🌫️Connecticut's EPA SIP Revisions on Ozone Nonattainment Areas
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Connecticut. This action consists of revisions to Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (RCSA) sections 22a-174-22e and 22a-174- 22f, primarily to add compliance dates for sources brought into the applicability of these sections due to a change in the definition of "severe non-attainment area for ozone," The definition change had previously been approved into Connecticut's SIP. This action is being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act.
Learn More🌬️EPA Ruling on Valero Refining's Clean Air Act Permit Petition
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) former Acting Administrator signed an Order dated January 07, 2025, granting in part and denying in part a petition dated August 20, 2024, from Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services, Caring for Pasadena Communities, Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, and Environmental Integrity Project (the Petitioners). The petition requested that the EPA object to a Clean Air Act (CAA) title V operating permit issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to Valero Refining-Texas, L.P., for its Valero Houston Refinery located in Harris County, Texas.
Learn More🌬️Proposed Air Quality Regulations for Montana Business Compliance
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve elements of a state implementation plan (SIP) submission from Montana regarding the infrastructure requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA. Additionally, EPA is proposing to approve Montana's request to update their SIP, to incorporate the most current version of the "Guideline on Air Quality Models." The EPA is taking this action pursuant to the CAA.
Learn More🌍EPA Approves Guam Sulfur Dioxide Emissions Inventory Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve a revision to Guam's State Implementation Plan (SIP) under section 110(k)(3) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or "the Act"). This revision concerns the base year emissions inventory for the Piti-Cabras, Guam sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) nonattainment area ("Piti-Cabras area" or NAA) for the 2010 1-hour SO<INF>2</INF> National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS, "standard," or "2010 SO<INF>2</INF> NAAQS").
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves Connecticut's Ozone Emissions Inventory Revision
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Connecticut that relate to the 2015 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The SIP revisions are for the Greater Connecticut and the Connecticut portion of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT ozone nonattainment areas. This action will approve submittals which include the 2017 base year emissions inventories for these two nonattainment areas for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Learn More🌫️EPA Proposes New PM2.5 Air Quality Standards Affecting Businesses
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine that the San Joaquin Valley, California fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) nonattainment area attained the 1997 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) by the December 31, 2024 applicable attainment date. This proposed determination is based on ambient air quality monitoring data from 2022 through 2024. We are also proposing to make a clean data determination (CDD) based on the 2022 through 2024 data and our evaluation of preliminary air quality monitoring data from 2025. We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.
Learn More🌍EPA Proposes Approval of Ohio's Sulfur Dioxide Maintenance Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve, under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the second 10-year maintenance plan submitted to EPA on November 7, 2024, by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) for the Ohio portion of the Campbell- Clermont Counties, Kentucky-Ohio maintenance area. The Ohio portion of this area consists of Pierce Township in Clermont County, Ohio. The plan addresses the second 10-year maintenance period for the 2010 sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). EPA is proposing to approve Ohio EPA's submittal for the area because it provides for the continued maintenance of the 2010 SO<INF>2</INF> NAAQS through the end of the second 10-year portion of the maintenance period.
Learn More🌬️Proposed Revisions to Minnesota Air Quality Regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Minnesota State Implementation Plan (SIP) which updates Minnesota's air program rules. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) submitted the request to EPA on October 1, 2021. The revision to Minnesota's air quality rules will reflect changes that have occurred to the State air quality rules since July 2020. EPA is proposing to approve MPCA's submittal, which will result in consistent requirements of rules at both the State and Federal level.
Learn More🌫️EPA Proposes Utah Air Plan Approval for PM2.5 Standards
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve, through parallel processing, a State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from the State of Utah with revisions to Utah Administrative Code (UAC), Utah State SIP, and the best available control measures/ best available control technologies (BACM/BACT) determinations for five facilities found in the Salt Lake City, Utah nonattainment area (NAA) for the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 2.5 microns (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) (State of Utah draft dated May 20, 2025). The EPA is taking this action pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).
Learn More🌫️Colorado Regional Haze Regulation and Business Implications
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to partially approve and partially disapprove a regional haze state implementation plan (SIP) submission submitted by the State of Colorado under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second implementation period. Colorado'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. We propose to base our partial disapproval of Colorado's long-term strategy on its inclusion of insufficiently justified enforceable source closures that are not consistent with statutory requirements. Colorado's 2022 SIP submission also addresses other applicable requirements for the second implementation period of the regional haze program. Concurrently, the EPA is proposing to approve a revision to Colorado's SIP consolidating existing regional haze provisions into the same regulation where the State's new, second planning period provisions are located.
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