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AZ ID: [AZ 116-0059a; FRL-7651-1]
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; Arizona
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: EPA is approving the maintenance plan for the Morenci area in Greenlee County, Arizona and granting the request submitted by the State to redesignate this area from nonattainment to attainment for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for sulfur dioxide (SO2). Elsewhere in this Federal Register, we are proposing approval and soliciting written comment on this action; if adverse written comments are received, we will withdraw the direct final rule and address the comments received in a new final rule; otherwise no further rulemaking will occur on this approval action.
SUMMARY: Arizona,
A. What National Ambient Air Quality Standards Are Considered in Today's Rulemaking?
B. What Is a State Implementation Plan?
C. What Is the Background for This Action?
D. What Are the Applicable Clean Air Act (CAA) Provisions for SO
E. What Are the Applicable Provisions for SO
III. Review of the Arizona State Submittals Addressing These Provisions
A. Is the Maintenance Plan Approvable?
B. Has the State Met the Remaining Maintenance Plan Provisions?
C. Has the State Met the Redesignation Provisions of CAA Section 107(d)(3)(E)?
IV. Final Action
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
We are approving the maintenance plan for the Morenci
SO
\1\ For the definition of the Morenci nonattainment area, see 40
CFR 81.303. EPA designated the entire area of Greenlee County as
nonattainment for SO
II. Introduction
A. What National Ambient Air Quality Standards Are Considered in Today's Rulemaking?
Sulfur dioxide is the subject of this action. The NAAQS are safety
thresholds for certain ambient air pollutants set to protect public
health and welfare. SO
SO
There are both short and longterm primary NAAQS for
SO
\2\ The secondary SO
The CAA requires States to attain and maintain ambient air quality equal to or better than the NAAQS. The State's commitments for attaining and maintaining the NAAQS are outlined in the State Implementation Plan (or SIP) for that State. The SIP is a planning document that, when implemented, is designed to ensure the achievement of the NAAQS. Each State currently has a SIP in place, and the Act requires that SIP revisions be made periodically as necessary to provide continued compliance with the standards.
SIPs include, among other things, the following: (1) An inventory of emission sources; (2) statutes and regulations adopted by the State legislature and executive agencies; (3) air quality analyses that include demonstrations that adequate controls are in place to meet the NAAQS; and (4) contingency measures to be undertaken if an area fails to attain the standard or make reasonable progress toward attainment by the required date.
The State must make the SIP available for public review and comment
through a public hearing, it must be adopted by the State, and
submitted to us by the Governor or her/his designee. We take federal
action on the SIP submittal, thus rendering the rules and regulations
federally enforceable. The approved SIP serves as the State's
commitment to take actions that will reduce or eliminate air quality
problems. Any subsequent revisions to the SIP must go through the formal SIP revision process specified in the Act.
C. What Is the Background for This Action?
The Phelps Dodge Morenci Incorporated (PDMI) operation was the
largest SO
The details of the initial designation of the Morenci
SO
[[Page 22449]]
As required by the CAA, Arizona submitted a State implementation
plan (SIP) for all major sources in the State in January 1972. EPA
disapproved the portion of the 1972 Arizona SIP related to smelters (37
FR 10849 and 37 FR 15081) on May 31 and July 27, 1972. On November 30,
1981, EPA proposed conditional approval of Arizona's Multipoint
Rollback (MPR) SIP revision (46 FR 58098). On June 3, 1982, Arizona
submitted SIP revisions to correct the conditional approval. EPA
formally approved Arizona's revised MPR rule as a final rulemaking on
January 14, 1983 (48 FR 1717). To complete the Arizona SO
On December 31, 1984, the PDMI smelter was permanently deactivated.
