🌫️EPA Proposes Approval of Arkansas Regional Haze SIP for Visibility
Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Arkansas through the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on August 8, 2022, and clarified by DEQ on July 29, 2025, as satisfying the requirements of the Act and the EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for visibility protection in mandatory Class I Federal areas (Class I areas) for the program's second implementation period. Arkansas' SIP submission addresses the requirement that states must revise their long-term strategies for making reasonable progress to prevent any future and remedy any existing man-made visibility impairment in the Class I areas. The EPA is taking this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the CAA.
Learn More🌬️EPA Withdraws Nonattainment Designation for Texas Areas
On May 16, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (the Court) granted petitions for review of the EPA's nonattainment area designation for the Rusk and Panola Counties area, Texas for the 2010 SO<INF>2</INF> National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). Accordingly, that nonattainment designation for the area has been vacated. The vacatur of the nonattainment designation necessarily requires the withdrawal of two contingent actions since the underlying designation is no longer valid: EPA's finding of failure to submit an attainment plan (FFS) issued on August 10, 2020, and EPA's finding of failure to attain the NAAQS by the attainment date (FFA) issued on December 17, 2024. The EPA is withdrawing these two final actions in accordance with the court's decision and finds that any requirements deriving from either the FFS or the FFA are no longer applicable.
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves Missouri's Sulfur Dioxide Emission Control Revisions
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve revisions to the Missouri State Implementation Plan (SIP) related to replacing the previous statewide sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) rule with the latest version of a newer SO<INF>2</INF> rule (10 CSR 10-6.261). The SIP revisions include removing outdated requirements and reinstating SO<INF>2</INF> emission limits for the Ameren-Labadie and Evergy-Hawthorn power plants. The revisions do not impact the stringency of the SIP, nor do they impact the state's ability to attain or maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The EPA is also approving Missouri's negative declaration of sources subject to sulfuric acid production requirements. This final approval action is being done in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves California's Regional Haze Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving 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 (RHR) for the program's second implementation period. The Plan 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 Plan also addresses other applicable requirements for the second implementation period of the regional haze program. The EPA is taking this action pursuant to CAA sections 110 and 169A.
Learn More🌫️EPA Air Quality Regulations Changes Impacting Lane County Businesses
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve the June 26, 2024, submitted revisions to the Oregon State Implementation Plan (SIP) applicable in Lane County, Oregon. The changes update the local stationary source permitting regulations to align with existing State regulations. The revisions eliminate generic plant site emission limits in favor of source-specific and source- category specific limits, update construction notification requirements, clarify the use of modeling and monitoring for compliance assurance, and streamline the permit application process.
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves Idaho's Regional Haze Implementation Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the Idaho regional haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted on August 5, 2022, supplemented on September 27, 2024, and clarified on August 12, 2025, as satisfying applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act and the EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second implementation period. The Idaho SIP revision addressed 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🌬️Kentucky SO2 Nonattainment Regulations and Business Compliance
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve two State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Energy and Environment Cabinet (Cabinet), Division of Air Quality (DAQ) on January 26, 2024, and February 15, 2024, to certify two requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). These revisions establish that the Kentucky SIP satisfies the nonattainment new source review (NNSR) and base year emissions inventory requirements for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for the Henderson-Webster SO<INF>2</INF> nonattainment area (hereinafter "Henderson-Webster SO<INF>2</INF> Nonattainment Area" or "Area"). These actions are being proposed pursuant to the CAA.
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves Michigan's Regional Haze Plan - Business Implications
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) on August 23, 2021, and supplemented on July 24, 2025, as satisfying applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second implementation period. EGLE'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. EPA is taking this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the CAA.
Learn More🌬️Georgia Eases Air Quality Permitting Requirements for Businesses
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Georgia through the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) on June 27, 2024. The revision seeks to remove permitting requirements related to nonattainment, including nonattainment new source review (NNSR), from Georgia's SIP as obsolete, remove certain provisions related to the use of emission reduction credits (ERCs), and make other changes based upon the lack of any areas designated as nonattainment for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in Georgia. EPA is proposing to approve these changes pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).
Learn More🌬️Proposed Revisions to Arkansas Air Quality Implementation Plan
Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Arkansas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted to the EPA on February 4, 2025. The revisions address the codification of the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission (APC & EC) Rule 19 and Regulations 9, 26, and 31 into the Code of Arkansas Rules (CAR). The revisions are non-substantive and administrative in nature, and do not add or relax any provisions in the approved SIP.
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