[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 124 (Thursday, July 1, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 35030-35034]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14056]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA-R02-OAR-2021-0263; FRL 10025-39-Region 2]


Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; New York; 2011 
Periodic Emission Inventory SIP for the Ozone Nonattainment Areas

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to 
approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the New 
York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The SIP 
revision consists of the following: 2011 calendar year ozone precursor 
emission inventory for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), oxides of 
nitrogen (NOX), and carbon monoxide (CO) for the New York 
portion of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, Connecticut 
NY-NJ-CT area (New York Metropolitan Area, or NYMA) classified as 
serious ozone nonattainment for the 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient 
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or standard), and the Jamestown 
(Chautauqua County) ozone nonattainment area classified as marginal for 
the 2008 8-hour ozone standard. In addition, the SIP revision also 
consists of the 2011 calendar year statewide periodic emissions 
inventory for volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, and 
carbon monoxide. Emission inventories are needed to develop and assess 
new control strategies that the states may use in attainment 
demonstration SIPs for the new National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
for ozone and PM2.5. The inventories may also serve as part 
of statewide inventories for purposes of regional modeling in ozone and 
play an important role in modeling demonstrations for areas classified 
as nonattainment for ozone and carbon monoxide. This action is being 
taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before August 2, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R02-
OAR-2021-0263, at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot 
be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. The EPA may publish any 
comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any 
information you consider to be Confidential Business Information 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. The 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, 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: Ysabel Banon, Air Programs Branch, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 Office, 290 Broadway, 25th 
Floor, New York, New York 10007-1866, (212) 637-3382, or by email at 
banon.ysabel@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Supplementary Information section is 
arranged as follows:

Table of Contents

I. Background
    A. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements for a Periodic Emission 
Inventory
II. Description of State's Submittals
III. Evaluation of State's Submittals and Technical Information
    A. Base Year Emissions Inventory
    B. Evaluation of State's Submittals
IV. Proposed Action
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. Background

    On March 12, 2008, the EPA revised both the primary and secondary 
NAAQS for ozone to a level of 0.075 parts per million (ppm) (annual 
fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average concentration, averaged 
over three years) to provide increased protection of public health and 
the environment. See 73 FR 16436 (March 27, 2008). The 2008

[[Page 35031]]

ozone NAAQS retains the same general form and averaging time as the 
0.08 ppm NAAQS set in 1997 but is set at a more protective level. Under 
the EPA's regulations at 40 CFR part 50, the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS is 
attained when the 3-year average of the annual fourth highest daily 
maximum 8-hour average ambient air quality ozone concentrations is less 
than or equal to 0.075 ppm. See 40 CFR 50.15.
    Effective July 20, 2012, the EPA designated as nonattainment any 
area that was violating the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS based on the most 
recent three years (2008 through 2010) of air monitoring data. See 77 
FR 30088 (May 21, 2012). The two 8-hour ozone marginal nonattainment 
areas located in New York State are the New York portion of the NYMA 
and the Jamestown nonattainment area. The remainder of New York State 
was designated as unclassifiable/attainment. The New York portion of 
the NYMA is composed of the five boroughs of New York City and the 
surrounding counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, and the 
Shinnecock Indian Nation. See 40 CFR 81.333. The Jamestown 
nonattainment area is composed of Chautauqua County.
    Because the NYMA and Jamestown areas were designated as ozone 
nonattainment areas, an ozone emissions inventory is needed for this 
area for air quality program planning purposes. Areas that were 
designated as marginal nonattainment were required to attain the 2008 
8-hour ozone NAAQS no later than July 20, 2015 based on monitoring data 
from 2012 through 2014. On May 14, 2016, the EPA published its 
determination that the Jamestown area attained the 2008 ozone standard 
by the July 20, 2015 attainment date and that the NYMA area had failed 
to attain the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS by the attainment deadline. See 
81 FR 26697. As a result, the NYMA area was reclassified to moderate 
nonattainment. See 40 CFR 81.306. Moderate areas are required to attain 
the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS by no later than six years after the 
effective date of designations or July 20, 2018. See 40 CFR 51.903. On 
August 23, 2019, the EPA published its determination that the NYMA area 
had failed to attain the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS by the July 20, 2018 
deadline, and so the EPA reclassified the NYMA area to serious 
nonattainment. 84 FR 44238.

A. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements for a Periodic Emissions 
Inventory

    Section 182(a)(3) and 172(c)(3) of the Clean Air Act requires the 
periodic submission of emissions inventories for the SIP planning 
process to address the pollutants for the ozone and carbon monoxide 
NAAQS. Identifying the calendar year gives certainty to states that 
require submission of the ozone and CO emission inventories 
periodically. These requirements allow the EPA to periodically reassess 
its policies and air quality standards and revise them as necessary 
based on the states' progress in reducing emissions. Most importantly, 
the ozone and CO inventories will be used to develop and assess new 
control strategies that the states may use in attainment demonstration 
SIPs for the ozone and CO NAAQS. The inventory may also serve as part 
of statewide inventories for purposes of regional modeling in transport 
areas. The inventory plays an important role in modeling demonstrations 
for areas classified as nonattainment and outside transport regions.

II. Description of State's Submittals

    CAA Section 182, subpart 2 outlines SIP requirements applicable to 
ozone nonattainment areas in each classification category. On November 
13, 2017, NYSDEC submitted SIP revisions for the 2011 calendar year 
ozone precursor emission inventory for volatile organic compounds, 
oxides of nitrogen, and carbon monoxide for the NYMA classified as 
moderate ozone nonattainment for the 2008 8-hour ozone standard, and 
Jamestown (Chautauqua County) ozone nonattainment area classified as 
marginal for the 2008 8-hour ozone standard. In addition, the SIP 
revision consists of the 2011 calendar year statewide periodic 
emissions inventory for volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, 
and carbon monoxide.

III. Evaluation of State's Submittals and Technical Information

A. 2011 Base Year Emission Inventory

    CAA section 172(c)(3) requires that each SIP include a 
``comprehensive, accurate, current inventory of actual emissions from 
all sources of the relevant pollutant or pollutants in [the] area. . . 
.'' By requiring an accounting of actual emissions from all sources of 
the relevant pollutants in the area, this section provides for the 
``base year'' inventory to include all emissions that contribute to the 
formation of a particular NAAQS pollutant. Additionally, for the 2008 
ozone NAAQS, the EPA's March 6, 2015 ozone rule recommends 2011 as a 
baseline year from which emission reductions used to meet reasonable 
further progress requirements are creditable. See 80 FR 12264.
    On November 13, 2017, NYSDEC submitted to the EPA an emissions 
inventory of ozone precursors for 2011 as a SIP revision request. The 
inventory was submitted to meet the CAA section 182(a)(3)(A) obligation 
to develop a base year inventory. The State conducted a public comment 
process on the inventory which concluded on August 21, 2017 with a 
public hearing. The State did not receive public comments on the 2011 
emissions inventories during the public comment period or during the 
hearing. The inventory includes emission estimates in tons per year and 
tons per ozone season day and represent emissions estimates from 
stationary and mobile source categories during a typical summer day 
when ozone formation is highest. The ozone emissions inventory catalogs 
NOX and VOC emissions because these pollutants are 
precursors to ozone formation. NYSDEC's 2011 emissions inventory 
contains emission estimates at the county level and also contains 
emission estimates summed to the geographic areas that correspond to 
the State's two nonattainment areas.

B. Evaluation of State's Submittals

    Based on the EPA's review, the 2011 base year emissions inventory 
for the NYMA, the Jamestown area, and the entire State include 
essential data elements, source categories, sample calculations, or 
report documentation to allow the EPA to adequately determine if the 
inventory is accurate and complete. Consequently, New York's 2011 base 
year emissions inventory is consistent with the ozone base year 
emission inventory reporting requirements based on EPA guidance. New 
York's 2011 base year inventory is consistent with the ozone base year 
emission inventory reporting requirements for the following reasons:
    1. Evidence that the inventory was quality assured by the State and 
its implementation documented;
    2. The point source inventory must be complete;
    3. Point source emissions must have been prepared or calculated 
according to current EPA guidance;
    4. The area source inventory must be complete;
    5. The area source emissions must have been prepared or calculated 
according to current EPA guidance;
    6. Non-road mobile emissions must have been prepared according to 
current EPA guidance for all of the source categories;
    7. The method (e.g., Highway Performance Monitoring System or a

[[Page 35032]]

