March 2015 Action Initiation List (as of 3/25/2015)

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/. 

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 – March 2015 Page 1 of 4
Action Title Stage Contact Abstract

Projected

Publication 

Date

Greenhouse Gas 

Reporting Program -

General Revisions

NPRM Lisa Grogan-McCulloch 

617-918-1481

Grogan-Mcculloch.Lisa@epa.gov

This action would improve the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting 

Program by clarifying rule requirements, enhancing data quality to 

ensure that the data collected is representative of industry and 

comparable to the US GHG Inventory, and streamlining requirements 

to improve implementation efficiency. This action would make targeted 

technical amendments to municipal solid waste landfills as well as 

improve and streamline multiple source categories covered by the 

program.

12 months 

or less

Title V Petitions Process 

Improvement 

Rulemaking

NPRM Carrie Wheeler 

919-541-9771

Wheeler.Carrie@epa.gov

This proposal will identify mandatory guidelines on the substance and 

format of title V petitions submitted to the Agency as well as 

requirements for the electronic submittal of title V petitions by the 

specific method identified in the rule. The proposal will set forth a more 

detailed process for the EPA review of title V petitions, next steps 

following the EPA action on a petition, and mandated minimum 

contents of a petition. In addition, the proposal may provide a greater 

level of engagement with state and local permitting authorities 

concerning the EPA’s review of a petition regarding state and local title 

V permits. It supports the Digital Government Strategy issued by the 

White House in 2012 that calls for the EPA to take advantage of new 

technology and improve transparency for our stakeholders. The 

proposed changes in this rule are consistent with feedback from state 

partners to ensure they have a part in the petition process. It also 

supports the EPA 2014-18 Strategic Plan Cross-Agency Strategy Goal 

of Embracing EPA as a High-Performing Organization, which includes 

E-Enterprise. E-Enterprise is a U.S. EPA–state initiative to improve 

environmental performance and enhance services to the regulated 

community, environmental agencies, and the public, in particular 

conducting two-way business electronically in an integrated way. 

Furthermore, this rule is responsive to the title V Task Force 

recommendations and supports Agency-wide efforts on sustainability 

and is a step forward in the agency’s larger e-Enterprise for the 

Environment Initiative.

12 months 

or less

Action Initiation List – March 2015 Page 2 of 4
Action Title Stage Contact Abstract

Projected

Publication 

Date

Relaxation of the Reid 

Vapor Pressure (RVP) 

Gasoline Standard for 

Mecklenburg and 

Gaston Counties, North 

Carolina

NPRM/ 

Direct Final 

Patty Klavon 

734-214-4476

Klavon.Patty@epa.gov

To reduce gasoline emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) 

that are a major contributor to ground-level ozone (smog), the EPA's 

regulations establish maximum Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) gasoline 

standards of 9.0 psi or 7.8 psi sold during the summer ozone season 

based on the state, the month, and the area's ozone designation. The 

EPA is proposing to approve North Carolina's request to relax the 

RVP standard for gasoline sold in Mecklenburg and Gaston counties, 

North Carolina from 7.8 psi to 9.0 psi by revising 40 CFR 80.27. This 

rulemaking is not expected to have an adverse impact on air quality in 

the subject area.

12 months 

or less

Additional Air Quality 

Designations and Error 

Correction for the 2012 

Primary Annual Fine 

Particle National 

Ambient Air Quality 

Standards (2012 PM2.5 

NAAQS)

Final Rhea Jones 

919-541-2940

Jones.Rhea@epa.gov

On December 18, 2014, the EPA designated 14 areas across the 

country as nonattainment for the 2012 PM2.5 National Ambient Air 

Quality Standards (NAAQS). These air quality designations were 

based on 2011-2013 data and analyses. In this action, which was 

published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2015 (80 FR 2206), 

the EPA deferred area designations for ten areas where available air 

quality monitoring data were not sufficient to determine whether the 

areas were meeting or not meeting the NAAQS. In this action, the 

EPA provided a process by which a full year of 2014 data that 

becomes available early in 2015 could be used in the designation 

process. Specifically, if any state submits complete, quality-assured, 

certified 2014 data to the EPA by February 27, 2015, that suggest that 

a change of designation status is appropriate for any area within that 

state, and the EPA agrees that a change of designation status is 

appropriate, then we would withdraw the designation announced in the 

action for such area if applicable, and issue another or initial 

designation that reflects the inclusion of 2014 data. With early certified 

2014 data, the EPA expects to promulgate initial designations for five 

of the deferred areas. The EPA also expects to withdraw up to four 

nonattainment designations and replace them with 

unclassifiable/attainment designations, and withdraw one 

nonattainment designation and replace it with an unclassifiable 

designation. Lastly, the EPA intends to promulgate one minor error 

correction to the 40 CFR Part 81 table for Pennsylvania for the 2012 

PM2.5 NAAQS, which inadvertently listed one county twice.

12 months 

or less

Action Initiation List – March 2015 Page 3 of 4
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 – March 2015 Page 4 of 4