🌍EPA Proposes Approval of California CO Maintenance Plan Revision
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the California state implementation plan (SIP) that removes carbon monoxide (CO) contingency measures and monitoring requirements from the maintenance plan for three CO maintenance areas: Chico Urbanized Area, Modesto Urbanized Area, and Stockton Urbanized Area. We are proposing to approve the revision under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act"). We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.
Learn More🌍EPA Proposes Approval of Florida SIP Revisions on Air Quality
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) on August 15, 2023. The revision seeks to remove certain Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR)-related definitions, and CAIR-related portions of certain definitions, in the Stationary Sources--General Requirements chapter of the Florida SIP because they have become obsolete. EPA is proposing to approve these changes pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).
Learn More📄Update on Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements and Exemptions
FinCEN is adopting this interim final rule to narrow the existing beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) to require only entities previously defined as "foreign reporting companies" to report BOI. Under this interim final rule, entities previously defined as "domestic reporting companies" are exempted from the reporting requirements and do not have to report BOI to FinCEN, or update or correct BOI previously reported to FinCEN. With limited exceptions, the interim final rule does not change the existing requirement for foreign reporting companies to file BOI reports, but it extends the deadline to file initial BOI reports, and to update or correct previously filed BOI reports, to 30 days from the date of this publication to give foreign reporting companies additional time to comply. However, the interim final rule exempts foreign reporting companies from having to report the BOI of any U.S. persons who are beneficial owners of the foreign reporting company and exempts U.S. persons from having to provide such information to any foreign reporting company for which they are a beneficial owner. FinCEN is accepting comments on this interim final rule. FinCEN will assess the exemptions, as appropriate, in light of those comments and intends to issue a final rule this year.
Learn More🌫️EPA's Interim Decision on Air Quality Regulations in California
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making an interim final determination that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has submitted a Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act") state implementation plan (SIP) revision on behalf of the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District (AVAQMD or "District") that corrects deficiencies concerning the District's New Source Review (NSR) stationary source permitting program. This determination is based on a proposed approval, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, of AVAQMD Rules 1301, 1302 (except 1302(C)(5) and 1302(C)(7)(c)), 1303, 1304, 1305, and 1309. The effect of this interim final determination is to stay the application of the offset sanction and to defer the action of the highway sanction that were triggered by the EPA's limited disapproval of AVAQMD Rules 1301, 1302 (except 1302(C)(5) and 1302(C)(7)(c)), 1303, 1304, 1305, 1309 on July 3, 2023.
Learn More🌫️Proposed California Air Quality Permits
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing approval of six permitting rules, and limited approval and limited disapproval for one permitting rule, submitted on January 7, 2025, as a revision to the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District (AVAQMD or "District") portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern the District's New Source Review (NSR) permitting program for new and modified sources of air pollution under part D of title I of the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act"). The submitted rules address deficiencies identified in a previous limited disapproval action and incorporate other revisions related to NSR requirements. If finalized, this action will update the AVAQMD's current SIP with the revised rules. We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action. Elsewhere in this Federal Register, we are making an interim final determination that will stay or defer the imposition of CAA sanctions associated with our previous limited disapproval action.
Learn More🌍EPA Approves VOC Emission Limits for Knowlton Technologies
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a revision to the State of New York's State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) related to a Source-specific SIP (SSSIP) revision for Knowlton Technologies LLC, located at 213 Factory Street, Watertown, New York (the Facility). The control options in this SSSIP revision address volatile organic compound (VOC) Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for the Facility source identified as two 10,000-gallon underground storage tanks holding virgin methanol. This action is being taken in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for implementation of the 2008 and 2015 ozone NAAQS. The EPA proposed to approve this rule on November 26, 2024, and received no comments. This final action will not interfere with ozone NAAQS requirements and meets all applicable requirements of the CAA.
Learn More🌫️Idaho's Regional Haze Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the Idaho regional haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted on August 5, 2022, and supplemented on May 8, 2024. Idaho submitted the SIP revision to address the requirement to make reasonable progress toward the national goal of preventing any future, and remedying any existing, anthropogenic impairment of visibility in certain national parks and wilderness areas.
Learn More🌬️EPA Reopens Comment Period for Alaska Air Quality Proposal
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reopening the public comment period on the proposed rule entitled "Air Plan Approval; AK, Fairbanks North Star Borough; 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> Serious Area and 189(d) Plan" published on January 8, 2025. Commenters requested more time to review the proposal and prepare comments. In response, the EPA is providing an additional 30 days for the public to provide comment on all aspects of the proposed rule. The January 8, 2025, notice of proposed rulemaking also started the EPA's adequacy process for the motor vehicle emissions budgets and began the public comment period for that process. The EPA is not reopening the public comment period for the adequacy process, and it intends to proceed with the adequacy process outside of this rulemaking.
Learn More🌳EPA's Interim Final Determination Eases Sanctions for Sacramento Area
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making an interim final determination to stay and defer the imposition of sanctions under the Clean Air Act (CAA), based on a proposed determination that the Sacramento Metro area has attained the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) by its December 31, 2024, attainment date. The proposed determination of attainment is published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Learn More🌬️EPA Proposes Attainment Determination for Sacramento Ozone Standards
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine that the Sacramento Metro, California area attained the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) by its December 31, 2024 attainment date. This proposed determination is based on quality-assured and certified ambient air quality monitoring data from 2022 through 2024. If we finalize this determination as proposed, the requirement for the State to have contingency measures for reasonable further progress (RFP) and attainment for the 2008 ozone NAAQS will no longer apply for this area. We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action. Elsewhere in this Federal Register, we are making an interim final determination that will stay and defer the imposition of Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act") sanctions associated with a disapproval action related to the contingency measures requirement for this area.
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