Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania; Adoption of Control Techniques Guidelines for Flat Wood Paneling Surface Coating Processes

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Proposed rule.

SUMMARY:

EPA is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania). This SIP revision includes amendments to Chapter 121—General Provisions and Chapter 129—Standards for Sources of Title 25 of the Pennsylvania Code. Pennsylvania's SIP revision meets the requirement to adopt Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for sources covered by EPA's Control Techniques Guidelines (CTG) standards for flat wood paneling surface coating processes and will help Pennsylvania attain and maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

DATES:

Written comments must be received on or before April 13, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID Number EPA-R03-OAR-2011-0099 by one of the following methods:

A. http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.

B. E-mail: fernandez.cristina@epa.gov.

C. Mail: EPA-R03-OAR-2011-0099, Cristina Fernandez, Associate Director, Office of Air Program Planning, Mailcode 3AP30, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.

D. Hand Delivery: At the previously-listed EPA Region III address. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-R03-OAR-2011-0099. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change, and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is an “anonymous access” system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through http://www.regulations.gov,, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.

Docket: All documents in the electronic docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, i.e., 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 either electronically in http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy during normal business hours at the Air Protection Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. Copies of the State submittal are available at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Air Quality Control, P.O. Box 8468, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Irene Shandruk, (215) 814-2166, or by e-mail at shandruk.irene@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On January 4, 2011, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) submitted to EPA a SIP revision concerning the adoption of the CTG for flat wood paneling surface coating processes.

I. Background

Section 172(c)(1) of the CAA provides that SIPs for nonattainment areas must include reasonably available control measures (RACM), including RACT for sources of emissions. Section 182(b)(2)(A) provides that for certain nonattainment areas, States must revise their SIPs to include RACT for sources of volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions covered by a CTG document issued after November 15, 1990 and prior to the area's date of attainment.

CTGs are intended to provide state and local air pollution control authorities information that should assist them in determining RACT for VOCs from various sources, including flat wood paneling surface coatings. In developing these CTGs, EPA, among other things, evaluated the sources of VOC emissions from this industry and the available control approaches for addressing these emissions, including the costs of such approaches. Based on available information and data, EPA provided recommendations for RACT for VOCs from flat wood paneling.

In June 1978, EPA published a CTG for flat wood paneling coatings (EPA-450/2-78-034). This CTG discusses the nature of VOC emissions from this industry, available control technologies for addressing such emissions, the costs of available control options, and other items. EPA promulgated national standards of performance for new stationary sources New Source Performance Standards for the flat wood paneling industry and EPA also published a national emission standard for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for this industry.

In 2006 and 2007, after conducting a review of currently existing state and local VOC emission reduction approaches for the flat wood paneling industry, reviewing the 1978 CTG and the NESHAP for this industry, and taking into account the information that has become available since then, EPA developed a new CTG for surface coating of flat wood paneling, entitled Control Techniques Guidelines for Flat Wood Paneling Coatings (Publication No. EPA 453/R-06-004). Flat wood paneling coatings means wood paneling products that are any interior, exterior, or tileboard panel to which a protective, decorative, or functional material or layer has been applied. Flat wood paneling, like most wood products, are vulnerable to light, moisture, and insects. Coatings are used for three purposes: Protection, appearance, and surface modification. Surface coatings are applied to reduce potential damage from environmental elements such as moisture and temperature extremes and other climate-related hazards and from insect infestation. Coatings are also applied to enhance surfaces to make other coatings more effective. Finally, coatings are applied to improve the appearance of the wood product. Releases of VOCs occur during the coating process as the coatings are mixed or thinned, as they are applied to the substrate, and as they dry and the VOCs within the coating evaporate into the air.

II. Summary of SIP Revision

On January 4, 2011, PADEP submitted to EPA a SIP revision concerning the adoption of the CTG for flat wood paneling surface coating processes. EPA develops CTGs as guidance on control requirements for source categories. States can follow the CTGs or adopt more restrictive standards. Pennsylvania has adopted EPA's CTG standards for flat wood paneling surface coating processes. These regulations are in Chapter 121—General Provisions and in Chapter 129—Standards for Sources, in Title 25 of the Pennsylvania Code. Specifically, this revision amends the existing regulations at sections 121.1, 129.51, 129.66, and adds new section 129.52c. Several definitions were added in section 121.1 and section 129.51 was amended to extend coverage to flat wood paneling surface coating processes. New section 129.52c includes VOC emission limits, work practices, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements, all of which are consistent with EPA's CTG for flat wood paneling surface coating processes. The emission limits of VOCs for flat wood paneling surface coatings are shown in Table 1. These emission limits apply if the total actual VOC emissions from all flat wood paneling surface coating operations at the facility are equal to or greater than 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) per day, before consideration of controls.

III. Proposed Action

EPA is proposing to approve Pennsylvania's SIP revision for adoption of the CTG standards for flat wood paneling surface coating processes. EPA is soliciting public comments on the issues discussed in this document. These comments will be considered before taking final action.

IV. 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 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 Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993);
• 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 CAA; and
• Does not provide EPA with the discretionary authority to address, as appropriate, disproportionate human health or environmental effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).

In addition, this proposed rule concerning Pennsylvania's adoption of a CTG for flat wood paneling surface coating processes does not have tribal implications as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000), because the SIP is not approved to apply in Indian country located in the state, and EPA notes that it will not impose substantial direct costs on tribal governments or preempt tribal law.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52

• Environmental protection
• Air pollution control
• Ozone
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
• Volatile organic compounds

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