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EPA ID: [EPA-R05-OAR-2006-0546; FRL-8534-4]
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Approval and Promulgation of Ohio SO2 Air Quality Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: EPA is approving an assortment of rules, submitted by Ohio on May 16, 2006, as amended on December 10, 2007, setting limits on sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Most significantly, EPA is approving rules for Franklin, Stark, and Summit Counties and for one source in Sandusky County, rules that supersede regulations that EPA promulgated in 1976 as a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP). This action provides that the entire FIP for SO2 in Ohio will now be superseded by approved State limits. Consequently, EPA is rescinding the entire FIP. EPA is also approving several substantive rule revisions and approving numerous Ohio rules that update various company names and unit identifications. Finally, since this rulemaking resolves the issues, which led a court to remand the designation for a portion of Summit County to EPA for reconsideration, EPA is promulgating a designation of attainment for the presently undesignated portion of this county.
SUMMARY: Approval and Promulgation of Ohio SO2 Air Quality Implementation Plans and Designation of Areas,
A. Summary of Ohio's Submittal
B. Summary of EPA's Proposed Rulemaking
C. Comments on EPA's Proposal
II. What Action Is EPA Taking?
III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews.
I. Background for This Action
On May 16, 2006, Ohio EPA submitted 4 amended general SO2 rules and 40 countyspecific SO2 rules. The countyspecific rules include 4 rules that were submitted to supersede remaining FIP rules, 4 rules that include substantive revisions to the limits, and 32 rules, which only change company names or unit identifications or make other such administrative changes.
On July 24, 2007, Ohio submitted a letter identifying an error, noted by the company, in its SO2 limit for the facility in Stark County owned by the Canton Drop Forging and Manufacturing Company. On December 10, 2007, Ohio submitted rule revisions correcting this error. The correction of this error makes the Stark County rules consistent with Ohio's attainment demonstration for this county and fully approvable. B. Summary of EPA's Proposed Rulemaking
EPA proposed action on this submittal on May 1, 2007. The notice of
proposed rulemaking provided a summary of the full history of the
regulation of SO2 emissions in the State of Ohio. Most notably, because
Ohio withdrew its original SO2 rules from EPA consideration, EPA
promulgated a FIP for SO2 on August 27, 1976, with numerous subsequent
amendments. On September 12, 1979, Ohio submitted a plan with limits
for SO2 in all 88 Ohio counties. For many of the counties, EPA approved
Ohio's rules and provided that the approved rules would supersede the [[Page 15084]]
corresponding federally promulgated rules. For other counties, EPA had
concerns about the 1979 rules that Ohio addressed with subsequent
submittals. With its May 2006 submittal, Ohio completed the process of
submitting State rules to address all 88 counties in the state and to entirely supersede the FIP for SO2 in Ohio.
EPA's May 2007 proposed rulemaking included three components. First, EPA addressed the state rules that Ohio submitted. EPA proposed to approve all of the submitted rules. Second, EPA addressed the FIP rules that the state rules supersede. Since the submitted rules, along with rules approved previously, would complete the process of superseding the entire FIP, EPA proposed to rescind the entire FIP. Third, EPA addressed the designation of portions of Summit County, Ohio. Portions of this county have been undesignated as a result of a lawsuit that led the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to remand the designation to EPA pending resolution of modeling issues as to what emission limits are necessary to attain the standard. EPA believes that these issues are resolved by the modeling underlying Ohio's Summit County SO2 limits, and so EPA proposed to establish a designation of attainment for this county.
EPA's proposed rulemaking was based on EPA's belief that Ohio's rules were fully consistent with the attainment demonstrations for the applicable counties. Although Ohio's letter of July 25, 2007, indicates that this was not the case for one boiler at one source in Stark County, the revised rules that Ohio submitted on December 10, 2007, remove this discrepancy. As a result, EPA believes that Ohio's limits are now consistent with the applicable attainment demonstrations and are fully approvable.
EPA received no comments on its proposed rulemaking. II. What Action Is EPA Taking?
