On April 3, 2023, the EPA Administrator signed proposed revisions to Subpart UUUUU of 40 CFR Part 63, commonly known as the Mercury Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule. The signed rule was submitted for publication in the Federal Register. A copy of the unofficial internet version of the rule preamble is available here. A redline/strikeout copy of the proposed rule is available here. Comments on the proposed rule must be received on or before sixty (60) days after the date of publication in the Federal Register. EPA also intends to host a virtual public hearing on fifteen (15) days after publication in the Federal Register. VIM Technologies (VIM) will post an official copy of this rule notification once it is published in the Federal Register. A few key proposed revisions are outlined below.
Category: Industry News
EPA Administrator Signs Final Federal “Good Neighbor Plan” for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards
On March 15, 2023, the EPA Administrator signed the final Federal “Good Neighbor Plan” for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards and submitted the rule for publication in the Federal Register. A copy of unofficial internet version of the rule is available here. The rule will become effective sixty (60) days after the date of publication in the Federal Register. VIM Technologies (VIM) will post an official copy of this rule once it is published in the Federal Register. EPA is issued this rule under the “good neighbor” or “interstate transport” provision of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). The final Good Neighbor Plan Rule includes several key components discussed below. Additionally, the final rule added several provisions designed to promote consistent operation of emissions controls. For example, the rule now includes a backstop daily emission rate in the form of a 3-for-1 allowance surrender for NOx emissions from large coal-fired units that exceed a protected daily NOx emission rate (reference Item 2 below).Read more »
EPA Administrator Signs Final Testing Provisions for Air Emission Sources Rule
UPDATE (March 29, 2023)
Final Testing Provisions for Air Emission Sources Rule Published in Federal Register
The final “Testing Provisions for Air Emission Sources” rule was published in the Federal Register on March 29, 2023. The rule is effective on May 30, 2023. A copy of the final rule is available here
On March 7, 2023, the EPA Administrator signed the final “Testing Provisions for Air Emission Sources” rule and submitted it for publication in the Federal Register. The rule will become effective sixty (60) days after the date of publication in the Federal Register.
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ECMPS 2.0 Re-Engineering
Did You Know?
The Emission Collection and Monitoring Plan System (ECMPS) 2.0 web-based reporting platform is scheduled for mandatory reporting by Acid Rain Program, Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CASPR), and Mercury Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule (Subpart UUUUU, 40 CFR Part 63) affected sources in 2024. More specifically, the Q1 2024 emissions and quality assurance (QA) files must be submitted via ECMPS 2.0 in JSON format by April 30, 2024, reporting deadline.Read more »
EPA Publishes Revisions to the Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment Rule
On January 6, 2023, EPA published revisions to 40 CFR Part 19, Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment Rule in the Federal Register. The rule adjusts the maximum (and minimum) statutory civil monetary amounts for the statutes administered by EPA. For the Clean Air Act, the rule increased penalties from $109,024 per day per violation to $117,468 per day per violation. The rule also increases the monetary penalty for Clean Water Act violations from $59,973 to $64,618. This highest statutory civil penalty tier applies to violations that occurred after November 2, 2015, where penalties are assessed on or after January 6, 2023. A second monetary penalty tier applies to violations that occurred after November 2, 2015, where penalties are assessed on or after January 12, 2022, but before January 6, 2023. The rule becomes effective on January 6, 2023. A copy of the rule is available here.
EPA Publishes Revisions to Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule in Federal Register
NEW UPDATE:
On July 19, 2022, EPA extended the comment period on the proposed “Revisions and Confidentiality Determinations for Data Elements Under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule” from August 22 until October 6, 2022. A copy of the Federal Register notice is available here.
On June 21, 2022, EPA published the proposed “Revisions and Confidentiality Determinations for Data Elements Under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule” (i.e., 40 CFR Part 98) in the Federal Register. A few selected proposed amendments are discussed below.Read more »
EPA Good Neighbor Plan
Federal Implementation Plan Addressing Regional Ozone Transport for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard Published in Federal Register
UPDATE:
On May 12, 2022, EPA extended the deadline to submit public comments on the proposed “Good Neighbor Plan” from June 6 until June 21, 2022. A copy of the Federal Register notice is available here.
On April 6, 2022, EPA published the proposed “Federal Implementation Plan Addressing Regional Ozone Transport for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard” in the Federal Register. EPA is proposing this rule under the “good neighbor” or “interstate transport” provision of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). The proposed rule, referred to by EPA as the Good Neighbor Plan, includes several key components discussed below.Read more »
CEMS Training Doesn’t Have to Be Boring
The Inaugural CEMS Academy Training Workshop Shares An Exciting Approach To Learning About Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS).
The inaugural CEMS Academy Training Workshop kicked off with the Welcome Reception the evening of March 30. The CEMS Academy is instructed and sponsored by VIM Technologies, Air Hygiene, Inc., Universal Analyzers, and STI CEMS. The reception was an excellent opportunity to meet and network with several engineering and environmental professionals before the training the following day.Read more »
VIM Technologies Attended The 2022 Analyzer Technology Conference
The conference was the first in-person gathering for many in the industry after a 2-year hiatus.
The largest North American conference for process analyzer technology, the Analyzer Technology Conference (ATC), was held in Galveston, Texas from May 15 to May 18, 2022. As a major provider of emissions compliance software for CEMS and PEMs, VIM Technologies was proud to be in attendance to support the ATC organization, as well as our current and future clients.Read more »
EPA Postpones ECMPS 2.0 Reporting Tool 2023 Deadline
On May 6, 2022, the Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) of EPA announced that the development of the new ECMPS 2.0 Beta web-based reporting tool has been extended through 2023. Read more »