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WV ID: [WV061-6031a; FRL-7549-1]
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; West Virginia; Redesignation of the Follansbee PM
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action to approve a request from
the State of West Virginia to redesignate the Follansbee area of Brooke
County, West Virginia (Follansbee area) from nonattainment to
attainment for the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for
particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a
nominal 10 microns (PM
SUMMARY: West Virginia,
A. Data Shows Attainment of the PM
B. Fully Approved SIP Under Section 110(k) of the CAA
1. Section 110 Requirements
2. Part D Requirements
a. Subparts 1 and 4 of Part DSections 172(c) and 189(a) Provisions
b. Subpart 1 of Part DSection 176 Conformity Provisions
C. The Improvement in Air Quality is Due to Permanent and Enforceable Measures
D. The Maintenance Plan Under Section 175A
1. Maintenance Plan Requirements
a. Emissions inventory
b. Maintenance demonstration
c. Commitment to continue monitoring air quality
d. Verification of continued attainment
e. Contingency plan
2. Commitment to Submit Subsequent Maintenance Plan Revisions
E. The Submittal Meets the Applicable Requirements of Section 110 and Part D
V. Final Action
VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. General Requirements
B. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General
C. Petitions for Judicial Review
Under the CAA, EPA may redesignate areas to attainment if
sufficient data are available to warrant such changes and the area
meets the criteria contained in section 107(d)(3) of the Act. This
includes full approval of a maintenance plan for the area. EPA may
approve a maintenance plan which meets the requirements of section 175A
of the CAA. On May 12, 2003, the State of West Virginia submitted a
redesignation request and maintenance plan for the Follansbee
PM
I. Area Designated Nonattainment for PM
On November 15, 1990, the Clean Air Act (CAA) amendments were
enacted. Pursuant to section 107(d)(4)(B), the Follansbee area in
Brooke County, West Virginia was designated nonattainment by operation
of law. The nonattainment classification and designation of Follansbee
as a moderate PM
II. Geographic Boundaries of the PM
The Follansbee PM
The adjacent Jefferson County, Ohio area is bounded by Market Street (State Route 43) from the West Virginia /Ohio border west to Sunset Boulevard (U.S. Route 22), Sunset Boulevard west to the Steubenville Township /Cross Creek Township boundary, the Township boundary south to the Steubenville Corporation limit, the corporation boundary east to State Route 7, State Route 7 South to the Steubenville Township /Wells Township boundary, the Township boundary east to the West Virginia Ohio border, and North on the border to Market Street. [[Page 51460]]
Section 107(d)(3)(E) of the CAA specifies five requirements that
must be met to redesignate an area from nonattainment to attainment as follows:
1. The area has attained the applicable NAAQS;
2. The area has a fully approved SIP under section 110(k);
3. The air quality improvement is permanent and enforceable;
4. The area has a fully approved maintenance plan pursuant to section 175A; and
5. The area has met all relevant requirements under section 110 and part D of the Act.
IV. Analysis of How the State Met the Criteria for Redesignation
The EPA has reviewed the redesignation request submitted by West
Virginia for the Follansbee nonattainment area and finds that the
request meets the five requirements of section 107(d)(3)(E).
A. Data Shows Attainment of the PM
For purposes of assessing air quality, monitoring data in both West
Virginia and Ohio was reviewed. The monitor in Brooke County, West
Virginia has always been located outside the boundary of the
nonattainment area but is included in the review to provide an overall
picture of air quality in the area. Three monitors are currently
operating in the Jefferson County, Ohio area previously described in
section II entitled, Geographic Boundaries. The redesignation request
is based upon the three most recent years of qualityassured
PM
West Virginia's formal submittal included data from 1990 through
2002. This data shows that the area has not recorded any exceedances of
the daily NAAQS in the past decade. The formal redesignation request is
based upon data from 1999 through 2001. This data has been quality
assured and recorded in AQS. During the 1999 through 2001 time period,
there were no actual exceedances of the daily standard, and the average
number of expected exceedances is less than 1.0 for the same time
period. During 2002, no exceedances were recorded. Therefore, the area
has attained and continues to attain the daily NAAQS. During 1999
through 2002 the maximum annual average recorded at these sites was 35
ug/m3. As the annual standard is based on the average annual mean over
three years, the area has attained and continues to attain the annual
PM
B. Fully Approved SIP Under Section 110(k) of the CAA
On November 15, 1991, West Virginia submitted an attainment plan to EPA consisting of an attainment demonstration and control measures for the Follansbee area. On July 25, 1994 (59 FR 37696) EPA took a limited approval/limited disapproval action on the submittal. EPA fully approved the control measures portion of the plan, but disapproved the attainment demonstration and took no action on the contingency measures with specific regard to section 172(c)(9) of the CAA. On November 22, 1995, West Virginia submitted a revised attainment demonstration, and EPA approved that attainment demonstration on November 15, 1996 (61 FR 58481) but did not take action on the contingency measures. In this rulemaking, EPA is approving the contingency measures submitted on November 15, 1991 as fulfilling the requirements of section 172(c)(9). Therefore, EPA fully approved all applicable requirements of section 110(a)(2)(I) of the Act, including all applicable requirements of part D (relating to nonattainment), which were due prior to the time of the redesignation request.
