Proposed rule · 2025-20444

Air Plan Approval; Rhode Island; Regional Haze State Implementation Plan for the Second Implementation Period; Prong 4 (Visibility) for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the regional haze state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by Rhode Island on March 7, 2025, as satisfying applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's Regional Haze Rule (RHR) for the program's second implementation period. Rhode Island's SIP submission addresses the requirement that states must periodically revise their long-term strategies for making reasonable progress towards the national goal of preventing any future, and remedying any existing, anthropogenic impairment of visibility, including regional haze, in mandatory Class I Federal areas. The SIP submission also addresses other applicable requirements for the second implementation period of the regional haze program. EPA is also proposing to approve the remaining element of Rhode Island's September 23, 2020, infrastructure SIP submittal for the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The proposed approval of Rhode Island's second implementation period regional haze plan addresses infrastructure SIP requirements related to visibility protection. The EPA is taking this action pursuant to sections 110 and 169A of the Clean Air Act.