🌍EPA Reinstates Ohio Air Nuisance Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to correct a November 19, 2020, rulemaking removing the Air Nuisance Rule (ANR) from the Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP). This action is in response to a February 10, 2023, decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (Sixth Circuit or Court) to remand without vacatur EPA's removal of the ANR from the Ohio SIP. Because the Court did not vacate EPA's removal of the ANR, the ANR is currently not in Ohio's SIP. After reevaluating EPA's November 19, 2020, rulemaking, upon remand, EPA proposed to determine that its November 2020 final action was in error, and to correct that action by reinstating the ANR as part of the Ohio SIP. EPA proposed to take this action on February 22, 2024 and received both supportive and adverse comments. EPA is finalizing this action as proposed, and upon the effective date of this action, the ANR will be reinstated into the Ohio SIP.
Learn More🌫️EPA Proposes Disapproval of West Virginia's Regional Haze SIP
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to disapprove a revision to West Virginia's State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) on August 12, 2022. The SIP was submitted to satisfy applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second planning period. If finalized, disapproval does not start a mandatory sanctions clock. The EPA is taking this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the Clean Air Act.
Learn More🌱Analysis of Proposed EPA Regulations for South Carolina Air Permits
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to partially approve and partially disapprove changes to South Carolina's State Implementation Plan (SIP) to revise regulations prescribing minor source permit program requirements, including minor new source review (NSR) requirements as submitted by the State of South Carolina, through the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC), on the following dates: October 1, 2007; July 18, 2011; June 17, 2013; August 8, 2014; January 20, 2016; July 27, 2016; and April 24, 2020. This action is being proposed pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).
Learn More🌍Proposed EPA Regulations Impacting California Air Quality Compliance
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing action on three permitting rules submitted as a revision to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD 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 section 110(a)(2)(C) and part D of title I of the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act"). This action will update the California SIP with rules that the District has revised to address deficiencies identified in a previous limited disapproval action and to incorporate other revisions related to NSR requirements. 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 defer the imposition of CAA sanctions associated with our previous limited disapproval action. This action also proposes to revise regulatory text to clarify that the SJVUAPCD is not subject to the federal implementation plan related to protection of visibility.
Learn More🔥EPA Approves Removal of Recreational Fires Ban in Washington
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a revision to the Washington State Implementation Plan (SIP) that was submitted by the Department of Ecology (Ecology) in coordination with the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA). In 2013, Ecology and ORCAA inadvertently submitted for incorporation into the SIP a ban on small, recreational fires in Thurston County. These fires are defined as having a maximum pile size of three feet in diameter by two feet high using seasoned firewood or charcoal, generally associated with backyard, summer campfires. Ecology and ORCAA provided a review of the historical record to demonstrate that the ban on recreational fires was not relied upon for attainment, maintenance, or reasonable further progress in the Thurston County area. Ecology and ORCAA also provided data to demonstrate that removing the ban on recreational fires would not interfere with maintenance of the national ambient air quality standards. Therefore, we are approving the request by Ecology and ORCAA to remove this provision from the SIP.
Learn More🌍EPA Revises Federal Implementation Plan for Sulfur Dioxide in Montana
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) applicable to sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) emissions from four sources located in Billings and Laurel, Montana. Specifically, the EPA is revising a portion of the FIP promulgated by the EPA in 2008 (2008 Billings/Laurel SO<INF>2</INF> FIP) by removing a provision which contained an affirmative defense for exceedances of flare emission limits during malfunctions, startups, and shutdowns. The EPA is taking this action pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Learn More🌍New EPA Updates to Alaska Air Quality Regulations Announced
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is updating the materials that are incorporated by reference (IBR) into the Alaska State Implementation Plan (SIP). The regulations affected by this update have been previously submitted by the State of Alaska and approved by the EPA. In this final rule, the EPA is also notifying the public of corrections and clarifying changes in the Code of Federal Regulations tables that identify the materials incorporated by reference into the Alaska SIP. This update affects the materials that are available for public inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration and the EPA Regional Office.
Learn More🌍Montana EPA Approves Change to Oxygenated Fuels Program
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ or "the State"), on January 30, 2024, requesting to change the status of gasoline requirements (the "oxygenated fuels" or "oxyfuels" program) in the Missoula, Montana Carbon Monoxide (CO) Limited Maintenance Plan (LMP) from active control measure to a contingency measure. The SIP revision contains a non- interference demonstration under the Clean Air Act (CAA), which concludes that converting the oxygenated gasoline program from a control measure to a contingency measure in the Missoula CO LMP would not interfere with attainment or maintenance of the CO National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The EPA is finalizing approval of Montana's SIP submittal pursuant the CAA.
Learn More🌍Kansas EPA Proposes New Emission Fees and Compliance Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) and Operating Permits Program and the 112(l)plan submitted by the State of Kansas on February 20, 2023. The revised Kansas rules update the Class I emission fee and emissions inventory regulations, establish a Class II fee schedule and ensure that Kansas's Operating Permits Program is adequately funded. Approval of these revisions ensures consistency between the State and federally-approved rules and does not impact air quality.
Learn More🌍EPA Defers Sanctions
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making an interim final determination that the State of Alaska has submitted state implementation plan (SIP) revisions that satisfy outstanding Clean Air Act requirements. This interim final determination defers the imposition of sanctions for the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) Fairbanks North Star Borough PM<INF>2.5</INF> nonattainment area. This determination is based on a proposed approval, published in the "Proposed Rules" section of this Federal Register, of the SIP revisions, submitted by the State of Alaska (Alaska or the State) on December 4, 2024, to address Clean Air Act requirements for the 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).
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