Document

Air Plan Approval; Oklahoma; Updates to the General SIP and New Source Review Permitting Requirements

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve identified portions of revisions to the State Implement...

Environmental Protection Agency
  1. 40 CFR Part 52
  2. [EPA-R06-OAR-2018-0208; FRL-10002-11-Region 6]

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Proposed rule.

SUMMARY:

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve identified portions of revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for Oklahoma submitted by the State of Oklahoma designee by letters dated May 16, 1994; July 26, 2010; January 8, 2018; May 16, 2018; and December 19, 2018 and as clarified on May 16, 2018. This action addresses the revisions submitted to the Oklahoma SIP pertaining to incorporation by reference of Federal requirements, updates to the general SIP provisions and New Source Review (NSR) permit programs to address public notice and modeling requirements, including certain statutory provisions.

DATES:

Written comments must be received on or before January 3, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket No. EPA-R06-OAR-2018-0208, at www.regulations.gov or via email to . Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. The EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission ( i.e., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, please contact Adina Wiley, (214) 665-2115, . For the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit www.epa.gov/​dockets/​commenting-epa-dockets.

Docket: The index to the docket for this action is available electronically at www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at the EPA Region 6 Office, 1201 Elm Street, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas. While all documents in the docket are listed in the index, some information may be publicly available only at the hard copy location ( e.g., copyrighted material), and some may not be publicly available at either location ( e.g., CBI).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Adina Wiley, EPA Region 6 Office, Air Permits Section, 1201 Elm Street, Suite 500, Dallas, TX 75270, 214-665-2115, . To inspect the hard copy materials, please schedule an appointment with Adina Wiley or Mr. Bill Deese at 214-665-7253.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Throughout this document wherever “we,” “us,” or “our” is used, we mean the EPA.

I. Background

Section 110 of the Act requires states to develop air pollution regulations and control strategies to ensure that air quality meets the EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). These ambient standards are established under section 109 of the Act and they currently address six criteria pollutants: Carbon monoxide, nitrogen ( printed page 66104) dioxide, ozone, lead, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. The state's air regulations are contained in its SIP, which is basically a clean air plan. Each state is responsible for developing SIPs to demonstrate how the NAAQS will be achieved, maintained, and enforced. The SIP must be submitted to the EPA for approval and any changes a state makes to the approved SIP also must be submitted to the EPA for approval.

Section 110(a)(2)(C) of the CAA requires states to develop and submit to the EPA for approval into the SIP, preconstruction review and permitting programs applicable to certain new and modified stationary sources of air pollutants for attainment and nonattainment areas that cover both major and minor new sources and modifications, collectively referred to as the NSR SIP. The CAA NSR SIP program is composed of three separate programs: Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD), Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR), and Minor NSR. The EPA codified minimum requirements for these State permitting programs including public participation and notification requirements at 40 CFR 51.160-51.164. Requirements specific to construction of new stationary sources and major modifications in nonattainment areas are codified in 40 CFR 51.165 for the NNSR program. Requirements for permitting of new stationary sources and major modifications in attainment areas subject to PSD, including additional public participation requirements, are found at 40 CFR 51.166.

The State of Oklahoma submitted revisions to the Oklahoma SIP on May 16, 1994; July 16, 2010; January 8, 2018; May 16, 2018; and December 19, 2018 and a clarification letter dated May 16, 2018. On May 16, 1994, the Governor of Oklahoma submitted the recodification of the Oklahoma regulations as a revision to the Oklahoma SIP. The EPA addressed most of this recodification on November 3, 1999; this proposed rulemaking addresses the repeal of Regulation 3.8. See64 FR 59629. On July 16, 2010, Mr. J.D. Strong, Secretary of Environment, submitted revisions to the Oklahoma SIP to implement NSR Reform. The submittal included revisions to Subchapters 1 and 8 in OAC 252:100 that became effective June 15, 2006. The EPA has acted on all portions of the July 16, 2010, submittal except for the adoption of OAC 252:100-8-36.1, which will be addressed in this proposed rulemaking. See81 FR 66535. On January 8, 2018, Mr. Michael Teague, Secretary of Energy and Environment, submitted revisions to the Oklahoma SIP that included the annual SIP update for 2017, with amendments to Subchapters 1, 2, 8, and Appendix Q. On May 16, 2018, Mr. Michael Teague, Secretary of Energy and Environment, submitted revisions to the Oklahoma SIP that included updates and amendments to OAC 252:4, relevant Oklahoma statutes, and a clarification letter dated May 16, 2018, about how the Oklahoma public notice process addresses the requirements for PSD public notice. On December 19, 2018, Mr. Michael Teague, Secretary of Energy and Environment, submitted revisions to the Oklahoma SIP that included the annual SIP updates for 2018, with amendments to OAC 252:100, Subchapters 2, 8, and Appendix Q. Collectively, the submitted revisions update the incorporation by reference of Federal requirements, the general SIP provisions and New Source Review (NSR) permit programs to address public notice and modeling requirements.

II. The EPA's Evaluation

The accompanying Technical Support Document (TSD) for this action includes a detailed analysis of the submitted revisions to the Oklahoma SIP. Our analysis indicates that the May 16, 1994; July 16, 2010; January 8, 2018; May 16, 2018; and December 19, 2018, SIP revisions were developed in accordance with the CAA and the State provided reasonable notice and public hearing.

General SIP Updates

The EPA has determined it is appropriate to approve the general revisions to the Oklahoma SIP discussed above because these revisions maintain consistency with Federal requirements and will not interfere with any applicable requirement concerning attainment and reasonable further progress or any other applicable CAA requirements.

PSD Updates

The State of Oklahoma submitted revisions to the PSD Program on January 8, 2018, that were adopted on June 13, 2017 at OAC 252:100-8-31, Definitions; OAC 252:100-8-33, Exemptions; and OAC 252:100-8-35, Air quality impact evaluation. Additional revisions to OAC 252:100-8-35 were adopted on June 18, 2018 and submitted on December 19, 2018.

The EPA has determined it is appropriate to approve the revisions to the Oklahoma PSD program submitted January 8 and December 19, 2018, as discussed above because these revisions maintain consistency with Federal requirements and will not interfere with any applicable requirement concerning attainment and reasonable further progress or any other applicable CAA requirements.

NNSR Updates

The State of Oklahoma submitted revisions to the NNSR Program on January 8, 2018 that were adopted on June 13, 2017 at OAC 252:100-8-51.1, Emissions reductions and offsets. The submitted revisions update the incorporation by reference date of 40 CFR 51.165(a)(11) to April 6, 2015, consistent with the effective date of the ( printed page 66106) revisions promulgated by the EPA on March 6, 2015 to address the NNSR permitting requirements for the 2008 ozone standard. See80 FR 12264. The March 6, 2015, final rule specifies that emission offsets for NNSR permitting must be for the same regulated pollutant; states have the discretion to allow interprecursor trading for either ozone or direct PM2.5 emissions only if this discretion is identified in the SIP. The State of Oklahoma is attainment for both ozone and PM2.5; there is no requirement for the Oklahoma SIP to include an NNSR program for either ozone or PM2.5, or to identify whether the State will exercise its discretionary authority to allow interprecursor trading to satisfy emission offset requirements. We can propose approval of the revisions to OAC 252:100-8-51.1 because the State has incorporated by reference Federal permitting requirements. However, if the State of Oklahoma is designated nonattainment for ozone or PM2.5 at any time in the future, a subsequent SIP revision would be necessary to provide for interprecursor trading for emission offsets.

PSD Public Notice Updates

On June 15, 2006, the State of Oklahoma adopted, and submitted on July 26, 2010, a new provision for PSD Public Notice at OAC 252:100-8-36.1. This section relies on the separate authorities found at OAC 252:4 and 27A Oklahoma Statutes (O.S.) 2-5-112 and 27A O.S. 2-14-101 to 2-14-304 to satisfy the Federal public notice requirements for PSD permit applications. On May 16, 2018, the State of Oklahoma submitted a revision to the Oklahoma SIP that included revisions to OAC 252:4, updated versions of the Oklahoma Statutes, and a clarification letter dated May 16, 2018 regarding PSD public notice requirements. The EPA's evaluation of how these regulations and statutes satisfy PSD public notice requirements is summarized below. The full analysis is contained in the TSD for this action.

The EPA has also determined we need to approve portions of the submitted Oklahoma statutes into the Oklahoma SIP because they provide unique authorities not provided elsewhere through Oklahoma regulation. Specifically, the following statutory provisions are necessary for the Oklahoma SIP to satisfy the PSD public notice requirements:

The EPA has determined it is appropriate to approve the above identified statutory provisions and regulatory revisions into the Oklahoma SIP because these revisions maintain consistency with Federal requirements for PSD public notice and will not interfere with any applicable requirement concerning attainment and reasonable further progress or any other applicable CAA requirements.

III. Proposed Action

We are proposing to approve under section 110 of the CAA, revisions to the Oklahoma SIP that revise the incorporation by reference dates for Federal requirements and update the NSR PSD and NNSR permitting programs to maintain consistency with Federal requirements. We have determined that the revisions submitted on May 16, 1994; July 26, 2010; January 8, 2018; May 16, 2018; and December 19, 2018, as clarified by letter dated May 16, 2018, were developed in accordance with the CAA and EPA's regulations, policy, and guidance for SIP development and NSR permitting. The EPA proposes approval of the following as revisions to the Oklahoma SIP:

○ Revisions to OAC 252:100-1-3, Definitions, adopted on June 13, 2017 and effective September 15, 2017;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:100-2-3 and Appendix Q for Incorporation by Reference, adopted on June 13, 2017 and effective September 15, 2017;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:100-8-31, Definitions, adopted on June 13, 2017 and effective September 15, 2017;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:100-8-33, Exemptions, adopted on June 13, 2017 and effective September 15, 2017;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:100-8-35, Air quality impact evaluation, adopted on June 13, 2017 and effective September 15, 2017; and

○ Revisions to OAC 252:100-8-51.1, Emissions reductions and offsets, adopted on June 13, 2017 and effective September 15, 2017.

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-1-2, Definitions, adopted on June 9, 2016, effective September 15, 2016;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-1-3, Organization, adopted on April 25, 2013, effective July 1, 2013, and revisions adopted on June 9, 2016, effective September 15, 2016;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-1-5, Availability of a record, adopted on May 6, 2005, effective June 15, 2005, and revisions adopted on April 25, 2013, effective July 1, 2013;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-1-6, Administrative fees, adopted on May 6, 2005, effective June 15, 2005;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-3-1, Meetings, adopted on March 27, 2007, effective June 15, 2007; ( printed page 66108)

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-7-5, Fees and fee refunds, adopted on June 13, 2017, effective September 15, 2017;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-7-13, Notices, adopted on March 25, 2003, effective June 1, 2003, except for OAC 252:4-7-13(g)(4), and revisions adopted April 25, 2013, effective July 1, 2013;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-7-15, Permit issuance or denial, adopted on May 28, 2002, effective June 1, 2002, and revisions adopted April 25, 2013, effective July 1, 2013;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-7-18, Pre-issuance permit review and correction, adopted April 25, 2013, effective July 1, 2013;

○ New OAC 252:4-7-20, Agency review of final permit decision, adopted April 25, 2013, effective July 1, 2013;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-7-32, Air quality applications -Tier I, adopted March 25, 2003, effective June 1, 2003;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-7-33, Air quality applications—Tier II, adopted March 25, 2003, effective June 1, 2003, except for OAC 252:4-7-33(c)(4);

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-9-32, Individual proceedings filed by others, as adopted on May 1, 2009, effective July 1, 2009 and revisions adopted April 25, 2013, effective July 1, 2013;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-9-51, In general, adopted on March 24, 2004, effective June 1, 2004;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-9-52, Individual proceedings, adopted on March 24, 2004, effective June 1, 2004;

○ New OAC 252:4-17, Electronic Reporting, sections OAC 252:4-17-1—OAC 252:4-17-7, adopted April 27, 2007, effective June 15, 2017;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-17-2, Definitions, adopted June 9, 2016, effective September 15, 2016;

○ Revisions to OAC 252:4-17-4, Electronic signature agreement, adopted June 9, 2016, effective September 15, 2016;

