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Adequacy Status of the Medford-Ashland PM10 Attainment and Maintenance Plan for Transportation Conformity Purposes

 [Federal Register: March 17, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 51)]
[Notices]
[Page 13026]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17mr05-47]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[Docket No. R10-OAR-2005-OR-0003; FRL-7885-1]
 
Adequacy Status of the Medford-Ashland PM10 Attainment 
and Maintenance Plan for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that we have found 
the Medford-Ashland PM10 Attainment and Maintenance Plan 
adequate for transportation conformity purposes. On March 2, 1999, the 
D.C. Circuit Court ruled that submitted State Implementation Plans 
(SIPs) cannot be used for conformity determinations until EPA has found 
them adequate. This affects future transportation conformity 
determinations prepared, reviewed and approved by the Rogue Valley 
Council of Governments, Oregon Department of Transportation, Federal 
Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.

DATES: This finding is effective April 1, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The finding is available at EPA's 
conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp.htm, (once 
there, click on the ``Transportation Conformity'' button, then look for 
``Adequacy Review of SIP Submissions''). You may also contact Wayne 
Elson, U.S. EPA, Region 10, Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics (AWT-107), 
1200 Sixth Ave, Seattle WA 98101; (206) 553-1463 or 
elson.wayne@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that we have 
already made. EPA Region 10 sent a letter to the Oregon Department of 
Environmental Quality on March 8, 2005, stating that the SIP is 
adequate for transportation conformity purposes.
    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 SIPs. 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 we determine whether a SIP is adequate for 
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 our ultimate approval of the 
SIP. Even if we find a SIP adequate for conformity, the SIP could later 
be disapproved. For the reader's ease, the motor vehicle emissions budget 
is 3,754 tons per year. This was the only budget included in the Plan.
    We have described our process for determining the adequacy in SIPs 
in guidance dated May 14, 1999. This guidance in now is reflected in 
the amended transportation conformity rule, July 1, 2004 (69 FR 40004). 
We followed this process in making our adequacy determination.

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

    Dated: March 9, 2005.
Ronald A. Kreizenbeck,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 05-5325 Filed 3-16-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

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