Proposed Finding of Failure To Attain; State of Arizona, Phoenix Nonattainment Area; State of California, Owens Valley Nonattainment Area; Particulate Matter of 10 Microns or Less

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

[Federal Register: March 23, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 56)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 13723-13726]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23mr07-25]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R09-OAR-2007-0091, FRL-8291-1]

Proposed Finding of Failure To Attain; State of Arizona, Phoenix
Nonattainment Area; State of California, Owens Valley Nonattainment
Area; Particulate Matter of 10 Microns or Less

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to find that the Phoenix Planning Area
(Phoenix nonattainment area) and the Owens Valley Planning Area (Owens
Valley nonattainment area) did not attain the 24-hour National Ambient
Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for particulate matter of 10 microns or
less (PM-10) by the deadline mandated in the Clean Air Act (CAA or the
Act), December 31, 2006. These proposed findings are based on monitored
air quality data for the PM-10 NAAQS from 2004 through September 2006.
Several Indian tribes have reservations located within the
boundaries of the Phoenix and Owens Valley nonattainment areas. EPA
implements CAA provisions for determining whether such areas have
attained the NAAQS by the applicable attainment deadline in these
reservations. EPA is also proposing that these areas have failed to
attain the PM-10 NAAQS. Thus, this proposed rule could potentially
affect these tribes. Accordingly, EPA has notified the affected tribal
leaders of this proposed rule and is inviting consultation with
interested tribes.
If EPA finalizes, after public notice and comment, these failure to
attain findings, Arizona and California must submit by December 31,
2007, plan provisions that provide for attainment of the PM-10 NAAQS
and that achieve 5 percent annual reductions in PM-10 or PM-10
precursor emissions as required by CAA section 189(d).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 23, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments, identified by docket number EPA-R09-OAR-
2007-0091, by one of the following methods:
(1) Federal eRulemaking portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the on-line instructions.
(2) E-mail: lo.doris@epa.gov
(3) Mail or deliver: Doris Lo (AIR-2), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA
94105-3901.
Instructions: All comments will be included in the public docket
without change and may be made available on-line at
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided,
unless the comment includes Confidential Business Information (CBI) or
other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Information that you consider CBI or otherwise protected should be
clearly identified as such and should not be submitted through the
http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. www.regulations.gov is an anonymous
access system, and EPA will not know your identity or contact
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. 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.
Docket: The index to the docket for this action is available
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov and in hard copy at EPA Region
IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California. While all documents
in the docket are listed in the index, some information may be publicly
available only at the hard copy location (e.g., copyrighted material),
and some may not be publicly available in either location (e.g., CBI).
To inspect the hard copy materials, please schedule an appointment
during normal business hours with the contact listed directly below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For Phoenix issues contact Doris Lo,
EPA Region IX, (415) 972-3959, lo.doris@epa.gov; for Owens Valley
issues contact Larry Biland, EPA Region IX, (415) 947-4132,
biland.larry@epa.gov; and for air quality monitoring issues contact Bob
Pallarino, EPA Region IX, (415) 947-4128, pallarino.bob@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document, wherever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' are used, we mean EPA.

I. Background

The NAAQS are levels for certain ambient air pollutants set by EPA
to protect public health and welfare. PM-10 is among the ambient air
pollutants for which EPA has established health-based standards. PM-10
causes adverse health effects by penetrating deep in the

[[Page 13724]]

