[Federal Register: November 29, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 228)]
[Notices]               
[Page 66634]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29no99-68]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[AZ-018-NOA; FRL-6481-5]

 
Adequacy Status of the Maricopa County Submitted CO Attainment 
Plan for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this document, EPA is notifying the public that we have 
found that submitted Maricopa County Carbon Monoxide (CO) Attainment 
Plan is adequate for conformity purposes. As a result of our finding, 
the Maricopa Association of Governments and the Federal Highway 
Administration are required to use the CO motor vehicle emissions 
budget from the submitted CO Attainment Plan for future conformity 
determinations. This determination is effective December 14, 1999.

DATES: This budget is effective December 14, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The finding and the response to 
comments are available at EPA's conformity website: http://www.epa.gov/
oms/traq, (once there, click on the ``Conformity'' button, then look 
for ``Adequacy Review of SIP Submissions for Conformity''). You may 
also contact Karina O'Connor, U.S. EPA, Region IX, Air Division AIR-2, 
75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 744-1247 or 
oconnor.karina@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Today's document is simply an announcement of a finding that we 
have already made. EPA Region IX sent a letter to the Arizona 
Department of Environmental Quality on November 5, 1999 stating that 
the submitted Maricopa County CO Attainment Plan is adequate for 
conformity purposes. This finding has also been announced on our 
conformity website: http://www.epa.gov/oms/traq, (once there, click on 
the ``Conformity'' button, then look for ``Adequacy Review of SIP 
Submissions for Conformity'').
    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act. Our conformity rule requires that transportation plans, 
programs, and projects conform to state air quality implementation 
plans (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 we determine whether a SIP's motor vehicle 
emission budgets are adequate for conformity purposes are outlined in 
40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). Please note that an adequacy review is separate 
from our completeness review which is required by section 110(k)(1) of 
the Clean Air Act, and it also should not be used to prejudge EPA's 
ultimate approval of the SIP. Even if we find a budget adequate, the 
SIP could later be disapproved.
    We've described our process for determining the adequacy of 
submitted SIP budgets in guidance (May 14, 1999 memo titled 
``Conformity Guidance on Implementation of March 2, 1999 Conformity 
Court Decision''). We followed this guidance in making our adequacy 
determination.

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

    Dated: November 8, 1999.
Felicia Marcus,
Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 99-30899 Filed 11-26-99; 8:45 am]
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