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Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Revision to Approved Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets Publication: Federal Register Agency: Environmental Protection Agency Byline: Jeaneanne Gettle Date: 12 April 2024 Subjects: American Government  , The Environment
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 72 (Friday, April 12, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25849-25856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07701]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R04-OAR-2023-0057; FRL-11847-01-R4]
Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Revision to Approved Motor
Vehicle Emissions Budgets
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to
approve a revision to the North Carolina State Implementation Plan
(SIP), submitted by the North Carolina Department of Environmental
Quality (NCDEQ), Division of Air Quality, on December 19, 2022. The
revision seeks to update the 2026 on-road and nonroad emissions
inventories and safety margins, allocate a portion of the newly
available 2026 safety margins in the 2008 8-hour Ozone Maintenance Plan
to the 2026 nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic
compounds (VOC) motor vehicle emissions budgets (``budgets'') for the
North Carolina portion of the Charlotte-Rock Hill, NC-SC bi-state Area
(hereinafter referred to as the ``North Carolina portion of the
Charlotte Maintenance Area'') to accommodate updates from the EPA Motor
Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES3) model. The SIP revision also
revises the current 2026 budgets based on the MOVES3 updates and
recalculates new available safety margins. NCDEQ's December 19, 2022,
submission supplements the revised 2008 8-hour Ozone Maintenance Plan
submitted by NCDEQ on July 16, 2020, and approved by EPA on August 25,
2021. EPA is proposing to approve North Carolina's December 19, 2022,
SIP revision and deem the budgets adequate for transportation
conformity purposes because they meet the applicable statutory and
regulatory requirements.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 13, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-R04-
OAR-2023-0057 at www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or
removed from Regulations.gov. 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. 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 www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dianna Myers, Air Regulatory
Management Section, Air Planning and Implementation Branch, Air and
Radiation Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, 61
Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960. The telephone number is
(404) 562-9207. Ms. Myers can also be reached via electronic mail at
myers.dianna@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
EPA is proposing to approve NCDEQ's December 19, 2022, SIP revision
which updates the 2026 on-road and nonroad emissions inventories with
the latest (at the time of NCDEQ's submission) approved EPA mobile
emissions model, MOVES3, allocates a portion of the newly available
safety margin, revises the 2026 NOX and VOC budgets, and
recalculates the available safety margins for the North Carolina
portion of Charlotte 2008 8-hour Ozone Maintenance Area \1\ for
transportation conformity purposes.
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\1\ The North Carolina portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area
for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards
(NAAQS or standards) is comprised of the following counties:
Mecklenburg County in its entirety and portions of Cabarrus, Gaston,
Iredell, Lincoln, Rowan, and Union Counties. See section II.B. for
more detail.
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If EPA finalizes this proposed approval, the revised 2026
NOX and VOC budgets from NCDEQ's December 19, 2022, SIP
revision will replace the existing budgets in the State's 2008 8-hour
Ozone Maintenance Plan approved on August 25, 2021. See 86 FR 47387. If
approved, these newly revised 2026 budgets must be used in future
[[Page 25850]]
transportation conformity analyses for the Area according to the
Transportation Conformity Rule. See 40 CFR 93.118. Therefore, the
August 25, 2021, approved budgets would no longer be applicable for
transportation conformity purposes.
In the State's submission, the emissions inventories for point and
area sources from NCDEQ's July 16, 2020, SIP revision remain the same.
This submission revises the 2026 on-road and nonroad emissions
inventories and the NOX and VOC safety margins using MOVES3.
The revision also allocates a portion of the revised available safety
margins to the 2026 NOX and VOC budgets and recalculates new
available safety margins. As explained below, EPA is proposing to
conclude that North Carolina's December 19, 2022, SIP revision
continues to demonstrate maintenance for the Charlotte Maintenance
Area.
