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EPA ID: [EPA-R06-OAR-2007-0525; FRL-8726-2]
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Texas; Reasonable Further Progress Plan, Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets, and Revised 2002 Base Year Emissions Inventory; Dallas/Fort Worth 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a
revision to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) to meet the
Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) requirements of the Clean Air Act
(CAA) for the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) moderate 1997 8hour ozone
nonattainment area. EPA is also approving the RFP motor vehicle
emissions budgets (MVEBs) and a revised 2002 Base Year Emissions
Inventory associated with the revision. EPA is approving the SIP
revision because it satisfies the RFP, RFP transportation conformity and Emissions Inventory requirements for 1997 8hour ozone
nonattainment areas classified as moderate and demonstrates further
progress in reducing ozone precursors. EPA is approving the revision
pursuant to section 110 and part D of the CAA and EPA's regulations.
SUMMARY: Texas; Reasonable Further Progress Plan, Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets, and Revised 2002 Base Year Emissions Inventory,
We are approving a revision to the Texas SIP, submitted to meet the
Emissions Inventory and RFP requirements of the CAA for the DFW
moderate 1997 8hour ozone nonattainment area. The revision was adopted
by the State of Texas on May 23, 2007 and submitted to EPA on May 30,
2007. We are approving the revised 2002 Base Year Emissions Inventory,
the 15% RFP plan, and the RFP 2008 MVEBs. The RFP plan demonstrates
that emissions will be reduced 15 percent for the period of 2002
through 2008. The Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) MVEB is 119.81 tpd,
and the Oxides of Nitrogen (NO
EPA is publishing this rule without prior proposal because we view this as a noncontroversial amendment and anticipate no relevant 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 SIP revision if relevant adverse comments are received. This rule will be effective on December 8, 2008 without further notice unless we receive relevant adverse comment by November 6, 2008. If we receive relevant adverse comments, we will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register informing the public that the rule will not take effect. We will address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule. We will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting must do so now. Please note that if we receive adverse comment on an amendment, paragraph, or section of this rule and if that provision may be severed from the remainder of the rule, we may adopt as final those provisions of the rule that are not the subject of an adverse comment.
Section 110 of the CAA requires states to develop air pollution regulations and control strategies to ensure that air quality meets the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) established by EPA. NAAQS are established under section 109 of the CAA and currently address six criteria pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, lead, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide.
A SIP is a set of air pollution regulations, control strategies, other means or techniques, and technical analyses developed by the state, to ensure that the state meets the NAAQS. It is required by section 110 and other provisions of the CAA. A SIP protects air quality primarily by addressing air pollution at its point of origin. A SIP can be extensive, containing state regulations or other enforceable documents, and supporting information such as emissions inventories, monitoring networks, and modeling demonstrations. Each state must submit regulations and control strategies to EPA for approval and incorporation into the federallyenforceable SIP.
Inhaling even low levels of ozone, a key component of urban smog,
can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pains,
coughing, nausea, throat irritation, and congestion. It can also worsen
bronchitis and asthma, and reduce lung capacity. Volatile organic
compounds (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NO
EPA promulgated, on July 18, 1997, a revised 8hour ozone standard
of 0.08 parts per million (ppm), which is more protective than the
previous 1hour ozone standard (62 FR (38855).\1\ On April 30, 2004,
EPA published designations and classifications for the revised 1997 8
hour ozone standard (69 FR 23858); Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, and
Rockwall Counties (the five new counties) were added to the DFW ozone
nonattainment area; and the area was classified as a moderate
nonattainment area. The DFW 1997 8hour ozone nonattainment area
therefore consists of nine counties. Collin, Dallas, Denton, and
Tarrant counties (the four core counties) were initially classified as
a moderate nonattainment area under the 1hour ozone standard with an
attainment date no later than November 15, 1996 (November 6, 1991, 56
FR 56694). The area did not attain the 1hour standard by that outside
1996 deadline, and was reclassified as a serious 1hour ozone
nonattainment area with an attainment date no later than November 15, 1999 (February 18, 1998, 63 FR 8128).
