Environmental Protection Agency September 15, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Washington State Implementation Plan (SIP) that were submitted by the Department of Ecology (Ecology) in coordination with Benton Clean Air Agency (BCAA) on August 25, 2015. In the fall of 2014 and spring of 2015, the EPA approved numerous revisions to Ecology's general air quality regulations. However, our approval of the updated Ecology regulations applied only to geographic areas where Ecology, and not a local air authority, has jurisdiction, and statewide to source categories over which Ecology has sole jurisdiction. Under the Washington Clean Air Act local clean air agencies, such as BCAA, have the option of adopting equally stringent or more stringent standards or requirements in lieu of Ecology's general air quality regulations, if they so choose. Therefore, the EPA stated that we would evaluate the general air quality regulations as they apply to local jurisdictions in separate, future actions. If finalized, this proposed action would allow BCAA to rely primarily on Ecology's general air quality regulations for sources within BCAA's jurisdiction, including implementation of the minor new source review and nonattainment new source review permitting programs. This action also proposes approval of a small set of BCAA regulatory provisions that replace or supplement parts of Ecology's general air quality regulations.

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``NESHAP for Printing, Coating and Dyeing of Fabrics and other Textiles (40 CFR part 63, subpart OOOO) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2071.06, OMB Control No. 2060-0522) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through September 30, 2015. Public comments were requested previously via the Federal Register (79 FR 30117) on May 27, 2014, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An agency may neither conduct nor sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``NESHAP for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Fabrication (40 CFR part 63, subpart MMMMM) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2027.06, OMB Control No. 2060-0516, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through September 30, 2015. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (79 FR 30117) on May 27, 2014 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``NESHAP for Benzene Waste Operations (40 CFR part 61, subpart FF) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1541.11, OMB Control No. 2060-0183), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through September 30, 2015. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (79 FR 30117) on May 27, 2014, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Nebraska in a letter dated March 30, 2015. This SIP revision provides Nebraska's state-determined allowance allocations for existing electric generating units (EGUs) in the State for the 2016 control periods and replaces the allowance allocations for the 2016 control periods established by EPA under the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). The CSAPR addresses the ``good neighbor'' provision of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) that requires states to reduce the transport of pollution that significantly affects downwind air quality. In this final action EPA is approving Nebraska's SIP revision, incorporating the state-determined allocations for the 2016 control periods into the SIP, and amending the regulatory text of the CSAPR Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) to reflect this approval and inclusion of the state-determined allocations. EPA is taking direct final action to approve Nebraska's SIP revision because it meets the requirements of the CAA and the CSAPR requirements to replace EPA's allowance allocations for the 2016 control periods. This action is being taken pursuant to the CAA and its implementing regulations. EPA's allocations of CSAPR trading program allowances for Nebraska for control periods in 2017 and beyond remain in place until the State submits and EPA approves state-determined allocations for those control periods through another SIP. The CSAPR FIPs for Nebraska remain in place until such time as the State decides to replace the FIPs with a SIP revision.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to partially approve and disapprove elements of a State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from the State of Nebraska addressing the applicable requirements of Clean Air Act (CAA) section 110 for the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Ozone (O3), which requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP to support implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of each new or revised NAAQS promulgated by EPA. These SIPs are commonly referred to as ``infrastructure'' SIPs. The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA.