# Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; California State Implementation Plan Revision, Bay Area Air Quality Management District > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A94-30325 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Uncategorized Document - **Published:** December 9, 1994 ## Text ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [CA 102-1-6744a; FRL-5120-1] Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; California State Implementation Plan Revision, Bay Area Air Quality Management District AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Direct final rule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action on revisions to the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions concern rules from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). The revised rules control VOC emissions from Metal Container, Closure, and Coil Coating, Solvent Cleaning Operations, and Pressure Relief Valves at Petroleum Refineries and Chemical Plants. This approval action will incorporate these rules into the federally approved SIP. The intended effect of approving these rules is to regulate emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act). In addition, the final action on these rules serves as a final determination that the deficiencies in these rules have been corrected and that on the effective date of this action, any sanctions or Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) obligations are permanently stopped. Thus, EPA is finalizing the approval of these rules into the California SIP under provisions of the CAA regarding EPA action on SIP submittals, SIPs for national primary and secondary ambient air quality standards and plan requirements for nonattainment areas. EFFECTIVE DATE: This action is effective on February 7, 1995, unless adverse or critical comments are received by January 9, 1995. If the effective date is delayed, timely notice will be published in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Copies of the rules and EPA's evaluation reports for these rules are available for public inspection at EPA's Region IX office during normal business hours. Copies of the submitted rules are available for inspection at the following locations: Rulemaking Section (A-5-3), Air and Toxics Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Docket 6102, 401 ``M'' Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460. California Air Resources Board, Stationary Source Division, Rule Evaluation Section, 2020 ``L'' Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Bay Area Air Quality Management District, 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel A. Meer, Chief, Rulemaking Section (A-5-3), Air and Toxics Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, Telephone: (415) 744-1185. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Applicability The rules being approved into the California SIP are: BAAQMD's Regulation 8, Rule 11, Metal Container, Closure, and Coil Coating; Rule 16, Solvent Cleaning Operations; and Rule 28, Pressure Relief Valves at Petroleum Refineries and Chemical Plants. These rules were submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to EPA on September 28, 1994. Background On March 3, 1978, EPA promulgated a list of ozone nonattainment areas under the provisions of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1977 (1977 Act or pre-amended Act), that included the San Francisco Bay Area. 43 FR 8964, 40 CFR 81.305. Because this area was unable to meet the statutory attainment date of December 31, 1982, California requested under section 172(a)(2), and EPA approved, an extension of the attainment date to December 31, 1987. (40 CFR 52.222). On May 26, 1988, EPA notified the Governor of California, pursuant to section 110(a)(2) of the 1977 Act, that the above district's portion of the California SIP was inadequate to attain and maintain the ozone standard and requested that deficiencies in the existing SIP be corrected (EPA's SIP-Call). On November 15, 1990, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 were enacted. Public Law 101-549, 104 Stat. 2399, codified at 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q. In amended section 182(a)(2)(A) of the CAA, Congress statutorily adopted the requirement that nonattainment areas fix their deficient reasonably available control technology (RACT) rules for ozone and established a deadline of May 15, 1991 for states to submit corrections of those deficiencies. Section 182(a)(2)(A) applies to areas designated as nonattainment prior to enactment of the amendments and classified as marginal or above as of the date of enactment. It requires such areas to adopt and correct RACT rules pursuant to pre-amended section 172(b) as interpreted in pre-amendment guidance.1 EPA's SIP-Call used that guidance to indicate the necessary corrections for specific nonattainment areas. The San Francisco Bay Area is classified as moderate;2 therefore, this area was subject to the RACT fix-up requirement and the May 15, 1991 deadline. