2019-27431: Federal Implementation Plan for Managing Emissions From Oil and Natural Gas Sources on Indian Country Lands Within the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation in Utah

Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to promulgate a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the EPA's implementing regulations that consists of control requirements for new, modified, and existing oil and natural gas sources located on Indian country lands within the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation (also referred to as the U&O Reservation) to address air quality in and around the Uinta Basin Ozone Nonattainment Area in northeast Utah. The proposed FIP would also continue the streamlined approach to authorize new and modified minor oil and natural gas production sources on the reservation that has been established through national rulemakings. This proposed U&O FIP will establish emissions control requirements for oil and natural gas activity that contribute to the Uinta Basin's winter ozone problem; establish regulatory requirements that are the same or consistent between Indian country and neighboring jurisdictions within the Basin; and allow for reasonable continued development of the Basin's oil and natural gas resources on the Indian country lands within the U&O Reservation that are included in the current Uinta Basin Ozone Nonattainment Area. VOC emissions control requirements for existing oil and natural gas sources are currently required in areas of the Basin under Utah jurisdiction, but do not exist for most sources on the U&O Reservation. Additionally, this proposed U&O FIP will ensure new development on the U&O Reservation will not cause or contribute to a NAAQS violation. We are proposing to determine that it is necessary and appropriate to promulgate this proposed U&O FIP to protect air quality on the U&O Reservation, under the authority provided in the CAA and the EPA's Tribal Air Quality Planning and Management regulations. We designed this proposed U&O FIP to protect air quality while also providing the regulated community certainty that requirements will be consistent across the Uinta Basin and allow for continued, responsible development of new and modified minor oil and natural gas sources. Unless and until replaced by a Tribal Implementation Plan, this proposed U&O FIP will be implemented by the EPA, or by the Ute Indian Tribe if the EPA delegates that authority to the Tribe.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 1 part of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 40 CFR 49 Indian Country: Air Quality Planning and Management