Dismantling of the Morenci facility began in 1995 and was complete by
December 1996. On October 29, 1997, ADEQ confirmed that the facility
was dismantled and no longer existed at the former site. The area
remains sparsely settled, and there are minor industrial or commercial
activities such as cotton gins, a construction company, and a Federal
correctional institute in or near the nonattainment area that produce small quantities of SO
Currently, there are no operating ambient SO
Ambient air quality monitoring data from 1980 to 1984 indicate
there were numerous exceedances of the SO
No. of 24 hour 1st High 2nd High Annual
Year exceedances (ppm) (ppm) average (ppm)
1980............................................ 13 0.211 0.210 0.038
1981............................................ 18 0.211 0.203 0.053
1982 \1\........................................ 1 0.175 0.091 0.009
1983............................................ 15 0.263 0.204 0.046
1984............................................ 3 0.196 0.163 0.037
1985 \1\........................................ 0 0.006 0.005 0.002 \1\ Years that did not have complete data.
Since by far the largest source of SO
The air quality planning requirements for SO
CAA Sections 191 and 192 address requirements for SO
E. What Are the Applicable Provisions for SO
1. What are the Statutory Provisions?
The 1990 CAA Amendments revised section 107(d)(3)(E) to provide
five specific requirements that an area must meet in order to be redesignated from nonattainment to attainment:
(1) The area must have attained the applicable NAAQS;
(2) The area has met all relevant requirements under section 110 and part D of the Act;
(3) The area has a fully approved SIP under section 110(k) of the Act;
(4) the air quality improvement must be permanent and enforceable; and,
(5) the area must have a fully approved maintenance plan pursuant to section 175A of the Act.
CAA section 175A provides the general framework for maintenance
plans. The maintenance plan must provide for maintenance of the NAAQS
for at least 10 years after redesignation, including any additional
control measures as may be necessary to ensure such maintenance. In
addition, maintenance plans are to contain such contingency provisions
as we deem necessary to assure the prompt correction of a violation of
the NAAQS that occurs after redesignation. The contingency measures
must include, at a minimum, a requirement that the state will implement
all control measures contained in the nonattainment SIP prior to
redesignation. Beyond these provisions, however, CAA section 175A does not define the content of a maintenance plan.
[[Page 22450]]
Our primary general guidance on maintenance plans and redesignation
requests is a September 4, 1992 memo from John Calcagni, entitled
``Procedures for Processing Requests to Redesignate Areas to
Attainment'' (``Calcagni Memo''). Specific guidance on SO
Guidance on SO
Our historic redesignation policy for SO
(1) Emissions inventories representing actual emissions when
violations occurred; current emissions; and emissions projected to the 10th year after redesignation;
(2) Dispersion modeling showing that no NAAQS violations will occur
over the next 10 years and that the shut down source was the dominant cause of the high concentrations in the past;
(3) Evidence that if the shut down source resumes operation, it
would be considered a new source and be required to obtain a permit
under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration provisions of the CAA; and
(4) A commitment to resume monitoring before any major SO
III. Review of the Arizona State Submittals Addressing These Provisions A. Is the Maintenance Plan Approvable?
On June 21, 2002, ADEQ submitted to EPA the ``Morenci Sulfur
Dioxide Nonattainment Area State Implementation and Maintenance Plan''
and request to redesignate the area to attainment. The State verified
that it had adhered to its SIP adoption procedures. On October 30,
2002, we found that the submittal met the completeness criteria in 40
CFR part 51, Appendix V, which must be satisfied before EPA formal review.
2. Does the Area Qualify for Review under the Seitz Memo?
a. Were the Area's Violations Caused by a Major Point Source of SO
As discussed above, the only major source of SO
As discussed below, the State has addressed the requirements in the
Seitz Memo for emissions inventories, modeling, permitting of major new
sources, and agreement to commence monitoring if a new major source
locates in the area. Therefore, the State has met the special criteria
in the Seitz Memo for approval of maintenance plans and redesignation requests.
(1) Emissions Inventory. The State provided the three emissions
inventories specified in the Seitz Memo for the sources in, and within
50 kilometers of, the Morenci nonattainment area. For a representative
year when the copper smelter was in operation (1984), direct
SO
(2) Modeling. Past EPA policy memoranda on SO
SO
The October 18, 2000 Seitz memo requires a modeling analysis that
shows point sources were the dominant sources contributing to high
SO
(3) Permitting of New Sources. For the Morenci SO
Administrative Code (AAC), Title 18, Chapter 2, Articles 3 and 4. All
new major sources and modifications to existing major sources are
subject to the NSR requirements of these rules. We have not yet fully
approved the ADEQ NSR rules. ADEQ's SIPapproved NSR rules are at AAC R93302.