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Among other things, the pre-amendment guidance consists of those portions of the proposed post-1987 ozone and carbon monoxide policy that concern RACT, 52 FR 45044 (November 24, 1987); ``Issues Relating to VOC Regulation Cutpoints, Deficiencies, and Deviations, Clarification to Appendix D of November 24, 1987 Federal Register Notice'' (Blue Book) (notice of availability was published in the Federal Register on May 25, 1988); and the existing control technique guidelines (CTGs). \2\The San Francisco Bay Area retained its designation of nonattainment and was classified by operation of law pursuant to sections 107(d) and 181(a) upon the date of enactment of the CAA. See 55 FR 56694 (November 6, 1991). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- State of California submitted many revised RACT rules for incorporation into its SIP on September 28, 1994, including the rules being acted on in this notice. This notice addresses EPA's direct-final action for BAAQMD's Regulation 8, Rule 11, Metal Container, Closure, and Coil Coating; Rule 16, Solvent Cleaning Operations; and Rule 28, Pressure Relief Valves at Petroleum Refineries and Chemical Plants. The BAAQMD adopted Rules 11 and 16 on June 15, 1994 and Rule 28 on June 1, 1994. The submitted rules were found to be complete on November 22, 1994 pursuant to EPA's completeness criteria that are set forth in 40 CFR part 51 Appendix V3 and are being finalized for approval into the SIP. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \3\EPA adopted the completeness criteria on February 16, 1990 (55 FR 5830) and, pursuant to section 110(k)(1)(A) of the CAA, revised the criteria on August 26, 1991 (56 FR 42216). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regulation 8, Rule 11 controls VOC emissions from metal container, closure, and coil coating operations. Regulation 8, Rule 16 controls VOC emissions from solvent cleaning operations employing Cold Cleaners, Open Top Vapor Degreasers and Conveyorized Degreasers. Regulation 8, Rule 28 controls VOC emissions from pressure relief valves at petroleum refineries and chemical plants. VOCs contribute to the production of ground level ozone and smog. These rules were originally adopted as part of BAAQMD's effort to achieve the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone and in response to EPA's SIP-Call and the section 182(a)(2)(A) CAA requirement. The following is EPA's evaluation and final action for these rules. EPA Evaluation and Action In determining the approvability of a VOC rule, EPA must evaluate the rule for consistency with the requirements of the CAA and EPA regulations, as found in section 110 and Part D of the CAA and 40 CFR part 51 (Requirements for Preparation, Adoption, and Submittal of Implementation Plans). The EPA interpretation of these requirements, which forms the basis for today's action, appears in the various EPA policy guidance documents listed in footnote 1. Among those provisions is the requirement that a VOC rule must, at a minimum, provide for the implementation of RACT for stationary sources of VOC emissions. This requirement was carried forth from the pre-amended Act. For the purpose of assisting state and local agencies in developing RACT rules, EPA prepared a series of Control Technique Guideline (CTG) documents. The CTGs are based on the underlying requirements of the Act and specify the presumptive norms for what is RACT for specific source categories. Under the CAA, Congress ratified EPA's use of these documents, as well as other Agency policy, for requiring States to ``fix-up'' their RACT rules. See section 182(a)(2)(A). The CTG applicable to Regulation 8, Rule 11 is entitled ``Control of Volatile Organic Emissions from Existing Stationary Sources--Volume II: Surface Coating of Cans, Coils, Paper, Fabrics, Automobiles, and Light-Duty Trucks'', EPA-450/2-77-008. The CTG applicable to Regulation 8, Rule 16 is entitled ``Control of Volatile Organic Emissions from Solvent Metal Cleaning'', EPA-450/2-77-022. The CTG applicable to Regulation 8, Rule 28 is entitled ``Control of Volatile Organic Compound Equipment Leaks from Synthetic Organic Chemical and Polymer Manufacturing Equipment'', EPA-450/3-83-006. In general, these guidance documents have been set forth to ensure that VOC rules are fully enforceable and strengthen or maintain the SIP. BAAQMD's submitted Rule 11 includes the following significant changes from the current SIP: Limits the VOC contents of interior body spray, two-piece can exterior end coating, and the interior of reconditioned drums, pails and lids coatings to limits found in the applicable CTG, Mandates that air pollution abatement equipment meet the requirements of Regulation 2, Rule 1, Deletes section on the analysis of non-heat-set ink samples, thereby removing a previously identified deficiency, Adds EPA methods 25 and 25A as test methods that can be used to determine compliance. BAAQMD's submitted Rule 16 includes the following significant changes from the current SIP: Adds requirement for down-time cover, Removes the Air Pollution Control Officer's (APCO) discretion in approving alternate methods to