\1\ EPA issued a revised 8hour ozone standard on March 27, 2008
(73 FR 16436). The designation and implementation process for that
standard is just starting and does not affect EPA's action here.
On November 29, 2005 (70 FR 71612), as revised on June 8, 2007 (72 FR
[[Page 58477]]
31727), EPA published the Phase 2 final rule for implementation of the
8hour standard that addressed, among other things, the RFP control and
planning obligations as they apply to areas designated nonattainment
for the 1997 8hour ozone NAAQS. In the Phase 1 Rule, RFP was defined
in section 51.900(p) as meaning for the purposes of the 1997 8hour
NAAQS, the progress reductions required under section 172(c)(2) and
section 182(b)(1) and (c)(2)(B) and (c)(2)(C) of the CAA. In section
51.900(q), rate of progress (ROP) was defined as meaning for purposes
of the 1hour NAAQS, the progress reductions required under section
172(c)(2) and section 182(b)(1) and (c)(2)(B) and (c)(2)(C) of the CAA (see 69 FR 23997).
On December 22, 2006, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated EPA's Phase 1 Rule in South Coast Air Quality Management Dist. v. EPA, 472 F.3d 882 (D.C. Cir. 2006). On June 8, 2007, in response to several petitions for rehearing, the court modified the scope of vacatur of the Phase 1 Rule. See 489 F.3d 1245 (D.C. Cir. 2007), cert. denied, 128 S.Ct. 1065 (2008). The court vacated those portions of the Phase 1 Rule that provide for regulation of the 1997 8hour ozone NAAQS in some nonattainment areas under Subpart 1 in lieu of Subpart 2 and that allowed areas to revise their SIPs to no longer require certain programs as they applied for purposes of the 1hour NAAQS; new source review, section 185 penalties, and contingency plans for failure to meet RFP and attainment milestones. The decision does not affect the requirements for areas classified under subpart 2, such as the DFW area, to submit a reasonable further progress plan for the 1997 8hour ozone NAAQS. Litigation on the Phase 2 Rule is pending before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Section 182 of the CAA and EPA's 1997 8hour ozone regulations \2\
require a state, for each 1997 8hour ozone nonattainment area that is
classified as moderate, to submit an emissions inventory and a RFP plan
to show how the state will reduce emissions of VOCs and NO
\2\ Reasonable further progress regulations are at 40 CFR
51.910, and emissions inventory regulations are at 40 CFR 51.915.
For a moderate area with an attainment date of more than five years
after designation, the RFP plan must obtain a 15% reduction in ozone
precursor emissions for the first six years after the baseline year
(2002 through 2008). If such a moderate area also contains a portion of
the area with an approved 15% VOC Rate of Progress plan under the 1
hour ozone standard, states are allowed to treat the area as two parts,
each with a separate RFP target. (Rate of Progress refers to reasonable
further progress for the 1hour ozone standard.) For the part with an
approved 15% VOC Rate of Progress plan under the 1hour ozone standard,
states can use reductions from VOC, NO
Pursuant to CAA section 172(c)(9), RFP plans must include contingency measures that will take effect without further action by the State or EPA, which includes additional controls that would be implemented if the area fails to reach the reasonable further progress milestones. While the Act does not specify the type of measures or quantity of emissions reductions required, EPA provided guidance interpreting the Act that implementation of these contingency measures would provide additional emissions reductions of up to 3% of the adjusted base year inventory (or a lesser percentage that will make up the identified shortfall) in the year following the RFP milestone year. For more information on contingency measures please see the April 16, 1992 General Preamble (57 FR 13498, 13510) and the November 29, 2005 Phase 2 8hour ozone standard implementation rule (70 FR 71612, 71650). RFP plans must also include a MVEB, which is the allowable onroad mobile emissions an area can produce and continue to demonstrate RFP. IV. What Is EPA's Evaluation of the Revision?
