Environmental Protection Agency April 15, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action establishing a subcategory of certain existing electric utility steam generating units (EGUs) firing eastern bituminous coal refuse (EBCR) for acid gas hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions that was noticed in a February 7, 2019, proposed rule titled ``National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating UnitsReconsideration of Supplemental Finding and Residual Risk and Technology Review'' (2019 Proposal). After consideration of public comments, the EPA has determined that there is a need for such a subcategory under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Coal- and Oil-Fired EGUs, commonly known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), and the Agency is establishing acid gas HAP emission standards applicable only to the new subcategory. The EPA's final decisions on the other two distinct actions in the 2019 Proposal (i.e., reconsideration of the 2016 Supplemental Finding that it is appropriate and necessary to regulate EGUs under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 112 and the residual risk and technology review of MATS) will be announced in a separate final action.

This document announces the Agency's receipt of an initial filing of a pesticide petition requesting the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is updating specific data elements within the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule (NPDES eRule), published on October 22, 2015, that apply to regulated municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s). These changes are necessary given the promulgation of a separate rulemaking after publication of the NPDES eRule that modified the NPDES permit requirements for small MS4s. That rule, referred to as the MS4 General Permit Remand Rule, published on December 9, 2016, made a number of the MS4-related data elements in the NPDES eRule no longer accurate. This final rule updates those data elements to be consistent with the current MS4 regulations, corrects related typographical errors, and makes other selected clarifications at the request of state NPDES permitting programs.

This action finalizes the residual risk and technology review (RTR) conducted for the Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) Production source category regulated under national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP). In addition, in this action we are finalizing amendments to add electronic reporting; address periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM); and establish work practice standards for maintenance activities pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA). We are making no revisions to the numerical emission limits based on the risk analysis or technology review. Although these amendments are not anticipated to result in reductions in emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAP), they will result in improved monitoring, compliance and implementation of the rule.