Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Missouri; Designation of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; Arcadia and Liberty Townships

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Proposed rule.

SUMMARY:

EPA proposes to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the state of Missouri and Missouri's request to redesignate the lead nonattainment area in Iron County, Missouri, bounded by Arcadia and Liberty townships to attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). EPA proposes to approve the maintenance plan for this area including a settlement agreement which was submitted with the redesignation request.

DATES:

Comments on this proposed action must be received in writing by July 30, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be mailed to James Hirtz, Environmental Protection Agency, Air Planning and Development Branch, 901 North 5th Street, Kansas City, Kansas 66101. Comments may also be submitted electronically or through hand delivery/courier; please follow the detailed instructions in the ADDRESSES section of the direct final rule which is located in the rules section of this Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James Hirtz at (913) 551-7472 or by e-mail at hirtz.james@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In the final rules section of the Federal Register, EPA is approving the state's SIP revision and redesignation request as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial revision amendment and anticipates no relevant adverse comments to this action. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no relevant adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated in relation to this action. If EPA receives relevant adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed action. EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time. Please note that if EPA receives adverse comment on part of this rule and if that part can be severed from the remainder of the rule, EPA may adopt as final those parts of the rule that are not the subject of an adverse comment. For additional information, see the direct final rule which is located in the rules section of this Federal Register.