Environmental Protection Agency December 19, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), NSPS for Portland Cement Plants (EPA ICR Number 1051.16, OMB Control Number 2060-0025), 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 December 31, 2024. Public comments were previously requested, via the Federal Register on May 18, 2023, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is correcting a final rule published in the Federal Register on March 6, 2024, that became effective on May 6, 2024. The final rule revised the primary annual PM2.5 standard by lowering the level from 12.0 [micro]g/m\3\ to 9.0 [micro]g/m\3\, retained the current primary 24- hour PM2.5 standard and the primary 24-hour PM10 standard, retained the secondary 24-hour PM2.5 standard, secondary annual PM2.5 standard, and secondary 24-hour PM10 standard, and finalized revisions to the Air Quality Index (AQI) and monitoring requirements for the national ambient air quality standards for particulate matter (PM NAAQS). After publication, the EPA became aware of an error in the preamble text regarding the due date for infrastructure State implementation plan (infrastructure SIP) submissions for the 2024 p.m. NAAQS. With this action, the EPA is clarifying the due date for infrastructure SIP submissions for the 2024 p.m. NAAQS. The EPA is also correcting inadvertent errors in the PM2.5 monitoring regulatory text. These corrections do not include any substantive changes to the final rule.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting comment on an application from Mitsubishi Motors Corporation ("MMC") for off-cycle carbon dioxide (CO2) credits under EPA's light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards. "Off-cycle" emission reductions can be achieved by employing technologies that result in real-world benefits, but where that benefit is not adequately captured on the test procedures used by manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with emission standards. EPA's light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas program acknowledges these benefits by giving automobile manufacturers several options for generating "off-cycle" CO2 credits. Under the regulations, a manufacturer may apply for CO2 credits for off-cycle technologies that result in off-cycle benefits. In these cases, a manufacturer must provide EPA with a proposed methodology for determining the real-world off-cycle benefit. MMC submitted their application describing a methodology for determining off-cycle credits from the technology described in their application. Pursuant to applicable regulations, EPA is making this off-cycle credit calculation methodology available for public comment.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that the Piti-Cabras, Guam, sulfur dioxide (SO2) nonattainment area (NAA) failed to attain the 2010 1-hour SO2 primary national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS, "standard," or "2010 SO2 NAAQS") by the applicable statutory attainment date of April 9, 2023. This determination is based on an analysis of available modeling, emissions data, and information concerning control strategy implementation. This action addresses the EPA's obligation under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 179(c) to determine whether the Piti-Cabras SO2 NAA ("Piti-Cabras area") attained the 2010 SO2 NAAQS by the April 9, 2023 attainment date.