Air Plan Approval; Massachusetts; Logan Airport Parking Freeze |
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Deborah A. Szaro
Environmental Protection Agency
5 December 2017
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 5, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 57415-57418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26182]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R01-OAR-2017-0590; FRL-9971-59-Region 1]
Air Plan Approval; Massachusetts; Logan Airport Parking Freeze
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to
approve a
[[Page 57416]]
State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts. This SIP revision increases the total number of
commercial parking spaces allowed in the Logan Airport Parking Freeze
Area by 5,000 parking spaces. The intended effect of this action is to
reduce carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOX)
emissions by reducing the increased vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
resulting from insufficient available parking. This action is being
taken under the Clean Air Act.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before January 4, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R01-
OAR-2017-0590 at http://www.regulations.gov, or via email to
mcwilliams.anne@epa.gov. For comments submitted at Regulations.gov,
follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted,
comments cannot be edited or removed from Regulations.gov. For either
manner of submission, 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, please contact the person
identified in the ``For Further Information Contact'' section. For the
full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia
submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please
visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne McWilliams, Air Quality Planning
Unit, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA New England Regional
Office, 5 Post Office Square--Suite 100, (Mail code OEP05-2), Boston,
MA 02109--3912, telephone number: (617) 918-1697, email:
mcwilliams.anne@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Throughout this document whenever ``we,''
``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean EPA.
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. State Submittal
III. EPA's Assessment of the State Submittal
IV. Proposed Action
V. Incorporation by Reference
VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
I. Background
Since 1975, Boston Logan International Airport (Logan Airport) has
been subject to a freeze on the number of commercial parking spaces
available for use by Logan Airport travelers and visitors. In the mid-
seventies, EPA developed the Logan Parking Freeze as part of a
comprehensive strategy to reduce air pollution caused by automobile
emissions. The goal was to achieve the ozone and CO National Ambient
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) established by EPA under the Clean Air
Act (CAA).
The Logan Airport Parking Freeze was reaffirmed and committed to as
a Reasonable Available Control Measure (RACM) in the 1979 and 1982
State Implementation Plan revisions required by the Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1977. Through the 1979 and 1982 SIP revisions, the
Commonwealth incorporated the Federal Implementation Plan's parking
freeze provisions by reference, committing the Commonwealth to
implement and enforce the parking freeze as a state regulation, 310
Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR) 7.30 Massachusetts Port
Authority (Massport)/Logan Airport Parking Freeze, as well as Federal
law.
In 1989, the Logan Airport Parking Freeze was amended and the East
Boston Parking Freeze was adopted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Unlike the 1975 Logan Freeze, which targeted only commercial parking,
the 1989 state action limited and regulated the management of all major
airport-related parking in the Logan Airport and East Boston Parking
Freeze areas. The parking supply at Logan Airport was capped at 19,315
parking spaces. In addition, Logan-related park-and-fly and rental car
parking spaces in East Boston were capped at existing levels. On April
26, 1991, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
(MassDEP) certified the parking freeze numbers for the East Boston
Parking Freeze area at 4,012 rental motor vehicle parking spaces and
2,475 park-and-fly parking spaces. EPA approved the Logan Airport
Parking Freeze and East Boston Parking Freeze amendments into the
Massachusetts SIP on March 16, 1993. See 58 FR 14153-14157.
The Logan Airport and East Boston Parking Freezes were designed to
meet the following objectives: Mitigating the traffic-related air
quality impacts of airport access on both a regional and neighborhood
level; reducing the number of vehicle trips (i.e., employee and air
traveler drop-off/pick up trips) by providing a mix of on-airport
parking and off-airport satellite parking centers outside of the
parking freeze area; managing the parking supply for Logan to stabilize
overall ground access; and developing a unified access management plan
for Logan Airport. One of the goals of the current Logan Airport
Parking Freeze and East Boston Parking Freeze is to encourage the
relocation of park-and-fly parking spaces from the East Boston
neighborhoods to reduce localized traffic and air quality impacts.
On March 21, 2001, EPA approved revisions to 310 CMR 7.30 Massport/
Logan Airport Parking Freeze and 310 CMR 7.31 City of Boston/East
Boston Parking Freeze which allow the permanent relocation of certain
categories of parking spaces from the East Boston Parking Freeze area
inventory to the Logan Airport Parking Freeze area. See 66 FR 14318.
One of the goals of the amendments was to encourage the relocation of
the park-and-fly spaces from the East Boston neighborhoods, reducing
localized traffic and air quality impacts.
According to the most recent Logan Airport Spaces Inventory, the
number of existing Total Parking Freeze Spaces is 21,088. In the
Massport Policy Memorandum submitted by MassDEP,\1\ Massport details
how parking is becoming more constrained at Logan Airport. Since 1975,
there has been a 220% increase in passengers at Logan, but only an 80%
increase in Logan's commercial parking supply.
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\1\ The Massport Policy Memorandum submitted to MassDEP in a
letter dated June 6, 2016 can be found in the docket for this
rulemaking.
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II. State Submittal
On July 13, 2017, MassDEP submitted amendments to 310 CMR 7.30
Massport/Logan Airport Parking Freeze as a formal revision to the
Massachusetts State Implementation Plan (SIP). Revised 310 CMR 7.30
increases the total number of commercial spaces in the Logan Parking
Freeze area by 5,000 spaces to a total of 26,088. In the event that the
remaining 702 park-and-fly spaces in the East Boston Parking Freeze cap
were converted to commercial spaces at Logan Airport in the future, the
maximum total number of spaces permitted would be 26,790.
