Environmental Protection Agency November 20, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has notified EPA that it has adopted amendments to regulations entitled ``Malfunction and Diagnostic System Requirements2004 and Subsequent Model-Year Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, and Medium-Duty Vehicles and Engines'' (OBD II Requirements) and amendments to regulations entitled ``Enforcement of Malfunction and Diagnostic System Requirements for 2004 and Subsequent Model-Year Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, and Medium-Duty Vehicles and Engines'' (OBD II Enforcement Regulation). CARB adopted amendments to the OBD II Requirements through rulemakings in 1997, 2003, 2007 and 2010, and to the OBD II Requirements and OBD II Enforcement Regulation in 2012 and 2013. These amendments are collectively referred to herein as the OBD II Amendments. EPA previously granted California a waiver for the original OBD II Requirements, as last amended in 1995. EPA has also previously given notice and taken comments on the 1997 and 2003 OBD II amendments, but did not act on California's waiver requests for those amendments. CARB now requests that EPA confirm that all the OBD II Amendments be found within the scope of the previously granted waiver or, alternatively, that EPA grant a full waiver of preemption for the various amendments. This notice announces that EPA has tentatively scheduled a public hearing to consider California's requests for the 2007, 2010, 2012, and 2013 OBD II Amendments, and that EPA is additionally accepting written comment on California's waiver requests, and on the effect of the 2007, 2010, 2012, and 2013 OBD II Amendments on the prior 1997 and 2003 OBD II Amendments for which EPA previously took comments.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR) on January 31, 2008, May 24, 2010, October 11, 2013, and February 11, 2014, pertaining to rules for changes to the North Carolina Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) program. Specifically, these SIP revisions update the North Carolina I/M program as well as repeal one rule that is included in the federally-approved SIP.