Environmental Protection Agency March 31, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Arizona Statutes portion of the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns particulate matter (PM) emissions from dust generating operations that do not already have a permit. We are proposing to approve a state general permit to regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing under the Clean Air Act to approve a revision to the Arizona Statutes portion of the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns particulate matter (PM) emissions from dust generating operations that do not already have a permit within the Phoenix Planning area. We are proposing to approve a state statute that requires the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to develop and adopt a general permit that specifies episodic best management practices that are to be implemented by certain dust-generating activities.

In accordance with Section 743 of Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing this notice to advise the public of the availability of the FY 2013 Service Contract Inventory. This inventory provides information on service contract actions over $25,000 that were made in FY 2013. The information is organized by function to show how contracted resources are distributed throughout the Agency. The inventory has been developed in accordance with guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), Service Contract Inventories (December 19, 2011). The Environmental Protection Agency has posted its inventory and a summary of the inventory on the EPA's homepage at the following link: https://www.epa.gov/oam/inventory/inventory.htm

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the State of West Virginia's requests to redesignate to attainment the Charleston nonattainment area (hereafter ``the Charleston Area'' or ``the Area'') for both the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or standards). EPA is also approving as a revision to the West Virginia State Implementation Plan (SIP), the associated maintenance plans to show maintenance of the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS through 2025 for the Area. West Virginia's maintenance plans include insignificance findings for the mobile source contribution of PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions to the Area for both the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standards, which EPA agrees with and is approving for transportation conformity purposes. In addition, EPA is approving the 2008 emissions inventory for the Area for the 2006 24- hour PM2.5 NAAQS. These actions are being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve requests from Florida and North Carolina for the EPA to relax the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) Standard applicable to gasoline introduced into commerce from June 1 to September 15 of each year in six counties in Florida, and in counties in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Area (also referred to as the ``Triangle Area'') and the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point Area (also referred to as the ``Triad Area'') in North Carolina. Specifically, the EPA is proposing to amend the regulations to change the RVP standard for six counties in Florida and for the counties in the Triangle and Triad Areas from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 psi for gasoline in the aforementioned areas. The EPA has preliminarily determined that these changes to the federal RVP regulation are consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's (Pennsylvania) State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions consist of an update to the SIP approved Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) for the 1997 Eight-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) SIP for Berks County (also referred to as the ``Reading Maintenance Area''). Also as a part of this SIP revision is an update to the area and point source inventories for NOX. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP submittal as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is clarifying its final action on revisions to the Hawaii State Implementation Plan (SIP), published in the Federal Register on August 9, 2012.