Environmental Protection Agency September 27, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice of New Streamlined Approval Process for Non-Regulatory Methods in SW-846
Document Number: 2016-23299
Type: Notice
Date: 2016-09-27
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is providing notice of a new streamlined approval process for non- regulatory methods in the ``Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods'' manual, also known as SW-846. This new process will employ the use of Web site postings and an extensive email list to notify the SW-846 scientific community of methods being released for public comment, which differs from the traditional Federal Register publication. All methods beginning with Update VI to SW-846 will utilize the new process. This new process only applies to SW-846 methods published as guidance, where there are no changes to the hazardous waste regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The process for updating or publishing SW-846 analytical methods that are required in the RCRA regulations (referred to as Method Defined Parameters or MDPs) will not change. EPA is not requesting public comment on this notice.
Adequacy Status of the Cleveland-Akron-Lorain and Columbus, Ohio Areas and the Ohio and Indiana Portions of the Cincinnati Indiana-Ohio-Kentucky Area Submitted 8-Hour Ozone Redesignation Requests and Maintenance Plans for Transportation Conformity Purposes
Document Number: 2016-23295
Type: Notice
Date: 2016-09-27
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
In this notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is notifying the public that we have found that the motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) in the Cleveland-Akron-Lorain and Columbus, Ohio ozone nonattainment areas, and the Indiana and Ohio portions of the Cincinnati Indiana-Ohio- Kentucky ozone nonattainment area are adequate for use in transportation conformity determinations under the Clean Air Act (CAA). Ohio submitted redesignation requests and maintenance plans for the Cleveland-Akron-Lorain and Columbus areas on July 6, 2016 and June 16, 2016, respectively. Ohio submitted a redesignation request and maintenance plan for the Ohio portion of the Cincinnati area on April 21, 2016. Indiana submitted a redesignation request and maintenance plan for the Indiana portion of the Cincinnati area on February 23, 2016. As a result of our finding, these areas must use their submitted MVEBs for future transportation conformity determinations.
Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; Petition for Objection to State Operating Permit for Yuhuang Chemical Company, Inc. Methanol Plant in Louisiana
Document Number: 2016-23255
Type: Notice
Date: 2016-09-27
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Pursuant to Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 505(b)(2) and 40 CFR 70.8(d), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator signed an Order, dated August 31, 2016, denying in part and granting in part a petition asking EPA to object to the operating permit issued by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to Yuhuang Chemical Company, Inc. for its Methanol Plant (Title V operating permit 1560-00295-V0). The EPA's August 31, 2016 Order responds to a petition submitted by the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) and Sierra Club (Collectively the Petitioners) on May 18, 2015. Sections 307(b) and 505(b)(2) of the Act provide that a petitioner may ask for judicial review of those portions of the Orders that deny objections raised in the petitions in the appropriate United States Court of Appeals. Any petition for review shall be filed by November 28, 2016, pursuant to section 307(b) of the Act.
Determination of Nonattainment and Reclassification of the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria 2008 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area; Texas
Document Number: 2016-23247
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2016-09-27
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine that the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria ozone nonattainment area (HGB area) failed to attain the 2008 8hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) by the applicable attainment deadline of July 20, 2016, and thus is classified by operation of law as ``Moderate''. In this action, EPA is also proposing January 1, 2017 as the deadline by which Texas must submit to the EPA the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions that meet the CAA statutory and regulatory requirements that apply to 2008 ozone NAAQS nonattainment areas reclassified as Moderate.
Extension of Deadline for Action on the August 2016 Section 126 Petition From Delaware
Document Number: 2016-23155
Type: Rule
Date: 2016-09-27
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
In this action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that 60 days is insufficient time to complete the technical and other analyses and public notice-and-comment process required for our review of a petition submitted by the state of Delaware pursuant to section 126 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The petition requests that the EPA make a finding that Harrison Power Station, located near Haywood, Harrison County, West Virginia, emits air pollution that significantly contributes to nonattainment and interferes with maintenance of the 2008 and 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) in the state of Delaware. Under section 307(d)(10) of CAA, the EPA is authorized to grant a time extension for responding to a petition if the EPA determines that the extension is necessary to afford the public, and the agency, adequate opportunity to carry out the purposes of the section 307(d) notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements. By this action, the EPA is making that determination. The EPA is therefore extending the deadline for acting on the petition to no later than April 7, 2017.
Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; State of Arkansas; Regional Haze and Interstate Visibility Transport Federal Implementation Plan
Document Number: 2016-22508
Type: Rule
Date: 2016-09-27
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promulgating a final Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) addressing the requirements of the Regional Haze Rule and interstate visibility transport for the portions of Arkansas' Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) that EPA disapproved in a final rule published in the Federal Register on March 12, 2012. In that action, we partially approved and partially disapproved the State's plan to implement the regional haze program for the first planning period. This final rule addresses the Regional Haze Rule's requirements for Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART), reasonable progress, and a long-term strategy (LTS), as well as the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) regarding interference with other states' programs for visibility protection (interstate visibility transport) triggered by the issuance of the 1997 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and the 1997 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) NAAQS. The FIP includes sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOX), and particulate matter (PM) emission limits for nine units located at six facilities to address BART requirements (these limits also satisfy reasonable progress requirements for these sources); and SO2 and NOX emission limits for two units located at one power plant to address the reasonable progress requirements. We also provide reasonable progress goals (RPGs) for Arkansas' Class I areas. We are prepared to work with the State on a SIP revision that would replace some or all elements of the FIP.
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