Environmental Protection Agency October 3, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The revision will fulfill Pennsylvania's nonattainment new source review (NNSR) SIP element requirement for the 2015 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). EPA is approving these revisions to the Pennsylvania SIP in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Maine has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for final authorization of revisions to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended. The EPA has reviewed Maine's application and has determined that these revisions satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for final authorization. Therefore, we are taking direct final action to authorize the State's changes. In the ``Proposed Rules'' section of this issue of the Federal Register, the EPA is also publishing a separate document that serves as the proposal to authorize these revisions. Unless the EPA receives written comments that oppose this authorization during the comment period, the decision to authorize Maine's revisions to its hazardous waste program will take effect.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to withdraw the portion of a March 25, 2019 final action conditionally approving state implementation plan (SIP) submissions from the State of California under the Clean Air Act (CAA or ``Act'') to address contingency measure requirements for the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') in the San Joaquin Valley, California ozone nonattainment area. The SIP submissions include the portions of the ``2016 Ozone Plan for 2008 8- Hour Ozone Standard'' and the ``2018 Updates to the California State Implementation Plan'' that address the contingency measure requirement for San Joaquin Valley. Simultaneously, the EPA is taking final action to partially approve and partially disapprove these SIP submissions. These actions are in response to a decision issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Association of Irritated Residents v. EPA, Ninth Circuit, No. 19-71223, opinion filed August 26, 2021) remanding the EPA's conditional approval of the contingency measure SIP submissions back to the Agency for further proceedings consistent with the decision.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the chartered Science Advisory Board. The chartered SAB will meet to: (1) receive briefings from two EPA offices on activities and research priorities for environmental justice considerations; (2) conduct a consultation with EPA's Office of Water on environmental justice impacts of lead service line removal in drinking water systems; (3) deliberate on the adequacy of the scientific and technical basis of the proposed rule titled Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards; and (4) discuss recommendations received from the SAB Work Group for Review of Science Supporting EPA Decisions concerning SAB review of EPA planned regulatory actions.