limit solvent carry out, Adds EPA methods 25 and 25A as test methods that can be used to determine compliance. BAAQMD's submitted Rule 28 includes the following significant changes from the current SIP: Exempts research and development facilities, Adds definitions of inaccessible pressure relief valve and leak minimization, Requires inspection of pressure relief valves protected by rupture disks, Revises the pressure relief valve repair provisions, Includes provisions for identifying leaks and relief valves, Adds sections for determining control efficiency, analysis of samples, and portable hydrocarbon detectors. EPA has evaluated the submitted rules and has determined that they are consistent with the CAA, EPA regulations, and EPA policy. Therefore, BAAQMD's Regulation 8, Rule 11, Metal Container, Closure and Coil Coating, Rule 16, Solvent Cleaning Operations, and Rule 28, Pressure Relief Valves at Petroleum Refineries and Chemical Plants are being approved under section 110(k)(3) of the CAA as meeting the requirements of section 110(a) and Part D. The final action on these rules serves as a final determination that the deficiencies in these rules have been corrected. Therefore, if this direct final action is not withdrawn, on February 7, 1995, any sanction or Federal Implementation Plan Clock is stopped. Nothing in this action should be construed as permitting or allowing or establishing a precedent for any future implementation plan. Each request for revision to the SIP shall be considered separately in light of specific technical, economic, and environmental factors and in relation to relevant statutory and regulatory requirements. EPA is publishing this notice without prior proposal because the Agency views these as noncontroversial amendments and anticipates no adverse comments. However, in a separate document in this Federal Register publication, the EPA is proposing to approve the SIP revision should adverse or critical comments be filed. This action will be effective February 7, 1995, unless, within 30 days of its publication, adverse or critical comments are received. If the EPA receives such comments, this action will be withdrawn before the effective date by publishing a subsequent notice that will withdraw the final action. All public comments received will then be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this action serving as a proposed rule. The EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time. If no such comments are received, the public is advised that this action will be effective February 7, 1995. Regulatory Process Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 600 et seq., EPA must prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis assessing the impact of any proposed or final rule on small entities. 5 U.S.C. 603 and 604. Alternatively, EPA may certify that the rules will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. Small entities include small businesses, small not-for-profit enterprises and government entities with jurisdiction over population of less than 50,000. SIP approvals under sections 110 and 301(a) and subchapter I, Part D of the CAA do not create any new requirements, but simply approve requirements that the State is already imposing. Therefore, because the Federal SIP-approval does not impose any new requirements, I certify that it does not have a significant impact on any small entities affected. Moreover, due to the nature of the Federal-state relationship under the CAA, preparation of a regulatory flexibility analysis would constitute Federal inquiry into the economic reasonableness of state action. The CAA forbids EPA to base its actions concerning SIPs on such grounds. Union Electric Co. v. U.S. E.P.A., 427 U.S. 246, 256-66 (S. Ct. 1976); 42 U.S.C. 7410(a)(2). The Office of Management and Budget has exempted this regulatory action from Executive Order 12866 review. List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Hydrocarbons, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds. Note: Incorporation by reference of the State Implementation Plan for the State of California was approved by the Director of the Federal Register on July 1, 1982. Dated: December 1, 1994. Nora L. McGee, Acting Regional Administrator. Part 52, chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows: PART 52--[AMENDED] 1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows: Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q. Subpart F--California 2. Section 52.220 is amended by adding paragraphs (c)(199)(i)(A)(1) to read as follows: Sec. 52.220 Identification of plan. * * * * * (c) * * * (199) New and amended regulations for the following APCDs were submitted on September 28, 1994 by the Governor's designee. (i) Incorporation by reference. (A) Bay Area Air Quality Management District. (1) Regulation 8, Rules 11 and 16 adopted on June 15, 1994, and Regulation 8, Rule 28 adopted on June 1, 1994. * * * * * [FR Doc. 94-30325 Filed 12-8-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-W --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A94-30325. Public record. Not legal advice.