🌬️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🌫️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 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🌳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.
Learn More🌬️EPA Approves Air Quality Regulations for Feather River District
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve a revision to the Feather River Air Quality Management District (FRAQMD or "District") portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns recodification of certain rules to replace historical Sutter County Air Pollution Control District and Yuba County Air Pollution Control District rules with the corresponding FRAQMD rules. These rules regulate pollutants under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act").
Learn More🌫️EPA Finalizes Emissions Statement Requirements for California
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve revisions, under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act"), to portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) regarding emissions statements (ES) requirements for the 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). In addition, we are approving that the following California nonattainment areas meet the ES requirements for the 2015 ozone NAAQS: Tuscan Buttes, Kern County (Eastern Kern), and San Diego County.
Learn More🌍Proposed Rule for Ozone Attainment Date Extension in Coachella Valley
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to grant a one-year extension of the "Extreme" attainment date for the 1997 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) to the Riverside County (Coachella Valley) ozone nonattainment area ("Coachella Valley"). This action is based on the EPA's evaluation of air quality monitoring data and the extension request submitted by the State of California. We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.
Learn More🌬️EPA Proposes Changes to Alabama’s Air Quality Regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Alabama, through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) on December 20, 2023. The revision modifies the State's air quality regulations as incorporated into the SIP by changing the definition of "volatile organic compounds" (VOC) to be consistent with Federal regulations. The revision also addresses typographical errors and increases clarity and consistency with EPA's definitions and Alabama's Legislative Services Agency requirements.
Learn More🌍New Jersey Air Quality Regulation Compliance Implications for Businesses
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a revision to New Jersey's State Implementation Plan (SIP), submitted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), for the purposes of incorporating regulations concerning permits and certificates for minor source facilities, and major source facilities without an operating permit. The intended effect of the NJDEP's revisions to the SIP is to regulate the construction and modification of stationary sources with adequate requirements to ensure that the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are satisfied. The NJDEP's revisions will strengthen the SIP by updating the Federal air permitting program to conform with the State regulations that were in effect at the time of the SIP submission, which will ultimately better serve the regulated community and help to protect the quality of air in the State. The EPA proposed to approve this rule on December 17, 2024, and received no comments.
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