EPA believes that the SO2 rules submitted by Ohio meet applicable requirements, most notably by assuring attainment in the applicable areas. Therefore, EPA is approving the rules that Ohio submitted on May 16, 2006, as amended in the rule submitted on December 10, 2007. Specifically, EPA is fully approving 44 rules for SO2 in Ohio, including 4 general rules, 4 countyspecific rules that replace FIP rules, 4 countyspecific rules that incorporate substantive changes in limits, and 32 countyspecific rules that reflect only administrative changes such as updating company names.
This action provides that state rules now supersede the last remaining portions of the FIP that was promulgated in 1976 et seq. Therefore, the FIP may be removed from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Even after the FIP is removed, EPA may continue to take enforcement action against violations of the FIP limits discovered to have occurred during the time the FIP was in effect. Accordingly, EPA is rescinding the entirety of 40 CFR 52.1881(b) (including general provisions and countyspecific limits) and of 40 CFR 52.1882 (providing FIP compliance schedules). Since EPA has now approved rules for the entire State, EPA is rescinding the sections of 40 CFR 52.1881(a) that identify counties for which EPA has taken no action or has disapproved the state's plan. EPA is replacing the listing of counties having approved rules with a rulebyrule listing of approved rules.
Finally, EPA is also establishing a designation of attainment for the portion of Summit County that is presently undesignated. For simplicity, EPA is combining the designations into a single designation for the entire county rather than have separate designations for four subdivisions of the county. EPA is also rescinding the footnote that was inadvertently applied to the designation of Trumbull County. III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
This action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under the terms of Executive Order (EO) 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and is therefore not subject to review under the EO.
This rule does not impose an information collection burden under
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. This action approves State rules regulating emissions of
SO
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) generally requires an agency
to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to
notice and comment rulemaking requirements under the Administrative
Procedures Act or any other statute unless the agency certifies the
rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities. Small entities include small businesses,
small organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions. For purposes
of assessing the impacts of today's action on small entities, small
entity is defined as: (1) A small business that is a small industrial
entity as defined in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size
standards. (See 13 CFR 121.); (2) a small governmental jurisdiction
that is a government of a city, county, town, school district or
special district with a population of less than 50,000; and (3) a small organization that is any notforprofit enterprise which is
independently owned and operated and is not dominant in its field. This
action merely approves state rules regulating SO
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public
Law 1044, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the
effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and Tribal
governments and the private sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA, EPA
generally must prepare a written statement, including a costbenefit
analysis, for proposed and final rules with ``Federal mandates'' that
may result in expenditures to State, local, and Tribal governments, in
the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 million or more in any one year. Before promulgating an EPA rule for
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which a written statement is needed, section 205 of the UMRA generally
requires EPA to identify and consider a reasonable number of regulatory
alternatives and adopt the least costly, most costeffective or least
burdensome alternative that achieves the objectives of the rule. The
provisions of section 205 do not apply when they are inconsistent with
applicable law. Moreover, section 205 allows EPA to adopt an
alternative other than the least costly, most costeffective or least
burdensome alternative if the Administrator publishes with the final
rule an explanation to why that alternative was not adopted. Before EPA
establishes any regulatory requirements that may significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, including Tribal governments, it
must have developed under section 203 of the UMRA a small government
agency plan. The plan must provide for notifying potentially affected
small governments, enabling officials of affected small governments to
have meaningful and timely input in the development of EPA regulatory
proposals with significant Federal intergovernmental mandates, and
informing, educating, and advising small governments on compliance with
the regulatory requirements. Today's action does not include a Federal
mandate within the meaning of UMRA that may result in expenditures of
$100 million or more in any one year by either State, local, or Tribal
governments in the aggregate or to the private sector, and therefore,
is not subject to the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of the UMRA.
This action merely approves state rules regulating SO
Executive Order 13132, entitled ``Federalism'' (64 FR 43255, August
10, 1999), requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure
``meaningful and timely input by State and local officials in the
development of regulatory policies that have federalism implications.''
