🌍EPA Proposes Air Plan Approval for Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve 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 Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, 513 Technology Boulevard, Rochester, New York (the Facility). The EPA is proposing to find that the control options in this SSSIP revision implement Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) with respect to volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from the relevant Facility source, which are identified as one solvent-based film coating machine. This SSSIP revision is intended to implement VOC RACT for the relevant Facility source in accordance with the requirements for implementation of the 2008 and 2015 ozone NAAQS. EPA proposes to determine that this action will not interfere with ozone NAAQS requirements and meets all applicable requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Learn More🌬️Texas Air Quality Control Technology Revisions by EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is supplementing a proposed rule published on March 10, 2021, to approve revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning Nitrogen Oxide (NO<INF>X</INF>) and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirements for the Serious Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB), 2008 8-hour ozone National Air Quality Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) nonattainment area. Because of comments received on the March 10, 2021, proposal, we are providing additional analysis, in this proposal, regarding the RACT requirements which apply to sources of VOC in this area. Consistent with this analysis, EPA is proposing to determine that the Texas Rules meet the RACT requirements for sources of VOCs in the HGB Serious ozone nonattainment area for the purposes of the 2008 standard. The NO<INF>X</INF> portion of the RACT analysis in the March 10, 2021, proposal will be addressed in a separate action. The EPA is providing an opportunity for public comment on this supplemental proposal. Comments received on the March 10, 2021, proposal and this supplemental proposal will be addressed in a final rule.
Learn More🌍EPA Proposes Conditional Approval for Mojave Desert Air Permits
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing conditional approval of five permitting rules as a revision to the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These are revisions to the District's New Source Review (NSR) air permitting program rules for new and modified sources of air pollution under the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act"). The submitted rules address deficiencies identified in a previous limited disapproval action and incorporate other revisions related to the NSR permitting requirements. If finalized, this action will update the MDAQMD's current SIP with the revised rules. As a separate action in this Federal Register, we are making an interim final determination that will stay or defer the imposition of CAA sanctions associated with our previous limited disapproval action.
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves Air Quality Redesignation for Liberty-Clairton Area
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's request to redesignate to attainment the Liberty-Clairton, Pennsylvania nonattainment area (Liberty-Clairton Area) for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or standard). The EPA has determined that the Liberty-Clairton Area attained both the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS and has met the statutory requirements for redesignation. The EPA is approving, as a revision to the Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP), the Commonwealth's plan for maintaining the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS through 2035 for the Liberty-Clairton Area. Additionally, the EPA is approving the maintenance plan for the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania nonattainment area (Allegheny County Area) for the 2012 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS through 2035. The maintenance plan includes 2017, 2026, and 2035 mobile vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for mobile sources of PM<INF>2.5</INF> and nitrogen oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>) for the Allegheny County Area for the 2012 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS, which the EPA is approving for transportation conformity purposes. This action does not redesignate the Allegheny County Area to attainment for the 2012 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS. Both the redesignation request and maintenance plan were submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP or Pennsylvania) on behalf of the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). This action is being taken under the CAA.
Learn More🌬️Proposed EPA Rule on Nitrogen Oxides Control Technology in Texas
Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions were submitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on May 12, 2020, and May 13, 2020, and address certain CAA requirements for the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Serious Nonattainment Area (NAA) for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). Specifically, EPA is proposing to approve the revisions to 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 117 to implement the major source Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirement for Nitrogen Oxides (NO<INF>X</INF>), as addressed in the NO<INF>X</INF> RACT analysis and negative declaration included with the Serious area Attainment Demonstration (AD) SIP revision. The volatile organic compounds (VOC) portion of the RACT analysis in the Serious area AD submittal is addressed in a separate action.
Learn More🌫️EPA Proposes New PM2.5 Air Quality Standards Affecting Businesses
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine that the San Joaquin Valley, California fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) nonattainment area attained the 1997 annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) by the December 31, 2024 applicable attainment date. This proposed determination is based on ambient air quality monitoring data from 2022 through 2024. We are also proposing to make a clean data determination (CDD) based on the 2022 through 2024 data and our evaluation of preliminary air quality monitoring data from 2025. We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.
Learn More🌫️EPA Approves Connecticut's Ozone Emissions Inventory Revision
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Connecticut that relate to the 2015 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The SIP revisions are for the Greater Connecticut and the Connecticut portion of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT ozone nonattainment areas. This action will approve submittals which include the 2017 base year emissions inventories for these two nonattainment areas for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Learn More🌫️Colorado Regional Haze Regulation and Business Implications
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to partially approve and partially disapprove a regional haze state implementation plan (SIP) submission submitted by the State of Colorado under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second implementation period. Colorado's 2022 SIP submission addresses the requirement that states revise their long-term strategies every implementation period to make 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. We propose to base our partial disapproval of Colorado's long-term strategy on its inclusion of insufficiently justified enforceable source closures that are not consistent with statutory requirements. Colorado's 2022 SIP submission also addresses other applicable requirements for the second implementation period of the regional haze program. Concurrently, the EPA is proposing to approve a revision to Colorado's SIP consolidating existing regional haze provisions into the same regulation where the State's new, second planning period provisions are located.
Learn More🌫️Connecticut's EPA SIP Revisions on Ozone Nonattainment Areas
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Connecticut. This action consists of revisions to Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (RCSA) sections 22a-174-22e and 22a-174- 22f, primarily to add compliance dates for sources brought into the applicability of these sections due to a change in the definition of "severe non-attainment area for ozone," The definition change had previously been approved into Connecticut's SIP. This action is being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act.
Learn More🌬️Proposed Revisions to Minnesota Air Quality Regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Minnesota State Implementation Plan (SIP) which updates Minnesota's air program rules. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) submitted the request to EPA on October 1, 2021. The revision to Minnesota's air quality rules will reflect changes that have occurred to the State air quality rules since July 2020. EPA is proposing to approve MPCA's submittal, which will result in consistent requirements of rules at both the State and Federal level.
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