Regulatory Actions
Regulatory Review Notice
EPA is in the process of reviewing several previous agency decisions, including those covered by the White House memo on regulatory review (memo in HTML | memo in PDF (2 pp, 51K, About PDF)). The rules under review are noted below.
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- Under Review - EPA Proposes Revisions Air Quality Index Reporting and Significant Harm Level for Particle Pollution
January 15, 2009 -- EPA is seeking comments on a proposal to revise the Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI) states use to report daily concentrations for fine particle pollution, also known as PM2.5. The proposal also would set a “significant harm level” for PM 2.5, which states use in developing emergency episode plans. EPA will hold a public hearing March 5, 2009 in in the Dallas area.
- Proposed Rule (PDF) (39pp, 167k)
- Fact Sheet and Public Hearing Information (PDF) (4pp, 55k)
EPA Makes Findings of Failure to Submit State Implementation Plans (SIPs) -- 1997 Fine Particle Pollution (PM2.5) Standard
October 3, 2008 - EPA issued findings that 21 states and territories missed Clean Air Act deadlines for submitting plans, or elements of plans, for implementing EPA’s 1997 national air quality standards for particle pollution. The notice also identifies 35 states who have submitted complete SIPs.
Clean Air Fine Particle Implementation Rule Will Help States Control Fine Particle Air Pollution
March 29, 2007 - EPA finalizes Clean Air Fine Particle Implementation Rule defining requirements for state plans to meet the 1997 national air quality standards for fine particle pollution.
- Fact Sheet
- Federal Register Notice, April 25, 2007 (PDF) (83pp, 1.0 MB)
- PM2.5 Nonattainment Area Designations
EPA Completes Benefits and Costs Analysis of National Air Quality Standards for Particle Pollution
October 6, 2006 - EPA has completed its benefits and costs analysis of the national air quality standards for particle pollution, which EPA strengthened on Sept. 21, 2006. This regulatory impact analysis is designed to inform the public and states about the potential costs and benefits of implementing these important air quality standards. It is not a part of the standard selection process.
- Fact Sheet
- Read the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA)
- Federal Register Notice Announcing Availability of RIA (PDF) (2pp, 56k)
EPA Finalizes Amendments to its National Air Quality Monitoring Requirements
September 28, 2006 - EPA has finalized amendments to its national air quality monitoring requirements, including those for monitoring particle pollution.
- Final Rule (PDF) (94pp, 709k)
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (4pp, 42k)
- Presentation (PDF) (11pp, 494k)
EPA Strengthens National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particle Pollution.
September 21, 2006 - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the strongest national air quality standards for particle pollution in our country’s history.
- Federal Register Notice, October 17, 2006 (PDF) (91 pp, 737 KB)
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (8 pp, 63 KB)
- Presentation
- Text Slides (02/14/07) (PDF) (21 pp, 246 KB)
- Graph and Maps (10/25/06) (PDF) (10 pp, 1.2 MB)
EPA's Provisional Assessment of Recent Studies on Health Effects of Particulate Matter Exposure Available
July 20, 2006 - In order to ensure that the EPA Administrator is fully aware of the new science before making a final decision on whether to revise or retain the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter, EPA conducted a survey and provisional assessment of relevant new studies. This final report is the result of that effort.
- Provisional Assessment of Recent Studies on Health Effects of Particulate Matter Exposure (PDF) (206 pp, 1.1 MB)
Direct Final Fine Particle Pollution De Minimis Emission Levels for General
Conformity Applicability
March 31, 2006 - EPA established “de minimis” emission levels
for fine particle pollution. These emissions thresholds will be used to
determine whether requirements would apply under EPA’s General Conformity
rules.
- Direct Final Rule (PDF) (7 pp, 84 KB)
- Parallel Proposal (PDF) (4 pp, 73 KB)
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 24 KB)
- Interim Policy for General Conformity Applicability in PM2.5 Nonattainment Areas (PDF) (2 pp, 73 KB) (applies until EPA establishes final de minimis thresholds for PM2.5)
EPA Extends Public Comment on Implementing Proposed Particle Standards
March
29, 2006 - EPA is announcing a 90-day extension to the public comment period
for its advanced notice of proposed rule making on how best to implement any
new standards that may result from the recently proposed revisions to the particulate
matter
air quality standards.