Part D of the CAA contains general provisions that apply to all
nonattainment plans and certain sections that apply to specific
pollutants. Before EPA may redesignate the Follansbee PM
Subpart 1 of part D addresses nonattainment areas in general and
subpart 4 addresses PM
[[Page 51461]]
pursuant to section 172(c)(9) is moot. Nonetheless, EPA is now
approving these measures as meeting the criteria of section 172(c)(9)
for contingency measures in order to be clear that the area has a full
approved plan for all applicable Part D requirements. The Federal
requirements for new source review (NSR) in nonattainment areas are
contained in section 172(c)(5). EPA guidance indicates the requirements
of the part D NSR program will be replaced by the prevention of
significant deterioration (PSD) program when an area has reached
attainment and been redesignated, provided there are assurances that
PSD will become fully effective immediately upon redesignation.
Regulations for the Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air
Quality were approved into the West Virginia SIP on April 11, 1986 (51
FR 12518). Therefore, the PSD program will become fully effective in the Follansbee area immediately upon redesignation.
The Follansbee area was not required to have a transportation
conformity budget for PM
C. The Improvement in Air Quality Due to Permanent and Enforceable Measures
In order to redesignate an area, EPA must determine that the
improvement in air quality is due to permanent and enforceable
reductions in emissions resulting from implementation of the applicable
SIP, applicable Federal air pollutant control regulations and other
permanent and enforceable reductions. The State's approved 1991
PM
PM
In addition to these emission reductions, other reductions have occurred since the attainment demonstration inventory was prepared and the modeled demonstration of attainment was performed. The sinter plant at Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel shutdown in 1999 and operations at International Mill Services have also shutdown. The additional emission reductions resulting from these shutdowns are permanent and enforceable given that any reactivation of these facilities would be subject to applicable new source review requirements.
The May 12, 2003 redesignation request demonstrates that actual
enforceable emission reductions are responsible for the air quality
improvements in the Follansbee area. EPA finds that emission reductions
due to the control measures and emission limitations imposed by the
SIPapproved 1991 attainment plan and emission reductions due to
permanent and enforceable shutdowns have reduced the ambient
PM
Section 175A of the Act sets forth the necessary elements of a
maintenance plan needed for areas seeking redesignation from
nonattainment to attainment. The plan must demonstrate continued
attainment of the applicable NAAQS for at least 10 years after the EPA
approves a redesignation to attainment. Eight years after the
redesignation, West Virginia must submit a revised maintenance plan
which demonstrates attainment for the 10 years following the initial
10year period. To address potential future NAAQS violations, the
maintenance plan must contain contingency measures, with a schedule for
implementation adequate to assure prompt correction of any air quality
problems. Under section 175A(d), contingency provisions must include a
requirement that the State will implement all control measures that
were in the SIP prior to redesignation as an attainment area. EPA is
approving the maintenance plan for the Follansbee nonattainment area
because EPA finds that the submittal meets the requirements of section
175A. The details of the maintenance plan requirements and how the
submittal meets these requirements are detailed in the following
paragraphs. A maintenance plan must contain the following elements.
(1) An emissions inventory reflective of PM
(2) A maintenance demonstration which is expected to provide
adequate assurance of maintenance over the initial 10year period; (3) A commitment to continue monitoring in the area;
(4) A method for verifying continued attainment; and
(5) A contingency plan with specific indicators or triggers for implementation of the plan.
1. Maintenance Plan Requirements
The maintenance plan indicates that the attainment inventory is the emission inventory used to perform the modeling demonstration of attainment and provides updates to that inventory for 2001 for sources in the Follansbee nonattainment area. Emissions have declined somewhat in the area due to the previously described shutdowns. Any future increases in emissions and/or significant changes to the stack configurations/parameters from those modeled in the attainment demonstration due to new or modifying stationary sources would be subject to new source review requirements including a demonstration that the NAAQS is protected.
