Federal Register: February 15, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 30)
DOCID: FR Doc 05-2890
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Environmental Protection Agency
CA ID: [CA 313-0476; FRL-7872-9]
NOTICE: NOTICES
ACTION: Air programs:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of adequacy determination.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Adequacy Status of the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District, California, Submitted Ozone Attainment Plan for Transportation Conformity Purposes
DATES: This determination is effective March 2, 2005.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that we have found that the motor vehicle emissions budgets contained in the submitted 2004 State Implementation Plan for Ozone in the San Joaquin Valley are adequate for transportation conformity purposes.
As a result of our finding, the various transportation planning
agencies in the San Joaquin Valley and the Federal Highway
Administration must use the VOC and NO
SUMMARY:
State implementation plans; adequacy status for transportation conformity purposes—; California,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
This notice announces our finding that the
emissions budgets contained in the 2004 State Implementation Plan \1\
for Ozone in the San Joaquin Valley (``Ozone Plan''), submitted by the
State of California on behalf of the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air
Pollution Control District on November 15, 2004, are adequate for
transportation conformity purposes. EPA Region IX made this finding in
a letter to the State of California, Air Resources Board on February 7,
2005. We are also announcing this finding on our conformity Web site:
http://www.epa.gov/oms/transp/traqconf.htm (once there, click on the
``Transportation Conformity'' link, then look for ``Adequacy Web Pages'').
\1\ The submitted Ozone Plan includes a rateofprogress
demonstration for milestone years 2008 and 2010 and a demonstration
that the San Joaquin Valley will attain by no later than the 2010
attainment date for areas classified ``extreme'' under the federal 1hour ozone standard.
Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act. Our conformity rule requires that transportation plans, programs, and projects conform to state air quality implementation plans (SIPs) and establishes the criteria and procedures for determining whether or not they do. Conformity to a SIP means that transportation activities will not produce new air quality violations, worsen existing violations, or delay timely attainment of the national ambient air quality standards.
The criteria by which we determine whether a SIP's motor vehicle emission budgets are adequate for conformity purposes are outlined in 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). One of these criteria is that the motor vehicle emissions budgets, when considered together with all other emission sources, is consistent with applicable requirements for the reasonable further progress plan. We have preliminarily determined that the 2004 State Implementation Plan for Ozone in the San Joaquin Valley plan meets the necessary rate of progress reductions for milestone years 2008 and 2010 and demonstrates attainment by no later than 2010. Therefore, the motor vehicle emissions budgets can be found adequate. Please note that an adequacy review is separate from EPA's completeness review, and it also should not be used to prejudge EPA's ultimate approval of the submitted plan itself. Even if we find a budget adequate, the submitted plan could later be disapproved.
We have described our process for determining the adequacy of
submitted SIP budgets in guidance (May 14, 1999 memo titled
``Conformity Guidance on Implementation of March 2, 1999 Conformity
Court Decision''). This guidance is now reflected in the amended
transportation conformity rule, July 1, 2004 (69 FR 40004), and in the
correction notice, July 20, 2004 (69 FR 43325). We followed this
process in making our adequacy determination on the motor vehicle
emissions budgets contained in the 2004 State Implementation Plan for Ozone in the San Joaquin Valley.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 74017671q.
Dated: February 8, 2005.
Karen Schwinn,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 052890 Filed 21405; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 656050P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
The finding is available at EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/oms/transp/traqconf.htm (once there, click on the ``Transportation Conformity'' link, then look for ``Adequacy Web Pages'').
You may also contact David Wampler, U.S. EPA, Region IX, Air Division AIR2, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 9723975, or wampler.david@epa.gov.