The public comment period will now end on July 10, 2006, rather than on April
10, 2006.
EPA Seeks Public Comment on Implementing Proposed Particle Standards
February 3, 2006 - EPA is seeking public comment on how best to
implement any new standards that may result from the recently proposed
revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate
matter (PM). This action will assure the public that EPA is aware
of and is considering the multiple issues associated with implementing
any revised or new particulate matter standards.
- Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (PDF) (12 pp, 117 KB)
- Fact Sheet
- How to Comment
EPA Proposes to Revise the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particle Pollution
December 20, 2005 - The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed
revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particle
pollution. The proposed revisions would strengthen a fine particle
standard, and would improve and refocus the coarse particle standards
on those particles that are associated with public health concerns.
EPA will accept comments for 90 days after the publication of
the
proposal in the Federal Register.
- Proposed Rule (PDF) (90 pp, 1.5 MB)
- Fact Sheet
- Press Release
- How to Comment
- Transcript of EPA conference call, December 20, 2005 (PDF) (16 pp, 197 KB)
- Presentation: Proposal to Revise National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Particle Pollution
- Text Slides (PDF) (20 pp, 266 KB) updated 03/02/2006
- Table and Maps (PDF) (4 pp, 743 KB) updated 12/27/2005
- Modeled Estimates for the Year 2010 (PDF) (5 pp, 993 KB)
- Modeled Estimates for the Year 2015 (PDF) (4 pp, 973 KB)
- Table: PM2.5 Annual and Daily Design Values for Counties with Monitors 1999-2003 Baseline Values vs. Projected Values in 2010 and 2015 (PDF) (16 pp, 33 KB)
- Methods for Projecting Air Quality Concentrations for Evaluating Alternative PM2.5 Standards (PDF) (3 pp, 20 KB)
- PM10 Maps (PDF) (3 pp, 1.7 MB)
- Technical Support Documents
- Interim Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) for the Proposed
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter
- Executive Summary (PDF) (14 pp, 536 KB)
- Chapter 1: Overview of this Regulatory Impact Analysis (PDF) (5 pp, 57 KB)
- Chapter 2: Scope and Magnitude of the Problem (PDF) (32 pp, 3.1 MB)
- Chapter 3: Analysis Methodology and Summary Results (PDF) (26 pp, 384 KB)
- Appendix A: Five City Analysis Results (PDF) (109 pp, 657 KB)
- Appendix B: AERMOD Local-Scale Analysis (PDF) (36 pp, 1.1 MB)
- Appendix C: AirControlNET Controls Database (PDF) (55 pp, 453 KB)
- Appendix D: Additional Cost Data (PDF) (15 pp, 29 KB)
- Appendix E: Methods
for Projecting Air Quality Concentrations (PDF) (3
pp, 34 KB)
- Memorandum: Basis for proposed determinations regarding retention of 24-hour PM10 standard (PDF) (7 pp, 212 KB)
- White Paper: Preliminary Analyses of Proposed PM2.5 NAAQS Alternatives (PDF) (24 pp, 2.8 MB)
- EPA Criteria Document
- EPA Staff Paper
- Clean Air Science Advisory Committee comments on the EPA Criteria Document and Staff Paper
- Interim Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) for the Proposed
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter
EPA Proposes Amendments to its National Air Quality Monitoring Requirements
December 20, 2005 - In a separate but related action, EPA has proposed
amendments to its national air quality monitoring requirements,
including those for monitoring particle pollution. The proposed
changes include the design of a network to monitor PM10-2.5. EPA
will accept comments for 90 days after the publication of the proposal
in the Federal Register.
- Proposed Rule (PDF) (100 pp, 3.78 MB)
- Fact Sheet
- How to Comment
- Technical Support Documents:
- DRAFT National Ambient Air Monitoring Strategy (PDF) (125 pp, 1.4 MB)
- Spreadsheet Showing Areas Where PM10-2.5 Monitors Would be Required (PDF) (11 pp, 292 KB) updated 02/10/06
- Clean Air Science Advisory Council review of the PM10-2.5 federal reference method (PDF) (121 pp, 2 MB)
- Maps supporting proposed PM10-2.5 monitoring requirements (PDF) (8 pp, 397 KB)
- Creation of PM10-2.5
Database in Support of NAAQS & Monitoring
Rule Proposals (PDF) (4 pp, 607 KB)