40 CFR 60, Subpart SSS -

The EPA is taking final action on its reconsideration of certain issues in the final rules titled, “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal- and Oil-fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units and Standards of Performance for Fossil-Fuel-Fired Electric Utility, Industrial-Commercial-Institutional, and Small Industrial-Commercial-Institutional Steam Generating Units.” The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rule issued pursuant to Clean Air Act (CAA) section 112 is referred to as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) NESHAP, and the New Source Performance Standards rule issued pursuant to CAA section 111 is referred to as the Utility NSPS. The Administrator received petitions for reconsideration of certain aspects of the MATS NESHAP and the Utility NSPS. On November 30, 2012, the EPA granted reconsideration of, proposed, and requested comment on a limited set of issues. We also proposed certain technical corrections to both the MATS NESHAP and the Utility NSPS. The EPA is now taking final action on the revised new source numerical standards in the MATS NESHAP and the definitional and monitoring provisions in the Utility NSPS that were addressed in the proposed reconsideration rule. As part of this action, the EPA is also making certain technical corrections to both the MATS NESHAP and the Utility NSPS. The EPA is not taking final action on requirements applicable during periods of startup and shutdown in the MATS NESHAP or on startup and shutdown provisions related to the PM standard in the Utility NSPS.

On August 16, 2012, the EPA published final new source performance standards for the oil and natural gas sector. The Administrator received petitions for reconsideration of certain aspects of the standards. In this notice, the EPA is announcing proposed amendments as a result of reconsideration of certain issues related to implementation of storage vessel provisions. The proposed amendments also correct technical errors that were inadvertently included in the final rule.

On July 18, 2012, the EPA proposed amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Portland Cement Manufacturing Industry and the Standards of Performance for Portland Cement Plants. This final action amends the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for the Portland cement industry. The EPA is also promulgating amendments with respect to issues on which it granted reconsideration on May 17, 2011. In addition, the EPA is amending the new source performance standard for particulate matter. These amendments promote flexibility, reduce costs, ease compliance and preserve health benefits. The amendments also address the remand of the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for the Portland cement industry by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on December 9, 2011. Finally, the EPA is setting the date for compliance with the existing source national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants to be September 9, 2015.

This action sets forth the EPA's final decision on the issues for which it granted reconsideration in December 2011, which pertain to certain aspects of the March 21, 2011, final rule titled “Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources: Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units” (CISWI rule). This action also includes our final decision to deny the requests for reconsideration with respect to all issues raised in the petitions for reconsideration of the final commercial and industrial solid waste incineration rule for which we did not grant reconsideration. Among other things, this final action establishes effective dates for the standards and makes technical corrections to the final rule to clarify definitions, references, applicability and compliance issues. In addition, the EPA is issuing final amendments to the regulations that were codified by the Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials rule (NHSM rule). Originally promulgated on March 21, 2011, the non-hazardous secondary materials rule provides the standards and procedures for identifying whether non-hazardous secondary materials are solid waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act when used as fuels or ingredients in combustion units. The purpose of these amendments is to clarify several provisions in order to implement the non-hazardous secondary materials rule as the agency originally intended.

The EPA is finalizing amendments to the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines. The final amendments include alternative testing options for certain large spark ignition (generally natural gas-fueled) stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines, management practices for a subset of existing spark ignition stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines in sparsely populated areas and alternative monitoring and compliance options for the same engines in populated areas. The EPA is establishing management practices for existing compression ignition engines on offshore vessels. The EPA is also finalizing limits on the hours that stationary emergency engines may be used for emergency demand response and establishing fuel and reporting requirements for certain emergency engines used for emergency demand response. The final amendments also correct minor technical or editing errors in the current regulations for stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines.

The EPA is announcing that the period for providing public comments on the November 30, 2012, proposed “Reconsideration of Certain New Source and Startup/Shutdown Issues: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal- and Oil-fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units and Standards of Performance for Fossil-Fuel-Fired Electric Utility, Industrial-Commercial-Institutional, and Small Industrial-Commercial-Institutional Steam Generating Units” is being extended by 7 days.

On February 16, 2012, pursuant to sections 111 and 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the EPA published the final rules titled “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal- and Oil-fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units and Standards of Performance for Fossil-Fuel-Fired Electric Utility, Industrial-Commercial-Institutional, and Small Industrial-Commercial-Institutional Steam Generating Units.” The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rule issued pursuant to CAA section 112 is referred to as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), and the New Source Performance Standards rule issued pursuant to CAA section 111 is referred to as the Utility NSPS. The Administrator received petitions for reconsideration of certain aspects of MATS and the Utility NSPS. In this notice, the EPA is announcing reconsideration of certain new source standards for MATS, the requirements applicable during periods of startup and shutdown for MATS, the startup and shutdown provisions related to the particulate matter (PM) standard in the Utility NSPS, and certain revisions to the definitional and monitoring provisions of the Utility NSPS. We are also proposing certain technical corrections to both MATS and the Utility NSPS. We seek comment only on the aspects of the final MATS and Utility NSPS rules specifically identified in this notice. We are not opening for reconsideration any other provisions of MATS or the Utility NSPS at this time.

