Search Results for keywords:"Environmental Protection Agency"

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving parts of a submission from Arkansas related to the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), ensuring the state meets clean air requirements. The EPA reviewed Arkansas's plans for maintaining air quality and found them adequate in personnel, funding, and legal authority, despite some public concerns about financial resources. The approval includes updates to state regulations and confirms Arkansas's plans are consistent with federal law. Although the COVID-19 pandemic was mentioned as a possible concern, the EPA decided it does not warrant disapproval of Arkansas's submission at this time.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing a rule concerning air quality in Maricopa County, Arizona. The rule partially approves, partially disapproves, and partially conditionally approves revisions to the air quality plan for the area, focusing on controlling emissions to meet 2008 ozone standards. The EPA is conditionally approving certain rules for controlling emissions from surface coating operations, while requiring updates for others within a year, or they will face disapproval. No comments were received during the public comment period, and failure to meet these conditions might result in federal sanctions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reversing its previous decision from November 2020 and reinstating Ohio's Air Nuisance Rule (ANR) into the State Implementation Plan (SIP). This change follows a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit which highlighted errors in how the EPA handled the removal. The EPA has acknowledged that the ANR plays an important role in meeting clean air standards in Ohio and did not properly evaluate its significance in reducing pollution. This decision is meant to align with the Clean Air Act's goals of maintaining and enforcing national air quality standards.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed a final risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for formaldehyde, finding that it poses an unreasonable risk to human health. This risk includes both non-cancer effects from short-term skin and inhalation exposure and cancer risks from long-term inhalation exposure. The EPA is required to initiate risk management actions to address these risks. The decision was made based on comprehensive scientific studies and evaluations.

The Environmental Protection Agency corrected an error in a previously published proposed rule document related to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The mistake was found in the DATES section of the document on page 94633, where the date "December 30, 2025" was incorrectly listed and should be corrected to "December 30, 2024". This correction ensures the accurate timeline for the proposed rule's actions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the final risk evaluation for Chrysotile Asbestos under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The evaluation identifies certain uses of this type of asbestos as posing an unreasonable risk to health, prompting the EPA to implement risk management measures. Other uses were found not to pose such risks. Additionally, the EPA is working on Part 2 of the risk evaluation, which will address legacy uses and disposals of all types of asbestos, with a draft scope expected for public comment in mid-2021.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) from Louisiana that aims to meet the air quality standards set by the Clean Air Act. Submitted on November 4, 2020, the plan addresses requirements to reduce emissions that affect visibility and pollution in neighboring states, fulfilling a previous shortcoming related to Prong 4, which involves visibility transport rules. With the approval of Louisiana's regional haze plan, the EPA believes the state now satisfies the necessary provisions for various pollutants, including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter (PM2.5). The plan ensures that Louisiana's measures align with federal air quality standards and do not interfere with the air quality efforts of other states.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule establishing tolerances for the herbicide metamitron residues in apples and pears at 0.01 parts per million. This rule was requested by ADAMA AGAN and is based on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The EPA conducted an extensive risk assessment and determined that this tolerance is safe for human consumption, including for infants and children, with no significant risks identified. The rule is effective March 11, 2025, and interested parties can file objections or request hearings by May 12, 2025.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced updates to the rules for managing lead and copper in drinking water to better protect public health. These changes include improved methods to detect high levels of lead, enhance sampling reliability, and increase public awareness on the risks of lead exposure. For the first time, community water systems are required to test lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities. The rule also aims to speed up the replacement of lead service lines and close existing regulatory gaps to ensure safer drinking water.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a proposed consent decree related to a lawsuit where United Refining Co. claimed that the EPA did not act on its 2019 small refinery hardship exemption request under the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) program. This proposed consent decree would require the EPA to make a decision on United's petition by February 19, 2021. Public comments on this proposal are encouraged and must be submitted by February 3, 2021. The proposed actions and comments can be viewed and submitted online through the official EPA website.