[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 415-416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-259]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[PA 099-4063; FRL-5945-4]
Technical Amendments to Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality
Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania: 15 Percent Plan and 1990 VOC
Emission Inventory for the Philadelphia Area: Correction of Effective
Date Under Congressional Review Act (CRA)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule; correction of effective date under CRA.
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SUMMARY: On June 9, 1997 (62 FR 31343), the Environmental Protection
Agency published in the Federal Register a final rule under the Clean
Air Act concerning conditional interim approval of the state
implementation plan revision for the Philadelphia ozone nonattainment
area, which established an effective date of July 9, 1997. This
document corrects the effective date of the rule to December 30, 1997
to be consistent with sections 801 and 808 of the Congressional Review
Act (CRA), enacted as part of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act.
EFFECTIVE DATE: December 30, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Eagles at (202) 260-9766.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
Section 801 of the CRA precludes a rule from taking effect until
the agency promulgating the rule submits a rule report, which includes
a copy of the rule, to each House of the Congress and to the
Comptroller General of the General Accounting Office (GAO). EPA
recently discovered that it had inadvertently failed to submit the
above rule as required; thus, although the rule was promulgated June 9,
1997, by operation of law, the rule did not take effect on July 9, 1997
as stated. After EPA discovered its error, the rule was submitted to
both Houses of Congress and the GAO on December 11, 1997. This document
amends the effective date of the rule consistent with the provisions of
the CRA.
Section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 553(b),
provides that, when an agency for good cause finds that notice and
public procedure are impracticable, unnecessary or contrary to the
public interest, an agency may issue a rule without providing notice
and an opportunity for public comment. EPA has determined that there is
good cause for making today's rule final without prior proposal and
opportunity for comment because EPA merely is correcting the effective
date of the promulgated rule to be consistent with the congressional
review requirements of the Congressional Review Act as a matter of law
and has no discretion in this matter. Thus, notice and public procedure
are unnecessary. The Agency finds that this constitutes good cause
under 5 U.S.C. 553(b). Moreover, since today's action does not create
any new regulatory requirements and affected parties have known of the
underlying rule since June 9, 1997, EPA finds that good cause exists to
provide for an immediate effective date pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3)
and 808(2).
Because the delay in the effective date was caused by EPA's
inadvertent failure to submit the rule under the CRA, EPA does not
believe that affected entities that acted in good faith relying on the
effective date stated in the June 9, 1997 Federal Register should be
penalized if they were complying with the rule as promulgated.
B. Administrative Requirements
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this
action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' and is therefore not
subject to review by the
[[Page 416]]
Office of Management and Budget. In addition, this action does not
impose any enforceable duty or contain any unfunded mandate as
described in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4),
or require prior consultation with State officials as specified by
Executive Order 12875 (58 FR 58093, October 28, 1993), or involve
special consideration of environmental justice related issues as
required by Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
Because this action is not subject to notice-and-comment requirements
under the Administrative Procedure Act or any other statute, it is not
subject to the regulatory flexibility provisions of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). EPA's compliance with these
statutes and Executive Orders for the underlying rule is discussed in
the June 9, 1997 Federal Register document.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A), as added by the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, 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
General Accounting Office; however, in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 808(2),
this rule became effective on December 30, 1997. This rule is not a
``major rule'' as defined in 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
This final rule only amends the effective date of the underlying
rule; it does not amend any substantive requirements contained in the
rule. Accordingly, to the extent it is available, judicial review is
limited to the amended effective date. Pursuant to section 307(b)(1) of
the Clean Air Act, challenges to this amendment must be brought by
March 9, 1998.
Dated: December 30, 1997.
Carol M. Browner,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-259 Filed 1-2-98; 10:01 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