EPA has reviewed the revision for consistency with the requirements of EPA regulations. A summary of EPA's analysis is provided below. For a full discussion of our evaluation, please see our TSD.
CAA sections 172(c)(3) and 182(a)(1) require an inventory of actual emissions from all sources of relevant pollutants in the nonattainment area. EPA strongly recommended using 2002 as the base year emissions inventory. Texas has developed a 2002 Base Year Inventory for the DFW nonattainment area. The 2002 Base Year Inventory includes all point, area, nonroad mobile, and onroad mobile source emissions in all of the nine counties. On May 13, 2005 Texas submitted the 2002 base year inventory to EPA as part of a SIP revision for the DFW 8hour ozone nonattainment area. EPA reviewed the 2002 base year inventory and determined that it was developed in accordance with EPA guidelines. A Federal Register Notice approving the 2002 base year inventory was published on August 15, 2008 (73 FR 47835).
However, since that revision was submitted to EPA, more accurate
data became available and improved calculation methods have been
developed. Because of these changes, the RFP SIP revision updates
emissions data for the base year 2002. EPA has determined that the
inventory was developed in accordance with EPA guidance on emission
inventory preparation, and that the revised 2002 Base Year Emissions
Inventory is approvable. Table 1 lists the Emissions Inventory for the
DFW area. For more detail on how emissions inventories were estimated, see the Technical Support Document.
[[Page 58478]]
Table 1DFW 2002 RFP Base Year Emissions Inventory
VOC NOX
Source type 4 Core 5 New 9 County 4 Core 5 New 9 County
counties counties total counties counties total
Base Year Emissions Inventory (Tons/Day)
Point............................. 18.73 7.69 26.42 34.55 44.70 79.25
Area.............................. 205.07 32.34 237.41 34.96 2.08 37.04
Onroad Mobile.................... 143.28 18.32 161.60 296.01 60.22 356.23
Nonroad Mobile................... 108.63 10.97 119.60 117.22 17.45 134.67
Total......................... 475.71 69.32 545.03 482.74 124.45 607.19 B. Adjusted Base Year Inventory and 2008 RFP Target Levels
The 2002 base year emissions inventory referenced above is also known as the ``base year inventory,'' and is the starting point for calculating RFP. Next, section 182(b)(2)(C) explains that the baseline from which emission reductions are calculated should be determined as outlined pursuant to CAA section 182(b)(1)(B). Section 182(b)(1)(B) and 40 CFR 51.910 require that the base year inventory must be adjusted to exclude certain emissions specified in CAA section 182(b)(1)(D). This requires that the baseline exclude emission reductions due to Federal Motor Vehicle Control Programs (FMVCP) promulgated by the Administrator by January 1, 1990, and emission reductions due to the regulation of Reid Vapor Pressure promulgated by the Administrator prior to the enactment of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. These measures are not creditable.
The result (after the adjustment) is the ``adjusted base year inventory.'' The required RFP 15% reduction is calculated by multiplying the adjusted base year inventory by 0.15. This figure is subtracted from the adjusted base year inventory, resulting in the target level of emissions for the milestone year (2008). Tables 2 and 3 feature summaries of the adjusted base year inventories (row c), required 15% reductions (row d), and 2008 target level of emissions (row e), as described above.
