Search Frequent Questions

Displaying 1 - 15 of 29 results

• What is the definition of “overburdened community” that is relevant for EPA Actions and Promising Practices?

  EPA Actions and Promising Practices apply the description of overburdened communities articulated in EPA’s Plan EJ 2014. The term is used to describe the minority, low‐income, tribal and indigenous populations or communities in the United States that potentially experience disproportionate environmental harms and risks due to exposures or cumulative impacts…

  • Last published: July 10, 2024

• I have a for-profit business where I purchase residential properties and renovate them. Is this type of renovation work on pre-1978 properties covered by the Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule?

  Yes. Individuals who buy, renovate and sell pre-1978 residential properties for a profit (i.e., house flippers) or lease pre-1978 residential properties (i.e., landlords), and do the renovation work themselves, are performing renovations for compensation and are therefore subject to all requirements under the RRP Rule . You must be a…

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• Are permit applicants required to adopt the Promising Practices?

  EPA is not requiring permit applicants to adopt the Promising Practices. Promising Practices are simply that: good ideas in the form of suggestions to permit applicants. Permit applicants may benefit from applying these Promising Practices. EPA hopes that when permit applicants practice early and meaningful dialogue with the community, they…

  • Last published: July 10, 2024

• EPA Actions does not require EPA regional offices to prioritize the same types of permits and adopt the same outreach activities. Why doesn’t EPA require regional offices to always prioritize certain permits and always do certain outreach activities?

  EPA Actions strikes an important balance between national consistency and regional flexibility. The Agency‐wide guidelines establish national consistency by providing EPA’s expectations for the regional implementation plans. At the same time, EPA recognizes that the regional offices need the flexibility to take actions suited to the types of permits and…

  • Last published: July 10, 2024

• Does EPA Actions apply to permits that are jointly issued by EPA and a state, tribal, or local permitting authority with partially delegated permitting authority?

  EPA regional offices will decide whether a permit that EPA jointly issues with a state, tribal, or local permitting authority should be considered for prioritization for enhanced outreach as described in EPA Actions on a case‐by‐case basis. EPA will take into account its role and authority in issuing the specific…

  • Last published: July 10, 2024

• Why doesn’t EPA do enhanced outreach for every permit?

  Robust public outreach and engagement can consume a substantial amount of resources from all stakeholders in a permitting process and would not be warranted for every permit action. EPA recognizes that its regional offices cannot enhance engagement for every EPA‐issued permit and that overburdened communities might be overwhelmed with process…

  • Last published: July 10, 2024

• How will an EPA regional office determine whether a permitted activity may have significant public health or environmental impacts?

  Permit applications provide information on the proposed project consistent with the requirements of particular statutes and regulations. EPA may also do its own assessment of the environmental and public health impacts of a proposed project, using modeling and monitoring data for example. Such information would inform an EPA regional office’s…

  • Last published: July 10, 2024

• How will EPA Actions apply to EPA‐permitted activities that may impact multiple EPA regions?

  A permitted activity could potentially impact an area that straddles two or more EPA regions. The EPA region where the permitted activity is located usually has the lead for issuing the permit. EPA regions with the lead for issuing the permit routinely engage other regions impacted by the permitted activity…

  • Last published: July 10, 2024

• In a situation where an importer leases tankage from another company, e.g., from a for-hire terminal, who must register such import facility, the company that owns the terminal, the importer that leases the tankage, or both?

  See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help . Under § 80.2(r), an importer is defined as "a person who imports gasoline or gasoline blending stocks or components from a foreign country into the United States...." Accordingly, it is the importer of the gasoline, and not the…

  • Last published: August 2, 2024

• If my fuel is already registered with the Fuels and Fuel Additives program under 40 CFR Part 79, do I still need to register with the RFS2 program under 40 CFR Part 80?

  See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help . Yes. Even if your fuel or fuel additive is already registered under 40 CFR Part 79, there are additional registration requirements for parties regulated under the RFS2 program, as specified in 40 CFR 80.1450.

  • Last published: August 2, 2024

• Once I register my fuel for the RFS2 program under §80.1450, do I still need to register my fuel under 40 CFR Part 79?

  See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help . Yes. Renewable fuels intended for use or used in motor vehicles are required to be registered under 40 CFR part 79 prior to any introduction into commerce. Manufacturers of renewable fuels and fuel additives not registered under part…

  • Last published: August 2, 2024

• My local community has formed a “Long Term Recovery Committee”. The committee gathers donations and provides assistance to families via volunteer work crews and/or contracted skilled labor. Are these efforts subject to the RRP Rule?

  My local community has formed a “Long Term Recovery Committee” to assist in the rebuilding and recovery efforts following a natural disaster. The committee, which is a coalition of member agencies from the faith community, nonprofit agencies, government programs, businesses and individual donors, gathers monetary and material donations and provides…

  • Last published: November 19, 2024

• Will EPA provide incentives to permit applicants who adopt Promising Practices, like an expedited permit process?

  EPA is not providing incentives to permit applicants who adopt the Promising Practices, such as an expedited permit process. Nevertheless, permit applicants should be aware of the many benefits that can accrue to them if they adopt the Promising Practices to create a constructive dialogue with the community in which…

  • Last published: July 10, 2024

• Does EPA consider it a conflict of interest for a third-party company to assist a group of renewable fuel producers and importers of renewable fuel to help meet the requirements of the re-registration and engineering review pursuant to section 80.1450?

  See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help . EPA does not restrict a renewable fuel producer or an importer of renewable fuel from seeking a third-party company to assist them in meeting the re-registration and engineering review requirements pursuant to section 80.1450. The renewable fuel producer…

  • Last published: August 2, 2024

• Will common carriers be required to register their transport trucks as oxygenate blending facilities?

  See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help . Normally, only the owner of the gasoline produced at an oxygenate blending operation must register as an oxygenate blender. If a common carrier blends gas in trucks that it owns it must meet all of the requirements for…

  • Last published: August 2, 2024