National Priorities List, 15901-15906 [2015-06696]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 58 / Thursday, March 26, 2015 / Rules and Regulations recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. 40 CFR Part 52 Dated: March 4, 2015. Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, Region IX. [EPA–R06–OAR–2008–0636; FRL–9925–11– Region 6] Part 52, Chapter I, Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows: PART 52—APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. 2. Section 52.220 is amended by adding paragraphs (c)(282)(i)(C)(2) and (3) and (c)(284)(i)(A)(5) and (c)(308)(i)(E) and (c)(453) to read as follows: ■ Identification of plan. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES * * * * (c) * * * (282) * * * (i) * * * (C) * * * (2) Rule 204, ‘‘Cancellation of Applications,’’ revised on March 21, 2001. (3) Rule 206, ‘‘Standards for Issuing Authorities to Construct and Permits to Operate,’’ revised on March 21, 2001. * * * * * (284) * * * (i) * * * (A) * * * (5) Rule 200, ‘‘Permits Required,’’ revised on December 13, 2000. * * * * * (308) * * * (i) * * * (E) Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District. (1) Rule 203, ‘‘Application,’’ revised October 16, 2002. (2) Rule 212, ‘‘Public Availability of Emission Data,’’ revised on October 16, 2002. * * * * * (453) New and amended regulations for the following APCDs were submitted on May 12, 2011. (i) Incorporation by reference. (A) Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District. (1) Rule 207, ‘‘Review of New or Modified Sources,’’ revised on April 20, 2011. [FR Doc. 2015–06705 Filed 3–25–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:09 Mar 25, 2015 Jkt 235001 Dated: March 13, 2015. Ron Curry, Regional Administrator, Region 6. Accordingly, the amendments to 40 CFR 52.1620 published in the Federal Register on February 2, 2015 (80 FR 5471), which were to become effective on April 3, 2015, are withdrawn. [FR Doc. 2015–06701 Filed 3–25–15; 8:45 am] On February 2, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a direct final rule approving revisions to the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County, New Mexico State Implementation Plan. These revisions add definitions and clarifying changes to the general provisions and add a new emissions inventory regulation that establishes reporting requirements for stationary sources in Albuquerque/ Bernalillo County. The direct final rule was published without prior proposal because EPA anticipated no adverse comments. EPA stated in the direct final rule that if we received relevant, adverse comments by March 4, 2015, EPA would publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register. EPA received a comment on February 20, 2015 from the Sierra Club stating in relevant part, that an Acting Regional Administrator cannot sign approvals, disapprovals, or any combination of approvals or disapproval, in whole or in part, due to the fact that the authority to act on agency actions on state implementation plans is delegated only to, and therefore can only be signed by, the Regional Administrator. EPA considers this a relevant, adverse comment and accordingly we are withdrawing our direct final rule approval, and in a separate subsequent final rulemaking we will address the comment received. The withdrawal is being taken pursuant to section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SUMMARY: Subpart F—California * reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxides, Ozone, Particulate matter, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Volatile organic compounds. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Withdrawal of direct final rule. AGENCY: 1. The authority citation for Part 52 continues to read as follows: ■ § 52.220 Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; New Mexico; Albuquerque/Bernalillo County; Revisions to Emission Inventory Requirements, and General Provisions 15901 The direct final rule published on February 2, 2015 (80 FR 5471), is withdrawn effective March 26, 2015. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Walser (6PD–L), Air Planning Section, telephone (214) 665–7128, fax (214) 665–6762, email: walser.john@ epa.gov. DATES: List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 40 CFR Part 300 [EPA–HQ–SFUND–2014–0624, 0625; FRL 9924–32–OSWER] National Priorities List Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. AGENCY: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (‘‘CERCLA’’ or ‘‘the Act’’), as amended, requires that the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (‘‘NCP’’) include a list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants throughout the United States. The National Priorities List (‘‘NPL’’) constitutes this list. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the Environmental Protection Agency (‘‘the EPA’’ or ‘‘the agency’’) in determining which sites warrant further investigation. These further investigations will allow the EPA to assess the nature and extent of public health and environmental risks associated with the site and to determine what CERCLA-financed remedial action(s), if any, may be appropriate. This rule adds two sites to the General Superfund section of the NPL. SUMMARY: The document is effective on April 27, 2015. ADDRESSES: Contact information for the EPA Headquarters and EPA Region 5 dockets: • Docket Coordinator, Headquarters; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; CERCLA Docket Office; 1301 Constitution Avenue NW.; William Jefferson Clinton Building West, Room DATES: E:\FR\FM\26MRR1.SGM 26MRR1 15902 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 58 / Thursday, March 26, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 3334, Washington, DC 20004, 202/566– 0276. • Todd Quesada, Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI), U.S. EPA Superfund Division Librarian/SFD Records Manager SRC–7J, Metcalfe Federal Building, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604; 312/886–4465. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry Jeng, phone: (703) 603–8852, email: jeng.terry@epa.gov Site Assessment and Remedy Decisions Branch, Assessment and Remediation Division, Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (Mailcode 5204P), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; or the Superfund Hotline, phone (800) 424–9346 or (703) 412– 9810 in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES Table of Contents I. Background A. What are CERCLA and SARA? B. What is the NCP? C. What is the National Priorities List (NPL)? D. How are sites listed on the NPL? E. What happens to sites on the NPL? F. Does the NPL define the boundaries of sites? G. How are sites removed from the NPL? H. May the EPA delete portions of sites from the NPL as they are cleaned up? I. What is the construction completion list (CCL)? J. What is the Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use Measure? K. What is state/tribal correspondence concerning NPL listing? II. Availability of Information to the Public A. May I review the documents relevant to this final rule? B. What documents are available for review at the EPA Headquarters docket? C. What documents are available for review at the EPA Region 5 docket? D. How do I access the documents? E. How may I obtain a current list of NPL sites? III. Contents of This Final Rule A. Additions to the NPL B. What did the EPA do with the public comments it received? IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health and Safety Risks VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:09 Mar 25, 2015 Jkt 235001 H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations K. Congressional Review Act I. Background A. What are CERCLA and SARA? In 1980, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. 9601–9675 (‘‘CERCLA’’ or ‘‘the Act’’), in response to the dangers of uncontrolled releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, and releases or substantial threats of releases into the environment of any pollutant or contaminant that may present an imminent or substantial danger to the public health or welfare. CERCLA was amended on October 17, 1986, by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (‘‘SARA’’), Public Law 99–499, 100 Stat. 1613 et seq. B. What is the NCP? To implement CERCLA, the EPA promulgated the revised National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (‘‘NCP’’), 40 CFR part 300, on July 16, 1982 (47 FR 31180), pursuant to CERCLA section 105 and Executive Order 12316 (46 FR 42237, August 20, 1981). The NCP sets guidelines and procedures for responding to releases and threatened releases of hazardous substances, or releases or substantial threats of releases into the environment of any pollutant or contaminant that may present an imminent or substantial danger to the public health or welfare. The EPA has revised the NCP on several occasions. The most recent comprehensive revision was on March 8, 1990 (55 FR 8666). As required under section 105(a)(8)(A) of CERCLA, the NCP also includes ‘‘criteria for determining priorities among releases or threatened releases throughout the United States for the purpose of taking remedial action and, to the extent practicable, taking into account the potential urgency of such action, for the purpose of taking removal action.’’ ‘‘Removal’’ actions are defined broadly and include a wide range of actions taken to study, clean up, prevent or otherwise address releases and threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants (42 U.S.C. 9601(23)). PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 C. What is the National Priorities List (NPL)? The NPL is a list of national priorities among the known or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants throughout the United States. The list, which is appendix B of the NCP (40 CFR part 300), was required under section 105(a)(8)(B) of CERCLA, as amended. Section 105(a)(8)(B) defines the NPL as a list of ‘‘releases’’ and the highest priority ‘‘facilities’’ and requires that the NPL be revised at least annually. