06-4199. Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Amendments To Stage II Vapor Recovery at Gasoline Dispensing Facilities

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Direct final rule.

SUMMARY:

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Maryland State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions clarify system testing and reporting requirements for gasoline dispensing facilities that are currently required to implement Stage II Vapor Recovery. EPA is proposing to approve these revisions in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

DATES:

This rule is effective on July 7, 2006 without further notice, unless EPA receives adverse written comment by June 7, 2006. If EPA receives such comments, it will publish a timely withdrawal of the direct final rule in the Federal Register and inform the public that the rule will not take effect.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID Number EPA-R03-OAR-2006-0314, by one of the following methods:

A. http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.

B. E-mail: [e-mail]

C. Mail: EPA-R03-OAR-2006-0314, Makeba Morris, Chief, Air Quality Programs Branch, Mailcode 3AP21, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.

D. Hand Delivery: At the previously-listed EPA Region III address. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R03-OAR-2006-0314. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change, and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is an “anonymous access” system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through http://www.regulations.gov,, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.

Docket: All documents in the electronic docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically in http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy during normal business hours at the Air Protection Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. Copies of the State submittal are available at the Maryland Department of the Environment, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Suite 705, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Catherine L. Magliocchetti, [phone], or by e-mail at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This section is organized as follows:

What Action Is EPA Taking?

What Are the CAA Requirements For Stage II Programs?

What Revisions Did Maryland Make to Its Stage II rule?

Why is EPA Approving Maryland's Revised Stage II rule?

I. What Action Is EPA Taking?

EPA is proposing to approve Maryland's Amendments to Regulations .04 and .07 under COMAR 26.11.24 Stage II Vapor Recovery at Gasoline Dispensing Facilities, and incorporate these changes into the Maryland SIP. The amendments were proposed by the Maryland Secretary of the Environment on December 10, 2004, went to public hearing on January 11, 2005, were adopted on January 26, 2005, finalized on February 18, 2005 and became effective on February 28, 2005. The Maryland Department of the Environment submitted these amendments (Revision #05-02) to EPA as a SIP revision on March 15, 2005.

II. What Are the CAA Requirements For Stage II Programs?

The 1990 Clean Air Act required states to develop regulations requiring Stage II Vapor Recovery in severe and serious ozone nonattainment areas. Stage II is the control of gasoline vapors when dispensing gasoline into vehicle fuel tanks. This program was implemented in Maryland in January 1993, with a requirement for system installation at service stations owned by oil companies that had a monthly throughput of 10,000 gallons or more, and for other dispensing facilities with a monthly throughput of 50,000 gallons or more. Maryland's Stage II regulations were submitted as a SIP revision to EPA on January 18, 1993, and approved by EPA on June 9, 1993 (54 FR 29730). Maryland submitted revisions to these regulations as a SIP revision on May 23, 2002, which were approved by EPA on May 7, 2003 (68 FR 24363).

III. What Revisions Did Maryland Make To its Stage II Rule?

The Amendments to Regulations .04 and .07 under COMAR 26.11.24 that are the subject of this rulemaking will:

(1) Clarify that the Healy Stage II system does not require a liquid blockage test because the vacuum assist pump is located at the storage tank;

(2) Delete the requirement to test the automatic shutoff mechanism each month because it is observed or inspected daily similar to all other Stage II approved equipment;

(3) Clarify that test failures are to be reported to the Department within 5 days; and

(4) Require a facility to notify the Department at least 5 days before performing a test and that the test results be submitted to the Department within 45 days.

IV. Why Is EPA Approving Maryland's Revised Stage II Rule?

EPA has reviewed the revisions to Regulations .04 and .07 under COMAR 26.11.24 and has determined that the revisions continue to meet the requirements for states to have approved Stage II Vapor Recovery Systems. In addition, the revisions strengthen the SIP by providing additional clarification for testing and reporting requirements to the Department.

V. Final Action

EPA is approving the revisions to Maryland's Stage II regulations submitted to EPA on March 15, 2005. EPA is publishing this rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial amendment and anticipates no adverse comment. However, in the “Proposed Rules” section of today's Federal Register, EPA is publishing a separate document that will serve as the proposal to approve the SIP revision if adverse comments are filed. This rule will be effective on July 7, 2006 without further notice unless EPA receives adverse comment by June 7, 2006. If EPA receives adverse comment, EPA will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register informing the public that the rule will not take effect. EPA will address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting must 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.

VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. General Requirements

Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this action is not a “significant regulatory action” and therefore is not subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget. For this reason, this action is also not subject to Executive Order 13211, “Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use” (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001). This action merely approves state law as meeting Federal requirements and imposes no additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law. Accordingly, the Administrator certifies that this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). Because this rule approves pre-existing requirements under state law and does not impose any additional enforceable duty beyond that required by state law, it does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4). This rule also does not have tribal implications because it will not have a substantial direct effect on one or more Indian tribes, on the relationship between the Federal Government and Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian tribes, as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000). This action also does not have Federalism implications because it does not have substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government, as specified in Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999). This action merely approves a state rule implementing a Federal requirement, and does not alter the relationship or the distribution of power and responsibilities established in the Clean Air Act. This rule also is not subject to Executive Order 13045 “Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks” (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), because it is not economically significant.

In reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act. In this context, in the absence of a prior existing requirement for the State to use voluntary consensus standards (VCS), EPA has no authority to disapprove a SIP submission for failure to use VCS. It would thus be inconsistent with applicable law for EPA, when it reviews a SIP submission, to use VCS in place of a SIP submission that otherwise satisfies the provisions of the Clean Air Act. Thus, the requirements of section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) do not apply. This rule does not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

B. 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. This rule is not a “major rule”; as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

C. Petitions for Judicial Review

Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for judicial review of this approval of Maryland's Amendments to Stage II Vapor Recovery Regulations must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by July 7, 2006. 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
• Intergovernmental relations
• Ozone
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
• Volatile organic compounds

Dated: April 24, 2006.

Donald S. Welsh,

Regional Administrator, Region III.

40 CFR part 52 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 V—Maryland

2. In § 52.1070, the table in paragraph (c) is amended by revising the entries for COMAR 26.11.24 to read as follows:

§ 52.1070

Identification of plan.

* * * * *

(c) * * *

EPA-Approved Regulations in the Maryland SIP

Code of Maryland administrative regulations (COMAR) citation	Title/subject	State effective date	EPA approval date	Additional explanation/citation at 40 CFR § 52.1100
*         *         *         *         *         *         *
26.11.24 Stage II Vapor Recovery at Gasoline Dispensing Facilities
*         *         *         *         *         *         *
26.11.24.04	Testing Requirements	2/28/05	5/8/06 [Insert page number where the document begins]
*         *         *         *         *         *         *
26.11.24.07	Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements	2/28/05	5/8/06 [Insert page number where the document begins]
*         *         *         *         *         *         *

* * * * *