Environmental Protection Agency November 17, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of acequinocyl in or on bean, edible podded; hop, dried cones; okra and vegetable, fruiting, group 8. The Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4) requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pursuant to section 209(b) of the Clean Air Act (Act), is granting California its request for a waiver of Clean Air Act preemption for three sets of amendments applicable to its heavy-duty Otto-cycle engines and incomplete vehicle regulations for the 2004, 2005 through 2007, and 2008 and subsequent model year regulations. These amendments align each of California's exhaust emission standards and test procedures with its federal counterpart in an effort to streamline and harmonize the California and federal programs.

EPA's Office of Underground Storage Tanks intends to issue guidance that would clarify EPA's underground storage tank (UST) compatibility requirement as it applies to UST systems storing gasoline containing greater than 10 percent ethanol and diesel containing an amount of biodiesel yet to be determined. Today's Federal Register notice solicits comment on the proposed guidance, which provides owners and operators of underground storage tank systems greater clarity in demonstrating compatibility of their tank systems with these fuels.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to grant a partial approval to revisions of the New York State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on March 3, 2009. As a result of this action, New York will implement its own Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) State regulations. These revisions create a new New York State PSD regulation program and modify the existing New York State NNSR regulations in the SIP. These revisions also address changes mandated by the revised Federal New Source Review (NSR) regulations, referred to as the ``2002 NSR Reform Rules.'' In this action, EPA is taking final action to approve these revisions by issuing a partial approval, with the caveat that EPA is taking no action at this time on the PSD permitting threshold provisions to the extent that those provisions may require permits for sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that equal or exceed the 100/ 250 tons per year (tpy) GHG levels but are less than the thresholds identified in EPA's final Tailoring Rule; and the PSD significance level provisions of New York's rule to the extent that those provisions may treat as significant GHG emissions increases that are less than the thresholds identified in the final Tailoring Rule. The PSD applicability thresholds below the Tailoring Rule will be acted on, as necessary, as part of an EPA national rulemaking or in a separate EPA Region 2 rulemaking.

In accordance with section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended, EPA is issuing a notice of receipt of a request by the registrant to voluntarily cancel their registrations of products containing the pesticide tralomethrin. The request would not terminate the last tralomethrin products registered for use in the United States, but this action will cancel the sole technical product registration for tralomethrin. EPA intends to grant this request at the close of the comment period for this announcement unless the Agency receives substantive comments within the comment period that would merit its further review of the request, or unless the registrant withdraws its request. If this request is granted, any sale, distribution, or use of products listed in this notice will be permitted after the registration has been cancelled only if such sale, distribution, or use is consistent with the terms as described in the final order.

EPA has received a specific exemption regional request from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Idaho State Department of Agriculture, and the Oregon Department of Agriculture to use hop beta acids (CAS Reg. No. none specified) to treat up to 181,000 honey bee colonies in the Pacific North West (PNW) to control varroa mites. The applicants propose the use of a new chemical which has not been registered by the EPA. EPA is soliciting public comment before making the decision whether or not to grant the exemption.

This document describes EPA's draft policies and procedures for requiring Tier 1 screening under the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) of substances for which EPA may issue testing orders pursuant to section 1457 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and section 408(p) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). FFDCA section 408(p) directed EPA to develop a chemical screening program using appropriate validated test systems and other scientifically relevant information to determine whether certain substances may have hormonal effects. These draft policies and procedures are intended to supplement the existing EDSP policies and procedures that were published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2009 (74 FR 17560); however, this document was drafted with the intent of explaining the policies and procedures relevant to EDSP Safe Drinking Water Act chemicals.