Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; New Mexico; Albuquerque and Bernalillo County; Regional Haze Progress Report State Implementation Plan

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 237 (Tuesday, December 12, 2017)

Federal Register Volume 82, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 12, 2017)

Rules and Regulations

Pages 58347-58348

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2017-26661

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

EPA-R06-OAR-2016-0406; FRL-9971-43-Region 6

Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; New Mexico; Albuquerque and Bernalillo County; Regional Haze Progress Report State Implementation Plan

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a revision to a State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, New Mexico (the County) submitted by the Governor on June 24, 2016. The SIP revision addresses requirements of the Act and the EPA's rules that require the County to submit a periodic report assessing reasonable progress goals (RPGs) for regional haze with a determination of the adequacy of the existing regional haze SIP.

DATES: This rule is effective on January 11, 2018.

ADDRESSES: The EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-R06-OAR-2016-0406. All documents in the docket are listed at the http://www.regulations.gov website. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business Information 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 through http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 700, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James E. Grady, (214) 665-6745; email protected.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document ``we,'' ``us,'' or ``our'' each mean ``the EPA.''

1. Background

   The background for this action is discussed in detail in the October 2, 2017 proposal (82 FR 45762). In that document the EPA proposed to approve the County's regional haze progress report SIP revision (submitted on June 24, 2016) as meeting the applicable regional haze requirements set forth in 40 CFR 51.309(d)(10). In addition, the EPA proposed to approve the County's determination that the current regional haze SIP is adequate to meet the State's 2018 RPGs for the first planning period and does not require further substantive revision to achieve the established regional haze goals. The public comment period for the proposal closed on November 1, 2017. The EPA did not receive any comments regarding the proposal during its public comment period.

2. Final Action

   The EPA is approving the County's regional haze progress report SIP revision (submitted on June 24, 2016) as meeting the applicable regional haze requirements set forth in 40 CFR 51.309(d)(10)(i)(A) through (G). The EPA is also approving the County's determination that the current regional haze SIP requires no further substantive revision at this time in order to achieve the established 2018 RPGs for visibility improvement and emission reduction (40 CFR 51.309(d)(10)(ii)). This action is being taken under section 110 of the Act.

3. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

   Under the CAA, 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, the EPA's role is to approve state choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. 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:

   Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Orders 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011);

   Is not an Executive Order 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 2, 2017) regulatory action because SIP approvals are exempted under Executive Order 12866;

   Does not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);

   Is certified as not having a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);

   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);

   Does not have Federalism implications as specified in Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);

   Is not an economically significant regulatory action based on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997);

   Is not a significant regulatory action subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);

   Is not subject to requirements of section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent with the CAA; and

   Does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).

   In addition, the SIP is not approved to apply on any Indian reservation land or in any other area where EPA or an Indian tribe has demonstrated that a tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian country, the rule does not have tribal implications and will not impose substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000).

   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

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   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 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 CAA, petitions for judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by February 12, 2018. 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, Best available retrofit technology, Carbon monoxide, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Lead, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Regional haze, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur dioxide, Visibility, Volatile organic compounds.

   Dated: December 5, 2017.

   Samuel Coleman,

   Acting Regional Administrator, Region 6.

   40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:

   PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

   0

   1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:

      Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.

      Subpart GG--New Mexico

      0

   2. In Sec. 52.1620(e), the second table titled ``EPA Approved Nonregulatory Provisions and Quasi-Regulatory Measures in the New Mexico SIP'' is amended by adding an entry for ``City of Albuquerque Progress Report for the State Implementation Plan for Regional Haze'' at the end of the table to read as follows:

      Sec. 52.1620 Identification of plan.

      * * * * *

      (e) * * *

      EPA Approved Nonregulatory Provisions and Quasi-Regulatory Measures in the New Mexico SIP

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      State

      Applicable submittal/

      Name of SIP provision geographic or effective EPA approval date Explanation

      nonattainment area date

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      * * * * * * *

      City of Albuquerque Progress City of Albuquerque- 6/24/2016 12/12/2017,

      Report for the State Bernalillo County. Insert Federal

      Implementation Plan for Register

      Regional Haze. citation.

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      FR Doc. 2017-26661 Filed 12-11-17; 8:45 am

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