Guest Post: EPA Delays Decision On Haze Regulation In North Dakota

North Dakota is awaiting the final decision from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about whether the agency plans to take partial control of North Dakota’s air quality program. The EPA was expected to make its decision on North Dakota’s State Implementation Plan by late January. EPA had threatened to overrule the North Dakota Department of Health’s SIP to reduce regional haze in Class I areas, and impose its own Federal Implementation Plan (FIP).

However, in a Consent Decree submitted Jan. 10, 2012, the deadline for issuance of the final rule was extended from Jan. 26, 2012, to March 2, 2012, for North Dakota. EPA can still sign a notice of final rulemaking at any time before the March 2 deadline.

In addition, the Jan. 10, 2012, Consent Decree extended the deadline for issuance of final rulemaking on regional haze plans for Wyoming from April 15, 2012, to May 15, 2012; issuance of a proposed regional haze plan for Montana from Jan. 20, 2012, to March 20, 2012, and the deadline for the final regional haze plan for Montana from June 29, 2012 to Aug. 15, 2012.

To keep up with the latest news on this issue follow Stop EPA ND on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StopEPAND and go to www.StopEPAND.com.

Partners for Affordable Energy is a broad-based coalition of organizations and businesses that support coal-based electricity as a low-cost, reliable and increasingly clean energy source for consumers, farms and businesses in the Upper Midwest.