Environmental Protection Agency November 24, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve in part and disapprove in part, the May 29, 2012, and July 26, 2012, State Implementation Plan (SIP) submissions, provided by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for inclusion into the Mississippi SIP. This proposal pertains to the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act) infrastructure requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). The CAA requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of each NAAQS promulgated by EPA, which is commonly referred to as an ``infrastructure'' SIP. MDEQ certified that the Mississippi SIP contains provisions that ensure the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS is implemented, enforced, and maintained in Mississippi (hereafter referred to as an ``infrastructure SIP submissions''). With the exception of provisions pertaining to prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permitting, interstate transport, visibility protection requirements and the state board majority requirements respecting significant portion of income, EPA is proposing to determine that Mississippi's infrastructure SIP submissions, provided to EPA on May 29, 2012, and July 26, 2012, address the required infrastructure elements for the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has notified the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it has adopted amendments to its large spark-ignited engines regulation (LSI amendments). By letter dated June 2, 2014, CARB asked that EPA either confirm that the LSI amendments (adopted in 2008 and 2010) are within the scope of prior authorizations or that EPA issue a full authorization for those LSI amendments found not to be within the scope of prior authorizations, pursuant to section 209(e) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). This notice announces that EPA has tentatively scheduled a public hearing to consider California's authorization request for the LSI amendments, and that EPA is now accepting written comment on the request.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action finding that the District of Columbia and seven states (Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont and Washington) have not submitted complete infrastructure State Implementation Plans (SIPs) that provide the basic Clean Air Act (CAA) program elements necessary to implement the 2010 nitrogen dioxide (NO2) primary national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). Three out of the seven states (Alaska, Arkansas and Vermont) have not made any submittals. The District of Columbia and the remaining four out of the seven states (Hawaii, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington) have made submittals that are partially incomplete due to the lack of complete SIP approved Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit programs. The purpose of an infrastructure SIP submission is to assure that a state, local or tribal air agency's SIP contains the necessary structural requirements for any new or revised NAAQS. The remaining 43 states have made complete submissions. Each finding of failure to submit a complete infrastructure SIP establishes a 24-month deadline for the EPA to promulgate a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) to address the outstanding SIP elements unless, prior to the EPA promulgating a FIP, the affected air agency submits, and the EPA approves, a revised SIP that corrects the deficiency. In those areas without a state-adopted PSD permit program, the FIP obligation has already been met through federal regulations that govern PSD permits issued in some cases by the EPA and in other cases by state or local agencies under delegation agreements.

In a final action published on June 11, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule in the Federal Register concerning, in part, the promulgation of a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) provision for regional haze in the State of Washington. This action identifies and corrects an error in that action by adding the factor to convert tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) to pounds of SO2 that was inadvertently left out of the rule language for the FIP for the Alcoa Inc. Wenatchee Works.