Environmental Protection Agency December 31, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
Results 1 - 9 of 9
Approval and Promulgation of Air Implementation Plans; Texas; Revisions to the New Source Review State Implementation Plan; Flexible Permit Program
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Texas New Source Review (NSR) State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on July 31, 2014. These revisions support this action to convert the approved conditional Flexible Permit Program (FPP) to a fully approved FPP. The EPA is proposing to find the TCEQ has satisfied all the elements of our July 14, 2014, final conditional approval, and as such, the FPP conditional approval is proposed for full approval with this action. Those commitments consisted of revising the rules to ensure they are properly structured. The EPA has determined that these SIP revisions comply with the Federal Clean Air Act (the Act or CAA) and are consistent with the EPA's regulations and policies. This action is being taken under section 110(k) of the Act.
NESHAP for Brick and Structural Clay Products Manufacturing; and NESHAP for Clay Ceramics Manufacturing
On December 18, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for brick and structural clay products manufacturing and NESHAP for clay ceramics manufacturing. The EPA is extending the deadline for written comments on the proposed rule by 30 days to March 19, 2015. In addition, the EPA is changing the date of the public hearing, if requested, to January 27, 2015, and the date to pre- register for the hearing if it is held.
Notice of Opportunity To Comment on the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Renewable Fuels Produced From Biomass Sorghum
In this Notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting comment on its preliminary analysis of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to the growth and transport of biomass sorghum feedstock for use in making biofuels such as ethanol or diesel. This notice explains EPA's analysis of the growth and transport components of the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from biomass sorghum, and describes how EPA may apply this analysis in the future to determine whether biofuels produced from such biomass sorghum meet the necessary GHG reductions required for qualification under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) program. Based on this analysis, we anticipate that biofuels produced from biomass sorghum could qualify for cellulosic biofuel renewable identification numbers (RINs) if certain fuel production process technology conditions are met.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing three public hearings for the proposed rule titled, ``National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone,'' that was published in the Federal Register on December 17, 2014. The hearings will be held in Washington, DC, Arlington, Texas, and Sacramento, California. Based on its review of the air quality criteria for ozone (O3) and related photochemical oxidants and national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for O3, the EPA proposes to make revisions to the primary and secondary NAAQS for O3 to provide requisite protection of public health and welfare, respectively. The EPA is proposing to revise the primary standard to a level within the range of 0.065 to 0.070 parts per million (ppm), and to revise the secondary standard to within the range of 0.065 to 0.070 ppm, which air quality analyses indicate would provide air quality, in terms of 3-year average W126 index values, at or below a range of 13-17 ppm-hours. The EPA proposes to make corresponding revisions in data handling conventions for O3 and conforming changes to the Air Quality Index; to revise regulations for the Prevention of Significant Deterioration program to add a transition provision for certain applications; and to propose schedules and convey information related to implementing any revised standards. The EPA is proposing changes to the O3 monitoring seasons, the Federal Reference Method (FRM) for monitoring O3 in the ambient air, Federal Equivalent Method procedures for testing, and the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations network. Along with proposing exceptional event schedules related to implementing any revised O3 standards, the EPA is proposing to apply this same schedule approach to other future revised NAAQS and to remove obsolete regulatory language for expired exceptional event deadlines. The EPA is proposing to make minor changes to the procedures and time periods for evaluating potential FRMs and equivalent methods (including making the requirements for nitrogen dioxide consistent with the requirements for O3) and to remove an obsolete requirement for the annual submission of documentation by manufacturers of certain particulate matter monitors.
Twenty-Seventh Update of the Federal Agency Hazardous Waste Compliance Docket
Since 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has maintained a Federal Agency Hazardous Waste Compliance Docket (``Docket'') under Section 120(c) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Section 120(c) requires EPA to establish a Docket that contains certain information reported to EPA by Federal facilities that manage hazardous waste or from which a reportable quantity of hazardous substances has been released. As explained further below, the Docket is used to identify Federal facilities that should be evaluated to determine if they pose a threat to public health or welfare and the environment and to provide a mechanism to make this information available to the public. This notice identifies the Federal facilities not previously listed on the Docket and reported to EPA since the last update of the Docket on January 6, 2014. In addition to the list of additions to the Docket, this notice includes a section with revisions of the previous Docket list. Thus, the revisions in this update include 29 additions and 19 deletions to the Docket since the previous update. At the time of publication of this notice, the new total number of Federal facilities listed on the Docket is 2,392.
Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Reconsideration of Additional Provisions of New Source Performance Standards
This action finalizes amendments to new source performance standards (NSPS) for the oil and natural gas sector. On August 16, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published final NSPS 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 July 17, 2014 (79 FR 41752), the EPA published proposed amendments and clarifications as a result of reconsideration of certain issues related to well completions, storage vessels and other issues raised for reconsideration as well as technical corrections and amendments to further clarify the rule. This action finalizes these amendments and corrects technical errors that were inadvertently included in the final standards.
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Attainment Redesignation for Missouri Portion of the St. Louis MO-IL Area; 1997 8-Hour Ozone Standard and Associated Maintenance Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the State of Missouri's request to redesignate the Missouri portion of the St. Louis MO-IL nonattainment area, the ``St. Louis area'' or ``area'' to attainment for the 1997 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or Standard) for ozone (O3). The Missouri counties comprising the St. Louis area are Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, and St. Louis along with the City of St. Louis. In addition to the redesignation request, EPA is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision containing a maintenance plan for the O3 standard for the Missouri portion of the St. Louis area. In a separate action published in the Federal Register on June 12, 2012, EPA has taken final action to address the Illinois portion of the St. Louis area.
Cross-Media Electronic Reporting: Authorized Program Revision Approval, State of Maryland
This notice announces EPA's approval of the State of Maryland's request to revise its EPA Administered Permit Programs: The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System EPA-authorized program to allow electronic reporting.
Human Studies Review Board; Notification of a Public Meeting
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of the Science Advisor announces a public meeting of the Human Studies Review Board to advise the Agency on the ethical and scientific reviews of EPA research with human subjects.
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