Environmental Protection Agency July 17, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing general permits for use in Indian country pursuant to the Indian Country Minor New Source Review (NSR) rule for new or modified true minor sources in the following six source categories: Concrete batch plants, boilers, stationary spark ignition engines, stationary compression ignition engines, graphic arts and printing operations, and sawmills. In the alternative, the EPA is also proposing a permit by rule for use in Indian country for new or modified true minor sources in one of the six source categories: Graphic arts and printing operations.

The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection, EPA-New England, is providing a notice of availability of draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permits for dewatering activity discharges to certain waters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire. These General Permits replace the Dewatering General Permits, which expired on September 30, 2013.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Idaho (Idaho or the State) on April 21, 2014, to amend the Portneuf Valley maintenance plan for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 micrometers (PM10). The SIP revision updates the on-road motor vehicle emissions inventory and motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) using the EPA's Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES2010b) and the most recent road dust emission factors. This rulemaking action approves the SIP revision and thereby makes the MVEBs available for transportation conformity purposes. The EPA is approving this SIP revision because it is consistent with the Clean Cir Act (CAA).

On August 16, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published final new source performance standards for the oil and natural gas sector. The Administrator received petitions for administrative reconsideration of certain aspects of the standards. Among issues raised in the petitions were time-critical issues related to certain storage vessel provisions and well completion provisions. On September 23, 2013, the EPA published final amendments as a result of reconsideration of issues related to implementation of the storage vessel provisions. Following that action, the Administrator again received petitions for administrative reconsideration pertaining to the storage vessel provisions. In this notice, the EPA is announcing proposed amendments and clarifications as a result of reconsideration of certain issues related to well completions and additional issues pertaining to storage vessels. The proposed amendments also address other issues raised for reconsideration and make technical corrections and amendments to further clarify the rule.

The purpose of this Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) is to request public input on methods to reduce emissions from existing municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to consider the information received in response to the ANPRM in evaluating whether additional changes beyond those in the proposed revisions for new sources are warranted. MSW landfill emissions are commonly referred to as ``landfill gas'' or ``LFG'' and contain methane, carbon dioxide (CO2), and nonmethane organic compounds (NMOC). Some existing landfills are currently subject to control requirements in either the landfill new source performance standards (NSPS) or the federal or state plans implementing the landfill emission guidelines; both the NSPS and emission guidelines were promulgated in 1996. The EPA believes that these guidelines merit review to determine the potential for additional reductions in emissions of LFG. Such reductions would reduce air pollution and the resulting harm to public health and welfare. Significant changes have occurred in the landfill industry over time, including changes to the size and number of existing landfills, industry practices, and gas control methods and technologies. The ANPRM recognizes changes in the population of landfills and presents preliminary analysis regarding methods for reducing emissions of LFG. In determining whether changes to the emission guidelines are appropriate, the EPA will, in addition to evaluating the effectiveness of various methods for reducing emissions of LFG, consider the total methane emission reductions that can be achieved in addition to the reductions of NMOC emissions. The EPA is also seeking input on whether it should regulate methane directly. The ANPRM also addresses other regulatory issues including the definition of LFG treatment systems and requirements for closed areas of landfills, among other topics.