network transportation planning model) used to develop the vehicle 
miles travelled (VMT) estimates must follow EPA guidance. (The VMT 
development methods were described and documented in the inventory 
report.)
    8. On-road mobile emissions were prepared according to the 
guidance.
    Annual and ozone season day point, area, non-road, on-road, and 
biogenic emissions are identified in the inventory. Based on the EPA's 
review, New York satisfies all of the EPA's requirements for purposes 
of providing a comprehensive accurate, and current inventory of actual 
emissions for the ozone nonattainment. A summary of the EPA's review is 
given below:
    1. The Quality Assurance (QA) plan was implemented for all portions 
of the inventory. The QA plan included a QA/Quality control (QC) 
program for assessing data completeness and standard range checking. 
Critical data elements relative to the inventory sources were assessed 
for completeness. QA checks were performed relative to data collection 
and analysis, and double counting of emissions from point, area, and 
mobile sources. QA/QC checks were conducted to ensure accuracy of 
units, unit conversions, transposition of figures, and calculations. 
The inventory is well documented. New York provided documentation 
detailing the methods used to develop emissions estimates for each 
category. In addition, New York identified the sources of data it used 
to develop the inventory;
    2. The point source emissions are complete in accordance with EPA 
guidance;
    3. The point source emissions were prepared and calculated in 
accordance with EPA guidance;
    4. The area source emissions are complete in accordance with EPA 
guidance;
    5. Area source emissions were prepared and calculated in accordance 
with EPA guidance;
    6. Emission estimates for the non-road mobile source categories are 
correctly based on the latest non-road mobile model or other 
appropriate guidance and prepared in accordance with EPA guidance;
    7. The method used to develop VMT estimates is in accordance with 
EPA guidance and was adequately described and documented in the 
inventory report; and,
    8. The latest Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES2014a) model 
was used in accordance with EPA guidance.
    New York's 2011 ozone emission inventory has been developed in 
accordance with EPA guidance. Therefore, the EPA is proposing to 
approve the emission inventory. Detailed emission inventory development 
procedures can be found in the following document: Emission Inventory 
Guidance for Implementation of Ozone and Particulate Matter NAAQS and 
Regional Haze Regulation, dated July 2017; Using MOVES to Prepare 
Emission Inventories in State Implementation Plans and Transportation 
Conformity: Technical Guidance for MOVES2014, 2014a, November April 
2015.
    Table 1--below shows the statewide summary of the 2011 Annual 
emissions. Tables 2-4 below show the 2011 CO, NOX, and VOC 
annual emission by category for the ozone nonattainment areas. Table 5-
below shows the summary emission by category, in tons per ozone season 
day.

                                                   Table 1--Statewide Summary of 2011 Annual Emissions
                                                                         [Tons]
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                                                               2011 New York State Annual
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                                                                                                                                          Total for  all
                                                               Point         Nonpoint         Nonroad         On-road        Biogenic         sectors
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CO......................................................          52,277         217,200         765,931         890,013          73,592       1,999,013
NOX.....................................................          51,048          65,602         104,725         173,269           8,516         403,160
VOC.....................................................           8,638         221,174         105,266          86,980         391,579         813,637
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                                                  Table 2--NYMA and Jamestown 2011 Annual CO Emissions
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                                                                                                 CO tons per year
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                       County name                                                                                                         Total for all
                                                               Point         Nonpoint         Nonroad         On-road        Biogenic         sectors
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Bronx...................................................          481.38        1,804.33       12,589.03       19,739.31           69.11       34,683.16
Kings...................................................          402.73        4,075.73       37,417.24       32,242.24           86.26        74,224.2
Nassau..................................................        1,355.92        3,773.09       56,538.97       72,093.37          455.06       134,216.4
New York................................................        1,382.31        3,302.12       74,065.45       29,523.84           31.40       108,305.1
Queens..................................................        1,432.93        3,372.13       46,722.59       49,875.48          118.83       101,522.0
Richmond................................................          771.13        2,260.14       11,978.46       14,483.11           98.51       29,591.35
Rockland................................................          106.65        1,609.30       12,339.81       16,194.00          267.29       30,517.05
Suffolk.................................................        2,245.55        8,580.85       94,937.08      102,473.20        1,982.01       210,218.7
Westchester.............................................          472.12        4,888.18       42,788.68       48,675.43          631.37       97,455.78
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    Total...............................................        8,650.71       33,665.87      389,377.30      385,299.98        3,739.81       820,733.7
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Chautauqua..............................................         662.590        3,961.99        8,460.39       11,905.87         1471.83        26,462.7
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[[Page 35033]]


