Environmental Protection Agency October 14, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On April 17, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) promulgated national minimum criteria for existing and new coal combustion residuals (CCR) landfills and existing and new CCR surface impoundments. On August 21, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued its opinion in the case of Utility Solid Waste Activities Group, et al. v. EPA, which vacated and remanded the provision that exempted inactive impoundments at inactive facilities from the CCR regulations. As a first step to implement this part of the court decision, EPA is seeking comments in this advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) and data on inactive surface impoundments at inactive facilities to assist in the development of future regulations for these CCR units. This ANPRM also discusses the related research conducted to date, describes EPA's preliminary analysis of that research, and seeks additional data and public input on issues that may inform a future proposed rule.

Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maine. On February 18, 2020, the State submitted its 1997 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) Limited Maintenance Plans (LMPs) for the Portland and Midcoast areas. EPA is approving the Portland and Midcoast LMPs because they provide for the maintenance of the 1997 ozone NAAQS through the end of the second 10-year portion of the maintenance period. The effect of this action will be to make certain commitments related to maintenance of the 1997 ozone NAAQS in the Portland and Midcoast maintenance areas part of the Maine SIP and therefore federally enforceable.