Extension of the State Implementation Plan Due Date for the Regional Haze Third Implementation Period

<RULE> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY <CFR>40 CFR Part 51</CFR> <DEPDOC>[EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0262; FRL-12160-02-OAR]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2060-AW41</RIN> <SUBJECT>Extension of the State Implementation Plan Due Date for the Regional Haze Third Implementation Period</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing revisions to the Regional Haze Rule (RHR) under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to change the due date for the next round of State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for the third implementation period from July 31, 2028, to July 31, 2031. Under the RHR, States must submit plans to protect visibility in mandatory Class I Federal areas to make reasonable progress towards the national goal of preventing any future, and remedying any existing, impairment of visibility in Class I areas. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective on March 9, 2026. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> The EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0262. All documents in the docket are listed on the <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> website. Although listed in the index, 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. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available electronically through <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov</E> . <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> For information about this final rule, contact Ms. Paige Wantlin, Air Quality Policy Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (Mail Code C539-01), Environmental Protection Agency, 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: (919) 541-5670; email address: <E T="03">wantlin.paige@epa.gov</E> . </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD>   <E T="03">Preamble acronyms and abbreviations.</E> Throughout this preamble the use of “we,” “us,” or “our” is intended to refer 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">ANPRM Advance notice of proposed rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CAA Clean Air Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">Class I areas Class I Federal areas</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CRA Congressional Review Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EPA Environmental Protection Agency</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FLMs Federal land manager</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> NO <E T="52">X</E>  Nitrogen oxide </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PM Particulate matter</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> PM <E T="52">2.5</E>  Particulate matter equal to or less than 2.5 microns in diameter (fine particulate matter) </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> PM <E T="52">10</E>  Particulate matter equal to or less than 10 microns in diameter </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PRA Paperwork Reduction Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RHR Regional Haze Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SIP State implementation plan</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> SO <E T="52">2</E>  Sulfur dioxide </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">VOCs Volatile organic compounds</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. General Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">Does this action apply to me?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Executive Summary</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. What action is the Agency taking?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. What is the Agency's authority for taking this action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. What is the background for the EPA's final action?</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Regional Haze</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Requirements for Regional Haze SIPs for the Second Planning Period</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. 2025 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Extension of the SIP Due Date—Final Rule Revisions</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Summary of Proposal</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Comments and Responses Regarding the Extension of Next Regional Haze SIP Deadline From 2028 to 2031</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Comments and Responses Regarding the Third Planning Period Progress Report Deadline</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Final Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Supporting Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews</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 12132: 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 & 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</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Congressional Review Act (CRA)</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. General Information</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">Does this action apply to me?</HD> Entities potentially affected directly by this final rule include State, local, and Tribal governments, as well as Federal Land Managers (FLMs) responsible for protection of visibility in mandatory Class I areas. Entities potentially affected indirectly by this final rule include owners and operators of sources that emit particulate matter (PM) equal to or less than 10 microns in diameter (PM <E T="52">10</E> ), PM equal to or less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM <E T="52">2.5</E> or fine PM), sulfur dioxide (SO <E T="52">2</E> ), oxides of nitrogen (NO <E T="52">X</E> ), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other pollutants that may cause or contribute to visibility impairment. Others potentially affected indirectly by this final rule include members of the general public who live, work, or recreate nearby or in mandatory Class I areas affected by visibility impairment. Because emissions sources that contribute to visibility impairment in Class I areas also may contribute to air pollution in other areas, members of the general public may also be affected by this final rule. <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Executive Summary</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. What action is the Agency taking?</HD> This regulatory action finalizes a revision to the due date for the next required regional haze SIP revision from the current due date of July 31, 2028, to a revised due date of July 31, 2031. The revised SIP due date applies to periodic comprehensive SIPs developed for the third regional haze planning period. The change, as finalized, has no effect on prior due dates for prior planning periods under the existing RHR. Additionally, regardless of the SIP due date extension to 2031, the third planning period continues to run from 2028 to 2038. Other than the finalized change to the next due date for periodic comprehensive SIP revisions ( <E T="03">i.e.,</E> those that will now be due in 2031), the EPA is not finalizing any other changes for due dates for future periodic comprehensive SIP revisions ( <E T="03">i.e.,</E> for those that will still be due in 2038) or future progress reports ( <E T="03">i.e.,</E> those that will still be due in 2033) at this time. <HD SOURCE="HD2">B. What is the Agency's authority for taking this action?</HD> The statutory authority for this action is provided by 42 U.S.C. 7407, 7410 and 7491(A)(b). <HD SOURCE="HD1">III. What is the background for the EPA's final action?</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Regional Haze</HD> Regional haze is visibility impairment that is produced by a multitude of sources and activities that are located across a broad geographic area and directly emit PM <E T="52">10</E> , PM <E T="52">2.5</E> ( <E T="03">e.g.,</E> sulfates, nitrates, organic carbon, elemental carbon, and soil dust), and/or their precursors ( <E T="03">e.g.,</E> SO <E T="52">2</E> , NO <E T="52">X</E> , and, in some cases, ammonia and VOCs). Fine particle precursors react in the atmosphere to form PM <E T="52">2.5</E> , which impairs visibility by scattering and absorbing light. This light scattering and absorbing reduces the clarity, color, and visible distance that one can see. <HD SOURCE="HD2">B. Requirements for Regional Haze SIPs for the Second Planning Period</HD> Pursuant to a CAA directive to issue regulations, the EPA first promulgated a rule to address regional haze in 1999 (the “1999 RHR”), which established the regulatory requirements for the first planning period SIPs. <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> In 2017, the EPA revised the RHR (the “2017 RHR”) to address requirements for the second planning period. <SU>2</SU> <FTREF/> The requirements for the 2017 RHR are codified at 40 CFR 51.308(f), (g), (h), and (i). Among other changes, the 2017 RHR adjusted the due date for States to submit their second planning period SIPs. <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> 64 FR 35714 (July 1, 1999). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>2</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> 82 FR 3078 (Jan. 10, 2017). </FTNT> Currently, 4 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 37k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━