2012-19570. Determination of Failure To Attain the One-Hour Ozone Standard by 2007, Determination of Current Attainment of the One-Hour Ozone Standard, Determinations of Attainment of the 1997 Eight-Hour Ozone Standards for the New York-Northern New ...

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Final rule; technical correction.

SUMMARY:

This document corrects an error in the regulatory language of a final rule pertaining to Clean Data determinations for the State of New Jersey published June 18, 2012. The action announced our approval of four separate and independent determinations related to the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island (NY-NJ-CT) one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone nonattainment areas. This action corrects erroneous paragraph designations in the June 18, 2012 final rule.

DATES:

This correction is effective on August 9, 2012.

ADDRESSES:

EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-R02-OAR-2011-0956. All documents in the docket are listed on the www.regulations.gov web site. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., 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 through www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Environmental Protection Agency, Region II Office, Air Programs Branch, 290 Broadway, 25th Floor, New York, New York 10007-1866. This Docket Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket telephone number is 212-637-4249.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Truchan, Air Programs Branch, Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway, 25th Floor, New York, New York 10278, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On June 18, 2012, 77 FR 36163, EPA published a final rulemaking action announcing our approval of four separate and independent determinations related to the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island (NY-NJ-CT) one-hour and 1997 eight-hour ozone nonattainment areas. In that document, § 52.1576 of title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) was amended, but the amendatory instructions inadvertently designated an existing paragraph incorrectly as (a) and incorrectly reserved paragraph (b). The intent of the rule was to retain the amendments as promulgated on May 16, 2012, 77 FR 28782 and add two new paragraphs (c) and (d) pursuant to the June 18, 2012, 77 FR 36163. This action corrects the erroneous paragraph designations. For the convenience of the reader, and to ensure it reads correctly, the entire § 52.1576 is set out in the regulatory text of this document.

Section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), provides that, when an agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedure are impracticable, unnecessary or contrary to the public interest, the agency may issue a rule without providing notice and an opportunity for public comment. We have determined that there is good cause for making today's rule final without prior proposal and opportunity for comment because we are merely correcting an incorrect citation in a previous action. Thus, notice and public procedure are unnecessary. We find that this constitutes good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B).

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 Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993);
• 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, this rule does not have tribal implications as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because the SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in the state, and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law.

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 October 9, 2012. 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).)

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

• Environmental protection
• Air pollution control
• Intergovernmental relations
• Nitrogen oxides
• Ozone
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
• Volatile organic compounds

Dated: July 31, 2012.

Judith A. Enck,

Regional Administrator, Region 2.

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 et seq.

Subpart FF—New Jersey

2. Section 52.1576 is revised to read as follows:

§ 52.1576

Determinations of attainment.

(a) Based upon EPA's review of the air quality data for the 3-year period 2008 to 2010, EPA determined that Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE 8-hour ozone moderate nonattainment area (the Philadelphia Area) attained the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) by the applicable attainment date of June 15, 2011. Therefore, EPA has met the requirement pursuant to CAA section 181(b)(2)(A) to determine, based on the area's air quality as of the attainment date, whether the area attained the standard. EPA also determined that the Philadelphia Area nonattainment area will not be reclassified for failure to attain by its applicable attainment date under section 181(b)(2)(A).

(b) Based upon EPA's review of the air quality data for the 3-year period 2007 to 2009, EPA determined that the Philadelphia-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE fine particle (PM_2.5) nonattainment area attained the 1997 annual PM_2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) by the applicable attainment date of April 5, 2010. Therefore, EPA has met the requirement pursuant to CAA section 179(c) to determine, based on the area's air quality as of the attainment date, whether the area attained the standard. EPA also determined that the Philadelphia-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE PM_2.5 nonattainment area is not subject to the consequences of failing to attain pursuant to section 179(d).

(c) Based upon EPA's review of the air quality data for the three-year period 2005 to 2007, EPA determined, as of June 18, 2012, that the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island (NY-NJ-CT) one-hour ozone nonattainment area did not meet its applicable one-hour ozone attainment date of November 15, 2007. Separate from and independent of this determination, based on 2008-2010 complete, quality-assured ozone monitoring data at all monitoring sites in the area, and data for 2011, EPA determined, as of June 18, 2012, that the NY-NJ-CT one-hour ozone nonattainment area has attained the one-hour ozone standard.

(d) Based upon EPA's review of complete, quality-assured and certified air quality data for the three-year period 2007 to 2009, and data for 2011, EPA determined, as of June 18, 2012, that the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island (NY-NJ-CT) eight-hour ozone moderate nonattainment area attained the 1997 eight-hour ozone NAAQS by the applicable attainment date of June 15, 2010. Therefore, EPA has met the requirement pursuant to CAA section 181(b)(2)(A) to determine, based on the area's air quality data as of the attainment date, whether the area attained the standard. EPA also determined that the NY-NJ-CT nonattainment area will not be reclassified for failure to attain by its applicable attainment date under section 181(b)(2)(A).