Environmental Protection Agency May 14, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the 2021 Annual Joint Meeting of the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) and the Mid-Atlantic Northeast Visibility Union (MANE- VU). The meeting agenda will include topics regarding reducing ground- level ozone precursors and matters relative to Regional Haze and visibility improvement in Federal Class I areas in a multi-pollutant context.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is rescinding the final rule entitled ``Increasing Consistency and Transparency in Considering Benefits and Costs in the Clean Air Act Rulemaking Process.'' The EPA is rescinding the rule because the changes advanced by the rule were inadvisable, untethered to the CAA, and not necessary to effectuate the purposes of the Act.

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a clean data determination for the Anderson and Freestone Counties and the Titus County nonattainment areas, concluding that each area is currently in attainment of the 2010 1-hour Primary Sulfur Dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standard (SO2 NAAQS) per the EPA's Clean Data Policy. The primary sources of Sulfur Dioxide emissions in these counties have permanently shut down and air quality in these areas is now attaining the SO2 NAAQS. This final action is supported by EPA's evaluation of available monitoring data, emissions data, and air quality modeling. This action suspends the requirements for these areas to submit an attainment demonstration, a reasonable further progress plan, contingency measures, and other planning State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions related to attainment of the 2010 SO2 NAAQS until the area is formally redesignated, or a violation of the NAAQS occurs. This action is being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a Notice of Intent to delete nine sites and partially delete eleven sites from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comments on this proposed action. The NPL, promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA and the state, through its designated state agency, have determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA, other than operations and maintenance of the remedy, monitoring and five-year reviews, where applicable, have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving most elements of a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) on behalf of the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) to address Clean Air Act (CAA or ``the Act'') requirements for the 2012 annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') in the Allegheny County Moderate PM2.5 nonattainment area (the ``Allegheny County Area,'' or ``the Area''). The revision constitutes a comprehensive plan to ensure the Allegheny County Area's timely attainment of the 2012 PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA is approving this revision to the Pennsylvania SIP in accordance with the requirements of the CAA.