Oil Pollution Prevention; Non-Transportation Related Onshore and Offshore Facilities, 27443-27448 [07-2404]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 94 / Wednesday, May 16, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
before the performance test deadline
unless the initial force majeure or a
subsequent force majeure event delays
the notice, and in such cases, the
notification shall occur as soon as
practicable.
(4) The owner or operator shall
provide to the Administrator a written
description of the force majeure event
and a rationale for attributing the delay
in testing beyond the regulatory
deadline to the force majeure; describe
the measures taken or to be taken to
minimize the delay; and identify a date
by which the owner or operator
proposes to conduct the performance
test. The performance test shall be
conducted as soon as practicable after
the force majeure occurs.
(5) The decision as to whether or not
to grant an extension to the performance
test deadline is solely within the
discretion of the Administrator. The
Administrator will notify the owner or
operator in writing of approval or
disapproval of the request for an
extension as soon as practicable.
(6) Until an extension of the
performance test deadline has been
approved by the Administrator under
paragraphs (a)(3), (a)(4), and (a)(5) of
this section, the owner or operator of the
affected facility remains strictly subject
to the requirements of this part.
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PART 63—[AMENDED]
7. The authority citation for part 63
continues to read as follows:
I
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Subpart A—[Amended]
8. Section 63.2 is amended by adding,
in alphabetical order, a definition for
‘‘Force majeure’’ to read as follows:
I
§ 63.2
Definitions.
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Force majeure means, for purposes of
§ 63.7, an event that will be or has been
caused by circumstances beyond the
control of the affected facility, its
contractors, or any entity controlled by
the affected facility that prevents the
owner or operator from complying with
the regulatory requirement to conduct
performance tests within the specified
timeframe despite the affected facility’s
best efforts to fulfill the obligation.
Examples of such events are acts of
nature, acts of war or terrorism, or
equipment failure or safety hazard
beyond the control of the affected
facility.
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I 9. Section 63.7 is amended by revising
paragraphs (a)(2) introductory text and
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(a)(2)(ix) and by adding paragraph (a)(4)
to read as follows:
§ 63.7
Performance testing requirements.
(a) * * *
(2) Except as provided in paragraph
(a)(4) of this section, if required to do
performance testing by a relevant
standard, and unless a waiver of
performance testing is obtained under
this section or the conditions of
paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(B) of this section
apply, the owner or operator of the
affected source must perform such tests
within 180 days of the compliance date
for such source.
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(ix) Except as provided in paragraph
(a)(4) of this section, when an emission
standard promulgated under this part is
more stringent than the standard
proposed (see § 63.6(b)(3)), the owner or
operator of a new or reconstructed
source subject to that standard for
which construction or reconstruction is
commenced between the proposal and
promulgation dates of the standard shall
comply with performance testing
requirements within 180 days after the
standard’s effective date, or within 180
days after startup of the source,
whichever is later. If the promulgated
standard is more stringent than the
proposed standard, the owner or
operator may choose to demonstrate
compliance with either the proposed or
the promulgated standard. If the owner
or operator chooses to comply with the
proposed standard initially, the owner
or operator shall conduct a second
performance test within 3 years and 180
days after the effective date of the
standard, or after startup of the source,
whichever is later, to demonstrate
compliance with the promulgated
standard.
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(4) If a force majeure is about to occur,
occurs, or has occurred for which the
affected owner or operator intends to
assert a claim of force majeure:
(i) The owner or operator shall notify
the Administrator, in writing as soon as
practicable following the date the owner
or operator first knew, or through due
diligence should have known that the
event may cause or caused a delay in
testing beyond the regulatory deadline
specified in paragraph (a)(2) or (a)(3) of
this section, or elsewhere in this part,
but the notification must occur before
the performance test deadline unless the
initial force majeure or a subsequent
force majeure event delays the notice,
and in such cases, the notification shall
occur as soon as practicable.
(ii) The owner or operator shall
provide to the Administrator a written
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27443
description of the force majeure event
and a rationale for attributing the delay
in testing beyond the regulatory
deadline to the force majeure; describe
the measures taken or to be taken to
minimize the delay; and identify a date
by which the owner or operator
proposes to conduct the performance
test. The performance test shall be
conducted as soon as practicable after
the force majeure occurs.
(iii) The decision as to whether or not
to grant an extension to the performance
test deadline is solely within the
discretion of the Administrator. The
Administrator will notify the owner or
operator in writing of approval or
disapproval of the request for an
extension as soon as practicable.
(iv) Until an extension of the
performance test deadline has been
approved by the Administrator under
paragraphs (a)(4)(i), (a)(4)(ii), and
(a)(4)(iii) of this section, the owner or
operator of the affected facility remains
strictly subject to the requirements of
this part.
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I 10. Section 63.91 is amended by
adding paragraph (g)(1)(i)(O) to read as
follows:
§ 63.91 Criteria for straight delegation and
criteria common to all approval options.
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(g) * * *
(1) * * *
(i) * * *
(O) Section 63.7(a)(4), Extension of
Performance Test Deadline
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[FR Doc. E7–9407 Filed 5–15–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 112
[EPA–HQ–OPA–2006–00949; [FRL–8315–1]
RIN 2050–AG36
Oil Pollution Prevention; NonTransportation Related Onshore and
Offshore Facilities
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection
Agency is today extending the dates by
which facilities must prepare or amend
Spill Prevention, Control, and
Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans, and
implement those Plans. This action
allows the Agency time to promulgate
further revisions to the SPCC rule before
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 94 / Wednesday, May 16, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
owners and operators are required to
prepare or amend, and implement their
SPCC Plans. EPA expects to propose
further revisions to the SPCC rule later
this year.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This final rule is
effective May 16, 2007.
ADDRESSES: The public docket for this
final rule, Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OPA–2006–0949, contains the
information related to this rulemaking,
including the response to comment
document. All documents in the docket
are listed in the https://
www.regulations.gov index. Although
listed in the index, some information
may not be publicly available, e.g.,
Confidential Business Information or
other information the disclosure of
which is restricted by statute. Certain
other material, such as copyrighted
material, will be publicly available only
in hard copy. Publicly available docket
materials are available either
electronically in https://
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the EPA Docket, EPA/DC, EPA West,
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave.,
NW., Washington, DC. The Public
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding legal holidays. The telephone
number of the Public Reading Room is
202–566–1744, and the telephone
number to make an appointment to view
the docket is 202–566–0276.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
general information, contact the
Superfund, TRI, EPCRA, RMP and Oil
Information Center at (800) 424–9346 or
TDD (800) 553–7672 (hearing impaired).
