Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania; VOC RACT Determinations for Three Individual Sources in the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley Area

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Direct final rule.

SUMMARY:

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions were submitted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to establish and require reasonably available control technology (RACT) for three major sources of volatile organic compounds (VOC). These sources are located in the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area (the Pittsburgh area). EPA is approving these revisions to establish RACT requirements in the SIP in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA).

DATES:

This rule is effective on September 24, 2001 without further notice, unless EPA receives adverse written comment by September 10, 2001. If EPA receives such comments, it will publish a timely withdrawal of the direct final rule in the Federal Register and inform the public that the rule will not take effect.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments should be mailed to David L. Arnold, Chief, Air Quality Planning & Information Services Branch, Air Protection Division, Mailcode 3AP21, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. Copies of the documents relevant to this action are available for public inspection during normal business hours at the Air Protection Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103; the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW. , Washington, DC 20460; Allegheny County Health Department, Bureau of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality, 301 39th Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15201 and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Air Quality Control, P.O. Box 8468, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rose Quinto at (215) 814-2182, the EPA Region III address above or by e-mail at quinto.rose@epa.gov. Please note that while questions may be posed via telephone and e-mail, formal comments must be submitted, in writing, as indicated in the ADDRESSES section of this document.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Pursuant to sections 182(b)(2) and 182(f) of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (the Commonwealth or Pennsylvania) is required to establish and implement RACT for all major VOC and NO_X sources. The major source size is determined by its location, the classification of that area and whether it is located in the ozone transport region (OTR). Under section 184 of the CAA, RACT as specified in sections 182(b)(2) and 182(f)) applies throughout the OTR. The entire Commonwealth is located within the OTR. Therefore, RACT is applicable statewide in Pennsylvania.

State implementation plan revisions imposing reasonably available control technology (RACT) for three classes of VOC sources are required under section 182(b)(2). The categories are:

(1) All sources covered by a Control Technique Guideline (CTG) document issued between November 15, 1990 and the date of attainment;

(2) All sources covered by a CTG issued prior to November 15, 1990; and

(3) All major non-CTG sources. The regulations imposing RACT for these non-CTG major sources were to be submitted to EPA as SIP revisions by November 15, 1992 and compliance required by May of 1995.

The Pennsylvania SIP already includes approved RACT regulations for all sources and source categories covered by the CTGs. On February 4, 1994, PADEP submitted a revision to its SIP to require major sources of NO_X and additional major sources of VOC emissions (not covered by a CTG) to implement RACT. The February 4, 1994 submittal was amended on May 3, 1994 to correct and clarify certain presumptive NO_X RACT requirements. In the Pittsburgh area, a major source of VOC is defined as one having the potential to emit 50 tons per year (tpy) or more, and a major source of NO_X is defined as one having the potential to emit 100 tpy or more. Pennsylvania's RACT regulations require sources, in the Pittsburgh area, that have the potential to emit 50 tpy or more of VOC and sources which have the potential to emit 100 tpy or more of NO_X comply with RACT by May 31, 1995. The regulations contain technology-based or operational “presumptive RACT emission limitations” for certain major NO_X sources. For other major NO_X sources, and all major non-CTG VOC sources (not otherwise already subject to RACT under the Pennsylvania SIP), the regulations contain a “generic” RACT provision. A generic RACT regulation is one that does not, itself, specifically define RACT for a source or source categories but instead allows for case-by-case RACT determinations. The generic provisions of Pennsylvania's regulations allow for PADEP to make case-by-case RACT determinations that are then to be submitted to EPA as revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP.

On March 23, 1998 EPA granted conditional limited approval to the Commonwealth's generic VOC and NO_X RACT regulations (63 FR 13789). In that action, EPA stated that the conditions of its approval would be satisfied once the Commonwealth either (1) certifies that it has submitted case-by-case RACT proposals for all sources subject to the RACT requirements currently known to PADEP; or (2) demonstrate that the emissions from any remaining subject sources represent a de minimis level of emissions as defined in the March 23, 1998 rulemaking. On April 22, 1999, PADEP made the required submittal to EPA certifying that it had met the terms and conditions imposed by EPA in its March 23, 1998 conditional limited approval of its VOC and NO_X RACT regulations by submitting 485 case-by-case VOC/ NO_X RACT determinations as SIP revisions and making the demonstration described as condition 2, above. EPA determined that Pennsylvania's April 22, 1999 submittal satisfied the conditions imposed in its conditional limited approval published on March 23, 1998. On May 3, 2001 (66 FR 22123), EPA published a rulemaking action removing the conditional status of its approval of the Commonwealth's generic VOC and NO_X RACT regulations on a statewide basis. The regulation currently retains its limited approval status. Once EPA has approved the case-by-case RACT determinations submitted by PADEP to satisfy the conditional approval for subject sources located in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties; the limited approval of Pennsylvania's generic VOC and NO_X RACT regulations shall convert to a full approval for the Pittsburgh area.

