Adequacy Status of Indiana and Kentucky Ozone Attainment
Demonstration for Transportation Conformity Purposes for the Louisville
Area
[Federal Register: May 4, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 87)]
[Notices]
[Page 22550-22551]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04my01-74]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6975-4]
Adequacy Status of Indiana and Kentucky Ozone Attainment
Demonstration for Transportation Conformity Purposes for the Louisville
Area
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of inadequacy.
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SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that it has found
that the Louisville ozone attainment demonstration state implementation
plans (SIP) submitted by Kentucky and Indiana on November 12, 1999, and
November 15, 1999, respectively, do not contain motor vehicle emission
budgets (MVEBs) that are adequate for transportation conformity
purposes. The Louisville moderate one-hour ozone nonattainment area
includes Clark and Floyd Counties, Indiana, and Jefferson County,
Kentucky, and portions of Bullitt and Oldham Counties in Kentucky. EPA
is finding the MVEBs inadequate because, due to a decision by the
United States Court of Appeals, one of the significant assumptions of
the demonstration has changed. The SIP submittal assumes that regional
oxides of nitrogen ( NOX) reductions will be achieved in
adjoining States by May 1, 2003. Due to the Court's decision, those
reductions will not be assured to occur until May 31, 2004. Since the
MVEBs in the SIP submittal could only be adequate if the reductions
occur in 2003, they are now being found inadequate. Since the November
15, 1999, submittal does not contain adequate MVEBs, this attainment
demonstration submittal cannot be used for future transportation
conformity determinations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Bahr, Environmental Engineer,
Regulation Development Section (AR-18J), Air Programs Branch, Air and
Radiation Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312)
353-4366, bahr.ryan@epa.gov.
Dr. Robert Goodwin, Environmental Scientist, Regulatory Planning
Section, Air Planning Branch, Air, Pesticides, and Toxics Management
Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61
Forsyth St., SW., Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 562-9044,
goodwin.robert@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that EPA has
already made. EPA Region 5 sent a letter to the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management on April 20, 2001, stating that the submitted
Louisville ozone attainment demonstration does not contain adequate
MVEBs, and EPA Region 4 sent a similar letter to the Kentucky Division
for Air Quality on April 20, 2001. This finding will also be announced
on EPA's conformity website: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/traq. (Once at
EPA's Transportation and Air Quality Center website, click on the
``Conformity'' button and look for ``Adequacy Review of SIP Submissions
for Conformity.'')
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 state air quality
implementation plans and establishes the criteria and procedures for
determining whether or not they do. Transportation 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 EPA determines whether a SIP's MVEBs are
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 EPA's ultimate
approval of the SIP. Even if EPA finds a motor vehicle emission budget
adequate, the EPA may later disapprove the SIP.
EPA described the process for determining the adequacy of submitted
SIP budgets in guidance (May 14, 1999, memorandum titled ``Conformity
Guidance on Implementation of March 2, 1999, Conformity Court
Decision'').
[[Page 22551]]
EPA followed this guidance in making this determination.
EPA is finding the MVEBs in the submitted Louisville attainment SIP
inadequate because the associated SIP assumes that regional
NOX reductions under the NOX SIP Call will be
achieved in adjoining States by May 1, 2003. However, on August 30,
2000, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an
order extending the compliance date for the NOX SIP Call
from May 1, 2003, to May 31, 2004. The effect of this ruling is that
the regional NOX emissions reductions cannot be assumed to
occur until 2004, and, therefore, 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4)(iv) cannot be
satisfied by the submitted MVEBs.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.
Dated: April 26, 2001.
David A. Ullrich,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
Dated: April 20, 2001.
A. Stanley Meiburg,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 01-11410 Filed 5-3-01; 8:45 am]
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