What is EPA Planning for 2014?

As we pass the mid-point of 2013, industry starts looking ahead to the coming calendar year, and so does the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Listed below are some of the major initiatives EPA is planning for 2014, pulled from various sources, including the Spring Regulatory Agenda, EPA’s website, and the Agency’s 2014 budget proposal.

New Environmental Rules

• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting: The EPA is working to implement an electronic records system for NPDES permits and reports. This has been in development for several years, and the EPA expects to issue a final rule in June 2014.
• Revisions to the Underground Storage Tank (UST) Rules: The EPA established the current Underground Storage Tank regulations in the early 1980s. Due to changes in technology since then and several unfulfilled mandates from the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the UST regulations are overdue for updates and revisions. A final rule is expected in February 2014.
• New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Review: The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to review standards of performance for new sources of air at least once every eight years. The next round of reviews is scheduled to take place in 2014, with a final rule issued in September.
• Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Construction and Development Point Source Category: Water pollution standards from construction and development point sources have been the subject of litigation since they were issued in 2009. In response to that litigation, the EPA intends to revise several of the non-numeric portions of the existing rule, possibly as early as February 2014.

Environmental Justice

In 2011, the EPA rededicated its commitment to environmental justice in “Plan EJ 2014.” The Agency continues to implement the plan by strategically integrating environmental justice into its day-to-day activities, rather than as a distinct program. In 2014, the EPA will assess its progress in achieving the goals of Plan EJ 2014. Based on the assessment, the Agency will produce a report on the accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and next steps for continuing its efforts to make environmental justice an integral part of every decision.

EPA Program Implementation

Among the EPA’s other priorities for the 2014 Fiscal Year are:

• The 2012 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter
• Coordination with State, tribal, and local air pollution control agencies and community groups to address air pollution in the areas of greatest concern, with a focus on communities with more vulnerable populations
• Continued enforcement of import caps for and production limits of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), pursuant to the Montreal Protocol
• Promote the use of green infrastructure in stormwater pollution permits
• Controlling discharges from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)
• Continued improvements to the quality of the nation’s waters, by addressing discharge permits for new wastewater sources, such as unconventional natural gas extraction

Get up to speed with the latest EPA regulations that affect your facility at the Complete Environmental Regulations Workshop. Learn what you must report and keep on file to maintain compliance with EPA mandates, and identify your responsibilities for air and water permitting, contingency planning, and controlling emergency releases.

Tags: Act, Air, Clean, Clean Water Act, EPA, new rules