Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Texas; Revisions to Permitting and Public Participation for Air Quality Permit Applications
Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving four revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submit...
Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving four revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted on December 12, 2016 and February 21, 2017, specific to air quality permitting and public notice for air quality permit applications.
DATES:
This rule is effective on June 8, 2018.
ADDRESSES:
The EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-R06-OAR-2017-0124. All documents in the docket are listed on 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.
Throughout this document “we,” “us,” and “our” means the EPA.
I. Background
The background for this action is discussed in detail in our February 14, 2018, proposal (83 FR 6491). In that document we proposed to approve four revisions to the Texas SIP that revise the New Source Review (NSR) permitting and public notice requirements. We received one supportive comment from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. We also received six anonymous comments.[1]
These comments were not significant as they did not raise relevant points which, if adopted, would require a change in the agency's proposed rule. The EPA is finalizing as proposed; no changes have been made as a result of the comments received.
II. Final Action
We are approving revisions to the Texas SIP that revise the NSR permitting and public notice requirements. We have determined that the revisions submitted on December 12, 2016 were developed in accordance
( printed page 21179)
with the CAA and EPA's regulations, policy and guidance for NSR permitting. Therefore, under section 110 of the Act, the EPA approves the following revisions to the Texas SIP:
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.120—Applicability—adopted on November 2, 2016, and submitted on December 12, 2016;
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.121—Exemptions—adopted on November 2, 2016, and submitted on December 12, 2016;
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.122—Contents of Compliance History—adopted on November 2, 2016, and submitted on December 12, 2016;
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.123—Effective Dates—adopted on November 2, 2016, and submitted on December 12, 2016;
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.125—Preservation of Existing Rights and Procedures—adopted on November 2, 2016, and submitted on December 12, 2016; and
Repeal of 30 TAC Section 116.126—Voidance of Permit Applications—adopted on November 2, 2016, and submitted on December 12, 2016.
Additionally, we have determined that the revisions submitted on February 21, 2017, were developed in accordance with the CAA and EPA's regulations, policy and guidance for public notice for air permitting. Under section 110 of the Act, the EPA approves the following revisions into the Texas SIP:
Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.405 adopted on December 9, 2015, and submitted on February 21, 2017;
Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.411 adopted on December 7, 2016, and submitted on February 21, 2017;
Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.419 adopted on December 9, 2015, and submitted on February 21, 2017;
Revisions to 30 TAC Section 39.603 adopted on December 7, 2016, and submitted on February 21, 2017;
Revisions to 30 TAC Section 55.152 adopted on December 7, 2016, and submitted on February 21, 2017;
Withdrawal of 30 TAC Section 55.156(e) from the Texas SIP as adopted on December 9, 2015, and submitted on February 21, 2017; and the
Repeal of 30 TAC Sections 116.130—116.134, 116.136, and 116.137 from the Texas SIP as adopted on November 2, 2016 and submitted on February 21, 2017.
We also approve revisions to the amendatory language at 40 CFR 52.2270(c) to identify specific provisions adopted by the State not submitted for inclusion in the Texas SIP. We are revising the language at 40 CFR 52.2270(c) to clearly indicate that the Texas SIP does not include the revisions to 30 TAC Sections 39.405(h)(1)(A) and 39.602(c) as adopted on December 9, 2015, or 30 TAC Section 39.411(e)(10) as adopted on December 7, 2016.
III. Incorporation by Reference
In this rule, the EPA is finalizing regulatory text that includes incorporation by reference. In accordance with requirements of 1 CFR 51.5, the EPA is finalizing the incorporation by reference of the revisions to the Texas regulations as described in the Final Action section above. The EPA has made, and will continue to make, these materials generally available through
www.regulations.gov
and at the EPA Region 6 Office (please contact Adina Wiley for more information). Therefore, these materials have been approved by EPA for inclusion in the SIP, have been incorporated by reference by EPA into that plan, are fully federally enforceable under sections 110 and 113 of the CAA as of the effective date of the final rulemaking of EPA's approval, and will be incorporated by reference in the next update to the SIP compilation.
IV. 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);
Does not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501et 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. 601et 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);
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, underExecutive 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. 801et 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 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 Clean Air Act, petitions for judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by July 9, 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
( printed page 21180)
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).)
2. In § 52.2270(c), the table titled “EPA Approved Regulations in the Texas SIP” is amended by:
a. Revising the entries for Sections 39.405, 39.411, 39.419, 39.602, 39.603, 55.152, and 55.156;
b. Adding an entry for Section 116.127 in numerical order under the heading “Division 1—Permit Application”;
c. Removing the heading “Division 2—Compliance History” and the entries that follow for Sections 116.120, 116.121, 116.122, 116.123, 116.125, 116.126, and 116.127; and
d. Removing the heading “Division 3—Public Notice” and the entries that follow for Sections 116.130, 116.131, 116.132, 116.133, 116.134, 116.136, and 116.137.
SIP includes 39.405(f)(3) and (g), (h)(2)-(h)(4), (h)(6), (h)(8)-(h)(11), (i) and (j) as adopted on 12/9/2015.
SIP includes 39.405(h)(1)9A) as adopted on 6/2/2010.
* * * * * * *
Section 39.411
Text of Public Notice
12/7/2016
5/9/2018, [Insert
Federal Register
citation]
SIP includes 39.411(a), 39.411(e)(1)-(4)(A)(i) and (iii), (4)(B), (e)(5) introductory paragraph, (e)(5)(A), (e)(5)(B), (e)(6)-(9), (e)(11)(A)(i), (e)(11)(A)(iii), (e)(11)(A)(iv), (e)(11)(B)-(F), (e)(13), (e)(15), (e)(16), (f)(1)-(8), (g), and (h) as adopted 12/7/2016.
SIP includes 39.411(e)(10) as adopted on 3/26/2014.
* * * * * * *
Section 39.419
Notice of Application and Preliminary Determination
12/9/2015
5/9/2018, [Insert
Federal Register
citation]
SIP includes 39.419(e) (e)(1) and (e)(2).
* * * * * * *
Subchapter K—Public Notice of Air Quality Applications
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
83 FR 21178
Web Citation
Suggested Web Citation
Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.
“Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Texas; Revisions to Permitting and Public Participation for Air Quality Permit Applications,” thefederalregister.org (May 9, 2018), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2018-09755/approval-and-promulgation-of-implementation-plans-texas-revisions-to-permitting-and-public-participation-for-air-quality.