Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Florida

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[FL-065-9623a; FRL-6167-4]

Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of

Florida

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is approving revisions to the Dade County, Broward County

and Palm Beach County portions of the Florida State Implementation Plan

(SIP) submitted on November 15, 1995, through the Florida Department of

Environmental Protection (FDEP). The submittal revises emissions

budgets for transportation conformity. The purpose of this action is to

incorporate revised motor vehicle emissions budgets into the Southeast

Florida maintenance plan for use in demonstration of conformity of

transportation plans, programs, and projects with the Florida SIP for

the Southeast Florida maintenance area. This action is in accordance

with the Transportation Conformity Rule promulgated on November 24,

1993, and subsequent amendments.

DATES: This direct final rule will become effective on December 21,

1998, without further notice unless EPA receives adverse comments by

November 23, 1998. Should the EPA receive such comments, it will

publish a timely document in the Federal Register withdrawing this rule

and

[[Page 56569]]

informing the public that this rule will not take effect.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: Kelly Sheckler at

the Region 4, Environmental Protection Agency, Air Planning Branch, 61

Forsyth Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Copies of the documents

relative to this action are available for public inspection during

normal business hours at the following locations. The persons wanting

to examine these documents should make an appointment with the

appropriate office at least 24 hours before the visiting day. Reference

file number FL-065-9623. The Region 4 office may have additional

background documents not available at the other locations.

Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (Air Docket 6102),

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington,

D.C. 20460.

Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 Air Planning Branch, 61

Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, Twin Towers Office

Building, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida, 32399-2400.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Sheckler at (404) 562-9042.

Reference file FL-065-9623.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990 (CAA),

defines conformity to an implementation plan to mean conformity to the

plan's purpose of reducing the severity and number of violations of the

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and achieving

expeditious attainment of such standards. Specifically, the CAA

requires determinations that federally funded or approved actions will

not cause or contribute to any new violation, increase the frequency or

severity of any existing violation, or delay timely attainment of any

standard or any required interim emission reductions or other

milestones in any area. Therefore, the emissions expected from

implementation of such transportation plans and programs must be

consistent with estimates of emissions from a maintenance plan.

The State of Florida through the FDEP submitted an attainment and

maintenance plan for the Southeast Florida counties of Dade, Broward

and Palm Beach on November 13, 1993. The State of Florida's request for

redesignation of the Southeast Florida area was approved by EPA because

the area attained the ozone NAAQS, met all relevant requirements under

section 110 and part D of the CAA, had a fully approved SIP under

section 110(k) of the CAA, demonstrated permanent and enforceable air

quality improvement, and had maintenance plan satisfying the

requirements of section 175A of the CAA. For further detail on this

rulemaking refer to 60 FR 10325, dated February 24, 1995. On November

16, 1992, the State of Florida submitted comprehensive inventories of

VOC, NOx, and CO emissions from the Southeast Florida area.

The inventories include biogenic, area, stationary, and mobile sources

using 1990 as the base year for calculations to demonstrate

maintenance. The 1990 inventory is considered representative of

attainment conditions because the NAAQS was not violated during 1990.

EPA approved this revision of the Florida SIP and redesignated the area

from nonattainment to attainment for ozone effective April 27, 1995. At

the time of this submittal, EPA had not finalized the Transportation

Conformity rule which provides the criteria and procedures by which the

transportation planning authorities must show that transportation plans

and projects conform to the emission estimates in the applicable state

maintenance plan. As a result the State's maintenance plan did not

provide an explicit motor vehicles emissions budget for the purposes of

showing conformity.

The Transportation Conformity regulations at 40 CFR 51.456 were

promulgated on November 24, 1993, establishing the criteria and

procedures for determining conformity of transportation activities to

the SIP. Under these provisions states may revise their emissions

budgets at any time through the standard SIP revision process, provided

the SIP demonstrates that the revised emissions budget will not

threaten attainment and maintenance of the standard or any milestones

in the required time frame. The conformity rule provides states the

option to revise the emission budget to reallocate emissions among

sources or between pollutants and precursors so long as this budget

overall maintains total emissions for the area below the attainment

inventory levels. The difference between the attainment inventory

levels and the projected emissions levels is referred to as a safety

margin.

The total emissions in the revised emissions budget for the

Southeast Florida maintenance area are below the 1990 levels through

the period of projection necessary for the attainment and maintenance

plan, 2005. Due to reductions expected from new and/or future federal

emission standards, non-road source emissions are projected to decrease

below the levels projected in the original maintenance plan. The safety

margin created from this category is allotted to the on-road mobile

source emissions budget. As provided in the Table below, the reallotted

emissions budget maintains the 1990 levels and is consistent with the

redesignation/maintenance demonstration SIP.

Dade County VOC Emissions Inventory Summary

[Tons per day]

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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005

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Point.......................................... 14.24 14.57 11.17 8.09 8.59

Area........................................... 158.60 146.39 111.00 111.92 107.18

On-Road Mobile................................. 156.60 96.88 88.89 82.79 79.40

Off-Road Mobile................................ 65.09 66.10 69.98 72.96 77.86

Biogenic....................................... 154.89 154.89 154.89 154.89 154.89

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Total...................................... 549.42 478.83 435.93 430.65 427.92

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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 70.59 113.49 118.77 121.50

Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 51.89 59.88 65.98 69.37

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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile

budget)................................... 530.72 495.81 496.63 497.29

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Total Mobile Source Budget (on-road)....... 148.77 148.77 148.77 148.77

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[[Page 56570]]

Broward County VOC Emissions Inventory Summary

[Tons per day]

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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005

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Point.......................................... 14.03 15.73 14.87 14.89 14.16

Area........................................... 52.55 49.67 38.18 41.23 35.03

On-Road Mobile................................. 109.84 66.46 60.44 55.91 53.31

Off-Road Mobile................................ 37.84 40.29 42.24 44.29 47.95

Biogenic....................................... 46.80 46.80 46.80 46.80 46.80

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Total...................................... 261.06 219.00 246.44 251.56 248.29

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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 42.06 58.53 57.94 63.81

Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 37.89 43.91 48.44 51.04

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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile

budget)................................... ........... 256.89 246.44 251.56 248.29

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Total Mobile Source Budget (onroad)........ ........... 104.35 104.35 104.35 104.35

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Palm Beach County VOC Emissions Inventory Summary

[Tons per day]

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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005

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Point.......................................... 1.16 1.22 1.29 1.36 1.51

Area........................................... 84.06 84.84 81.30 79.02 78.29

On-Road Mobile................................. 70.20 43.49 40.53 38.04 37.54

Off-Road Mobile................................ 26.05 28.42 40.53 32.54 32.54

Biogenic....................................... 123.64 123.34 123.34 123.34 123.34

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Total...................................... 305.11 281.61 277.41 274.60 273.52

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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 23.50 27.70 30.51 31.59

Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 23.20 26.16 28.65 29.15

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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile

budget)................................... ........... 304.81 303.57 303.25 302.67

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Total Mobile Source Budget (onroad)............ ........... 66.69 66.69 66.69 66.69

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Dade County NOX Emissions Inventory Summary

[Tons per day]

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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005

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Point.......................................... 47.26 48.65 31.97 31.98 32.00

Area........................................... 5.97 6.06 6.28 6.43 6.65

On-Road Mobile................................. 117.70 111.19 107.01 101.92 98.99

Off-Road Mobile................................ 47.92 48.13 50.89 52.99 56.52

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Total...................................... 218.85 214.03 196.15 193.32 194.16

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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 4.82 17.89 15.63 11.86

Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a .63 4.81 9.90 12.83

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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile

budget)................................... ........... 214.66 200.96 203.22 206.99

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Total Mobile Source Budget (On-Road)....... ........... 111.82 111.82 111.82 111.82

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Broward County NOX Emissions Inventory Summary

[Tons per day]

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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005

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Point.......................................... 95.30 92.82 85.16 85.16 85.16

Area........................................... 6.94 7.51 7.94 8.21 8.55

On-Road Mobile................................. 80.20 74.24 70.76 66.87 64.47

Off-Road....................................... 27.66 30.42 32.06 33.80 36.98

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Total...................................... 210.10 204.99 195.92 194.04 195.16

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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 5.11 14.18 16.06 14.94

[[Page 56571]]

Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 1.95 5.43 9.32 11.72

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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile

budget)................................... ........... 206.94 201.35 203.36 206.88

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Total Mobile Sources Budget (on-road)...... ........... 76.19 76.19 76.19 76.19

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Palm Beach County NO X Emissions Inventory Summary

[Tons per day]

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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005

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Point.......................................... 37.78 42.45 33.75 34.52 34.54

Area........................................... 4.19 4.40 4.59 4.74 5.03

On-Road Mobile................................. 56.58 54.27 53.02 51.47 50.88

Off-Road....................................... 18.27 19.92 21.47 22.81 25.35

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Total...................................... 116.82 121.04 112.83 113.54 115.80

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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a (-)4.22 3.99 3.28 1.02

Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a (-)0.52 .73 2.28 2.87

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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile

budget)................................... ........... 120.52 113.56 115.82 118.67

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Total Mobile Source Budget (on-road)....... ........... 53.75 53.75 53.75 53.75