lungs, aggravating the cardiopulmonary system. Children, the elderly,
and people with asthma and heart conditions are the most vulnerable.
On July 1, 1987 EPA revised the health-based national ambient air
quality standards (NAAQS) (52 FR 24672), replacing standards for
suspended particulates with new standards applying only to particulate
matter up to ten microns in diameter (PM-10). At that time, EPA
established two PM-10 standards, the annual standard and a 24-hour
standard. On December 18, 2006, EPA revoked the annual PM-10 standard
but retained the 24-hour PM-10 standard. 71 FR 61144 (October 17,
2006). The 24-hour PM-10 standard of 150 micrograms per cubic meter
([mu]g/m3) is attained when the expected number of days per
calendar year with a 24-hour average concentration above 150 [mu]g/
m3, as determined in accordance with appendix K to 40 CFR
part 50, is equal to or less than one. 40 CFR 50.6 and 40 CFR part 50,
appendix K.
On the date of enactment of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAA
or the Act), PM-10 areas, including the Phoenix and Owens Valley
nonattainment areas, meeting the qualifications of section 107(d)(4)(B)
of the amended Act were designated nonattainment by operation of law.
56 FR 11101 (March 15, 1991). EPA codified the boundaries of the
Phoenix nonattainment area at 40 CFR 81.303 and the Owens Valley
nonattainment area at 40 CFR 81.305.
Once an area is designated nonattainment for PM-10, section 188 of
the CAA outlines the process for classifying the area and establishes
the area's attainment deadline. In accordance with section 188(a), at
the time of designation, all PM-10 nonattainment areas, including the
Phoenix and Owens Valley nonattainment areas, were initially classified
as moderate.
Section 188(b)(1) of the Act provides that moderate areas can
subsequently be reclassified as serious before the applicable moderate
area attainment date if at any time EPA determines that the area cannot
``practicably'' attain the PM-10 NAAQS by the moderate area attainment
deadline, December 31, 1994. On January 8, 1993, EPA made such a
determination and reclassified the Owens Valley nonattainment area as
serious. 58 FR 3334.
Moreover, a moderate area must be reclassified by operation of law
if EPA determines after the applicable attainment date that, based on
air quality, the area was not in attainment after that date. CAA
sections 179(c) and 188(b)(2). On May 10, 1996, EPA published such a
reclassification of the Phoenix nonattainment area as serious. 61 FR 21372.
As serious PM-10 nonattainment areas, the Phoenix and Owens Valley
nonattainment areas acquired a new attainment deadline of no later than
December 31, 2001. CAA section 188(c)(2). However, CAA section 188(e)
allows states to apply for up to a 5-year extension of the serious area
attainment deadline of December 31, 2001. In order to obtain the
extension, there must be a showing that: (1) Attainment by 2001 would
be impracticable, (2) the state complied with all requirements and
commitments pertaining to the area in the implementation plan for the
area, and (3) the state demonstrates that the plan for the area
includes the most stringent measures that are included in the
implementation plan of any state or are achieved in practice in any
state, and can feasibly be implemented in the area. Both Arizona and
California requested extensions under CAA section 188(e) to December
31, 2006. On July 24, 2002, EPA granted Arizona's request to extend the
attainment date for the Phoenix nonattainment area to December 31,
2006. 67 FR 48718. On September 3, 1999 EPA granted the request to
extend the attainment date for the Owens Valley nonattainment area to
December 31, 2006. 64 FR 48305.
For a more detailed discussion of the history of PM-10 planning for
the Phoenix and Owens Valley nonattainment areas, please refer to EPA
actions on the PM-10 state implementation plans (SIPs) for these areas.
67 FR 48718 (July 25, 2002); 64 FR 48305 (September 3, 1999).

II. Proposed Findings of Failure To Attain

A. Clean Air Act Requirements for Findings of Failure To Attain

EPA has the responsibility, pursuant to sections 179(c) and
189(b)(2) of the Act, to determine within 6 months of the applicable
attainment date (i.e., by June 30, 2007), whether the Phoenix and Owens
Valley nonattainment areas have attained the 24-hour PM-10 NAAQS.
Section 179(c)(1) of the Act provides that these determinations are to
be based upon an area's ``air quality as of the attainment date'' and
section 188(b)(2) is consistent with this requirement. EPA determines
whether an area's air quality is meeting the PM-10 NAAQS based upon air
quality data gathered at monitoring sites in the nonattainment area and
entered into EPA's Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS).
These data are reviewed to determine the area's air quality status in
accordance with EPA regulations at 40 CFR part 50, appendix K.
As stated above, pursuant to appendix K, attainment of the 24-hour
PM-10 NAAQS is achieved when the expected number of exceedances per
year at each monitoring site is less than or equal to one. A total of
three consecutive years of clean air quality data is generally
necessary to show attainment of the 24-hour PM-10 standard. A complete
year of air quality data as referred to in 40 CFR part 50, appendix K,
comprises all four calendar quarters with each quarter containing data
from at least 75 percent of the scheduled sampling days.
There are two basic types of PM-10 monitors, manual samplers and
automated continuous analyzers. Manual samplers use a filter to collect
PM-10 that must be weighed in a laboratory before a PM-10 concentration
can be determined. Automated continuous analyzers run continuously and
can produce hourly average concentrations of PM-10 in close to real-
time. Most PM-10 monitors do not record a sample every day of the year,
either by design or because of operational or maintenance issues.
Manual PM-10 samplers generally run on a one-in-every-six day schedule.
Automated analyzers generally produce a PM-10 24-hour average
concentration every day, but as noted above, operational or maintenance
issues may effect an automated analyzer's ability to produce a PM-10
concentration every day of the year.
Because attainment of the PM-10 NAAQS is based on the number of
expected exceedances per year, it is necessary to adjust the number of
observed exceedances per year to account for any days for which a 24-
hour PM-10 concentration is not available. This adjustment results in
an estimated number of expected exceedances per year and is made in
accordance with the provisions of 40 CFR part 50, appendix K, section
3.1. In two simple examples, if a PM-10 instrument operates every day
of the year, then no adjustment is necessary and the observed number of
exceedances will be equal to the estimated number of exceedances. If a
sampler operates on a one-in-every-six day schedule, then the number of
observed exceedances will be adjusted to account for the five days with
no samples. In this example, one observed exceedance would be the
equivalent of six estimated exceedances.
Most PM-10 samplers in the Phoenix nonattainment area originally
operated on a one-in-six day schedule. A number of monitoring sites in
the Phoenix

[[Page 13725]]

nonattainment area recorded exceedances while operating on this
schedule. 40 CFR part 50, appendix K, section 3.1(f) states that EPA
will not perform the estimated exceedance adjustment described above if
a monitor meets certain conditions, including a change in the sampling
frequency to every day monitoring. In an effort to reduce the potential
for overestimating the number of expected exceedances, the Maricopa
County Air Quality Department began operating some sites on an every
day schedule as allowed under the provisions of appendix K. All of the
PM-10 monitors in the Owens Valley network operate every day. Tables 1
and 2 in section II.B. below indicate the operating schedule for each
of the violating monitors in the Phoenix and Owens Valley nonattainment
areas.
As summarized in Tables 1 and 2 in section II.B. below, there are a
number of PM-10 monitoring sites in the Phoenix and Owens Valley
nonattainment areas that continue to violate the 24-hour PM-10 NAAQS.
If a site averages more than one estimated exceedance per year during
the three-year attainment period, it is in violation of the NAAQS (see
far right columns of Tables 1 and 2).
In the Phoenix nonattainment area, five sites are in violation of
the 24-hour PM-10 NAAQS: West Phoenix, Greenwood, Higley, West 43rd
Avenue, and Bethune School. In the Owens Valley nonattainment area,
seven sites continue to violate the PM-10 NAAQS: Lone Pine, Olancha-
Walker Creek Road, Olancha-Dirty Sox, Olancha-Flat Rock, Olancha-Shell
Cut, Olancha-Bill Stanley Site, and Keeler.