II. Background
A. SIP Budgets and Transportation Conformity
Under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act), states are required to
submit, at various times, control strategy SIP revisions and
maintenance plans for nonattainment and maintenance areas for a given
NAAQS. These emission control strategy SIP revisions (e.g., reasonable
further progress and attainment demonstration SIP revisions) and
maintenance plans include budgets of on-road mobile source emissions
for criteria pollutants and/or their precursors to address pollution
from cars, trucks, and other on-road vehicles. The budgets are the
portion of the total allowable emissions that are allocated to on-road-
vehicle use that, together with emissions from other sources in the
area, will provide for attainment or maintenance. The budgets serve as
a ceiling on emissions from an area's planned transportation system.
Under section 176(c) of the CAA, transportation plans,
transportation improvement programs (TIPs), and transportation projects
must ``conform'' to (i.e., be consistent with) the SIP before they can
be adopted or approved. Conformity to the SIP means that transportation
activities will not cause new air quality violations, worsen existing
air quality violations, or delay timely attainment of the NAAQS or an
interim milestone. The transportation conformity regulations can be
found at 40 CFR parts 51 and 93.
Before budgets may be used in conformity determinations, EPA must
affirmatively find the budgets adequate. However, adequate budgets do
not supersede approved budgets for the same CAA purpose. If the
submitted SIP budgets are meant to replace budgets for the same CAA
purpose and year(s) addressed by a previously approved SIP revision, as
is the case with this SIP revision, EPA may approve the revised SIP and
budgets and also affirm that the budgets are adequate at the same time.
Once EPA approves the submitted budgets, the revised budgets must be
used by State and Federal agencies in determining whether
transportation activities conform to the SIP as required by section
176(c) of the CAA. EPA's substantive criteria for determining the
adequacy of budgets are set out in 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4).
B. Prior Approval of Budgets
Effective July 20, 2012, EPA designated the Charlotte-Rock Hill,
NC-SC Area as Marginal nonattainment for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS.
The North Carolina portion of the Charlotte 2008 Maintenance Area
includes Mecklenburg County in its entirety and portions of Cabarrus,
Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Rowan, and Union Counties. The Charlotte
Maintenance Area also includes a portion of York County located in Rock
Hill, South Carolina. See 77 FR 30088 (May 21, 2012). The North
Carolina portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area is comprised of
three metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs): the Charlotte
Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) which covers
Iredell, Mecklenburg, and Union Counties; the Cabarrus-Rowan
Metropolitan Planning Organization (CRMPO) which covers Cabarrus and
Rowan Counties; and the Gaston-Cleveland-Lincoln Metropolitan Planning
Organization (GCLMPO) which covers Gaston, Cleveland, and Lincoln
Counties. Although Cleveland County is included in the GCLMPO planning
boundary, it was not included in the North Carolina portion of the
Charlotte Maintenance Area. Each MPO has its own budget, which is
referred to as a ``sub-area budget.'' The York County, South Carolina,
portion of this maintenance area has a separate MPO and budgets. The
South Carolina portion of the maintenance area implements
transportation conformity independent of the North Carolina portion.
EPA approved the redesignation request and maintenance plan for
North Carolina's portion of the Charlotte 2008 8-hour ozone Area on
July 28, 2015 (80 FR 44873) with 2014 and 2026 NOX and VOC
sub-area budgets. On August 17, 2015 (80 FR 49164), EPA approved North
Carolina's requested relaxation of the Federal Reid Vapor Pressure
(RVP) requirement from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 psi. See
80 FR 44868 (approving the CAA section 110(l) non-interference
demonstration that relaxing the Federal RVP requirement from 7.8 psi to
9.0 psi in Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties would not interfere with
maintenance of the NAAQS in the Area and approving a revision to the
2026 NOX and VOC sub-area budgets for Mecklenburg and Gaston
Counties only).
