Environmental Protection Agency June 12, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In this action, EPA is reaffirming the promulgation of certain revisions of the Acid Rain Program rules. These revisions have been in effect since mid-2006. Most of them are crucial to the ongoing operation of the Acid Rain Program, and the rest of them streamline and clarify requirements of the program, which has achieved significant, cost-effective reductions in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from utility sources since its commencement in 1995. These rule revisions were finalized in the Federal Register notices that also finalized the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) and the final Federal Implementation Plans for CAIR (CAIR FIPs). On July 11, 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a decision vacating and remanding CAIR and the CAIR FIPs. On December 23, 2008, in response to petitions for rehearing, the Court modified its July 11, 2008 decision and remanded CAIR and the CAIR FIPs but without a vacatur. These revisions

EPA is proposing several related actions affecting the Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, Ohio 8-hour ozone nonattainment area. EPA is proposing to make a determination under the Clean Air Act (CAA) that the Cleveland-Akron-Lorain nonattainment area has attained the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The Cleveland- Akron-Lorain area includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit Counties. This determination is based on quality-assured ambient air quality monitoring data for the 2006-2008 ozone seasons that demonstrate that the 8-hour ozone NAAQS has been attained in the area. EPA is also proposing to approve, as a revision to the Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP), the State's plan for maintaining the 8-hour ozone NAAQS through 2020 in the area. EPA is proposing to approve a request from the State of Ohio to redesignate the Cleveland-Akron-Lorain area to attainment of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) submitted this request on March 17, 2009, and supplemented it on April 24, 2009.