June 2014 Action Initiation List (as of 8/4/2014)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The following actions were initiated by EPA this month. Explanations of which EPA actions are included on this list and of each 

element of the table can be found at the end of this document. 

The two most recent Action Initiation Lists (AILs) can always be found at: http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/search/ail.html. But, they 

will not provide updates on the actions listed herein. Updates on priority rulemakings are available from EPA's Regulatory 

Development and Retrospective Review Tracker (RegDaRRT) on www.epa.gov/rulemaking/. 

If one of the rules on this AIL is in RegDaRRT, a link to the rule's profile is included in the table below. For all rules – those that 

are in RegDaRRT and those that are not – you may obtain updates twice a year in EPA’s Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, which 

is accessible from these Web sites:

• EPA’s Laws, Regulations, Guidance and Dockets (http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/search/regagenda.html)

• RegInfo.gov (http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaMain)

• Regulations.gov 

(http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=UnifiedAgenda&agency=EPA&pubperiod=200710) 

Action Initiation List – June 2014 Page 1 of 3
Action Title Stage Contact Abstract

Projected

Publication 

Date

Oil and Natural Gas 

Sector: Reconsideration 

of Remaining Provisions 

of New Source 

Performance Standards

NPRM Chris Frantz 

919-541-4312

Frantz.Chris@epa.gov

In 2012, EPA promulgated the Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source 

Performance Standards (NSPS). We received several petitions for 

administrative reconsideration of the rule. Certain time critical issues were 

addressed in a reconsideration EPA promulgated in 2013. When evaluating the 

additional issues raised in the petitions for reconsideration, we received 

significant additional information requiring further evaluation of potentially 

significant sources of emissions currently uncovered by the NSPS, including, 

completions of hydraulically fractured oil wells, liquids unloading, and leaks. 

This action will include regulation of additional sources deemed appropriate, 

and will address remaining implementation issues, such as monitoring and 

testing of storage vessel control devices.

12 months 

or less

Renewable Fuel 2015 

Volume Standards

NPRM David Korotney 

734-214-4507

Korotney.David@epa.gov

 

In response to the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) which 

amended the Clean Air Act Section 211(o), EPA finalized the RFS2 Program 

regulations. The new provisions also require EPA to promulgate regulations 

that specify the annual statutory volume requirements for renewable fuel,

including cellulosic, biofuel, bio-mass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total 

renewable fuel that must be used in transportation fuel annually. In the case of 

the cellulosic biofuel standard, the Act specifically requires that the standard be 

set based on the volume projected to be available during the following year. If 

the volumes are lower than those specified under the Act, then EPA may also 

lower the advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel standards each year 

accordingly. Further, the Act requires the Administrator to promulgate rules 

establishing the applicable volumes of biomass-based diesel for 2013 and 

beyond and to do so no later than 14 months before the year for which such 

applicable volume would apply. The actions summarized here will propose and 

finalize the 2016 biomass based diesel (BBD) volume along with the 2015 

standards. This regulatory action will establish, as required, the annual 

statutory volume requirements for the RFS2 fuel categories (cellulosic, 

biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and renewable fuel) that apply to all 

gasoline and diesel produced or imported in 2015 and set, at minimum, the 

2016 requirement. Entities potentially affected by this rule are those involved 

with the production, distribution, and sale of transportation fuels, including 

gasoline and diesel fuel or renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. 

More than 

12 months 

Action Initiation List – June 2014 Page 2 of 3
What EPA Actions Appear on the AILs? 

Generally, AILs include those actions that 1) will appear in upcoming Semiannual Regulatory Agenda and 2) have been approved for 

commencement by EPA’s Regulatory Policy Officer. In rare instances, an action will not appear on an AIL before it appears in the Agenda. 

Also, keep in mind that AILs will not post immediately. You can access a given month's list roughly 20 days after the close of the month (e.g., 

the April 2014 AIL will post sometime around May 20th).

What Does Each Column in the AIL Mean?

Title: Self-explanatory.

Stage: The stage of an action describes where we are in the rule writing process, from the very beginning when a rule (or other action) is 

just an idea to the end when it is published as a final rule (or other action) in the Federal Register. For example, the Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking (NPRM) stage announces a proposed rule or proposed modification to an existing rule. In the AILs, the following acronyms are 

used:

• ANPRM - Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

• NPRM - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

• Supplemental - Supplemental NPRM 

• Direct Final - Direct Final Action

• Interim Final – Interim Final Action

• Final – Final Action

• Section 610 Review – Agency Review under Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act

Contact: Provides the name, phone, and email address for the EPA staff person assigned to this rule. Additionally, if a rule is in EPA's 

RegDaRRT (www.epa.gov/rulemaking/), then a link to the rule's profile will be provided in this column.

Abstract: A brief summary of the action and its purpose. 

Projected Publication Date: Since many variables affect how long it takes to write a rule or other action, it is difficult to predict a firm 

publication date when we have just started working on an action. Therefore, we insert one of two options in the "Projected Publication Date" 

column: 1) "12 months or less" and 2) "more than 12 months." These options give you some idea of how quickly we expect to complete an 

action. 

Action Initiation List – June 2014 Page 3 of 3