On July 25, 2018, NCDEQ submitted a revision to the Charlotte 2008
8-hour ozone maintenance plan to update the emissions forecast and
budgets for 2026 to account for the small increase in NOX
and VOC emissions associated with the change in vehicle model year
coverage due to changes in the State of North Carolina's inspection and
maintenance (I/M) program. On September 11, 2019 (84 FR 47889), EPA
approved NCDEQ's July 25, 2018, SIP revision related to North
Carolina's I/M Program. The September 11, 2019, SIP approval updated
the on-road mobile source inventory and revised the 2026 sub-area VOC
and NOX budgets for Cabarrus and Rowan Counties. The revised
2026 budgets became effective on October 11, 2019.
Subsequently, on August 25, 2021, EPA approved NCDEQ's July 16,
2020, SIP revision which allocated a portion of the available safety
margin to the 2026 sub-area NOX and VOC budgets to
accommodate updates to the travel demand model used to calculate
vehicle miles traveled in the Area. See 86 FR 47387. The revision to
the 2026 sub-area budgets became effective on September 24, 2021.
C. MOVES Emissions Model
The MOVES model is designed by EPA to estimate air pollution
emissions from mobile sources. MOVES can be used to estimate exhaust
and evaporative emissions as well as brake and tire wear emissions from
all types of on-road vehicles for any part of the country, except
California.\2\ On January 7, 2021 (86 FR 1106), EPA announced the
availability of MOVES3 for official purposes outside of California. At
that time, MOVES3 was the latest state of-the art upgrade to EPA's
modeling tools for estimating emissions from cars, trucks, buses, and
motorcycles based on the latest data and regulations and was available
for use in SIPs and transportation conformity analyses outside of
California. The notice of availability started a two-year grace
[[Page 25851]]
period \3\ after which MOVES3 was required to be used in new regional-
emissions and hot-spot analyses for transportation conformity
determinations outside of California.
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\2\ In California, a different on-road emissions model, EMFAC,
is used for regulatory purposes instead of MOVES.
\3\ The two-year grace period ended on January 9, 2023.
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On September 12, 2023 (88 FR 62567), EPA announced the availability
of MOVES4 for official purposes outside of California. MOVES4 is the
latest state-of-the art upgrade to EPA's modeling tools for estimating
emissions from cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles based on the latest
data and regulations. MOVES4 is available for use in SIPs and
transportation conformity analyses outside of California. The notice of
availability started a two-year grace period \4\ after which MOVES4 is
required to be used in new regional-emissions and hot-spot analyses for
transportation conformity determinations outside of California. States
should use the latest version of MOVES that is available at the time
that a SIP is developed. However, state and local agencies that have
already completed significant work on a SIP with a version of MOVES3
(e.g., attainment modeling has already been completed with MOVES3) may
continue to rely on this earlier version of MOVES. It would be
unreasonable to require states to revise such SIPs using MOVES4 since
significant work has already occurred based on the latest information
available at the time the SIP was developed, and EPA intends to act on
these SIPs in a timely manner. North Carolina developed and submitted
the SIP revision that is the subject of this proposed rulemaking before
the MOVES3 grace period ended and before MOVES4 was available.
Therefore, use of MOVES3 is appropriate here.
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\4\ The two-year grace period will end on September 12, 2025.
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III. EPA's Analysis of North Carolina's Submittal
EPA's analysis involves an emissions comparison between the current
SIP-approved on-road and nonroad emissions inventory and budgets and
the revised inventories and budgets that North Carolina has requested
that EPA approve in the December 19, 2022, SIP submittal. Section
III.A. provides information regarding the current SIP-approved and
revised inventories and safety margins, while sections III.B. and
III.C. contain information and analysis regarding the proposed
percentages and revisions to the 2026 budgets and new safety margins,
respectively. Section III.D. contains EPA's analysis of the adequacy of
North Carolina's revised budgets pursuant to 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4).
As discussed further below, EPA's analysis of North Carolina's
December 19, 2022, SIP submittal indicates that maintenance will
continue to be demonstrated after allocation of a portion of the safety
margin to the budgets because the total level of emissions from all
source categories remains equal to or less than the attainment level of
emissions. Thus, EPA is proposing to approve North Carolina's December
19, 2022, SIP submittal.