``Policies that have federalism implications'' is defined in the
Executive Order to include regulations that 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.'' This action
merely approves state rules regulating SO2 emissions and imposes no
additional requirements beyond those imposed by state rules. This
action will not modify the relationship of the States and EPA for
purposes of developing programs to implement the NAAQS. Thus, Executive Order 13132 does not apply to this rule.
F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments
Executive Order 13175, entitled ``Consultation and Coordination
with Indian Tribal Governments'' (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000),
requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure ``meaningful
and timely input by tribal officials in the development of regulatory
policies that have tribal implications.'' This action does not have
``Tribal implications'' as specified in Executive Order 13175. This
action merely approves state rules regulating SO2 emissions in a state
with no federally recognized tribes. Thus, Executive Order 13175 does not apply to this rule.
G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health and Safety Risks
Executive Order 13045: ``Protection of Children From Environmental
Health and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997) applies to any
rule that (1) is determined to be ``economically significant'' as
defined under Executive Order 12866, and (2) concerns an environmental
health or safety risk that EPA has reason to believe may have
disproportionate effect on children. If the regulatory action meets
both criteria, the Agency must evaluate the environmental health or
safety effects of the planned rule on children, and explain why the
planned regulation is preferable to other potentially effective and
reasonably feasible alternatives considered by the Agency. This action
merely approves state rules regulating SO2 emissions and imposes no
additional requirements beyond those imposed by state rules. This
action is not subject to Executive Order 13045 because it is not
economically significant as defined in E.O. 12866, and because the
Agency does not have reason to believe the environmental health risks
or safety risks addressed by this rule present a disproportionate risk to children.
H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use
This action is not subject to Executive Order 13211, ``Actions That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use,'' (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001) because it is not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866.
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.
J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and LowIncome Populations
Executive Order (EO) 12898 (59 FR 7629 (Feb. 16, 1994)) establishes federal executive policy on environmental justice. Its main provision directs federal agencies, to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law, to make environmental justice part of their mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and lowincome populations in the United States.
EPA has determined that this final rule will not have disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority or lowincome populations because it does not affect the level of protection provided to human health or the environment. This action approves emission limitations that are equivalent or more stringent than current SIP limitations, and so this rule will not have adverse effects on any population.
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
[[Page 15086]]
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. The 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). This action will be effective April 21, 2008. L. Petitions for Judicial Review
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 May 20, 2008. 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 Section 307(b)(2).)
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Sulfur oxides.
Air pollution control, Environmental protection, National parks, Sulfur dioxide, Wilderness areas.
Dated: February 21, 2008.
Stephen L. Johnson,
Administrator.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, parts 52 and 81, chapter I, of
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 KOhio
2. Section 52.1870 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(136) to read as follows:
Sec. 52.1870 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(136) On May 16, 2006, Ohio submitted numerous regulations for
sulfur dioxide. These regulations were submitted to replace the
remaining federally promulgated regulations, to make selected revisions
to applicable limits, and to update company names and make other
similar administrative changes. On December 10, 2007, Ohio submitted a corrected rule for Stark County.
(i) Incorporation by reference.
