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Rule2024-16570

Designations of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes; Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware; Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE 2015 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area; Reclassification to Serious

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Published

July 30, 2024

Effective

July 30, 2024

Issuing agencies

Environmental Protection Agency

Abstract

Under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the "Act"), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is granting a request from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the States of New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware to reclassify the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE ozone nonattainment area from "Moderate" to "Serious" for the 2015 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (2015 ozone NAAQS).

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 61025-61029]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16570]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 81

[EPA-R03-OAR-2024-0351; FRL-12132-01-R3]

Designations of Areas for Air Quality Planning Purposes;
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware; Philadelphia-Wilmington-
Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE 2015 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area;
Reclassification to Serious

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: Under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the ``Act''), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is granting a request from the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the States of New Jersey, Maryland,
and Delaware to reclassify the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City,
PA-NJ-MD-DE ozone nonattainment area from ``Moderate'' to ``Serious''
for the 2015 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (2015
ozone NAAQS).

DATES: This final rule is effective on July 30, 2024.

ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID
Number EPA-R03-OAR-2024-0351. All documents in the docket are listed on
the <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> website. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., confidential business
information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is
not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard
copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available through
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, or please contact the person identified in the For
Further Information Contact section for additional availability
information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions relating to New Jersey,
contact Fausto Taveras, Environmental Protection Agency, Region II, 290
Broadway, New York, New York 10007-1866, at (212) 637-3378, or by email
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#396d584f5c4b584a177f584c4a4d56795c4958175e564f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="03576275667162702d45627670776c436673622d646c75">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>, and for questions relating to Pennsylvania,
Maryland, and/or Delaware, contact Ian Neiswinter, Planning and
Implementation Branch (3AD30), Air & Radiation Division, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1600 John F Kennedy
Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, at (215) 814-2011, or by
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f9b79c908a8e90978d9c8bd7b09897b99c8998d79e968f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fdb398948e8a949389988fd3b49c93bd988d9cd39a928b">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.

Table of Contents

I. Reclassification of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City,
PA-NJ-MD-DE area to Serious Ozone Nonattainment
II. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. Reclassification of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-
NJ-MD-DE Area to Serious Ozone Nonattainment

Effective August 3, 2018 (83 FR 25776), the EPA classified the
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE area (the
Philadelphia Area \1\) under the CAA as ``Marginal'' for the 2015 8-
hour ozone NAAQS. Classification of this area as a Marginal ozone
nonattainment area established a requirement that the area attain the
2015 ozone NAAQS as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than
three years from designation, i.e., August 3, 2021. Effective November
7, 2022 (87 FR 60897), the EPA determined that the Philadelphia Area
failed to attain by the applicable Marginal attainment date. In that
action, the EPA reclassified the Philadelphia Area as Moderate
nonattainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS and established the Moderate
attainment date as August 3, 2024. On July 17, 2024, the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania requested that the EPA reclassify the Philadelphia Area
from Moderate to Serious. On July 18, 2024, the States of Delaware,
Maryland, and New Jersey requested that the EPA reclassify the
Philadelphia Area from

[[Page 61026]]

Moderate to Serious. The request letters from the States are also
provided in the docket of this rulemaking.
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\1\ The Philadelphia Area consists of the following counties/
cities: Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery
County, and Philadelphia County in Pennsylvania; Atlantic County,
Burlington County, Camden County, Cape May County, Cumberland
County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Ocean County, and Salem
County in New Jersey; Cecil County in Maryland; and New Castle
County in Delaware. See 40 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 81.339,
40 CFR 81.331, 40 CFR 81.321, and 40 CFR 81.308.
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We are approving these States' reclassification request under
section 181(b)(3) of the Act, which provides for ``voluntary
reclassification.'' Because the plain language of section 181(b)(3)
mandates that we approve such a request, the EPA is granting the
States' request for voluntary reclassification under section 181(b)(3)
for the Philadelphia Area for the 2015 ozone NAAQS, and the EPA is
reclassifying the area from Moderate to Serious. Because of this
action, the Philadelphia Area must now attain the 2015 ozone NAAQS as
expeditiously as practicable, but no later than nine years from the
date of the initial designation as nonattainment, i.e., August 3, 2027.
Applicable SIP requirements and deadlines associated with the
reclassification will be addressed in a separate notice.
The EPA has determined that this action falls under the ``good
cause'' exemption in section 553(b)(B) of the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) which, upon finding ``good cause,'' authorizes agencies to
dispense with public participation where public notice and comment
procedures are ``impracticable, unnecessary or contrary to the public
interest.'' The EPA has determined that public notice and comment for
this action is unnecessary because our action to approve voluntary
reclassification requests under CAA section 181(b)(3) is
nondiscretionary both in its issuance and in its content. As such,
notice and comment rulemaking procedures would serve no useful purpose.
The EPA also finds that there is good cause under APA section
553(d)(3) for this reclassification to become effective on the date of
publication. Section 553(d)(3) of the APA allows an effective date of
less than 30 days after publication ``as otherwise provided by the
agency for good cause found and published with the rule.'' See 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3). The purpose of the 30-day waiting period prescribed in APA
section 553(d)(3) is to give affected parties a reasonable time to
adjust their behavior and prepare before the final rule takes effect.
This rule, however, does not create any new regulatory requirements
such that affected parties would need time to prepare before the rule
takes effect. The schedule for required plan submittals for the
Philadelphia Area under the new classification will be proposed in a
separate action. For this reason, the EPA finds good cause under APA
section 553(d)(3) for this reclassification to become effective on the
date of publication.

II. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

A. General Requirements

Under the Clean Air Act this action:
<bullet> Is not a significant regulatory action subject to review
by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Orders 12866 (58
FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011);
<bullet> Does not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
<bullet> Is certified as not having a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
<bullet> Does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or
uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4);
<bullet> Does not have federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
<bullet> Is not an economically significant regulatory action based
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
<bullet> Is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001); and
<bullet> Is not subject to requirements of section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272
note) because application of those requirements would be inconsistent
with the Clean Air Act;
In addition, this action does not have Tribal implications and will
not impose substantial direct costs on Tribal governments or preempt
Tribal law as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November
9, 2000).
Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994) establishes
federal executive policy on environmental justice. Its main provision
directs federal agencies, to the greatest extent practicable and
permitted by law, to make environmental justice part of their mission
by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high
and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs,
policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income
populations in the United States. This reclassification action relates
to ozone, a pollutant that is regional in nature, and is not the type
of action that could result in the types of local impacts addressed in
Executive Order 12898.

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. EPA will submit a report containing this action and
other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot
take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal
Register. This action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C.
804(2).

C. Petitions for Judicial Review

Under section 307(b)(1) of the CAA, petitions for judicial review
of this action must be filed in the United States Court of Appeals for
the appropriate circuit by September 30, 2024. Filing a petition for
reconsideration by the Administrator of this final rule does not affect
the finality of this action 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 reclassifying the Philadelphia Area from Moderate
to Serious for the 2015 ozone NAAQS may not be challenged later in
proceedings to enforce its requirements. (See section 307(b)(2).)

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 81

Air pollution control, National parks, Wilderness areas.

Adam Ortiz,
Regional Administrator, EPA Region III.
Lisa Garcia,
Regional Administrator, EPA Region II.

Part 81 of chapter I, title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations
is amended as follows:

PART 81--DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES

0
1. The authority citation for part 81 continues to read as follows:

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

0
2. In Sec. 81.308, the table titled ``Delaware--2015 8-Hour Ozone
NAAQS'' is amended by revising the entry for ``Philadelphia-Wilmington-
Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE'' to read as follows:

[[Page 61027]]

Sec. 81.308 Delaware.
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\1\ Includes any Indian country in each county or area, unless
otherwise specified. EPA is not determining the boundaries of any
area of Indian country in this table, including any area of Indian
country located in the larger designation area. The inclusion of any
Indian country in the designation area is not a determination that
the State has regulatory authority under the Clean Air Act for such
Indian country.
\2\ This date is August 3, 2018, unless otherwise noted.
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Delaware--2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
[Primary and Secondary]
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Designation Classification
Designated area \1\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date \2\ Type Date \2\ Type
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Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic ................... Nonattainment...... 7/30/2024 Serious.
City, PA-NJ-MD-DE.
New Castle County............

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0
3. In Sec. 81.321, the table entitled ``Maryland--2015 8-Hour Ozone
NAAQS'' is amended by revising the entry for ``Philadelphia-Wilmington-
Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE'' to read as follows:

Sec. 81.321 Maryland.
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Maryland--2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
[Primary and Secondary]
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Designation Classification
Designated area \1\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date \2\ Type Date \2\ Type
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* * * * * * *
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic ................... Nonattainment...... 7/30/2024 Serious.
City, PA-NJ-MD-DE.
Cecil County.................

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[[Page 61028]]

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0
4. In Sec. 81.331, the table entitled ``New Jersey--2015 8-Hour Ozone
NAAQS'' is amended by revising the entry for ``Philadelphia-Wilmington-
Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE'' to read as follows:

Sec. 81.331 New Jersey.
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New Jersey--2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
[Primary and Secondary]
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Designation Classification
Designated area \1\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date \2\ Type Date \2\ Type
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* * * * * * *
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic ................... Nonattainment...... 7/30/2024 Serious.
City, PA-NJ-MD-DE.
Atlantic County..............
Burlington County............
Camden County................
Cape May County..............
Cumberland County............
Gloucester County............
Mercer County................
Ocean County.................
Salem County.................

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0
5. In Sec. 81.339, the table entitled ``Pennsylvania--2015 8-Hour
Ozone NAAQS'' is amended by revising the entry for ``Philadelphia-
Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE'' to read as follows:

Sec. 81.339 Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania--2015 8-Hour Ozone NAAQS
[Primary and Secondary]
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Designation Classification
Designated area \1\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date \2\ Type Date \2\ Type
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Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic ................... Nonattainment...... 7/30/2024 Serious.
City, PA-NJ-MD-DE.
Bucks County.................
Chester County...............
Delaware County..............
Montgomery County............
Philadelphia County..........

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[FR Doc. 2024-16570 Filed 7-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

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