at the monitoring sites in the San Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area and have determined that the data are complete except for the PM2.5data collected at the San Rafael monitoring site.13 With respect to the San Rafael site, PM2.5monitoring began in the last quarter of 2009 and was complete for that one quarter. In 2010, valid samples were collected on only 72% of the scheduled sampling days at the San Rafael monitor during the third quarter of 2010 (July, August, and September) resulting in a data set for the third quarter that does not meet the completeness criterion of 75%. All other quarters of data collected at San Rafael in 2010, and all quarters in 2011 met data completeness requirements. Given that the BAAQMD operates more than the minimum number of PM2.5monitoring sites in the San Francisco Bay Area,14 the overall completeness of data from all sites (other than the San Rafael site), and the limited nature of the incomplete data set from the San Rafael site during the low PM2.5concentration season, we believe that the data set compiled from the PM2.5monitoring network is sufficient for the purposes of determining whether the San Francisco Bay Area has attained the PM2.5NAAQS. See 40 CFR part 50, appendix N, section 4.2(b).
13In March, 2012, a community group based in Marin County, California, brought to EPA's attention PM2.5data collected in Marin County that was not available in AQS. EPA has reviewed information associated with this monitoring. The monitoring was collected with private, non-Federal Reference Method/Federal Equivalent Method (FRM/FEM) monitors over approximately three months in both winter 2010/2011 and winter 2011/2012. EPA concludes that the monitoring does not meet 40 CFR part 50, appendix L or 40 CFR part 58, and are therefore not appropriate for regulatory use. EPA acknowledges the concerns raised by the community group over wood smoke impacts in sheltered inland valleys during the winter months. Information on additional steps BAAQMD is taking to address wood smoke impacts is described in BAAQMD's September 20, 2012 letter from Jean Roggenkamp, Deputy Air Pollution Control Officer, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, to Amy Zimpfer, U.S. EPA Region IX.
14Under EPA monitoring regulations, the minimum number of PM2.5monitoring sites in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is two, but the BAAQMD operates six such monitoring sites within the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont MSA portion of the San Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area, including the San Rafael site.
EPA's evaluation of whether the San Francisco Bay Area PM2.5nonattainment area has attained the 2006 24-hour PM2.5NAAQS is based on our review of the monitoring data and takes into account the adequacy15 of the PM2.5monitoring network in the nonattainment area and the reliability of the data collected by the network as discussed in the previous section of this document.
15Meets the requirements of 40 CFR part 58.
Table 1 shows the PM2.5design values for the San Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area monitors based on ambient air quality monitoring data for the most recent complete three-year period (2009-2011). The data show that the design value for the 2009-2011 period was equal to or less than 35 μg/m3at the monitors.
Therefore, we are proposing to determine, based on the complete, quality-assured data for 2009-2011, that the San Francisco Bay Area has attained the 2006 24-hour PM2.5standard. Preliminary data available in AQS for 2012 indicate that the area continues to attain the standard.
Table 1—2009-2011 24-Hour PM2.5Monitoring Sites and Design Values for the San Francisco Bay Area Nonattainment Area Monitoring site AQS Site
Livermore 06-001-0007 30.7 26.5 27.0 28 Oakland 06-001-0009 24.7 21.7 28.0 25 Concord 06-013-0002 29.2 26.8 24.4 27 San Rafael 06-041-0001 a34.1 b31.0 25.0 b30 San Francisco 06-075-0005 29.4 24.4 26.4 27 Redwood City 06-081-1001 28.0 24.8 24.2 26 Gilroy 06-085-0002 25.1 19.6 22.1 22 San Jose 06-085-0005 29.8 29.2 30.5 30 Vallejo 06-095-0004 33.5 22.8 31.0 29 Santa Rosa 06-097-0003 23.2 22.2 25.9 24 aPM2.5monitoring at the San Rafael site began in the last quarter of 2009. bDoes not meet data completeness requirements. Source: Design Value Report, August 10, 2012 (in the docket to this proposed action).
