Environmental Protection Agency August 25, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of New York for purposes of certifying and meeting the requirements for Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for the Serious classification of the 2008 and Moderate classification of the 2015 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The EPA is also proposing to approve that this SIP revision fulfills SIP requirements pertaining to the Ozone Transport Region (OTR) for the 2015 Ozone NAAQS. The EPA is proposing to approve the demonstration portion of the comprehensive SIP revision submitted by New York that certify that the State has satisfied the requirements for an Ozone nonattainment new source review program, certify that the State has satisfied the requirements for a nonattainment emission inventory, and certify that the State has satisfied the requirements for clean fuels for fleets. The EPA is also proposing to approve New York's reasonable further progress plans and motor vehicle emissions budgets for both the Moderate and Serious classifications of the 2008 Ozone NAAQS.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing an Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) as part of the review of the air quality criteria and the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare- based) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Ozone (O3) and related photochemical oxidants. The ISA will be developed by the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development. When final, the ISA is intended to update the previous ISA for O3 and related photochemical oxidants (EPA/600/R-20/012), published in 2020. Interested parties are invited to assist EPA in developing and refining the scientific information base for the review of the O3 NAAQS by submitting research studies and data that have been published or accepted for publication since January 1, 2018.

EPA has received a specific exemption request from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to use the pesticide ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA, CAS No. 643-79-8) to treat the coolant fluid of the internal active thermal control system of the International Space Station to control aerobic/microaerophilic bacteria in the aqueous coolant. The applicant proposes the use of a new chemical which has not been registered by EPA. Therefore, in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations, EPA is soliciting public comment before making the decision whether to grant the exemption.