Environmental Protection Agency August 4, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making an interim final determination that the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has submitted a rule and other materials on behalf of the Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD or ``County'') that correct deficiencies in its Clean Air Act (CAA or ``Act'') state implementation plan (SIP) provisions concerning ozone nonattainment requirements. This determination is based on a proposed approval, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, of MCAQD's reasonably available control technology (RACT) demonstration for the aerospace coating category (``aerospace operations RACT certification'') and negative declarations for the 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') in the portion of the Phoenix-Mesa ozone nonattainment areas regulated by the MCAQD, as well as a rule covering emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from surface coatings and industrial adhesives. The effect of this interim final determination is that the imposition of sanctions that were triggered by a previous partial disapproval by the EPA in 2021 is now deferred. If the EPA finalizes its approval of MCAQD's submission, relief from these sanctions will become permanent.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making an interim final determination that the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has submitted revised rules on behalf of the Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD or County) that correct deficiencies in its Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) state implementation plan (SIP) provisions concerning reasonably available control technology (RACT) ozone nonattainment requirements for controlling emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOX) from combustion equipment and internal combustion engines. This determination is based on a proposed approval, published elsewhere in this Federal Register, of MCAQD's Rules 323 and 324 which regulate these source categories. The effect of this interim final determination is that the imposition of sanctions that were triggered by two prior disapprovals by the EPA, the first in 2020 for these two rules, and the second in 2021 for the County's 2017 determination that it was implementing RACT for major sources of NOX, are now deferred. If the EPA finalizes its approval of MCAQD's submission, relief from these sanctions will become permanent.

EPA has granted emergency exemptions under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) for use of pesticides as listed in this notice. The exemptions were granted during the period July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, to control unforeseen pest outbreaks.