Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Rhode Island: Prevention of Significant Deterioration; Greenhouse Gas Permitting Authority and Tailoring Rule

Résumé

EPA is taking direct final action to approve certain revisions to the Rhode Island State Implementation Plan (SIP) primarily relating to regulation of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) under Rhode Island's Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) preconstruction permitting program. EPA is also taking direct final action to approve the State's definition of "PM 2.5 " (fine particulate matter) specific to permitting. Certain of the State's revisions consist of definitions that also relate more broadly to the State's PSD and nonattainment new source review (NSR) preconstruction permitting requirements, i.e., to stationary sources that also emit regulated new source review pollutants other than GHGs. EPA is also taking direct final action to conditionally approve those definitions as they relate to the non-GHG pollutants, for the reasons described in more detail later in this notice. All of the revisions in question were submitted by Rhode Island, through the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM) Office of Air Resources, on January 18, 2011. They are primarily intended to align Rhode Island's regulations with EPA's "Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Title V