[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 22, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 70612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23091]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[IN 165-1; FRL-7999-6]
Adequacy Status of Vigo County, IN, 8-Hour Ozone Redesignation
and Maintenance Plan for Transportation Conformity Purposes
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of adequacy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that EPA has found
that the motor vehicle emissions budgets in the Vigo County, Indiana 8-
hour ozone redesignation request and maintenance plan are adequate for
conformity purposes. On March 2, 1999, the DC Circuit Court ruled that
submitted State Implementation Plans (SIPs) cannot be used for
conformity determinations until EPA has affirmatively found them
adequate. As a result of our finding, Vigo County can use the motor
vehicle emissions budgets from the submitted 8-hour ozone redesignation
request and maintenance plan for future conformity determinations.
These budgets are effective December 7, 2005. The finding and the
response to comments will be available at EPA's conformity Web site:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp.htm, (once there, click on the
``Conformity'' button, then look for ``Adequacy Review of SIP
Submissions for Conformity'').
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Rosenthal, Environmental
Engineer, Criteria Pollutant Section (AR-18J), Air Programs Branch, Air
and Radiation Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312)
886-6052, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, whenever ``we,''
``us'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.
Background
Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that we have
already made. EPA Region 5 sent a letter to the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management on October 25, 2005, stating that the motor
vehicle emissions budgets for the year 2015, submitted in the Vigo
County, Indiana 8-hour ozone redesignation request and maintenance
plan, are adequate. This finding has been announced on EPA's conformity
Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp.htm, (once there, click on the
``Conformity'' button, then look for ``Adequacy Review of SIP
Submissions for Conformity'').
Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the
Clean Air Act. EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation
plans, programs, and projects conform to state air quality
implementation plans 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). 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 SIP. Even if we find a budget
adequate, the SIP could later be disapproved.
We've 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''). We followed this guidance in making our adequacy
determination.
Dated: November 10, 2005.
Bharat Mathur,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 05-23091 Filed 11-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P