Section 172(c)(5) requires NSR permits for the construction and operation of new and modified major stationary sources anywhere in nonattainment areas. We have determined that areas being redesignated from nonattainment to attainment do not need to comply with the requirement that an NSR program be approved prior to redesignation provided that the area demonstrates maintenance of the standard without part D nonattainment NSR in effect. The rationale for this decision is described in a memorandum from Mary Nichols dated October 14, 1994 (``Part D New Source Review (part D NSR) Requirements for Areas Requesting Redesignation to Attainment''). We have determined that the maintenance demonstration for Morenci does not rely on nonattainment NSR. Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) is the replacement for NSR, and part of the obligation under PSD is for a new source to review increment consumption and maintenance of the air quality standards. PSD also requires preconstruction monitoring. Therefore, the State need not have a fully approved nonattainment NSR program prior to approval of the redesignation request.
ADEQ has a PSD permitting program (A.A.C. R93304 is the SIP
approved rule) that was established to preserve the air quality in
areas where ambient standards have been met. The State's PSD program
for all criteria pollutants except PM10 was approved into the SIP
effective May 3, 1983 (48 FR 19878). The federal PSD program for PM10
was delegated to the State on March 12, 1999. The PSD program requires
stationary sources to undergo preconstruction review before facilities
are constructed, modified, or reconstructed and to apply Best Available
Control Technology (BACT). These programs will apply to any major
source wishing to locate in the Morenci area once the area is
redesignated to attainment. The ADEQ commitment to treat any major
source in or near Morenci as ``new'' under the PSD program satisfies
the preconstruction permit provision of the Seitz memo as one of the prerequisites to redesignation.
(4) Monitoring. ADEQ has confirmed that the State commits to resume
monitoring before any major source of SO
c. Has the State Met the Remaining Maintenance Plan Provisions?
As discussed above, CAA Section 175A sets forth the statutory requirements for maintenance plans, and the Calcagni and Shaver memos cited above contain specific EPA guidance. The only maintenance plan element not covered by the Seitz Memo is the contingency provision. CAA Section 175A provides that maintenance plans ``contain such contingency provisions as the Administrator deems necessary to assure that the State will promptly correct any violation of the standard which occurs after the redesignation of the area as an attainment area.''
The Morenci Maintenance Plan includes the State's commitment to
continue to implement and enforce measures necessary to maintain the
SO
If these measures prove insufficient to protect against exceedances of the NAAQS, the State has also committed to adopt, submit as a SIP revision, and implement expeditiously any and all measures needed to ensure maintenance of the NAAQS.
The Calcagni Memo emphasizes the importance of specific contingency
measures, schedules for adoption, and action levels to trigger
implementation of the contingency plan. Since there are no remaining
sources of SO
B. Has the State Met the Redesignation Provisions of CAA Section 107(d)(3)(E)?
1. Has the Area Attained the 24hour and Annual SO
As discussed above, the normal prerequisite for redesignation is
submittal of qualityassured ambient data with no violations of the
SO
2. Has the Area Met All Relevant Requirements Under Section 110 and Part D of the Act?
CAA Section 110(a)(2) contains the general requirements for SIPs
(enforceable emission limits, ambient monitoring, permitting of new
sources, adequate funding, etc.) and part D contains the general
provisions applicable to SIPs for nonattainment areas (emissions
inventories, reasonably available control measures, demonstrations of
attainment, etc.). Over the years, we have approved Arizona's SIP as
meeting the basic requirements of CAA Section 110(a)(2), and the CAA
Part D requirements for Morenci addressed primarily by the regulations
applicable to the Phelps Dodge facility during the period of its
operation. The State has thus met the basic SIP requirements of the CAA.
