Federal Implementation Plan for Nonattainment New Source Review Program; Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District, California

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 52</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-R09-OAR-2024-0228; EPA-R09-OAR-2022-0338; FRL-11830-02-R9]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Federal Implementation Plan for Nonattainment New Source Review Program; Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District, California</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) under the Clean Air Act (CAA) that consists of Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) rules for areas within the jurisdiction of the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD or “District”) in which air pollutant concentrations are above specific National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The NNSR rules will apply to construction of new major stationary sources and major modifications at existing major stationary sources of air pollution. The FIP will be implemented by the EPA, unless and until it is replaced by an EPA-approved state implementation plan (SIP). In this action, the EPA is also responding to a September 5, 2024 decision of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which remanded the EPA's disapproval of a MDAQMD rule provision related to the calculation and generation of emissions offsets. This response again disapproves MDAQMD Rule 1304(C)(2)(d) and provides additional information to support that decision. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective on February 28, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> The EPA has established a docket for the FIP rulemaking under Docket ID No. EPA-R09-OAR-2024-0228. The EPA established a different docket (EPA-R09-OAR-2022-0338), for its 2023 limited approval/limited disapproval of a MDAQMD state implementation plan submission, which contained provisions addressing the calculation and generation of emissions offsets for the nonattainment area permitting program. This notification will be placed in both dockets, which are each accessible via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/.</E> Although listed in the indices for these rules, some information is not publicly available, <E T="03">e.g.,</E> Confidential Business Information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> or in hard copy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center, William Jefferson Clinton West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Office of Air and Radiation Docket is (202) 566-1742. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Tanya Abrahamian, Air and Radiation Division, Rules Office (AIR-3-2), Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, telephone number: (213) 244-1849; email address: <E T="03">Abrahamian.Tanya@epa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> Throughout this document, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the EPA. <E T="03">The information presented in this preamble is organized as follows:</E> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Summary of the Proposed Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. EPA Response to the Ninth Circuit's Remand</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Public Comments on FIP and EPA Responses to Comments and Court Remand</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Final Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Supporting Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Preamble Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations</HD> The following are abbreviations of terms used in the preamble. <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">APA Administrative Procedure Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">Appendix S 40 CFR part 51, appendix S</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">BACT Best Available Control Technology</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CAA or Act Clean Air Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CARB California Air Resources Board</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EPA we, us, or our The United States Environmental Protection Agency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ERC Emission Reduction Credit</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FIP Federal Implementation Plan</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LAER Lowest Achievable Emission Rate</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">LA/LD Limited Approval-Limited Disapproval</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MDAQMD The Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> NO <E T="52">X</E>  Nitrogen Oxides </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NSR New Source Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NNSR Nonattainment New Source Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PSD Prevention of Significant Deterioration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PAL Plantwide Applicability Limit</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> PM <E T="52">10</E>  Particulate Matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PTE Potential To Emit</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RACT Reasonably Available Control Technology</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RFP Reasonable Further Progress</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SER Simultaneous Emission Reduction</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SIP State Implementation Plan</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TSD Technical Support Document</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">VOC Volatile Organic Compound</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> 2023 LA/LD The EPA's rulemaking action at 88 FR 42258, which was published on June 30, 2023, in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> . </FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Final Action To Establish Federal Implementation Plan</HD> On July 9, 2024 (89 FR 56237), the EPA proposed to establish a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP), pursuant to (Clean Air Act) section 110(c), for a nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) program within the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD). <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> This FIP relates to a finding of failure to submit issued by the EPA on February 3, 2017, and EPA's action to disapprove a part of the MDAQMD's Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) permitting program regulations on June 30, 2023 (88 FR 42258) (“2023 LA/LD”). The latter action was a limited approval/limited disapproval action in which EPA disapproved MDAQMD's Rule 1304(C)(2)(d) because this rule failed to meet requirements for determining the quantity of offsets needed to issue a permit for a major modification. <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>  The EPA's finding of failure to submit triggered an obligation under CAA section 110(c) for the EPA to promulgate a FIP within two years ( <E T="03">i.e.,</E> by March 6, 2019). 82 FR 9158, 9161 (February 3, 2017). </FTNT> This FIP implements NNSR program requirements and will apply to the construction of new major sources and major modifications at existing major sources that are located within areas that are designated as nonattainment with specific National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This FIP will apply to pollutants for which the area is designated nonattainment. Therefore, this action applies only in the areas within the MDAQMD's jurisdiction that are designated nonattainment, specifically, the San Bernardino County portion of the West Mojave Desert ozone nonattainment area and the San Bernardino County and Trona Planning Area Particulate Matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM <E T="52">10</E> ) nonattainment areas. <SU>2</SU> <FTREF/> The EPA will implement the FIP in these areas until such time as the EPA approves a SIP submission from the MDAQMD that fully resolves the deficiencies identified in the EPA's June 30, 2023 limited approval/limited disapproval (“2023 LA/LD”) action on the MDAQMD's NNSR program and identifies no new deficiencies. <SU>3</SU> <FTREF/> This FIP satisfies the statutory requirements for SIPs and NNSR programs in CAA sections 110(c)(1), 172(c)(5), 173, 182(c) and (d), 189(a)(1)(A) and (e), 301(a), and 302. The provisions of the FIP are also designed to meet the requirements for state plans in the EPA regulations at 40 CFR 51.165, 40 CFR 51.1114, and 40 CFR 51.1314. <FTNT> <SU>2</SU>  See 40 CFR 81.305. The ozone nonattainment area is located within San Bernardino County. The PM <E T="52">10</E> nonattainment areas consist of all of the MDAQMD portion of San Bernardino County: the Trona Planning Area and the portion of San Bernardino County that excludes both the Trona Planning Area and the portion of San Bernardino County that is located in the South Coast Air Basin. A map of this area is available in the docket for this action. </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>3</SU>  89 FR 56237, 56241. </FTNT> The FIP that is finalized in this action addresses the deficiencies the EPA identified in the MDAQMD's NNSR program by incorporating requirements from 40 CFR part 51, appendix S (“Appendix S”), as well as additional requirements to make the program administrable. Upon the effective date of this action, permit applicants will need to obtain two permits—one permit from the EPA under this FIP and one permit from the MDAQMD under the rules in the SIP. Where permit approval criteria between the MDAQMD's SIP and this FIP conflict—for example, the procedures to determine the quantity of offsets at a major modification, a deficiency in the MDAQMD's NNSR program—permit applicants need to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this FIP, since this FIP fills the gaps in the ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 202k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━