Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island; Nitrogen Oxides Budget and Allowance Trading Program

EPA is approving and promulgating State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the States of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The SIP revisions for each of these states establishes a nitrogen oxides budget and trading program in response to EPA's regulation "Finding of Significant Contribution and Rulemaking for Certain States in the Ozone Transport Assessment Group Region for Purposes of Reducing Regional Transport of Ozone," otherwise known as the " NO<INF>X</INF> SIP Call." The SIP revision for each of the States includes a narrative description and regulation establishing a statewide NO<INF>X</INF> budget and NO<INF>X</INF> allowance trading program for large electricity generating and industrial sources beginning in the year 2003. The Massachusetts SIP also included revisions to existing regulations to assure consistency with the NO<INF>X</INF> budget and allowance trading program. The intended effect of these actions is to approve these SIP strengthening measures for the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island ozone SIP's. This action is being taken in accordance with section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Further, we determined that the submittal from each of these three states meets the air quality objective of the NO<INF>X</INF> SIP call requirements and we will take action in a future rulemaking on whether these submittals meet all the applicable NO<INF>X</INF> SIP call requirements.