IV. How does EPA's Clean Data Policy apply to this action? A. Application of EPA's Clean Data Policy to the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS
In April 2007, EPA issued its PM2.5Implementation Rule for the 1997 PM2.5standard. 72 FR 20586; (April 25, 2007). In March, 2012, EPA published implementation guidance for the 2006 PM2.5standard.SeeMemorandum from Stephen D. Page, Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, “Implementation Guidance for the 2006 24-Hour Fine Particle (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)” (March 2, 2012). In that guidance, EPA stated its view “that the overall framework and policy approach of the 2007 PM2.5Implementation Rule continues to provide effective and appropriate guidance on the EPA's interpretation of the general statutory requirements that states should address in their SIPs. In general, the EPA believes that the interpretations of the statute in the framework of the 2007 PM2.5Implementation Rule are relevant to the statutory requirements for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5NAAQS * * *.”Id.,page 1. With respect to the statutory provisions applicable to 2006 PM2.5implementation, the guidance emphasized that “EPA outlined its interpretation of many of these provisions in the 2007 PM2.5Implementation Rule. In addition to regulatory provisions, the EPA provided substantial general guidance for attainment plans for PM2.5in the preamble to the final the [sic] 2007 PM2.5Implementation Rule.”Id.,page 2. In keeping with the principles set forth in the guidance, and with respect to the effect of a determination of attainment for the 2006 PM2.5standard, EPA is applying the same interpretation with respect to the implications of clean data determinations that it set forth in the preamble to the 1997 PM2.5standard and in the regulation that embodies this interpretation. 40 CFR 51.1004(c).16 EPA has long applied this interpretation in regulations and individual rulemakings for the 1-hour ozone and 1997 8-hour ozone standards, the PM-10 standard, and the lead standard.
The Clean Data Policy represents EPA's interpretation that certain requirements of subpart 1 of part D ofthe Act are by their terms not applicable to areas that are currently attaining the NAAQS.17 As explained below, the specific requirements that are inapplicable to an area attaining the standard are the requirements to submit a SIP that provides for: Attainment of the NAAQS; implementation of all reasonably available control measures; reasonable further progress (RFP); and implementation of contingency measures for failure to meet deadlines for RFP and attainment.
A component of the attainment plan specified under section 172(c)(1) is the requirement to provide for “the implementation of all reasonably available control measures as expeditiously as practicable” (RACM). Since RACM is an element of the attainment demonstration,seeGeneral Preamble (57 FR 13560), for the same reason the attainment demonstration no longer applies by its own terms, RACM also no longer applies to areas that EPA has determined have clean air. Furthermore, EPA has consistently interpreted this provision to require only implementation of such potential RACM measures that could advance attainment.18 Thus, where an area is already attaining the standard, no additional RACM measures are required. EPA's interpretation that the statute requires only implementation of the RACM measures that would advance attainment was upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Sierra Clubv.EPA,314 F.3d 735, 743-745, 5th Cir. 2002) and by the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (Sierra Clubv.EPA,294 F.3d 155, 162-163, D.C. Cir. 2002).See alsothe final rulemakings for Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley, Pennsylvania, 66 FR 53096 (October 19, 2001) and St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois, 68 FR 25418 (May 12, 2003).
EPA is proposing to determine that the San Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area in California has attained the 2006 24-hour PM2.5standard based on the most recent three years of complete, quality-assured, and certified data for 2009-2011. Preliminary data available in AQS for 2012 show that this area continues to attain the standard.
EPA further proposes that, if its proposed determination of attainment is made final, the requirements for the San Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area to submit an attainment demonstration and associated RACM, a RFP plan, contingency measures, and any other planning SIPs related to attainment of the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS would be suspended for so long as the area continues to attain the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS. EPA's proposal is consistent and in keeping with its long-held interpretation of CAA requirements, as well as with EPA's regulations for similar determinations for ozone (see40 CFR 51.918) and the 1997 fine particulate matter standards (see40 CFR 51.1004(c)). As described below, any such determination would not be equivalent to the redesignation of the area to attainment for the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS.
If the San Francisco Bay Area nonattainment area continues to monitor attainment of the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS, EPA proposes that the requirements for the area to submit anattainment demonstration and associated RACM, a RFP plan, contingency measures, and any other planning requirements related to attainment of the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS will remain suspended. If this proposed rulemaking is finalized and EPA subsequently determines, after notice-and-comment rulemaking in theFederal Register, that the area has violated the 2006 PM2.5NAAQS, the basis for the suspension of the attainment planning requirements for the area would no longer exist, and the area would thereafter have to address such requirements.