Extension offered for final regional haze rules

A Consent Decree issued Jan. 10 extended the deadline for EPA to issue its final regional haze rule for North Dakota and other states.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative - January 20, 2012

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. EPA had threatened to overrule the North Dakota Department of Health's plan 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.

To learn more about the issue in North Dakota, go to www.StopEPAND.com.

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.

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