Environmental Protection Agency May 20, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) on December 2, 2013. The state rule revisions update Illinois' ambient air quality standards for sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), lead, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), particulate matter (PM10), and carbon monoxide (CO) and bring them up to date (through 2012) with EPA- promulgated National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The SIP revision also adopts EPA-promulgated monitoring methods and test procedures for the revised state air quality standards.

EPA is proposing to partially approve and partially disapprove the Nevada State Implementation Plan (SIP) as meeting the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act) for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of the 2008 ozone, 2010 nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and 2010 sulfur dioxide (SO2) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). CAA section 110(a)(1) requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of each NAAQS promulgated by the EPA, and that EPA act on such SIPs. We refer to such SIPs as ``infrastructure'' SIPs because they are intended to address basic structural SIP requirements for new or revised NAAQS including, but not limited to, legal authority, regulatory structure, resources, permit programs, monitoring, and modeling necessary to assure attainment and maintenance of the standards. In addition to our proposed partial approval and partial disapproval of Nevada's infrastructure SIP, we are proposing to reclassify certain regions of the state for SO2 emergency episode planning and remove obsolete language from the Nevada SIP. We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's December 22, 2014 request to redesignate to attainment the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley nonattainment area (Pittsburgh Area or Area) for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or standards). EPA is also proposing to determine that the Area continues to attain the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. In addition, EPA is proposing to approve as a revision to the Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP) the associated maintenance plan that was submitted with the redesignation request, to show maintenance of the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS through 2025 for the Area. EPA is also proposing to approve as revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP the 2007 emissions inventories for the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS and the 2011 emissions inventories for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS that were included in the maintenance plan. The maintenance plan also included the 2017 and 2025 PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOX) motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for the Area for both NAAQS which EPA is proposing to approve for conformity purposes. This rulemaking action to propose approval of the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS redesignation request and associated maintenance plan for the Area is based on EPA's determination that Pennsylvania has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment specified in the Clean Air Act (CAA) for both NAAQS.

This document notifies the public as required by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) that the EPA Administrator has forwarded to the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) a draft regulatory document concerning Pesticides; Agricultural Worker Protection Standard Revisions. The draft regulatory document is not available to the public until after it has been signed and made available by EPA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve two revisions to the New Mexico State Implementation Plan (SIP) to update the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) SIP permitting program consistent with federal requirements. New Mexico submitted the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County PSD SIP permitting revisions on July 26, 2013, and March 4, 2015, which included a request for parallel processing of the submitted 2015 revisions. These submittals contain revisions to address the requirements of the EPA's May 2008, July 2010, and October 2012 PM2.5 PSD Implementation Rules and to incorporate revisions consistent with the EPA's March 2011 Fugitives Interim Rule, July 2011 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Biomass Deferral Rule, and July 2012 GHG Tailoring Rule Step 3 and GHG PALs Rule. The EPA is proposing to find that these revisions to the New Mexico SIP meet the Federal Clean Air Act (the Act or CAA) and EPA regulations, and are consistent with EPA policies. We are proposing this action under section 110 and part C of title I of the Act. The EPA is not approving these rules within the exterior boundaries of a reservation or other areas within any Tribal Nation's jurisdiction.