The EPA is announcing that the period for providing public comments on the August 29, 2012, proposed rule titled, “Standards of Performance for Stationary Gas Turbines; Standards of Performance for Stationary Combustion Turbines” is being extended for 60 days.

On June 24, 2008, the EPA promulgated amendments to the Standards of Performance for Petroleum Refineries and new standards of performance for petroleum refinery process units constructed, reconstructed or modified after May 14, 2007. The EPA subsequently received three petitions for reconsideration of these final rules. On September 26, 2008, the EPA granted reconsideration and issued a stay for the issues raised in the petitions regarding process heaters and flares. On December 22, 2008, the EPA addressed those specific issues by proposing amendments to certain provisions for process heaters and flares and extending the stay of these provisions until further notice. The EPA also proposed technical corrections to the rules for issues that were raised in the petitions for reconsideration. In this action, the EPA is finalizing those amendments and technical corrections and is lifting the stay of all the provisions granted on September 26, 2008 and extended until further notice on December 22, 2008.

The EPA is proposing to amend the new source performance standards (NSPS) for stationary gas turbines and stationary combustion turbines. These amendments are primarily in response to issues raised by the regulated community. On July 6, 2006, the EPA promulgated amendments to the new source performance standards for stationary combustion turbines. On September 5, 2006, the Utility Air Regulatory Group filed a petition for reconsideration of certain aspects of the promulgated standards. The EPA is proposing to amend specific provisions in the NSPS to resolve issues and questions raised by the petition for reconsideration, and to address other technical and editorial issues. In addition, this proposed rule would amend the location and wording of existing paragraphs for clarity. The proposed amendments would increase the environmental benefits of the existing requirements because the emission standards would apply at all times. The proposed amendments would also promote efficiency by recognizing the environmental benefit of combined heat and power and the beneficial use of low energy content gases.

This action finalizes the review of new source performance standards for the listed oil and natural gas source category. In this action the EPA revised the new source performance standards for volatile organic compounds from leaking components at onshore natural gas processing plants and new source performance standards for sulfur dioxide emissions from natural gas processing plants. The EPA also established standards for certain oil and gas operations not covered by the existing standards. In addition to the operations covered by the existing standards, the newly established standards will regulate volatile organic compound emissions from gas wells, centrifugal compressors, reciprocating compressors, pneumatic controllers and storage vessels. This action also finalizes the residual risk and technology review for the Oil and Natural Gas Production source category and the Natural Gas Transmission and Storage source category. This action includes revisions to the existing leak detection and repair requirements. In addition, the EPA has established in this action emission limits reflecting maximum achievable control technology for certain currently uncontrolled emission sources in these source categories. This action also includes modification and addition of testing and monitoring and related notification, recordkeeping and reporting requirements, as well as other minor technical revisions to the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants. This action finalizes revisions to the regulatory provisions related to emissions during periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction.

The EPA is finalizing the new source performance standards (NSPS) for nitric acid plants. Nitric acid plants include one or more nitric acid production units (NAPUs). These revisions include a change to the nitrogen oxides (NO X ) emission limit, which applies to each NAPU commencing construction, modification, or reconstruction after October 14, 2011. These revisions also include additional testing and monitoring requirements.

The EPA has been requested to hold a public hearing on its proposed rule, “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Portland Cement Manufacturing Industry and Standards of Performance for Portland Cement Plants,” which was published in the Federal Register on July 18, 2012. The EPA will hold the hearing on August 16, 2012, in Arlington, Texas.

This action promulgates Method 16C for measuring total reduced sulfur (TRS) emissions from stationary sources. Method 16C offers the advantages of real-time data collection and uses procedures that are already in use for measuring other pollutants. Method 16C will be a testing option that is used at the discretion of the tester.

The EPA is proposing amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Portland cement industry for Portland cement plants issued under sections 112(d) of the Clean Air Act. Specifically, the EPA is proposing to amend the existing and new source standards for particulate matter (PM). The EPA is also proposing amendments with respect to issues on which it granted reconsideration on May 17, 2011. In addition, the EPA is proposing amendments to the new source performance standard for PM issued pursuant to section 111(b) of the Clean Air Act. These proposed amendments would promote flexibility, reduce costs, and ease compliance burdens. EPA is also addressing the remand of the emission standards in the NESHAP by the D.C. Circuit on December 9, 2011. Finally, the EPA is proposing to extend the date for compliance with the existing source national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants to September 9, 2015.