♻️EPA Approves Alter Metal Recycling Permit Modification in Iowa
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve revisions to the Iowa State Implementation Plan (SIP) to include a permit modification for Alter Metal Recycling. This final action will amend the SIP to incorporate revisions to the air construction permit for Alter Metal Recycling included in the State's 2008 Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) attainment plan for a portion of Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, IA. These revisions do not impact the stringency of the SIP or have an adverse effect on air quality. The EPA's approval of this revision is being done in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Learn More🌫️Wyoming EPA Approves Air Quality Regulation for Jim Bridger Units
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Wyoming on December 30, 2022, and supplemented on August 31, 2023, and November 16, 2023, addressing regional haze for Jim Bridger Units 1 and 2 (Wyoming 2022 SIP revision). Wyoming's 2022 SIP revision provides oxides of nitrogen (NO<INF>X</INF>) emission and heat input limits that collectively allow for identical reasonable progress as part of the long term strategy during the first implementation period as the associated emission limits in the existing SIP for Jim Bridger Units 1 and 2. The EPA is also approving monthly and annual NO<INF>X</INF> and sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) emission limits for Jim Bridger Units 1 through 4 that were included in Wyoming's 2022 SIP revision. The EPA is taking this action pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).
Learn More🏭EPA Proposes New Emissions Limits for Carmeuse Lime in Ohio
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the addition of Director's Final Findings and Orders (DFFOs) issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) to Carmeuse Lime, Inc. into the Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the 2010 sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The DFFOs establish a new emissions limit for SO<INF>2</INF> emissions from the combined lime kiln stack that receives and emits SO<INF>2</INF> emissions from two rotary lime kilns at the Carmeuse Lime Maple Grove Facility in Seneca County, Ohio.
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves Iowa's Regional Haze State Implementation Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve the Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the State of Iowa as satisfying applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second implementation period. Iowa'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 the CAA.
Learn More🚗EPA Proposes Repeal of Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards
In this action, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to repeal all greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines to effectuate the best reading of Clean Air Act (CAA) section 202(a). We propose that CAA section 202(a) does not authorize the EPA to prescribe emission standards to address global climate change concerns and, on that basis, propose to rescind the Administrator's prior findings in 2009 that GHG emissions from new motor vehicles and engines contribute to air pollution which may endanger public health or welfare. We further propose, in the alternative, to rescind the Administrator's prior findings in 2009 because the EPA unreasonably analyzed the scientific record and because developments cast significant doubt on the reliability of the findings. Lastly, we propose to repeal all GHG emission standards on the alternative bases that no requisite technology for vehicle and engine emission control can address the global climate change concerns identified in the findings without risking greater harms to public health and welfare.
Learn More🌬️EPA Proposes Air Quality Fees for South Coast California Businesses
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning a rule submitted to address section 185 of the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act") with respect to the 1997 and 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or "standard"). We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.
Learn More🌫️EPA Proposes Approval of NJ's Second PM2.5 Maintenance Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve, under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the limited maintenance plan (LMP) for the 2006 PM<INF>2.5</INF> national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for the New Jersey portion of both of New Jersey's multi-state maintenance areas: the Northern New Jersey portion of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT (Northern New Jersey) maintenance area and the New Jersey portion of the Philadelphia-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE (Southern New Jersey) maintenance area. This LMP was submitted on July 6, 2023, and supplemented on June 6, 2024, by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The plan addresses the second 10-year maintenance period for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 2.5 micrometers, known as PM<INF>2.5</INF>. The EPA is proposing approval of New Jersey's LMP submission because it provides for the maintenance of the 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS through the end of the second 10-year portion of the maintenance period. In addition, the EPA completed the adequacy review process of this New Jersey PM<INF>2.5</INF> LMP for transportation conformity purposes on June 7, 2024.
Learn More🌫️Proposed Rule for South Carolina's Regional Haze Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a regional haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) dated March 3, 2022, as satisfying the applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) and EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second planning period. South Carolina's SIP submission addresses the requirement that states must periodically revise their long-term strategies for making reasonable progress toward 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 planning period of the regional haze program. EPA is proposing this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the Act.
Learn More🌍EPA Extends Deadlines for Oil and Natural Gas Emissions Compliance
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking interim final action to extend certain deadlines within the final rule titled "Standards of Performance for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources: Oil and Natural Gas Sector Climate Review," 89 FR 16820 (March 8, 2024) (hereafter "2024 final rule"). Specifically, the EPA is extending deadlines for certain provisions related to control devices, equipment leaks, storage vessels, process controllers, and covers/closed vent systems in "Subpart OOOOb--Standards of Performance for Crude Oil and Natural Gas Facilities for Which Construction, Modification or Reconstruction Commenced After December 6, 2022" (NSPS OOOOb). The EPA also is extending the date for future implementation of the SuperEmitter Program. Finally, the EPA is extending the state plan submittal deadline in "Subpart OOOOc--Emissions Guidelines (EG) for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Crude Oil and Natural Gas Facilities" (EG OOOOc). The EPA is requesting comments on all aspects of this interim final rule and will consider all comments received in determining whether amendments to this rule are appropriate after the conclusion of the comment period.
Learn More🌍EPA Reclassifies Shinnecock Indian Nation as Serious Nonattainment
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that Indian country under the jurisdiction of the Shinnecock Indian Nation located within the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island nonattainment area (Shinnecock Indian Nation area) failed to attain the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by the applicable attainment date. The effect of failing to attain by the applicable attainment date is that the area will be reclassified by operation of law to "Serious" nonattainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS on September 2, 2025, the effective date of this final rule. This action fulfills the EPA's obligation under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to determine whether ozone nonattainment areas attained the NAAQS by the attainment date and to publish a document in the Federal Register identifying each area that is determined as having failed to attain and identifying the reclassification.
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