Environmental Protection Agency May 30, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The ICR, entitled: ``Toxic Chemical Release Reporting and Renewals of Form R, Form A, and Form R Schedule 1'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 1363.26 and OMB Control No. 2025-0009, represents the renewal of an existing ICR that is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2017. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection that is summarized in this document. The ICR and accompanying material are available in the docket for public review and comment.

On March 13, 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a direct final rule in the Federal Register determining that the Imperial County, California Moderate nonattainment area (``the Imperial County NA'') attained the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standard. In the same action, the EPA approved a revision to California's state implementation plan (SIP) consisting of the 2008 emissions inventory for the Imperial County NA submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB or ``State'') on January 9, 2015. The EPA's description in regulatory text of the SIP element that was approved inadvertently included information unrelated to the 2008 emissions inventory. This document corrects the regulatory text to clarify the provisions of the SIP that are approved.

On December 20, 2016, Tennessee, through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), submitted a request for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to redesignate the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area (hereinafter referred to as the ``Knoxville Area'' or ``Area'') to attainment for the 1997 Annual PM2.5 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision containing a maintenance plan, a reasonably available control measures (RACM) determination, and source-specific requirements for the Area. EPA is proposing to approve Tennessee's RACM determination for the Knoxville Area and incorporate it into the SIP; to incorporate source-specific requirements for two sources in the Area into the SIP; determine that the Knoxville Area is attaining the 1997 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS based on 2013-2015 data; approve Tennessee's plan for maintaining the 1997 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS for the Knoxville Area (maintenance plan), including the associated motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and PM2.5 for the years 2014 and 2028, and incorporate it into the SIP; and to redesignate the Knoxville Area to attainment for the 1997 Annual PM2.5 NAAQS.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maryland. The revision consists of a Maryland regulation that regulates nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions from coal-fired electric generating units (EGUs) in the State. EPA is approving this revision in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing approval of a revision to the District of Columbia State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the District of Columbia (the District) through the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). The District's SIP revision addresses requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's rules that require states to submit periodic reports describing progress towards reasonable progress goals (RPGs) established for regional haze and a determination of the adequacy of the state's existing SIP addressing regional haze (regional haze SIP). EPA is proposing approval of the District's SIP revision because EPA has determined that it satisfactorily addresses the progress report and adequacy determination requirements for the first implementation period for regional haze. This action is being taken under the CAA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving updates to the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) air quality regulations in the Washington State Implementation Plan (SIP). The EFSEC regulations primarily adopt by reference the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) general air quality regulations, which the EPA approved in the fall of 2014 and spring of 2015. Consistent with our approval of the Ecology general air quality regulations, we are also approving revisions to EFSEC's air quality regulations to implement the preconstruction permitting regulations for large industrial (major source) energy facilities in attainment and unclassifiable areas, called the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program. The PSD program for major energy facilities under EFSEC's jurisdiction has historically been operated under a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP), in cooperation with the EPA and Ecology. This final approval of the EFSEC PSD program transfers the authority for issuing PSD permits from EPA to EFSEC for all of the categories of energy facilities for which EFSEC has jurisdiction. This narrows the current FIP to cover only those energy facilities for which EFSEC does not have jurisdiction or authority. The EPA is also approving EFSEC's visibility protection permitting program which overlaps significantly with the PSD program in most cases.

On December 20, 2016, Tennessee, through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), submitted a request for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to redesignate the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area (hereinafter referred to as the ``Knoxville Area'' or ``Area'') to attainment for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision containing a maintenance plan and a reasonably available control measures (RACM) determination for the Area. EPA is proposing to approve Tennessee's RACM determination for the Knoxville Area and incorporate it into the SIP; to approve Tennessee's plan for maintaining the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS for the Knoxville Area (maintenance plan), including the associated motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and PM2.5 for the years 2014 and 2028, and incorporate it into the SIP; and to redesignate the Knoxville Area to attainment for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS.