Environmental Protection Agency April 8, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On November 18, 2010 (75 FR 70654), EPA published a proposed rule to disapprove severable portions of two revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Texas on May 1, 2001, and August 16, 2007, that create and amend the System Cap Trading (SCT) Program at Title 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 101General Air Quality, Subchapter HEmissions Banking and Trading, Division 5, sections 101.380, 101.382, 101.383, and 101.385. We proposed disapproval because the SCT Program lacks several necessary components for emissions trading programs as outlined in EPA's Economic Incentive Program Guidance. Subsequent to our proposed disapproval, EPA received a letter dated March 4, 2011, from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) stating that the May 1, 2001, and August 16, 2007, SCT Program SIP submissions have been withdrawn from our consideration as revisions to the Texas SIP. Therefore, EPA is withdrawing our proposed disapproval and finds that no further action is necessary on the SCT Program. The State's action also withdraws from EPA's review the SCT Program component of the January 22, 2010 Consent Decree between EPA and the BCCA Appeal Group, Texas Association of Business, and Texas Oil and Gas Association. This withdrawal is being taken under section 110 and parts C and D of the Federal Clean Air Act.

This document announces the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) responses to Agency Clearance requests, in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et. Seq.). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

EPA is streamlining the process by which manufacturers of clean alternative fuel conversion systems may demonstrate compliance with vehicle and engine emissions requirements. Specifically, EPA is revising the regulatory criteria for gaining an exemption from the Clean Air Act prohibition against tampering for the conversion of vehicles and engines to operate on a clean alternative fuel. This final rule creates additional compliance options beyond certification that protect manufacturers of clean alternative fuel conversion systems against a tampering violation, depending on the age of the vehicle or engine to be converted. The new options alleviate some economic and procedural impediments to clean alternative fuel conversions while maintaining environmental safeguards to ensure that acceptable emission levels from converted vehicles are sustained.