Environmental Protection Agency March 14, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing approval of a revision to the West Virginia State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of West Virginia (West Virginia) through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP). West Virginia's SIP revision addresses requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's rules that require states to submit periodic reports describing progress towards reasonable progress goals (RPGs) established for regional haze and a determination of the adequacy of the state's existing SIP addressing regional haze (regional haze SIP). EPA is proposing approval of West Virginia's SIP revision on the basis that it addresses the progress report and adequacy determination requirements for the first implementation period for regional haze.

This notice is to announce that on October 28, 2013, the EPA issued final Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air quality permit numbered OCS-EPA-R4012 for Statoil Gulf Services, LLC (Statoil); and on November 25, 2013 and December 18, 2013, the EPA issued final Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) air quality permits numbered PSD-EPA- R4010 and PSD-EPA-R4014 for the Florida Power & Light (FPL)Port Everglades Next Generation Clean Energy Center (PEEC) and Tampa Electric Company (TECO), respectively.

In this final rule, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that the Atlanta metro area is not a federal reformulated gasoline (RFG) covered area and, therefore, that there is no requirement to use RFG in the Atlanta area. Atlanta is the only RFG covered area formerly classified as a severe ozone nonattainment area under the 1-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard that was redesignated to attainment for that standard before its revocation, and at a time when it was designated as nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone standard with a classification less than severe. EPA has determined that the statute is ambiguous as to whether RFG is required in this situation. EPA believes that the comprehensive planning conducted by the State through the SIP process, the array of regulatory tools at the State's disposal, and the current limited emissions benefits of RFG in Atlanta as compared to the current state fuel (as explained elsewhere in the document) indicate that it would be appropriate to interpret the relevant statutory language to not require RFG use in Atlanta.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning emission inventories for the 2006 24-hour fine particle National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for the San Francisco Bay Area and Chico PM2.5 nonattainment areas. We are approving these emissions inventories under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the State of Iowa. These revisions will amend the SIP to include revisions to Iowa air quality rule, Chapter 33, ``Special Regulations and Construction Permit Requirements for Major Stationary SourcesPrevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) of Air Quality.'' This rule amendment makes the state regulation consistent with the Federal regulation for the fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) PSD program. This revision will amend source obligation provisions as they apply to recordkeeping and will provide a mechanism to allow industry to request rescission of a PSD permit, both of which match the Federal regulations. This action is also consistent with the state's request to not include, into the SIP, provisions relating to Significant Impact Levels (SILs) and Significant Monitoring Concentrations (SMCs). These provisions were vacated and remanded by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on January 22, 2013.