Steel and industrial facilities were the main cause of
nonattainment in the area. The attainment demonstration was based upon
allowable emission levels for stationary sources impacting the
nonattainment area. PM
[[Page 51462]]
incorporated area of Follansbee (which is larger than the nonattainment
area) has increased slightly since 1990 and may experience a minor
increase in population over the next ten years. However, population in
Brooke County has been decreasing since 1990 and is expected to
continue to decline over the next ten years. Manufacturing employment
in the metropolitan area which includes Follansbee has been decreasing
since 1994, and this decline in manufacturing is expected to continue
for the next 10 years. As a result of these factors, PM
The maintenance plan includes commitments to continue to operate and maintain the monitor located in Follansbee, Brooke County in accordance with 40 CFR parts 53 and 58. Information regarding the State of Ohio's monitoring commitment can be found in EPA's notice approving the maintenance plan for Jefferson County on December 11, 2000 (65 FR 77308).
In addition to reviewing ambient monitoring data in the Follansbee
area on annual basis to verify continued attainment, the State of West
Virginia will continue to examine the air quality impact of any major
new sources or modifications through its approved PSD program. New
minor sources will also be evaluated to assure maintenance of the area.
In addition the State will review their PM
The maintenance plan contingency measures consist of control
measures on source material handling operations and/or potential fuel
switching at fuel burning units. The State will track air quality data
in the Follansbee area. Upon a determination that three exceedances of
the PM
2. Commitment To Submit Subsequent Maintenance Plan Revisions
A new maintenance plan must be submitted to EPA within eight years
of the redesignation of the nonattainment area, as required by section
175(A)(b). This subsequent maintenance plan must constitute a SIP
revision and provide for the maintenance of the PM
E. The Submittal Meets the Applicable Requirements of Section 110 and Part D
General SIP elements are delineated in section 110(a)(2) of Title I, part A. These requirements include but are not limited to the following: submittal of a SIP that has been adopted by the state after reasonable notice and public hearing, provisions for establishment and operation of appropriate apparatus, methods, systems and procedures necessary to monitor ambient air quality, implementation of a permit program, provisions for part C, Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD), and part D, New Source Review (NSR) permit programs, criteria for stationary source emission control measures, monitoring and reporting, and provisions for public and local agency participation. For the purposes of redesignation, the West Virginia SIP was reviewed to ensure that all requirements under the amended CAA were satisfied through approved SIP provisions for the Follansbee nonattainment area. EPA has concluded that the Commonwealth's SIP for the Follansbee nonattainment area satisfies all of the section 110 SIP requirements of the CAA and that all applicable requirements of part D have been satisfied.
EPA is approving West Virginia's request to redesignate the
Follansbee PM
You may submit comments either electronically or by mail. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the appropriate rulemaking identification number WV0616031a in the subject line on the first page of your comment. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified comment period. Comments received after the close of the comment period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider these late comments.
A. Electronically. If you submit an electronic comment as prescribed below, EPA recommends that you
[[Page 51463]]
include your name, mailing address, and an email address or other
contact information in the body of your comment. Also include this
contact information on the outside of any disk or CD ROM you submit,
and in any cover letter accompanying the disk or CD ROM. This ensures
that you can be identified as the submitter of the comment and allows
EPA to contact you in case EPA cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties or needs further information on the substance of
your comment. EPA's policy is that EPA will not edit your comment, and
any identifying or contact information provided in the body of a
comment will be included as part of the comment that is placed in the
official public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public
docket. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
1. Email. Comments may be sent by electronic mail (email) to
morris.makeba@epa.gov, attention WV0616031a. EPA's email system is
not an ``anonymous access'' system. If you send an email comment
directly without going through Regulations.gov, EPA's email system
automatically captures your email address. Email addresses that are
automatically captured by EPA's email system are included as part of
the comment that is placed in the official public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
2. Regulations.gov. Your use of Regulations.gov is an alternative
method of submitting electronic comments to EPA. Go directly to http://www.regulations.gov , then select ``Environmental Protection Agency'' at
the top of the page and use the ``go'' button. The list of current EPA
actions available for comment will be listed. Please follow the online
instructions for submitting comments. The system is an ``anonymous
access'' system, which means EPA will not know your identity, email
address, or other contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.
3. Disk or CD ROM. You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM that you mail to the mailing address identified in the ADDRESSES section of this document. These electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect, Word or ASCII file format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption.
B. By Mail. Written comments should be addressed to the EPA Regional office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. For public commenters, it is important to note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing at the EPA Regional Office, as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in the official public rulemaking file. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available at the Regional Office for public inspection.
Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI electronically to EPA. You may claim information that you submit to EPA as CBI by marking any part or all of that information as CBI (if you submit CBI on disk or CD ROM, 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 CBI). Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes any 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 official public regional rulemaking file. If you submit the copy that does not contain CBI on disk or CD ROM, mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM clearly that it does not contain CBI. Information not marked as CBI will be included in the public file and available for public inspection without prior notice. If you have any questions about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, please consult the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your comments:
1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.
2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
3. Provide any technical information and/or data you used that support your views.
4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you arrived at your estimate.
5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
6. Offer alternatives.
7. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline identified.
8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the appropriate
regional file/rulemaking identification number in the subject line
on the first page of your response. It would also be helpful if you
provided the name, date, and Federal Register citation related to your comments.
VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this
action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' and therefore is not
subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget. For this
reason, this action is also not subject to Executive Order 13211,
``Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy
Supply, Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001). This action
merely approves state law as meeting Federal requirements and imposes
no additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law.
Accordingly, the Administrator certifies that this rule will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). Because
this rule approves preexisting requirements under state law and does
not impose any additional enforceable duty beyond that required by
state law, it does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 1044). This rule also does not
have tribal implications because it will not have a substantial direct
effect on one or more Indian tribes, on the relationship between the
Federal Government and Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power
and responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian tribes,
as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000).
This action also does not have Federalism implications because it does
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 Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999).
This action merely approves a state rule implementing a Federal
standard, and does not alter the relationship or the distribution of
power and responsibilities established in the Clean Air Act. This rule
also is not subject to Executive Order 13045 ``Protection of Children
From Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997),
[[Page 51464]]
In reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve State choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act. In this context, in the absence of a prior existing requirement for the State to use voluntary consensus standards (VCS), EPA has no authority to disapprove a SIP submission for failure to use VCS. It would thus be inconsistent with applicable law for EPA, when it reviews a SIP submission, to use VCS in place of a SIP submission that otherwise satisfies the provisions of the Clean Air Act. Thus, the requirements of Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) do not apply. This rule does not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
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. EPA will submit a report containing this rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. This rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
Under Section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for
judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court
of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by October 27, 2003. Filing a
petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule
does not affect the finality of this rule 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, redesignating the Follansbee, Brooke
County, West Virginia PM
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Air pollution control, National parks, Wilderness areas.
Dated: August 18, 2003.
Donald S. Welsh,
Regional Administrator, Region III.
40 CFR Parts 52 and 81 are amended as follows:
PART 52[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for Part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart XXWest Virginia
2. Section 52.2520 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(54) to read as follows:
Sec. 52.2520 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(54) The PM
(A) Letter of May 12, 2003 from the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection transmitting the redesignation request and
maintenance plan for the PM
(B) Maintenance Plan for the Follansbee PM
(ii) Additional Material.Remainder of the May 12, 2003 State
submittal pertaining to the revisions listed in paragraph (c)(54)(i) of this section.
Sec. 52.2522 [Amended]
3. In Sec. 52.2522 (Approval status), paragraph (d) is removed and reserved.
4. Section 52.2526 is added to read as follows:
EPA approves West Virginia's November 15, 1991 SIP submittal for
fulfilling the PM
PART 81[AMENDED]
Subpart CSection 107 Attainment Status Designations
1. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
2. In Sec. 81.349, the table for ``West VirginiaPM
Sec. 81.349 West Virginia.
* * * * *
West VirginiaPM
Date Type Date Type Brooke
Follansbee area bounded on October 27, 2003... Attainment........ the north by the Market
Street Bridge, on the east
by West Virginia Route 2,
on the south by the
extension of the southern
boundary of Steubenville
Township in Jefferson
County, Ohio, and on the
west by the Ohio/West
Virginia border.
* * * * * * * [[Page 51465]]
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 0321910 Filed 82603; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 656050P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Ruth Knapp, (215) 814-2191, or by e- mail at knapp.ruth@epa.gov.
14 CFR Part 39 40 CFR Part 52 14 CFR Part 71 33 CFR Part 165 50 CFR Part 679 47 CFR Part 73 26 CFR Part 1 40 CFR Part 180 33 CFR Part 117 50 CFR Part 17 44 CFR Part 67 50 CFR Part 648 14 CFR Part 97 33 CFR Part 100 40 CFR Part 63 50 CFR Part 622 44 CFR Part 65 50 CFR Part 660 26 CFR Part 301 39 CFR Part 111 40 CFR Part 300 6 CFR Part 5 40 CFR Part 271 47 CFR Part 64 40 CFR Parts 52 and 81 50 CFR Part 665 44 CFR Part 64 10 CFR Part 50 49 CFR Part 571 47 CFR Part 76