Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2011/03/30/2011-6670/prevention-of-significant-deterioration-psd-and-nonattainment-new-source-review-nsr-reconsideration
Timestamp: 2019-03-22 10:16:11
Document Index: 651896342

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 51', 'art 51', 'art 2', 'arts 51', 'arts 51', 'arts 51', 'arts 51', 'art 9', 'arts 51', 'arts 51', 'arts 51', 'arts 51', '§\u200951', '§\u200951', 'art 51', '§\u200952']

A Rule by the Environmental Protection Agency on 03/30/2011
17548-17556 (9 pages)
EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0014: FRL-9280-8
A. Why is EPA staying, reinstating, or revising, as appropriate, the regulatory text in specific paragraphs affected by the Fugitive Emissions Rule?
B. Why is EPA issuing an interim rule?
C. What specific revisions are being made?
IV. Fugitive Emissions Rule Reconsideration
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2011-6670 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2011-6670
Interim rule; stay and revisions.
EPA is taking an interim action to effectuate and extend a stay of the final rule entitled “Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR): Reconsideration of Inclusion of Fugitive Emissions” (“Fugitive Emissions Rule”) published in the Federal Register on December 19, 2008. The Fugitive Emissions Rule under the Federal NSR program required that fugitive emissions be included in determining whether a physical or operational change results in a major modification only for sources in designated industries. EPA issued a stay of the Fugitive Emissions Rule on March 31, 2010, that was effective for 18 months through October 3, 2011. This action supersedes the stay and thereby corrects potential confusion caused by that stay. To effectuate a stay of the Fugitive Emissions Rule, this action clarifies the stay and the revisions of specific paragraphs in the NSR regulations that were affected by the Fugitive Emissions Rule. This action also extends the stay until EPA completes its reconsideration of the Fugitive Emissions Rule.
Effective date: This interim rule is effective March 30, 2011.
The administrative stay of provisions in 40 CFR 51.165, 51.166, Appendix S to part 51, and 40 CFR 52.21 published on March 31, 2010 (75 FR 16012) is lifted; and
The following Code of Federal Regulations sections are stayed indefinitely: 40 CFR 51.165(a)(1)(v)(G) and (a)(1)(vi)(C)(3); 51.166(b)(2)(v) and (b)(3)(iii)(d); Appendix S to Part 51, Paragraph II.A.5(vii); and 52.21(b)(2)(v) and (b)(3)(iii)(c). The EPA will publish a document in the Federal Register lifting this stay.
Comment date: Comments must be received on or before April 29, 2011.
Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-Start Printed Page 17549OAR-2004-0014, by one of the following methods:
Mail: Air and Radiation Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail code 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Mr. Peter Keller, Air Quality Policy Division, (C504-03), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number (919) 541-5339; fax number (919) 541-5509; or e-mail address: keller.peter@epa.gov.
Entities potentially affected by this action also include state, local, and tribal governments.
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit information containing CBI to EPA through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. Send or deliver information identified as CBI only to the following address: Mr. Roberto Morales, OAQPS Document Control Officer (C404-02), U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, Attention: Docket ID EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0014. Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or CD ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM as CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD ROM the specific information that is Start Printed Page 17550claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
In addition to being available in the docket, an electronic copy of this interim rule will also be available on the World Wide Web. Following signature by the EPA Administrator, a copy of this interim rule will be posted in the regulations and standards section of our NSR home page located at http://www.epa.gov/​nsr.
On December 19, 2008, EPA (“we”) issued a final rule revising the requirements of the major NSR programs regarding the treatment of fugitive emissions (“Fugitive Emissions Rule”) 73 FR 77882. The final rule required fugitive emissions to be included in determining whether a physical or operational change results in a major modification only for sources in industries that have been designated through rulemaking under section 302(j) of the Clean Air Act (Act or CAA). Previously, EPA rules required that fugitive emissions be included in major modification applicability determinations for all source categories. The final rule amended all portions of the major NSR program regulations: Permit requirements, the PSD program, and the emission offset interpretive ruling.
