Air

EPA has issued a final rule extending by more than three years the deadline for electric utilities to comply with its requirement for a single “streamlined” electronic compliance reporting system for the mercury and air toxics standards (MATS) for power plants.

Small refiners are asking the Supreme Court to hear their appeal of a ruling that blocks EPA from issuing renewable fuel standard (RFS) compliance waivers to some companies, a request that may further delay the agency’s decision on whether to grant or deny almost 100 pending requests for waivers from RFS fuel production targets.

EPA is arguing that an Obama-era Clean Air Act (CAA) preemption waiver allowing California to implement stricter emissions rules for “non-road” diesel engines was “well-reasoned” and should be upheld, rebutting industry claims that the agency’s withdrawal of the state’s vehicle greenhouse gas rule waiver supports rescinding the off-road waiver.

A recent federal appeals court ruling faulting Pennsylvania’s plan for cutting power plant ozone-forming emissions as too weak adds to pressure on the state to impose stricter air pollution limits on utilities and for EPA to grant a petition by Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to also mandate the tougher emission controls, state air officials say.