[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 146 (Monday, August 1, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 44052-44055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-15054]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[RME Docket Number R08-OAR-2004-CO-0005;FRL-7937-1]
Clean Air Act Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality
Implementation Plan Revision for Colorado; Long-Term Strategy of State
Implementation Plan for Class I Visibility Protection
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
ACTION: Direct final rule.
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SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action approving a State
Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Governor of
Colorado with a letter dated April 12, 2004. This revision replaces an
August 19, 1998 submittal from the Governor and updates the Long-Term
Strategy of the Visibility SIP to establish strategies, activities, and
plans that constitute reasonable progress toward the National
visibility goal. This action is being taken under section 110 of the
Clean Air Act.
DATES: This rule is effective on September 30, 2005, without further
notice, unless EPA receives adverse comment by August 31, 2005. If
adverse comment is received, EPA will publish a timely withdrawal of
the direct final rule in the Federal Register informing the public that
the rule will not take effect.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. R08-OAR-
2004-CO-0005, by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
Agency Web site: http://docket.epa.gov/rmepub/index.jsp.
Regional Materials in EDOCKET (RME), EPA's electronic public docket and
comment system for regional actions, is EPA's preferred method for
receiving comments. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting
comments.
E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected].
Fax: (303) 312-6064 (please alert the individual listed in
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT if you are faxing comments).
Mail: Richard R. Long, Director, Air and Radiation
Program, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 8, Mailcode 8P-
AR, 999 18th Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado 80202-2466.
Hand Delivery: Richard R. Long, Director, Air and
Radiation Program, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 8,
Mailcode 8P-AR, 999 18th Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado 80202-
2466. Such deliveries are only accepted Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.
to 4:55 p.m., excluding Federal holidays. Special arrangements should
be made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. R08-OAR-2004-
CO-0005. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in
the public docket without change and may be made available at http://docket.epa.gov/rmepub/index.jsp, including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do no submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through EDOCKET,
regulations.gov, or e-mail. The EPA's Regional Materials in EDOCKET and
Federal regulations.gov Web site are ``anonymous access'' systems,
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA, without going through EDOCKET or
regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and
included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and
made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment,
EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information
in the body of your comment and with any disk of CD-ROM you submit. 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. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters,
any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For
additional information about EPA's public docket visit EDOCKET online
or see the Federal Register of May 31, 2002 (67 FR 38102). For
additional instructions on submitting comments, go to Section I.
General Information of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this
document.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the Regional
Materials in EDOCKET index at http://docket.epa.gov/rmepub/index.jsp.
Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly
available, i.e., CBI or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted
material, is not placed on
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the Internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in Regional Materials in EDOCKET or in hard copy at the Air and
Radiation Program, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region, 8,
999 18th Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado 80202-2466. EPA requests
that if at all possible, you contact the individual listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to view the hard copy of the
docket. You may view the hard copy of the docket Monday through Friday,
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Platt, Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 8, (303) 312-6449, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. General Information
II. Background
III. August 19, 1998 Submittal
IV. April 12, 2004 Submittal
V. Section 110(1)
VI. Final Action
VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Definitions
For the purpose of this document, we are giving meaning to certain
words or initials as follows:
(i) The word Act or initials CAA mean the Clean Air Act, unless the
context indicates otherwise.
(ii) The word we or initials EPA mean the United states
Environmental Protection Agency.
(iii) The initials SIP mean State Implementation Plan.
(iv) The word State or initials CO mean the State of Colorado,
unless the context indicates otherwise.
(v) The initials FLM mean Federal Land Manager.
I. General Information
A. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through
Regional Materials in EDOCKET, regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly mark
the part or all of the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI
information in a disk or CD ROM that you mail to EPA, 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 claimed as CBI. In
addition to one complete version of the comment that includes
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
public docket. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in
accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for Preparing Your Comments. When submitting comments,
remember to:
I. Identify the rulemaking by docket number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number).
II. Follow directions--The agency may ask you to respond to
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
III. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and
substitute language for your requested changes.
IV. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information
and/or data that you used.
V. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be
reproduced.
VI. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and
suggest alternatives.
VII. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of
profanity or personal threats.
