[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 213 (Friday, November 1, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 56470-56472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27846]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[CA 126-0011a; FRL-5616-6]
Approval and Promulgation of State Implementation Plans;
California State Implementation Plan Revision; Mojave Desert Air
Quality Management District; South Coast Air Quality Management
District
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Direct final rule.
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SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the
California State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions concern rules
from the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD) and the
South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). The rules control
oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from boilers and process heaters,
internal combustion engines, residential natural gas-fired water
heaters, and stationary gas turbines. This action will incorporate
these rules into the Federally approved SIP. The intended effect of
approving these rules is to regulate emissions of NOx in
accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act, as amended in
1990 (CAA or the Act). The EPA is finalizing the approval of these
revisions 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.
DATES: This action is effective on December 31, 1996 unless adverse or
critical comments are received by December 2, 1996. If the effective
date is delayed, a timely notice will be published in the Federal
Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the rules and EPA's evaluation report of each rule
are available for public inspection at EPA's Region IX office during
normal business hours. Copies of the submitted rules are also available
for inspection at the following locations:
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.
Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District, 15428 Civic Drive, Suite
200, Victorville, CA 92392.
South Coast Air Quality Management District, 21865 E. Copley Drive,
Diamond Bar, CA 91765-4182.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mae Wang, Rulemaking Section (A-5-3),
Air and Toxics Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region
IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-3901, Telephone: (415)
744-1200.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Applicability
The rules being approved into the California SIP include: MDAQMD
Rule 1157, Boilers and Process Heaters; MDAQMD Rule 1160, Internal
Combustion Engines; SCAQMD Rule 1121, Control of Nitrogen Oxides from
Residential Type Natural Gas-Fired Water Heaters; and SCAQMD Rule 1134,
Emissions of Oxides of Nitrogen from Stationary Gas Turbines.
Background
On November 15, 1990, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAA or
the Act) were enacted. Pub. L. 101-549, 104 Stat. 2399, codified at 42
U.S.C. 7401-7671q. The air quality planning requirements for the
reduction of NOx emissions through reasonably available control
technology (RACT) are set out in section 182(f) of the CAA. On November
25, 1992, EPA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking entitled
``State Implementation Plans; Nitrogen Oxides Supplement to the General
Preamble; Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 Implementation of Title I;
Proposed Rule,'' (the NOx Supplement) which describes and provides
preliminary guidance on the requirements of section 182(f). 57 FR
55620. The NOx Supplement should be referred to for further
information on the NOx requirements and is incorporated into this
notice of direct final rulemaking by reference.
Section 182(f) of the Clean Air Act requires States to apply the
same requirements to major stationary sources of NOX (``major'' as
defined in section 302 and section 182 (c), (d), and (e)) as are
applied to major stationary sources of volatile organic compound (VOC)
emissions, in moderate or above ozone nonattainment areas. The
Southeast Desert Air Basin is classified as severe, and the Los
Angeles-South Coast Air Basin Area is classified as extreme; 1
therefore these areas were subject to section 182(f), the RACT
requirements of section 182(b)(2), and the November 15, 1992 deadline,
cited below.
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\1\ The Southeast Desert Air Basin and the Los Angeles-South
Coast Air Basin Area retained their designations of nonattainment
and were 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).
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Section 182(b)(2) requires submittal of RACT rules for major
stationary sources of VOC (and NOX) emissions not covered by
either a pre-enactment or post-enactment control techniques guideline
(CTG) document by November 15, 1992. There were no NOX CTGs issued
before enactment and EPA has not issued a CTG document for any NOX
sources since enactment of the CAA. The RACT rules covering NOX
sources and submitted as SIP revisions, are expected to require final
installation of the actual NOX controls as expeditiously as
practicable, but no later than May 31, 1995.