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Total 3--County VOC Emissions Inventory Summary

[Tons per day]

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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005

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Point.......................................... 29.43 31.57 27.33 24.34 24.26

Area........................................... 295.21 280.90 230.48 232.17 220.50

On-Road Mobile................................. 336.64 206.83 189.86 176.74 170.25

Off-Road....................................... 128.98 134.81 142.87 149.79 158.35

Biogenic....................................... 325.33 325.33 325.33 323.33 325.33

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Total...................................... 1115.59 979.44 915.87 908.37 898.69

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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 136.98 199.72 207.29 217.21

Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 112.98 129.95 143.07 149.56

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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile)... ........... 1092.42 1045.82 1051.44 1048.25

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Total Mobile Source Budget (on-road)....... ........... 319.81 319.81 319.81 319.81

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Total 3--County NOX Emissions Inventory Summary

[Tons per day]

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Category 1990 1994 1997 2000 2005

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Point.......................................... 180.34 183.92 150.88 151.66 151.70

Area........................................... 17.10 17.97 18.81 19.38 20.23

On-Road Mobile................................. 254.48 239.70 230.79 220.26 214.34

Off-Road....................................... 93.85 98.47 104.42 109.60 118.85

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Total...................................... 545.77 540.06 504.90 500.90 505.12

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Available Safety Margin........................ n/a 5.71 40.87 44.87 40.65

Allocated Safety Margin........................ n/a 2.06 10.97 21.50 27.43

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Total Emissions Budget (includes mobile

budget)................................... ........... 542.12 515.87 522.40 532.54

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Total Mobile Source Budget (on-road)....... ........... 241.76 241.76 241.76 241.77

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[[Page 56572]]

Final Action

EPA is approving Florida's revised emissions budget for the

Southeast Florida maintenance area. The Agency has determined that this

request conforms to those requirements. Therefore, this action revises

the motor vehicle emissions budget for the Florida counties of Dade,

Broward and Palm Beach.

EPA is publishing this action without a prior proposal because the

Agency views this as a noncontroversial amendment and anticipates no

adverse comments. However, in the proposed rules section of this

Federal Register publication, EPA is publishing a separate document

that will serve as the proposal to approve the SIP revision should

relevant adverse comments be filed. This rule will be effective

December 21, 1998 without further notice unless the Agency receives

relevant adverse comments by November 23, 1998.

If the EPA receives such comments, then EPA will publish a timely

withdrawal of the final rule informing the public that the rule will

not take effect. All public comments received will then be addressed in

a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule. The EPA will not

institute a second comment period on this rule. Only parties interested

in commenting on this rule should do so at this time. If no such

comments are received, the public is advised that this rule will be

effective on December 21, 1998 and no further action will be taken on

the proposed rule.

The ozone SIP is designed to satisfy the requirements of part D of

the CAA and to provide for attainment and maintenance of the ozone

NAAQS. Approval of this motor vehicle emissions budget should not be

interpreted as authorizing the State to delete, alter, or rescind any

of the VOC or NOX emission limitations and restrictions

contained in the approved ozone SIP. Changes to ozone SIP VOC

regulations rendering them less stringent than those contained in the

EPA approved plans cannot be made unless a revised maintenance plan is

submitted to and approved by EPA. Unauthorized relaxations, deletions,

and changes could result in both a finding of non-implementation

[section 173(b) of the CAA] and in a SIP deficiency call made pursuant

to section 110(a)(2)(H) of the CAA.

IV. Administrative Requirements

A. Executive Order 12866

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted this

regulatory action from Executive Order (E.O.) 12866, entitled

``Regulatory Planning and Review.''

B. Executive Order 12875

Under E.O. 12875, EPA may not issue a regulation that is not

required by statute and that creates a mandate upon a state, local, or

tribal government, unless the Federal government provides the funds

necessary to pay the direct compliance costs incurred by those

governments. If the mandate is unfunded, EPA must provide to the Office

of Management and Budget a description of the extent of EPA's prior

consultation with representatives of affected state, local, and tribal

governments, the nature of their concerns, copies of written

communications from the governments, and a statement supporting the

need to issue the regulation. In addition, E.O. 12875 requires EPA to

develop an effective process permitting elected officials and other

representatives of state, local, and tribal governments ``to provide

meaningful and timely input in the development of regulatory proposals

containing significant unfunded mandates.'' Today's rule does not

create a mandate on state, local or tribal governments. The rule does

not impose any enforceable duties on these entities. Accordingly, the

requirements of section 1(a) of E.O. 12875 do not apply to this rule.

C. Executive Order 13045

Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety

Risks (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), applies to any rule that: (1) is

determined to be ``economically significant'' as defined under E.O.