○ Letter to Ms. Anne Idsal, Regional Administrator, EPA Region 6, dated May 16, 2018 regarding “Clarification of PSD Public Participation Procedures under 2017 Revisions to the Oklahoma State Implementation Plan (SIP)”;

○ Definitions of “Process Meeting” and “Response to Comments” at 27A O.S. 2-14-103 added July 1, 1994, and last modified and effective November 1, 2015;

○ The provisions for notification to an affected state at 27A O.S. 2-5-112(E) added May 15, 1992, and last modified and effective June 3, 2004;

○ 27A O.S. 2-14-301, 2-14-302, and 2-14-303 added and in effect July 1, 1996;

○ 27A O.S. 2-14-304 added July 1, 1996, and last modified and effective May 9, 2002;

○ Definition of “Record” at 51 O.S. 24A.3, added November 1, 1985, and last modified and effective November 1, 2014;

○ The requirement to maintain, and the description of the contents of, the rulemaking record at 75 O.S. 302(B) promulgated in 1963 and last modified and effective November 1, 1998;

○ The process for adoption, amendment or revocation of a rule at 75 O.S. 303 promulgated in 1963 and last modified and affective November 1, 2013; and

○ Definition of “Meeting” at 25 O.S. 304(2) added October 1, 1977, and last modified and effective in 2010.

○ Revisions to OAC 252:100-2-3 and Appendix Q adopted on June 18, 2018 and effective September 15, 2018; and

○ Revisions to OAC 252:100-8-35, Air quality impact evaluation, adopted on June 18, 2018 and effective September 15, 2018.

The EPA is proposing that the provisions in OAC 252:4-1-1, 4-1-2, 4-1-3, 4-1-4, 4-1-5, 4-1-6, 4-1-7, 4-1-8, and 4-1-9, and OAC 252:100-5-1, 5-1.1 and 5-2.2 are applicable to the entirety of the Oklahoma SIP and the amendatory language table at 40 CFR 52.1920(c) should be modified to reflect this finding. Additionally, the EPA proposes to remove the disapprovals listed in 40 CFR 52.1922(b)(2), (3), and (4) and (c), because the State has submitted appropriate revisions to the SIP to correct the disapprovals.

IV. Incorporation by Reference

In this action, we are proposing to include in a final rule regulatory text that includes incorporation by reference. In accordance with the requirements of 1 CFR 51.5, we are proposing to incorporate by reference revisions to the Oklahoma regulations and statutes as described in the Proposed Action section above. We have made, and will continue to make, these documents generally available electronically through www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at the EPA Region 6 office (please contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this preamble for more information).

V. 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 proposes to approve state law as meeting Federal requirements and does not impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law. For that reason, this action:

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 proposed 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).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

  • Environmental protection
  • Air pollution control
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Incorporation by reference
  • Intergovernmental relations
  • Lead
  • Nitrogen dioxide
  • Ozone
  • Particulate matter
  • Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
  • Sulfur oxides
  • Volatile organic compounds

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.

Dated: November 21, 2019.

Kenley McQueen,

Regional Administrator, Region 6.

Footnotes

1.  On July 12, 2013, the D.C. Circuit, in Center for Biological Diversity v. EPA, 722 F.3d 401, vacated the provisions of the GHG Biomass Deferral. Due to a series of extension requests and rehearing proceedings, the court did not issue its mandate making the vacatur effective until August 10, 2015. However, the GHG Biomass Deferral expired by its own terms on July 21, 2014.

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2.  The EPA is taking no action on the severable revision to OAC 252:4-7-13(g)(4) adopted on March 25, 2003, and submitted May 16, 2018. This adopted provision is specific to operating permits, which are addressed through a state's part 70 program rather than the SIP.

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[FR Doc. 2019-25954 Filed 12-2-19; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

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Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.

84 FR 66103

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“Air Plan Approval; Oklahoma; Updates to the General SIP and New Source Review Permitting Requirements,” thefederalregister.org (December 3, 2019), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2019-25954/air-plan-approval-oklahoma-updates-to-the-general-sip-and-new-source-review-permitting-requirements.