Environmental Protection Agency February 10, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In the Federal Register of December 29, 2021, EPA announced the availability of and solicited public comment on the draft scope of a risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for Asbestos Part 2: Supplemental Evaluation Including Legacy Uses and Associated Disposals of Asbestos. This document extends the comment period for 15 days from February 14, 2022, to March 1, 2022.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve changes to the Georgia state implementation plan (SIP) submitted on behalf of the State of Georgia by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD) through a letter dated September 1, 2020. This revision includes changes to the State's air quality regulations incorporated into the SIP by changing the definition of ``pollution control project'' and making minor changes to the corresponding minor new source review (NSR) permitting regulations for consistency. EPA is proposing to approve this SIP revision because the State has demonstrated that these changes are consistent with the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).

On October 22, 2012, the EPA published a final rule in the Federal Register promulgating a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) to address regional haze obligations for the Territory of the United States Virgin Islands. However, at that time, EPA erroneously failed to incorporate into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) certain emission limits that had been determined to be necessary to satisfy those obligations and that had been proposed and included in the docket for the action. EPA is correcting this error by incorporating the previously noticed limits into the CFR. EPA has not reopened any of the previous, underlying determinations in this action.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is taking final action to approve a revision to Montana's State Implementation Plan (SIP). On July 6, 2016, the Governor of Montana submitted to EPA a revision to the Montana SIP that removed one section of the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) pertaining to aluminum plants. In this document, EPA is finalizing approval of the removal of this section from the SIP. EPA determined the provision was inconsistent with Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements and EPA issued a SIP call for the State to revise the provision on June 12, 2015. Removal of this provision corrects the deficiencies identified in 2015 related to the treatment of excess emissions from aluminum plants and fully satisfies the SIP call issued to Montana.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD or County) portion of the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). We are proposing action on rescissions of local rules that regulate these pollutants under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act). We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.

Notice is hereby given that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Advisory Committee (FRRCC) is in the public interest and is necessary in connection with the performance of EPA's duties. Accordingly, the FRRCC will be renewed for an additional two-year period. The purpose of the FRRCC is to provide advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities. Inquiries may be directed to Venus Welch-White, Designated Federal Officer or Emily Selia, Alternate Designated Federal Officer for the FRRCC, U.S. EPA, (Mail Code 1101A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460, or FRRCC@epa.gov.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or ``Agency'') is notifying the public that the Agency has found motor vehicle emissions budgets (``budgets'') adequate in a California state implementation plan (SIP) submittal for the San Joaquin Valley. Specifically, our finding relates to budgets in the area's ``Attainment Plan Revision for the 1997 Annual PM2.5 Standard'' (``15 [mu]g/m\3\ SIP Revision''), submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on November 8, 2021. We find that these budgets are adequate for transportation conformity purposes for the 1997 annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). Upon the effective date of this notice of adequacy, the San Joaquin Valley metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and the U.S. Department of Transportation must use these adequate budgets in future transportation conformity determinations. Furthermore, once the San Joaquin Valley MPOs have used the adequate budgets to demonstrate conformity of their transportation plans to the 15 [micro]g/m\3\ SIP Revision, the conformity freeze put in place as of December 27, 2021, will be lifted.