A. Maintenance Demonstration and Emissions Inventory
This section contains information regarding the previous and
current SIP-approved budgets and inventories. The point and area source
inventories are provided for illustrative purposes only since, in this
action, EPA is not proposing any changes to the September 11, 2019, SIP
point and area source inventories.\5\ The 2026 on-road and nonroad \6\
emissions inventories were modeled using MOVES3, which, as discussed in
section II.C. above, is based on the latest modeling assumptions and
input data available at the time it was released. The on-road mobile
source emissions for all other years were unchanged as compared to the
currently approved version of the maintenance plan.
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\5\ As discussed above, if EPA approves NCDEQ's December 19,
2022, SIP submittal, emissions inventories for the point and area
sources from NCDEQ's September 11, 2019, SIP revision will remain
the same.
\6\ Information on the changes to the revised nonroad emissions
inventory for 2026 can be found on pages 39-40 and in tables 3.9 and
3.10 of the December 19, 2022, submittal. The nonroad mobile
sources, referred to as off-road mobile sources, are pieces of
equipment that can move but do not use the roadways (i.e., lawn
mowers, construction equipment, railroad locomotives, etc.). The
nonroad emissions inventory is separate from the on-road emissions
inventory and does not impact the budgets but does impact the amount
of the available safety margins. The MOVES3 nonroad modeling data
for the nonroad emissions can be found in Appendix B of the
submittal.
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As discussed above, EPA originally approved NCDEQ's 2008 8-hour
ozone maintenance SIP for the North Carolina portion of the Charlotte
Maintenance Area on July 28, 2015, with the following inventories for
NOX and VOC emissions: base year actual emissions
inventories for 2014; projected, future, and interim year inventories
for 2015, 2018, and 2022; and projected final year emission inventory
for 2026. On September 11, 2019 (84 FR 47889), EPA approved NCDEQ's
July 25, 2018, SIP, which revised the budgets and the inventories. EPA
subsequently approved NCDEQ's July 16, 2020, SIP revision (86 FR
47387), which revised the sub-area budgets. These remain the current
SIP-approved budgets and inventories. See tables 1 through 3, below.
Maintenance for the Charlotte Maintenance Area is demonstrated when
the emissions in the final year of the maintenance plan (``maintenance
year'') are less than the emissions in the baseline attainment year. In
the current SIP-approved inventories, the baseline year is 2014 and the
maintenance year is 2026. See 80 FR 29250.
Table 1--Current Total Man-Made NOX Emissions for North Carolina Portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area
[Tons/day]
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County 2014 2015 2018 2022 2026
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Cabarrus *...................... 11.49 10.73 6.78 5.44 4.44
Gaston *........................ 27.89 27.62 12.03 6.41 7.87
Iredell *....................... 6.86 6.49 5.41 4.68 4.16
Lincoln *....................... 4.36 4.71 6.41 4.29 2.34
Mecklenburg..................... 56.71 52.97 39.16 33.52 31.33
Rowan *......................... 11.74 11.31 8.28 7.01 6.10
Union *......................... 11.13 10.36 6.63 5.09 4.05
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Total....................... 130.18 124.19 84.69 66.44 60.28
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* Emissions for the portion of the county included in the maintenance area.
[[Page 25852]]
Table 2--Current Total Man-Made VOC Emissions for North Carolina Portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area
[Tons/day]
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County 2014 2015 2018 2022 2026
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Cabarrus *...................... 11.50 11.27 9.51 9.23 9.02
Gaston *........................ 12.96 12.74 11.53 10.94 10.74
Iredell *....................... 6.33 6.22 5.29 5.11 4.97
Lincoln *....................... 6.55 6.47 4.81 4.66 4.51
Mecklenburg..................... 50.10 49.16 45.31 44.47 43.99
Rowan *......................... 12.59 12.38 12.47 12.19 12.32
Union *......................... 13.09 12.85 10.91 10.68 10.45
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Total....................... 113.12 111.09 99.82 97.28 95.99
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* Emissions for the portion of the county included in the maintenance area.