It must be noted that the Commonwealth has adopted and is implementing additional “post RACT requirements” to reduce seasonal NO_X emissions in the form of a NO_X cap and trade regulation, 25 Pa Code Chapters 121 and 123, based upon a model rule developed by the States in the OTR. That rule's compliance date is May 1999. That regulation was approved as SIP revision on June 6, 2000 (65 FR 35842). Pennsylvania has also adopted regulations to satisfy Phase I of the NO_X SIP call and submitted those regulations to EPA for SIP approval. Pennsylvania's SIP revision to address the requirements of the NO_X SIP Call Phase I consists of the adoption of Chapter 145—Interstate Pollution Transport Reduction and amendments to Chapter 123—Standards for Contaminants. On May 29, 2001 (66 FR 29064), EPA proposed approval of the Commonwealth's NO_X SIP call rule SIP submittal. EPA expects to publish the final rulemaking in the Federal Register in the near future. Federal approval of a case-by-case RACT determination for a major source of NO_X in no way relieves that source from any applicable requirements found in 25 PA Code Chapters 121, 123 and 145.

On July 1, 1997, PADEP submitted revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP which establish and impose RACT for several major sources of VOC and/or NO_X. This rulemaking pertains to three of those sources. The remaining sources are or have been the subject of separate rulemakings. The submittals consist of a plan approval and agreement upon consent order (Consent Order or CO) for each source issued by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The COs were submitted as SIP revisions by PADEP on behalf of ACHD. These three sources are located in the Pittsburgh area.

II. Summary of the SIP Revisions

A. IDL, Incorporated— IDL, Incorporated (IDL) is a custom screen printing facility located in Plum Borough, Allegheny County. IDL is a major VOC emitting facility. In this instance, RACT has been established and imposed by ACHD in CO 225. On July 1, 1997, PADEP submitted CO 225 to EPA on behalf of the ACHD as a SIP revision. The IDL facility has six screen printing presses that use a variety of inks and coatings, including “special purpose inks and coatings” and six drying ovens that are integral to each press. The CO requires that the VOC content of the inks used not exceed 3.3 pounds of VOC per gallon less water, with the exception of special purpose inks which shall not exceed 6.7 pounds of VOC per gallon less water. “Special purpose screen printing inks and coatings” means inks and coatings used in screen printing which are used to print ink transfers, or are designed to resist or withstand any of the following:

(1) More than two years of outdoor exposure;

(2) Exposure to chemicals, solvents, acids, detergents, oil products or cosmetics;

(3) Exposure to temperatures, in excess of 170 degrees fahrenheit;

(4) Vacuum forming;

(5) Embossing; or

(6) Molding.

Under CO 225, IDL must maintain records to demonstrate compliance with this CO and Article XXI, section 2105.06 of Allegheny County's air pollution regulations. Recordkeeping shall include the following: the quantity, composition, and density of all inks, coatings and solvents, including solvents used for clean-up, used in each screen press. All records shall be maintained for at least two years.

B. Oakmont Pharmaceutical, Inc.—Oakmont Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OPI) is a pharmaceutical tablet and solution finishing facility located in Verona, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. OPI is a major VOC emitting facility. In this instance, RACT has been established and imposed by ACHD in CO 252. On July 1, 1997, PADEP submitted this CO to EPA on behalf of the ACHD as a SIP revision. OPI produces finished pharmaceutical tablets and solutions from uncoated tablets and individual solution components. The VOC emission units consist of five tablet coating machines and one mixing and bottling line. The CO requires that all process equipment be operated and maintained in accordance with good engineering and air pollution control practices. The VOC content of the carrier solution used in tablet coating machines 1-5 must not exceed 35 percent VOC by weight at any time. At no time may OPI use inks or glues with a VOC content that exceeds 8.0 pounds of VOC per gallon ,less water and exempt solvents. Under CO 252, OPI must maintain records to demonstrate compliance with this CO and Article XXI, section 2105.06. Recordkeeping shall include the following:

(1) Hours of operation, carrier solution composition and usage for tablet coaters;

(2) Type, quantity and composition of all inks and glues used in the facility; and

(3) Type of material stored and annual throughput for the isopropyl and denatured alcohol, witch hazel and mineral oil tanks. All records shall be maintained for at least two years.

C. U.S. Air, Inc.—U.S. Air, Inc. (USAir) is a commercial aircraft operations and maintenance facility located at the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. USAir is a major VOC emitting facility. In this instance, RACT has been established and imposed by ACHD in CO 225. On July 1, 1997, PADEP submitted this CO to EPA on behalf of the ACHD as a SIP revision. USAir performs heavy maintenance on approximately 41 aircraft/year at the PIT Maintenance Base complex. Under CO 255, USAir must operate and maintain all processes and emission control equipments according to good engineering and air pollution control practices. At no time may USAir allow any coatings at the facility to exceed their respective VOC grams/liter limitations set forth in EPA's guideline document entitled, Control of VOC Emissions from Coatings of Aerospace Manufacturing and Rework Operations, dated July 1996 with the following exceptions:

(1) Touchup, aerosol and U.S. Department of Defense classified coatings;

(2) Coatings used on space vehicles; and

(3) If the facility uses separate formulations in volumes of less than 50 gallons per year, subject to a maximum exemption of 200 gallons total for such formulations, applied annually.