In the Washington, DC metropolitan
area, call (703) 412–9810 or TDD (703)
412–3323. For more detailed
information on specific aspects of this
rule, contact either Vanessa Rodriguez
at (202) 564–7913
(rodriguez.vannessa@epa.gov) or Mark
W. Howard at (202) 564–1964
(howard.markw@epa.gov), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC, 20460–0002, Mail
Code 5104A.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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I. Authority
33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.; 33 U.S.C. 2720;
E.O. 12777 (October 18, 1991), 3 CFR,
1991 Comp., p. 351.
II. Background
On July 17, 2002, the Agency
published a final rule that amended the
SPCC regulations (see 67 FR 47042). The
rule became effective on August 16,
2002. The final rule included
compliance dates in § 112.3 for
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preparing amending, and implementing
SPCC Plans. The original compliance
dates were extended on January 9, 2003
(see 68 FR 1348), again on April 17,
2003 (see 68 FR 18890), a third time on
August 11, 2004 (see 69 FR 48794), and
a fourth time on February 17, 2006 (see
71 FR 77266).1
Under the current provisions in
§ 112.3(a)(1), the owner or operator of a
facility (other than a farm) that was in
operation on or before August 16, 2002
must make any necessary amendments
to its SPCC Plan and fully implement it
by October 31, 2007, while the owner or
operator of a facility (other than a farm)
that came into operation after August
16, 2002, but before October 31, 2007,
must prepare and fully implement an
SPCC Plan on or before October 31,
2007. Under the current provision in
§ 112.3(b)(1), the owner or operator of a
facility (other than a farm) that becomes
operational after October 31, 2007 must
prepare and implement an SPCC Plan
before beginning operations. In
addition, § 112.3(c) requires onshore
and offshore mobile facilities to prepare
or amend and implement their SPCC
Plans on or before October 31, 2007.
On December 26, 2006, EPA finalized
a set of SPCC rule amendments that
address certain targeted areas of the
SPCC requirements based on issues and
concerns raised by the regulated
community (71 FR 77266). As
highlighted in the EPA Regulatory
Agenda and the 2005 OMB report on
‘‘Regulatory Reform of the U.S.
Manufacturing Sector,’’ EPA is
considering further amendments to
address other areas where regulatory
reform may be appropriate. For these
additional areas, the Agency expects to
issue a proposed rule later this year.
Areas where regulatory reform may be
appropriate include, but are not limited
to, oil and natural gas exploration and
production facilities, farms, and
qualified facilities. Because the Agency
was concerned that it would not be able
to propose and promulgate such
regulatory amendments before the
current October 31, 2007 compliance
date, EPA believed it appropriate to
provide a further extension of the
compliance date, and thus, proposed an
extension to the compliance dates on
December 26, 2006 (71 FR 77357). This
notice finalizes that proposal.
III. Extension of Compliance Dates
This rule extends the dates in
§ 112.3(a), (b), and (c) by which a
1 The compliance date for farms is the date that
establishes SPCC requirements specifically for
farms or otherwise establishes dates by which farms
must comply with the provisions of the rule.
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facility must prepare or amend and
implement its SPCC Plan. As a result of
the revisions in § 112.3(a)(1), an owner
or operator of a facility (other than a
farm) that was in operation on or before
August 16, 2002 must make any
necessary amendments to his SPCC
Plan, and implement that Plan, on or
before July 1, 2009. This will allow the
owner or operator time to prepare or
amend and implement the SPCC Plan in
accordance with the July 2002 (67 FR
47042, July 17, 2002) and December
2006 (71 FR 77266, December 26, 2006)
amendments, and any subsequent
modifications to the SPCC requirements
that are promulgated based on
amendments that the EPA intends to
propose later this year. EPA expects to
promulgate such a final rule by the
summer of 2008. The facility owner/
operator must continue to maintain his
existing SPCC Plan until he amends and
fully implements the Plan to comply
with the revised requirements.
Similarly, an owner or operator of a
facility (other than a farm) that came
into operation after August 16, 2002
through July 1, 2009 must prepare and
implement an SPCC Plan on or before
July 1, 2009.
Under the revised § 112.3(b)(1), the
owner or operator of a facility regulated
under the SPCC rule that becomes
operational after July 1, 2009 must
prepare and implement an SPCC Plan
before beginning operations.
This rule similarly extends the
compliance dates in § 112.3(c) for
mobile facilities. Under this rule, an
owner or operator of a mobile facility
must prepare or amend and implement
an SPCC Plan on or before July 1, 2009,
or before beginning operations if
operations begin after July 1, 2009.
The Agency believes that such an
extension of the compliance dates is
appropriate for several reasons. First,
this extension will allow those
potentially affected in the regulated
community an opportunity to make
changes to their facilities and to their
SPCC Plans necessary to comply with
any revised requirements promulgated
based on the amendments expected to
be proposed later this year, and
finalized thereafter, rather than with the
existing requirements.
Further, the Agency believes that this
extension of the compliance dates will
also provide the owner or operator of a
facility the time to fully understand the
regulatory amendments offered by
revisions to the 2002 SPCC rule
promulgated on December 26, 2006 (71
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FR 77266) and amendments expected to
be promulgated by the summer of 2008.2
In addition, the Agency intends to
issue revisions to the SPCC Guidance
for Regional Inspectors, to address both
the December 2006 revisions and the
revisions expected to be proposed later
this year. The guidance document is
designed to facilitate an understanding
of the rule’s applicability, to help clarify
the role of the inspector in the review
and evaluation of the performancebased SPCC requirements, and to
provide a consistent national policy on
SPCC-related issues. The guidance is
available to both the owners and
operators of facilities that may be
subject to the requirements of the SPCC
rule and to the general public on the
Agency’s Web site at https://
www.epa.gov/oilspill. The Agency
believes that this extension will provide
the regulated community the
opportunity to take advantage of the
material presented in the revised
guidance before preparing or amending
their SPCC Plans.
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IV. Response to Comments
The Agency received 28 submissions
on the proposed rule (71 FR 77357,
December 26, 2006). The discussion
below summarizes and responds to the
major comments received. A more
complete response to comments
document can be found in the docket for
this rulemaking, EPA–HQ–OPA–2006–
0949.
The majority of commenters
(nineteen) supported the proposed
extension of the compliance date and
generally agreed that the extension
would allow the Agency time to
promulgate further regulatory revisions.
Many commenters also noted that the
proposed extension would allow the
industries potentially affected by those
revisions an opportunity to make the
necessary changes to their facilities and
to their SPCC Plans to comply with the
revised requirements expected to be
proposed in 2007 and later finalized.
A second group of commenters (nine)
supported the proposed extension, but
suggested alternate schedules, arguing
that EPA’s proposed compliance date
was premature given the Agency’s
intent to propose further changes to the
SPCC rule in 2007. Several schedules
were suggested:
• Tie the compliance dates to
promulgation of the rule finalizing the
amendments to be proposed in 2007 or,
in the event that EPA decides not to go
2 As stated in the rule, a facility owner or operator
must maintain its existing Plans. A facility owner
or operator who wants to take advantage of the 2002
and 2006 regulatory changes may do so, but he will
need to modify his existing Plan accordingly.
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forward with further modifications to
the rule, 12 months after publication of
a notice in the Federal Register
terminating that rulemaking.
