Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans, Louisiana; Reasonable Available Control Technology for Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds

In this action, the EPA is conditionally approving in part, and fully approving in part, revisions to the Louisiana State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions incorporate regulations to control Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions from major stationary sources by means of Reasonable Available Control Technology (RACT). The major stationary source category controlled by the conditionally approved regulation is Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry (SOCMI) batch processes. The major stationary source categories controlled by the fully approved regulations are SOCMI reactors, SOCMI distillation, and industrial cleanup solvents. The intended effect of these rules is to reduce VOC emissions into the ambient air and thereby reduce ground-level ozone concentrations. Both EPA's full and conditional approval of these regulations makes them federally enforceable. The full approval of the revisions to the SIP to control VOC emissions from the batch processes source category is contingent upon the State of Louisiana submitting a revision of the single unit operation exemptions of the SOCMI batch processing rule. If the State fails to submit a revision to the batch processing rule within one year of the conditional approval of these SIP revisions, the conditional approval will convert to a disapproval. In the proposed rules section of today's Federal Register, the EPA is proposing and seeking public comment on the same conditional and final approvals of the Louisiana SIP that are discussed in this notice. If adverse comments are received on these approvals, the EPA will withdraw the direct final rule and address the comments received in a subsequent final rule, based on the related proposed rule. No additional opportunity for public comment will be provided.