Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; State of Missouri; Cross-State Air Pollution Rule

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve portions of a November 20, 2015, State Implementation Plan (SIP) submittal from Missouri concerning allocations of Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) emission allowances. Under CSAPR, large electricity generating units in Missouri are subject to Federal Implementation Plans (FIPs) requiring the units to participate in CSAPR's Federal trading program for annual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) and one of CSAPR's two Federal trading programs for annual emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2). This action approves Missouri's adoption into its SIP of state regulations establishing state-determined allocations to replace EPA's default allocations to Missouri units of CSAPR allowances for annual NOX emissions and annual SO2 emissions for 2017 and later years. EPA is approving the SIP revision because it meets the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's regulations for approval of an abbreviated SIP revision replacing EPA's default allocations of CSAPR emission allowances with state-determined allocations. Approval of this SIP revision does not alter any provision of CSAPR's Federal trading programs for annual NOX emissions and annual SO2 emissions as applied to Missouri units other than the allowance allocation provisions, and the FIPs requiring the units to participate in those trading programs (as modified by the SIP revision) remain in place. The approval is being issued as a direct final rule without a prior proposed rule because EPA views it as uncontroversial and does not anticipate adverse comment. EPA is not acting at this time on the portion of Missouri's SIP submittal concerning allocations of CSAPR allowances for ozone- season NOX emissions.