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the EPA in determining which sites warrant further investigation to assess the nature and extent of public health and environmental risks associated with a release of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants. The NPL is of only limited significance, however, as it does not assign liability to any party or to the owner of any specific property. Also, placing a site on the NPL does not mean that any remedial or removal action necessarily need be taken. For purposes of listing, the NPL includes two sections, one of sites that are generally evaluated and cleaned up by the EPA (the ‘‘General Superfund section’’) and one of sites that are owned or operated by other federal agencies (the ‘‘Federal Facilities section’’). With respect to sites in the Federal Facilities section, these sites are generally being addressed by other federal agencies. Under Executive Order 12580 (52 FR 2923, January 29, 1987) and CERCLA section 120, each federal agency is responsible for carrying out most response actions at facilities under its own jurisdiction, custody or control, although the EPA is responsible for preparing a Hazard Ranking System (‘‘HRS’’) score and determining whether the facility is placed on the NPL. D. How are sites listed on the NPL? There are three mechanisms for placing sites on the NPL for possible remedial action (see 40 CFR 300.425(c) of the NCP): (1) A site may be included on the NPL if it scores sufficiently high on the HRS, which the EPA promulgated as appendix A of the NCP (40 CFR part 300). The HRS serves as a screening tool to evaluate the relative potential of uncontrolled hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants to pose a threat to human health or the environment. On December 14, 1990 (55 FR 51532), the EPA promulgated revisions to the HRS partly in response to CERCLA section 105(c), added by SARA. The revised HRS evaluates four pathways: Ground water, surface water, soil exposure and air. As a matter of E:\FR\FM\26MRR1.SGM 26MRR1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 58 / Thursday, March 26, 2015 / Rules and Regulations agency policy, those sites that score 28.50 or greater on the HRS are eligible for the NPL. (2) Each state may designate a single site as its top priority to be listed on the NPL, without any HRS score. This provision of CERCLA requires that, to the extent practicable, the NPL include one facility designated by each state as the greatest danger to public health, welfare or the environment among known facilities in the state. This mechanism for listing is set out in the NCP at 40 CFR 300.425(c)(2). (3) The third mechanism for listing, included in the NCP at 40 CFR 300.425(c)(3), allows certain sites to be listed without any HRS score, if all of the following conditions are met: (1) The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the U.S. Public Health Service has issued a health advisory that recommends dissociation of individuals from the release. (2) The EPA determines that the release poses a significant threat to public health. (3) The EPA anticipates that it will be more cost-effective to use its remedial authority than to use its removal authority to respond to the release. The EPA promulgated an original NPL of 406 sites on September 8, 1983 (48 FR 40658) and generally has updated it at least annually. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES E. What happens to sites on the NPL? A site may undergo remedial action financed by the Trust Fund established under CERCLA (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Superfund’’) only after it is placed on the NPL, as provided in the NCP at 40 CFR 300.425(b)(1). (‘‘Remedial actions’’ are those ‘‘consistent with a permanent remedy, taken instead of or in addition to removal actions’’ (40 CFR 300.5). However, under 40 CFR 300.425(b)(2), placing a site on the NPL ‘‘does not imply that monies will be expended.’’ The EPA may pursue other appropriate authorities to respond to the releases, including enforcement action under CERCLA and other laws. F. Does the NPL define the boundaries of sites? The NPL does not describe releases in precise geographical terms; it would be neither feasible nor consistent with the limited purpose of the NPL (to identify releases that are priorities for further evaluation), for it to do so. Indeed, the precise nature and extent of the site are typically not known at the time of listing. Although a CERCLA ‘‘facility’’ is broadly defined to include any area where a hazardous substance has ‘‘come VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:09 Mar 25, 2015 Jkt 235001 to be located’’ (CERCLA section 101(9)), the listing process itself is not intended to define or reflect the boundaries of such facilities or releases. Of course, HRS data (if the HRS is used to list a site) upon which the NPL placement was based will, to some extent, describe the release(s) at issue. That is, the NPL site would include all releases evaluated as part of that HRS analysis. When a site is listed, the approach generally used to describe the relevant release(s) is to delineate a geographical area (usually the area within an installation or plant boundaries) and identify the site by reference to that area. However, the NPL site is not necessarily coextensive with the boundaries of the installation or plant, and the boundaries of the installation or plant are not necessarily the ‘‘boundaries’’ of the site. Rather, the site consists of all contaminated areas within the area used to identify the site, as well as any other location where that contamination has come to be located, or from where that contamination came. In other words, while geographic terms are often used to designate the site (e.g., the ‘‘Jones Co. Plant site’’) in terms of the property owned by a particular party, the site, properly understood, is not limited to that property (e.g., it may extend beyond the property due to contaminant migration), and conversely may not occupy the full extent of the property (e.g., where there are uncontaminated parts of the identified property, they may not be, strictly speaking, part of the ‘‘site’’). The ‘‘site’’ is thus neither equal to, nor confined by, the boundaries of any specific property that may give the site its name, and the name itself should not be read to imply that this site is coextensive with the entire area within the property boundary of the installation or plant. In addition, the site name is merely used to help identify the geographic location of the contamination, and is not meant to constitute any determination of liability at a site. For example, the name ‘‘Jones Co. plant site,’’ does not imply that the Jones Company is responsible for the contamination located on the plant site. EPA regulations provide that the remedial investigation (‘‘RI’’) ‘‘is a process undertaken * * * to determine the nature and extent of the problem presented by the release’’ as more information is developed on site contamination, and which is generally performed in an interactive fashion with the feasibility study (‘‘FS’’) (40 CFR 300.5). During the RI/FS process, the release may be found to be larger or smaller than was originally thought, as more is learned about the source(s) and PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 15903 the migration of the contamination. However, the HRS inquiry focuses on an evaluation of the threat posed and therefore the boundaries of the release need not be exactly defined. Moreover, it generally is impossible to discover the full extent of where the contamination ‘‘has come to be located’’ before all necessary studies and remedial work are completed at a site. Indeed, the known boundaries of the contamination can be expected to change over time. Thus, in most cases, it may be impossible to describe the boundaries of a release with absolute certainty. Further, as noted above, NPL listing does not assign liability to any party or to the owner of any specific property. Thus, if a party does not believe it is liable for releases on discrete parcels of property, it can submit supporting information to the agency at any time after it receives notice it is a potentially responsible party. For these reasons, the NPL need not be amended as further research reveals more information about the location of the contamination or release. G. How are sites removed from the NPL? The EPA may delete sites from the NPL where no further response is appropriate under Superfund, as explained in the NCP at 40 CFR 300.425(e). This section also provides that the EPA shall consult with states on proposed deletions and shall consider whether any of the following criteria have been met: (i) Responsible parties or other persons have implemented all appropriate response actions required; (ii) All appropriate Superfundfinanced response has been implemented and no further response action is required; or (iii) The remedial investigation has shown the release poses no significant threat to public health or the environment, and taking of remedial measures is not appropriate. H. May the EPA delete portions of sites from the NPL as they are cleaned up? In November 1995, the EPA initiated a policy to delete portions of NPL sites where cleanup is complete (60 FR 55465, November 1, 1995). Total site cleanup may take