80 FR 17428 - Adequacy Status of the Kenosha and Sheboygan Counties, Wisconsin Area Submitted 8-Hour Ozone Early Progress Plans for Transportation Conformity Purposes

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 62 (April 1, 2015)

In this notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is notifying the public that we have found that the motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NO<INF>X</INF>) in the Kenosha and Sheboygan, Wisconsin 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas are adequate for use in transportation conformity determinations. Wisconsin submitted Early Progress Plans for Kenosha and Sheboygan Counties on January 16, 2015. As a result of our finding, these areas must use these MVEBs for future transportation conformity determinations.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17428-17429]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07477]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-R05-OAR-2015-0075; FRL 9925-56-Region 5]


Adequacy Status of the Kenosha and Sheboygan Counties, Wisconsin 
Area Submitted 8-Hour Ozone Early Progress Plans for Transportation 
Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 
notifying the public that we have found that the motor vehicle 
emissions budgets (MVEBs) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 
oxides of nitrogen (NOX) in the Kenosha and Sheboygan, 
Wisconsin 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas are adequate for use in 
transportation conformity determinations. Wisconsin submitted Early 
Progress Plans for Kenosha and Sheboygan Counties on January 16, 2015. 
As a result of our finding, these areas must use these MVEBs for future 
transportation conformity determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective April 16, 2015.

[[Page 17429]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Leslie, Environmental 
Engineer, Control Strategies 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) 
353-6680, [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. On March 13, 2015, EPA sent a letter to the Wisconsin 
Department of Natural Resources stating that the 2015 MVEBs contained 
in the Early Progress Plans for Kenosha and Sheboygan Counties in 
Wisconsin are adequate for transportation conformity purposes. Receipt 
of these MVEBs was announced on EPA's transportation conformity Web 
site, and no comments were submitted. The finding is available at EPA's 
conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.
    The 2015 MVEBs, in tons per day (tpd), for VOCs and NOX 
for Kenosha and Sheboygan, Wisconsin areas are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             2015 VOCs
                  Area                    2015 NOX (tpd)       (tpd)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kenosha County..........................           4.379           1.994
Sheboygan County........................           4.435           1.972
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 conform. Conformity to a State 
Implementation Plan (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 MVEBs are 
adequate for transportation 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.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.

    Dated: March 23, 2015.
Susan Hedman,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 2015-07477 Filed 3-31-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P