Environmental Protection Agency November 22, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule establishes air quality designations for certain areas in the United States for the 2008 lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Based on air quality monitoring data, EPA is issuing this rule to identify areas that do not meet the 2008 Pb NAAQS and areas that contribute to Pb air pollution in a nearby area that does not meet the Pb NAAQS. EPA is deferring designation for all other areas of the United States, including Indian country, pending collection and review of additional data from recently deployed Pb monitors. The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires areas designated nonattainment by this rule to undertake certain planning and pollution control activities to attain the standards as quickly as reasonably possible.

The EPA is hereby granting a project waiver of the Buy American requirements of ARRA Section 1605 under the authority of Section 1605(b)(2) [manufactured goods are not produced in the United States of a satisfactory quality] to the UDWQ for the purchase of coconut fiber (coir) woven mats. This is a project-specific waiver and only applies to the use of the specified product for the ARRA-funded project being proposed. Any other ARRA project that may wish to use the same product must apply for a separate waiver based on project-specific circumstances. These coconut fiber woven mats, which are supplied by Geo Dynamics in Ogden, UT, are manufactured in India and Sri Lanka, and meet the UDWQ's performance specifications and requirements. The Regional Administrator is making this determination based on the review and recommendations of EPA Region 8's Technical & Financial Services Unit. The UDWQ has provided sufficient documentation to support its request. The Assistant Administrator of the Office of Administration and Resources Management has concurred on this decision to make an exception to Section 1605 of ARRA. This action permits the purchase of coconut fiber woven mats for the East Canyon Stream Restoration Project being implemented by the UDWQ that may otherwise be prohibited under Section 1605(a) of the ARRA.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR, entitled: ``Safer Detergent Stewardship Initiative (SDSI) Program'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 2261.02 and OMB Control No. 2070-0171, is scheduled to expire on March 31, 2011. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection.

EPA is partially approving State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Colorado on June 18, 2009. Specifically, EPA is approving the portions of the ``State of Colorado Implementation Plan to Meet the Requirements of Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)Interstate Transport Regarding the 1997 8- Hour Ozone Standard'' addressing the ``interference with maintenance'' requirement of section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) for the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by any other state. The ``interference with maintenance'' requirement of section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) prohibits a state's emissions from interfering with maintenance of the NAAQS by any other state. This action is being taken under section 110 of the CAA.

EPA is proposing to approve in part and disapprove in part State implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of California to provide for attainment of the 1997 annual and 24-hour PM2.5 national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) in the Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin area (South Coast nonattainment area). The submitted SIP revisions are contained in the South Coast 2007 Air Quality Management Plan (South Coast 2007 AQMP) and portions of the 2007 State Strategy as revised in 2009. Specifically, EPA is proposing to approve the emissions inventories as meeting the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA's fine particulate implementing regulations. EPA is also proposing to approve commitments to propose specific measures and meet specific aggregate emissions reductions by the South Coast Air Quality Management (District) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) because the commitments strengthen the SIP. Finally, EPA is proposing to approve the air quality modeling demonstration as meeting the requirements of the CAA and EPA guidance. EPA is proposing to disapprove the attainment demonstration because it does not provide sufficient emissions reductions from adopted and EPA approved measures to provide for attainment of the NAAQS. As a result, EPA is also proposing to disapprove the reasonably available control measures/reasonably available control technology (RACM/RACT) and reasonable further progress (RFP) demonstrations and proposing not to grant California's request to extend to April 5, 2015 the deadline for the South Coast nonattainment area to attain the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS because these requirements are linked to approving the attainment demonstration under the 1997 PM2.5 implementation rule. We are also proposing to disapprove the assignment of 10 tpd of NOX to the federal government. Finally, EPA is proposing to disapprove PM2.5 contingency measures and the motor vehicle emissions budgets (budgets) for the area's RFP years and attainment year. To the extent that the State can remedy the shortfall in emissions reductions for the attainment demonstration, which is the basis for the proposed disapproval of the attainment demonstration, EPA believes that many of the noted deficiencies could be addressed.