many years, while portions of the site may have been cleaned up and made available for productive use. I. What is the construction completion list (CCL)? The EPA also has developed an NPL construction completion list (‘‘CCL’’) to simplify its system of categorizing sites and to better communicate the E:\FR\FM\26MRR1.SGM 26MRR1 15904 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 58 / Thursday, March 26, 2015 / Rules and Regulations successful completion of cleanup activities (58 FR 12142, March 2, 1993). Inclusion of a site on the CCL has no legal significance. Sites qualify for the CCL when: (1) Any necessary physical construction is complete, whether or not final cleanup levels or other requirements have been achieved; (2) the EPA has determined that the response action should be limited to measures that do not involve construction (e.g., institutional controls); or (3) the site qualifies for deletion from the NPL. For the most upto-date information on the CCL, see the EPA’s Internet site at https:// www.epa.gov/superfund/cleanup/ ccl.htm. J. What is the Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use Measure? The Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use measure represents important Superfund accomplishments and the measure reflects the high priority the EPA places on considering anticipated future land use as part of the remedy selection process. See Guidance for Implementing the Sitewide Ready-forReuse Measure, May 24, 2006, OSWER 9365.0–36. This measure applies to final and deleted sites where construction is complete, all cleanup goals have been achieved, and all institutional or other controls are in place. The EPA has been successful on many occasions in carrying out remedial actions that ensure protectiveness of human health and the environment for current and future land uses, in a manner that allows contaminated properties to be restored to environmental and economic vitality. For further information, please go to https://www.epa.gov/superfund/pro grams/recycle/pdf/sitewide_a.pdf. K. What is state/tribal correspondence concerning NPL listing? In order to maintain close coordination with states and tribes in the NPL listing decision process, the EPA’s policy is to determine the position of the states and tribes regarding sites that the EPA is considering for listing. This consultation process is outlined in two memoranda that can be found at the following Web site: https://www.epa.gov/ superfund/sites/npl/hrsres/policy/ govlet.pdf The EPA has improved the transparency of the process by which state and tribal input is solicited. The EPA is using the Web and where appropriate more structured state and tribal correspondence that (1) explains the concerns at the site and the EPA’s rationale for proceeding; (2) requests an explanation of how the state intends to address the site if placement on the NPL is not favored; and (3) emphasizes the transparent nature of the process by informing states that information on their responses will be publicly available. A model letter and correspondence between the EPA and states and tribes where applicable, is available on the EPA’s Web site at https://www.epa.gov/ superfund/sites/query/queryhtm/ nplstcor.htm. II. Availability of Information to the Public A. May I review the documents relevant to this final rule? Yes, documents relating to the evaluation and scoring of the sites in this final rule are contained in dockets located both at the EPA Headquarters and in the EPA Region 5 office. An electronic version of the public docket is available through https:// www.regulations.gov (see table below for docket identification numbers). Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through the docket facilities identified below in section II D. DOCKET IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS BY SITE Site name City/County, State Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume ................................................ Kokomo, IN ........................................ DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant ............................................................... Gibraltar, MI ....................................... B. What documents are available for review at the EPA Headquarters docket? The Headquarters docket for this rule contains the HRS score sheets, the documentation record describing the information used to compute the score and a list of documents referenced in the documentation record for each site. C. What documents are available for review at the EPA Region 5 docket? mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES The EPA Region 5 docket contains all the information in the Headquarters docket, plus the actual reference documents containing the data principally relied upon by the EPA in calculating or evaluating the HRS score. These reference documents are available only in the Region 5 docket. D. How do I access the documents? You may view the documents, by appointment only, after the publication of this rule. The hours of operation for the Headquarters docket are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Please contact the Region 5 docket for hours. For addresses for the Headquarters and Region 5 dockets, see ‘‘Addresses’’ section in the beginning portion of this preamble. Docket ID No. E. How may I obtain a current list of NPL sites? You may obtain a current list of NPL sites via the Internet at https://www.epa. gov/superfund/sites/npl/index.htm or by contacting the Superfund docket (see contact information in the beginning portion of this document). III. Contents of This Final Rule A. Additions to the NPL This final rule adds the following sites to the General Superfund section of the NPL. These sites are being added to the NPL based on HRS score. General Superfund section: State Site name IN .................................................................................................................... Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume. DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant .. MI .................................................................................................................... VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:09 Mar 25, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 EPA–HQ–SFUND–2014– 0624 EPA–HQ–SFUND–2014– 0625 E:\FR\FM\26MRR1.SGM City/County 26MRR1 Kokomo. Gibraltar. Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 58 / Thursday, March 26, 2015 / Rules and Regulations mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES B. What did the EPA do with the public comments it received? The EPA is adding two sites to the NPL in this final rule, both of which were proposed for NPL addition on September 22, 2014 (79 FR 56538). The sites are the Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume in Kokomo, Indiana, and the DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant in Gibraltar, Michigan. The EPA received no comments in connection with the Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume. It received one comment in connection with the DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant. On October 30, 2014, counsel for Detroit Steel Company and Gibraltar Land Company, the respective owners of the DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant and the Countywide Landfill, commented on the proposed listing. Counsel described the comments as ‘‘not technical in nature’’ and stated that the comments were ‘‘submitted in order to supplement the record. And provide needed background.’’ The comments did not challenge the HRS score but did provide a substantial site history, which includes litigation between Gibraltar Land Company (GLC) and the State of Michigan arising out of Michigan’s denial of GLC’s application for a construction permit to expand the Countywide Landfill. The commenter closed with the following statements, ‘‘The designation of the properties on the National Priorities List would make the financing of future landfill operations and/or the sale of the property to another landfill developer difficult. However, recognizing the continued areas of environmental concern, even if USEPA would elect to designate these sites on the NPL at this time, we would believe that USEPA could play a constructive role in attempting to mediate a resolution of this matter. Such a resolution would provide for the vertical expansion of the [Countywide Landfill], which would in turn provide a source of revenue that would minimize the use of federal monies.’’ In response, the EPA notes that the commenter raised no issue with the HRS score. EPA is placing the DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant site on the NPL. EPA will coordinate with GLC, Michigan, and Wayne County to efficiently address the contamination. EPA, however, has no authority to require Michigan to approve a permit for landfill expansion at the Countywide Landfill facility. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:09 Mar 25, 2015 Jkt 235001 IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews Additional information about these statutes and Executive Orders can be found at https://www2.epa.gov/lawsregulations/laws-and-executive orders. A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review This action is not a significant regulatory action and was therefore not submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) This action does not impose an information collection burden under the PRA. This rule does not contain any information collection requirements that require approval of the OMB. C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) I certify that this action will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the RFA. This action will not impose any requirements on small entities. This rule listing sites on the NPL does not impose any obligations on any group, including small entities. This rule also does not establish standards or requirements that any small entity must meet, and imposes no direct costs on any small entity. Whether an entity, small or otherwise, is liable for response costs for a release of hazardous substances depends on whether that entity is liable under CERCLA 107(a). Any such liability exists regardless of whether the site is listed on the NPL through this rulemaking. D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) This action does not contain any unfunded mandate as described in UMRA, 2 U.S.C. 1531–1538, and does not significantly or uniquely affect small governments. This action imposes no enforceable duty on any state, local or tribal governments or the private sector. Listing a site on the NPL does not itself impose any costs. Listing does not mean that the EPA necessarily will undertake remedial action. Nor does listing require any action by a private party, state, local or tribal governments or determine liability for response costs. Costs that arise out of site responses result from future site-specific decisions regarding what actions to take, not directly from the act of placing a site on the NPL. E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism This final rule does not have federalism implications. It will not have substantial direct effects on the states, PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 15905 on the relationship between the national government and the states, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government. F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments This action does not have tribal implications as specified in Executive Order 13175. Listing a site on the NPL does not impose any costs on a tribe or require a tribe to take remedial action. Thus, Executive Order 13175 does not apply to this action. G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental Health and Safety Risks The EPA interprets Executive Order 13045 as applying only to those regulatory actions that concern environmental health or safety risks that the EPA has reason to believe may disproportionately affect children, per the definition of ‘‘covered regulatory action’’ in section 2–202 of the Executive Order. This action is not subject to Executive Order 13045 because this action itself is procedural in nature (adds sites to a list) and does not, in and of itself, provide protection from environmental health and safety risks. Separate future regulatory actions are required for mitigation of environmental health and safety risks. H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use This action is not subject to Executive Order 13211, because it is not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866. I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) This rulemaking does not involve technical standards. J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations The EPA believes the human health or environmental risk addressed by this action will not have potential disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority, low-income or indigenous populations because it does not affect the level of protection provided to human health or the environment. As discussed in Section I.C. of the preamble to this action, the NPL is a list of national priorities. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the EPA in determining which sites warrant further E:\FR\FM\26MRR1.SGM 26MRR1 15906 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 58 / Thursday, March 26, 2015 / Rules and Regulations investigation to assess the nature and extent of public health and environmental risks associated with a release of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants. The NPL is of only limited significance as it does not assign liability to any party. Also, placing a site on the NPL does not mean that any remedial or removal action necessarily need be taken. K. Congressional Review Act This action is subject to the CRA, and the EPA will submit a rule report to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the United States. This action is not a ‘‘major rule’’ as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). Provisions of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) or section 305 of CERCLA may alter the effective date of this regulation. Under 5 U.S.C. 801(b)(1), a rule shall not take effect, or continue in effect, if Congress enacts (and the President signs) a joint resolution of disapproval, described under section 802. Another statutory provision that may affect this rule is CERCLA section 305, which provides for a legislative veto of regulations promulgated under CERCLA. Although INS v. Chadha, 462 U.S. 919,103 S. Ct. 2764 (1983), and Bd. of Regents of the University of Washington v. EPA, 86 F.3d 1214,1222 (D.C. Cir. 1996), cast the validity of the legislative veto into question, the EPA has transmitted a copy of this regulation to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives. If action by Congress under either the CRA or CERCLA section 305 calls the effective date of this regulation into question, the EPA will publish a document of clarification in the Federal Register. List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 300 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Chemicals, Hazardous substances, Hazardous waste, Intergovernmental relations, Natural resources, Oil pollution, Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Superfund, Water pollution control, Water supply. Dated: March 16, 2015. Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. 40 CFR part 300 is amended as follows: PART 300—NATIONAL OIL AND HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN 1. The authority citation for Part 300 continues to read as follows: ■ Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1321(c)(2); 42 U.S.C. 9601–9657; E.O. 13626, 77 FR 56749, 3 CFR, 2013 Comp., p.306; E.O. 12777, 56 FR 54757, 3 CFR, 1991 Comp., p.351; E.O. 12580, 52 FR 2923, 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p.193. 2. Table 1 of Appendix B to Part 300 is amended by adding entries for ‘‘Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume’’ and ‘‘DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant’’ in alphabetical order by state to read as follows: ■ Appendix B to Part 300—National Priorities List TABLE 1—GENERAL SUPERFUND SECTION Site name * IN ........................ * * * Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume ....................................... * Kokomo * * * MI ........................ * * * DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant ...................................................... * Gibraltar * * * * * * * * City/county Notes a State * aA = Based on issuance of health advisory by Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (if scored, HRS score need not be greater than or equal to 28.50). * * * * * [FR Doc. 2015–06696 Filed 3–25–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 51 [WC Docket No. 10–90, CC Docket No. 01– 92; DA 15–249] Connect America Fund; Developing a Unified Intercarrier Compensation Regime Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Final rule. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES AGENCY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau clarifies certain rules related to the implementation of the intercarrier SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:09 Mar 25, 2015 Jkt 235001 compensation transition for rate-ofreturn local exchange carriers adopted in the USF/ICC Transformation Order. Specifically, the Bureau clarifies the Commission’s rules governing Eligible Recovery calculations to address limited unanticipated results of the application of the true-up process evidenced by the rate-of-return carriers’ 2014 annual access tariff filings. DATES: Effective April 27, 2015. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Arluk, Wireline Competition Bureau, Pricing Policy Division, (202) 418–1520 or (202) 418–0484 (TTY); or Robin Cohn, Wireline Competition Bureau, Pricing Policy Division, (202) 418–1520 or (202) 418–0484 (TTY). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission’s Order in WC Docket No. 10–90 and CC Docket No. 01–92, adopted and released on February 24, 2015. The full text of this document can be viewed at the PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 following Internet address: https:// apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/ DA-15-249A1.docx. The full text of this document is also available for public inspection during regular business hours in the FCC Reference Center, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY–A257, Washington, DC 20554. To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (e.g. braille, large print, electronic files, audio format, etc.) or to request reasonable accommodations (e.g. accessible format documents, sign language interpreters, CART, etc.), send an email to fcc504@ fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418–0530 (voice) or (202) 418–0432 (TTY). I. Introduction 1. In the USF/ICC Transformation Order, the Commission delegated to the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) the authority to make any rule revisions E:\FR\FM\26MRR1.SGM 26MRR1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 58 (Thursday, March 26, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15901-15906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06696]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 300