(A) Ohio Administrative Code Rules 37451801 ``Definitions and
incorporation by reference.'', 37451802 ``Ambient air quality
standards; sulfur dioxide.'', 37451803 ``Attainment dates and
compliance time schedules.'', 37451806 ``General emission limit
provisions.'', 37451810 ``Ashtabula County emission limits.'', 3745
1811 ``Athens County emission limits.'', 37451812 ``Auglaize County
emission limits.'', 37451817 ``Champaign County emission limits.'',
37451818 ``Clark County emission limits.'', 37451828 ``Erie County
emission limits.'', 37451829 ``Fairfield County emission limits.'',
37451831 ``Franklin County emission limits.'', 37451834 ``Geauga
County emission limits.'', 37451835 ``Greene County emission
limits.'', 37451837 ``Hamilton County emission limits.'', 37451838
``Hancock County emission limits.'', 37451849 ``Lake County emission
limits.'', 37451850 ``Lawrence County emission limits.'', 37451853
``Lorain County emission limits.'', 37451857 ``Marion County emission
limits.'', 37451861 ``Miami County emission limits.'', 37451863
``Montgomery County emission limits.'', 37451866 ``Muskingum County
emission limits.'', 37451868 ``Ottawa County emission limits.'',
37451869 ``Paulding County emission limits.'', 37451872 ``Pike
County emission limits.'', 37451876 ``Richland County emission
limits.'', 37451877 ``Ross County emission limits.'', 37451878
``Sandusky County emission limits.'', 37451879 ``Scioto County
emission limits.'', 37451880 ``Seneca County emission limits.'',
37451881 ``Shelby County emission limits.'', 37451883 ``Summit
County emission limits.'', 37451884 ``Trumbull County emission
limits.'', 37451885 ``Tuscarawas County emission limits.'', 374518
87 ``Van Wert County emission limits.'', 37451890 ``Washington County
emission limits.'', 37451891 ``Wayne County emission limits.'', and
37451893 ``Wood County emission limits.'', adopted on January 13, 2006, effective January 23, 2006.
(B) January 13, 2006, ``Director's Final Findings and Orders'',
signed by Joseph P. Koncelik, Director, Ohio Environmental Protection
Agency, adopting the rules identified in paragraph (A) above.
(C) Ohio Administrative Code Rules 37451808 ``Allen County
emission limits.'', 37451815 ``Butler County emission limits.'',
37451824 ``Cuyahoga County emission limits.'', and 37451854 ``Lucas
County emission limits.'', adopted on March 16, 2006, effective March 27, 2006.
(D) March 16, 2006, ``Director's Final Findings and Orders'',
signed by Joseph P. Koncelik, Director, Ohio Environmental Protection
Agency, adopting rules 37451808, 37451815, 37451824, and 374518 54.
(E) Ohio Administrative Code Rule 37451882 ``Stark County
emission limits.'', adopted on November 28, 2007, effective December 8, 2007.
(F) November 28, 2007, ``Director's Final Findings and Orders'',
signed by Chris Korleski, Director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, adopting rule 37451882.
* * * * *
3. Section 52.1881 is amended as follows:
a. By revising paragraph (a)(4).
b. By removing and reserving paragraphs (a)(7), (a)(8), and (b).
Sec. 52.1881 Control strategy: Sulfur oxides (sulfur dioxide). (a) * * *
(4) Notwithstanding the portions of Ohio's sulfur dioxide rules
identified in this section that EPA has either disapproved or taken no
action on, EPA has approved a complete plan addressing all counties in
the State of Ohio. EPA has approved the following rules, supplemented
by any additional approved rules specified in 40 CFR 52.1870:
(i) Rules as effective in Ohio on December 28, 1979: OAC 374518
04(A), (B), (C), (D)(1), (D)(4), (E)(1), and (H) (measurement methods),
OAC 37451805 (ambient monitoring), OAC 37451809 (Ashland County),
OAC 37451813 (Belmont), OAC 37451814 (Brown), OAC 37451816
(Carroll), OAC 37451819 (Clermont)except for one paragraph approved
later (CG&E Beckjord), OAC 37451820 (Clinton), OAC 37451821
(Columbiana), OAC 37451823 (Crawford), OAC 37451825 (Darke), OAC
