2020-22527. Air Plan Approval; Connecticut; Control of Particulate Matter and Visible Emissions  

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    AGENCY:

    Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

    ACTION:

    Final rule.

    SUMMARY:

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Connecticut. This revision amends a Connecticut air-quality regulation for controlling particulate matter (PM) and visible emissions. The intended effect of this action is to define the process industries and activities to which this regulation applies, and to make technical corrections to an emission-rate calculation method. This action is being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act.

    DATES:

    This rule is effective on November 30, 2020.

    ADDRESSES:

    EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket Identification No. EPA-R01-OAR-2020-0255. All documents in the docket are listed on the https://www.regulations.gov website. 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 at https://www.regulations.gov or at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Region 1 Regional Office, Air and Radiation Division, 5 Post Office Start Printed Page 68473Square—Suite 100, Boston, MA. EPA requests that if at all possible, you contact the contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to schedule your inspection. The Regional Office's official hours of business are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding legal holidays and facility closures due to COVID-19.

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    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Alison C. Simcox, Air Quality Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Region 1, 5 Post Office Square—Suite 100, (Mail code 05-2), Boston, MA 02109-3912, tel. (617) 918-1684, email simcox.alison@epa.gov.

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    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Throughout this document whenever “we,” “us,” or “our” is used, we mean EPA.

    Table of Contents

    I. Background and Purpose

    II. Response to Comments

    III. Final Action

    IV. Incorporation by Reference

    V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

    I. Background and Purpose

    On June 29th, 2020 (85 FR 38830), EPA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the State of Connecticut. The NPRM proposed approval of amendments to Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (RCSA) section 22a-174-18, Control of particulate matter (PM) and visible emissions. The formal SIP revision was submitted by Connecticut on October 19, 2018. The revision consists of amendments to subsections (c), (f), and (j) to define the process industries and activities to which this regulation applies, to make technical corrections to an emission-rate calculation method, and to make minor, non-substantive modifications in regulatory language. The rationale for EPA's proposed action is given in the NPRM and will not be restated here.

    II. Response to Comments

    EPA received three comments during the comment period. The comments we received discuss subjects outside the scope of the action on this Connecticut air-quality regulation, do not explain (or provide a legal basis for) how the proposed action should differ in any way, and, indeed, make no specific mention of the proposed action. Consequently, the received comments are not germane to this rulemaking and require no further response.

    III. Final Action

    EPA is approving, and incorporating into the Connecticut SIP, the revisions to subsections (c), (f), and (j) of RCSA section 22a-174-18, Control of Particulate Matter and Visible Emissions, effective on August 3, 2018, submitted to EPA on October 19, 2018.

    IV. Incorporation by Reference

    In this rule, the EPA is finalizing regulatory text that includes incorporation by reference. In accordance with requirements of 1 CFR 51.5, the EPA is finalizing incorporation by reference into the Connecticut SIP the Connecticut regulation referenced in Section III above. The EPA has made, and will continue to make, these documents generally available through https://www.regulations.gov and at the EPA Region 1 Office (please contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this preamble for more information).

    V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

    Under the Clean Air Act, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and applicable Federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act. Accordingly, this action merely approves state law as meeting Federal requirements and does not impose additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law. For that reason, this action:

    • Is not a significant regulatory action subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Orders 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011);
    • Is not an Executive Order 13771 regulatory action because this action is not significant under Executive Order 12866;
    • Does not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
    • Is certified as not having a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
    • 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);
    • Does not have federalism implications as specified in Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
    • Is not an economically significant regulatory action based on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997);
    • Is not a significant regulatory action subject to Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
    • Is not subject to requirements of Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent with the Clean Air Act; and
    • Does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).

    In addition, the SIP is not approved to apply on any Indian reservation land or in any other area where EPA or an Indian tribe has demonstrated that a tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian country, the rule does not have tribal implications and will not impose substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000).

    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 action 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. A major rule cannot take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. This action is not a “major rule” as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

    Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by December 28, 2020. Filing a petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect the finality of this action 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).)

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    List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

    • Environmental protection
    • Air pollution control
    • Carbon monoxide
    • Incorporation by reference
    • Intergovernmental relations
    • Lead
    • Nitrogen dioxide
    • Ozone
    • Particulate matter
    • Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
    • Sulfur oxides
    • Volatile organic compounds
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    Dated: September 30, 2020.

    Dennis Deziel,

    Regional Administrator, EPA Region 1.

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    For the reasons stated in the preamble, the EPA amends 40 CFR part 52 as follows:

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    PART 52—APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

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    1. The authority citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:

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    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.

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    Subpart H—Connecticut

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    2. Section 52.370 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(124) to read as follows:

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    Identification of plan
    * * * * *

    (c) * * *

    (124) Revisions to the State Implementation Plan submitted by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on October 19, 2018.

    (i) Incorporation by reference.

    (A) Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 22a-174-18, entitled “Control of Particulate Matter and Visible Emissions,” as amended August 3, 2018, as follows:

    (1) 22a-174-18(c) Control of airborne particulate matter and fugitive particulate matter;

    (2) 22a-174-18(f) Process industries—general; and

    (3) 22a-174-18(j)(1).

    (B) [Reserved].

    (ii) [Reserved]

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    3. In § 52.385, Table 52.385 is amended by revising the entry in state citations for “22a-174-18” to read as follows:

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    EPA-approved Connecticut regulations.
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    Table 52.385—EPA-Approved Regulations

    Connecticut state citationTitle/subjectDatesFederal Register citationSection 52.370Comments/description
    Date adopted by stateDate approved by EPA
    *         *         *         *         *         *         *
    22a-174-18Control of Particulate Matter and Visible Emissions8/3/201810/29/2020[Insert Federal Register citation](c)(124)Approval of revisions to subsections (c), (f), and (j).
    *         *         *         *         *         *         *
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    [FR Doc. 2020-22527 Filed 10-28-20; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

Document Information

Effective Date:
11/30/2020
Published:
10/29/2020
Department:
Environmental Protection Agency
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Final rule.
Document Number:
2020-22527
Dates:
This rule is effective on November 30, 2020.
Pages:
68472-68474 (3 pages)
Docket Numbers:
EPA-R01-OAR-2020-0255, FRL-10013-47-Region 1
Topics:
Air pollution control, Carbon monoxide, Environmental protection, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Lead, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile organic compounds
PDF File:
2020-22527.Pdf
Supporting Documents:
» Air Quality State Implementation Plans; Approvals and Promulgations: Connecticut; Control of Particulate Matter and Visible Emissions
» 2018-10-19 CT SIP Submittal 22a-174-18
» 2018-03-08 EPA comment letter to CT
» Air Quality State Implementation Plans; Approvals and Promulgations: Connecticut; Control of Particulate Matter and Visible Emissions
CFR: (2)
40 CFR 52.370
40 CFR 52.385