Table 3--Current Maintenance Demonstration for North Carolina Portion of
the Charlotte Maintenance Area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOX (tons/ VOC (tons/
Year summer day) summer day)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014.................................... 130.18 113.12
2015.................................... 124.19 111.09
2018.................................... 84.69 99.82
2022.................................... 66.44 97.28
2026.................................... 60.28 95.99
Reduction in emissions from 2014 to 2026 69.90 17.13
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As shown in table 4, the revised NOX emissions for all
years (interim years and maintenance year) are under the baseline of
130.18 tons per summer day (tons/day); in the maintenance year of 2026,
emissions are now projected to be 64.75 tons/day. Additionally, as
shown in table 5, the revised VOC emissions for all years (interim
years and maintenance year) are under the baseline of 113.12 tons/day;
in the maintenance year of 2026, emissions are projected to be 94.57
tons/day. The downward trend in revised NOX and VOC
emissions based on the updated MOVES3 2026 NOX and VOC on-
road emissions inventory continues to show maintenance of the NAAQS.
See table 6, below.
Table 4--Revised Total Man-Made NOX Emissions for North Carolina Portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area
[Tons/day]
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County 2014 2015 2018 2022 2026
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Cabarrus *...................... 11.49 10.73 6.78 5.44 4.61
Gaston *........................ 27.89 27.62 12.03 6.41 7.87
Iredell *....................... 6.86 6.49 5.41 4.68 4.42
Lincoln *....................... 4.36 4.71 6.41 4.29 2.48
Mecklenburg..................... 56.71 52.97 39.16 33.52 34.95
Rowan *......................... 11.74 11.31 8.28 7.01 6.02
Union *......................... 11.13 10.36 6.63 5.09 4.40
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Total....................... 130.18 124.19 84.69 66.44 64.75
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* Emissions for the portion of the county included in the maintenance area.
Table 5--Revised Total Man-Made VOC Emissions for North Carolina Portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area
[Tons/day]
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County 2014 2015 2018 2022 2026
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Cabarrus *...................... 11.50 11.27 9.51 9.23 8.57
Gaston *........................ 12.96 12.74 11.53 10.94 10.42
Iredell *....................... 6.33 6.22 5.29 5.11 4.88
Lincoln *....................... 6.55 6.47 4.81 4.66 4.63
Mecklenburg..................... 50.10 49.16 45.31 44.47 43.72
Rowan *......................... 12.59 12.38 12.47 12.19 11.96
Union *......................... 13.09 12.85 10.91 10.68 10.39
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[[Page 25853]]
Total....................... 113.12 111.09 99.82 97.28 94.57
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* Emissions for the portion of the county included in the maintenance area.
Table 6--Revised Maintenance Demonstration for North Carolina Portion of
the Charlotte Maintenance Area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOX (tons/ VOC (tons/
Year day) day)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014.................................... 130.18 113.12
2015.................................... 124.19 111.09
2018.................................... 84.69 99.82
2022.................................... 66.44 97.28
2026.................................... 64.75 94.57
Reduction in emissions from 2014 to 2026 65.43 18.55
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 7 provides the revised NOX and VOC on-road mobile
emissions inventory for 2014 (base year) and 2026 (maintenance year)
for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS for the North Carolina portion of the
Charlotte Maintenance Area. The emissions are expressed in tons/day and
in kg/day because the budgets are expressed in kilograms per day (kg/
day). The MOVES3 output emissions values were rounded to the nearest
kg/day and were divided by 907.1847 to convert them to units of tons/
day. The resulting values in tons/day were rounded to two decimal
places.
