Action Initiation List – July 2011

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July 2011 Action Initiation List (as of 7/28/2011)

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 Rulemaking Gateway 

(www.epa.gov/rulemaking/). 

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

those that are in the Gateway 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)

To assist you in tracking actions’ progress, the RINs in the table below are also displayed in the Semiannual Regulatory Agenda and 

the Rulemaking Gateway.
Action Initiation List – July 2011

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RIN Action Title Stage Contact Abstract

Projected

Publication 

Date

2060-AR09 Greenhouse Gas 

Reporting Rule: 

Technical 

Revisions for 

Petroleum and 

Natural Gas 

Systems and 

Electronics 

Manufacturing

NPRM Akachi Imegwu

202-343-9709

imegwu.akachi@epa.gov

This action proposes technical revisions to two subparts of the 

greenhouse gas reporting rule. These subparts are petroleum 

and natural gas systems (Subpart W; RIN 2060-AP99) and 

electronics manufacturing (Subpart I; RIN 2060-AQ00). EPA 

received questions from the public on specific provisions in 

Subpart W. This proposed action would address 

inconsistencies in Subpart W rule text; clarify areas where the 

rule text was unclear; correct errors in rule methodologies for 

calculating greenhouse gases (GHG) such as incorrect 

equations; and further align language to more clearly portray 

EPA's intent. This action also proposes to amend the 

provisions contained within Subpart I - electronics 

manufacturing - to calculate and report emissions from 

fluorinated GHGs used as heat transfer fluids (HTFs). 

Specifically, EPA is proposing to amend the definition of HTFs 

to include all fluorocarbons that can enter the atmosphere 

under the conditions in which HTFs are used.

12 months or 

less
Action Initiation List – July 2011

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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 2008 AIL will post sometime around May 15th).

What Does Each Column in the AIL Mean?

RIN: RIN stands for "Regulation Identifier Number." A RIN is assigned by the Regulatory Information Service Center, a component of the U.S. General Services 

Administration, to identify each regulatory action listed in our Semiannual Regulatory Agenda and Annual Regulatory Plans. Also, RINs are included in the headings 

of our rules when they are published in the Federal Register to make it easier for you to track our actions. An example of an EPA RIN is 2050-AG37. It is composed 

of two parts. The first part (i.e., 2050) identifies which office within EPA is in charge of the action. In this case, it is the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency 

Response. The second part (e.g., AG37) is an alpha-numeric code automatically generated as rules are assigned a RIN. 

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 Rulemaking Gateway 

(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.