• Provide an extension of 18 months
from the promulgation of the final
amendments to the SPCC rule, thereby
providing adequate time for a regulated
facility to implement the amendments
(i.e., review amendments, develop and/
or modify existing Plans, and comply
with any final changes to the rule or
guidance).
• Set the date for preparing and
amending the SPCC Plans to one year
following publication of the final
amendments, maintaining the six-month
separation between the dates for
amending and implementing Plans.
• Set a Plan preparation compliance
date of July 1, 2009, and an
implementation compliance date of
January 1, 2010, thereby allowing a
facility owner or operator adequate time
after Plan amendment to make changes
at his facility, properly train employees
on the amended Plan requirements, and
allow for full implementation of the
amended Plan requirements.
The Agency disagrees with those
commenters who suggested an alternate
schedule to either set uncertain
compliance dates in § 112.3 or to further
extend the time period for the
compliance dates. While the Agency
recognizes that a regulated facility
owner or operator needs adequate time
after EPA takes final action on the
proposed amendments to the SPCC Plan
requirements to amend or prepare an
SPCC Plan and to implement it, we also
believe that one year is a reasonable
period of time to allow for preparing,
amending, and implementing an SPCC
Plan following final Agency action on
the proposed amendments to the SPCC
rule. The Agency intends to develop
and publish Federal Register notices
proposing and then taking final action
on further amendments to the SPCC
regulatory requirements as soon as
possible. At this time, based on the
information at hand, the Agency
believes that extending the compliance
dates in § 112.3 until July 1, 2009 will
allow owners and operators an adequate
interval to comply with the SPCC rule.
The Agency also disagrees with
commenters who requested a revised
date for implementing amended SPCC
Plans to include a six-month period
after the July 1, 2009 date for Plan
amendment. For the reasons discussed
above, the Agency believes that the July
1, 2009 date for both Plan amendment
and implementation is more than
adequate. The effect of the Agency’s
decision to eliminate the gap between
Plan preparation or amendment and
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27445
implementation was to provide
additional time for the owner or
operator to prepare or amend the SPCC
Plan. The Agency believes that this
approach, which allows an owner or
operator flexibility in scheduling Plan
development or amendment, makes
sense given that an owner or operator is
not required to submit his SPCC Plans
to the Agency. It also simplifies the
burden for an owner or operator of an
SPCC facility by establishing a single
compliance date, while providing
additional time for Plan development.
One commenter opposed a
compliance date extension for this
regulation, arguing that it was not
effectively addressing the problems with
the regulation, and that the best way to
do this would be by completing a
complete re-write of the rule. First, the
Agency disagrees with the commenter
that the SPCC regulation needs to be rewritten. Rather, the Agency believes that
it is in the best interest of the regulated
community to address areas of
confusion that arose after promulgation
of the 2002 amendments, and that
promulgating a proposal intended to
clarify and tailor requirements,
particularly for small businesses, and
making revisions to the SPCC Guidance
for Regional Inspectors available to the
regulated community will ultimately
result in a more effective and complete
implementation of the SPCC regulation
and in enhanced environmental
protection. The Agency also believes
that the regulated community needs the
additional time allowed by the
extension in order to better take
advantage of the guidance and any
further amendments that are
promulgated and that the benefits of this
extension outweigh the concerns raised
by the opposing commenter.
Furthermore, a facility owner or
operator subject to the SPCC rule
continues to be required to ensure that
operations are conducted in a manner
that safeguards human health and the
environment by preventing oil
discharges to navigable waters and
adjoining shorelines and by effectively
responding in the event of an accidental
discharge.
V. Applicability to Farms
In the December 2006 final rule
amendments, EPA finalized an
extension of the compliance dates for
the owner or operator of a farm (71 FR
77266), as defined in § 112.2, to prepare
or amend and implement the farm’s
SPCC Plan until the effective date of a
rule that establishes SPCC requirements
specifically for farms or otherwise
establishes dates by which farms must
comply with the provisions of the SPCC
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rule. The Agency has been conducting
additional information collection and
analyses to determine if differentiated
SPCC requirements may be appropriate
for farms. Specifically, the Agency has
been working with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, as well as the farming
community, to collect data that would
more accurately characterize oil storage
and handling at these facilities. These
efforts will allow the Agency to better
focus on priorities where substantial
environmental improvements can be
obtained. The Agency will propose the
new compliance dates for farms in a
separate Federal Register notice.
Today’s rule does not affect this
extended compliance date for farms.
VI. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866—Regulatory
Planning and Review
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR
51735, October 4, 1993), this action has
been determined to be a ‘‘significant
regulatory action.’’ This final rule would
extend the compliance dates in § 112.3,
but would have no other substantive
effect. However, because of its
interconnection with the related SPCC
rule amendments finalized on December
26, 2006 (71 FR 77266) which was a
significant action under the terms of
Executive Order 12866, and because of
the upcoming proposal to further amend
the SPCC requirements, this action was
submitted to OMB for review.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act
This rule does not impose an
information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq).
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C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act
generally requires an agency to prepare
a regulatory flexibility analysis of any
rule subject to notice and comment
rulemaking requirements under the
Administrative Procedure Act or any
other statute unless the agency certifies
that the rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities. Small entities
include small businesses, small
organizations, and small governmental
jurisdictions. Small entity is defined as:
(1) A small business as defined in the
Small Business Administration’s (SBA)
regulations at 13 CFR 121.201—the SBA
defines small businesses by category of
business using North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) codes,
and in the case of farms and oil
exploration and production facilities,
which constitute a large percentage of
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the facilities affected by this rule,
generally defines small businesses as
having less than $500,000 in revenues
or 500 employees, respectively; (2) a
small governmental jurisdiction that is a
government of a city, county, town,
school district or special district with a
population of less than 50,000; and (3)
a small organization that is any not-forprofit enterprise that is independently
owned and operated and is not
dominant in its field.
After considering the economic
impacts of today’s rule on small entities,
the Agency concludes that this action
would not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities. In determining whether a rule
has a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities, the
impact of concern is any significant
adverse economic impact on small
entities, since the primary purpose of
the regulatory flexibility analyses is to
identify and address regulatory
alternatives ‘‘which minimize any
significant economic impact of the rule
on small entities.’’ 5 U.S.C. 603 and 604.
Thus, an agency may certify that a rule
will not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities if the rule relieves regulatory
burden, or otherwise has a positive
economic effect on the small entities
subject to the rule.
This rule would defer the regulatory
burden for small entities by extending
the compliance dates in § 112.3. After
considering the economic impacts of
today’s rule on small entities, I certify
that this action will not have a
significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities.
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public
Law 104–4, establishes requirements for
Federal agencies to assess the effects of
their regulatory actions on State, local,
and tribal governments and the private
sector. Under section 202 of UMRA,
EPA generally must prepare a written
statement, including a cost-benefit
analysis, for proposed and final rules
with ‘‘Federal mandates’’ that may
result in expenditures to State, local,
and tribal governments, in the aggregate,
or to the private sector, of $100 million
or more in any one year. Before
promulgating an EPA rule for which a
written statement is needed, section 205
of UMRA generally requires EPA to
identify and consider a reasonable
number of regulatory alternatives, and
adopt the least costly, most costeffective or least burdensome alternative
that achieves the objectives of the rule.
