Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania; Revision to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) Addressing Sulfur Dioxide in Philadelphia County

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Proposed rule.

SUMMARY:

EPA proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The revision consists of Operating Permits which modify the sulfur dioxide (SO₂) allowable emissions at four facilities in Philadelphia County. The four facilities are Trigen-Philadelphia Energy Corporation, Schuylkill Station, Grays Ferry Cogeneration Partnership, PECO Energy Company, Schuylkill Generating Station, and Sunoco, Inc. (R&M) Philadelphia Refinery. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP submittal as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A more detailed description of the state submittal and EPA's evaluation are included in a Technical Support Document (TSD) prepared in support of this rulemaking action. A copy of the TSD is available, upon request, from the EPA Regional Office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

DATES:

Comments must be received in writing by October 9, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments should be addressed to David L. Arnold, Chief, Air Quality Planning and Information Services Branch, Mailcode 3AP21, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. Copies of the documents relevant to this action are available for public inspection during normal business hours at the Air Protection Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103; the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources Bureau of Air Quality Control, P.O. Box 8468, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105; and the Department of Public Health, Air Management Services, 321 University Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Denis Lohman, (215) 814-2192, or Ellen Wentworth, (215) 814-2034, or by e-mail at lohman.denny@epa.gov or wentworth.ellen@epa.gov. Please note that while questions may be posed via telephone and e-mail, formal comments must be submitted in writing, as indicated in the ADDRESSES section of this document.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

For further information, please see the information provided in the direct final action, pertaining to SO₂ in Philadelphia County, that is located in the “Rules and Regulations” section of this Federal Register publication. Please note that if EPA receives adverse comment on an amendment, paragraph, or section of this rule and if that provision may be severed from the remainder of the rule, EPA may adopt as final those provisions of the rule that are not the subject of an adverse comment.