[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 235 (Thursday, December 7, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 70880-70883]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20767]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R04-OAR-2005-SC-0003; EPA-R04-OAR-2005-SC-0005-200620b; FRL-8252-
9]
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; South
Carolina: Revisions to State Implementation Plan
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Direct final rule.
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SUMMARY: EPA is approving several revisions to the South Carolina State
Implementation Plan (SIP), submitted by the South Carolina Department
of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) on April 13, 2005, and
October 24, 2005. Both revisions include modifications to South
Carolina's Regulation 61-62.1 ``Definitions and General Requirements.''
In the April 13, 2005, submission, Regulation 61-62.1 is being amended
to be consistent with the new Federal emissions reporting requirements,
referred to as the Consolidated Emissions Reporting Rule (CERR), and to
streamline the existing emissions inventory requirements. SC DHEC is
taking an action that is consistent with the final rule, published on
June 10, 2002 (67 FR 39602).
The October 24, 2005 submittal revises the definition of Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOC). The revision adds several compounds to the
list of compounds excluded from the definition of VOC on the basis that
they make a negligible contribution to ozone formation, and similarly
removes several compounds from the definition of VOC.
This action is being taken pursuant to section 110 of the Clean Air
Act (CAA).
DATES: This direct final rule is effective February 5, 2007 without
further notice, unless EPA receives adverse comment by January 8, 2007.
If adverse comment is received, EPA will publish a timely withdrawal of
the direct final rule in the Federal Register and inform the public
that the rule will not take effect.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. ``EPA-R04-
OAR-2005-SC-0003, EPA-R04-OAR-2005-SC-0005'' by one of the following
methods:
1. http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions for
submitting comments.
2. E-mail: [email protected].
3. Fax: 404-562-9019.
4. Mail: ``EPA-R04-OAR-2005-SC-0003, EPA-R04-OAR-2005-SC-0005,''
Regulatory Development Section, Air Planning Branch, Air, Pesticides
and Toxics Management Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Region Forsyth Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960.
5. Hand Delivery or Courier: Nacosta Ward, Regulatory Development
Section, Air Planning Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management
Division floor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region Forsyth
Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. Such deliveries are only
accepted during the Regional Office's normal hours of operation. The
Regional Office's official hours of business are Monday through Friday,
8:30 to 4:30 excluding federal holidays.
Instructions: Direct your comments to EPA Docket ID No. ``R04-OAR-
2005-SC-0005-SC-0003, EPA-R04-OAR-2005-SC-005.'' EPA's policy is that
all comments received will be included in the public docket without
change and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov,
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 not submit through www.regulations.gov or e-mail, information that
you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected. The www.regulations.gov
is an ``anonymous access'' system, 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 www.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 or 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 public docket
visit the EPA Docket Center at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the electronic docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. 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 the Internet and will be
publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket
materials are available either electronically in www.regulations.gov or
in hard copy at the Regulatory Development Section, Air Planning
Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region Forsyth Street, SW., Atlanta,
Georgia 30303-8960. EPA requests that if at all possible, you contact
the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to
schedule your inspection. The Regional Office's official hours of
business are 8:30 to 4:30, excluding federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nacosta Ward, Regulatory Development
Section, Air Planning Branch, Air, Pesticides and Toxics Management
[[Page 70881]]
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth
Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. The telephone number is (404)
562-9040. Ms. Ward can also be reached via electronic mail at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Today's Action
Revisions Submitted on April 13, 2005
On April 13, 2005, SC DHEC submitted proposed SIP revisions to EPA
for review and approval into the South Carolina SIP. The proposed
revisions include changes made by the State of South Carolina to
Regulation 61-62.1, regarding CERR reporting requirements. The rules
became state effective on February 25, 2005. The purpose of the CERR is
to simplify emissions reporting, establish new reporting requirements
for PM2.5 and establish statewide reporting of area source and mobile
source emissions. Currently, the CERR requires that all facilities
needing to obtain a Title V permit must submit an emissions inventory
every two years. Approximately 50 of the 354 current Title V sources
(Type A sources) will be required to increase their emissions inventory
reporting to an annual basis. However, the majority of the Title V
sources (Type B sources) with fewer emissions, approximately 80 of 354
current sources, will only need to submit their emissions inventory
every three years. Thus, the reporting requirements for these sources
will decrease from every other year to every third year. The remaining
Title V sources, except those that emit significant hazardous air
pollutants (HAPs) will gain an even greater decrease in the reporting
requirements. If those sources have submitted an initial inventory, no
further reporting will be required. Those sources that emit significant
HAPs will also have a decrease in reporting requirements, from every
other year to every three years. SC DHEC is revising these revisions to
be consistent with the new Federal emissions reporting requirements,
and to revise existing State specific requirements to streamline the
reporting process. EPA is now taking direct final action to approve the
proposed revisions, which include revising the CERR emissions reporting
regulations. The proposed revisions summarized above are approvable
pursuant to section 110 of the CAA.
