Environmental Protection Agency June 11, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The EPA is announcing a 14-day extension of the public comment period for the proposed ``Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Texas; Excess Emissions During Startup, Shutdown, Maintenance, and Malfunction Activities.'' As initially published in the Federal Register on May 13, 2010 (75 FR 26892), written comments on the proposal for rulemaking were to be submitted to EPA on or before June 14, 2010 (a 30-day public comment period). Since publication, EPA has received requests for additional time to submit comments. Therefore, the public comment period will now end on June 28, 2010. This extension is time-limited because the rule has to be finalized by October 31, 2010 under the terms of a settlement agreement.

EPA is approving a revision to the Maryland State Implementation Plan (SIP) to meet the reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, the 2002 base year emissions inventory, RFP contingency measure, and reasonably available control measure (RACM) requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the Maryland portion of the Philadelphia moderate 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area. EPA is also approving the transportation conformity motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) associated with this revision. EPA is approving the SIP revision because it satisfies the emission inventory, RFP, RACM, RFP contingency measures, and transportation conformity requirements for areas classified as moderate nonattainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) and demonstrates further progress in reducing ozone precursors. EPA is approving the SIP revision pursuant to the CAA and EPA's regulations.

Recent EPA gas audit results indicate that some gas cylinders used to calibrate continuous emission monitoring systems on stationary sources do not meet EPA's performance specification. Reviews of stack test reports in recent years indicate that some stack testers do not properly follow EPA test methods or do not correctly calculate test method results. Therefore, EPA is proposing to amend its Protocol Gas Verification Program (PGVP) and the minimum competency requirements for air emission testing (formerly air emission testing body requirements) to improve the accuracy of emissions data. EPA is also proposing to amend other sections of the Acid Rain Program continuous emission monitoring system regulations by adding and clarifying certain recordkeeping and reporting requirements, removing the provisions pertaining to mercury monitoring and reporting, removing certain requirements associated with a class-approved alternative monitoring system, disallowing the use of a particular quality assurance option in EPA Reference Method 7E, adding an incorporation by reference that was inadvertently left out of the January 24, 2008 final rule, and clarifying the language and applicability of certain provisions.