VIII. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
II. Background
Section 169A of the Clean Air Act (CAA) \1\, 42 U.S.C. 7491,
establishes as a National goal the prevention of any future, and the
remedying of any existing, anthropogenic visibility impairment in
mandatory Class I Federal areas \2\ (referred to herein as the
``National goal'' ``National visibility goal''). Section 169A called
for EPA to, among other things, issue regulations to assure reasonable
progress toward meeting the National visibility goal, including
requiring each State with a mandatory Class I Federal area to revise
its SIP to contain such emission limits, schedules of compliance and
other measures as may be necessary to make reasonable progress toward
meeting the National goal (see CAA section 169A(b)(2)). Section
110(a)(2)(J) of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. 7410(a)(2)(J), similarly requires
SIPs to meet the visibility protection requirements of the CAA.
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\1\ The Clean Air Act is codified, as amended, in the U.S. Code
at 42 U.S.C. 7401, et seq.
\2\ Mandatory class I Federal areas include international parks,
national wilderness areas, and national memorial parks greater than
five thousand acres in size, and national parks greater than six
thousand acres in size, as described in section 162(a) of the Act
(42 U.S.C. 7472(a)). Each mandatory Class I Federal area is the
responsibility of a ``Federal land manager'' (FLM), the Secretary of
the department with authority over such lands. See section 302(i) of
the Act, 42 U.S.C. 7602(i).
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We promulgated regulations that required affected States to, among
other things, (1) coordinate development of SIPs with appropriate FLMs;
(2) develop a program to assess and remedy visibility impairment from
new and existing sources; and (3) develop a long-term (10-15 years)
strategy to assure reasonable progress toward the National visibility
goal. See 45 FR 80084, December 2, 1980 (codified at 40 CFR 51.300-
307). The regulations provide for the remedying of visibility
impairment that is reasonably attributable to a single existing
stationary facility or small group of existing stationary facilities.
These regulations require that the SIPs provide for periodic review,
and revision as appropriate, of the Long-Term Strategy not less
frequently than every three years, that the review process include
consultation with the appropriate FLMs, and that the State provide a
report to the public and EPA that includes an assessment of the State's
progress toward the National visibility goal. See 40 CFR 51.306(c).
On July 12,1985 (50 FR 28544) and November 24, 1987 (52 FR 45132),
we disapproved the SIPs of states, including Colorado, that failed to
comply with the requirements of the provisions of 40 CFR 51.302
(visibility general plan requirements), 51.305 (visibility monitoring),
and 51.306 (visibility long-term strategy). We also incorporated
corresponding Federal plans and regulations into the SIPs of these
states pursuant to section 110(c)(1) of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. 7410(c)(1).
The Governor of Colorado submitted a SIP revision for visibility
protection on December 21, 1987, which met the criteria of 40 CFR
51.302, 51.305, and 51.306 for general plan requirements, monitoring
strategy, and long-term strategies. We approved this SIP revision in
the August 12, 1988, Federal Register (53 FR 30428), and this revision
replaced the Federal plans and regulations in the Colorado Visibility
SIP. The Governor of Colorado submitted a subsequent SIP revision for
visibility protection with a letter dated November 18, 1992, which we
approved on October 11, 1994 (59 FR 51376).
After Colorado's 1992 Long-Term Strategy review, the U.S. Forest
Service (USFS) certified visibility impairment at Mt. Zirkel Wilderness
Area (MZWA) and named the Hayden and Craig generating stations in the
Yampa Valley of Northwest Colorado as suspected sources. The USFS is
the FLM for MZWA. This certification was issued on
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July 14, 1993. Hayden Station was addressed in the State's August 23,
1996 Long-Term Strategy review and revision (see 62 FR 2305, January
16, 1997). Craig Generating Station was addressed in the State's April
19, 2001 Long-Term Strategy review and revision (see 66 FR 35374, July
5, 2001).
III. August 19, 1998 Submittal
With an August 19, 1998, letter, the Governor of Colorado submitted
a revision to the Visibility SIP. This revision was made to fulfill the
requirements to periodically review and, as appropriate, revise the
Long-Term Strategy for visibility protection. However, the State
requested that we delay action on the 1998 submittal because it had not
yet adopted the necessary requirements for the Craig Generating
Station. As noted above, those Craig Generating Station requirements
were adopted by the State in its April 19, 2001, Long-Term Strategy
revision and have been approved by EPA (see 66 FR 35374, July 5, 2001).
As a result, the State has now replaced its August 19, 1998, submittal
with the April 12, 2004, submittal that is the subject of this
document.
IV. April 12, 2004 Submittal
With an April 12, 2004, letter, the Governor of Colorado submitted
a revision to the Long-Term Strategy of Colorado's SIP for Class I
Visibility Protection, contained in Part II of the January 31, 2002
document entitled ``Long-Term Strategy Review and Revision of
Colorado's State Implementation Plan for Class I Visibility
Protection.'' The CAA requires States to observe certain procedural
requirements in developing implementation plans and plan revisions for
submission to EPA. Section 110(a)(2) of the CAA provides that each
implementation plan submitted by a State must be adopted after
reasonable notice and public hearing. Section 110(l) of the CAA
similarly provides that each revision to an implementation plan
submitted by a State under the CAA must be adopted by such State after
reasonable notice and public hearing.