The provisions of section 205 do not
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apply when they are inconsistent with
applicable law. Moreover, section 205
allows EPA to adopt an alternative other
than the least costly, most-effective or
least burdensome alternative if the
Administrator publishes with the final
rule an explanation why that alternative
was not adopted.
Before EPA establishes any regulatory
requirements that may significantly or
uniquely affect small governments,
including tribal governments, it must
have developed under section 203 of
UMRA a small government agency plan.
The plan must provide for notifying
potentially affected small governments,
enabling officials of affected small
governments to have meaningful and
timely input in the development of EPA
regulatory proposals with a significant
Federal intergovernmental mandates,
and informing, educating, and advising
small governments on compliance with
the regulatory requirements.
EPA has determined that this rule
does not contain a Federal mandate that
may result in expenditures of $100
million or more for State, local, and
tribal governments, in the aggregate, or
the private sector in any one year. EPA
also has determined that this rule
contains no regulatory requirements that
might significantly or uniquely affect
small governments. As was explained
above, the effect of this action would be
to reduce burden and costs for owners
and operators of all facilities, including
small governments that are subject to
the rule.
E. Executive Order 13132—Federalism
Executive Order 13132, entitled
‘‘Federalism’’ (64 FR 43255, August 10,
1999), requires EPA to develop an
accountable process to ensure
‘‘meaningful and timely input by State
and local officials in the development of
regulatory policies that have federalism
implications.’’ ‘‘Policies that have
federalism implications’’ is defined in
the Executive Order to include
regulations that 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.’’
This rule does not have federalism
implications. It would 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, as specified in
Executive Order 13132. Under CWA
section 311(o), States may impose
additional requirements, including more
stringent requirements, relating to the
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prevention of oil discharges to navigable
waters. EPA recognizes that some States
have more stringent requirements (56
FR 54612, (October 22, 1991). This rule
would not preempt State law or
regulations. Thus, Executive Order
13132 does not apply to this rule.
F. Executive Order 13175—Consultation
and Coordination With Indian Tribal
Governments
Executive Order 13175, entitled
‘‘Consultation and Coordination with
Indian Tribal Governments’’ (65 FR
67249, November 9, 2000), requires EPA
to develop an accountable process to
ensure ‘‘meaningful and timely input by
tribal officials in the development of
regulatory policies that have tribal
implications.’’ This final rule does not
have tribal implications, as specified in
Executive Order 13175. Today’s rule
would not significantly or uniquely
affect communities of Indian Tribal
governments. Thus Executive Order
13175 does not apply to this rule.
G. Executive Order 13045—Protection of
Children From Environmental Health
Risks and Safety Risks
Executive Order 13045: ‘‘Protection of
Children from Environmental Health
Risks and Safety Risks’’ (62 FR 19885,
April 23, 1997) applies to any rule that:
(1) Is determined to be ‘‘economically
significant’’ as defined under Executive
Order 12866, and (2) concerns an
environmental health or safety risk that
EPA has reason to believe my have a
disproportionate effect on children. If
the regulatory action meets both criteria,
the Agency must evaluate the
environmental health or safety effects of
the planned rule on children, and
explain why the planned regulation is
preferable to other potentially effective
and reasonably feasible alternatives
considered by the Agency.
This final rule is not subject to the
Executive Order because it is not
economically significant as defined in
Executive Order 12866, and because the
Agency does not have reason to believe
the environmental health or safety risks
addressed by this action present a
disproportionate risk to children.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with RULES
H. Executive Order 13211—Actions
That Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use
This rule is not a ‘‘significant energy
action’’ as defined in Executive Order
13211, ‘‘Actions Concerning Regulations
That Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use’’ (66 FR 28355, May
22, 2001) because it is not likely to have
a significant adverse effect on the
supply, distribution, or use of energy.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:04 May 15, 2007
Jkt 211001
I. National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act
Section 12(d) of the National
Technology Transfer and Advancement
Act of 1995 (‘‘NTTAA’’), Public Law
104–113, section 12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272
note) directs EPA to use voluntary
consensus standards in its regulatory
activities unless to do so would be
inconsistent with applicable law or
otherwise impractical. Voluntary
consensus standards are technical
standards, such as materials
specifications, test methods, sampling
procedures, and business practices that
are developed or adopted by voluntary
consensus standards bodies. The
NTTAA directs EPA to provide
Congress, through OMB, explanations
when the Agency decides not to use
available and applicable voluntary
consensus standards.
This rule does not involve technical
standards. Therefore, NTTAA does not
apply.
J. The Congressional Review Act
The Congressional Review Act, 5
U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides
that before a rule may take effect, the
agency promulgating the rule must
submit a rule report, which includes a
copy of the rule, to each House of the
Congress and to the Comptroller General
of the United States. EPA will submit a
report containing this rule and other
required information to the U.S. Senate,
the U.S. House of Representatives, and
the Comptroller General of the United
States prior to publication of the rule in
the Federal Register. A major rule
cannot take effect until 60 days after it
is published in the Federal Register. A
major rule cannot take effect until 60
days after it is published in the Federal
Register. This action is not a ‘‘major
rule’’ as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). This
rule will be effective May 16, 2007.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 112
Environmental protection, Oil
pollution, Penalties, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: May 10, 2007
Stephen L. Johnson,
Administrator.
For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, title 40, chapter I, part 112 of
the Code of Federal Regulations is
amended as follows:
I
PART 112—OIL POLLUTION
PREVENTION
1. The authority citation for part 112
continues to read as follows:
I
PO 00000
Frm 00041
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
27447
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.; 33 U.S.C.
2720; E.O. 12777 (October 18, 1991), 3 CFR,
1991 Comp., p. 351
2. Section 112.3 is amended by
revising paragraphs (a)(1), (b)(2), and (c)
to read as follows:
I
Subpart A—Applicability, Definitions,
and General Requirements for All
Facilities and All Types of Oils
§ 112.3 Requirement to prepare and
implement a Spill Prevention, Control, and
Countermeasure Plan.
*
*
*
*
*
(a)(1) If your onshore or offshore
facility was in operation on or before
August 16, 2002, you must maintain
your Plan, but most amend it, if
necessary to ensure compliance with
this part, and implement the Plan no
later than July 1, 2009. If your onshore
or offshore facility becomes operational
after August 16, 2002, through July 1,
2009, and could reasonably be expected
to have a discharge as described in
§ 112.1(b), you must prepare and
implement a Plan on or before July 1,
2009.
*
*
*
*
*
(b)(1) If you are the owner or operator
of an onshore or offshore facility that
becomes operational after July 1, 2009,
and could reasonably be expected to
have a discharge as described in
§ 112.1(b), you must prepare and
implement a Plan before you begin
operations.
*
*
*
*
*
(c) If you are the owner or operator of
an onshore or offshore mobile facility,
such as an onshore drilling or workover
rig, barge mounted offshore drilling or
workover rig, or portable fueling facility,
you must prepare, implement, and
maintain a facility Plan as required by
this section. You must maintain your
Plan, but must amend and implement it,
if necessary to ensure compliance with
this part, on or before July 1, 2009. If
your onshore or offshore mobile facility
becomes operational after July 1, 2009,
and could reasonably be expected to
have a discharge as described in
§ 112.1(b), you must prepare and
implement a Plan before you begin
operations. This provision does not
require that you prepare a new Plan
each time you move the facility to a new
site. The Plan may be a general Plan.
When you move the mobile or portable
facility, you must locate and install it
using the discharge prevention practices
outlined in the Plan for the facility. The
Plan is applicable only while the facility
E:\FR\FM\16MYR1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 94 / Wednesday, May 16, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
is in a fixed (non-transportation)
operating mode.
*
*
*
*
*
[FR Doc. 07–2404 Filed 5–15–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–M
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 180
[EPA–HQ–OPP–2005–0121; FRL–7713–1]
Pythium Oligandrum DV 74; Exemption
from the Requirement of a Tolerance
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
I. General Information
SUMMARY: This regulation establishes an
exemption from the requirement of a
tolerance for residues of Pythium
oligandrum DV 74 on food crops.
Biopreparaty Co. Ltd. submitted a
petition to EPA under the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as
amended by the Food Quality Protection
Act of 1996 (FQPA), requesting an
exemption from the requirement of a
tolerance. This regulation eliminates the
need to establish a maximum
permissible level for residues of
Pythium oligandrum DV 74.
DATES: This regulation is effective May
16, 2007. Objections and requests for
hearings must be received on or before
July 16, 2007, and must be filed in
accordance with the instructions
provided in 40 CFR part 178 (see also
Unit I.C. of the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION).
EPA has established a
docket for this action under docket
identification (ID) number EPA-HQOPP-2005-EPA-0121. To access the
electronic docket, go to https://
www.regulations.gov, select ‘‘Advanced
Search,’’ then ‘‘Docket Search.’’ Insert
the docket ID number where indicated
and select the ‘‘Submit’’ button. Follow
the instructions on the regulations.gov
web site to view the docket index or
access available documents. All
documents in the docket are listed in
the docket index available in
regulations.gov. Although listed in the
index, some information is not publicly
available, e.g., Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, is not placed on
the Internet and will be publicly
available only in hard copy form.
Publicly available docket materials are
available in the electronic docket at
https://www.regulations.gov,or, if only
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with RULES
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:04 May 15, 2007
Jkt 211001
available in hard copy, at the OPP
Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S-4400,
One Potomac Yard (South Bldg., 2777 S.
Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The Docket
Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The Docket telephone number
is (703) 305-5805.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tessa Milofsky, Biopesticides and
Pollution Prevention Division (7511P),
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460-0001; telephone number:
(703) 308-0455; e-mail address:
milofsky.tessa@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Does This Action Apply to Me?
You may be potentially affected by
this action if you are an agricultural
producer, food manufacturer, or
pesticide manufacturer. Potentially
affected entities may include, but are
not limited to:
• Crop production (NAICS code 111).
• Animal production (NAICS code
112).
• Food manufacturing (NAICS code
311).
• Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS
code 32532).
This listing is not intended to be
exhaustive, but rather provides a guide
for readers regarding entities likely to be
affected by this action. Other types of
entities not listed in this unit could also
be affected. The North American
Industrial Classification System
(NAICS) codes have been provided to
assist you and others in determining
whether this action might apply to
certain entities. To determine whether
you or your business may be affected by
this action, you should carefully
examine the applicability provisions. If
you have any questions regarding the
applicability of this action to a
particular entity, consult the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
B. How Can I Access Electronic Copies
of this Document?
In addition to accessing an electronic
copy of this Federal Register document
through the electronic docket at https://
www.regulations.gov, you may access
this ‘‘Federal Register’’ document
electronically through the EPA Internet
under the ‘‘Federal Register’’ listings at
https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr. You may
also access a frequently updated
electronic version of 40 CFR part 180
through the Government Printing
Office’s pilot e-CFR site at https://
www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr.
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
C. Can I File an Objection or Hearing
Request?
Under section 408(g) of the FFDCA, as
amended by the FQPA, any person may
file an objection to any aspect of this
regulation and may also request a
hearing on those objections. The EPA
procedural regulations which govern the
submission of objections and requests
for hearings appear in 40 CFR part 178.
You must file your objection or request
a hearing on this regulation in
accordance with the instructions
provided in 40 CFR part 178. To ensure
proper receipt by EPA, you must
identify docket ID number EPA-HQOPP-2005-EPA-0121 in the subject line
on the first page of your submission. All
requests must be in writing, and must be
mailed or delivered to the Hearing Clerk
on or before July 16, 2007.
In addition to filing an objection or
hearing request with the Hearing Clerk
as described in 40 CFR part 178, please
submit a copy of the filing that does not
contain any CBI for inclusion in the
public docket that is described in
ADDRESSES. Information not marked
confidential pursuant to 40 CFR part 2
may be disclosed publicly by EPA
without prior notice. Submit your
copies, identified by docket ID number
EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-EPA-0121, by one of
the following methods.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs
(OPP) Regulatory Public Docket (7502P),
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460-0001.
• Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public
Docket (7502P), Environmental
Protection Agency, Rm. S-4400, One
Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S.
Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. Deliveries
are only accepted during the Docket’s
normal hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to
4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding legal holidays). Special
arrangements should be made for
deliveries of boxed information. The
Docket telephone number is (703) 3055805.
II. Background and Statutory Findings
In the Federal Register of May 25,
2005 (70 FR 30105) (FRL–7713–1). EPA
issued a notice pursuant to section
408(d)(3) of the FFDCA, 21 U.S.C.
346a(d)(3), announcing the filing of a
pesticide tolerance petition (PP 4F6877)
by Biopreparaty, Co. Ltd. Tylisovska I,
Prague 6, Czech Republic. The petition
requested that 40 CFR part 180 be
amended by establishing an exemption
from the requirement Pythium
E:\FR\FM\16MYR1.SGM
16MYR1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 94 (Wednesday, May 16, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27443-27448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-2404]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 112
[EPA-HQ-OPA-2006-00949; [FRL-8315-1]
RIN 2050-AG36
Oil Pollution Prevention; Non-Transportation Related Onshore and
Offshore Facilities
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is today extending the
dates by which facilities must prepare or amend Spill Prevention,
Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans, and implement those Plans.
This action allows the Agency time to promulgate further revisions to
the SPCC rule before
[[Page 27444]]
owners and operators are required to prepare or amend, and implement
their SPCC Plans. EPA expects to propose further revisions to the SPCC
rule later this year.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This final rule is effective May 16, 2007.