Table 7--Revised On-Road Mobile Source NOX and VOC Summer Day Emissions in 2014 and 2026 for the North Carolina Portion of the Charlotte Maintenance
Area
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2014 NOX 2014 VOC 2026 NOX 2026 VOC
County -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tons/day kg/day tons/day kg/day tons/day kg/day tons/day kg/day
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Cabarrus *.............................................. 6.60 5,989 4.15 3,765 2.43 2,208 1.76 1,600
Gaston *................................................ 8.11 7,357 4.61 4,179 2.45 2,224 1.68 1,524
Iredell *............................................... 3.36 3,045 1.95 1,768 1.29 1,171 0.86 782
Lincoln *............................................... 3.00 2,723 1.91 1,737 1.06 963 0.76 688
Mecklenburg *........................................... 26.99 24,488 14.40 13,060 12.08 10,957 7.14 6,476
Rowan *................................................. 6.42 5,825 3.76 3,408 1.94 1,757 1.37 1,246
Union *................................................. 5.67 5,146 3.54 3,210 2.29 2,074 1.62 1,471
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Total............................................... 60.15 54,572 34.32 31,127 23.54 21,354 15.19 13,787
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* Emissions for the portion of the county included in the maintenance area.
A safety margin is the difference between the attainment level of
emissions from all source categories (i.e., point, area, on-road, and
nonroad) (2014 in this case) and the projected level of emissions from
all source categories in the maintenance year (2026 in this case). The
State may choose to allocate some of the safety margin to the budgets,
for transportation conformity purposes, so long as the total level of
emissions from all source categories remains equal to or less than the
attainment level of emissions. As noted above, North Carolina
previously chose to allocate a portion of its NOX and VOC
safety margin to the budgets for the entire North Carolina portion of
the Charlotte Maintenance Area for the year 2026. See 86 FR 32850 (June
23, 2021) and 86 FR 47387 (August 25, 2021). Tables 8 and 9, below,
show the revised MOVES3 safety margins and percentages North Carolina
is proposing to allocate to the 2026 NOX and VOC budgets
from the newly calculated safety margins, respectively, in the North
Carolina portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area.
Table 8--Revised Safety Margins for the North Carolina Portion of the
Charlotte Maintenance Area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOX (tons/ VOC (tons/
Year day) day)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014.................................... N/A N/A
2015.................................... -5.99 -2.03
2018.................................... -45.49 -13.30
2022.................................... -63.74 -15.84
2026.................................... -65.43 -18.55
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 25854]]
B. Revised Budgets
In the December 19, 2022, SIP revision, North Carolina requested
that EPA approve revisions to the budgets for the North Carolina
portion of the Charlotte 2008 Ozone Maintenance Area by allocating a
portion of the remaining safety margin to the budgets.\7\ The budget
revisions are proposed to accommodate updates from the mobile emissions
model MOVES3. The proposed percentages of the on-road emissions
allocated to the 2026 budgets for the North Carolina counties in the
Charlotte 2008 Ozone Maintenance Area are listed in the table 9, below.
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\7\ As with the original SIP revision approved on July 15, 2015,
and the last revision approved on August 25, 2021, NCDEQ utilized a
five-step approach for determining a factor to use to calculate the
amount of safety margin to apply to the budgets for 2026. See
Appendix A of the submittal for more detailed information.
\8\ These VOC percentages were not clearly delineated in NCDEQ's
December 19, 2022, submittal (at table 4.1 in the narrative portion
of the submittal and table 4.4-1 in Appendix A). NCDEQ submitted a
correction to the December 19, 2022, submittal via a letter dated
March 15, 2024, which is in the docket for this proposed rulemaking.
Table 9--Proposed Percentage of On-Road Emissions Allocated to the 2026
Motor Vehicle Emissions Budget
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOX (percent) VOC \8\
County (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cabarrus................................ 65 67
Gaston.................................. 60 62
Iredell................................. 62 62
Lincoln................................. 62 62
Mecklenburg............................. 57 57
Rowan................................... 65 67
Union................................... 60 62
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on the on-road emissions inventory revisions in table 7, the
following tables provide the proposed NOX and VOC sub-area
budgets with the proposed safety margin allocations in kg/day for
transportation conformity purposes for 2026 (2014 is only shown for
illustration because no changes are being made to the budgets for that
year).
Table 10--Proposed Cabarrus-Rowan Metropolitan Planning Organization (CRMPO) Budgets in 2014 and 2026
[kg/day] *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 NOX 2014 VOC 2026 NOX 2026 VOC
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Base On-road Emissions.......................... 11,814 7,173 3,965 2,846
Safety margin allocated to budget............... 2,578 1,907
Conformity budget............................... 11,814 7,173 6,543 4,753
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* Includes the portions of Cabarrus and Rowan Counties in the maintenance area.
Table 11--Proposed Gaston-Cleveland-Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization (GCLMPO) Budgets in 2014 and 2026
[kg/day] *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 NOX 2014 VOC 2026 NOX 2026 VOC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base On-road Emissions.......................... 10,079 5,916 3,187 2,212
Safety margin allocated to budget............... 1,930 1,371
Conformity budget............................... 10,079 5,916 5,117 3,583
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Includes the portions of Gaston and Lincoln Counties in the maintenance area. Although Cleveland County is
included in the MPO, it is not included in the Charlotte ozone maintenance area.
Table 12--Proposed Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO)--Rocky River Rural Planning
Organization (RRRPO) Budgets in 2014 and 2026
[kg/day] *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 NOX 2014 VOC 2026 NOX 2026 VOC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base On-road Emissions.......................... 32,679 18,038 14,202 8,729
Safety margin allocated to budget............... 8,215 5,089
Conformity budget............................... 32,679 18,038 22,417 13,818
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Includes all of Mecklenburg County and a portion of Iredell and Union Counties in the maintenance area.
[[Page 25855]]
C. Revised Safety Margin
As mentioned above, a safety margin is the difference between the
attainment level of emissions from all source categories (i.e., point,
area, on-road, and nonroad) and the projected level of emissions from
all source categories. NCDEQ has requested that EPA approve the
proposed allocation of some of the available safety margin to the 2026
NOX and VOC budgets for transportation conformity purposes.
The total level of emissions from all source categories remains equal
to or less than the attainment level of emissions.
EPA is proposing to approve changes to the budgets that include a
proposed allocation of 2,577 and 1,907 kg/day of NOX and
VOC, respectively, for the Cabarrus-Rowan MPO; 1,931 and 1,371 kg/day
of NOX and VOC, respectively, for the Gaston-Cleveland MPO;
and 8,215 and 5,089 kg/day of NOX and VOC, respectively, for
the Charlotte Regional TPO. Thus, if EPA's action is finalized as
proposed, the amount of the safety margin allocated to the 2026 budgets
will be 12,723 kg/day (14.02 tons/day) of NOX and 8,367 kg/
day (9.22 tons/day) of VOC. The proposed new safety margins available
for the North Carolina portion of the Charlotte Maintenance Area are
listed below.