After providing adequate notice, the Colorado Air Quality Control
Commission (AQCC) held a public hearing on February 21, 2002, to
consider the proposed revision to the Long-Term Strategy of the
Colorado Visibility SIP and adopted the revision. We have reviewed the
SIP revision and have determined that it adequately demonstrates that
the State is making reasonable progress toward the National visibility
goal.
The SIP revision is contained in Part II of the January 31, 2002
document entitled ``Long-Term Strategy Review and Revision of
Colorado's State Implementation Plan for Class I Visibility
Protection.'' Part II, ``Revision of the Long-Term Strategy,''
incorporates by reference requirements for the Hayden and Craig
Generating Stations, including emissions limits and schedules of
compliance, as previously approved by EPA on January 16, 1997 (see 62
FR 2305), and July 5, 2001 (see 66 FR 35374). Part II also contains
provisions that are explanatory and analyses that are required by
section 169A of the CAA, Federal visibility regulations (40 CFR 51.300
to 51.307), and/or the Colorado visibility SIP. These requirements
address existing impairment, ongoing air pollution programs, smoke
management practices, prevention of future impairment, and FLM
consultation and communication. These revisions are consistent with
Federal requirements and demonstrate reasonable further progress toward
the National visibility goal. Therefore, they are approvable.
V. Section 110(l)
Section 110(l) of the Clean Air Act states that a SIP revision
cannot be approved if the revision would interfere with any applicable
requirement concerning attainment and reasonable further progress
towards attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) or any other applicable requirements of the Act. The Colorado
SIP revisions that are the subject of this document are consistent with
Federal requirements and rules. These revisions were made to
demonstrate reasonable further progress toward the National visibility
goal, as required by the Act. They do not interfere with the attainment
or maintenance of the NAAQS or other applicable requirements of the
Act.
VI. Final Action
We have reviewed the adequacy of the State's revision to the Long-
Term Strategy of Colorado's SIP for Class I Visibility Protection,
contained in Part II of the January 31, 2002 document entitled ``Long-
Term Strategy Review and Revision of Colorado's State Implementation
Plan for Class I Visibility Protection,'' as submitted by the Governor
with a letter dated April 12, 2004. We are approving the revision as
demonstrating reasonable further progress toward the National
visibility goal as required by 40 CFR 51.306.
EPA is publishing this rule without prior proposal because the
Agency views this as a noncontroversial amendment and anticipates no
adverse comments. However, in the ``Proposed Rules'' section of today's
Federal Register publication, EPA is publishing a separate document
that will serve as the proposal to approve the SIP revision if adverse
comments are filed. This rule will be effective September 30, 2005,
without further notice unless the Agency receives adverse comments by
August 31, 2005. if the EPA receives adverse comments, EPA will publish
a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register informing the public that
the rule will not take effect. EPA will address all public comments in
a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule. The EPA will not
institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties
interested in commenting must do so at this time. Please note that EPA
receives adverse comment on an amendment, paragraph, or section of this
rule and if that provision may be severed from the remainder of the
rule, EPA may adopt as final those provisions of the rule that are not
the subject of an adverse comment.
VII. 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 pre-existing 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. 104-4).
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,
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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 sue 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 September 30, 2005. 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 field, 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, Carbon monoxide,
Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen
dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Sulfur oxides.
Dated: June 30, 2005.
Carol Rushin,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 8.
0
40 CFR part 52 is amended to read as follows:
PART 52--[AMENDED]
0
1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart G--Colorado
0
2. Section 52.320 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(105) to read as
follows:
Sec. 52.320 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(105) Revisions to the Long-Term Strategy of Colorado's State
Implementation Plan for Class I Visibility Protection (Visibility SIP),
as submitted by the Governor on April 12, 2004. The revisions update
strategies, activities, and plans that constitute reasonable progress
toward the National visibility goal.
(i) Incorporation by reference.
(A) ``Revision of the Long-Term Strategy,'' (Part II of the January
31, 2002 document entitled ``Long-Term Strategy Review and Revision of
Colorado's State Implementation Plan for Class I Visibility
Protection,'') effective on February 21, 2002.
[FR Doc. 05-15054 Filed 7-29-05; 8:45 am]
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