MDAQMD Rule 1157 and Rule 1160 were both adopted on October 26,
1994, and submitted by CARB to EPA on November 30, 1994. SCAQMD Rule
1121 was adopted on March 10, 1995,
[[Page 56471]]
and submitted on May 24, 1995. SCAQMD Rule 1134 was adopted on December
7, 1995 and submitted on March 26, 1996. These submitted rules were
found to be complete on January 30, 1995, July 24, 1995, and May 15,
1996, respectively, pursuant to EPA's completeness criteria that are
set forth in 40 CFR part 51 Appendix V.2 By today's document, EPA
is taking direct final action to approve these rules into the SIP.
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\2\ 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).
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MDAQMD Rule 1157 controls emissions of NOX from boilers and
process heaters, and MDAQMD Rule 1160 regulates internal combustion
engines. SCAQMD Rule 1121 controls emissions from residential water
heaters, and SCAQMD Rule 1134 applies to stationary gas turbines.
NOX emissions contribute to the production of ground level ozone
and smog. The rules were adopted as part of each district's efforts to
achieve the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and in
response to the CAA requirements cited above. The following section
contains EPA's evaluation and final action for these rules.
EPA Evaluation
In determining the approvability of a NOX 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 this action, appears in various EPA policy
guidance documents.3 Among these provisions is the requirement
that a NOX rule must, at a minimum, provide for the implementation
of RACT for stationary sources of NOX emissions.
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\3\ 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); and
``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).
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For the purposes of assisting State and local agencies in
developing NOX RACT rules, EPA prepared the NOX Supplement to
the General Preamble. In the NOX Supplement, EPA provides guidance
on how RACT will be determined for stationary sources of NOX
emissions. While most of the guidance issued by EPA on what constitutes
RACT for stationary sources has been directed towards application for
VOC sources, much of the guidance is also applicable to RACT for
stationary sources of NOX (see section 4.5 of the NOX
Supplement). In addition, pursuant to section 183(c), EPA is issuing
alternative control technique documents (ACTs), which identify
alternative controls for all categories of stationary sources of
NOX. The ACT documents will provide information on control
technology for stationary sources that emit or have the potential to
emit 25 tons per year or more of NOX. However, the ACTs will not
establish a presumptive norm for what is considered RACT for stationary
sources of NOX. In general, the guidance documents cited above, as
well as other relevant and applicable guidance documents, have been set
forth to ensure that submitted NOX RACT rules are fully
enforceable and strengthen or maintain the SIP.
MDAQMD Rule 1157 is a new rule which controls emissions from
boilers, steam generators, and process heaters with rated heat inputs
of 5 million British Thermal Units per hour (MMBTU/hr) or more, used in
a variety of industrial, institutional, and commercial operations. This
rule contains NOX RACT limits of 70 ppmv for units operated on
gaseous fuel and 115 ppmv for units operated on liquid or solid fuel.
Units permitted to emit more than 5 tons/day or more than 250 tons/year
of NOX must meet stricter emission limits. This rule also requires
monitoring of fuel usage and annual source testing.
MDAQMD Rule 1160 is a new rule regulating internal combustion
engines rated at 500 brake horsepower (bhp) or greater. The rule
contains a VOC limit of 106 ppmv and a CO limit of 4500 ppmv. NOX
limits depend on the type of engine: 50 ppmv for rich-burn engines, 140
ppmv for lean-burn, and 700 ppmv for diesel. The rule also contains
provisions for an alternative method of compliance with NOX limits
by requiring reductions of uncontrolled NOX emissions by at least
90% for rich-burn engines, 80% for lean-burn engines, and 30% for
diesel engines. Operator inspections are required at least every
calendar quarter or after every 2,000 hours of operation, whichever is
more frequent.
SCAQMD Rule 1121 applies to manufacturers, distributors, retailers,
and installers of residential natural gas-fired water heaters. This
submitted rule is a revision to the existing SIP rule, and contains the
following major changes:
An ``Applicability'' section has been added for
clarification.
Definitions have been added for several terms, such as:
independent testing laboratory, mobile home water heater, and rated
heat input capacity.
Certification requirements have been amended to require
source testing and verification from an independent testing laboratory,
and reverification every three years.