Texas has based the 15% plan on NO
Table 2Calculation of DFW Required NOX Target Level of Emissions for
the Four Core Counties With an Approved VOC 15% 1Hour Ozone Rate of Progress Plan
NOX 4 core
Description counties
(tons/day)
a. 2002 Base Year Inventory................................ 482.74
b. Excluded Emission Reductions............................ 26.52
c. Adjusted Base Year Inventory (ab)...................... 456.22
d. 15% Reductions (c x 0.15)............................... 68.43
e. 2008 Target (cd)....................................... 387.79
Table 3Calculation of DFW VOC Target Levels of Emissions in Tons Per
Day for Portion Without an Approved VOC Rate of Progress Plan
VOC (5 new
Description counties)
a. 2002 Emission Inventory................................. 69.32
b. Noncreditable Reductions, 20022008.................... 1.93
c. 2002 Adjusted to 2008 (ab)............................. 67.39
d. 15% Reductions (c x 0.15)............................... 10.11
e. 2008 Target (cd)....................................... 57.28
C. The 2008 Projected Emissions Inventories and How the Total Required
15% Reductions Are Achieved in the Four Core Counties and the Five New Counties
Next, section 182(b)(1)(A) requires that States need to provide sufficient control measures in their RFP plans to offset any emissions growth. To do this the State must estimate the amount of growth that will occur between 2002 and the end of 2008. The State uses population and economic forecasts to estimate how emissions will change in the future. Generally, the State followed our standard guidelines in estimating the growth in emissions. EPA's MOBILE 6.2.03 was used to develop the 2008 onroad inventory. For more detail on how emissions growth was estimated, see the TSD. Texas terms the projections of growth as the RFP 2008 Uncontrolled Inventories.
Texas then estimates the projected emission reductions from the
control measures in place between 2002 and the end of 2008 and applies
these to the RFP 2008 Uncontrolled Inventories; the results are the RFP
2008 Controlled Inventories. The total amount of VOC and NO
The majority of point source reductions are from the addition of
NO
The mobile nonroad emission reductions for the four core counties
were a result of implementing federal measures, including the Tier I
and II Locomotive NO
[[Page 58479]]
mobile nonroad emission reductions: the new nonroad SI engines
standards, the heavyduty nonroad engines standards, the Tier 1, 2,
and 3 nonroad diesel engines standards, the small nonroad SI engines
Phase II standards, the large nonroad SI and recreational marine
standards, and nonroad RFG. For all of the counties, emissions from
locomotives, aircraft and support equipment, and commercial marine
vessels were calculated outside of the NONROAD 5 model using EPA
approved methodologies. EPA finds that the State's projected emissions
and emission reductions for these three nonroad mobile sources are acceptable.
Reductions in mobile onroad emissions for the four core counties resulted from fleet turnover due to Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the FMVCP, the Federal RFG, the Federal NLEV, the 2007 Heavy Duty Diesel FMVCP, and the State's I/M Program. The mobile onroad emission reductions for the five counties were from fleet turnover due to Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the FMVCP, surplus VOC emission reductions in the four core counties from the Tier 1 FMVCP, the Federal NLEV, the 2007 Heavy Duty Diesel FMVCP, and the State's I/M program. Each of the State measures relied upon in this plan have been approved in separate actions. See the TSD for more details.
As a result, for NO
Table 4Summary of RFP Demonstration for DFW
NOX (tons/day) VOC (tons/day)
Inventory 4 core counties 5 new counties
2008 Target................................................................. 387.79 57.28
2008 Uncontrolled Emissions................................................. 651.85 90.02
2008 RFP Emission Reductions................................................ 277.76 \*\35.30
2008 Projected Emissions after RFP Reductions............................... 374.09 54.72
RFP Met?.................................................................... Yes Yes
\*\ VOC reductions from the Federal Motor Vehicle Control Program in the 4 core counties were used to help meet
the RFP emission reduction target for the 5 new counties.
D. The Reasonable Further Progress Plan Includes Acceptable RFP Contingency Measures
The 1997 8hour ozone RFP plan for a moderate nonattainment area must include contingency measures, which are additional controls to be implemented if the area fails to make reasonable further progress. Contingency measures are intended to achieve reductions over and beyond those relied on in the RFP demonstration and could include federal and state measures already scheduled for implementation. The CAA does not preclude a state from implementing such measures before they are triggered. EPA interprets the CAA to require sufficient contingency measures in the RFP submittal, so that upon implementation of such measures, additional emission reductions of up to 3% of the adjusted base year inventory (or a lesser percentage that will make up the identified shortfall) would be achieved between the milestone year of 2008 and the next calendar year, i.e., 2009.