3. Does the Area Have a Fully Approved SIP Under Section 110(k) of the Act?
We examined the applicable SIP, and also looked at the disapprovals
listed in 40 CFR 52.125 and no disapprovals remain relevant to the
applicable SIP. Arizona has a fullyapproved SIP with respect to the Morenci area.
4. Has the State Shown That the Air Quality Improvement in the Area Is Permanent and Enforceable?
Yes. The Maintenance Plan shows that the exclusive cause of past
SO
[[Page 22452]]
exists. As a result, there is no reason to expect that SO
5. Does the Area Have a Fully Approved Maintenance Plan Pursuant to Section 175a of the Act?
Yes. As discussed above, we are approving the Morenci Maintenance Plan in this action.
We are approving the Maintenance Plan for the Morenci area under
CAA Sections 110 and 175A. We are also approving the State's request to redesignate the Morenci area to attainment of the primary
SO
We are publishing this action without prior proposal because we view this as a noncontroversial amendment and anticipate no adverse comments. However, in the proposed rules section of this Federal Register publication, we are publishing a separate document that will serve as the proposal to approve the State plan and redesignate the area if relevant adverse comments are filed. This rule will be effective June 25, 2004 without further notice unless relevant adverse comments are received by May 26, 2004. If we receive such comments, this action will be withdrawn before the effective date. All public comments received will then be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on the proposed action. We will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time. If no such comments are received, the public is advised that this action will be effective June 25, 2004.
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), because it is not economically significant.
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. A major rule cannot take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. This action 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 June 25, 2004. 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 may not be challenged later in proceedings to enforce its requirements. (See CAA section 307(b)(2).)
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur dioxide.
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, National parks, Wilderness areas.
Dated: March 30, 2004.
Laura Yoshii,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
Parts 52 and 81, chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations 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 DArizona
2. Section 52.120 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(114) to read as follows:
Sec. 52.120 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(114) The following plan was submitted on June 21, 2002, by the Governor's designee.
(i) Incorporation by reference.
(A) Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
(1) Morenci Sulfur Dioxide Nonattainment Area State
[[Page 22453]]
Implementation and Maintenance Plan, adopted by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality on June 21, 2002.
PART 81[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
2. In Sec. 81.303 the SO
Sec. 81.303 Arizona.
* * * * *
ArizonaSO2
Does not Does not Better
meet meet Cannot be than
Designated area primary secondary classified national
standards standards standards
* * * * * * * Morenci:
T3S, R28E \2\.............................................. .......... .......... ........... x
T3S, R29E.................................................. .......... .......... ........... x
T3S, R30E.................................................. .......... .......... ........... x
T4S, R28E \2\.............................................. .......... .......... ........... x
T4S, R29E.................................................. .......... .......... ........... x
T4S, R30E.................................................. .......... .......... ........... x
T5S, R28E \2\.............................................. .......... .......... ........... x
T5S, R29E \2\.............................................. .......... .......... ........... x
T5S, R30E.................................................. .......... .......... x
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
\2\ That portion in Greenlee County.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 049277 Filed 42304; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 656050P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Wienke Tax, U.S. EPA Region 9, (520) 6221622, tax.wienke@epa.gov, or http://www.epa.gov/region09/air.
14 CFR Part 39 40 CFR Part 52 14 CFR Part 71 33 CFR Part 165 50 CFR Part 679 26 CFR Part 1 40 CFR Part 180 47 CFR Part 73 50 CFR Part 17 33 CFR Part 117 44 CFR Part 67 50 CFR Part 648 14 CFR Part 97 33 CFR Part 100 40 CFR Part 63 50 CFR Part 622 26 CFR Part 301 39 CFR Part 111 40 CFR Part 300 50 CFR Part 660 44 CFR Part 65 40 CFR Parts 52 and 81 40 CFR Part 271 47 CFR Part 64 50 CFR Part 665 47 CFR Part 76 50 CFR Part 229 14 CFR Part 23 14 CFR Part 25 21 CFR Part 522