Air quality researchers are urging EPA to place greater emphasis on studying the public's behavior and how that affects criteria pollutants to inform future national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), arguing that as standards become tighter and pollution drops such behavior may be a better guide for how to set the NAAQS.

EPA's Inspector General (IG) is planning to launch a host of evaluations into key agency programs as part of its 2013 agenda, which broadly aims to help EPA address management challenges including a lack of workforce planning, limited cybersecurity defenses and inconsistent oversight of delegation of federal programs to states.

Environmentalists say they are likely to sue EPA after it rejected their request to expand the number of areas deemed out of attainment with the agency's 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS), a decision that will help several states avoid having to impose more aggressive pollution controls required in nonattainment areas.

EPA has issued a final diesel generator air toxics rule that tightens emission control and other requirements beyond the proposed version to address concerns from some states and environmentalists about the generators' emissions, while retaining a provision allowing the engines to operate for 100 hours without having to meet strict controls.

EPA staff is recommending that the agency retain its existing lead national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS), arguing there is insufficient scientific data since the last review of the standard in 2008 to warrant a stricter limit, saying the data gaps create too much uncertainty about the merits of setting a more stringent standard.

Agriculture industry groups representing a large concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) have lost their bid to block North Carolina regulators from permitting air emissions under the Clean Water Act (CWA) in a key test case when a state superior court judge ruled earlier this month that emissions of feathers and dust from a local poultry farm may pollute federal waters and can be subject to a permit.

Environmentalists and industry source are suggesting they might file lawsuits over major provisions in EPA's final revised package of combustion air rules, which could further prolong legal uncertainty over the requirements that the agency has been rewriting and defending from lawsuits for several years.

Brick manufacturers are urging EPA to extend by at least a year its draft consent decree deadline of Aug. 30 for proposing a new maximum achievable control technology (MACT) air toxics rule for the sector, warning the tight deadline will hinder the agency's ability to adequately assess the potential economic harm from the rule.

EPA is narrowly applying a U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruling vacating a key part of the agency's test for determining whether emissions from dispersed operations should be "aggregated" under strict Clean Air Act permits, agreeing to no longer use the test in the four 6th Circuit states, though it will still use the test in other states.

EPA has rejected calls from House Republicans and some industry groups to revise its fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air standard cost-benefit study to remove pollution reductions associated with the agency's vacated utility air trading rule, countering that a Bush-era policy that is back in place following the vacatur will achieve similar benefits.

Environmentalists are criticizing as unlawful EPA's proposal to soften mercury and other emissions limits in its revised utility maximum achievable control technology (MACT) rule, even as power industry groups are calling on the agency to further weaken the rule and allow for more flexibility in complying with the MACT's requirements.

EPA is agreeing with the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) call to produce a detailed strategic plan for implementing the agency's “next generation” effort to improve compliance with environmental laws, after GAO said such a plan is vital to ensure the effort protects public health and does not waste limited resources.

EPA is fighting a push by utilities and environmentalists for a federal appeals court to rehear its revised ruling that upheld the agency's authority to limit Texas' use of an “affirmative” defense for facility violations of federal air standards during startup, shutdown and malfunction (SSM) periods, saying there are no grounds to grant rehearing.

EPA is pressuring western states to comply with its strict interpretation of Clean Air Act requirements to impose stringent regional haze controls, while doubts linger over eastern states' haze efforts after a federal appeals court vacated an agency emissions trading program many states were relying on as central to their haze reduction plans.

EPA in its newly tightened fine particulate matter (PM2.5) ambient air standard has revived a years-old permit "grandfathering" policy -- previously scrapped by the Obama administration -- allowing facilities that were already in the permitting process at the time of the revised standard's issuance to avoid having to meet the stricter limit.

EPA is citing budget constraints in delaying until 2014 its latest major nationwide assessment of risks from air toxics, prompting push-back from state and local air regulators who say that despite the resource limits EPA should follow through on earlier plans to soon issue an update of the study to help them in air quality planning.

A federal appeals court is ordering EPA to revise and tighten its rules for how states should implement the agency's 1997 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air standards, a win for environmentalists who sued over the rules to try to force a court mandate that the agency issue stricter requirements for states to reduce PM2.5 emissions.

Rejecting calls from automakers and dealers, EPA has granted a request from California to waive the Clean Air Act to implement several new clean-vehicle rules, including the state's greenhouse gas (GHG) limits for vehicles, strict zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) requirements and a stringent particulate matter (PM) standard for 2025 vehicles.

EPA is urging the Supreme Court to reject the smelting industry's call to review the agency's sulfur dioxide (SO2) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for being too stringent, with the agency touting its scientific discretion in reviewing human health data and determining the appropriate level to set a NAAQS to protect public health.

EPA's final combustion air rules package for boilers and incinerators weakens several emissions limits and extends compliance deadlines beyond the most recent proposed version of the regulations, while broadening the definition for what materials constitute “non-waste fuels” that can be burned under less stringent emissions standards.