

[Federal Register: February 8, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 26)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 6437-6438]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08fe06-34]

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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 52 and 81

[EPA-R09-OAR-2005-AZ-0006; FRL-8029-3]


Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Designation of
Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; State of Arizona; Finding of
Attainment for Ajo Particulate Matter of 10 Microns or Less (PM10)
Nonattainment Area; Determination Regarding Applicability of Certain
Clean Air Act Requirements

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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

SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to determine that the Ajo moderate PM-10
nonattainment area in Arizona has attained the National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter with an aerodynamic
diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 micrometers
(PM10). This determination is based upon monitored air
quality data for the PM10 NAAQS during the years 2002-2004.
EPA also finds that the Ajo area has continued to attain the
PM10 NAAQS since 2004. Based on this determination, EPA is
also proposing to determine that certain Clean Air Act requirements are
not applicable for so long as the Ajo area continues to attain the
PM10 NAAQS.

DATES: Any comments on this proposal must arrive by March 10, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R09-
OAR-2005-AZ-0006 by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line

instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: tax.wienke@epa.gov.
     Fax: (415) 947-3579 (please alert the individual listed in
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT if you are faxing comments).
     Mail: Wienke Tax, Office of Air Planning, Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), Region 9, Mailcode AIR-2, 75 Hawthorne Street,
San Francisco, California 94105-3901.
     Hand Delivery: Wienke Tax, Office of Air Planning,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 9, Mailcode AIR-2, 75
Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California 94105-3901. Such deliveries
are only accepted Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:55 p.m., excluding
Federal holidays. Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of
boxed information.

[[Page 6438]]

    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R09-OAR-
2005-AZ-0006. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be
included in the public docket without change and may be made available
online at: http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal

information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed
to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information
that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site

is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA, without
going through http://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be

automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD-ROM you submit. 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. Electronic files should avoid
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of
any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
 For additional instructions on submitting

comments, go to Section I. General Information of the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this document.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov
 index. 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, will be publicly available only in hard copy
form. Publicly available docket materials are available either
electronically in http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the

Office of Air Planning, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region
9, Mailcode AIR-2, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California
94105-3901. EPA requests that if at all possible, you contact the
individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to
view the hard copy of the docket. You may view the hard copy of the
docket Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding Federal
holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wienke Tax, Office of Air Planning,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, (520) 622-1622, e-mail: 
tax.wienke@epa.gov.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposal addresses the determination
that the Ajo moderate PM10 nonattainment area in Arizona has
attained the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for
particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a
nominal 10 micrometers (PM10). This determination is based
upon monitored air quality data for the PM10 NAAQS during
the years 2002-2004. This proposal also addresses the determination
that, because the Ajo area continues to attain the PM10
NAAQS, certain attainment demonstration requirements, along with other
related requirements of the CAA, are not applicable to the Ajo area. In
the Rules and Regulations section of this Federal Register, we are
taking direct final action to make these determinations because we
believe this action is not controversial. If we receive adverse
comments, however, we will publish a timely withdrawal of the direct
final rule and address the comments in subsequent action based on this
proposed rule. We do not plan to open a second comment period, so
anyone interested in commenting should do so at this time. If we do not
receive comments, no further activity is planned.
    For all the reasons explained in the parallel direct final notice,
we propose to determine that the Ajo moderate PM10
nonattainment area in Arizona has attained the National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter with an aerodynamic
diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 micrometers
(PM10). A determination of attainment is not a redesignation
to attainment under CAA section 107(d)(3) because we have not yet
approved a maintenance plan as required under section 175(A) of the CAA
or determined that the area has met the other CAA requirements for
redesignation.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ On December 20, 2005, EPA proposed revisions to the NAAQS
for particulate matter. See 71 FR 2620, January 17, 2006. The
proposed revisions address two categories of particulate matter:
Fine particles which are particles 2.5 micrometers in diameter and
smaller; and ``inhalable coarse'' particles, which are particles
between 2.5 and 10 micrometers (PM10-2.5). Upon
finalization of a primary 24-hour standard for PM10-2.5,
EPA proposes to revoke the current 24-hour PM10 standard
in all areas of the country except in areas where there is at least
one monitor located in an urbanized area (as defined by the U.S.
Bureau of the Census) with a minimum population of 100,000 that
violates the current 24-hour PM10 standard based on the
most recent three years of data. In addition, EPA proposes to revoke
the current annual PM10 standard upon finalization of a
primary 24-hour standard for PM10-2.5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We further propose to determine that, because the Ajo area has
continued to attain the PM10 NAAQS, certain attainment
demonstration requirements, along with other related requirements of
the CAA, are not applicable to the Ajo area. For further information on
this proposal and the rationale underlying our proposed action, please
see the direct final action.

    Dated: January 24, 2006.
Wayne Nastri,
Regional Administrator, Region 9.
[FR Doc. 06-1173 Filed 2-7-06; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
