Environmental Protection Agency March 30, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is making a revision to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for the purpose of giving the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) full regulatory responsibility for EPA-issued Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permits. IDNR demonstrated state legislative authority to take responsibility for the permits, and demonstrated that resources are available to accomplish full regulatory responsibility.

EPA proposes to approve a revision to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the state of Iowa. The purpose of this revision is to approve the 2005 update to the Polk County Board of Health Rules and Regulations, Chapter V, Air Pollution. These revisions will help to ensure consistency between the applicable local agency rules and Federally-approved rules, and ensure Federal enforceability of the applicable parts of the local agency air programs.

EPA is proposing to make minor amendments to the existing Tier 2 motor vehicle regulations (65 FR 6698, February 10, 2000, hereinafter referred to as the Tier 2 rule). These proposed minor amendments are consistent with our intention, under the original Tier 2 rule, to provide interim compliance flexibilities for clean diesels in the passenger car market. While the automotive industry has made rapid advancements in light-duty diesel emissions control technologies and will, as a result, be able to produce diesel vehicles that can comply with the primary regulatory requirements of the Tier 2 program, diesel vehicles still face some very limited technological challenges in meeting the full suite of Tier 2 requirements. This action would provide two voluntary, interim alternative compliance options for a very limited set of standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOX), including only high altitude and high speed/high acceleration conditions. These temporary alternative compliance options are designed to be environmentally neutral, as manufacturers choosing them would then be required to meet more stringent standards in other aspects of the Tier 2 program. The alternative compliance options would last for only three model years, during which time advancements in diesel emissions control technologies would be further developed. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, we are making these technical amendments as a direct final rule without prior proposal because we view these technical amendments as noncontroversial revisions and anticipate no adverse comment. We have explained our reasons for these technical amendments in the preamble to the direct final rule. If we receive no adverse comment, we would not take further action on this proposed rule. If we receive adverse comment, we would withdraw the portions of the direct final rule receiving such comment and those portions would not take effect. We would address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. We would not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting must do so at this time.