Search Results for keywords:"Clean Air Act"

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a notice detailing the availability of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) received between January 14 and January 25, 2021. According to Section 309(a) of the Clean Air Act, the EPA is required to make public its comments on EISs issued by other federal agencies. The notice includes information on a new draft EIS for the North Alabama Utility-Scale Solar Facility, with comments open until March 15, 2021. Additionally, two previously published notices have been officially withdrawn, including a draft by the U.S. Forest Service related to locatable minerals and a final statement by the Bureau of Land Management concerning a solar project in California.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a change to Kansas’ air quality plan that removes a requirement for gas in the Kansas City area to have a specific Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) during summer months. Previously, Kansas City, Kansas had to use gasoline with an RVP of 7.0 psi, while the statewide and federal requirement is 9.0 psi. While the change might slightly increase emissions that contribute to ozone, the EPA believes it will not harm air quality because overall vehicle emissions are decreasing due to newer, cleaner cars. The decision will align Kansas City, Kansas with a consistent RVP requirement and is open for public comments.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing changes to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the carbon black production industry. The proposal aims to improve air quality by addressing hazardous emissions from production units, setting new requirements for startup, shutdown, and malfunction processes, and mandating electronic reporting of specific data. Additionally, the EPA evaluated the risks of emissions and decided that while the risks are currently acceptable, these updates will help ensure better protection of public health and the environment. The changes will also include electronic reporting to make data collection more efficient and transparent.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve West Virginia's plan to address visibility issues caused by air pollution in national parks and wilderness areas, known as Class I areas. This decision reverses a previous proposal to disapprove the state's plan. The approval is based on West Virginia's measures to control emissions and the conclusion that no further actions are needed to improve visibility during the specified period. The EPA's decision reflects a change in their policy, suggesting that if current air conditions are below a certain improvement mark, states are meeting progress requirements.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD) portion of Arizona's state implementation plan. This includes full approval of seven rules for the preconstruction permitting of new and modified pollution sources in Maricopa County, ensuring they meet federal air quality standards. The EPA is seeking public comments on this proposal until March 25, 2021, before making a final decision. Through these approvals, the EPA aims to support air quality management in accordance with the Clean Air Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving part of Virginia's State Implementation Plan (SIP), which includes negative declarations for certain Control Techniques Guidelines (CTG) and Alternative Control Techniques (ACT) for ozone standards. These declarations show that there are no sources in Northern Virginia subject to these guidelines, including for the 2016 Oil and Gas industry CTG. The approval confirms that Virginia meets the requirements of the Clean Air Act for these guidelines, and it does not conflict with any state or federal laws or regulations. This action simply acknowledges Virginia's compliance and does not impose new regulations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is correcting an error in its previous disapproval of Delaware's State Implementation Plan (SIP) related to air quality regulations, originally made on October 23, 2023. This correction follows a court decision which partially vacated an older EPA rule, making Delaware's revisions voluntary instead of mandatory. As a result, the EPA will no longer impose certain sanctions and obligations on Delaware. This action only fixes a prior error and does not add any new requirements.

The Department of Justice has announced a proposed Consent Decree with BCP Ingredients, Inc. over violations of the Clean Air Act due to the release of ethylene oxide at their Missouri facility. Under this agreement, BCP will pay a $300,000 fine, install new equipment to reduce emissions, and conduct three community projects worth $350,000. These projects include donating vehicles and medical supplies, providing medical visits, and supplying emergency response equipment. The public can comment on this decree within 30 days of its announcement.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for South Dakota, as submitted on January 3, 2020. This revision involves updates to the Administrative Rules of South Dakota related to definitions in the Air Pollution Control Program. Specifically, it includes new definitions for "closed landfill" and "closed landfill subcategory." The EPA is taking this action under the Clean Air Act and is seeking public comments by March 26, 2021.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that they have temporarily decided not to enforce penalties against the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District in California. This decision comes after the California Air Resources Board submitted a plan aiming to fix issues in the district's air pollution permit program. Although initial problems led to the EPA disapproving a district rule in 2023, the current plan addresses most issues, prompting the EPA to delay penalties while considering the public's comments. The EPA is using a special process to make this determination quickly because they believe it's in the public's best interest.