On February 17, 2009, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) submitted a petition for reconsideration of the December 2008 final rule as provided for in CAA 307(d)(7)(B).[1]
On April 24, 2009, we responded to the February 17, 2009, petition by letter indicating that we were convening a reconsideration proceeding for the December 2008 rule on inclusion of fugitive emissions challenged in the petition and granting a 3-month administrative stay of the rule contained in the federal NSR program at 40 CFR parts 51 and 52. The letter also indicated that we would publish a notice of proposed rulemaking “in the near future” to address the specific issues for which we were granting reconsideration.[2]
The initial 3-month administrative stay of the Fugitive Emissions Rule became effective on September 30, 2009. See 74 FR 50115. An interim final rule extending the stay for an additional 3 months became effective on December 31, 2009. See 74 FR 65692. An additional 18 month stay was finalized on March 31, 2010, and ends on October 3, 2011. See 75 FR 16012. That stay was put in place to allow sufficient time for EPA to propose, take public comment on, and issue a final action concerning the inclusion of fugitive emissions in the Federal NSR program.
The initial stay of the Fugitive Emissions Rule, put in place on September 30, 2009, may have caused confusion as to the scope of the stay. In staying the Fugitive Emissions Rule, EPA reinstated the NSR regulations as they existed prior to the Fugitive Emissions Rule. In particular, we stated: “To effectuate this stay of the December 19, 2008, rule, we are reinstating previous provisions on a temporary basis.” See 74 FR at 50115-16. In several cases, however, paragraphs of the affected regulations in 40 CFR 51.165, 40 CFR 51.166, 40 CFR 51 Appendix S, and 40 CFR 52.21 appeared to be stayed in their entirety rather than amended to undo the changes made by the Fugitive Emissions Rule as intended. The subsequent extensions of the stay used the same terms as the stay published on September 30, 2009, and accordingly did not correct the ambiguity created by the original promulgation of the stay. This action clarifies the regulations to accurately reflect EPA's intent to revert back to the regulation text that existed prior to the Fugitive Emissions Rule amendments to the Federal NSR regulations.
We are issuing an interim rule to effectuate a stay of the Fugitive Emissions Rule. This interim rule supersedes the stay issued on March 31, 2010, and thereby corrects ambiguity contained in that stay. EPA is using the “good cause” exemption under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to take the actions set forth in this interim rule without prior notice and comment. See 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B). Section 553(b) Start Printed Page 17551of the APA generally requires that any rule to which it applies be issued only after the public has received notice of, and had an opportunity to comment on, the proposed rule. However, section 553(b)(3)(B) exempts from those requirements any rule for which the issuing agency for good cause finds that providing prior notice and comment would be impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. Thus, any rule for which EPA makes such a finding is exempt from the notice and comment requirements of section 553(b).
We believe that the circumstances here provide good cause to take the actions set forth in this interim rule without prior notice and comment, because providing prior notice and comment would be unnecessary and contrary to the public interest.
With this action, EPA is simply staying the provisions of the Fugitive Emissions Rule consistent with our original intent, which we believe was broadly understood. We believe that soliciting public comment on this interim rule prior to making it effective would be contrary to the public interest because it is in the public interest to correct the ambiguity contained in the current stay as expeditiously as possible to avoid potential confusion regarding the regulatory text. The NSR program is a vital component of the Act's regime for protecting public health, and it is in the public's interest that the requirements of the program be clear and unambiguous.
EPA is also using the APA's good cause exception to make this interim rule immediately effective. See 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3). Section 553(d) of the APA generally provides that rules may not take effect earlier than 30 days after they are published in the Federal Register. However, section 553(d)(3) provides that if the issuing agency has made a finding of good cause and has published its reasoning with the rule, the rule may take effect earlier. EPA has determined that good cause exists to stay, reinstate, and revise, as appropriate, certain paragraphs in 40 CFR parts 51 and 52 by interim rule without prior notice and comment, because prior notice and comment would be unnecessary and contrary to the public interest for the reasons stated above. Based on this determination, EPA is making this interim rule effective immediately.
Notwithstanding EPA's “good cause” finding, we are providing a 30-day public comment period for this interim rule, and upon reviewing and considering comments received, we will issue a final rule either affirming the interim rule or affirming the interim rule with revisions.
We are issuing this interim rule to:
Stay the following paragraphs: 40 CFR 51.165(a)(1)(v)(G) and (a)(1)(vi)(C)(3), 40 CFR 51.166(b)(2)(v) and (b)(3)(iii)(d), 40 CFR 51 Appendix S II.A.5(vii), and 40 CFR 52.21 (b)(2)(v) and (b)(3)(iii)(c);
Reinstate the following paragraphs: 40 CFR 51.165(a)(4), 40 CFR 51.166(i)(1)(ii), 40 CFR 51 Appendix S II.F, and 40 CFR 52.21(i)(1)(vii); and
Revise the following paragraphs to revert back to the regulatory text that existed prior to the Fugitive Emissions Rule amendments: 40 CFR 51.165(a)(1)(ix), (a)(1)(xxviii)(B)(2), (a)(1)(xxviii)(B)(4), (a)(1)(xxxv)(A)(1), (a)(1)(xxxv)(B)(1), (a)(1)(xxxv)(C), (a)(1)(xxxv)(D), (a)(2)(ii)(B), (a)(6)(iii), (a)(6)(iv), and (f)(4)(i)(D); 40 CFR 51.166(a)(7)(iv)(b), (b)(3)(iii)(c), (b)(20), (b)(40)(ii)(b), (b)(40)(ii)(d), (b)(47)(i)(a), (b)(47)(ii)(a), (b)(47)(iii), (b)(47)(iv), (r)(6)(iii), (r)(6)(iv), and (w)(4)(i)(d); 40 CFR 51 Appendix S II.A.6(iii), II.A.9, II.A.24(ii)(b), II.A.24(ii)(d), II.A.30(i)(a), II.A.30(ii)(a), II.A.30(iii), II.A.30(iv), IV.I.1(ii), IV.J.3, IV.J.4, and IV.K.4(i)(d); and 40 CFR 52.21(a)(2)(iv)(b), (b)(3)(iii)(b), (b)(20), (b)(41)(ii)(b), (b)(41)(ii)(d), (b)(48)(i)(a), (b)(48)(ii)(a), (b)(48)(iii), (b)(48)(iv), (r)(6)(iii), (r)(6)(iv), and (aa)(4)(i)(d).
The overall effect of this action is to revert the treatment of fugitive emissions in applicability determinations to the approach that applied prior to the Fugitive Emissions Rule on an interim basis, while EPA completes the reconsideration.
Following the public comment period, EPA will issue a final rule either affirming the interim rule or affirming the interim rule with changes. The final rule will be in effect until EPA completes its reconsideration of the Fugitive Emissions Rule. We intend to propose and finalize a rule based on the results of the reconsideration by October 4, 2012.
This action is not a “significant regulatory action” under Executive Order (EO) 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), because it does not raise novel legal or policy issues. Accordingly, this action is not subject to review under EO 12866.
This action does not impose any new information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b). This action only corrects inadvertent errors in the existing stay of the regulations at 40 CFR parts 51 and 52 concerning the inclusion of fugitive emissions and further stays the regulations until EPA completes its reconsideration.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has previously approved the information collection requirements contained in the existing regulations (40 CFR parts 51 and 52) under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., and has assigned OMB control number 2060-0003. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9.
This interim rule is not subject to the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), which generally requires an agency to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis for any rule that will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The RFA applies only to rules subject to notice and comment rulemaking requirements under the APA or any other statute. This rule is not subject to notice and comment requirements under the APA or any other statute because, although the rule is subject to the APA, the Agency has invoked the “good cause” exemption under 5 U.S.C. 553(b), therefore it is not subject to the notice and comment requirement.
This action contains no federal mandates under the provisions of Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), 2 U.S.C. 1531-1538 for state, local, or tribal governments or the private sector. This action only corrects inadvertent errors in the existing stay of the regulations at 40 CFR parts 51 and 52 concerning the inclusion of fugitive emissions and further stays the regulations until EPA completes its reconsideration. Therefore, this action is not subject to the requirements of sections 202 or 205 of UMRA.
