Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; State of Missouri; Cross-State Air Pollution Rule

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Proposed rule.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve portions of a November 20, 2015, State Implementation Plan (SIP) submittal from Missouri concerning allocations of Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) emission allowances. Under CSAPR, large electricity generating units in Missouri are subject to Federal Implementation Plans (FIPs) requiring the units to participate in CSAPR's Federal trading program for annual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_X) and one of CSAPR's two Federal trading programs for annual emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂). This action would approve Missouri's adoption into its SIP of state regulations establishing state-determined allocations to replace EPA's default allocations to Missouri units of CSAPR allowances for annual NO_X emissions and annual SO₂ emissions for 2017 and later years. EPA is proposing to approve the SIP revision because it meets the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's regulations for approval of an abbreviated SIP revision replacing EPA's default allocations of CSAPR emission allowances with state-determined allocations. Approval of this SIP revision would not alter any provision of CSAPR's Federal trading programs for annual NO_X emissions and annual SO₂ emissions as applied to Missouri units other than the allowance allocation provisions, and the FIPs requiring the units to participate in those trading programs (as modified by the SIP revision) would remain in place. EPA is not proposing to act at this time on the portion of Missouri's SIP submittal concerning allocations of CSAPR allowances for ozone-season NO_X emissions.

DATES:

Comments must be received by July 28, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R07-OAR-2016-0302, to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. 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 (i.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 http://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Larry Gonzalez, Air Planning and Development Branch, Air and Waste Management Division, EPA Region 7, 11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa KS 66219; telephone number: (913) 551-7041; email address: gonzalez.larry@epa.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This document proposes to take action on a revision to the SIP for Missouri concerning allocations of allowances used in the CSAPR Federal trading program for annual emissions of NO_X and annual emission of SO₂. We have published a direct final rule approving the State's SIP revision (s) in the Rules and Regulations section of this Federal Register, because we view this as a noncontroversial action and anticipate no relevant adverse comment. We have explained our reasons for this action in the preamble to the direct final rule. If we receive no adverse comment, we will not take further action on this proposed rule. If we receive adverse comment, we will withdraw the direct final rule and it will not take effect. We would address all public comments in any subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. We do not intend to institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting must do so at this time. For further information, please see the information provided in the ADDRESSES section of this document.

Large electricity generating units in Missouri are subject to CSAPR FIPs that require the units to participate in the Federal CSAPR NO_X Annual Trading Program and the Federal CSAPR SO₂ Group 1 Trading Program. Each of CSAPR's Federal trading programs includes default provisions governing the allocation among participating units of emission allowances used for compliance under that program. CSAPR also provides a process for the submission and approval of SIP revisions to replace EPA's default allocations with state-determined allocations.

The SIP revision approved in the direct final rule incorporates into Missouri's SIP state regulations establishing state-determined allowance allocations to replace EPA's default allocations to Missouri units of CSAPR NO_X Annual allowances and CSAPR SO₂ Group 1 allowances issued for the control periods in 2017 and later years. EPA is approving the SIP revision because it meets the requirements of the CAA and EPA's regulations for approval of an abbreviated SIP revision replacing EPA's default allocations of CSAPR emission allowances with state-determined allocations. Approval of the SIP revision does not alter any provision of the CSAPR NO_X Annual Trading Program or the CSAPR SO₂ Group 1 Trading Program as applied to Missouri units other than the allowance allocation provisions, and the FIPs requiring the units to participate in those programs (as modified by the SIP revision) remain in place. Large electricity generating units in Missouri are also subject to an additional CSAPR FIP requiring them to participate in the Federal CSAPR NO_X Ozone Season Trading Program. While Missouri's SIP submittal also seeks to replace the default allocations of CSAPR NO_X Ozone Season allowances to Missouri units, EPA is not proposing to act on that portion of the SIP submittal at this time. Approval of this SIP revision concerning other CSAPR trading programs has no effect on the CSAPR NO_X Ozone Season Trading Program as applied to Missouri units, and the FIP requiring the units to participate in that program remains in place.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

• Environmental protection
• Air pollution control
• Carbon monoxide
• Incorporation by reference,