ADDRESSES: The public docket for this final rule, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OPA-2006-0949, contains the information related to this rulemaking,
including the response to comment document. All documents in the docket
are listed in the https://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in
the index, some information may not be publicly available, e.g.,
Confidential Business Information or other information the disclosure
of which is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as
copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in https://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the EPA Docket, EPA/
DC, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC.
The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number of the
Public Reading Room is 202-566-1744, and the telephone number to make
an appointment to view the docket is 202-566-0276.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact the
Superfund, TRI, EPCRA, RMP and Oil Information Center at (800) 424-9346
or TDD (800) 553-7672 (hearing impaired). In the Washington, DC
metropolitan area, call (703) 412-9810 or TDD (703) 412-3323. For more
detailed information on specific aspects of this rule, contact either
Vanessa Rodriguez at (202) 564-7913 (rodriguez.vannessa@epa.gov) or
Mark W. Howard at (202) 564-1964 (howard.markw@epa.gov), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC, 20460-0002, Mail Code 5104A.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Authority
33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.; 33 U.S.C. 2720; E.O. 12777 (October 18,
1991), 3 CFR, 1991 Comp., p. 351.
II. Background
On July 17, 2002, the Agency published a final rule that amended
the SPCC regulations (see 67 FR 47042). The rule became effective on
August 16, 2002. The final rule included compliance dates in Sec.
112.3 for preparing amending, and implementing SPCC Plans. The original
compliance dates were extended on January 9, 2003 (see 68 FR 1348),
again on April 17, 2003 (see 68 FR 18890), a third time on August 11,
2004 (see 69 FR 48794), and a fourth time on February 17, 2006 (see 71
FR 77266).\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The compliance date for farms is the date that establishes
SPCC requirements specifically for farms or otherwise establishes
dates by which farms must comply with the provisions of the rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under the current provisions in Sec. 112.3(a)(1), the owner or
operator of a facility (other than a farm) that was in operation on or
before August 16, 2002 must make any necessary amendments to its SPCC
Plan and fully implement it by October 31, 2007, while the owner or
operator of a facility (other than a farm) that came into operation
after August 16, 2002, but before October 31, 2007, must prepare and
fully implement an SPCC Plan on or before October 31, 2007. Under the
current provision in Sec. 112.3(b)(1), the owner or operator of a
facility (other than a farm) that becomes operational after October 31,
2007 must prepare and implement an SPCC Plan before beginning
operations. In addition, Sec. 112.3(c) requires onshore and offshore
mobile facilities to prepare or amend and implement their SPCC Plans on
or before October 31, 2007.
On December 26, 2006, EPA finalized a set of SPCC rule amendments
that address certain targeted areas of the SPCC requirements based on
issues and concerns raised by the regulated community (71 FR 77266). As
highlighted in the EPA Regulatory Agenda and the 2005 OMB report on
``Regulatory Reform of the U.S. Manufacturing Sector,'' EPA is
considering further amendments to address other areas where regulatory
reform may be appropriate. For these additional areas, the Agency
expects to issue a proposed rule later this year. Areas where
regulatory reform may be appropriate include, but are not limited to,
oil and natural gas exploration and production facilities, farms, and
qualified facilities. Because the Agency was concerned that it would
not be able to propose and promulgate such regulatory amendments before
the current October 31, 2007 compliance date, EPA believed it
appropriate to provide a further extension of the compliance date, and
thus, proposed an extension to the compliance dates on December 26,
2006 (71 FR 77357). This notice finalizes that proposal.
III. Extension of Compliance Dates
This rule extends the dates in Sec. 112.3(a), (b), and (c) by
which a facility must prepare or amend and implement its SPCC Plan. As
a result of the revisions in Sec. 112.3(a)(1), an owner or operator of
a facility (other than a farm) that was in operation on or before
August 16, 2002 must make any necessary amendments to his SPCC Plan,
and implement that Plan, on or before July 1, 2009. This will allow the
owner or operator time to prepare or amend and implement the SPCC Plan
in accordance with the July 2002 (67 FR 47042, July 17, 2002) and
December 2006 (71 FR 77266, December 26, 2006) amendments, and any
subsequent modifications to the SPCC requirements that are promulgated
based on amendments that the EPA intends to propose later this year.
EPA expects to promulgate such a final rule by the summer of 2008. The
facility owner/operator must continue to maintain his existing SPCC
Plan until he amends and fully implements the Plan to comply with the
revised requirements. Similarly, an owner or operator of a facility
(other than a farm) that came into operation after August 16, 2002
through July 1, 2009 must prepare and implement an SPCC Plan on or
before July 1, 2009.
Under the revised Sec. 112.3(b)(1), the owner or operator of a
facility regulated under the SPCC rule that becomes operational after
July 1, 2009 must prepare and implement an SPCC Plan before beginning
operations.
This rule similarly extends the compliance dates in Sec. 112.3(c)
for mobile facilities. Under this rule, an owner or operator of a
mobile facility must prepare or amend and implement an SPCC Plan on or
before July 1, 2009, or before beginning operations if operations begin
after July 1, 2009.
The Agency believes that such an extension of the compliance dates
is appropriate for several reasons. First, this extension will allow
those potentially affected in the regulated community an opportunity to
make changes to their facilities and to their SPCC Plans necessary to
comply with any revised requirements promulgated based on the
amendments expected to be proposed later this year, and finalized
thereafter, rather than with the existing requirements.
Further, the Agency believes that this extension of the compliance
dates will also provide the owner or operator of a facility the time to
fully understand the regulatory amendments offered by revisions to the
2002 SPCC rule promulgated on December 26, 2006 (71
[[Page 27445]]
FR 77266) and amendments expected to be promulgated by the summer of
2008.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ As stated in the rule, a facility owner or operator must
maintain its existing Plans. A facility owner or operator who wants
to take advantage of the 2002 and 2006 regulatory changes may do so,
but he will need to modify his existing Plan accordingly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition, the Agency intends to issue revisions to the SPCC
Guidance for Regional Inspectors, to address both the December 2006
revisions and the revisions expected to be proposed later this year.
The guidance document is designed to facilitate an understanding of the
rule's applicability, to help clarify the role of the inspector in the
review and evaluation of the performance-based SPCC requirements, and
to provide a consistent national policy on SPCC-related issues. The
guidance is available to both the owners and operators of facilities
that may be subject to the requirements of the SPCC rule and to the
general public on the Agency's Web site at https://www.epa.gov/oilspill.
The Agency believes that this extension will provide the regulated
community the opportunity to take advantage of the material presented
in the revised guidance before preparing or amending their SPCC Plans.
IV. Response to Comments
The Agency received 28 submissions on the proposed rule (71 FR
77357, December 26, 2006). The discussion below summarizes and responds
to the major comments received. A more complete response to comments
document can be found in the docket for this rulemaking, EPA-HQ-OPA-
2006-0949.
The majority of commenters (nineteen) supported the proposed
extension of the compliance date and generally agreed that the
extension would allow the Agency time to promulgate further regulatory
revisions. Many commenters also noted that the proposed extension would
allow the industries potentially affected by those revisions an
opportunity to make the necessary changes to their facilities and to
their SPCC Plans to comply with the revised requirements expected to be
proposed in 2007 and later finalized.
