🌫️Vermont's Regional Haze SIP
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by Vermont on July 1, 2024, as satisfying applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's Regional Haze Rule for the program's second implementation period. Vermont's SIP submission addresses the requirement that states must periodically revise their long-term strategies for making reasonable progress towards the national goal of preventing any future, and remedying any existing, anthropogenic impairment of visibility, including regional haze, in mandatory Class I Federal areas. The SIP submission also addresses other applicable requirements for the second implementation period of the regional haze program. The EPA is taking this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the Clean Air Act.
Learn More🔥Proposed Regulation for Outdoor Burning in Lane County, Oregon
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve into the Oregon State Implementation Plan (SIP) the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) revised outdoor burning rule revisions submitted by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) on July 1, 2024, in coordination with LRAPA. The revised rule, applicable in Lane County, Oregon, clarifies terminology, revises formatting, and expands the residential outdoor burning season to allow burning of woody yard trimmings on approved burn days within Lowell city limits from October 1 through June 15. ODEQ included in the submittal a technical demonstration that the requested expansion of the residential outdoor burning season will not interfere with attainment and maintenance of the NAAQS and other applicable Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements. The EPA is proposing to approve this rule because it meets the applicable requirements of the Clean Air Act.
Learn More🌫️Texas and Oklahoma Regional Haze Plans Assessment by EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve regional haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), dated March 20, 2014, and July 20, 2021, as satisfying applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) and EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR). Additionally, the EPA is proposing to approve portions of the 2009 Texas Regional Haze SIP submission and portions of the 2010 Oklahoma Regional Haze SIP submission that relate to reasonable progress requirements for the first planning period from 2007 through 2018. Finally, the EPA is also withdrawing its 2023 proposed disapprovals regarding Texas's and Oklahoma's first planning period SIPs and its 2024 proposed action regarding Texas's second planning period SIP. The EPA is taking this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the Act.
Learn More⚡Adjusted Emissions Budgets for Indiana Under CSAPR
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking interim final action to adjust the Revised Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) Update "budget" for nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) emissions from Indiana electricity generating units (EGUs) during the May-September "ozone season" for 2024 and subsequent years. Relatedly, EPA is also adjusting the default unit-level allocations of emission allowances to Indiana EGUs for 2024 and subsequent years in accordance with the adjustments to the state emissions budget. When originally establishing state emissions budgets and default unit-level allocations for 2024 and subsequent years in the Revised CSAPR Update rulemaking, EPA relied in part on announcements from EGU owners regarding their plans to retire certain EGUs before the 2024 ozone season. The purpose of the adjustments being made in this action is to account for the subsequent decisions by some EGU owners to defer or cancel the previously announced retirement plans.
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves Michigan's Sulfur Dioxide Compliance Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by Michigan on December 20, 2022, and supplemented on February 21, 2023, December 14, 2023, and April 2, 2024, which amends a SIP submission previously submitted to EPA on May 31, 2016, and June 30, 2016, for attaining the 2010 sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) primary national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for the Detroit SO<INF>2</INF> nonattainment area. This action follows a prior action which found that Michigan had satisfied emission inventory and new source review (NSR) requirements for this area but had not met requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the elements that EPA is approving here. This action also follows the promulgation of the 2022 Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) for the Detroit SO<INF>2</INF> nonattainment area.
Learn More🌍Ohio EPA Proposes Ozone NAAQS Maintenance Plan Updates
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP). On November 6, 2024, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) submitted the state's plans for maintaining the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or standard) in the Columbus, Ohio; Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, Ohio; and Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana areas. EPA is proposing to approve these maintenance plans because they provide for the maintenance of the 2008 ozone NAAQS for each area for 10 additional years as required by the Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA is also initiating the adequacy review process for motor vehicle emission budgets (Budgets) for each area. This action, if finalized, would make certain commitments related to maintenance of the 2008 ozone NAAQS in these areas federally enforceable as part of the Ohio SIP.
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves Air Quality Regulation for Mojave Desert Region
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve a revision to the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO<INF>X</INF>) from industrial, institutional, and commercial boilers, steam generators, and process heaters. We are approving a local rule that regulates these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act").
Learn More🌬️EPA Approves Texas Air Quality Permitting Updates for Emissions
Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving portions of a revision to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on July 9, 2021. The revision includes updates to the Texas Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) permitting programs to incorporate Federal New Source Review (NSR) regulations for Project Emissions Accounting (PEA).
Learn More🌫️South Dakota's Regional Haze Plan Approval and Business Impact
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the regional haze state implementation plan (SIP) submission submitted by the State of South Dakota on July 29, 2022 (South Dakota's 2022 SIP submission), under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second implementation period. South Dakota's 2022 SIP submission addresses the requirement that states revise their long-term strategies every implementation period to make reasonable progress towards the national goal of preventing any future, and remedying any existing, anthropogenic impairment of visibility, including regional haze, in mandatory Class I Federal areas. South Dakota's 2022 SIP submission also addresses other applicable requirements for the second implementation period of the regional haze program. The EPA is taking this action pursuant to the CAA.
Learn More🌬️EPA Approves Alabama Air Quality Regulation Changes
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Alabama, through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) on December 20, 2023. The revision modifies the State's air quality regulations as incorporated into the SIP by changing the definition of "volatile organic compounds" (VOC) to be consistent with federal regulations. The revision also addresses typographical errors and increases clarity and consistency with EPA's definitions and Alabama's Legislative Services Agency requirements.
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