B. Ambient Air Monitoring Data

Table 1.--Phoenix Nonattainment Area PM-10 Data Summary 2004-2006\1\
[Sites in Violation of the 24-Hour PM-10 NAAQS]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Average number
Operating 1st Max conc. observed Number of of estimated
Site name / AQS ID No. schedule [mu]g/m\3\ exceedances estimated exceedances per
\2\ exceedances year
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
West Phoenix, 04-013-0019.... 1 in 6 / Every 155 1 6 2
day.
Greenwood, 04-013-3010....... 1 in 6 / Every 173 2 7 2.3
day.
Higley 04-013-4006........... 1 in 6 / 170 3 3.6 1.2
Everyday.
West 43rd Ave, 04-013-4009... 1 in 6 / Every 260 26 26 8.7
day.
Bethune School, 04-013-8006.. 1 in 6......... 198 1 6.4 2.1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The data in Tables 1 and 2 for both nonattainment areas are only for the period January 1, 2004 through
September 30, 2006. EPA generally uses a complete three-year set of data in making nonattainment/attainment
determinations. EPA does not currently have the data for the last quarter of 2006 and the State is not
required to submit them until March 31, 2007. See 40 CFR 58.16(b); 71 FR 61236 (October 17, 2006). However,
when less data are sufficient to unambiguously establish nonattainment, 40 CFR 50, appendix K, section 2.3(c)
allows EPA to determine that a monitor is in violation of the PM-10 NAAQS.
\2\ There were additional exceedences observed in the Phoenix nonattainment area that are not included in this
table. The State of Arizona requested, as allowed by EPA's Natural Events Policy (Memorandum entitled ``Areas
Affected by PM-10 Natural Events'' from Mary D. Nichols, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation to
Regional Air Division Directors, May 30, 1996), that the Agency exclude certain observed exceedances from our
nonattainment determination because they were considered high wind natural events. The letters from the State
requesting that we exclude or ``flag'' certain exceedances and EPA's responses concurring with the State's
requests are included in the docket accompanying this rulemaking.

Table 2.--Owens Valley Nonattainment Area PM-10 Data Summary 2004-2006 \3\
[Sites in Violation of the 24-Hour PM-10 NAAQS]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average number
Operating 1st Max conc. Number of Number of of estimated
Site name / AQS ID No. schedule [mu]g/m\3\ observed estimated exceedances per
exceedances exceedances year
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lone Pine, 06-027-0004....... Every day...... 349 5 5.1 1.7
Olancha Walker Creek Road, 06- Every day...... 407 11 11 3.7
027-0021.
Olancha, Dirty Sox, 06-027- Every day...... 4471 54 54 18
0022.
Olancha, Flat Rock, 06-027- Every day...... 6171 11 11.8 3.9
0024.
Olancha, Shell Cut, 06-027- Every day...... 6846 43 43 14.3
0025.
Olancha, Bill Stanley Site, Every day...... 879 6 7 2.3
06-027-0026.
Keeler, 06-027-1003.......... Every day...... 3322 27 27 9
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ See footnote 1.

C. Tribal Lands

EPA intends to take final action to determine whether the Phoenix
and Owens Valley nonattainment areas have attained the PM-10 NAAQS
following notice and comment. We believe that the plain language of
sections 179(c)(1) and 188(b)(2) mandates that we make such findings
with respect to these areas. We also believe that, as a matter of EPA's
federal implementation of relevant provisions of the CAA over Indian
country within the Phoenix and Owens Valley nonattainment areas, the
findings of failure to attain should apply to these areas of Indian
country. PM-10 continues to be a pervasive pollution problem in the
Phoenix and Owens Valley nonattainment areas. PM-10 can be transported
into an area from pollution sources found many miles away from its
source. Therefore, EPA recommends that boundaries for nonattainment
areas be drawn to encompass both areas with direct sources of the
pollution problem as well as nearby areas in the same airshed. EPA
believes that this approach best ensures public health protection from
the adverse effects of PM-10 pollution. Therefore, it is generally
counterproductive from an air quality and planning perspective to segregate

[[Page 13726]]

land areas located well within the boundaries of a nonattainment area,
such as the three Indian reservations in the Phoenix nonattainment area
and the four Indian reservations in the Owens Valley nonattainment
area. Moreover, violations of the PM-10 standard, which are measured
and modeled throughout each of the nonattainment areas, as well as
shared meteorologic conditions, would dictate the same result. EPA
does, however, recognize the significance of Indian country boundaries
within the nonattainment areas and, as described below, will consult
with the affected Tribes regarding this finding of failure to attain
the NAAQS and their Indian country.

