Adequacy Status of the Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, North Carolina 1997 PM2.5 Attainment Demonstration Motor Vehicle Emissions Budget for Transportation Conformity Purposes

Streszczenie

In this notice, EPA is notifying the public of its finding that the nitrogen oxides (NOx) motor vehicle emissions budget (MVEB) in the Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, North Carolina (hereafter referred to as the Hickory Area) attainment demonstration for the 1997 PM 2.5 standard, submitted on August 21, 2009, by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR), is adequate for transportation conformity purposes. EPA is also making an insignificance finding for direct particulate matter (PM) through the transportation conformity adequacy process for the Hickory Area. The Hickory Area is comprised of the entire county of Catawba in North Carolina. On March 2, 1999, the District of Columbia Circuit Court ruled that submitted state implementation plans (SIPs) cannot be used for transportation conformity determinations until EPA has affirmatively found them adequate. As a result of EPA's finding, the Hickory Area must use the NO X MVEB from the submitted Hickory, North Carolina 1997 PM 2.5 attainment demonstration for future conformity determinations, and the Hickory Area is not required to perform a regional emissions analysis for direct PM 2.5 in future PM 2.5 tra