2017-04691. Air Plan Approval; Minnesota; Sulfur Dioxide; Particulate Matter

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Proposed rule.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Minnesota sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and particulate matter of less than 10 microns (PM₁₀) State Implementation Plans (SIPs) as submitted on December 11, 2015. The revision will update the Rochester SO₂ and Olmsted County PM₁₀ maintenance plans to reflect changes in available controls, operating practices, and cleaner fuel options that have resulted in significant reductions of SO₂ and PM₁₀ emissions in the maintenance areas. EPA is also proposing to approve the removal of existing title I SO₂ SIP conditions for six facilities from the SO₂ SIP, and the state's evaluation that such changes ensure continued attainment of the SO₂ National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before April 10, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R05-OAR-2015-0842 at http://www.regulations.gov or via email to [e-mail]. For comments submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. For either manner of submission, EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e. on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, please contact the person identified in the For Further Information Contact section. For the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit http://www2.epa.gov/​dockets/​commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Francisco J. Acevedo, Control Strategies Section, Air Programs Branch (AR-18J), Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, [phone], [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP submittal as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this rule, 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. Please note that if EPA receives adverse comment on an amendment, paragraph, or section of this rule and if that provision may be severed from the remainder of the rule, EPA may adopt as final those provisions of the rule that are not the subject of an adverse comment. For additional information, see the direct final rule which is located in the Rules section of this Federal Register.

Dated: December 29, 2016.

Robert A. Kaplan,

Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.