Revisions Submitted on October 24, 2005
Tropospheric ozone, a major component of smog, is formed when VOCs
and nitrogen oxides react in the atmosphere. Because of the harmful
health effects of ozone, EPA limits the amount of VOCs and that can be
released into the atmosphere. VOCs are those compounds of carbon
(excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic
carbides, or carbonates, and ammonium carbonate) which form ozone
through atmospheric photochemical reactions. Compounds of carbon (or
organic compounds) have different levels of reactivity; they do not
react at the same speed, or do not form ozone to the same extent. It
has been EPA's policy that compounds of carbon with a negligible level
of reactivity need not be regulated to reduce ozone (see 42 FR 35314,
July 8, 1977). EPA determines whether a given carbon compound has
``negligible'' reactivity by comparing the compound's reactivity to the
reactivity of ethane. EPA lists these compounds in its regulations (at
40 CFR 51.100(s)) and excludes them from the definition of VOC. The
chemicals on this list are often called ``negligibly reactive.'' EPA
may periodically revise the list of negligibly reactive compounds to
add compounds to or delete them from the list. EPA promulgated such
changes on November 29, 2004 (69 FR 69298).
On October 24, 2005, SC DHEC submitted proposed SIP revisions to
EPA for review and approval into the South Carolina SIP. The proposed
revisions include changes made by the State of South Carolina to
Regulation 61-62.1, regarding the definition of VOC, to reflect EPA's
November 29, 2004, changes. The rules became state effective on August
26, 2005. Specifically, South Carolina is removing the following
compounds from the definition of VOC:
2 (ethoxydifluoromethyl) (1,1,1,2,3,3,3 heptafluoropropane)
(C4F9OCH3) (1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4
nonafluoro 4 methoxybutane)
(C4F9OC2H5) (1
ethoxy 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4 nonafluorobutane)
CFC-113 (trichlorotrifluoroethane)
CFC-114 (dichlorotetrafluoroethane)
HCFC-123 (dichlorotrifluoroethane)
HCFC-134a (tetrafluoroethane)
HCFC-141b (dichlorofluoroethane)
HCFC-142b (chlorodifluoroethane)
Methylene chloride
Perchloroethylene
South Carolina is adding the following compounds to the definition
of VOC:
(CF3)2CFCF2OC2H5
to (2-(ethoxydi&fnl;fluoromethyl)-(1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane)
CFC-113 (1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane)
CFC-114 (1,2-dichloro-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane)
HCFC-123 (1,1,1-trifluoro-2,2-dichloroethane)
HCFC-134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane)
HCFC-141b (1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane)
HCFC-142b (1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane)
HFC-227ea (1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane)
HFE-7000 (1,1,1,2,2,3,3-heptafluoro-3-methoxy-propane) or (n-
C3F7OCH3)
HFE-7100 (1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4-nonafluoro-4-methoxybutane) or
(C4F9OCH3)
HFE-7200 (1-ethoxy-1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4-nonafluorobutane) or
(C4F9OC2H5)
HFE-7500 (3-ethoxy-1,1,1,2,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,6-dodecafluoro-2-
(trifluoromethyl) hexane
Methylene chloride (dichloromethane)
Methyle formate (HCOOCH3)
Perchloroethylene (tetrachloroethylene); and perfluorocarbon
compounds that fall into these classes:
(i) Cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated alkanes;
(ii) Cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated alkanes;
(iii) Cyclic, branched, or linear, completely fluorinated ethers
with no unsaturations;
(iv) Sulfur containing perfluorocarbons with no unsaturations and
with sulfur bonds only to carbon and fluorine.
II. Final Action
EPA is approving revisions to South Carolina's Regulation 61-62.1
``Definitions and General Requirements.'' These revisions include
changes to the CERR reporting requirements, and the definition of VOCs.
These changes are consistent with the CAA.
EPA is publishing this rule without prior proposal because the
Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no
adverse comments. However, in the proposed rules section of this
Federal Register publication, EPA is publishing a separate document
that will serve as the proposal to approve the SIP revision should
adverse comments be filed. This rule will be effective February 5, 2007
without further notice unless the Agency receives adverse comments by
January 8, 2007.
[[Page 70882]]
If EPA receives such comments, then EPA will publish a document
withdrawing the final rule and informing the public that the rule will
not take effect. All public comments received will then be addressed in
a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule. EPA will not
institute a second comment period. Parties interested in commenting
should do so at this time. If no such comments are received, the public
is advised that this rule will be effective on February 5, 2007 and no
further action will be taken on the proposed rule.
III. 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, 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 CAA.
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 CAA. 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 CAA. 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, U.S.C. section 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 CAA, petitions for judicial review
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for
the appropriate circuit by February 5, 2007. 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 in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Carbon monoxide,
Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate
matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur oxides,
Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: November 21, 2006.
A. Stanley Meiburg,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.
0
Amend 40 CFR part 52 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 PP--South Carolina
0
2. Section 52.2120(c) is amended under Regulation No. 62.1 by revising
entries for ``Section I'' and ``Section III'' to read as follows:
Sec. 52.2120 Identification of Plan.
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(c) * * *
Air Pollution Control Regulations for South Carolina
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State EPA approval
State citation Title/subject effective date date Federal Register notice
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Regulation No. 62.1 Definitions and General Requirements
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Section I............ Definitions............ 08/26/2005 12/07/2006 [Insert citation
of publication].
* * * * * * *
Section III.......... Emissions Inventory.... 02/25/2005 12/07/2006 [Insert citation
of publication].
[[Page 70883]]
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[FR Doc. E6-20767 Filed 12-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P