The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a rule submitted by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to amend California's State Implementation Plan. This rule, Rule 2021, would exempt certain experimental research operations from needing permits, provided they meet other regulatory requirements. The EPA believes these exemptions won’t negatively impact air quality goals. Public comments on this proposal are invited until March 24, 2021, and the proposal, if finalized, will integrate this change into federal regulations.
Simple Explanation
The EPA wants to let a special California air group skip some red tape for experiments, making it easier for them to try new things, as long as they follow some rules, and they're asking people what they think about this idea.