Environmental Protection Agency 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA has received applications to register pesticide products containing active ingredients not included in any currently registered pesticide products. Pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is hereby providing notice of receipt and opportunity to comment on these applications.

On January 9, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule titled, ``Clarifying the Scope of ``Applicable Requirements'' Under State Operating Permit Programs and the Federal Operating Permit Program.'' The EPA has received requests for additional time to review and comment on the proposed rule revisions. The EPA is extending the comment period on the proposed rule that was scheduled to close on March 11, 2024, by an additional 30 days, until April 10, 2024.

EPA has authorized its contractor Avanti Corporation (Avanti) of Alexandria, VA, to access information which has been submitted to EPA under all sections of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Some of the information may be claimed or determined to be Confidential Business Information (CBI).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 30- day public comment period for the draft document titled, ``Technical Documentation for the Framework for Evaluating Damages and Impacts (FrEDI)'' (EPA 430-R-24-001). This document provides technical documentation of a Framework used to analyze future climate change- related impacts to the United States, projected to occur across multiple impact sector categories, geographic regions, and populations, under any custom temperature scenario. This approach serves as an alternative or complement to traditional scenario-based approaches in order to improve communication of results, comparability between studies, and flexibility to facilitate scenario analysis. The draft technical documentation will also be subject to external peer review. Prior to finalizing the draft document, EPA intends to carefully consider all comments received from the public and from external peer reviewers. This draft document is not final as described in EPA's information quality guidelines and does not represent and should not be construed to represent Agency policy or views. The draft document is available via the internet on EPA's web page at https://www.epa.gov/ cira/2024-draft-fredi-td.

The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (doing business as The National Environmental Education Foundation or ``NEEF'') was created as a private 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was established by Congress as a common ground upon which leaders from business and industry, all levels of government, public interest groups, and others can work cooperatively to raise a greater national awareness of environmental issues beyond traditional classrooms.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia (Commonwealth or Virginia). This revision consists of an amendment to the list of Virginia nonattainment areas to include a newly designated sulfur dioxide (SO2) nonattainment area. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to correct the November 19, 2020, removal of the Air Nuisance Rule (ANR) from the Ohio State Implementation Plan (SIP). This action is in response to a February 10, 2023, decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to remand without vacatur EPA's removal of the ANR from the Ohio SIP. Because the Court did not vacate EPA's removal of the ANR, the ANR is currently not in Ohio's SIP. After reevaluating EPA's November 19, 2020, rulemaking, as directed by the Court, EPA is proposing to determine that its November 2020 final action was in error, and to correct that action by reinstating the ANR as part of the Ohio SIP.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adopting the Department of Energy's (DOE) Categorical Exclusion (CE) for Methane Gas Recovery and Utilization Systems under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to use in EPA's program and funding opportunities administered by EPA. This notice describes the categories of proposed actions for which EPA intends to use DOE's CE and describes the consultation between the agencies.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing amendments to the 2018 final rule that established fees for the administration of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Specifically, EPA is finalizing changes to the fee amounts and EPA's total costs for administering TSCA; exemptions for entities subject to the EPA-initiated risk evaluation fees; exemptions for test rule fee activities; modifications to the self-identification and reporting requirements of EPA-initiated risk evaluation and test rule fees; modifications to EPA's proposed methodology for the production-volume- based fee allocation for EPA-initiated risk evaluation fees in any scenario in which a consortium is not formed; expanded fee requirements to companies required to submit information for test orders; modifications to the fee payment obligations of processors subject to test orders and enforceable consent agreements (ECA); and extended timeframes for certain fee payments and notices.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites the public to provide input for potential charge questions which the Agency could consider when consulting the e-Manifest Advisory Board (``Advisory Board'') regarding the operations of EPA's hazardous waste electronic manifest system (``e-Manifest''). Relevant topics could include matters related to the operational activities, functions, policies, and regulations of EPA under the e-Manifest Act. The Advisory Board was established pursuant to the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act, (e-Manifest Act), and in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of the Advisory Board is to provide recommendations to the EPA Administrator on matters related to the e-Manifest program activities, functions, policies, and regulations of the EPA under the e-Manifest Act. EPA consults the Advisory Board at least annually.