[EPA-HQ-SFUND-2014-0624, 0625; FRL 9924-32-OSWER]


National Priorities List

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
Liability Act of 1980 (``CERCLA'' or ``the Act''), as amended, requires 
that the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency 
Plan (``NCP'') include a list of national priorities among the known 
releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or 
contaminants throughout the United States. The National Priorities List 
(``NPL'') constitutes this list. The NPL is intended primarily to guide 
the Environmental Protection Agency (``the EPA'' or ``the agency'') in 
determining which sites warrant further investigation. These further 
investigations will allow the EPA to assess the nature and extent of 
public health and environmental risks associated with the site and to 
determine what CERCLA-financed remedial action(s), if any, may be 
appropriate. This rule adds two sites to the General Superfund section 
of the NPL.

DATES: The document is effective on April 27, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Contact information for the EPA Headquarters and EPA Region 
5 dockets:
     Docket Coordinator, Headquarters; U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency; CERCLA Docket Office; 1301 Constitution Avenue NW.; 
William Jefferson Clinton Building West, Room

[[Page 15902]]

3334, Washington, DC 20004, 202/566-0276.
     Todd Quesada, Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI), U.S. EPA 
Superfund Division Librarian/SFD Records Manager SRC-7J, Metcalfe 
Federal Building, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604; 312/
886-4465.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry Jeng, phone: (703) 603-8852, 
email: jeng.terry@epa.gov Site Assessment and Remedy Decisions Branch, 
Assessment and Remediation Division, Office of Superfund Remediation 
and Technology Innovation (Mailcode 5204P), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency; 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
or the Superfund Hotline, phone (800) 424-9346 or (703) 412-9810 in the 
Washington, DC, metropolitan area.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents

I. Background
    A. What are CERCLA and SARA?
    B. What is the NCP?
    C. What is the National Priorities List (NPL)?
    D. How are sites listed on the NPL?
    E. What happens to sites on the NPL?
    F. Does the NPL define the boundaries of sites?
    G. How are sites removed from the NPL?
    H. May the EPA delete portions of sites from the NPL as they are 
cleaned up?
    I. What is the construction completion list (CCL)?
    J. What is the Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use Measure?
    K. What is state/tribal correspondence concerning NPL listing?
II. Availability of Information to the Public
    A. May I review the documents relevant to this final rule?
    B. What documents are available for review at the EPA 
Headquarters docket?
    C. What documents are available for review at the EPA Region 5 
docket?
    D. How do I access the documents?
    E. How may I obtain a current list of NPL sites?
III. Contents of This Final Rule
    A. Additions to the NPL
    B. What did the EPA do with the public comments it received?
IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
    A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and 
Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review
    B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
    C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
    D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
    E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism
    F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With 
Indian Tribal Governments
    G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From 
Environmental Health and Safety Risks
    H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect 
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use
    I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)
    J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address 
Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income 
Populations
    K. Congressional Review Act

I. Background

A. What are CERCLA and SARA?

    In 1980, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. 9601-9675 (``CERCLA'' or 
``the Act''), in response to the dangers of uncontrolled releases or 
threatened releases of hazardous substances, and releases or 
substantial threats of releases into the environment of any pollutant 
or contaminant that may present an imminent or substantial danger to 
the public health or welfare. CERCLA was amended on October 17, 1986, 
by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (``SARA''), Public 
Law 99-499, 100 Stat. 1613 et seq.

B. What is the NCP?

    To implement CERCLA, the EPA promulgated the revised National Oil 
and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (``NCP''), 40 CFR 
part 300, on July 16, 1982 (47 FR 31180), pursuant to CERCLA section 
105 and Executive Order 12316 (46 FR 42237, August 20, 1981). The NCP 
sets guidelines and procedures for responding to releases and 
threatened releases of hazardous substances, or releases or substantial 
threats of releases into the environment of any pollutant or 
contaminant that may present an imminent or substantial danger to the 
public health or welfare. The EPA has revised the NCP on several 
occasions. The most recent comprehensive revision was on March 8, 1990 
(55 FR 8666).
    As required under section 105(a)(8)(A) of CERCLA, the NCP also 
includes ``criteria for determining priorities among releases or 
threatened releases throughout the United States for the purpose of 
taking remedial action and, to the extent practicable, taking into 
account the potential urgency of such action, for the purpose of taking 
removal action.'' ``Removal'' actions are defined broadly and include a 
wide range of actions taken to study, clean up, prevent or otherwise 
address releases and threatened releases of hazardous substances, 
pollutants or contaminants (42 U.S.C. 9601(23)).

