February EPA Federal Registry Updates
Effective date: comments must be received on or before March 9, 2026
Summary: A proposed rule from the EPA to approve a petition from US Ecology Nevada Inc’s (USE) regarding site-specific treatment and disposal of elemental mercury waste that is within the Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) technological based standards of RMERC. The petition hopes to minimize threats to human health and the environment posed by land disposal of the waste. Current treatment plans for high mercury hazardous wastes will remain but elemental mercury that is generated will be disposed of in a designated monofill.;
Effective date: February 9, 2026;
Summary: A final rule from the EPA to extend existing deadlines for active coal combustion residual facilities or inactive coal combustion residual facilities with a legacy coal combustion residual surface to comply with identification of combustion residual management units and groundwater monitoring provisions. These regulatory requirements are managed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.;
Effective date: comments must be received on or before March 13, 2026;
Summary: A proposed rule from the EPA to update test methods and product standards for composite wood products that use formaldehyde, including adding on a new small scale quality control chamber test method. These standards are regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).;
Effective date: comments must be received on or before March 16, 2026;
Summary: A proposed rule from the EPA to approve the changes to the Arizona state implementation plan (SIP) for the 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for the Gila County portion of the Phoenix-Mesa ozone nonattainment area. EPA will be reviewing reasonably available control technology requirements for the Phoenix-Mesa ozone nonattainment area that was classified as Moderate in 2022.;
Effective date: on February 13, 2026 with objections/requests for hearings needing to be received on or before April 14, 2026;
Summary: A final rule from the EPA to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of the insecticide afidopyropen found in or on food/feed commodities of raw agricultural strawberries. The current tolerance of 0.15 parts per million (ppm) will be raised to 0.3 ppm under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).;
Effective date: on February 13, 2026 with objections/requests for hearings needing to be received on or before April 14, 2026;
Summary: A final rule from the EPA to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of the insecticide hexythiazox and its metabolites in or on lemon/lime subgroup 10-10B, for grapefruit subgroup 10-10C (CA, AZ, TX only), and for orange subgroup 10-10a (CA, AZ, TX only). Lemon/lime will have a tolerance of 0.6 parts per million (ppm), grapefruit at 0.5 ppm, and orange at 0.5 ppm as well. This petition was submitted by Gowan Company and is monitored by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).;
Effective date: on February 13, 2026 with objections/requests for hearings needing to be received on or before April 14, 2026
Summary: A final rule from the EPA to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of rice bran wax when used as an inert ingredient (lubricant) on growing crops and raw agricultural commodities pre- and post-harvest. As well as when it is applied to animals and in antimicrobial formulations applied to food-contact surfaces in public areas, dairy-processing equipment, and food-processing equipment and utensils. This was submitted by Micro Powders Inc and is regulated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).;
Effective date: on February 13, 2026 with objections/requests for hearings needing to be received on or before April 14, 2026
Summary: A final rule from the EPA to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of sulfonic acids, C14-16-alkane hydroxy and C14-16-alkene sodium salts. The tolerance for these residues proposed to be at a maximum concentration of 1% in pesticide formulations when used as an inert ingredient (surfactant) in antimicrobial formulations applied to food-contact surfaces in public eating places, dairy-processing equipment, and food-processing equipment and utensils. This petition was submitted by Ecolab Inc and is regulated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).;
Effective date: April 20, 2026
Summary: A final rule from the EPA to repeal the Administrator’s 2009 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines since they have been determined to not impact public health and welfare. EPA states that it does not have authority to regulate GHG emissions in response to global climate change concerns under the CAA section 202(a)(1).;
Effective date: A final rule from the EPA about finalizing multiple pesticide tolerance actions that are regulated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). The pesticides being reviewed include the following active ingredients: diphenylamine, diflubenzuron, flutolanil, isoxaflutole, famoxadone, aminopyralid, fenazaquin, and tembotrione and must meet existing tolerances set by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).;
Effective date: on February 20, 2026 and any objections/request for hearings must be received on or before April 21, 2026;
Summary: A final rule from EPA to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of imidacloprid (CASRN 138261-41-3) that is found in or on food and feed commodities of black pepper. The petition presented by the American Spice Trade Association is pushing for a tolerance of 0.05 parts per million (ppm) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).;
Effective date: on February 20, 2026 and any objections/request for hearings must be received on or before April 21, 2026;
Summary: A final rule from the EPA to establish a tolerance for residues of inpyrfluxam in or on multiple commodities including in or on cotton, undelinted seed, at 0.01 parts per million (ppm) (PP 1F8922); cotton, gin byproducts (gin trash) at 0.02 ppm (PP 1F8922); wheat, forage at 0.01 ppm (PP 1F8924); wheat, grain at 0.01 ppm (PP 1F8924); wheat, hay at 1.5 ppm (PP 1F8924); wheat, straw at 0.3 ppm (PP 1F8924); and rapeseed, seed (crop subgroup 20A) at 0.01 ppm (PP 1F8942). This petition was submitted by Valent USA, LLC and regulated under the FFDCA.;
Effective date: on February 20, 2026 and any objections/request for hearings must be received on or before April 21, 2026;
Summary: A final rule from the EPA to establish a tolerance for residues of pydiflumetofen in or on coffee, green bean and dragon fruit. Syngenta Crop Protection LLC is proposing a tolerance of 0.2 part per million (ppm) for in or on coffee,green bean and dragon fruit at 0.9 ppm under the FFDCA.
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Effective date: on February 20, 2026 and any objections/request for hearings must be received on or before April 21, 2026;
Summary: A final rule from the EPA about finalizing multiple pesticide tolerance actions that are regulated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). The pesticides being reviewed are included in depth in the article.;
Effective date: April 27, 2026;
Summary: A final rule from the EPA about finalizing certain amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units (EGUs). The revised filterable particulate matter (fPM) emission standard, the revised fPM emission standard compliance demonstration requirements, and the revised mercury (Hg) emission standard for lignite-fired EGus are all being repealed.;
Effective date: Comments must be received on or before April 10, 2026
Summary: A proposed rule from the EPA to amend its RIsk Management Program (RMP) regulations by revising provisions related to safer technology and alternatives analyses, information availability, third-party audits, employee participation, community, and emergency responder notification, stationary source siting, natural hazards, power loss, declined recommendations documentation, emergency response exercises, process safety information (PSI) and recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices (RAGAGEP), deregistration form information collection, hot work permit retention, and the retail facility definition.This will help with duplicate requirements and ensure compliance with OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) regulations.;