Environmental Protection Agency October 28, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), Water Quality Standards Regulation (EPA ICR Number 0988.15, OMB Control Number 2040-0049), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through December 31, 2021. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on March 24, 2021 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. 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.

Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is granting requests by the California Air Resources Board (CARB or ``State'') to reclassify three nonattainment areas in California from ``Moderate'' to ``Serious'' for the 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). These three areas are herein referred to as the Eastern Kern, Sacramento Metro, and Western Nevada nonattainment areas. In connection with the reclassification, the EPA is establishing deadlines for submittal of revisions to the Eastern Kern, Sacramento Metro, and Western Nevada portions of the California State implementation plan (SIP) to meet additional requirements for Serious ozone nonattainment areas.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve a revision to the State of Nevada's state implementation plan (SIP) for Clark County. The revision consists of an update to certain elements of the maintenance plan for the Clark County air quality planning area for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards''), including certain emissions inventories and motor vehicle emissions budgets. The EPA is approving the SIP revision because the Clark County ozone maintenance plan, as revised, continues to provide for maintenance of the 1997 ozone NAAQS and will not interfere with attainment or reasonable further progress of the other NAAQS, and the motor vehicle emissions budgets meet the applicable transportation conformity requirements.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing approval of State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of South Carolina, through the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC or Department), on April 24, 2020. The SIP revisions update the State's Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) regulations. Specifically, the SIP revisions add and update several definitions for consistency with the Federal regulations, update public participation requirements for PSD, clarify the applicability of ``source impact analysis'' for PSD, add an emissions offset banking provision for NNSR, and make administrative updates, such as typographical corrections and renumbering. Finally, the changes incorporate language that addresses the public notice rule provisions for NNSR, which removes the mandatory requirements to provide public notice in a newspaper and instead allows for electronic notice (``e- notice'') as an alternate noticing option for the State. EPA is approving these revisions pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) and implementing Federal regulations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision to the Mecklenburg County portion of the North Carolina SIP, hereinafter referred to as the Mecklenburg Local Implementation Plan (LIP). The revision was submitted by the State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Division of Air Quality (NCDAQ), on behalf of Mecklenburg County Air Quality via a letter dated April 24, 2020. The SIP revision seeks to remove transportation facilities rules from the Mecklenburg County Air Pollution Control Ordinance (MCAPCO) rules incorporated into the LIP. EPA is proposing to approve these changes pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).