Jump to main content.

Adequacy Status of the Parkersburg, Steubenville-Weirton, Lima, Wheeling, and Canton, OH, Submitted 8-Hour Ozone Redesignation and Maintenance Plans for Transportation Conformity Purposes

 
[Federal Register: April 3, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 63)]
[Notices]
[Page 15879-15880]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03ap07-55]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OH-165-1; FRL-8294-7]

Adequacy Status of the Parkersburg, Steubenville-Weirton, Lima,
Wheeling, and Canton, OH, Submitted 8-Hour Ozone Redesignation and
Maintenance Plans for Transportation Conformity Purposes

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this action, EPA is notifying the public that EPA has found
that the motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for 8-hour ozone for
five areas in the State of Ohio, submitted as part of the redesignation
and maintenance plans for these areas, are adequate for conformity
purposes. As a result of our finding, the Parkersburg (Washington
County), Steubenville-Weirton (Jefferson County), Lima (Allen County),
Wheeling (Belmont County), and Canton (Stark County) areas must use the
MVEBs from the submitted 8-hour ozone redesignation and maintenance
plans for future conformity determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective April 18, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony Maietta, Life Scientist,
Criteria Pollutant 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)
353-8777, Maietta.anthony@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, whenever ``we'',
``us'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.

Background

    Today's action is simply an announcement of findings that we have
already made. On December 28, 2006,

[[Page 15880]]

EPA Region 5 sent a letter to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
(OEPA) stating that the 2009 and 2018 MVEBs in the Steubenville-Weirton
area are adequate. EPA Region 5 sent letters to OEPA on January 22,
2007, stating that the 2009 and 2018 MVEBs in the Parkersburg, Lima,
Wheeling, and Canton areas are adequate. Ohio submitted the budgets as
part of the 8-hour ozone redesignation requests and maintenance plans
for these areas. The submittals were announced on EPA's conformity
website, and received no comments: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/
stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm, (once there, click on ``What SIP
submissions are currently under EPA adequacy review?'').
    The 2009 and 2018 MVEBs, in tons per day, for volatile organic
compounds (VOC) for these areas are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Area                             2009     2018
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parkersburg...........................................     2.59     1.67
Steubenville-Weirton..................................     2.63     1.37
Lima..................................................     5.08     2.89
Wheeling..............................................     2.60     1.52
Canton................................................    10.02     5.37
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The 2009 and 2018 MVEBs, in tons per day, for oxides of nitrogen
(NOX) for these areas are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Area                             2009     2018
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parkersburg...........................................     3.58     1.76
Steubenville-Weirton..................................     4.10     1.67
Lima..................................................     8.28     3.47
Wheeling..............................................     4.69     1.91
Canton................................................    18.03     7.08
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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. Conformity to a State
Implementation Plan (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). We have described our process for determining the
adequacy of submitted SIP budgets in our July 1, 2004, preamble
starting at 69 FR 40038, and we used the information in these resources
while making our adequacy determination. 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 we
find a budget adequate, the SIP could later be disapproved.
    The finding and the response to comments are available at EPA's
conformity Web site: 
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/adequacy.htm.

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

    Dated: March 21, 2007.
Gary Gulezian,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. E7-6150 Filed 4-2-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.