SCAQMD Rule 1134 is a new rule that controls emissions from
stationary gas turbines of 0.3 megawatt and larger. The rule contains
NOX emission limits ranging from approximately 9 ppmv to 25 ppmv,
depending on the size of the unit. Annual source testing is required
for units emitting 25 tons of NOX per year or more. All other
units must source test after every 8,400 hours of operation. This rule
requires the use of a continuous emissions monitoring system with data
gathering and retrieval capability, and requires maintenance of a daily
operating log.
A more detailed discussion of the sources controlled,4 the
controls required, and the justification for why these controls
represent RACT can be found in the Technical Support Document (TSD) for
each rule, available from the U.S. EPA Region IX office.
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\4\ SCAQMD Rule 1121 and Rule 1134 will apply to sources which
are not covered in the SCAQMD NOX RECLAIM program.
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EPA has evaluated the submitted rules and has determined that they
are consistent with the CAA, EPA regulations and EPA policy. Therefore,
MDAQMD Rule 1157, MDAQMD Rule 1160, SCAQMD Rule 1121, and SCAQMD Rule
1134 are being approved under section 110(k)(3) of the CAA as meeting
the requirements of section 110(a), section 182(b)(2), section 182(f)
and the NOX Supplement to the General Preamble.
Nothing in this action should be construed as permitting or
allowing or establishing a precedent for any future request for
revision to any State implementation plan. Each request for revision to
the State implementation plan 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 document without prior proposal because the
Agency views this as a noncontroversial action and anticipates no
adverse comments. However, in a separate document in this Federal
Register publication, the EPA is proposing to approve the SIP revisions
should adverse or critical comments be filed. This action will be
effective December 31, 1996, unless, within 30 days of its
[[Page 56472]]
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 December 31, 1996.
Regulatory Process
Unfunded Mandates
Under Sections 202, 203, and 205 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act of 1995 (``Unfunded Mandates Act''), signed into law on March 22,
1995, EPA must undertake various actions in association with proposed
or final rules that include a Federal mandate that may result in
estimated costs of $100 million or more to the private sector or to
State, local, or tribal governments in the aggregate.
Through submission of this State implementation plan revision, the
State and any affected local or tribal governments have elected to
adopt the program provided for under part D of the Clean Air Act. These
rules may bind State, local, and tribal governments to perform certain
actions and also require the private sector to perform certain duties.
The rules being approved by this action will impose no new requirements
because affected sources are already subject to these regulations under
State law. Therefore, no additional costs to State, local, or tribal
governments or to the private sector result from this action. EPA has
also determined that this direct final action does not include a
mandate that may result in estimated costs of $100 million or more to
State, local, or tribal governments in the aggregate or to the private
sector.
Under 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) as added by the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, EPA submitted 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 prior to publication of the rule in today's
Federal Register. This rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5
U.S.C. 804(2).
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. Section 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 sections 603
and 604. Alternatively, EPA may certify 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 government entities with jurisdiction over populations
of less than 50,000.
SIP approvals under section 110 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 affected small entities. 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).
This action has been classified as a Table 3 action for signature
by the Regional Administrator under procedures published in the Federal
Register on January 19, 1989 (54 FR 2214-2225), as revised by a July
10, 1995 memorandum from Mary Nichols, Assistant Administrator for Air
and Radiation. The Office of Management and Budget has exempted this
regulatory action from review under Executive Order 12866.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Hydrocarbons,
Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen
dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Volatile organic compound.
Dated: September 17, 1996.
Felicia Marcus,
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)
(207)(i)(D)(3), (220)(i)(C), and (230)(i)(B) to read as follows:
Sec. 52.220 Identification of plan.
* * * * *
(c) * * *
(207) * * *
(i) * * *
(D) * * *
(3) Rule 1157 and Rule 1160, adopted on October 26, 1994.
* * * * *
(220) * * *
(i) * * *
(C) South Coast Air Quality Management District.
(1) Rule 1121, adopted on March 10, 1995.
* * * * *
(230) * * *
(i) * * *
(B) South Coast Air Quality Management District.
(1) Rule 1134, adopted on December 7, 1995.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-27846 Filed 10-31-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
