Environmental Protection Agency November 1, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On or about October 31, 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will make available the document, Policy Assessment for the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards, External Review Draft (draft PA). This draft document was prepared as part of the current review of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for photochemical oxidants including ozone (O3). The PA, when final, serves to ``bridge the gap'' between the currently available scientific and technical information and the judgments required of the Administrator in determining whether to retain or revise the existing O3 NAAQS. The primary and secondary O3 NAAQS are set to protect the public health and the public welfare from O3 and other photochemical oxidants in ambient air.

EPA is proposing changes to the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) to simplify the application exclusion zone (AEZ) requirements. The proposed changes described in this document are the only changes EPA is currently planning to make to the WPS provisions that are now in effect.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve two state implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of California to meet Clean Air Act (CAA or ``Act'') requirements for the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) in the Imperial County nonattainment area, as follows. The EPA proposes to approve the ``Imperial County 2017 State Implementation Plan for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone Standard'' (``Imperial Ozone Plan'' or ``Plan'') and the portions of the ``2018 Updates to the California State Implementation Plan'' (``2018 SIP Update'') that address the requirement for a reasonable further progress (RFP) demonstration for the Imperial County for the 2008 ozone standards. In addition, the EPA is proposing to determine, based on a separate demonstration submitted by the State of California, that the Imperial County nonattainment area would have attained the 2008 ozone NAAQS by the ``Moderate'' area attainment date of July 20, 2018, but for emissions emanating from outside of the United States, and therefore would no longer be subject to the CAA requirements pertaining to reclassification upon failure to attain. If we finalize these proposed actions, the Imperial County nonattainment area would remain classified as a Moderate nonattainment area for the 2008 ozone NAAQS.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to address the results of the residual risk and technology reviews (RTR) that the EPA is required to conduct in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA) with regard to the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Surface Coating of Automobiles and Light-Duty Trucks (ALDT), the NESHAP for the Surface Coating of Miscellaneous Metal Parts and Products (MMPP), and the NESHAP for the Surface Coating of Plastic Parts and Products (PPP). The EPA is proposing to find the risks due to emissions of air toxics from these source categories under the current standards are acceptable and the standards provide an ample margin of safety to protect public health. We are proposing no revisions to the numerical emission limits based on these analyses. The EPA is proposing to amend provisions addressing emissions during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM); to amend provisions regarding electronic reporting of performance test results; to amend provisions regarding monitoring requirements; and to make miscellaneous clarifying and technical corrections. This notice also proposes technical corrections to the NESHAP for Surface Coating of Large Appliances; NESHAP for Printing, Coating, and Dyeing of Fabrics and Other Textiles; and NESHAP for Surface Coating of Metal Furniture.