Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2014/12/08/2014-28591/approval-and-promulgation-of-air-quality-implementation-plans-pennsylvania-redesignation-of-the
Timestamp: 2018-03-25 02:14:31
Document Index: 401717755

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u200952', '§\u200952', '§\u200952', '§\u200952', '§\u200952', '§\u200952', '§\u200952', '§\u200981']

72552-72556 (5 pages)
FRL-9920-17-Region 3
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2014-28591 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2014-28591
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's requests to redesignate to attainment the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle-York nonattainment areas (hereafter “the Areas”) for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). EPA is also determining that the Areas continue to attain the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA is also approving as revisions to the Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP) the associated maintenance plans to show maintenance of the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS through 2025 for the Areas. The maintenance plans include the 2017 and 2025 PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOX) mobile vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for the Areas for the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA is finding the 2017 and 2025 PM2.5 and NOX MVEBs adequate for transportation conformity purposes and is finalizing the approval of the budgets. Furthermore, EPA is approving as revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP the 2007 base year emissions inventory for the Areas for the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS.
EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID Number EPA-R03-OAR-2014-0525. All documents in the docket are listed in the www.regulations.gov Web site. Although listed in the electronic docket, some information is not publicly available, i.e., confidential business information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically through www.regulations.gov or in hard copy for public inspection during normal business hours at the Air Protection Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. Copies of the State submittal are available at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Air Quality Control, P.O. Box 8468, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105.
On October 17, 2014 (79 FR 62389), EPA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that included proposals for several rulemaking actions. First, EPA proposed to find that the Areas met the requirements for redesignations from nonattainment to attainment for the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS under section 107(d)(3)(E) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Second, EPA proposed approval of the associated maintenance plans for the Areas submitted on April 22, 2014, as revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP because they meet the requirements of section 175A of the CAA. Third, EPA proposed approval of the 2007 base year emissions inventory as meeting the requirements of section 172(a)(3) of the CAA. Fourth, EPA proposed approval of the 2017 and 2025 PM2.5 and NOX MVEBs submitted by Pennsylvania for Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, and York Counties for transportation conformity purposes. Details of Pennsylvania's submittal and the rationale for EPA's proposed actions are explained in the NPR and will not be restated here. No public comments were received on the NPR.
As stated in the NPR, EPA's proposed approvals were contingent upon the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Circuit Court) granting EPA's June 26, 2014 motion to lift the stay of the Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). Following a favorable decision from the Supreme Court on April 29, 2014, EPA v. EME Homer City Generation, L.P., 134 S. Ct. 1584 (2014), EPA filed a motion asking the D.C. Circuit Court to lift the stay and toll all deadlines in CSAPR by three years, and on October 23, 2014, the D.C. Circuit Court granted EPA's motion. EME Homer City Generation, L.P. v. EPA, No. 11-1302 (D.C. Cir. Oct. 23, 2014), ECF No. 1518738 at 3.
EPA plans to take administrative action to amend the regulatory text of CSAPR to reflect the D.C. Circuit Court's October 23, 2014 order tolling all deadlines in CSAPR by three years, including provisions governing the sunsetting of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). CAIR will therefore sunset at the end of 2014 and be replaced by CSAPR beginning January 1, 2015. Relative to CAIR, CSAPR requires similar or greater emission reductions from relevant upwind areas starting in 2015 and beyond. The emission reductions associated with CAIR that helped the Areas achieve attainment of the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS can therefore be considered permanent and enforceable for purposes of redesignation under section 107(d)(3)(E)(iii) of the CAA.
EPA is approving the redesignation of the Areas from nonattainment to attainment for the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA has evaluated Pennsylvania's redesignation requests and determines that the Areas meet the redesignation criteria set forth in section 107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA. EPA finds that the monitoring data demonstrate that the Areas have attained the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA also finds that the attainment of the Areas is in part due to the emissions reductions resulting from the implementation of CAIR in Pennsylvania and in the states upwind of Pennsylvania. As stated previously, EPA intends to commence implementation of CSPAR beginning on January 1, 2015 and those emission reductions originally required under CAIR will be permanent and enforceable through the implementation of CSAPR. EPA is determining that the Areas continue to attain the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. Final approval of these redesignation requests would change the designation of: (a) Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle and York Areas from nonattainment to attainment for the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS, and (b) Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle-York Area from nonattainment to attainment for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA is also approving the associated maintenance plans for the Areas submitted on April 22, 2014, as revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP because they meet the requirements of section 175A of the CAA. In addition, Start Printed Page 72553EPA is approving the 2007 base year emissions inventory as meeting the requirement of section 172(a)(3) of the CAA. Furthermore, in this rulemaking action, EPA finds adequate and is approving the 2017 and 2025 PM2.5 and NOX MVEBs submitted by Pennsylvania for Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, and York Counties for transportation conformity purposes. Within 24 months from the effective date of EPA's adequacy determination, the transportation partners will need to demonstrate conformity to the 2017 and 2025 PM2.5 and NOX MVEBs pursuant to 40 CFR 93.104(e).
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(d), EPA finds there is good cause for this action to become effective immediately upon publication. A delayed effective date is unnecessary due to the nature of a redesignation to attainment, which eliminates CAA obligations that would otherwise apply. The immediate effective date for this action is authorized under both 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(1), which provides that rulemaking actions may become effective less than 30 days after publication if the rule “grants or recognizes an exemption or relieves a restriction,” and section 553(d)(3), which allows an effective date less than 30 days after publication “as otherwise provided by the agency for good cause found and published with the rule.” The purpose of the 30-day waiting period prescribed in section 553(d) is to give affected parties a reasonable time to adjust their behavior and prepare before the final rule takes effect. Today's rule, however, does not create any new regulatory requirements such that affected parties would need time to prepare before the rule takes effect. Rather, today's rule relieves the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of the obligation to comply with nonattainment-related planning requirements for the Areas pursuant to Part D of the CAA and approves certain emissions inventories and MVEBs for the Areas. For these reasons, EPA finds good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d) for this action to become effective on the date of publication of this notice.
Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by February 6, 2015. Filing a petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect the finality of this action for the purposes of judicial review nor does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such rule or action.
This action approving Pennsylvania's redesignation requests, maintenance plans, 2007 base year emissions inventory, and MVEBs for transportation conformity purposes for the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle and York Areas for the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS and the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle-York Area for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS, may not be challenged later in proceedings to enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).)
2. In § 52.2020, the table in paragraph (e)(1) is amended by adding two entries for 1997 Annual PM 2.5 Maintenance Plan and one entry for 2006 24-Hour PM2.5 Maintenance Plan at the end of the table. The added text read as follows:
1997 Annual PM2.5 Maintenance Plan Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle PM2.5 Nonattainment Area 4/22/14 12/08/14 [Insert Federal Register citation] See § 52.2036(r) and § 52.2059(k).
1997 Annual PM2.5 Maintenance Plan York PM2.5 Nonattainment Area 4/22/14 12/08/14 [Insert Federal Register citation] See § 52.2036(r) and § 52.2059(l).
2006 24-Hour PM2.5 Maintenance Plan Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle-York PM2.5 Nonattainment Area 4/22/14 12/08/14 [Insert Federal Register citation] See § 52.2036(r) and § 52.2059(m).
3. Section 52.2036 is amended by adding paragraph (r) to read as follows:
4. Section 52.2059 is amended by adding paragraphs (k), (l) and (m) to read as follows:
Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle Area's Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets for the 1997 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS in Tons per Year
Maintenance Plan 2017 365 10,287 12/08/14
2025 275 7,024 12/08/14
Maintenance Plan 2017 192 5,390 12/08/14
2025 144 3,398 12/08/14
Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon-York Area's Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets for the 2006 24-Hour PM2.5 NAAQS in Tons per Year
2025 56 1,446 12/08/14
6. In § 81.339:
b. The 2006 24-Hour PM 2.5 NAAQS tables are amended by revising the entry for the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle-York, PA Area.
York County 12/08/14 Attainment Moderate.
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