A second group of commenters (nine) supported the proposed
extension, but suggested alternate schedules, arguing that EPA's
proposed compliance date was premature given the Agency's intent to
propose further changes to the SPCC rule in 2007. Several schedules
were suggested:
Tie the compliance dates to promulgation of the rule
finalizing the amendments to be proposed in 2007 or, in the event that
EPA decides not to go forward with further modifications to the rule,
12 months after publication of a notice in the Federal Register
terminating that rulemaking.
Provide an extension of 18 months from the promulgation of
the final amendments to the SPCC rule, thereby providing adequate time
for a regulated facility to implement the amendments (i.e., review
amendments, develop and/or modify existing Plans, and comply with any
final changes to the rule or guidance).
Set the date for preparing and amending the SPCC Plans to
one year following publication of the final amendments, maintaining the
six-month separation between the dates for amending and implementing
Plans.
Set a Plan preparation compliance date of July 1, 2009,
and an implementation compliance date of January 1, 2010, thereby
allowing a facility owner or operator adequate time after Plan
amendment to make changes at his facility, properly train employees on
the amended Plan requirements, and allow for full implementation of the
amended Plan requirements.
The Agency disagrees with those commenters who suggested an
alternate schedule to either set uncertain compliance dates in Sec.
112.3 or to further extend the time period for the compliance dates.
While the Agency recognizes that a regulated facility owner or operator
needs adequate time after EPA takes final action on the proposed
amendments to the SPCC Plan requirements to amend or prepare an SPCC
Plan and to implement it, we also believe that one year is a reasonable
period of time to allow for preparing, amending, and implementing an
SPCC Plan following final Agency action on the proposed amendments to
the SPCC rule. The Agency intends to develop and publish Federal
Register notices proposing and then taking final action on further
amendments to the SPCC regulatory requirements as soon as possible. At
this time, based on the information at hand, the Agency believes that
extending the compliance dates in Sec. 112.3 until July 1, 2009 will
allow owners and operators an adequate interval to comply with the SPCC
rule.
The Agency also disagrees with commenters who requested a revised
date for implementing amended SPCC Plans to include a six-month period
after the July 1, 2009 date for Plan amendment. For the reasons
discussed above, the Agency believes that the July 1, 2009 date for
both Plan amendment and implementation is more than adequate. The
effect of the Agency's decision to eliminate the gap between Plan
preparation or amendment and implementation was to provide additional
time for the owner or operator to prepare or amend the SPCC Plan. The
Agency believes that this approach, which allows an owner or operator
flexibility in scheduling Plan development or amendment, makes sense
given that an owner or operator is not required to submit his SPCC
Plans to the Agency. It also simplifies the burden for an owner or
operator of an SPCC facility by establishing a single compliance date,
while providing additional time for Plan development.
One commenter opposed a compliance date extension for this
regulation, arguing that it was not effectively addressing the problems
with the regulation, and that the best way to do this would be by
completing a complete re-write of the rule. First, the Agency disagrees
with the commenter that the SPCC regulation needs to be re-written.
Rather, the Agency believes that it is in the best interest of the
regulated community to address areas of confusion that arose after
promulgation of the 2002 amendments, and that promulgating a proposal
intended to clarify and tailor requirements, particularly for small
businesses, and making revisions to the SPCC Guidance for Regional
Inspectors available to the regulated community will ultimately result
in a more effective and complete implementation of the SPCC regulation
and in enhanced environmental protection. The Agency also believes that
the regulated community needs the additional time allowed by the
extension in order to better take advantage of the guidance and any
further amendments that are promulgated and that the benefits of this
extension outweigh the concerns raised by the opposing commenter.
Furthermore, a facility owner or operator subject to the SPCC rule
continues to be required to ensure that operations are conducted in a
manner that safeguards human health and the environment by preventing
oil discharges to navigable waters and adjoining shorelines and by
effectively responding in the event of an accidental discharge.
V. Applicability to Farms
In the December 2006 final rule amendments, EPA finalized an
extension of the compliance dates for the owner or operator of a farm
(71 FR 77266), as defined in Sec. 112.2, to prepare or amend and
implement the farm's SPCC Plan until the effective date of a rule that
establishes SPCC requirements specifically for farms or otherwise
establishes dates by which farms must comply with the provisions of the
SPCC
[[Page 27446]]
rule. The Agency has been conducting additional information collection
and analyses to determine if differentiated SPCC requirements may be
appropriate for farms. Specifically, the Agency has been working with
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as the farming community,
to collect data that would more accurately characterize oil storage and
handling at these facilities. These efforts will allow the Agency to
better focus on priorities where substantial environmental improvements
can be obtained. The Agency will propose the new compliance dates for
farms in a separate Federal Register notice. Today's rule does not
affect this extended compliance date for farms.
VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. Executive Order 12866--Regulatory Planning and Review
Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this
action has been determined to be a ``significant regulatory action.''
This final rule would extend the compliance dates in Sec. 112.3, but
would have no other substantive effect. However, because of its
interconnection with the related SPCC rule amendments finalized on
December 26, 2006 (71 FR 77266) which was a significant action under
the terms of Executive Order 12866, and because of the upcoming
proposal to further amend the SPCC requirements, this action was
submitted to OMB for review.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act
This rule does not impose an information collection burden under
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq).
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act generally requires an agency to
prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to notice
and comment rulemaking requirements under the Administrative Procedure
Act or any other statute unless the agency certifies that the rule will
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities. Small entities include small businesses, small organizations,
and small governmental jurisdictions. Small entity is defined as: (1) A
small business as defined in the Small Business Administration's (SBA)
regulations at 13 CFR 121.201--the SBA defines small businesses by
category of business using North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS) codes, and in the case of farms and oil exploration and
production facilities, which constitute a large percentage of the
facilities affected by this rule, generally defines small businesses as
having less than $500,000 in revenues or 500 employees, respectively;
(2) a small governmental jurisdiction that is a government of a city,
county, town, school district or special district with a population of
less than 50,000; and (3) a small organization that is any not-for-
profit enterprise that is independently owned and operated and is not
dominant in its field.
After considering the economic impacts of today's rule on small
entities, the Agency concludes that this action would not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
In determining whether a rule has a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities, the impact of concern is any
significant adverse economic impact on small entities, since the
primary purpose of the regulatory flexibility analyses is to identify
and address regulatory alternatives ``which minimize any significant
economic impact of the rule on small entities.'' 5 U.S.C. 603 and 604.
Thus, an agency may certify that a rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities if the rule
relieves regulatory burden, or otherwise has a positive economic effect
on the small entities subject to the rule.
This rule would defer the regulatory burden for small entities by
extending the compliance dates in Sec. 112.3. After considering the
economic impacts of today's rule on small entities, I certify that this
action will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities.