On January 26, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule titled ``Waste Emissions Charge for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems''. The EPA is extending the comment period for this proposed rule.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking comment on this draft Guidance to clarify and inform future National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting actions for communities with combined sewer systems. This draft Guidance highlights the available approaches for permitting combined sewer overflow (CSO) communities nearing completion of the projects and activities identified in their Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP). The draft Guidance summarizes options under the Clean Water Act (CWA) that are articulated in the 1994 Combined Sewer Overflow Control Policy and the option to use the EPA's 2012 Integrated Planning Framework to look holistically at future investments in controlling wastewater and stormwater discharges and improving water quality.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Iowa State Implementation Plan (SIP) and the Operating Permit Program for the State of Iowa. The revisions update incorporations by reference to EPA methods for performance testing (stack testing), update the definitions, and adopt the most recent National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone. These revisions do not impact the stringency of the SIP or have an adverse effect on air quality. The EPA's proposed approval of this rule revision is being done in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the deletion of one site and partially deletion of two sites from the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL, created under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA and the States, through their designated State agencies, have determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a Notice of Intent to delete one site and partially delete four sites from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comments on this proposed action. The NPL, promulgated pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA and the states, through their designated state agency, have determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of and seeking public comment on a document that describes its draft approach for implementation of the EPA label program for low embodied carbon construction materials (Draft Label Program Approach), and is announcing a webinar on February 27, 2024. The Inflation Reduction Act authorized $100 million to EPA to develop a program to identify and label construction materials and products that have substantially lower embodied carbon, in coordination with the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking interim final action on corrections and clarifications to the new source performance standards (NSPS) for electric arc furnaces and argon-oxygen decarburization vessels in the steel industry. The corrections and clarifications are being made to address unintended and inadvertent errors in the recently finalized standards.

The Draft Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022 is available for public review. EPA requests recommendations for improving the overall quality of the inventory report to be finalized in April 2024, as well as subsequent inventory reports.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hereby provides notice that the National Environmental Youth Advisory Council (NEYAC) will meet on the date and time described below. The meeting is open to the public. For additional information about registering to attend the meeting or to provide a public comment, see the ``Public Participation'' heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is providing notice of our intent to redesignate portions of Westmoreland County and Cambria County, Pennsylvania, to ``nonattainment'' for the 2010 sulfur dioxide (SO2) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS or standard). Westmoreland County is currently designated ``attainment/unclassifiable,'' and Cambria County is currently designated ``unclassifiable.'' EPA's intended redesignation of portions of these counties is based on modeled violations of the 2010 SO2 NAAQS. If the redesignation to nonattainment is finalized, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania would be required to undertake certain planning requirements to reduce SO2 concentrations within this area, including, but not limited to, the requirement to submit within 18 months of redesignation a revision to the Pennsylvania state implementation plan (SIP) that provides for attainment of the SO2 standard as expeditiously as practicable, but no later than five years after the date of redesignation to nonattainment. Notice is hereby given that EPA has posted on our public electronic docket and internet website the intended redesignation for relevant portions of Westmoreland and Cambria counties, Pennsylvania under the 2010 SO2 NAAQS. The Agency invites the public to review and provide input on our intended redesignation during the comment period specified in the DATES section. EPA notified the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of our intended redesignation action via a letter to the Governor on or about February 17, 2023, which is included in the docket for this notice of availability (NOA).

In accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (``CERCLA''), notice is hereby given by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA''), Region 5, of a proposed administrative settlement for recovery of past response costs concerning the Milwaukee Die Casting Site (Site) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the following parties: Fisher Controls International, LLC and Pharmacia LLC, as the Settling Parties and Respondents.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Feather River Air Quality Management District (FRAQMD or ``District'') portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns a rule submitted to address section 185 of the Clean Air Act (CAA or ``the Act''). We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes the Semiannual Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions online at https://www.reginfo.gov to periodically update the public. This document contains information about: Regulations in the Semiannual Agenda that are under development, completed, or canceled since the last agenda; and Reviews of regulations with small business impacts under Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.