Finding of Failure to Submit Regional Haze State Implementation Plans for the Second Planning Period FACT SHEET ACTION • On August 25, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that the following states failed to submit complete regional haze State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for the second planning period. State State State Alabama Maine New Mexico Illinois Minnesota Pennsylvania Iowa Mississippi Rhode Island Kentucky Missouri Vermont Louisiana Nebraska Virginia • These findings of failure to submit regional haze SIPs for the second planning period establish a 2-year deadline for EPA to promulgate Federal Implementation Plans (FIPs) for these states that satisfy the visibility protection requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA), unless a state submits, and EPA approves, a SIP addressing these requirements. • EPA is committed to working with these states to develop and submit regional haze SIPs, and to review and act on their submissions in accordance with the requirements of the CAA. BACKGROUND • EPA and other Agencies have been monitoring visibility in national parks and wilderness areas since 1988. In the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977, Congress established a national goal of preventing future and remedying existing, visibility impairment caused by manmade air pollution in certain national parks and wilderness areas. In 1999, EPA promulgated the Regional Haze Rule, initiating a major effort to improve air quality in national parks and wilderness areas. • The Regional Haze Rule calls for state and federal agencies to work together to improve visibility in 156 national parks and wilderness areas such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Mount Rainier, the Shenandoah Valley, the Great Smokies, Acadia and the Everglades. ------- • In addition to improving visibility in our nation's most treasured natural areas, regional haze plans will protect public health and promote local tourism and economic development, especially in the western United States. Haze-forming pollution, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and particles, reduces visibility and also poses health risks including increased asthma symptoms and even premature death. • States have the responsibility of complying with the regional haze program and submitting SIPs for each planning period. • Regional haze SIPs for the second planning period were due on July 31, 2021. If a state failed to submit a complete SIP submission by this deadline, CAA section 110(k)(l)(B) requires that EPA issue a finding of failure to submit within 6 months after the SIP deadline. Therefore, findings of failure to submit were due to be issued by EPA by January 31, 2022, for the regional haze second planning period. • On April 7, 2022, EPA announced its intention to make findings that certain states failed to submit complete regional haze SIPs for the second planning period by August 31, 2022. FOR MORE INFORMATION • To download this action from EPA's website, go to https://www.eva.gov visibility. The official version of this rule will be published in the Federal Register. • Today's action and other background information are also available either electronically at https://www.regulations.gov, the EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, or in hardcopy at the EPA Docket Center's Public Reading Room. (Docket ID EPA-HQ-OAR- 2022-0320). • For further information about this action, contact Mr. Joseph Stein of EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards at (919) 541-0195 or by email at stein. joseph(a),epa.gov. ------- |