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Adequacy Status of Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets for Four Areas in Michigan for Transportation Conformity Purposes

 [Federal Register: January 23, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 14)]
[Notices]
[Page 2878]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23ja07-47]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[MI-88-1; FRL-8272-8]

Adequacy Status of Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets for Four Areas
in Michigan for Transportation Conformity Purposes

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

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SUMMARY: In this action, EPA is notifying the public that EPA has found
that the motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for four areas across
the state of Michigan are adequate for 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
affirmatively found them adequate. As a result of our finding, the
Flint (consisting of Genesee and Lapeer Counties), Muskegon County,
Berrien County, and Cass County areas can use the (MVEBs) for future
conformity determinations. These budgets are effective February 7,
2007. The finding and the response to comments will be available at
EPA's conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp.htm, (once
there, click on the ``Conformity'' button, then look for ``Adequacy
Review of SIP Submissions for Conformity'').
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 a finding that we have
already made. EPA Region 5 sent a letter to the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality on November 29, 2006, stating that the 2018
(MVEBs) in the Flint, Muskegon County, Berrien County, and Cass County
areas are adequate. Michigan submitted the budgets as part of the 8-
hour ozone redesignation requests and maintenance plans for these
areas. This finding was announced on EPA's conformity Web site, 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 2018 (MVEBs), in tons per day, for volatile organic compounds
and oxides of nitrogen for these areas are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           2018 VOC MVEB   2018 NOX MVEB
                  Area                         (tpd)           (tpd)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flint...................................           25.68           37.99
Muskegon County.........................            6.67           11.00
Berrien County..........................            9.16           15.19
Cass County.............................            2.76            3.40
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    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 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 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.
    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.

    Dated: January 11, 2007.
Mary A. Gade,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. E7-919 Filed 1-22-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

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