This action is also not subject to the requirements of section 203 of UMRA because it contains no regulatory requirements that might significantly or uniquely affect small governments.Start Printed Page 17552
This action does not have federalism implications. It will not have substantial direct effects on the states, on the relationship between the national government and the states, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government, as specified in EO 13132. This action only corrects inadvertent errors in the existing stay of the regulations at 40 CFR parts 51 and 52 concerning the inclusion of fugitive emissions and further stays the regulations until EPA completes its reconsideration. Thus, EO 13132 does not apply to this rule.
This action is not subject to EO 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001), because it is not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866.
EPA has determined that this interim rule will not have disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority or low income populations because it only corrects inadvertent errors in the existing stay of the regulations at 40 CFR parts 51 and 52 concerning the inclusion of fugitive emissions and further stays the regulations until EPA completes its reconsideration.
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. Section 808 allows the issuing agency to make a rule effective sooner than otherwise provided by the CRA if the agency makes a good cause finding that notice and public procedure is impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. This determination must be supported by a brief statement, 5 U.S.C. 808(2). As stated previously, EPA has made such a good cause finding, including the reasons therefore, and established an effective date of March 30, 2011. EPA will submit a report containing this rule and other required information to the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. This action is not a “major rule” as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
The statutory authority for this action is provided by section 301(a) of the CAA as amended (42 U.S.C. 7601(a)).
For the reasons stated in the preamble, 40 CFR parts 51 and 52 are amended as follows:
a. The stay of § 51.165(a)(1)(v)(G), (a)(1)(vi)(C)(
b. Paragraphs (a)(1)(ix), (a)(1)(xxviii)(B)(
c. Paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(B) is revised.
d. Temporary paragraph (a)(4), is removed.
e. A new paragraph (a)(4), is added.
f. Paragraphs (a)(6)(iii) and (a)(6)(iv) are revised.
g. Paragraph (f)(4)(i)(D) is revised.
h. Paragraphs (a)(1)(v)(G) and (a)(1)(vi)(C)(
a. The stay of § 51.166(a)(7)(iv)(
b. Paragraph (a)(7)(iv)(
c. Paragraphs (b)(3)(iii)(
d. Temporary paragraph (i)(1)(ii) is removed.
e. A new paragraph (i)(1)(ii) is added.
f. Paragraphs (r)(6)(iii) and (r)(6)(iv) are revised.
g. Paragraph (w)(4)(i)(
h. Paragraphs (b)(2)(v) and (b)(3)(iii)(
4. Appendix S. to Part 51 is amended as follows:
a. The stay of appendix S, paragraphs II.A.5(vii), II.A.6(iii), II.A.9, II.A.24(ii)(
b. Paragraphs II.A.6(iii), II.A.9, II.A.24(ii)(
c. Temporary paragraph II.F is removed.
d. A new paragraph II.F is added.
e. Paragraphs IV.I.1(ii), IV.J.3, IV.J.4, and IV.K.4(i)(
f. Paragraph II.A.5(vii) is stayed.
6. Section 52.21 is amended as follows:
a. The stay of § 52.21 (a)(2)(iv)(
b. Paragraph (a)(2)(iv)(
d. Temporary paragraph (i)(1)(vii) is removed.
e. A new paragraph (i)(1)(vii) is added.
g. Paragraph (aa)(4)(i)(
(b) The procedure for calculating (before beginning actual construction) whether a significant emissions increase (i.e., the first step of the process) will occur depends upon the type of emissions units being modified, according to paragraphs (a)(2)(iv)(c) through (f) of this section. The procedure for calculating (before Start Printed Page 17556beginning actual construction) whether a significant net emissions increase will occur at the major stationary source (i.e., the second step of the process) is contained in the definition in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. Regardless of any such preconstruction projections, a major modification results if the project causes a significant emissions increase and a significant net emissions increase.
2. Lisa Jackson, US EPA, EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0014-0062.
[FR Doc. 2011-6670 Filed 3-29-11; 8:45 am]