Air quality implementation plans; approval and promulgation; various States: California,

[Federal Register: December 20, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 245)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 79752-79754]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr20de00-9]

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[CA 238-0256a; FRL-6895-7]

Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Santa Barbara and Ventura County Air Pollution Control Districts

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBCAPCD) and Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX) emissions from Natural-Gas Fired Fan-Type Central Furnaces and Residential Water Heaters, Large Water Heaters and Small Boilers. We are approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act).

DATES: This rule is effective on February 20, 2001 without further notice, unless EPA receives adverse comments by January 19, 2001. If we receive such comment, we will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register to notify the public that this rule will not take effect.

ADDRESSES: Mail comments to Andy Steckel, Rulemaking Office Chief (AIR- 4), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-3901.

You can inspect copies of the submitted SIP revisions and EPA's technical support documents (TSDs) at our Region IX office during normal business hours. You may also see copies of the submitted SIP revisions at the following locations:

Environmental Protection Agency, Air Docket (6102), Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460 California Air Resources Board, Stationary Source Division, Rule Evaluation Section, 2020 ``L'' Street, Sacramento, CA 95812

[[Page 79753]]

Santa Barbara County, Air Pollution Control District, 26 Castillian Drive, Suite B-23, Goleta, CA 93117 Ventura County APCD, 669 County Square Dr., 2nd Fl., Ventura, CA 93003- 5417

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed Addison, Rulemaking Office (AIR-4), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, (415) 744-1160.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, ``we,'' ``us'' and ``our'' refer to EPA.

Table of Contents

1. The State's Submittal

   1. What rules did the State submit?

   2. Are there other versions of these rules?

   3. What is the purpose of the submitted rules? II. EPA's Evaluation and Action

   1. How is EPA evaluating the rules?

   2. Do the rules meet the evaluation criteria?

   3. EPA recommendations to further improve the rules

   4. Public comment and final action III. Background Information

   Why were these rules submitted? IV. Administrative Requirements

1. The State's Submittal

   1. What Rules Did the State Submit?

      Table 1 lists the rules we are approving with the dates that they were adopted by the local air agencies and submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

      Table 1.--Submitted Rules

      Local agency

      Rule no.

      Rule title

      Adopted Submitted

      SBCAPCD...........................

      352 Natural-Gas Fired Fan-Type Central Furnaces 09/16/99 01/21/00 and Residential Water Heaters. VCAPCD............................ 74.11.1 Large Water Heaters and Small Boilers...... 09/14/99 01/21/00

      On March 1, 2000, these rule submittals were found to meet the completeness criteria in 40 CFR part 51, appendix V, which must be met before formal EPA review.

   2. Are There Other Versions of These Rules?

      There are no previous versions of SBCAPCD Rule 352, Natural-Gas Fired Fan-Type Central Furnaces and Residential Water Heaters, or VCAPCD Rule 74.11.1, Large Water Heaters and Small Boilers.

   3. What Is the Purpose of the Submitted Rules?

      In the VCAPCD, after December 31, 2000, for any water heater, boiler, steam generator or process heater offered for sale, sold or installed of between 175,000 and 400,000 Btu/hour heat input capacity; and for SBCAPCD natural-gas fired fan-type central furnaces and residential water heaters, for units of less than 175,000 Btu/hour, and combination heating and cooling units of less than 65,000 Btu/hour cooling capacity, both rules limit total emissions to not exceed 40 nanograms of NOXper joule of heat output (0.093 pounds of oxides of nitrogen per million Btu) or 55 ppmv NOX. The TSD has more information about these rules.

2. EPA's Evaluation and Action

   1. How Is EPA Evaluating the Rules?

      Generally, SIP rules must be enforceable (see section 110(a) of the Act), must require Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for major sources in nonattainment areas (see sections 182(a)(2)(A) and 182(f)), and must not relax existing requirements (see sections 110(l) and 193). Rule 74.11.1 potentially regulates major sources in an ozone nonattainment area (see 40 CFR part 81), so the Rule must fulfill RACT.

      Guidance and policy documents that we used to define specific enforceability and RACT requirements include the following:

      1. ``State Implementation Plans; Nitrogen Oxides Supplement to the General Preamble; Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 Implementation of Title I; Proposed Rule,'' (the NOXSupplement), 57 FR 55620, November 25, 1992.

      2. ``Issues Relating to VOC Regulation Cutpoints, Deficiencies, and Deviations; Clarification to Appendix D of November 24, 1987 Federal Register document,'' (Blue Book), notice of availability published in the May 25, 1988 Federal Register.

      3. South Coast Air Quality Management Control District Protocol, ``Nitrogen Oxides Emissions Compliance Testing for Natural Gas Fired Water Heaters and Small Boilers, Source Testing and Engineering Branch, Applied Science and Technology, March 1995,'' was developed jointly with the industry, and replaces the ANSI requirements currently used by manufacturers.

   2. Do the Rules Meet the Evaluation Criteria?

      We believe these rules are consistent with the relevant policy and guidance regarding enforceability, and SIP relaxations. The TSD has more information on our evaluation.

   3. EPA Recommendations to Further Improve the Rules.

      The TSD describes additional rule revisions that do not affect EPA's current action but are recommended for the next time the local agency modifies the rules.

   4. Public Comment and Final Action.

      As authorized in section 110(k)(3) of the Act, EPA is fully approving the submitted rules because we believe they fulfill all relevant requirements. We do not think anyone will object to this approval, so we are finalizing it without proposing it in advance. However, in the Proposed Rules section of this Federal Register, we are simultaneously proposing approval of the same submitted rules. If we receive adverse comments by January 19, 2001, we will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register to notify the public that the direct final approval will not take effect and we will address the comments in a subsequent final action based on the proposal. If we do not receive timely adverse comments, the direct final approval will be effective without further notice on February 20, 2001. This will incorporate these rules into the federally enforceable SIP.

3. Background Information

   Why Were These Rules Submitted?

   NOXhelps produce ground-level ozone, smog and particulate matter, which harm human health and the environment. Section 110(a) of the CAA requires states to submit regulations that control NOXemissions. Table 2 lists some of the national milestones leading to the submittal of these local agency NOXrules.

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   Table 2.--Ozone Nonattainment Milestones

   Date

   Event

   March 3, 1978..................... EPA promulgated a list of ozone nonattainment areas under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1977. 43 FR 8964; 40 CFR 81.305. May 26, 1988...................... EPA notified Governors that parts of their SIPs were inadequate to attain and maintain the ozone standard and requested that they correct the deficiencies (EPA's SIP- Call). See section 110(a)(2)(H) of the pre-amended Act. November 15, 1990................. Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 were enacted. Pub. L. 101-549, 104 Stat. 2399, codified at 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q. May 15, 1991...................... Section 182(a)(2)(A) requires that ozone nonattainment areas correct deficient RACT rules by this date.

4. Administrative Requirements

   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. 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 (Public Law 104-4). For the same reason, this rule also does not significantly or uniquely affect the communities of tribal governments, as specified by Executive Order 13084 (63 FR 27655, May 10, 1998). This rule will 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), because it 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 (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 use 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. As required by section 3 of Executive Order 12988 (61 FR 4729, February 7, 1996), in issuing this rule, EPA has taken the necessary steps to eliminate drafting errors and ambiguity, minimize potential litigation, and provide a clear legal standard for affected conduct. EPA has complied with Executive Order 12630 (53 FR 8859, March 15, 1988) by examining the takings implications of the rule in accordance with the ``Attorney General's Supplemental Guidelines for the Evaluation of Risk and Avoidance of Unanticipated Takings'' issued under the executive order. 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 filedin the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by February 20, 2001. 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, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

   Dated: October 10, 2000. Laura Yoshii, Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.

   Part 52, Chapter I, Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations 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 F--California

   2. Section 52.220 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(278)(i) (B) and (C) to read as follows:

      Sec. 52.220 Identification of plan.

      * * * * *

      (c) * * *

      (278) * * *

      (i) * * *

      (B) Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District.

      (1) Rule 352 adopted on September 16, 1999.

      (C) Ventura County Air Pollution Control District.

      (1) Rule 74.11.1 adopted on September 14, 1999. * * * * *

      [FR Doc. 00-32019Filed12-19-00; 8:45 am]

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