Environmental Protection Agency November 19, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to amend the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Steam Generating Units (Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)). In addition to this proposed rule the EPA is publishing a direct final rule that amends the reporting requirements of the MATS rule by temporarily requiring affected sources to submit all required emissions and compliance reports to the EPA through the Emissions Collection and Monitoring Plan System Client Tool and temporarily suspending the requirement for affected sources to submit certain reports using the Electronic Reporting Tool and the Compliance and Emissions Data Reporting Interface. If we receive no adverse comment, we will not take further action on this proposed rule.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action on its reconsideration of the startup and shutdown provisions in the final rules titled, ``National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal- and Oil-fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units and Standards of Performance for Fossil-Fuel-Fired Electric Utility, Industrial-Commercial-Institutional, and Small Industrial- Commercial-Institutional Steam Generating Units.'' The national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) issued pursuant to Clean Air Act (CAA) section 112 are referred to as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), and the new source performance standards (NSPS) issued pursuant to CAA section 111 are referred to as the Utility NSPS. On November 30, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted reconsideration of, proposed, and requested comment on a limited set of issues in the February 16, 2012, final MATS and Utility NSPS, including certain issues related to the final work practice standards applicable during startup periods and shutdown periods. On June 25, 2013, the EPA reopened the public comment period for the reconsideration issues related to the startup and shutdown provisions of MATS and the startup and shutdown provisions related to the particulate matter (PM) standard in the Utility NSPS. The EPA is now taking final action on the standards applicable during startup periods and shutdown periods in MATS and on startup and shutdown provisions related to the PM standard in the Utility NSPS.