Missouri St. Louis Ozone: EPA Deems Data Clean

2026-22082, Additional Reconsideration Standards of Performance for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources: Oil and Natural Gas Sector Climate Review

The EPA is updating rules for oil and natural gas companies to fix issues from last year’s changes. They’re scrapping the Super Emitter Program, splitting well sites into clearer groups, and tweaking rules on leaks, equipment, and inspections. Companies should get ready to comment by December 16, 2026, as these updates could affect how they manage emissions and operate equipment.

2026-21155, Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program: Reallocation of Additional 2025 Small Refinery Exemptions

The EPA is updating how it handles small refinery exemptions (SREs) for 2025 under the Renewable Fuel Standard. They’re deciding whether to spread the extra exemptions between 2026 and 2027 or give them all to 2027. This change might also push back the 2026 compliance deadline, affecting refiners and renewable fuel producers with potential timing and cost impacts.

2026-20849, Clean Water Act Hazardous Substance Facility Response Plans: Compliance Date Delay and Changes To Reflect Administration Policy

The EPA is giving facilities more time to meet new Clean Water Act rules for handling hazardous spills, pushing back the deadline to help them get ready. They’re also removing mentions of climate change and environmental justice to match new government policies. This delay helps facilities plan better without rushing and lets the EPA rethink the rules if needed.

2026-19071, Partial Repeal of the Carbon Pollution Standards for Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units

The EPA is rolling back most of the 2024 rules that limited carbon pollution from fossil fuel power plants. This change affects coal and gas plants by easing some strict limits on emissions and carbon capture technology. The new rules kick in on November 16, 2026, potentially saving money for power plants but raising questions about pollution control.

2026-19072, Rescission of the Greenhouse Gas Findings for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants and Repeal of Regulations for Power Plant Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under Clean Air Act Section 111

The EPA is proposing to cancel all greenhouse gas rules for fossil fuel power plants, saying the law doesn’t let them regulate these emissions for climate reasons. This change affects power plants across the U.S. and could impact future pollution limits and costs. Comments on this proposal are open until November 2, 2026, so now’s the time to speak up!

2026-18317, Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States”

The purpose of this supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking is for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army ("the agencies") to supplement and seek additional comment on certain aspects of an earlier proposal, published on November 20, 2025, to revise the regulations defining the scope of waters federally covered under the Clean Water Act in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. As stated in the agencies' November 20, 2025 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the agencies intend for this rulemaking to provide greater regulatory certainty and increase Clean Water Act program predictability and consistency by clarifying the definition of "waters of the United States." After consideration of the public comments received on the NPRM, the agencies are issuing this notice to supplement the NPRM with additional regulatory options on certain aspects of the proposed rule.

Previous: 2026-16514, Air Plan Approval; Illinois; Clean Data Determination for the Illinois Portion of the St. Louis Area for the 2015 Ozone Standard

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining under the Clean Air Act (CAA) that the Illinois portion of the St. Louis, MO- IL nonattainment area (hereafter also referred to as the "St. Louis area" or "area") has achieved clean data for the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or standard). This determination is based upon complete, quality-assured, and certified ambient air monitoring data for the 2023-2025 design value period showing that the Illinois portion of the area achieved attainment of the 2015 ozone NAAQS. This determination also relies on the EPA's concurrence of an exceptional events request submitted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) on December 18, 2025, and concurred on by the EPA on January 12, 2026. Therefore, the EPA is taking final agency action on Illinois' exceptional events request. In a separate action, the EPA is finalizing a similar determination for the Missouri portion of the St. Louis area. This final determination suspends the requirements for the area to submit attainment demonstrations and associated Reasonably Available Control Measures (RACM), Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) plans, contingency measures for failure to attain or make reasonable progress, and other planning State Implementation Plans (SIPs) related to attainment of the 2015 ozone NAAQS, for as long as the area continues to attain the 2015 ozone NAAQS.

Next: 2026-16537, Fisheries Off West Coast States; Modification of the West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Action #23-#24

NMFS announces two inseason actions for the 2026 portion of the 2025-2026 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modified the commercial and recreational salmon fisheries in the area from Cape Falcon, Oregon to the United States/Mexico border.