[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 193 (Thursday, October 4, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50010-50012]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21471]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[DC105-2053; FRL-9983-57-Region 3]


Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; 
District of Columbia; Update to Materials Incorporated by Reference

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule; administrative change.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is updating the 
materials that are incorporated by reference (IBR) into the District of 
Columbia State implementation plan (SIP). The regulations affected by 
this update have been previously submitted by the District of Columbia 
Department of Energy and Environment (DoEE) and approved by EPA. This 
update affects the SIP materials that are available for public 
inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) 
and the EPA Regional Office.

DATES: This action is effective October 4, 2018.

ADDRESSES: SIP materials which are incorporated by reference into 40 
CFR part 52 are available for inspection at the following locations: 
Air Protection Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 
III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103; and the 
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on 
the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: 
http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. EPA requests that you email the contact listed in 
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Trouba, (215) 814-2023 or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Each State has a SIP containing the control measures and strategies 
used to attain and maintain the national ambient air quality standards 
(NAAQS). The SIP is extensive, containing such elements as air 
pollution control regulations, emission inventories, monitoring 
networks, attainment demonstrations, and enforcement mechanisms.
    Each State must formally adopt the control measures and strategies 
in the SIP after the public has had an opportunity to comment on them 
and then submit the proposed SIP revisions to EPA. Once these control 
measures and strategies are approved by EPA, and after notice and 
comment, they are incorporated into the federally-approved SIP and are 
identified in part 52 ``Approval and Promulgation of Implementation 
Plans,'' title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR part 52). 
The full text of the State regulation approved by EPA is not reproduced 
in its entirety in 40 CFR part 52, but is ``incorporated by 
reference.'' This means that EPA has approved a given State regulation 
with a specific effective date. The public is referred to the location 
of the full text version should they want to know which measures are 
contained in a given SIP. The information provided allows EPA and the 
public to monitor the extent to which a State implements a SIP to 
attain and maintain the NAAQS and to take enforcement action if 
necessary.
    The SIP is a living document which a State revises as necessary to 
address its unique air pollution problems. Therefore, EPA, from time to 
time, must take action on SIP revisions containing new and/or revised 
regulations as being part of the SIP. On May 22, 1997 (62 FR 27968), 
EPA revised the procedures for incorporating by reference federally-

[[Page 50011]]

approved SIPs, as a result of consultations between EPA and the Office 
of the Federal Register (OFR). The description of the revised SIP 
document, IBR procedures and ``Identification of plan'' format are 
discussed in further detail in the May 22, 1997 Federal Register 
document. On December 7, 1998 (63 FR 67407), EPA published a document 
in the Federal Register beginning the new IBR procedure for the 
District of Columbia. On August 6, 2004 (69 FR 47773), September 6, 
2005 (70 FR 52919), March 19, 2009 (74 FR 11647), February 22, 2011 (76 
FR 9652), and March 21, 2017 (82 FR 14458), EPA published updates to 
the IBR material for the District of Columbia. Since the publication of 
the last IBR update, EPA has approved into the SIP the following 
regulatory changes to the following District of Columbia regulations:

A. Added Regulations

    None.

B. Revised Regulations

    1. Chapter 1 Section 199 (Definitions and Abbreviations).
    2. Chapter 5 Section 502.1 through 502.15 (Sampling, Tests, and 
Measurements).
    3. Chapter 8 Section 801 (Sulfur Content of Fuel Oils).
    4. Chapter 8 Section 899 (Definitions and Abbreviations).

C. Removed Regulations

    None.

II. EPA Action

    In this action, EPA is announcing the update to the IBR material as 
of May 14, 2018 and revising the text within 40 CFR 52.470(b).