III. Summary of Proposed Action

EPA is proposing to find that the Phoenix and Owens Valley
nonattainment areas did not attain the 24-hour PM-10 NAAQS by the
December 31, 2006 attainment deadline as discussed above in section II.
Under section 189(d) of the Act, serious PM-10 nonattainment areas
that fail to attain are required to submit within 12 months of the
applicable attainment date, ``plan revisions which provide for
attainment of the PM-10 air quality standard and, from the date of such
submission until attainment, for an annual reduction in PM-10 or PM-10
precursor emissions within the area of not less than 5 percent of the
amount of such emissions as reported in the most recent inventory
prepared for such area.''
In accordance with CAA section 179(d)(3), the attainment deadline
applicable to an area that misses the serious area attainment date is
as soon as practicable, but no later than 5 years from the publication
date of the nonattainment finding notice. EPA may, however, extend the
attainment deadline to the extent it deems appropriate for a period no
greater than 10 years from the publication date, ``considering the
severity of nonattainment and the availability and feasibility of
pollution control measures.'' In addition to the attainment
demonstration and 5 percent requirements, the plans under section
189(d) for the Phoenix and Owens Valley nonattainment areas must
address all applicable requirements of the CAA, including sections
110(a), 172(c), 176(c) and 189(c)(1).
Because the applicable attainment date for both nonattainment areas
was December 31, 2006, under section 189(d), the submittal deadline for
the plans will be December 31, 2007 if EPA's proposed findings of
failure to attain are finalized.

IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this
proposed 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
proposed action in and of itself establishes no new requirements, it
merely notes that the air quality in the Phoenix nonattainment area and
the Owens Valley nonattainment area did not meet the federal health
standard for PM-10 by the CAA deadline. Accordingly, the Administrator
certifies that this proposed 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 proposed rule does
not in and of itself establish new requirements, EPA believes that it
is questionable whether a requirement to submit a SIP revision
constitutes a federal mandate. The obligation for a State to revise its
SIP arises out of sections 110(a), 179(d), and 189(d) of the CAA and is
not legally enforceable by a court of law, and at most is a condition
for continued receipt of highway funds. Therefore, it is possible to
view an action requiring such a submittal as not creating any
enforceable duty within the meaning of section 421(5)(9a)(I) of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) (2 U.S.C. 658(a)(I)). Even if it
did, the duty could be viewed as falling within the exception for the
condition of Federal assistance under section 421(5)(a)(i)(I) of UMRA
(2 U.S.C. 658(5)(a)(i)(I)). Therefore, today's proposed action 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).
Several Indian tribes have reservations located within the
boundaries of the Phoenix and Owens Valley nonattainment areas. EPA is
responsible for the implementation of federal Clean Air Act programs in
Indian country, including findings of failure to attain. EPA has
notified the affected tribal officials and will be consulting with all
interested tribes, as provided for by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249,
November 9, 2000). EPA will ensure that each tribe is contacted
and given the opportunity to enter into consultation on a government-
to-government basis. This proposed 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 proposed action does not in and of
itself create any new requirements and does not alter the relationship
or the distribution of power and responsibilities established in the
Clean Air Act. This proposed 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. Because these proposed findings of failure to
attain are factual determinations based on air quality considerations,
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
proposed 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.).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Carbon monoxide,
Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter,
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds.

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

Dated: March 15, 2007.
Wayne Nastri,
Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. E7-5357 Filed 3-22-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

Notices For
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994

Proposed Finding of Failure To Attain; State of Arizona, Phoenix Nonattainment Area; State of California, Owens Valley Nonattainment Area; Particulate Matter of 10 Microns or Less

Local Navigation