Action Initiation List – February 2013 Page 1 of 4

February 2013 Action Initiation List (as of 3/27/2013)

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 – February 2013 Page 2 of 4

Action Title Stage Contact Abstract

Projected

Publication 

Date

National Emission 

Standards for Hazardous 

Air Pollutant Emissions for 

Primary Lead Processing: 

Residual Risk and 

Technology Review and 

National Emissions 

Standards for Hazardous 

Air Pollutants from 

Secondary Lead Smelting: 

Residual Risk and 

Technology Review; 

Reconsiderations

NPRM Nathan Topham 

919-541-0483

Topham.Nathan@epa.gov

This action addresses a reconsideration petition received on the 2011 

final rule for residual risk and technology review of the primary lead 

processors national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants. 

The EPA agreed to reconsider limited aspects of the final rule.

Additionally, this action addresses reconsideration petitions received on 

the 2012 final rule for residual risk and technology review of the 

secondary lead smelters national emission standards for hazardous air 

pollutants. EPA agreed to reconsider limited aspects of the final rule.

12 months 

or less 

Oil and Natural Gas 

Sector: Reconsideration of 

Certain Provisions of New 

Source Performance 

Standards

NPRM Bruce Moore 

919 541-5460

Moore.Bruce@epa.gov

This action will involve addressing issues concerning storage vessel 

applicability and compliance dates raised by petitioners following the 

final rule published on August 16, 2012. Storage vessels affected by 

this action are located primarily at oil and natural gas upstream 

operations.

12 months 

or less 

Guidelines Establishing 

Test Procedures for the 

Analysis of Pollutants 

Under the Clean Water 

Act; Analysis and 

Sampling Procedures

NPRM Jan Matuszko 

202-566-1035

Matuszko.Jan@epa.gov

This regulatory action would amend "Guidelines Establishing Test 

Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants" at 40 CFR Part 136 to 

approve test procedures (analytical methods) for use by testing 

laboratories for water monitoring. These test procedures are used to 

implement the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 

program unless an alternate procedure is approved by a Regional 

Administrator. The regulation would also revise, clarify, and correct 

errors and ambiguities in existing methods and the water monitoring 

regulations.

12 months 

or less 
Action Initiation List – February 2013 Page 3 of 4

Action Title Stage Contact Abstract

Projected

Publication 

Date

Renewable Fuel 2014 

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 fuels, including cellulosic biofuel, biomassbased 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 will apply. This action will 

also propose and finalize the 2014 biomass based diesel (BBD) volume 

along with all the 2014 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 2014 and set, at minimum, the 2014 BBD requirement. 

Entities potentially affected by this final 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.

12 months 

or less 
Action Initiation List – February 2013 Page 4 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 15 days after the close of the month (e.g., 

the April 2011 AIL will post sometime around May 15th).

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.