U.S. EPA Proposes Tighter Annual PM2.5 NAAQS and a New Secondary PM2.5 NAAQS
Posted: July 9th, 2012
U.S. EPA has proposed to tighten the annual NAAQS for PM2.5 because more studies have linked health issues with low levels of PM2.5 than were previously thought.
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How the SO2 NAAQS Came Crashing Down On Us
Posted: June 27th, 2012
The sulfur dioxide (SO2) landscape looked very different in 2008 than it does today. At that time, the annual, 24-hour, and 3-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for SO2 had been in place for a long time. Except for […]
Read articleWhen Will We See the Final Boiler MACT and CISWI Rules from U.S. EPA?
Posted: June 25th, 2012
Rumor has it that we could see the final 4 Rules (i.e., the Major and Area Source Boiler MACT, CISWI*, and NHSM* rules) by the end of June. U.S. EPA sent final versions of the rules to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in mid-May for review, which can normally take 90 days.
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The RICE MACT Amendments Remind Me Of…Finding $20 in an Old Pair of Pants
Posted: June 18th, 2012
What does finding $20 in an old pair of pants have to do with air quality? Good question. Nothing really, except that U.S. EPA’s recent revision of the RICE MACT (i.e., 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart ZZZZ), boosting the allowable time that emergency RICE can operate under a demand response program from 60 to 100 hours per year, reminds me somewhat of finding a crisp twenty in an old pair of slacks.
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New GIF Forms in Pennsylvania
Posted: June 14th, 2012
On May 10, 2012 the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) edited the General Information Form (GIF) – Authorization Application package located in the Departments eLlibrary.
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Boiler MACT Rules Sent to White House Office of Management & Budget
Posted: June 7th, 2012
In the ongoing saga of the Boiler MACT Rules, U.S. EPA has sent revised versions of the rules to the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) for pre-publication review.
Read articleFinal Amendments to Petroleum Refinery New Source Performance Standards (40 CFR Part 60 Subpart Ja) Issued By U.S. EPA
Posted: June 5th, 2012
On June 1, 2012, U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson signed a notice issuing final amendments for 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart Ja, Standards of Performance for Petroleum Refineries for Which Construction, Reconstruction, or Modification Commenced After May 14, 2007.
Read articleMore NAAQS News – This Time Ozone
Posted: May 31st, 2012
On March 27, 2008, U.S. EPA revised the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) pertaining to ozone from a maximum 8-hour average concentration of 84 parts per billion (ppb) to 75 ppb.
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Hide and Seek? Final Revisions to 40 CFR Part 60 Subparts D, Da, Db, and Dc Promulgated “Under” MATS Rule
Posted: May 29th, 2012
On February 16, 2012, U.S. EPA finalized the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants From Coal and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units (EGUs) under Part 63, Subpart UUUUU, otherwise known as the Mercury and Air Toxics (MATS) rule. […]
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SO2 NAAQS Stakeholder Workgroups: Party Like It’s 2010
Posted: May 29th, 2012
U.S. EPA has set the stage for 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) NAAQS stakeholder workgroups to be held on May 30, May 31, and June 1, 2012.
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