III. Good Cause Exemption

    EPA has determined that this rule falls under the ``good cause'' 
exemption in section 553(b)(3)(B) of the Administrative Procedures Act 
(APA) which, upon finding ``good cause,'' authorizes agencies to 
dispense with public participation and section 553(d)(3) which allows 
an agency to make a rule effective immediately (thereby avoiding the 
30-day delayed effective date otherwise provided for in the APA). This 
rule simply codifies provisions which are already in effect as a matter 
of law in Federal and approved State programs. Under section 553 of the 
APA, an agency may find good cause where procedures are ``impractical, 
unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.'' Public comment is 
``unnecessary'' and ``contrary to the public interest'' since the 
codification only reflects existing law. Immediate notice in the CFR 
benefits the public by removing outdated citations and incorrect table 
entries.

IV. Incorporation by Reference

    In this rule, EPA is finalizing regulatory text that includes 
incorporation by reference. In accordance with requirements of 1 CFR 
51.5, EPA is finalizing the incorporation by reference of previously 
EPA approved regulations promulgated by the District of Columbia and 
federally effective prior to May 14, 2018. EPA has made, and will 
continue to make, these materials generally available through 
www.regulations.gov and at the EPA Region III Office (please contact 
the person identified in the For Further Information Contact section of 
this preamble for more information).

V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. General Requirements

    Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Administrator is required to 
approve a SIP submission that complies with the provisions of the CAA 
and applicable Federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a). 
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve State 
choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the CAA. Accordingly, 
this 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 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);
     is not an Executive Order 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 2, 
2017) regulatory action because SIP approvals are exempted under 
Executive Order 12866.
     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 CAA; and
     does not provide 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, this rule does not have tribal implications as specified 
by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because the 
SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in the State, 
and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct costs on 
tribal governments or preempt tribal law.

B. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General

    The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally 
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating 
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, 
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the 
United States. EPA will submit a report containing this rule and other 
required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of 
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior 
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. This rule is not a 
``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

C. Petitions for Judicial Review

    EPA has also determined that the provisions of section 307(b)(1) of 
the CAA pertaining to petitions for judicial review are not applicable 
to this action. Prior EPA rulemaking actions for each individual 
component of the District of Columbia SIP compilations had previously 
afforded interested parties the opportunity to file a petition for 
judicial review in the United States Court of Appeals for the 
appropriate circuit within 60 days of such rulemaking action. Thus, EPA 
sees no need in this action to reopen the 60-day period for filing such 
petitions for judicial review for this ``Identification of

[[Page 50012]]

plan'' update action for the District of Columbia.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Carbon monoxide, 
Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Lead, Nitrogen 
dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile organic compounds.

    Dated: August 27, 2018.
Cecil Rodrigues,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region III.

    40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:

PART 52--APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

0
1. The authority for citation for part 52 continues to read as follows:

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

Subpart J--District of Columbia

0
2. Section 52.470 is amended by revising paragraph (b) to read as 
follows:


Sec.  52.470  Identification of plan.

* * * * *
    (b) Incorporation by reference. (1) Material listed in paragraphs 
(c) and (d) of this section with an EPA approval date prior to May 14, 
2018, was approved for incorporation by reference by the Director of 
the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 
51. Material is incorporated as it exists on the date of approval, and 
notice of any change in the material will be published in the Federal 
Register. Entries in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section with the 
EPA approval dates after May 14, 2018 for the District of Columbia, 
will be incorporated by reference in the next update to the SIP 
compilation.
    (2) EPA Region III certifies that the materials provided by EPA at 
the addresses in paragraph (b)(3) of this section are an exact 
duplicate of the officially promulgated State rules/regulations which 
have been approved as part of the State implementation plan as of the 
dates referenced in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. No additional 
revisions were made to paragraph (d) of this section between July 1, 
2016 and May 14, 2018.
    (3) Copies of the materials incorporated by reference into the 
State implementation plan may be inspected at the Environmental 
Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania 19103. To obtain the material, please call the Regional 
Office at (215) 814-3376. You may also inspect the material with an EPA 
approval date prior to July 1, 2016 for the District of Columbia at the 
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on 
the availability of this material at NARA, go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2018-21471 Filed 10-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


