🌱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🌫️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🌫️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🌬️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).
Learn More🌬️Proposed Updates to West Virginia's Air Quality Standards by EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of West Virginia. This revision updates West Virginia's incorporation by reference (IBR) of EPA's national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and the associated monitoring reference and equivalent methods. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Learn More🌫️Florida Haze Plan Approval & Business Compliance Implications
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a regional haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) on October 8, 2021, and supplemented on June 14, 2024, and October 28, 2024, as satisfying applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act ("CAA" or "Act") and EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second planning period. Florida's SIP submissions were submitted to address the requirement that states must periodically revise their long-term strategies for making reasonable progress toward the national goal of preventing any future, and remedying any existing, anthropogenic impairment of visibility, including regional haze, in mandatory Class I Federal areas (hereinafter referred to as "Class I areas"). These SIP submissions also address other applicable requirements for the second planning period of the regional haze program. EPA is taking this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the Act.
Learn More🌫️California Air Plan Approval
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising the format for materials submitted by the State of California that are incorporated by reference into the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). The regulations and other materials affected by this format change have all been previously submitted by the State of California and approved by the EPA. This format revision will primarily affect the "Identification of plan--in part" sections, as well as the format of the SIP materials that will be available for public inspection at the EPA Regional Office and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). This action, which only relates to local ordinances and certain local and regional California air district rules, is the second of a series of actions intended to change the format for the entire California SIP.
Learn More🌫️EPA Proposes Rule for Mariposa County Air Quality Standards Compliance
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine that the Mariposa County nonattainment area in California ("Mariposa area"), classified as "Moderate" for the 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or "standard"), attained the 2015 ozone NAAQS by the August 3, 2024 attainment date. Our proposed determination of attainment is based upon the exclusion of exceedances of the 2015 ozone NAAQS that occurred on multiple days in 2021 and 2022, because the exceedances are due to exceptional events. This action, if finalized as proposed, will fulfill the EPA's statutory obligation to determine whether the Mariposa area attained the NAAQS by the August 3, 2024 attainment date.
Learn More🌫️Clean Data Determination for Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making a clean data determination (CDD) for the Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin ("South Coast") air quality planning area in California based on our determination that the area is attaining the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). As a result of this CDD, certain Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements that have applied to California will be suspended for so long as the area continues to meet the 2006 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> NAAQS. The EPA is also approving a revision to California's state implementation plan (SIP) consisting of the 2018 base year emissions inventory for the South Coast PM<INF>2.5</INF> nonattainment area, submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on December 29, 2020.
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