SIP Approval: Pennsylvania (revisions to particulate matter emission mitigation requirements for industry operating in the portion of Allegheny County known as the “Mon Valley” during weather-related pollution episodes, and revisions to open burning regulation in Allegheny County).
SIP Approval: Arizona (revisions concerning definitions for the Maricopa County Air Quality Department).
EPA finalized proposed amendments to remove the force majeure exemption for pressure relief devices and emergency flaring, incorporate clarifications for the degassing requirements for floating roof storage vessels, and address other corrections and clarifications for various NESHAPs.
SIP Approval: Arizona (stationary source permits).
EPA finalized amendments to NESHAPs for integrated iron and steel manufacturing facilities.
Concerned by methane’s potent climate-altering emissions, a growing number of states and municipalities have embraced the phaseout of natural gas as a tool to mitigate climate change. But in April 2023, the California Restaurant Association successfully petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to overturn the city of Berkeley’s ban on natural gas infrastructure in new buildings. The three-judge panel found the ban preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act, and in January 2024, the Ninth Circuit denied Berkeley’s petition for rehearing.