Environmental Protection Agency January 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) that establish the public participation requirements for air quality permits. EPA finds that these revisions to the Texas SIP comply with the Federal Clean Air Act (the Act or CAA) and EPA regulations and are consistent with EPA policies. Texas submitted the public participation provisions in four separate revisions to the SIP on July 22, 1998; October 25, 1999; July 2, 2010; and March 11, 2011. EPA is finalizing this action under section 110 and parts C and D of the Clean Air Act (the Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to a final rule that revised national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for existing and new secondary lead smelters. The final rule was published on January 5, 2012. This action proposes amendments to clarify certain regulatory text related to compliance dates. Additionally, we are proposing amendments to clarify certain provisions in the 2012 final rule relating to monitoring of negative pressure in total enclosures. This action also proposes corrections of typographical errors in a table listing congeners of dioxins and furans and testing requirements for total hydrocarbons.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is revising the regulations for hazardous waste management under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to conditionally exclude carbon dioxide (CO2) streams that are hazardous from the definition of hazardous waste, provided these hazardous CO2 streams are captured from emission sources, are injected into Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI wells for purposes of geologic sequestration (GS), and meet certain other conditions. EPA is taking this action because the Agency believes that the management of these CO2 streams, when meeting certain conditions, does not present a substantial risk to human health or the environment, and therefore additional regulation pursuant to RCRA's hazardous waste regulations is unnecessary. EPA expects that this amendment will substantially reduce the uncertainty associated with identifying these CO2 streams under RCRA subtitle C, and will also facilitate the deployment of GS by providing additional regulatory certainty.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District (AVAQMD), Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD), Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District (MBUAPCD), and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from architectural coatings, liquefied petroleum gas transfer, and ignition of barbecue charcoal. We are approving three local rules and rescinding one local rule that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

EPA is approving the State of North Carolina's March 27, 2013, State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision to the State's approved Maintenance Plan for the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill 1997 8-hour Ozone Maintenance Area (Triangle Area). Specifically, North Carolina's revision, including updated modeling, shows that the Triangle Area would continue to maintain the 1997 8-hour ozone standard if the currently applicable Federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard for gasoline of 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) were modified to 9.0 psi for three portions (Wake and Durham Counties, and a portion of Granville County) of the Triangle Area during the high-ozone season. The State included a technical demonstration with the revision to demonstrate that the less-stringent RVP standard of 9.0 psi in these areas would not interfere with continued maintenance of the 1997 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) or any other applicable standard. Approval of this SIP revision is a prerequisite for EPA's consideration of an amendment to the regulations to remove the aforementioned portions of the Triangle Area from the list of areas that are currently subject to the Federal 7.8 psi RVP requirements. In addition, EPA is also approving changes to the motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) used in the 1997 8-hour ozone maintenance plan for the Triangle Area. EPA has determined that North Carolina's March 27, 2013, SIP revision with respect to the modeling changes and associated technical demonstration, and with respect to the updated MVEBs, is consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). Should EPA decide to remove the subject portions of the Triangle Area from those areas subject to the 7.8 psi Federal RVP requirements, such action will occur in a subsequent rulemaking.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving two State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Texas on April 1, 2010, and revised on May 6, 2013, containing a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, RFP contingency measures demonstration, motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs), and a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) offset analysis for the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) 1997 8-hour ozone severe nonattainment area. EPA is approving SIP revisions in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA regulations.