Environmental Protection Agency September 29, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Focus Groups as used by EPA for Economics Projects (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2205.22, OMB Control No. 2090-0028) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed renewal of the ICR, which is currently approved through March 31, 2022. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Estimating Benefits of Surface Water Quality Improvements'' (EPA ICR No. 2588.01, OMB Control No. 2080-NEW) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a request for approval of a new collection. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving elements of a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Illinois regarding the infrastructure requirements of section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2012 PM2.5 and 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Additionally, EPA is approving the infrastructure requirements related to Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) for previous NAAQS. The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to require the control, capture, and/or destruction of a hydrofluorocarbon that would otherwise be emitted from manufacture of hydrochlorofluorocarbons. In this proposed rule, EPA is proposing to require companies to control, capture, and destroy HFC-23 byproduct generated at plants that manufacture class II ozone-depleting substances regulated under current Clean Air Act regulations, such as HCFC-22. HFC-23 is a very potent greenhouse gas that is generated as a byproduct during the manufacture of certain class II ozone-depleting substances, including HCFC-22. Under the Clean Air Act and the implementing regulations, the production and consumption of class II ozone-depleting substances, including HCFC-22, are restricted with limited exceptions. One such exception is production for use in transformation, or as a feedstock, which is allowed indefinitely. The Agency is proposing to limit emissions of HFC-23 from plants manufacturing HCFCs. The HFC-23 must be captured and employed for a commercial use or destroyed using a technology approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, thereby ensuring it is not directly emitted.