81 FR 8711 - Adequacy Status of the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard Reasonable Further Progress Budgets for Volatile Organic Compounds and Nitrogen Oxides for 2012 for Transportation Conformity Purposes

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 34 (February 22, 2016)

In this notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is notifying the public that EPA has found that the Baltimore 1997 8-hour ozone standard reasonable further progress budgets for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) for 2012 are adequate for transportation conformity purposes. As a result of EPA's finding, the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area must use these budgets for future conformity determinations.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 8711]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03609]



[[Page 8711]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9942-60-Region 3]


Adequacy Status of the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard 
Reasonable Further Progress Budgets for Volatile Organic Compounds and 
Nitrogen Oxides for 2012 for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 
notifying the public that EPA has found that the Baltimore 1997 8-hour 
ozone standard reasonable further progress budgets for volatile organic 
compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) for 2012 are 
adequate for transportation conformity purposes. As a result of EPA's 
finding, the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area must use 
these budgets for future conformity determinations.

DATES: This final rule is effective on March 8, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Becoat, Physical Scientist, 
Office of Air Program Planning (3AP30), United States Environmental 
Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 
19103, (215) 814-2036; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 22, 2013, EPA received a State 
Implementation Plan (SIP) revision from Maryland Department of the 
Environment (MDE). This revision consisted of 2012 reasonable further 
progress (RFP) motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for the Baltimore 
1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area. This submission established MVEBs 
for the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area for the year 
2012. The MVEBs are the amount of emissions allowed in the SIP for on-
road motor vehicles; it establishes an emissions ceiling for the 
regional transportation network. The MVEBs are provided in Table 1:

  Table 1--2012 RFP Mobile Budgets for the Baltimore NonAttainment Area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Motor vehicle
                                         Motor vehicle      emissions
                 Year                      emissions       budgets for
                                        budgets for NOX    VOCs in tons
                                        in tons per day      per day
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012..................................            93.5             40.2
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On November 23, 2015, EPA posted the availability of the Baltimore 
1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area MVEBs on EPA's Web site for the 
purpose of soliciting public comments as part of the adequacy process. 
The comment period closed on November 23, 2015 and EPA received no 
comments.
    Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that EPA has 
already made. EPA Region III sent a letter to MDE on January 14, 2016, 
finding that the 2012 RFP MVEBs in the Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone 
Nonattainment Area SIP, submitted on July 22, 2013 by MDE, are adequate 
and must be used for transportation conformity determinations in the 
Baltimore 1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area. The finding and 
associated letter is available at EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.
    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation 
plans, transportation improvement programs, and projects conform to 
SIPs 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 EPA determines whether a SIP's MVEBs are 
adequate for conformity purposes are outlined in 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). 
EPA described the process for determining the adequacy of submitted SIP 
budgets in a July 1, 2004 preamble starting at 69 FR 40038 and used the 
information in these resources in making this adequacy determination. 
Please note that an adequacy review is separate from EPA's completeness 
review, and should not be used to prejudge EPA's ultimate approval 
action for the SIP. Even if EPA finds the budgets for the Baltimore 
1997 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area adequate, the SIP could later be 
disapproved. The finding and the response to comments are available at 
EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.

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

    Dated: February 4, 2016.
 Shawn M. Garvin,
Regional Administrator, Region III.
[FR Doc. 2016-03609 Filed 2-19-16; 8:45 am]
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