C. What is the National Priorities List (NPL)?

    The NPL is a list of national priorities among the known or 
threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants 
throughout the United States. The list, which is appendix B of the NCP 
(40 CFR part 300), was required under section 105(a)(8)(B) of CERCLA, 
as amended. Section 105(a)(8)(B) defines the NPL as a list of 
``releases'' and the highest priority ``facilities'' and requires that 
the NPL be revised at least annually. The NPL is intended primarily to 
guide the EPA in determining which sites warrant further investigation 
to assess the nature and extent of public health and environmental 
risks associated with a release of hazardous substances, pollutants or 
contaminants. The NPL is of only limited significance, however, as it 
does not assign liability to any party or to the owner of any specific 
property. Also, placing a site on the NPL does not mean that any 
remedial or removal action necessarily need be taken.
    For purposes of listing, the NPL includes two sections, one of 
sites that are generally evaluated and cleaned up by the EPA (the 
``General Superfund section'') and one of sites that are owned or 
operated by other federal agencies (the ``Federal Facilities 
section''). With respect to sites in the Federal Facilities section, 
these sites are generally being addressed by other federal agencies. 
Under Executive Order 12580 (52 FR 2923, January 29, 1987) and CERCLA 
section 120, each federal agency is responsible for carrying out most 
response actions at facilities under its own jurisdiction, custody or 
control, although the EPA is responsible for preparing a Hazard Ranking 
System (``HRS'') score and determining whether the facility is placed 
on the NPL.

D. How are sites listed on the NPL?

    There are three mechanisms for placing sites on the NPL for 
possible remedial action (see 40 CFR 300.425(c) of the NCP): (1) A site 
may be included on the NPL if it scores sufficiently high on the HRS, 
which the EPA promulgated as appendix A of the NCP (40 CFR part 300). 
The HRS serves as a screening tool to evaluate the relative potential 
of uncontrolled hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants to 
pose a threat to human health or the environment. On December 14, 1990 
(55 FR 51532), the EPA promulgated revisions to the HRS partly in 
response to CERCLA section 105(c), added by SARA. The revised HRS 
evaluates four pathways: Ground water, surface water, soil exposure and 
air. As a matter of

[[Page 15903]]

agency policy, those sites that score 28.50 or greater on the HRS are 
eligible for the NPL. (2) Each state may designate a single site as its 
top priority to be listed on the NPL, without any HRS score. This 
provision of CERCLA requires that, to the extent practicable, the NPL 
include one facility designated by each state as the greatest danger to 
public health, welfare or the environment among known facilities in the 
state. This mechanism for listing is set out in the NCP at 40 CFR 
300.425(c)(2). (3) The third mechanism for listing, included in the NCP 
at 40 CFR 300.425(c)(3), allows certain sites to be listed without any 
HRS score, if all of the following conditions are met:
    (1) The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of 
the U.S. Public Health Service has issued a health advisory that 
recommends dissociation of individuals from the release.
    (2) The EPA determines that the release poses a significant threat 
to public health.
    (3) The EPA anticipates that it will be more cost-effective to use 
its remedial authority than to use its removal authority to respond to 
the release.
    The EPA promulgated an original NPL of 406 sites on September 8, 
1983 (48 FR 40658) and generally has updated it at least annually.

E. What happens to sites on the NPL?

    A site may undergo remedial action financed by the Trust Fund 
established under CERCLA (commonly referred to as the ``Superfund'') 
only after it is placed on the NPL, as provided in the NCP at 40 CFR 
300.425(b)(1). (``Remedial actions'' are those ``consistent with a 
permanent remedy, taken instead of or in addition to removal actions'' 
(40 CFR 300.5). However, under 40 CFR 300.425(b)(2), placing a site on 
the NPL ``does not imply that monies will be expended.'' The EPA may 
pursue other appropriate authorities to respond to the releases, 
including enforcement action under CERCLA and other laws.

F. Does the NPL define the boundaries of sites?

    The NPL does not describe releases in precise geographical terms; 
it would be neither feasible nor consistent with the limited purpose of 
the NPL (to identify releases that are priorities for further 
evaluation), for it to do so. Indeed, the precise nature and extent of 
the site are typically not known at the time of listing.
    Although a CERCLA ``facility'' is broadly defined to include any 
area where a hazardous substance has ``come to be located'' (CERCLA 
section 101(9)), the listing process itself is not intended to define 
or reflect the boundaries of such facilities or releases. Of course, 
HRS data (if the HRS is used to list a site) upon which the NPL 
placement was based will, to some extent, describe the release(s) at 
issue. That is, the NPL site would include all releases evaluated as 
part of that HRS analysis.
    When a site is listed, the approach generally used to describe the 
relevant release(s) is to delineate a geographical area (usually the 
area within an installation or plant boundaries) and identify the site 
by reference to that area. However, the NPL site is not necessarily 
coextensive with the boundaries of the installation or plant, and the 
boundaries of the installation or plant are not necessarily the 
``boundaries'' of the site. Rather, the site consists of all 
contaminated areas within the area used to identify the site, as well 
as any other location where that contamination has come to be located, 
or from where that contamination came.
    In other words, while geographic terms are often used to designate 
the site (e.g., the ``Jones Co. Plant site'') in terms of the property 
owned by a particular party, the site, properly understood, is not 
limited to that property (e.g., it may extend beyond the property due 
to contaminant migration), and conversely may not occupy the full 
extent of the property (e.g., where there are uncontaminated parts of 
the identified property, they may not be, strictly speaking, part of 
the ``site''). The ``site'' is thus neither equal to, nor confined by, 
the boundaries of any specific property that may give the site its 
name, and the name itself should not be read to imply that this site is 
coextensive with the entire area within the property boundary of the 
installation or plant. In addition, the site name is merely used to 
help identify the geographic location of the contamination, and is not 
meant to constitute any determination of liability at a site. For 
example, the name ``Jones Co. plant site,'' does not imply that the 
Jones Company is responsible for the contamination located on the plant 
site.
    EPA regulations provide that the remedial investigation (``RI'') 
``is a process undertaken * * * to determine the nature and extent of 
the problem presented by the release'' as more information is developed 
on site contamination, and which is generally performed in an 
interactive fashion with the feasibility study (``FS'') (40 CFR 300.5). 
During the RI/FS process, the release may be found to be larger or 
smaller than was originally thought, as more is learned about the 
source(s) and the migration of the contamination. However, the HRS 
inquiry focuses on an evaluation of the threat posed and therefore the 
boundaries of the release need not be exactly defined. Moreover, it 
generally is impossible to discover the full extent of where the 
contamination ``has come to be located'' before all necessary studies 
and remedial work are completed at a site. Indeed, the known boundaries 
of the contamination can be expected to change over time. Thus, in most 
cases, it may be impossible to describe the boundaries of a release 
with absolute certainty.
    Further, as noted above, NPL listing does not assign liability to 
any party or to the owner of any specific property. Thus, if a party 
does not believe it is liable for releases on discrete parcels of 
property, it can submit supporting information to the agency at any 
time after it receives notice it is a potentially responsible party.
    For these reasons, the NPL need not be amended as further research 
reveals more information about the location of the contamination or 
release.

