[Federal Register: July 17, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 138)]
[Notices]               
[Page 41068-41069]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17jy08-66]                         


[[Page 41068]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Docket No. EPA-R02-OAR-2008-0497; FRL-8694-3]

 
Adequacy Status of the Submitted 2008 and 2009 8-Hour Ozone Motor 
Vehicle Emission Budgets for Transportation Conformity Purposes for New 
Jersey

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Adequacy.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that we have found 
that the motor vehicle emissions budgets for NOX and VOC in 
the submitted reasonable further progress and attainment demonstration 
state implementation plans for the New Jersey portions of the New York-
Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT and Philadelphia-Wilmington-
Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas to be 
adequate for transportation conformity purposes. The transportation 
conformity rule (40 CFR part 93) requires that the EPA conduct a public 
process and make an affirmative decision on the adequacy of budgets 
before they can be used by metropolitan planning organizations in 
conformity determinations. As a result of our finding, the metropolitan 
planning organizations in New Jersey (the North Jersey Transportation 
Planning Authority, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, 
and the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization) must use the 
new 2008 and 2009 8-hour ozone budgets for future transportation 
conformity determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective August 1, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Laurita, Air Programs Branch, 
Environmental Protection Agency--Region 2, 290 Broadway, 25th Floor, 
New York, New York 10007-1866, (212) 637-3895, laurita.matthew@epa.gov.
    The finding and the response to comments will be available at EPA's 
conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/
adequacy.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On October 29, 2007, New Jersey submitted reasonable further 
progress and attainment demonstration state implementation plans to EPA 
for both the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT (New 
York), and Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-MD-DE 
(Philadelphia), 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas. The purpose of New 
Jersey's submittal was to demonstrate New Jersey's progress toward 
attaining the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard. New 
Jersey's submittal included motor vehicle emissions budgets 
(``budgets'') for 2008 and 2009 for use by the State's metropolitan 
planning organizations in making transportation conformity 
determinations. On March 19, 2008, the availability of these budgets 
was posted on EPA's Web site for the purpose of soliciting public 
comments. The comment period closed on April 18, 2008, and EPA received 
no comments.
    Today's notice is simply an announcement of a finding that we have 
already made. EPA Region 2 sent a letter to New Jersey on June 9, 2008. 
The findings letter states that the 2008 motor vehicle emissions 
budgets in New Jersey's SIPs for both the New York and Philadelphia 8-
hour ozone nonattainment areas are adequate because they are consistent 
with the required rate of progress plan. With regard to the 2009 motor 
vehicle emissions budgets, the findings letter states that these 
budgets are adequate for transportation conformity purposes because 
they provide for continued progress toward attainment of the 8-hour 
ozone standard. These budgets serve to strengthen the SIP through 
continued progress towards attainment and ensure that motor vehicle 
emissions remain consistent with the emissions levels provided for in 
the SIP. New Jersey submitted the budgets on October 29, 2007, as part 
of the reasonable further progress plans and 8-hour ozone attainment 
demonstrations for the New York and Philadelphia 8-hour ozone 
nonattainment areas. EPA's finding will also be announced on EPA's 
conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/
adequacy.htm.
    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the 
Clean Air Act. EPA's conformity rule requires that transportation 
plans, programs, and projects conform to SIPs and establishes the 
criteria and procedures for determining whether or not they conform. 
Conformity to a SIP means that transportation activities will not 
produce new air quality violations, worsen existing violations, or 
delay timely attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
    The criteria by which we determine whether a SIP's motor vehicle 
emission budgets are adequate for conformity purposes are outlined in 
40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). Please note that an adequacy review is separate 
from EPA's completeness review, and it also should not be used to 
prejudge EPA's ultimate approval of the SIP. Even if we find a budget 
adequate, the SIP could later be disapproved.
    We have described our process for determining the adequacy of 
submitted SIP budgets in 40 CFR 93.118(f). We have followed this rule 
in making our adequacy determination. The motor vehicle emissions 
budgets being found adequate today are listed in Table 1.

                      Table 1.--8-Hour Ozone Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets for New Jersey
                                                 [Tons per day]
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                                                                              2008                  2009
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                 Metropolitan Planning Organization                      NOx        VOC        NOx        VOC
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North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (excluding Ocean          143.60      85.38     133.39      79.00
 County)............................................................
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (Ocean County only)..       8.69       6.93      12.65       6.45
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission........................      69.67      27.75      63.66      25.98
South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization...................      32.93      14.14      29.64      13.04
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[[Page 41069]]

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671 q.

    Dated: July 8, 2008.
Alan J. Steinberg,
Regional Administrator, Region 2.
 [FR Doc. E8-16390 Filed 7-16-08; 8:45 am]

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