Air Plan Approval; GA; Updates to the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 52</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-R04-OAR-2024-0606; FRL-12862-01-R4]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Air Plan Approval; GA; Updates to the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Proposed rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted through the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD) on July 18, 2024, regarding updates to the State's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) emissions trading programs. The SIP revision incorporates by reference (IBRs) certain amendments EPA has made to the regulations for the Federal CSAPR trading programs for annual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO <E T="52">X</E> ) and sulfur dioxide (SO <E T="52">2</E> ) and the Federal CSAPR trading program for NO <E T="52">X</E> emissions during the ozone season from May 1 to September 30, all three of which apply to large electric generating units (EGUs). EPA created these Federal trading programs in 2011 as market-based mechanisms for Georgia and certain other states to address their obligations to downwind states under the Clean Air Act's (CAA's) good neighbor provision with respect to the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM <E T="52">2.5</E> ) and ground-level ozone. The SIP revision also updates the definition for “Volatile Organic Compound.” EPA is proposing to approve Georgia's July 18, 2024, SIP revision because it is consistent with EPA's good neighbor CSAPR trading programs and the CAA. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Comments must be received on or before September 15, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R04-OAR-2024-0606 at <E T="03">www.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> . 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. 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, 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> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Josue Ortiz Borrero, Air Regulatory Management Section, Air Planning and Implementation Branch, Air and Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. Mr. Ortiz can be reached via phone number (404) 562-8085 or via electronic mail at <E T="03">ortizborrero.josue@epa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Overview</HD> EPA is proposing to approve GA EPD's July 18, 2024, SIP submission which updates the State's regulations for trading programs at Rule 391-3-1-.02(12), “Cross State Air Pollution Rule NO <E T="52">X</E> Annual Trading Program;” Rule 391-3-1-.02(13), “Cross State Air Pollution Rule SO <E T="52">2</E> Annual Trading Program;” and Rule 391-3-1-.02(14), “Cross State Air Pollution Rule NO <E T="52">X</E> Ozone Season Trading Program.” Large EGUs in Georgia are subject to these three State CSAPR trading programs for annual NO <E T="52">X</E> and SO <E T="52">2</E> emissions—which are precursors to PM <E T="52">2.5</E> —and ozone season NO <E T="52">X</E> emissions—which are precursors to ground-level ozone—to address the State's good neighbor obligations with respect to the 1997 annual fine particulate matter (PM <E T="52">2.5</E> ) NAAQS, the 2006 24-hour PM <E T="52">2.5</E> NAAQS, and the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Pursuant to CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), known as the “good neighbor” provision, states are required to address air pollution from sources within their jurisdiction that affects downwind states' ability to attain and maintain the NAAQS. <E T="03">See</E> 42 U.S.C. 7410(a)(2)(D)(i)(I). The State CSAPR trading programs are integrated with the Federal CSAPR NO <E T="52">X</E> Annual Trading Program, the Federal CSAPR NO <E T="52">X</E> Ozone Season Group 1 Trading Program, and the Federal CSAPR SO <E T="52">2</E> Group 2 Trading Program established by EPA's regulations at 40 CFR part 97, subparts AAAAA, BBBBB, and DDDDD, respectively. As adopted by the State before this SIP revision, and as previously approved by EPA into Georgia's SIP, Georgia's CSAPR trading program regulations generally IBR the Federal CSAPR trading program regulations as the Federal regulations had been amended through October 26, 2016. <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>  On October 26, 2016, EPA published the CSAPR Update. <E T="03">See</E> Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS, 81 FR 74504. </FTNT> Georgia's July 18, 2024, SIP submission updates the IBR language to reflect amendments EPA made to the Federal CSAPR trading program regulations in the 2021 Revised CSAPR Update, <SU>2</SU> <FTREF/> the 2022 Recordation Rule, <SU>3</SU> <FTREF/> the 2023 Good Neighbor Plan  (GNP), and a subsequent interim final rule administratively staying the GNP for sources in several states in response to judicial orders partially staying another EPA action. <SU>5</SU> <FTREF/> Section II, below, briefly summarizes the framework of the CSAPR trading programs and how those programs are implemented in Georgia. Additionally, this SIP revision also updates Georgia's volatile organic compounds (VOC) definition at Rule 391-3-1-.01, “Definitions.” <FTNT> <SU>2</SU>  Revised Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update for the 2008 Ozone NAAQS, 86 FR 23054 (April 30, 2021). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>3</SU>  Deadlines for Submission and Recordation of Allowance Allocations Under the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) Trading Programs and the Texas SO <E T="52">2</E> Trading Program, 87 FR 52473 (August 26, 2022). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>4</SU>  Federal “Good Neighbor Plan” for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards, 88 FR 36654 (June 5, 2023). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>5</SU>  Federal “Good Neighbor Plan” for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards; Response to Judicial Stays of SIP Disapproval Action for Certain States, 88 FR 49295 (July 31, 2023). </FTNT> EPA is proposing to approve Georgia's July 18, 2024, SIP revision because it is consistent with EPA's good neighbor CSAPR trading programs and the CAA. <SU>6</SU> <FTREF/> Please refer to the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> citations referenced herein for additional detailed background on the CSAPR and subsequent rulemakings. <FTNT> <SU>6</SU>  EPA is not acting on proposed changes in Georgia's July 18, 2024, submittal regarding Rule 391-3-1-.02(8), <E T="03">New Source Performance Standards,</E> and 391-3-1-.02(9), <E T="03">Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants</E> because these rules are not included in EPD's federally approved SIP and are not submitted as SIP revisions. </FTNT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Background on CSAPR and CSAPR-Related Rulemakings</HD> EPA published the original CSAPR in August 2011 to address the good neighbor requirements of CAA section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), concerning interstate transport of air pollution. <FTREF/> <SU>7</SU> <E T="03">See</E> 42 U.S.C. 7410(a)(2)(D)(i)(I). Acting to address the same statutory provision, EPA published the CSAPR Update on October 26, 2016 (81 FR 74504) and the Revised CSAPR Update on April 30, 2021 (86 FR 23054). These three rules collectively require 27 states to limit their statewide emissions of SO <E T="52">2</E> and/or NO <E T="52">X</E> to mitigate transported air pollution unlawfully impacting other states' ability to attain or maintain one or more of the following four NAAQS: the 1997 annual PM <E T="52">2.5</E> NAAQS, the 2006 24-hour PM <E T="52">2.5</E> NAAQS, the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS, and the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS. To implement the required emissions reductions, the rules include Federal implementation plans (FIPs) that require EGUs in each covered state to participate in one or more of six Federal emissions trading programs established under regulations set forth at 40 CFR part 97, subparts AAAAA through EEEEE and GGGGG. <SU>8</SU> <FTREF/> <FTNT> <SU>7</SU>  Federal Implementation Plans: Interstate Transport of Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone and Correction of SIP Approvals, 76 FR 48208 (August 8, 2011). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>8</SU>  The trading programs established under CSAPR, the CSAPR Update, and the Revised CSAPR Update include a program for annual NO <E T="52">X</E> emissions; two geographically separate programs for annual SO <E T="52">2</E> emissions; and three geographically separate programs for ozone-season NO <E T="52">X</E> emissions. CSAPR replaced the earlier Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) and established Federal trading programs for power plants to reduce emissions of NO <E T="52">X</E> and SO <E T="52">2</E> , which are precursors to ozone and PM <E T="52">2.5</E> . </FTNT> Georgia has been subject to CSAPR since its inception, with EGUs ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 38k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━