EPA Greenlights West Virginia's Regional Haze Reduction Plan
Published Date: 4/18/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA is ready to approve West Virginia’s plan to reduce regional haze, which means cleaner air and clearer skies for everyone in the state. This plan fixes earlier issues and replaces a previous proposal that would have rejected the state’s efforts. People and businesses in West Virginia should note that comments on this plan are open until May 19, 2025, and this approval supports ongoing air quality improvements without new costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New EPA Presumption Lowers Second-Period Burden
The EPA announced a new policy that when visibility at a Class I area affected by a State is below the Uniform Rate of Progress (URP) and the State has considered the four statutory factors, the State will presumptively have demonstrated reasonable progress for the second planning period. The document says this policy was applied in proposing approval of West Virginia's SIP and was part of the basis for determining that no additional measures were necessary for the second planning period.
Approval Means Cleaner Air for West Virginia
The EPA is proposing to approve West Virginia's regional haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the second planning period, which the document says will result in cleaner air and clearer skies for people in West Virginia. The EPA withdrew its prior proposed disapproval as of April 18, 2025, and is accepting public comments on this proposal through May 19, 2025; the document states the approval supports ongoing air quality improvements without new costs.
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