🌬️EPA Approves Air Quality Regulations for Feather River District
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve a revision to the Feather River Air Quality Management District (FRAQMD or "District") portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns recodification of certain rules to replace historical Sutter County Air Pollution Control District and Yuba County Air Pollution Control District rules with the corresponding FRAQMD rules. These rules regulate pollutants under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act").
Learn More🌫️EPA Finalizes Emissions Statement Requirements for California
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve revisions, under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act"), to portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) regarding emissions statements (ES) requirements for the 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). In addition, we are approving that the following California nonattainment areas meet the ES requirements for the 2015 ozone NAAQS: Tuscan Buttes, Kern County (Eastern Kern), and San Diego County.
Learn More🌍Proposed Rule for Ozone Attainment Date Extension in Coachella Valley
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to grant a one-year extension of the "Extreme" attainment date for the 1997 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) to the Riverside County (Coachella Valley) ozone nonattainment area ("Coachella Valley"). This action is based on the EPA's evaluation of air quality monitoring data and the extension request submitted by the State of California. We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.
Learn More⏳EPA Extends 2024 RFS Compliance Reporting Deadline
EPA is extending the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance reporting deadline for the 2024 compliance year. EPA is also making several minor amendments and technical corrections to other RFS provisions.
Learn More🌬️EPA Proposes Changes to Alabama’s Air Quality Regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve 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.
Learn More🌫️Approval of Updates to South Carolina's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted through the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) on September 26, 2023, regarding updates to the State's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) emissions trading programs. The SIP revision incorporates by reference (IBRs) certain amendments EPA has made to the regulations for the Federal CSAPR trading programs for annual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) and sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) for large electric generating units (EGUs). EPA is approving South Carolina's September 26, 2023, SIP revision because it is consistent with EPA's good neighbor CSAPR trading programs and the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).
Learn More🏭EPA Deletes Sites from National Priorities List Impacting Business
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the deletion of one site and partial deletion of three sites from the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL, created under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA and the States, through their designated State agencies, have determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.
Learn More🌍New Jersey Air Quality Regulation Compliance Implications for Businesses
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a revision to New Jersey's State Implementation Plan (SIP), submitted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), for the purposes of incorporating regulations concerning permits and certificates for minor source facilities, and major source facilities without an operating permit. The intended effect of the NJDEP's revisions to the SIP is to regulate the construction and modification of stationary sources with adequate requirements to ensure that the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are satisfied. The NJDEP's revisions will strengthen the SIP by updating the Federal air permitting program to conform with the State regulations that were in effect at the time of the SIP submission, which will ultimately better serve the regulated community and help to protect the quality of air in the State. The EPA proposed to approve this rule on December 17, 2024, and received no comments.
Learn More🌎Proposed EPA Regulations on Ethylene Oxide Emissions Standards
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to establish a new area source category to address chemical manufacturing process units (CMPUs) using ethylene oxide (EtO). The EPA is proposing to list EtO in table 1 to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Chemical Manufacturing Area Sources (referred to as the CMAS NESHAP in this document) and to add EtO- specific requirements to the CMAS NESHAP. The EPA is also proposing to add a fenceline monitoring program for EtO. In addition, the EPA is proposing new requirements for pressure vessels and pressure relief devices (PRDs). This proposal also presents the results of the EPA's technology review of the CMAS NESHAP as required under the Clean Air Act (CAA). As part of this technology review, the EPA is proposing to add new leak detection and repair (LDAR) requirements to the CMAS NESHAP for equipment leaks in organic HAP service and heat exchange systems. The EPA is also proposing performance testing once every 5 years and to add provisions for electronic reporting. We estimate that the proposed amendments to the CMAS NESHAP, excluding the proposed EtO emission standards, would reduce hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from emission sources by approximately 158 tons per year (tpy). Additionally, the proposed EtO emission standards are expected to reduce EtO emissions by approximately 4.6 tpy.
Learn More🌍EPA Reinstates Ohio Air Nuisance Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to correct a November 19, 2020, rulemaking removing the Air Nuisance Rule (ANR) from the Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP). This action is in response to a February 10, 2023, decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (Sixth Circuit or Court) to remand without vacatur EPA's removal of the ANR from the Ohio SIP. Because the Court did not vacate EPA's removal of the ANR, the ANR is currently not in Ohio's SIP. After reevaluating EPA's November 19, 2020, rulemaking, upon remand, EPA proposed to determine that its November 2020 final action was in error, and to correct that action by reinstating the ANR as part of the Ohio SIP. EPA proposed to take this action on February 22, 2024 and received both supportive and adverse comments. EPA is finalizing this action as proposed, and upon the effective date of this action, the ANR will be reinstated into the Ohio SIP.
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