🌱EPA Defers Sanctions for California Air Quality Compliance
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making an interim final determination that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has submitted a rule on behalf of the Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District (EKAPCD or "District") that addresses deficiencies in its Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act") State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO<INF>X</INF>) from stationary gas turbines. This determination is based on a proposed approval, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, of EKAPCD Rule 425 that regulates this category of sources. 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 approval of EKAPCD's submission, relief from these sanctions will become permanent.
Learn More🌬️Proposed EPA Rule for Eastern Kern Air Quality
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District (EKAPCD or "District") portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO<INF>X</INF>) from stationary gas turbines. We are proposing to approve a local rule to regulate these emission sources 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🌫️Air Plan Approval in Texas and Oklahoma
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the comment period for the proposed rule "Air Plan Approval; Texas and Oklahoma; Texas Regional Haze Plans for the First and Second Implementation Periods and Five-Year Progress Report; Oklahoma Regional Haze Plan for the First Implementation Period" that was published on May 23, 2025. The proposal provided for a public comment period ending June 23, 2025. The EPA is extending the comment period to July 23, 2025.
Learn More🌫️EPA Proposes Air Quality Regulation Approvals for Colorado Businesses
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve state implementation plan (SIP) submittals under the Clean Air Act (CAA) that address Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirements for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for the Denver Metro/North Front Range (DMNFR) ozone nonattainment area. The requirements at issue relate to the area's previous Serious nonattainment classification. The EPA is proposing approval of the RACT SIP submittals, proposing to find that the State has met the applicable CAA requirements for Serious area RACT, and proposing that the State has addressed EPA's prior disapproval concerning specific RACT determinations. In this issue of the Federal Register the EPA is concurrently making an interim final determination to defer application of CAA sanctions associated with the prior disapproval. The EPA is taking this action pursuant to the CAA.
Learn More🌫️Indiana's Regional Haze Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the Indiana regional haze state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM or Indiana) on December 29, 2021, as satisfying applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second implementation period. EPA proposes to find that IDEM's SIP submission addresses the requirement that States must periodically revise their long-term strategies for making 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, and also addresses other applicable requirements for the second implementation period of the regional haze program. EPA is taking this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the CAA.
Learn More🌫️EPA Defers Sanctions in Colorado Ozone Nonattainment Area
In the Proposed Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is proposing approval of portions of State Implementation Plan (SIP) submissions from the State of Colorado dated June 26, 2023, May 23, 2024, May 30, 2024, and April 2, 2025. The submissions relate to Colorado Air Quality Control Commission Regulation Number 7 (Reg. 7) and Regulation Number 26 (Reg. 26), and address Colorado's SIP obligations for the Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) Serious ozone nonattainment area requirement for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). In this action, the EPA is making an interim final determination based on that proposed approval. The effect of this interim final determination is that the imposition of sanctions that were triggered by the EPA's December 8, 2023 disapproval are now deferred. Although this action is effective on publication, the EPA will take comment on this interim final determination.
Learn More🌫️Proposed EPA Regulations Impacting Utah Air Quality Standards
Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a portion of a Utah State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission addressing interstate transport for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). The "interstate transport" provision requires that each state's SIP contain adequate provisions to prohibit emissions from within the state from significantly contributing to nonattainment or interfering with maintenance of the NAAQS in other states. In this action, EPA is only addressing the requirement prohibiting interference with maintenance, referred to as "prong 2," for the 2008 ozone NAAQS.
Learn More🌫️California Regional Haze Plan Approval
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the regional haze state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by California on August 9, 2022 (hereinafter the "2022 California Regional Haze Plan" or "the Plan"), under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the EPA's Regional Haze Rule for the program's second implementation period. California's SIP submission addresses the requirement that states must periodically revise their long-term strategies for making 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. The SIP submission also addresses other applicable requirements for the second implementation period of the regional haze program. The EPA is proposing this action pursuant to CAA sections 110 and 169A. The EPA is also withdrawing its previous proposed rule to partially approve and partially disapprove California's regional haze SIP revision as published in the Federal Register on December 19, 2024.
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🚗Delaware's EPA Proposal for Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Delaware. This SIP revision addresses Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for the enactment of a Basic vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance (I/M) program for the Delaware portion (i.e., New Castle County) of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pa-NJ-MD- DE Nonattainment Area (Philadelphia NAA) for the 2015 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
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