12866, and (2) concerns an environmental health or safety risk that EPA

has reason to believe may have a disproportionate effect on children.

If the regulatory action meets both criteria, the Agency must evaluate

the environmental health or safety effects of the planned rule on

children, and explain why the planned regulation is preferable to other

potentially effective and reasonably feasible alternatives considered

by the Agency.

This rule is not subject to E.O. 13045 because it is does not

involve decisions intended to mitigate environmental health or safety

risks.

D. Executive Order 13084

Under E.O. 13084, EPA may not issue a regulation that is not

required by statute, that significantly affects or uniquely affects the

communities of Indian tribal governments, and that imposes substantial

direct compliance costs on those communities, unless the Federal

government provides the funds necessary to pay the direct compliance

costs incurred by the tribal governments. If the mandate is unfunded,

EPA must provide to the Office of Management and Budget, in a

separately identified section of the preamble to the rule, a

description of the extent of EPA's prior consultation with

representatives of affected tribal governments, a summary of the nature

of their concerns, and a statement supporting the need to issue the

regulation. In addition, representatives of Indian tribal governments

``to provide meaningful and timely input in the development of

regulatory policies on matters that significantly or uniquely affect

their communities.'' Today's rule does not significantly or uniquely

affect the communities of Indian tribal governments. Accordingly, the

requirements of section 3(b) of E.O. 13084 do not apply to this rule.

E. Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) generally requires an agency

to conduct a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to

notice and comment rulemaking requirements unless the agency certifies

that the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a

substantial number of small entities. Small entities include small

businesses, small not-for-profit enterprises, and small governmental

jurisdictions. This final rule will not have a significant impact on a

substantial number of small entities because SIP approvals under

section 110 and subchapter I, part D of the Clean Air Act do not create

any new requirements but simply approve requirements that the State is

already imposing. Therefore, because the Federal SIP approval does not

create any new requirements, I certify that this action will not have a

significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

Moreover, due to the nature of the Federal-State relationship under the

Clean Air Act, preparation of flexibility analysis would constitute

Federal inquiry into the economic reasonableness of state action. The

Clean Air Act forbids EPA to base its actions concerning SIPs on such

grounds. Union Electric Co., v. U.S. EPA, 427 U.S. 246, 255-66 (1976);

42 U.S.C. 7410(a)(2).

F. Unfunded Mandates

Under Section 202 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

(``Unfunded Mandates Act''), signed into law on March 22, 1995, EPA

must prepare a budgetary impact statement to accompany any proposed or

final rule

[[Page 56573]]

that includes a Federal mandate that may result in estimated annual

costs to State, local, or tribal governments in the aggregate; or to

private sector, of $100 million or more. Under Section 205, EPA must

select the most cost-effective and least burdensome alternative that

achieves the objectives of the rule and is consistent with statutory

requirements. Section 203 requires EPA to establish a plan for

informing and advising any small governments that may be significantly

or uniquely impacted by the rule.

EPA has determined that the approval action promulgated does not

include a Federal mandate that may result in estimated annual costs of

$100 million or more to either State, local, or tribal governments in

the aggregate, or to the private sector. This Federal action approves

pre-existing requirements under State or local law, and imposes no new

requirements. Accordingly, no additional costs to State, local, or

tribal governments, or to the private sector, result from this action.

G. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General

The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally

provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating

the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,

to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the

United States. EPA will submit a report containing this rule and other

required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of

Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior

to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot

take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal

Register. This rule is not a ``major'' rule as defined by 5 U.S.C.

804(2).

H. Petitions for Judicial Review

Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for

judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court

of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by December 21, 1998. Filing a

petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule

does not affect the finality of this rule for the purposes of judicial

review nor does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial

review may be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such

rule or action. This action may not be challenged later in proceedings

to enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).)

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Carbon monoxide,

Hydrocarbons, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations,

Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone.

Dated: September 3, 1998.

A. Stanley Meiburg,

Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.

Part 52 of chapter I, title 40, 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 et seq.

Subpart K--Florida

2. Section 52.520, is amended by adding paragraph (c)(95) to as

follows:

Sec. 52.520 Identification of plan.

* * * * *

(c) * * *

(95) The maintenance plan for Southeast Florida submitted by the

Florida Department of Environmental Protection on November 15, 1995, as

part of the Florida SIP.

(i) Incorporation by reference. Revision of the Attainment/

Maintenance Plan for the Southeast Florida Ozone Nonattainment Area

(Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties) effective on November 15,

1995.

(ii) Other material. None.

[FR Doc. 98-28232 Filed 10-21-98; 8:45 am]

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