🌬️Proposed Updates to West Virginia's Air Quality Standards by EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of West Virginia. This revision updates West Virginia's incorporation by reference (IBR) of EPA's national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and the associated monitoring reference and equivalent methods. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Learn More🌬️Corrections to Arizona Air Quality Implementation Plan by EPA
On January 16, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule in the Federal Register approving revisions to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD or "County") portion of the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP). In that rulemaking, the EPA inadvertently published numbering errors in the regulatory text codifying the approval in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This document corrects the errors in the final rule's regulatory text.
Learn More🌿New Pesticide Tolerances Affecting Agriculture and Manufacturing
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is finalizing several tolerance actions under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) that the Agency previously determined were necessary or appropriate during the registration review conducted under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). During registration review, EPA reviews all aspects of a pesticide case, including existing tolerances, to ensure that the pesticide continues to meet the standard for registration under FIFRA.
Learn More🌱EPA Proposes New Pesticide Tolerances and Regulation Updates
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is proposing to implement several tolerance actions under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) that the Agency determined were necessary or appropriate during the registration review conducted under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). During registration review, EPA reviews all aspects of a pesticide case, including existing tolerances, to ensure that the pesticide continues to meet the standard for registration under FIFRA. The pesticide tolerances and active ingredients addressed in this rulemaking are identified and discussed in detail in Unit III. of this document.
Learn More🧪EPA Extends TSCA Submission Deadlines for Selected Chemicals
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is amending the deadline for reporting pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Health and Safety Data Reporting rule, which requires manufacturers (including importers) of 16 specified chemical substances to submit lists and copies of certain unpublished health and safety studies to the EPA. Specifically, the EPA is amending the reporting deadline for all 16 chemical substances subject to the rule to May 22, 2026, through final action.
Learn More🌊Amendments to Rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is amending its regulations that implement the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to revise language reading "Gulf of Mexico" or the associated acronym "GOM" to read "Gulf of America" or the associated acronym "GOA." Executive Order 14172 directs agencies to make this change. This final rule ensures that these regulations comply with this order.
Learn More🐋Regulations for Taking Endangered Marine Mammals in Fishing
NMFS is issuing a permit to authorize the incidental, but not intentional, take of specific Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed marine mammal species or stocks under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), in the Category II California (CA) thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet (>=14 inch (in) mesh) fishery and the corresponding high seas component of the fishery defined on the MMPA List of Fisheries (LOF) as the Pacific highly migratory species drift gillnet fishery (hereinafter, collectively referred to as the CA thresher shark/ swordfish drift gillnet (>=14 in mesh)/Pacific highly migratory species drift gillnet fishery.
Learn More🌫️Florida Haze Plan Approval & Business Compliance Implications
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a regional haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) on October 8, 2021, and supplemented on June 14, 2024, and October 28, 2024, as satisfying applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act ("CAA" or "Act") and EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second planning period. Florida's SIP submissions were submitted to address 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 (hereinafter referred to as "Class I areas"). These SIP submissions also address other applicable requirements for the second planning period of the regional haze program. EPA is taking this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the Act.
Learn More🌫️California Air Plan Approval
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising the format for materials submitted by the State of California that are incorporated by reference into the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). The regulations and other materials affected by this format change have all been previously submitted by the State of California and approved by the EPA. This format revision will primarily affect the "Identification of plan--in part" sections, as well as the format of the SIP materials that will be available for public inspection at the EPA Regional Office and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). This action, which only relates to local ordinances and certain local and regional California air district rules, is the second of a series of actions intended to change the format for the entire California SIP.
Learn More🚧California's Cement Kiln Sanction Relief by EPA Announcement
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making an interim final determination that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has submitted a revised rule on behalf of the Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District (EKAPCD) that addresses deficiencies in its Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act") State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning reasonably available control technology (RACT) ozone nonattainment requirements for controlling emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO<INF>X</INF>) from Portland cement kilns. This determination is based on a proposed approval of the submitted revised rule, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. The effect of this interim final determination is that the application of offset sanctions that was triggered by a previous limited disapproval by the EPA in 2023 is now stayed, and the application of highway sanctions is now deferred. If the EPA finalizes its proposed approval of EKAPCD's submittal, relief from these sanctions will become permanent.
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