Environmental Protection Agency January 28, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve in part and disapprove in part portions of state implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by California to address Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for the 1997 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') in the San Joaquin Valley PM2.5 nonattainment area. Specifically, the EPA is approving all but the contingency measures element of the submitted SIP revisions as meeting all applicable ``Serious'' area and CAA section 189(d) requirements for the 1997 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS and is disapproving the contingency measures element. The EPA is also finalizing a determination that the San Joaquin Valley air quality planning area has attained the 1997 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS by the applicable attainment date. This determination is based on sufficient, quality-assured, and certified data for 2018-2020. Based on our finding that the San Joaquin Valley area has attained the 1997 24- hour PM2.5 NAAQS by the applicable attainment date, we are also finalizing a determination that the requirement for contingency measures will no longer apply to the San Joaquin Valley nonattainment area for the 1997 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. Lastly, the EPA is issuing a protective finding for transportation conformity determinations for the disapproval of the contingency measures element.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Mission Support (OMS) is giving notice that it proposes to modify a system of records pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974. Fleet Access (FA) is being modified to add a routine use that is related to Federal Automotive Statistical Tool (FAST) reporting and to move Fleet Access infrastructure from an externally-hosted non-Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) authorized cloud service provider to EPA's National Computing Center (NCC).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), NESHAP for Source Categories: Gasoline Distribution Bulk Terminals, Bulk Plants, Pipeline Facilities, and Gasoline Dispensing Facilities (EPA ICR Number 2237.06, OMB Control Number 2060-0620), 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 March 31, 2022. Public comments were previously requested, via the Federal Register, on April 13, 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 neither conduct nor 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) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), NSPS for Kraft Pulp Mills (EPA ICR Number 1055.13, OMB Control Number 2060-0021), 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 March 31, 2022. Public comments were previously requested, via the Federal Register, on February 8, 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 neither conduct nor 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 determining that the Detroit sulfur dioxide (SO2) nonattainment area failed to attain the 2010 primary 1-hour SO2 national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or ``standard'') by the applicable attainment date of October 4, 2018. This determination is based upon air quality modeling using actual and allowable emissions. This action requires the State of Michigan to submit one year after date of publication in the Federal Register a revision to its State Implementation Plan (SIP) that, among other elements, provides for expeditious attainment of the 2010 SO2 standard. EPA is not finalizing the finding of failure to attain for the Rhinelander, Wisconsin area that was included in the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), as a finding of failure to attain only applies to nonattainment areas and EPA expects to redesignate the area to attainment before the effective date of this action.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Delaware. This revision pertains to the reduction of the maximum allowable sulfur content limit for distillate fuels, from a current limit of 3,000 parts per million (ppm) (0.3% by weight) to 15 ppm (0.0015% by weight) and residential fuels from a current limit of 1.0% by weight to 0.5% by weight. This revision also adds requirements for sampling and testing along with certification and recordkeeping. Additionally, start up, shut down and malfunction provisions that were previously included in the Delaware SIP have been removed in this revision. EPA is proposing to determine that such removal corrects a deficiency identified in the June 12, 2015, SIP call issued to Delaware. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), NESHAP for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Product (EPA ICR Number 1783.11, OMB Control Number 2060-0357), 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 March 31, 2022. Public comments were previously requested, via the Federal Register, on April 13, 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 neither conduct nor sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

On December 27, 2017, the State of Missouri submitted a request for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to redesignate the Jefferson County, Missouri, 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) nonattainment area to attainment and to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision containing a maintenance plan for the area. The State provided supplemental information on: May 15, 2018; February 7, 2019; February 25, 2019; and April 9, 2021. In response to these submittals, the EPA is taking the following final actions: Approve the State's plan for maintaining attainment of the 2010 1-hour SO2 primary standard in the area; and approve the State's request to redesignate the Jefferson County SO2 nonattainment area to attainment for the 2010 1-hour SO2 primary standard.