Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Texas; Revisions to the Ozone Attainment Plan for the Houston/Galveston/Brazoria Nonattainment Area

EPA is approving revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) as it applies to the Houston/Galveston/Brazoria (HGB) ozone nonattainment area. These SIP revisions result from more recent information on ozone formation in the HGB area indicating that a combination of controls on nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) and highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs) should be more effective in reducing ozone than the measures in the previously approved 2001 HGB attainment demonstration plan which relied almost exclusively on the control of NO<INF>X</INF>. Approval of these revisions incorporates these changes into the federally approved SIP. The approved revisions include a 1-hour ozone standard attainment demonstration, motor vehicle emissions budgets, a demonstration that all reasonably available control measures have been adopted for the HGB area and revisions to satisfy the enforceable commitments contained in the previously approved SIP. These revisions present a new mix of controlled strategies in order to achieve attainment. These revisions include changes to the industrial NO<INF>X</INF> rules, reducing the stringency from a nominal 90 percent to 80 percent control and revisions to the Texas Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) rules that drop three counties from the I/M program. As part of the approved revisions to the HGB attainment demonstration, Texas has adopted new control measures which EPA has approved or is approving concurrent with this action. The new control measures are increased control of HRVOC emissions and control of emissions from portable gasoline containers. Also, in separate actions in today's Federal Register, EPA is concurrently approving the following emissions trading programs that relate to the HGB attainment demonstration: revisions to the Mass Emissions Cap and Trade Program for the HGB area, the Highly Reactive Volatile Organic Compound Emissions Cap and Trade Program for the HGB area, the Emissions Credit Banking and Trading