37451826 (Defiance), OAC 37451827 (Delaware), OAC 37451830
(Fayette), OAC 37451832 (Fulton), OAC 37451836 (Guernsey), OAC
37451839 (Hardin), OAC 37451840 (Harrison), OAC 37451841 (Henry), OAC 37451842 (Highland),
[[Page 15087]]
OAC 37451843 (Hocking), OAC 37451844 (Holmes), OAC 37451845
(Huron), OAC 37451846 (Jackson), OAC 37451848 (Knox), OAC 374518
51 (Licking), OAC 37451852 (Logan), OAC 37451855 (Madison), OAC
37451858 (Medina), OAC 37451859 (Meigs), OAC 37451860 (Mercer),
OAC 37451862 (Monroe), OAC 37451864 (Morgan)except for one
paragraph approved later (OP Muskingum River), OAC 37451865 (Morrow), OAC 37451867 (Noble), OAC 37451870 (Perry), OAC 37451873
(Portage), OAC 37451874 (Preble), OAC 37451875 (Putnam), OAC 3745
1886 (Union), OAC 37451888 (Vinton), OAC 37451889 (Warren), OAC 37451892 (Williams), and OAC 37451894 (Wyandot);
(ii) Rules as effective in Ohio on October 1, 1982: OAC 37451864 (B) (OP Muskingum River in Morgan County);
(iii) Rules as effective in Ohio on May 11, 1987: OAC 37451819(B) (CG&E Beckjord);
(iv) Rules as effective in Ohio on October 31, 1991: OAC 37451804
(D)(7), (D)(8)(a) to (D)(8)(e), (E)(5), (E)(6)(a), (E)(6)(b), (F), and (I) (measurement methods);
(v) Rules as effective in Ohio on July 25, 1996: OAC 37451847 (Jefferson);
(vi) Rules as effective in Ohio on March 21, 2000: OAC 374518
04(D)(8), (D)(9), and (E)(7) (measurement methods), OAC 37451822
(Coshocton), OAC 37451833 (Gallia), and OAC 37451871 (Pickaway);
(vii) Rules as effective in Ohio on September 1, 2003: OAC 374518
04(F) and (J) (measurement methods), and OAC 37451856 (Mahoning);
(viii) Rules as effective in Ohio on January 23, 2006: OAC 374518
01 (definitions), OAC 37451802 (air quality standards), OAC 374518
03 (compliance dates), OAC 37451806 (general provisions), OAC 3745
1807 (Adams), OAC 37451810 (Ashtabula), OAC 37451811 (Athens), OAC
37451812 (Auglaize), OAC 37451817 (Champaign), OAC 37451818
(Clark), OAC 37451828 (Erie), OAC 37451829 (Fairfield), OAC 3745
1831 (Franklin), OAC 37451834 (Geauga), OAC 37451835 (Greene), OAC
37451837 (Hamilton), OAC 37451838 (Hancock), OAC 37451849 (Lake),
OAC 37451850 (Lawrence), OAC 37451853 (Lorain), OAC 37451857
(Marion), OAC 37451861 (Miami), OAC 37451863 (Montgomery), OAC 37451866 (Muskingum), OAC 37451868 (Ottawa), OAC 37451869
(Paulding), OAC 37451872 (Pike), OAC 37451876 (Richland), OAC 3745
1877 (Ross), OAC 37451878 (Sandusky), OAC 37451879 (Scioto), OAC
37451880 (Seneca), OAC 37451881 (Shelby), OAC 37451883 (Summit),
OAC 37451884 (Trumbull), OAC 37451885 (Tuscarawas), OAC 37451887
(Van Wert), OAC 37451890 (Washington), OAC 37451891 (Wayne), and OAC 37451893 (Wood);
(ix) Rules as effective in Ohio on March 27, 2006: OAC 37451808
(Allen), OAC 37451815 (Butler), OAC 37451824 (Cuyahoga), and OAC 37451854 (Lucas); and
(x) Rule as effective in Ohio on December 8, 2007: OAC 37451882 (Stark).
* * * * *
Sec. 52.1882 [Removed and Reserved]
4. Section 52.1882 is removed and reserved.
PART 81[AMENDED]
5. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart CSection 107 Attainment Status Designations
6. The table in Sec. 81.336 entitled ``OhioSO
Sec. 81.336 Ohio.
Ohio.SO2
Does not meet Does not meet Better than
Designated area primary secondary Cannot be national
standards standards classified standards
* * * * * * *
Summit County.................................. .............. .............. .............. X
Trumbull County................................ .............. .............. .............. X
* * * * * * * * * * * *
[FR Doc. E85666 Filed 32008; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 656050P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT John Summerhays, Environmental Scientist, Criteria Pollutant Section, Air Programs Branch (AR18J), Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 8866067, summerhays.john@epa.gov.
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