⚡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💧Arizona UIC Program Primacy Proposed Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) has received a complete Underground Injection Control (UIC) primacy application from the State of Arizona requesting primary enforcement responsibility (primacy) for Class I-VI injection wells under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1422. The EPA's approval of the State's UIC program primacy application would allow the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to authorize underground injection for all underground injection wells regulated under the Federal SDWA and ensure compliance with UIC program requirements. The EPA proposes to issue a final rule approving Arizona's application to implement the UIC program for Class I-VI injection wells located within the State, except those on Indian lands. The EPA proposes amendments to reflect this proposed approval of Arizona's UIC program primacy application.
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🌫️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🌫️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🌍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🌍NSF Comment Request on Antarctic Expedition Regulations
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the following information collection requirement to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This is the second notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal Register, and no comments were received. NSF is forwarding the proposed submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice.
Learn More🌾Sulfentrazone Pesticide Tolerances Established by EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is finalizing tolerance actions it previously proposed on its own initiative under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) for residues of sulfentrazone in or on corn, pop, grain and corn, pop, stover.
Learn More🌍Congressional Review Act Revocation of Waste Emissions Charge
Congress has passed and the President has signed a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) final rule titled, "Waste Emissions Charge for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems: Procedures for Facilitating Compliance, Including Netting and Exemptions" (2024 WEC Final Rule). The 2024 WEC Final Rule implemented and facilitated compliance with the requirements of the Waste Emissions Charge in the Clean Air Act's (CAA) Methane Emissions Reduction Program. Under the joint resolution and by operation of the CRA, the 2024 WEC Final Rule now has no legal force or effect. Because the rule has been nullified, the EPA is removing it from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This action is exempt from notice-and-comment rulemaking because it is ministerial in nature.
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.
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