The revision also requires Massport to complete the following
studies within 24 months of June 30, 2017: (1) Potential
[[Page 57417]]
improvements to high occupancy vehicle access to Logan; (2) a cost and
pricing assessment for different modes of transportation to and from
Logan in order to generate revenue for the promotion of HOV use by
airport travelers and visitors; and (3) the feasibility and
effectiveness of potential operational measures to reduce non-HOV pick-
up/drop-off modes of transportation to Logan Airport.
Finally, the revision allows Massport to satisfy its annual
reporting requirements through its submission of annual Environmental
Data Reports or similar airport-wide documents under the Massachusetts
Environmental Policy Act (MEPA).
III. EPA's Assessment of the State Submittal
The Technical Analysis submitted by MassDEP \2\ demonstrates the
current insufficient parking at Logan Airport. In 2014, Massport
diverted or valet-parked passenger vehicles on 103 out of 260 working
days.\3\ On such days, vehicles are diverted to other on-airport
facilities or to off-site facilities such as Suffolk Downs, or vehicles
are valet-parked, stacked at parking facilities or at other on-airport
locations. Such operations are inconvenient to passengers, increases
VMT at the airport, and has potential long-term ramifications for
future mode choice. Passengers who are unable to park at Logan Airport
are more likely to use pick-up/drop-off modes in the future.
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\2\ ``Technical Analysis'' prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin
(VHB) dated December 11, 2015 listed as Exhibit B is available in
the docket for this rulemaking.
\3\ It should be noted that Massport continued to be in full
compliance with the Logan Airport Parking Freeze throughout 2014.
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The Technical Analysis concludes that building more parking spaces
meets the current and future parking demand. Parking on site results in
fewer trips than drop-off/pick-up modes per air passenger. The air
quality analysis shows that emissions of VOC, NOX, and
CO2 are reduced by 20-25 percent if additional on-airport
parking is built compared to a no build scenario.\4\ In addition,
MassDEP emphasizes that any new parking garage built as a consequence
of the revised regulation would be subject to review under the
Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), which would require
Massport to submit and review an Environmental Notification Report
(ENR) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Massport would also be
required to commit, through the MEPA Section 61 Findings, to additional
mitigation measures with respect to the garage's environmental impacts.
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\4\ See Section VII. Analysis of Vehicle Emissions Resulting
from VMT Changes of the ``Technical Analysis.''
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Clean Air Act (CAA) section 110(l) provides that EPA shall not
approve any implementation plan revision if it would interfere with any
applicable requirement concerning attainment and reasonable further
progress, or any other applicable requirement of the CAA, i.e.
demonstrate anti-backsliding. The Massport/Logan Parking Freeze was
originally implemented to reduce mobile source emissions in order to
achieve the CO and Ozone NAAQS. Massachusetts is currently meeting both
standards.\5\ However, the current constrained parking encourages more
people to choose drop-off/pick-up travel modes, which increases the
vehicle miles traveled and air emissions. The submitted amendment will
result in reduced vehicle trips and thereby reduce air emissions.
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\5\ For the most recent air quality design values, see
www.epa.gov/air-trends/air-quality-design-values.
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MassDEP has demonstrated that the addition of 5,000 parking spaces
to the Logan Airport Freeze area will result in a decrease in VMT which
in turn will reduce VOC, NOX and CO air emissions. EPA
proposes to find that the revisions to 310 CMR 7.30 meet the
requirements of CAA section 110(l). In addition, EPA proposes to
approve revised 310 CMR 7.30 into the SIP because it will strengthen
the SIP by reducing pollutant emissions. EPA is soliciting public
comments on the issues discussed in this notice or on other relevant
matters. These comments will be considered before taking final action.
Interested parties may participate in the Federal rulemaking procedure
by submitting written comments to this proposed rule by following the
instructions listed in the ADDRESSES section of this Federal Register.
IV. Proposed Action
EPA is proposing to approve and incorporate into the Massachusetts
SIP revised 310 CMR 7.30 Massport/Logan Airport Parking Freeze
submitted on July 13, 2017. The revision increases the total number of
commercial parking spaces allowed in the Logan Airport Parking Freeze
Area by 5,000 parking spaces.
V. Incorporation by Reference
In this rule, the EPA is proposing to include in a final EPA rule
regulatory text that includes incorporation by reference. In accordance
with requirements of 1 CFR 51.5, the EPA is proposing to incorporate by
reference 310 CMR 7.30 Massport/Logan Airport Parking Freeze. The EPA
has made, and will continue to make, these documents generally
available electronically through http://www.regulations.gov and/or in
hard copy at the appropriate EPA office.
VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the Clean Air Act, the Administrator is required to approve a
SIP submission that complies with the provisions of the Act and
applicable Federal regulations. 42 U.S.C. 7410(k); 40 CFR 52.02(a).
Thus, in reviewing SIP submissions, EPA's role is to approve state
choices, provided that they meet the criteria of the Clean Air Act.
Accordingly, this proposed action merely approves state law as meeting
Federal requirements and does not impose additional requirements beyond
those imposed by state law. For that reason, this proposed action:
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);
Does not impose an information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.);
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.);
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);
Does not have Federalism implications as specified in
Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999);
Is not an economically significant regulatory action based
on health or safety risks subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997);
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001);
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; and
Does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to
address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental
effects, using practicable and legally permissible
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methods, under Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
In addition, the SIP is not approved to apply on any Indian
reservation land or in any other area where EPA or an Indian tribe has
demonstrated that a tribe has jurisdiction. In those areas of Indian
country, the rule 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).
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Carbon monoxide,
Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Lead, Nitrogen
dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Sulfur oxides, Volatile organic compounds.
Dated: November 13, 2017.
Deborah A. Szaro,
Acting Regional Administrator, EPA New England.
[FR Doc. 2017-26182 Filed 12-4-17; 8:45 am]
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