                                                  Table 3--NYMA and Jamestown 2011 Annual NOX Emissions
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                                                                                                 NOX tons per year
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                       County name                                                                                                         Total for all
                                                               Point         Nonpoint         Nonroad         On-road        Biogenic         sectors
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Bronx...................................................          563.91        2,571.79        2,387.14        4,822.04            7.68       10,352.56
Kings...................................................        1,063.94        5,484.64        5,348.52        7,563.46           10.54       19,471.10
Nassau..................................................        2,518.47        4,153.45        3,751.43       12,522.14           35.70       22,981.19
New York................................................        3,147.56       10,786.66       13,137.78        7,066.32            5.03       34,143.35
Queens..................................................        2,370.14        4,734.23       10,425.27       10,801.61           15.53       28,346.78
Richmond................................................          895.39        1,082.34        2,540.24        2,727.46            8.54        7,253.97
Rockland................................................          360.39          903.75        1,207.22        2,642.45           19.22        5,133.03
Suffolk.................................................        3,298.58        4,309.39       14,171.66       16,959.84          150.76       38,890.23
Westchester.............................................        1,344.18        3,224.12        2,999.25        7,736.45           46.56       15,350.56
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    Total...............................................       15,562.58       37,250.25       55,968.49       72,841.76          299.56      181,922.77
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Chautauqua..............................................         2141.81          815.65        2,289.15        2,776.52          245.69        8,268.82
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                                                  Table 4--NYMA and Jamestown 2011 Annual VOC Emissions
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                                                                                                 VOC tons per year
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                       County name                                                                                                         Total for all
                                                               Point         Nonpoint         Nonroad         On-road        Biogenic         sectors
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Bronx...................................................           39.77       10,525.42        1,142.39        2,035.09          498.54        1,4241.2
Kings...................................................          303.59       19,127.05        2,957.06        3,382.77          389.63        26,160.1
Nassau..................................................          263.49       12,096.49        4,596.46        7,215.96        3,247.33        27,419.7
New York................................................          189.45       13,274.27        4,754.84        2,894.63          170.79          21,284
Queens..................................................          239.63       18,293.89        3,841.17        5,260.83          682.95        28,318.5
Richmond................................................          185.57        3,947.04        1,125.80        1,520.59          651.25        7,430.25
Rockland................................................           74.03        2,834.50        1,341.89        1,450.91        2,767.01        8,468.34
Suffolk.................................................          457.17       15,980.50       10,969.88        9,750.32       13,821.42        50,979.3
Westchester.............................................           79.94        9,264.73        3,935.55        4,468.14        4,956.84        22,705.2
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    Total...............................................        1,832.65      105,343.90       34,665.05       37,979.23        2,7185.8         207,007
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Chautauqua..............................................          167.75        6,726.66        1,515.54        1,152.29          245.69        9,807.93
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                                                                    Table 5--NYMA and Jamestown Summary of 2011 OSD Emissions
                                                                                         [Tons per day]
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                                    2011 New York Metropolitan Area (NYMA) ozone season day                                                      Jamestown Area ozone season day
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                                                                                                                       Total                                                           Total for
                                                                Point     Nonpoint   Nonroad    On-road    Biogenic   for all     Point     Nonpoint   Nonroad    On-road    Biogenic      all
                                                                                                                     sectors *                                                          sectors
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CO..........................................................      90.57      46.18   1,088.43   1,018.81      22.11   2,264.10       4.46       5.49      23.64      28.72       9.17      71.48
NOX.........................................................     344.88      52.49     155.07     205.86       1.35     759.65      10.31       1.60      23.64       7.83       1.13      44.51
VOC.........................................................      11.26     301.11      96.88     104.46     191.15     704.86       1.06      18.36       4.23       3.07      45.75      72.47
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IV. Proposed Action

    The New York emission inventory SIP revision will ensure that the 
requirements for emission inventory measures and reporting are 
adequately met. To comply with the emission inventory requirements, on 
November 13, 2017, NYSDEC submitted the complete inventory containing 
point, area, on-road, non-road mobile, and biogenic source data, and 
accompanying documentation. The EPA is proposing to approve New York's 
2011 emission inventory SIP revision submittal as meeting the essential 
reporting requirements for emission inventories. The EPA has also 
determined that the SIP revision meets the requirements for emission 
inventories in accordance with EPA guidance. Therefore, the EPA is 
proposing to approve a revision to the New York SIP which pertains to 
the following: 2011 calendar year ozone season daily and annual ozone 
precursor emission inventories for CO, NOX, and VOC for the 
NYMA portion of New York-New Jersey-Long Island NY-NJ-CT serious 
nonattainment area and for the Jamestown marginal nonattainment area. 
In addition, the EPA is proposing to approve the 2011 calendar year 
ozone emissions inventory that was developed statewide for New York. 
The pollutants included in the inventory are annual emissions for CO, 
NOX, and VOC. Interested parties may participate in the 
Federal rulemaking procedure by submitting written comments to the EPA 
Region 2 Office by the method discussed in the ADDRESSES section of 
this action.

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, the EPA's role is to

[[Page 35034]]

approve state choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the 
Clean Air Act. Accordingly, this proposed 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 
proposed 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));
     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 the 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 the 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)).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Carbon monoxide, 
Incorporation by reference, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds.

    Dated: June 24, 2021.
Walter Mugdan,
Acting Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2.
[FR Doc. 2021-14056 Filed 6-30-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


