
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 67 (Monday, April 10, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 17245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07026]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-R07-OAR-2016-0779; FRL-9960-71-Region 7]


Adequacy Determination for the St. Louis Area 2008 8-Hour Ozone 
Redesignation Request and Maintenance State Implementation Plan, Motor 
Vehicle Emissions Budgets for Transportation Conformity Purposes; State 
of Missouri

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy determination.

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

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is notifying the 
public that the St. Louis area 2008 8-hour ozone redesignation request 
and maintenance plan motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for 
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) 
are adequate for transportation conformity purposes. As a result, these 
budgets must be used by the State of Missouri for future transportation 
conformity determinations for the St. Louis area.

DATES: This document is effective April 24, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Hamilton, at (913) 551-7039, 
by email at Hamilton.heather@epa.gov, or by mail at U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Air Planning and Development Branch, 11201 Renner 
Boulevard, Lenexa, Kansas 66219.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document ``we,'' ``us,'' or 
``our'' refer to EPA. The word ``budget(s)'' refers to the motor 
vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for volatile organic compounds and 
nitrogen oxides. For the purposes of this document, ``SIP'' refers to 
the St. Louis Area 2008 8-Hour Ozone Redesignation Request and 
Maintenance State Implementation Plan, submitted by Missouri Department 
of Natural Resources to EPA as a SIP revision on September 12, 2016.
    This document is an announcement of a finding that EPA has already 
made. EPA Region 7 sent a letter to Missouri Department of Natural 
Resources on December 21, 2016, stating that the MVEBs contained in the 
Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan are adequate for 
transportation conformity purposes. As a result of EPA's finding, the 
State of Missouri must use the MVEBs from the September 12, 2016, 
Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan or future transportation 
conformity determinations for the St. Louis area. The finding is 
available at EPA's conformity Web site: https://www.epa.gov/state-and-local-transportation.
    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990. EPA's conformity rule requires that 
transportation plans, programs and projects conform to state air 
quality implementation plans and establishes the criteria and procedure 
for determining whether or not they do. Conformity to a 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 motor vehicle 
emission budgets are adequate for 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 it should not be used to prejudge 
EPA's ultimate approval of the SIP. EPA plans to take action on the SIP 
at a later date. We have described our process for determining the 
adequacy of submitted SIP budgets in 40 CFR 93.118(f), and have 
followed this rule in making our adequacy determination.

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

    Dated: March 20, 2017.
Edward H. Chu,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 7.
[FR Doc. 2017-07026 Filed 4-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