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public
Law 104-4, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the
effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and tribal
governments and the private sector. Under section 202 of UMRA, EPA
generally must prepare a written statement, including a cost-benefit
analysis, for proposed and final rules with ``Federal mandates'' that
may result in expenditures to State, local, and tribal governments, in
the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 million or more in any
one year. Before promulgating an EPA rule for which a written statement
is needed, section 205 of UMRA generally requires EPA to identify and
consider a reasonable number of regulatory alternatives, and adopt the
least costly, most cost-effective or least burdensome alternative that
achieves the objectives of the rule. The provisions of section 205 do
not apply when they are inconsistent with applicable law. Moreover,
section 205 allows EPA to adopt an alternative other than the least
costly, most-effective or least burdensome alternative if the
Administrator publishes with the final rule an explanation why that
alternative was not adopted.
Before EPA establishes any regulatory requirements that may
significantly or uniquely affect small governments, including tribal
governments, it must have developed under section 203 of UMRA a small
government agency plan. The plan must provide for notifying potentially
affected small governments, enabling officials of affected small
governments to have meaningful and timely input in the development of
EPA regulatory proposals with a significant Federal intergovernmental
mandates, and informing, educating, and advising small governments on
compliance with the regulatory requirements.
EPA has determined that this rule does not contain a Federal
mandate that may result in expenditures of $100 million or more for
State, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or the private
sector in any one year. EPA also has determined that this rule contains
no regulatory requirements that might significantly or uniquely affect
small governments. As was explained above, the effect of this action
would be to reduce burden and costs for owners and operators of all
facilities, including small governments that are subject to the rule.
E. Executive Order 13132--Federalism
Executive Order 13132, entitled ``Federalism'' (64 FR 43255, August
10, 1999), requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure
``meaningful and timely input by State and local officials in the
development of regulatory policies that have federalism implications.''
``Policies that have federalism implications'' is defined in the
Executive Order to include regulations that 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.''
This rule does not have federalism implications. It would 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, as
specified in Executive Order 13132. Under CWA section 311(o), States
may impose additional requirements, including more stringent
requirements, relating to the
[[Page 27447]]
prevention of oil discharges to navigable waters. EPA recognizes that
some States have more stringent requirements (56 FR 54612, (October 22,
1991). This rule would not preempt State law or regulations. Thus,
Executive Order 13132 does not apply to this rule.
F. Executive Order 13175--Consultation and Coordination With Indian
Tribal Governments
Executive Order 13175, entitled ``Consultation and Coordination
with Indian Tribal Governments'' (65 FR 67249, November 9, 2000),
requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure ``meaningful
and timely input by tribal officials in the development of regulatory
policies that have tribal implications.'' This final rule does not have
tribal implications, as specified in Executive Order 13175. Today's
rule would not significantly or uniquely affect communities of Indian
Tribal governments. Thus Executive Order 13175 does not apply to this
rule.
G. Executive Order 13045--Protection of Children From Environmental
Health Risks and Safety Risks
Executive Order 13045: ``Protection of Children from Environmental
Health Risks and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997) applies
to any rule that: (1) Is determined to be ``economically significant''
as defined under Executive Order 12866, and (2) concerns an
environmental health or safety risk that EPA has reason to believe my
have a disproportionate effect on children. If the regulatory action
meets both criteria, the Agency must evaluate the environmental health
or safety effects of the planned rule on children, and explain why the
planned regulation is preferable to other potentially effective and
reasonably feasible alternatives considered by the Agency.
This final rule is not subject to the Executive Order because it is
not economically significant as defined in Executive Order 12866, and
because the Agency does not have reason to believe the environmental
health or safety risks addressed by this action present a
disproportionate risk to children.
H. Executive Order 13211--Actions That Significantly Affect Energy
Supply, Distribution, or Use
This rule is not a ``significant energy action'' as defined in
Executive Order 13211, ``Actions Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR
28355, May 22, 2001) because it is not likely to have a significant
adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use of energy.
I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act
Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement
Act of 1995 (``NTTAA''), Public Law 104-113, section 12(d) (15 U.S.C.
272 note) directs EPA to use voluntary consensus standards in its
regulatory activities unless to do so would be inconsistent with
applicable law or otherwise impractical. Voluntary consensus standards
are technical standards, such as materials specifications, test
methods, sampling procedures, and business practices that are developed
or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies. The NTTAA directs
EPA to provide Congress, through OMB, explanations when the Agency
decides not to use available and applicable voluntary consensus
standards.
This rule does not involve technical standards. Therefore, NTTAA
does not apply.
J. The Congressional Review Act
The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the
United States. EPA will submit a report containing this rule and other
required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot
take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal
Register. A major rule cannot take effect until 60 days after it is
published in the Federal Register. This action is not a ``major rule''
as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). This rule will be effective May 16,
2007.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 112
Environmental protection, Oil pollution, Penalties, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: May 10, 2007
Stephen L. Johnson,
Administrator.
0
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, title 40, chapter I, part
112 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows:
PART 112--OIL POLLUTION PREVENTION
0
1. The authority citation for part 112 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.; 33 U.S.C. 2720; E.O. 12777
(October 18, 1991), 3 CFR, 1991 Comp., p. 351
0
2. Section 112.3 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(1), (b)(2), and
(c) to read as follows:
Subpart A--Applicability, Definitions, and General Requirements for
All Facilities and All Types of Oils
Sec. 112.3 Requirement to prepare and implement a Spill Prevention,
Control, and Countermeasure Plan.
* * * * *
(a)(1) If your onshore or offshore facility was in operation on or
before August 16, 2002, you must maintain your Plan, but most amend it,
if necessary to ensure compliance with this part, and implement the
Plan no later than July 1, 2009. If your onshore or offshore facility
becomes operational after August 16, 2002, through July 1, 2009, and
could reasonably be expected to have a discharge as described in Sec.
112.1(b), you must prepare and implement a Plan on or before July 1,
2009.
* * * * *
(b)(1) If you are the owner or operator of an onshore or offshore
facility that becomes operational after July 1, 2009, and could
reasonably be expected to have a discharge as described in Sec.
112.1(b), you must prepare and implement a Plan before you begin
operations.
* * * * *
(c) If you are the owner or operator of an onshore or offshore
mobile facility, such as an onshore drilling or workover rig, barge
mounted offshore drilling or workover rig, or portable fueling
facility, you must prepare, implement, and maintain a facility Plan as
required by this section. You must maintain your Plan, but must amend
and implement it, if necessary to ensure compliance with this part, on
or before July 1, 2009. If your onshore or offshore mobile facility
becomes operational after July 1, 2009, and could reasonably be
expected to have a discharge as described in Sec. 112.1(b), you must
prepare and implement a Plan before you begin operations. This
provision does not require that you prepare a new Plan each time you
move the facility to a new site. The Plan may be a general Plan. When
you move the mobile or portable facility, you must locate and install
it using the discharge prevention practices outlined in the Plan for
the facility. The Plan is applicable only while the facility
[[Page 27448]]
is in a fixed (non-transportation) operating mode.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 07-2404 Filed 5-15-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M