Congressional Review Act Revocation of 2024 Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 63</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0330; FRL-4908.2-01-OAR]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2060-AW28</RIN> <SUBJECT>Congressional Review Act Revocation of 2024 Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is amending the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to remove the provisions finalized by the EPA in a 2024 rule titled “Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act” (2024 Rule) and restoring the language of the final rule titled “Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act,” published November 19, 2020, and with minor corrections published December 28, 2020. Under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), Congress passed, and the President signed, a joint resolution of disapproval of the 2024 Rule. The 2024 Rule amended the General Provisions that apply to National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) by requiring certain sources of persistent and bioaccumulative hazardous air pollutants (HAP) listed in Clean Air Act (CAA) section 112(c)(6) to continue to comply with major source emission standards under CAA section 112(d)(2) or standards under CAA section 112(d)(4) even if the sources reclassify as area sources. Under the joint resolution and by operation of the CRA, the 2024 Rule has no legal force or effect. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective January 2, 2026. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> The EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0330. All documents in the docket are listed at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov.</E> Although listed, some information is not publicly available, <E T="03">e.g.,</E> Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. The EPA does not place certain other material, such as copyrighted material, on the internet; this material is publicly available only as PDF versions accessible only on EPA computers in the docket office reading room. The public cannot download certain data bases and physical items from the docket but may request these items by contacting the docket office at 202-566-1744. The docket office has 10 business days to respond to such requests. With the exception of such material, publicly available docket materials are available electronically at <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov.</E> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> For information about this final rule, contact U.S. EPA, Attn: Ms. Angela M. Ortega, Mail Drop: D243-02 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12055, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-4197; and email address: <E T="03">ortega.angela@epa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <E T="03">Preamble acronyms and abbreviations.</E> Throughout this document the use of “we,” “us,” or “our” refers to the EPA. We use multiple acronyms and terms in this preamble. While this list may not be exhaustive, to ease the reading of this preamble and for reference purposes, the EPA defines the following terms and acronyms here: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">APA Administrative Procedure Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CAA Clean Air Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CBI Confidential Business Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CRA Congressional Review Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EPA Environmental Protection Agency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">HAP hazardous air pollutant(s)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MACT maximum achievable control technology</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NESHAP national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NTTAA National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PDF portable document format</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PRA Paperwork Reduction Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RIA Regulatory Impact Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S.C. United States Code</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Does this action apply to me?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Background and Rationale for This Final Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Final Action</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Statutory and Executive Order Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Executive Order 14192: Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Executive Order 13132: Federalism</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Congressional Review Act (CRA)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. Judicial Review</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Does this action apply to me?</HD> <E T="03">Regulated entities.</E> Categories and entities potentially impacted by this rule include major sources of HAP that were subject to certain major source NESHAP requirements and that reclassified from a major to an area source of HAP pursuant to the requirements in 40 CFR part 63 subpart A, implementing CAA section 112. If you have any questions regarding the applicability of any aspect of this NESHAP, please contact the appropriate person listed in the preceding <E T="02">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT</E> section of this preamble. <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Background and Rationale for This Final Action</HD> On January 25, 2018, the EPA issued a guidance memorandum titled, “Reclassification of Major Sources as Areas Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act.”  <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> The memorandum discussed the statutory provisions that govern when a major source subject to a major source NESHAP under CAA section 112 may be reclassified as an area source, and thereby avoid being subject to major source NESHAP requirements. The guidance also rescinded the May 1995 “Once In, Always In Policy.”  <SU>2</SU> <FTREF/> <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> notice of issuance of this guidance memorandum at 83 FR 5543 (February 8, 2018). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>2</SU>  “Potential to Emit for MACT Standards—Guidance on Timing Issues,” from John Seitz to the EPA Regional Air Division Directors (May 16, 1995) (“May 1995 Seitz Memorandum”). </FTNT> On October 1, 2020, the EPA finalized a rule titled “Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act” (also known as Major MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) to Area Rule or 2020 Final Rule). <SU>3</SU> <FTREF/> The 2020 Final Rule allowed major sources of HAP to reclassify as an area source at any time after taking steps to limit emissions. <FTNT> <SU>3</SU>  85 FR 73854, November 19, 2020. </FTNT> On September 10, 2024, the EPA finalized a rule titled “Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act.”  <SU>4</SU> <FTREF/> This 2024 Rule amended the 2020 Final Rule. Specifically, the 2024 Rule amended the NESHAP General Provisions in 40 CFR 63.1(c)(6) to require that sources subject to major source NESHAP used to meet the Agency's obligations under CAA section 112(c)(6) for seven specific persistent and bioaccumulative HAP remain subject to those major source NESHAP, even if the sources reclassify to area source status. In addition, the 2024 Rule made minor amendments to the notification requirements in 40 CFR 63.9. <FTNT> <SU>4</SU>  89 FR 73293, September 10, 2024. </FTNT> The United States Senate passed a joint resolution, S.J. Res. 31, on May 1, 2025, disapproving the 2024 Rule under the CRA, 5 U.S.C. 801 <E T="03">et seq.</E> The United States House of Representatives passed S.J. Res. 31 on May 22, 2025, and President Donald J. Trump signed it into law as Public Law (Pub. L.) 119-20 on June 20, 2025. Under the joint resolution and by operation of the CRA, the 2024 Rule has no legal force or effect. <HD SOURCE="HD1">III. Final Action</HD> This final action revises the CFR by removing the now nullified amendments that had been codified under the 2024 Rule, thus returning the rule to the version finalized in the 2020 Final Rule. The EPA is taking this ministerial action as a final rule without providing an opportunity for public comment or a public hearing because the EPA finds that the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) “good cause” exemption to notice-and-comment rulemaking applies here. <SU>5</SU> <FTREF/> The EPA has determined that good cause exists to take this final action because the correction of the CFR is a ministerial act to effectuate S.J. Res. 31 and the operation of the CRA. The CRA joint resolution became law on June 20, 2025, at which point the 2024 Rule ceased to have any lega ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 19k characters. 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