G. How are sites removed from the NPL?

    The EPA may delete sites from the NPL where no further response is 
appropriate under Superfund, as explained in the NCP at 40 CFR 
300.425(e). This section also provides that the EPA shall consult with 
states on proposed deletions and shall consider whether any of the 
following criteria have been met:
    (i) Responsible parties or other persons have implemented all 
appropriate response actions required;
    (ii) All appropriate Superfund-financed response has been 
implemented and no further response action is required; or
    (iii) The remedial investigation has shown the release poses no 
significant threat to public health or the environment, and taking of 
remedial measures is not appropriate.

H. May the EPA delete portions of sites from the NPL as they are 
cleaned up?

    In November 1995, the EPA initiated a policy to delete portions of 
NPL sites where cleanup is complete (60 FR 55465, November 1, 1995). 
Total site cleanup may take many years, while portions of the site may 
have been cleaned up and made available for productive use.

I. What is the construction completion list (CCL)?

    The EPA also has developed an NPL construction completion list 
(``CCL'') to simplify its system of categorizing sites and to better 
communicate the

[[Page 15904]]

successful completion of cleanup activities (58 FR 12142, March 2, 
1993). Inclusion of a site on the CCL has no legal significance.
    Sites qualify for the CCL when: (1) Any necessary physical 
construction is complete, whether or not final cleanup levels or other 
requirements have been achieved; (2) the EPA has determined that the 
response action should be limited to measures that do not involve 
construction (e.g., institutional controls); or (3) the site qualifies 
for deletion from the NPL. For the most up-to-date information on the 
CCL, see the EPA's Internet site at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/cleanup/ccl.htm.

J. What is the Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use Measure?

    The Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use measure represents important 
Superfund accomplishments and the measure reflects the high priority 
the EPA places on considering anticipated future land use as part of 
the remedy selection process. See Guidance for Implementing the 
Sitewide Ready-for-Reuse Measure, May 24, 2006, OSWER 9365.0-36. This 
measure applies to final and deleted sites where construction is 
complete, all cleanup goals have been achieved, and all institutional 
or other controls are in place. The EPA has been successful on many 
occasions in carrying out remedial actions that ensure protectiveness 
of human health and the environment for current and future land uses, 
in a manner that allows contaminated properties to be restored to 
environmental and economic vitality. For further information, please go 
to https://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/pdf/sitewide_a.pdf.

K. What is state/tribal correspondence concerning NPL listing?

    In order to maintain close coordination with states and tribes in 
the NPL listing decision process, the EPA's policy is to determine the 
position of the states and tribes regarding sites that the EPA is 
considering for listing. This consultation process is outlined in two 
memoranda that can be found at the following Web site: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/hrsres/policy/govlet.pdf The EPA has 
improved the transparency of the process by which state and tribal 
input is solicited. The EPA is using the Web and where appropriate more 
structured state and tribal correspondence that (1) explains the 
concerns at the site and the EPA's rationale for proceeding; (2) 
requests an explanation of how the state intends to address the site if 
placement on the NPL is not favored; and (3) emphasizes the transparent 
nature of the process by informing states that information on their 
responses will be publicly available.
    A model letter and correspondence between the EPA and states and 
tribes where applicable, is available on the EPA's Web site at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/query/queryhtm/nplstcor.htm.

II. Availability of Information to the Public

A. May I review the documents relevant to this final rule?

    Yes, documents relating to the evaluation and scoring of the sites 
in this final rule are contained in dockets located both at the EPA 
Headquarters and in the EPA Region 5 office.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
https://www.regulations.gov (see table below for docket identification 
numbers). Although not all docket materials may be available 
electronically, you may still access any of the publicly available 
docket materials through the docket facilities identified below in 
section II D.

                                      Docket Identification Numbers by Site
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Site name                     City/County, State                     Docket ID No.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume.  Kokomo, IN................  EPA-HQ-SFUND-2014-0624
DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant......  Gibraltar, MI.............  EPA-HQ-SFUND-2014-0625
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. What documents are available for review at the EPA Headquarters 
docket?

    The Headquarters docket for this rule contains the HRS score 
sheets, the documentation record describing the information used to 
compute the score and a list of documents referenced in the 
documentation record for each site.

C. What documents are available for review at the EPA Region 5 docket?

    The EPA Region 5 docket contains all the information in the 
Headquarters docket, plus the actual reference documents containing the 
data principally relied upon by the EPA in calculating or evaluating 
the HRS score. These reference documents are available only in the 
Region 5 docket.

D. How do I access the documents?

    You may view the documents, by appointment only, after the 
publication of this rule. The hours of operation for the Headquarters 
docket are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding federal holidays. Please contact the Region 5 docket for 
hours. For addresses for the Headquarters and Region 5 dockets, see 
``Addresses'' section in the beginning portion of this preamble.

E. How may I obtain a current list of NPL sites?

    You may obtain a current list of NPL sites via the Internet at 
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/index.htm or by contacting the 
Superfund docket (see contact information in the beginning portion of 
this document).

III. Contents of This Final Rule

A. Additions to the NPL

    This final rule adds the following sites to the General Superfund 
section of the NPL. These sites are being added to the NPL based on HRS 
score.
    General Superfund section:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 State                            Site name                          City/County
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IN.....................................  Kokomo Contaminated Ground  Kokomo.
                                          Water Plume.
MI.....................................  DSC McLouth Steel           Gibraltar.
                                          Gibraltar Plant.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 15905]]

B. What did the EPA do with the public comments it received?

    The EPA is adding two sites to the NPL in this final rule, both of 
which were proposed for NPL addition on September 22, 2014 (79 FR 
56538). The sites are the Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume in 
Kokomo, Indiana, and the DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant in 
Gibraltar, Michigan. The EPA received no comments in connection with 
the Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume. It received one comment in 
connection with the DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant.
    On October 30, 2014, counsel for Detroit Steel Company and 
Gibraltar Land Company, the respective owners of the DSC McLouth Steel 
Gibraltar Plant and the Countywide Landfill, commented on the proposed 
listing. Counsel described the comments as ``not technical in nature'' 
and stated that the comments were ``submitted in order to supplement 
the record. And provide needed background.'' The comments did not 
challenge the HRS score but did provide a substantial site history, 
which includes litigation between Gibraltar Land Company (GLC) and the 
State of Michigan arising out of Michigan's denial of GLC's application 
for a construction permit to expand the Countywide Landfill. The 
commenter closed with the following statements, ``The designation of 
the properties on the National Priorities List would make the financing 
of future landfill operations and/or the sale of the property to 
another landfill developer difficult. However, recognizing the 
continued areas of environmental concern, even if USEPA would elect to 
designate these sites on the NPL at this time, we would believe that 
USEPA could play a constructive role in attempting to mediate a 
resolution of this matter. Such a resolution would provide for the 
vertical expansion of the [Countywide Landfill], which would in turn 
provide a source of revenue that would minimize the use of federal 
monies.''
    In response, the EPA notes that the commenter raised no issue with 
the HRS score. EPA is placing the DSC McLouth Steel Gibraltar Plant 
site on the NPL. EPA will coordinate with GLC, Michigan, and Wayne 
County to efficiently address the contamination. EPA, however, has no 
authority to require Michigan to approve a permit for landfill 
expansion at the Countywide Landfill facility.

IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

    Additional information about these statutes and Executive Orders 
can be found at https://www2.epa.gov/laws-regulations/laws-and-executive 
orders.

A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive 
Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review

    This action is not a significant regulatory action and was 
therefore not submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review.

B. Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)

    This action does not impose an information collection burden under 
the PRA. This rule does not contain any information collection 
requirements that require approval of the OMB.

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)

    I certify that this action will not have a significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities under the RFA. This 
action will not impose any requirements on small entities. This rule 
listing sites on the NPL does not impose any obligations on any group, 
including small entities. This rule also does not establish standards 
or requirements that any small entity must meet, and imposes no direct 
costs on any small entity. Whether an entity, small or otherwise, is 
liable for response costs for a release of hazardous substances depends 
on whether that entity is liable under CERCLA 107(a). Any such 
liability exists regardless of whether the site is listed on the NPL 
through this rulemaking.

D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)

    This action does not contain any unfunded mandate as described in 
UMRA, 2 U.S.C. 1531-1538, and does not significantly or uniquely affect 
small governments. This action imposes no enforceable duty on any 
state, local or tribal governments or the private sector. Listing a 
site on the NPL does not itself impose any costs. Listing does not mean 
that the EPA necessarily will undertake remedial action. Nor does 
listing require any action by a private party, state, local or tribal 
governments or determine liability for response costs. Costs that arise 
out of site responses result from future site-specific decisions 
regarding what actions to take, not directly from the act of placing a 
site on the NPL.

E. Executive Order 13132: Federalism

    This final rule does not have federalism implications. It will not 
have substantial direct effects on the states, on the relationship 
between the national government and the states, or on the distribution 
of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.

F. Executive Order 13175: Consultation and Coordination With Indian 
Tribal Governments

    This action does not have tribal implications as specified in 
Executive Order 13175. Listing a site on the NPL does not impose any 
costs on a tribe or require a tribe to take remedial action. Thus, 
Executive Order 13175 does not apply to this action.

G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental 
Health and Safety Risks

    The EPA interprets Executive Order 13045 as applying only to those 
regulatory actions that concern environmental health or safety risks 
that the EPA has reason to believe may disproportionately affect 
children, per the definition of ``covered regulatory action'' in 
section 2-202 of the Executive Order. This action is not subject to 
Executive Order 13045 because this action itself is procedural in 
nature (adds sites to a list) and does not, in and of itself, provide 
protection from environmental health and safety risks. Separate future 
regulatory actions are required for mitigation of environmental health 
and safety risks.

H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect Energy 
Supply, Distribution, or Use

    This action is not subject to Executive Order 13211, because it is 
not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866.

I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)

    This rulemaking does not involve technical standards.

J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To Address Environmental 
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations

    The EPA believes the human health or environmental risk addressed 
by this action will not have potential disproportionately high and 
adverse human health or environmental effects on minority, low-income 
or indigenous populations because it does not affect the level of 
protection provided to human health or the environment. As discussed in 
Section I.C. of the preamble to this action, the NPL is a list of 
national priorities. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the EPA in 
determining which sites warrant further

[[Page 15906]]

investigation to assess the nature and extent of public health and 
environmental risks associated with a release of hazardous substances, 
pollutants or contaminants. The NPL is of only limited significance as 
it does not assign liability to any party. Also, placing a site on the 
NPL does not mean that any remedial or removal action necessarily need 
be taken.

K. Congressional Review Act

    This action is subject to the CRA, and the EPA will submit a rule 
report to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of 
the United States. This action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 
U.S.C. 804(2).
    Provisions of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) or section 305 of 
CERCLA may alter the effective date of this regulation. Under 5 U.S.C. 
801(b)(1), a rule shall not take effect, or continue in effect, if 
Congress enacts (and the President signs) a joint resolution of 
disapproval, described under section 802. Another statutory provision 
that may affect this rule is CERCLA section 305, which provides for a 
legislative veto of regulations promulgated under CERCLA. Although INS 
v. Chadha, 462 U.S. 919,103 S. Ct. 2764 (1983), and Bd. of Regents of 
the University of Washington v. EPA, 86 F.3d 1214,1222 (D.C. Cir. 
1996), cast the validity of the legislative veto into question, the EPA 
has transmitted a copy of this regulation to the Secretary of the 
Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
    If action by Congress under either the CRA or CERCLA section 305 
calls the effective date of this regulation into question, the EPA will 
publish a document of clarification in the Federal Register.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 300

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Chemicals, 
Hazardous substances, Hazardous waste, Intergovernmental relations, 
Natural resources, Oil pollution, Penalties, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Superfund, Water pollution control, Water 
supply.

    Dated: March 16, 2015.
Mathy Stanislaus,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

    40 CFR part 300 is amended as follows:

PART 300--NATIONAL OIL AND HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES POLLUTION 
CONTINGENCY PLAN

0
1. The authority citation for Part 300 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1321(c)(2); 42 U.S.C. 9601-9657; E.O. 
13626, 77 FR 56749, 3 CFR, 2013 Comp., p.306; E.O. 12777, 56 FR 
54757, 3 CFR, 1991 Comp., p.351; E.O. 12580, 52 FR 2923, 3 CFR, 1987 
Comp., p.193.


0
2. Table 1 of Appendix B to Part 300 is amended by adding entries for 
``Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume'' and ``DSC McLouth Steel 
Gibraltar Plant'' in alphabetical order by state to read as follows:

Appendix B to Part 300--National Priorities List

                                       Table 1--General Superfund Section
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               State                         Site name                City/county              Notes \a\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
IN................................  Kokomo Contaminated Ground  Kokomo
                                     Water Plume.
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
MI................................  DSC McLouth Steel           Gibraltar
                                     Gibraltar Plant.
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a\ A = Based on issuance of health advisory by Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (if scored, HRS
  score need not be greater than or equal to 28.50).

* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2015-06696 Filed 3-25-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.