[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 236 (Monday, December 11, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 58195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26533]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-R05-OAR-2017-0277; FRL-9971-62-Region 5]


Adequacy Status of the Metro-East St. Louis, Illinois 2008 Ozone 
Standard Nonattainment Area for the Submitted Maintenance Plan for 
Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of finding of adequacy.

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

SUMMARY: In this notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 
notifying the public that we find the motor vehicle emissions budgets 
(MVEBs) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of 
nitrogen (NOX) in the Illinois portion of the St. Louis area 
(Madison, Monroe and St. Clair Counties or ``Metro-East area''), 2008 
Ozone Standard nonattainment area adequate for use in transportation 
conformity determinations. Illinois submitted a 2008 Ozone Standard 
maintenance plan for the Metro-East area on May 8, 2017. As a result of 
this finding of adequacy, the MVEBs from the submitted maintenance plan 
must be used by state and Federal agencies in determining whether 
proposed transportation projects conform to the SIP as required by the 
Clean Air Act.

DATES: This finding is applicable December 26, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Leslie, Environmental 
Engineer, Control Strategies Section (AR-18J), Air Programs Branch, Air 
and Radiation Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 
Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 
353-6680, [email protected].

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

Background

    Today's notice is an announcement of a finding that we have already 
made. On September 26, 2017, EPA sent a letter to the Illinois 
Environmental Protection Agency, stating that the 2030 MVEBs contained 
in the maintenance plan for the 2008 Ozone Standard for Metro-East area 
are adequate for transportation conformity purposes. EPA announced 
receipt of these MVEBs on its transportation conformity Web site, and 
did not receive any comments during the public comment period. The 
finding of adequacy is available at EPA's conformity Web site: https://www.epa.gov/state-and-local-transportation/adequacy-review-state-implementation-plan-sip-submissions-conformity.
    The 2030 MVEBs, in tons per day (tpd), for VOCs and NOX 
for the Metro-East St. Louis, Illinois area are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    NOX (tpd)     VOCs
                       Year                                      (tpd)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2030..............................................     16.68       9.05
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act. EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation 
plans, programs, and projects conform to state air quality 
implementation plans and establishes the criteria and procedures for 
determining whether they conform. Conformity to a State Implementation 
Plan (SIP) means that transportation activities will not produce new 
air quality violations, worsen existing violations, or delay timely 
attainment of the national ambient air quality standards.
    The criteria by which we determine whether a SIP's MVEBs are 
adequate for transportation conformity purposes are outlined in 40 CFR 
93.118(e)(4). Please note that an adequacy review is separate from 
EPA's completeness review, and is also a separate action from EPA's 
evaluation of and decision whether to approve a proposed SIP revision.

    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.

    Dated: November 17, 2017.
Robert A. Kaplan,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 2017-26533 Filed 12-8-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