Table 15--New Safety Margins for the North Carolina Portion of the
Charlotte Maintenance Area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOX (tons/ VOC (tons/
Year day) day)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014.................................... * N/A N/A
2015.................................... -5.99 -2.03
2018.................................... -45.49 -13.30
2022.................................... -63.74 -15.84
2026.................................... -51.41 -9.33
------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. Adequacy of the Budgets
EPA evaluated NCDEQ's December 19, 2022, SIP revision allocating a
portion of the available safety margin to the 2026 MOVES3 based budgets
in the revised 2008 8-hour ozone Charlotte maintenance plan for use in
determining transportation conformity in the North Carolina portion of
the Charlotte Maintenance Area. EPA is proposing this action based on
its evaluation of these budgets using the adequacy criteria found in 40
CFR 93.118(e)(4) and its evaluation of NCDEQ's submittal and SIP
requirements. EPA is proposing to approve this SIP revision because the
SIP continues to serve its intended purpose of maintenance of the 2008
8-hour ozone standard with the newly revised MOVES3 based budgets. EPA
is also proposing to deem the budgets adequate for transportation
conformity purposes because they meet the adequacy criteria in the
conformity rule at 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). Specifically:
NCDEQ's SIP was endorsed by the Governor's designee and
was subject to a State public hearing ((e)(4)(i));
Before NCDEQ submitted the SIP revision to EPA,
consultation among Federal, State, and local agencies occurred and full
documentation was provided to EPA and EPA had no concerns ((e)(4)(ii));
The budgets are clearly identified and precisely
quantified ((e)(4)(iii));
The budgets, when considered together with all other
emissions sources, are consistent with applicable requirements for
reasonable further progress, attainment, or maintenance ((e)(4)(iv));
The budgets are consistent with and clearly related to the
emissions inventory and control measures in the SIP revision
((e)(4)(v); and
The December 19, 2022, SIP revision explains and documents
changes to the previous budgets, impacts on point, area, nonroad and
on-road source emissions, and changes to established safety margins,
and reasons for the changes (including the basis for any changes
related to emission factors or vehicle miles traveled) ((e)(4)(vi)).
IV. Proposed Action
EPA is proposing to approve NCDEQ's December 19, 2022, SIP
revision, requesting approval of a revision to the Charlotte 2008 8-hr
Ozone Maintenance Plan that updates the 2026 on-road and nonroad
emissions inventories and safety margins with MOVES3, allocates a
portion of the newly available 2026 safety margins. The SIP revision
also updates the current 2026 budgets with MOVES3 and recalculates new
available safety margins. The revised budgets ensure continued
attainment of the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS through the maintenance year
2026. In addition, EPA is proposing to deem the budgets adequate for
transportation conformity purposes because the budgets meet the
adequacy criteria in the conformity rule at 40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). If
approved, the newly revised MOVES3 2026 budgets for NOX and
VOC identified in tables 10 through 12 will be used by the MPOs in
future transportation conformity determinations. The remaining safety
margins are 51.41 tons/day and 9.33 tons/day for NOX and
VOC, respectively. EPA has evaluated North Carolina's submittal and has
determined that it meets the applicable requirements of the CAA and EPA
regulations and is consistent with EPA policy.
V. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
Under the CAA, the Administrator is required to approve a SIP
submission that complies with the provisions of the CAA 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 CAA. Accordingly, this
proposed action merely proposes to approve 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 14094 (88 FR 21879, April 11, 2023);
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);
[[Page 25856]]
Is not subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885,
April 23, 1997) because it approves a State program;
Is not a significant regulatory action subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001); and
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 CAA.
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 rulemaking 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 (Federal Actions To Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, 59 FR 7629,
Feb. 16, 1994) directs Federal agencies to identify and address
``disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental
effects'' of their actions on minority populations and low-income
populations to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law.
EPA defines environmental justice (EJ) as ``the fair treatment and
meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color,
national origin, or income with respect to the development,
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and
policies.'' EPA further defines the term fair treatment to mean that
``no group of people should bear a disproportionate burden of
environmental harms and risks, including those resulting from the
negative environmental consequences of industrial, governmental, and
commercial operations or programs and policies.''
NCDEQ did not evaluate EJ considerations as part of its SIP
submittal; the CAA and applicable implementing regulations neither
prohibit nor require such an evaluation. EPA did not perform an EJ
analysis and did not consider EJ in this proposed action. Due to the
nature of the action being proposed here, this proposed action is
expected to have a neutral to positive impact on the air quality of the
affected area. Consideration of EJ is not required as part of this
proposed action, and there is no information in the record inconsistent
with the stated goal of E.O. 12898 of achieving EJ for people of color,
low-income populations, and Indigenous peoples.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52
Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by
reference, Intergovernmental relations, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen
dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Volatile organic compounds.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Dated: April 5, 2024.
Jeaneanne Gettle,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4.
[FR Doc. 2024-07701 Filed 4-11-24; 8:45 am]
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