Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; California; South Coast Air Quality Management District

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 70</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-R09-OAR-2022-0916; FRL-10530-02-R9]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; California; South Coast Air Quality Management District</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Direct final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> With this direct final rule, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promulgating approval of revisions to the Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program (title V) of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD or “District”) in California. The EPA is taking this final action in accordance with Federal regulations and the Clean Air Act (CAA or “Act”). </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Effective September 17, 2024 without further action, unless adverse comment is received by August 19, 2024. If adverse comment is received, EPA will publish a timely withdrawal of the rule in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> . </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R09-OAR-2022-0916 at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov.</E> For comments submitted at <E T="03">Regulations.gov</E> , follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from <E T="03">Regulations.gov</E> . The EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) 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 ( <E T="03">i.e.,</E> on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, please contact the person identified in the <E T="02">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT</E> section. For the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit <E T="03">https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.</E> If you need assistance in a language other than English or if you are a person with disabilities who needs a reasonable accommodation at no cost to you, please contact the person identified in the <E T="02">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT</E> section. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Catherine Valladolid, Air Permits Section (Air-3-1), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, (415) 947-4103, <E T="03">valladolid.catherine@epa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> Throughout this document, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the EPA. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Why is the EPA using a direct final rule?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. What are the requirements for approval of revisions to title V programs?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. What is the State's proposed title V program revision?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. EPA Evaluation of Title V Program Revision</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Final Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Why is the EPA using a direct final rule?</HD> The EPA is publishing this direct final rule approving the SCAQMD's proposed title V program revisions without prior proposal because we consider it to be a noncontroversial action and anticipate no adverse comments. However, elsewhere in this issue of the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> publication, the EPA is simultaneously publishing a proposal that will also serve as a public notice of the SCAQMD's proposed title V program revisions pursuant to 40 CFR 70.4(i). <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Background</HD> The CAA Amendments of 1990 include title V, which requires States to develop an operating permits program that meets the Federal criteria codified in 40 CFR part 70. The title V program requires certain sources of air pollution to obtain Federal operating permits from their respective States. These Federal operating permits improve enforcement and compliance by consolidating all applicable Federal requirements into one federally enforceable document. Before a State can issue title V permits, the EPA must approve its program under appendix A of part 70. States may submit revisions to their approved programs for EPA approval. Title V of the CAA applies to “major stationary sources” as defined in title I, part D of the Act. 40 CFR 70.2 bases the definition of “major stationary source” on the nonattainment classification of the area where the source is located. Table 1 of this document shows the attainment/nonattainment/unclassifiable status for the applicable NAAQS within the District's jurisdictional boundary. As shown in table 1, the SCAQMD's jurisdiction is classified as nonattainment for fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to 10 micrometers (PM <E T="52">10</E> ), fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers (PM <E T="52">2.5</E> ), lead (Pb), and ozone. <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> The SCAQMD's jurisdiction is comprosed of several air basins that have different nonattainment classifications. The District is designated attainment/unclassifiable for nitrogen dioxide (NO <E T="52">2</E> ), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO <E T="52">2</E> ). 40 CFR 81.305. <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>  The EPA reclassified State lands within the Coachella Valley area from Severe-15 to an Extreme ozone nonattainment area, effective July 10, 2019. This reclassification to Extreme means that a major stationary source is now defined as a source emitting 10 tons or more per year of either oxides of nitrogen or volatile organic compounds. 84 FR 32841 (July 10, 2019). </FTNT> <GPOTABLE COLS="4" OPTS="L2,i1" CDEF="s50,xs64,xs64,r50"> <TTITLE>Table 1—Air Quality Attainment Status</TTITLE> <CHED H="1">NAAQS pollutant/standard</CHED> <CHED H="1"> Designation  <SU>a</SU> </CHED> <CHED H="1">Classification</CHED> <CHED H="1">Basin/air quality management area</CHED> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> Annual NO <E T="0732">2</E> (1971 Standard) <ENT>Los-Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 1-Hour NO <E T="0732">2</E> (2010 Standard) <ENT>Los Angeles County (part).</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 1-Hour NO <E T="0732">2</E> (2010 Standard) <ENT>Orange County.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 1-Hour NO <E T="0732">2</E> (2010 Standard) <ENT>Riverside County (part).</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 1-Hour NO <E T="0732">2</E> (2010 Standard) <ENT>San Bernadino County (part).</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">CO (1971 Standard)</ENT> <ENT>A/U</ENT> <ENT/> <ENT>Los-Angeles-South Coast Air Basin Area.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Pb (2008 Standard)</ENT> <ENT>NA</ENT> <ENT/> <ENT>Los Angeles County-South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 1-Hour SO <E T="0732">2</E> (2010 Standard) <ENT>South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 24-Hour PM <E T="0732">10</E> (1987 Standard) <ENT>Coachella Valley Planning Area.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 24-Hour PM <E T="0732">10</E> (1987 Standard) <ENT>South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> Annual PM <E T="0732">2.5</E> (1997 Standard) </ENT> <ENT>NA</ENT> <ENT>Moderate</ENT> <ENT>Los-Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 24-Hour PM <E T="0732">2.5</E> (1997 Standard) </ENT> <ENT>NA</ENT> <ENT>Moderate</ENT> <ENT>Los-Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 24-Hour PM <E T="0732">2.5</E> (2006 Standard) </ENT> <ENT>NA</ENT> <ENT>Serious</ENT> <ENT>Los-Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> Annual PM <E T="0732">2.5</E> (2012 Standard) </ENT> <ENT>NA</ENT> <ENT>Serious</ENT> <ENT>Los-Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 1-Hour Ozone (1979 Standard)  <ENT>Los-Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 1-Hour Ozone (1979 Standard)  <ENT>Southeast Desert Modified Air Quality Management Area.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 8-Hour Ozone (1997 Standard)  <ENT>Riverside County (Coachella Valley).</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> 8-Hour Ozone (1997 Standard)  <ENT>Los-Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">8-Hour Ozone (2008 Standard)</ENT> <ENT>NA</ENT> <ENT>Extreme</ENT> <ENT>Los-Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">8-Hour Ozone (2008 Standard)</ENT> <ENT>NA</ENT> <ENT>Severe-15</ENT> <ENT>Riverside County (Coachella Valley).</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">8-Hour Ozone (2015 Standard)</ENT> <ENT>NA</ENT> <ENT>Extreme</ENT> <ENT>Los-Angeles-South Coast Air Basin.</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">8-Hour Ozone (2015 Standard)</ENT> <ENT>NA</ENT> <ENT>Severe-15</ENT> <ENT>Riverside County (Coachella Valley).</ENT> </ROW> <TNOTE> <SU>a</SU>  NA = Nonattainment; A/U = Attainment or Unclassified. </TNOTE> <TNOTE> <SU>b</SU>  On August 3, 2005, the EPA revoked the 1979 1-hour ozone NAAQS; however, the EPA is retaining the listing of the designated areas for the revoked 1979 ozone NAAQS in 40 CFR part 81, for the sole purpose of identifying the anti-backsliding requirements that may apply to the areas at the time of revocation. 70 FR 44470 (August 3, 2005). </TNOTE> <TNOTE> <SU>c</SU>  On March 6, 2015, the EPA revoked the 1997 8-hour ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 23k characters. 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