🌍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🌍EPA Updates Ozone Measurement Calibration Requirements for 2025
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is correcting a final rule published in the Federal Register on October 12, 2023, that became effective on November 13, 2023. The final rule updated the current ozone absorption cross-section to the recommended consensus- based value of 1.1329x10<SUP>-17</SUP> cm\2\ molecule<SUP>-1</SUP> or 304.39 atm<SUP>-1</SUP> cm<SUP>-1</SUP>. After publication, the EPA became aware of an error in the preamble text regarding the date for State, local, and Tribal monitoring agencies to complete implementation of the new ozone cross-section value, as well as a lack of clarity as to which entities the 2025 and 2026 implementation dates apply. With this action, the EPA is updating the final rule preamble and regulatory text to clarify the applicable implementation dates and the specific entities to which they apply. These corrections do not include any substantive changes to the final rule.
Learn More🌎EPA Approves Air Quality Revisions in Maricopa County, Arizona
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve revisions to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD or "County") portions of the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern the County's reasonably available control technology (RACT) demonstration for the aerospace coating category and negative declarations for the 2008 8- hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or "standards") in the portion of the Phoenix-Mesa ozone nonattainment area regulated by the MCAQD, as well as a rule covering emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from surface coatings and industrial adhesives. We are also approving a local rule that regulates these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "the Act").
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🌍Air Quality Regulation Updates for Maricopa County Businesses
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing a limited approval and limited disapproval of revisions to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD or "County") portion of the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from loading of organic liquids and gasoline. Under the authority of the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act"), this action simultaneously approves local rules that regulate these emission sources and directs Arizona to correct rule deficiencies. We are also finalizing a disapproval of MCAQD's reasonably available control technology (RACT) demonstration for the source categories associated with these rules for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) in the Phoenix-Mesa ozone nonattainment area.
Learn More🌍EPA's Proposed Air
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the state implementation plan (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 fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) national ambient air quality standards in the Fairbanks North Star Borough Serious PM<INF>2.5</INF> nonattainment area. Alaska's submission includes SIP revisions to meet nonattainment planning requirements for emissions inventories, modeling and sulfur dioxide precursor demonstration for major stationary sources, control measures, attainment projections and progress to attainment and associated motor vehicle emissions budgets, and contingency measures. The EPA is also starting the adequacy process for the budgets.
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).
Learn More🌫️EPA Denies Redesignation Request for Louisville Air Quality
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is withdrawing its proposed approval of the request to redesignate the Kentucky portion of the Louisville, Kentucky-Indiana, 2015 8-hour ozone nonattainment area (hereinafter referred to as the "Louisville, KY-IN Area" or "Area") to attainment for the 2015 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or standards). EPA is withdrawing its April 18, 2023, proposed approval and is now proposing to deny Kentucky's request to redesignate the Kentucky portion of the Area from nonattainment to attainment, based on the Area's violation of the NAAQS. EPA is taking no action at this time on Kentucky's maintenance plan, including the regional motor vehicle emission budgets for nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) for the years of 2019 and 2035, submitted with Kentucky's redesignation request for the Louisville, KY-IN Area. The redesignation request and maintenance plan state implementation plan (SIP) revision were submitted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet (Cabinet), Division of Air Quality (DAQ), on September 6, 2022.
Learn More🌍Ohio's Air Quality Regulation Impacts for Businesses in 2025
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the following portions of Ohio's State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission for the Cleveland 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or standard) Moderate nonattainment area: the base year emissions inventory, the reasonable further progress (RFP) demonstration, the motor vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) program, and the nonattainment new source review (NNSR) program. EPA is proposing to approve these portions of the State's submission as a SIP revision pursuant to section 110 and part D of the CAA and EPA's regulations. EPA is also initiating the adequacy process and proposing approval of the 2023 motor vehicle emissions budgets (budgets) associated with the Cleveland Moderate ozone nonattainment RFP demonstration.
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