[Federal Register: March 17, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 52)]
[Notices]
[Page 12651]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17mr04-61]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[AK-04-001; FRL-7637-6]


Adequacy Status of the Anchorage, Alaska Carbon Monoxide
Maintenance Plan for Transportation Conformity Purposes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of adequacy determination.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this action, EPA is notifying the public that we have found
that the motor vehicle emissions budgets in the Anchorage, Alaska
Serious Carbon Monoxide (CO) Maintenance Plan, submitted by the
Governor on February 18, 2004, are adequate for conformity purposes. On
March 2, 1999, the D.C. Circuit Court ruled that submitted State
Implementation Plans (SIPs) cannot be used for conformity
determinations until EPA has affirmatively found them adequate. As a
result of our finding, the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska Department
of Transportation & Public Facilities, and the U.S. Department of
Transportation are required to use the motor vehicle emissions budgets
in this submitted maintenance plan for future transportation conformity
determinations.

DATES: This finding is effective April 1, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The finding will be available at EPA's
conformity Web site: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/conform/adequacy.htm.
 You may also contact Wayne Elson, U.S. EPA, Region 10

(OAQ-107), 1200 Sixth Ave, Seattle WA 98101; (206) 553-1463 or 
elson.wayne@epa.gov.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Today's notice is simply an announcement of
a finding that we have already made. EPA Region 10 sent a letter to The
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation on March 5, 2004,
stating that the motor vehicle emissions budgets in the Maintenance
Plan for the Serious Carbon Monoxide (CO) Maintenance Area for
Anchorage are adequate.
    Transportation conformity is required by section 176(c) of the
Clean Air Act. EPA's conformity rule requires transportation plans,
programs, and projects to conform to SIPs and establishes the criteria
and procedures for determining whether or not they do. 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 budget is 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.
    We have described our process for determining the adequacy of
submitted SIP budgets in guidance (May 14, 1999 memo titled
``Conformity Guidance on Implementation of March 2, 1999 Conformity
Court Decision''). We followed this guidance in making our adequacy
determination.

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

    Dated: March 8, 2004.
L. John Iani,
Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 04-6000 Filed 3-16-04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P