These exceptions are consistent with the EPA's guideline document cited above. CO 255 requires all fresh and used cleaning solvents, except semiaqueous cleaning solvents, used in the facility, be stored in nonabsorbent, nonleaking containers that are kept closed at all times except when filling and transferring. CO 255 also requires minimizing spills during the filling and transferring of the solvents, to and from enclosed systems, vats, waste containers, and other cleaning operations that hold or store fresh or used cleaning solvents. All spills of liquid or dry VOC containing material shall be cleaned up as soon as practicable. Under CO 255, USAir must maintain sufficient data and calculations to demonstrate compliance with this CO and Article XXI, section 2105.06. All records shall be maintained for at least two years.

III. EPA's Evaluation

EPA is approving these RACT SIP submittals because ACHD has established and imposed these RACT requirements in accordance with the criteria set forth in the SIP-approved RACT regulations applicable to these sources. The ACHD has also imposed record-keeping, monitoring, and testing requirements on these sources sufficient to determine compliance with the applicable RACT determinations.

IV. Final Action

EPA is approving the revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP submitted by PADEP to establish and require VOC RACT for three major sources located in the Pittsburgh area. EPA is publishing this rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial amendment and anticipates no adverse comment. However, in the “Proposed Rules” section of today's Federal Register, EPA is publishing a separate document that will serve as the proposal to approve the SIP revision if adverse comments are filed. This rule will be effective on September 24, 2001 without further notice unless EPA receives adverse comment by September 10, 2001. If EPA receives adverse comment, EPA will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register informing the public that the rule will not take effect. EPA will address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on the proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting must do so at this time. Please note that if adverse comment is received for a specific source or subset of sources covered by an amendment, section or paragraph of this rule, only that amendment, section, or paragraph for that source or subset of sources will be withdrawn.

IV. Administrative Requirements

A. General Requirements

Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this action is not a “significant regulatory action” and therefore is not subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget. For this reason, this action is also not subject to Executive Order 13211, “Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use.” See 66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001. This action merely approves state law as meeting Federal requirements and imposes no additional requirements beyond those imposed by state law. Accordingly, the Administrator certifies that this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). Because this rule approves pre-existing requirements under state law and does not impose any additional enforceable duty beyond that required by state law, it does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-4). This rule also does not have a substantial direct effect on one or more Indian tribes, on the relationship between the Federal Government and Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian tribes, as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), nor will it have substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government, as specified in Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999), because it merely approves a state rule implementing a Federal standard, and does not alter the relationship or the distribution of power and responsibilities established in the Clean Air Act. This rule also is not subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), because it is not economically significant. In reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act. In this context, in the absence of a prior existing requirement for the State to use voluntary consensus standards (VCS), EPA has no authority to disapprove a SIP submission for failure to use VCS. It would thus be inconsistent with applicable law for EPA, when it reviews a SIP submission, to use VCS in place of a SIP submission that otherwise satisfies the provisions of the Clean Air Act. Thus, the requirements of section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) do not apply. As required by section 3 of Executive Order 12988 (61 FR 4729, February 7, 1996), in issuing this rule, EPA has taken the necessary steps to eliminate drafting errors and ambiguity, minimize potential litigation, and provide a clear legal standard for affected conduct. EPA has complied with Executive Order 12630 (53 FR 8859, March 15, 1988) by examining the takings implications of the rule in accordance with the “Attorney General's Supplemental Guidelines for the Evaluation of Risk and Avoidance of Unanticipated Takings” issued under the executive order. This rule does not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

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. Section 804 exempts from section 801 the following types of rules: (1) Rules of particular applicability; (2) rules relating to agency management or personnel; and (3) rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice that do not substantially affect the rights or obligations of non-agency parties. 5 U.S.C. 804(3). EPA is not required to submit a rule report regarding today's action under section 801 because this is a rule of particular applicability establishing source-specific requirements for three named sources.

C. Petitions for Judicial Review

Under section 307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, petitions for judicial review of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit by September 24, 2001. Filing a petition for reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect the finality of this rule for the purposes of judicial review nor does it extend the time within which a petition for judicial review may be filed, and shall not postpone the effectiveness of such rule or action. This action approving source-specific RACT requirements to control VOC from IDL, OPI and USAir located in the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley area of Pennsylvania may not be challenged later in proceedings to enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).)

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

• Environmental protection
• Air pollution control
• Hydrocarbons
• Incorporation by reference
• Nitrogen Oxides
• Ozone
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

40 CFR part 52 is amended as follows:

PART 52—[AMENDED]

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

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

Subpart NN—Pennsylvania

2. Section 52.2020 is amended by adding paragraph (c)(162) to read as follows: