Findings of Failure to Submit Regional Haze State Implementation Plans for the Second Planning Period
August 25, 2022 -- As required by the Clean Air Act, EPA is finding that 15 states failed to submit complete regional haze State Implementation Plans, or SIPs, for the second planning period, which were due on July 31, 2021. The regional haze program calls for state and federal agencies to work together to improve visibility in 156 national parks and wilderness areas such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Mount Rainier, the Shenandoah Valley, the Great Smokies, Acadia and the Everglades. Today's finding is an important step towards ensuring that these states meet their obligations under the Clean Air Act to restore visibility and protect public health. EPA is committed to working with these states to support the development and submission of their regional haze SIPs and to ensure states are in the lead regarding continued progress toward cleaner air.
The states covered by this finding are: Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. Pursuant to the CAA, EPA has two years from the date of this finding to promulgate a Federal Implementation Plan, or FIP, for these states unless the state(s) submit and the EPA approves a SIP addressing regional haze obligations. An EPA finding that a state did not submit a regional haze plan does not trigger sanctions requirements.