01-3379. Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Approval of Opacity Recodifications and Revisions to Visible Emissions COMAR 26.11.06.02

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Proposed rule.

SUMMARY:

EPA proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Maryland for the purposes of recodifying Maryland's general opacity regulations and for providing procedures whereby a source may apply for and be granted a federally enforceable alternative visible emission standard. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP submittals as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views these as noncontroversial submittals and anticipates no adverse comments. A more detailed description of the state submittals and EPA's evaluation are included in a Technical Support Document (TSD) prepared in support of this rulemaking action. A copy of the TSD is available, upon request, from the EPA Regional Office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

DATES:

Comments must be received in writing by March 14, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments should be addressed to Denis Lohman, Acting Chief, Technical Assessment Branch, Mailcode 3AP22, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. Copies of the documents relevant to this action are available for public inspection during normal business hours at the Air Protection Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103; and the Maryland Department of the Environment, 2500 Broening Highway, Baltimore, Maryland 21224.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ruth E. Knapp, [phone], at the EPA Region III address above, or by e-mail at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

For further information regarding the recodifications to Maryland's general opacity regulations and the procedures by which a source may apply for and be granted an alternative visible emission standard, please see the information provided in the direct final action, with the same title, located in the “Rules and Regulations” section of this Federal Register publication.

Dated: November 30, 2000.

Bradley M. Campbell,

Regional Administrator, Region III.