Texas used federal and state measures currently being implemented
to meet the contingency measure requirement for the DFW RFP SIP. These
measures, which are the same measures used for RFP, provide reductions
that are in excess of those needed for RFP. As shown in Table 5, in
both the four core counties and the five new counties, the excess
reductions are greater than 3% of the adjusted base year inventories.
Therefore these reductions are sufficient as contingency measures.
Table 5RFP Contingency Measure Demonstration for DFW RFP SIP
NOX 4 core VOC 5 new
Description counties counties
(tons/day) (tons/day)
a. Adjusted Base Year Inventory (from Tables 2 456.22 67.39 and 3).......................................
b. 3% Needed for Contingency (a x 0.03)....... 13.69 2.02
c. Excess Reductions Used for Contingency..... 13.70 2.56
d. Contingency Met?........................... Yes Yes
E. The RFP Milestone 2008 Motor Vehicle Emissions Budget (MVEB) Are Approvable
The 1997 8hour ozone RFP plan must include MVEBs for
transportation conformity purposes. Texas submitted its RFP MVEBs for
VOCs and NO
[[Page 58480]]
because when added to the other components of the 2008 emissions
inventory (including nonroad, stationary source, and area source
emissions) the total level of emissions is below the 2008 RFP emissions
target level. We found the RFP MVEBs (also termed transportation
conformity budgets) adequate and on June 28, 2007, the availability of
these budgets was posted on our website for the purpose of soliciting
public comments. The comment period closed on July 30, 2007, and we
received no comments. On March 21, 2008, we published the Notice of
Adequacy Determination for these RFP MVEBs (73 FR 15152). Once
determined adequate, these RFP budgets must be used in future DFW
transportation conformity determinations. The adequacy determination
represents a preliminary finding by EPA of the acceptability of the
MVEB. Today we are finding the MVEBs are fully consistent with RFP, and
the RFP plan is fully approvable, as it sets the allowable onroad
mobile emissions the DFW area can produce and continue to demonstrate RFP.
Under the Clean Air Act, the Administrator is required to approve a
SIP submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and
applicable Federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a).
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state
choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act.
Accordingly, this action merely approves state law as meeting Federal
requirements and does not impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law. For that reason, this action:
In addition, this rule does not have tribal implications as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because the SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in the state, and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law.
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 action 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 December 8, 2008. 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 may not be challenged later in proceedings to enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).) List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental Relations, Nitrogen oxides, Ozone, Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: September 26, 2008.
Richard E. Greene,
Regional Administrator, Region 6.
40 CFR part 52 is 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 SSTexas
2. The second table in Sec. 52.2270 (e), the table entitled ``EPA
Approved Nonregulatory Provisions and QuasiRegulatory Measures in the
Texas SIP'' is amended by adding two new entries to the end of the
table for ``Reasonable Further Progress Plan'', for the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area. The addition reads as follows:
Sec. 52.2270 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(e) * * *
[[Page 58481]]
EPAApproved Nonregulatory Provisions and QuasiRegulatory Measures in the Texas SIP
Applicable geographic State approval/
Name of SIP provision or nonattainment area submittal date EPA approval date Comments
* * * * * * *
Approval of the 1997 8hour Ozone Dallas/Fort Worth, TX. 05/23/07 10/07/08 [Insert
15% Reasonable Further Progress FR page number
Plan, and 2008 RFP Motor Vehicle where document
Emission Budgets. begins].
Revised 2002 Base Year Emissions Dallas/Fort Worth, TX. 05/23/07 10/07/08 [Insert
Inventory. FR page number
where document
begins]. [FR Doc. E823673 Filed 10608; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 656050P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Emad Shahin, Air Planning Section (6PDL), Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 700, Dallas, Texas 752022733, telephone 2146656717; fax number 2146657263; email address shahin.emad@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 40 CFR Part 63 33 CFR Part 100 50 CFR Part 622 50 CFR Part 660 44 CFR Part 65 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 10 CFR Part 50 44 CFR Part 64 49 CFR Part 571 39 CFR Part 3020