Tentative Approval and Solicitation of Request for a Public Hearing for Public Water Supply Supervision Program Revision for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 47598-47599 [E8-18837]

Download as PDF 47598 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 158 / Thursday, August 14, 2008 / Notices ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL–8704–9] Conference Call of the Total Coliform Rule Distribution System Advisory Committee—Notice of Public Conference Call Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: Under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is giving notice of a conference call of the Total Coliform Rule Distribution System Advisory Committee (TCRDSAC). The purpose of this conference call is to discuss the Total Coliform Rule (TCR) revision and information about distribution systems issues that may impact water quality. The TCRDSAC advises and makes recommendations to the Agency on revisions to the TCR, and on what information should be collected, research conducted, and/or risk management strategies evaluated to better inform distribution system contaminant occurrence and associated public health risks. During this conference call the TCRDSAC will continue the Committee’s discussions related to revisions to the draft Agreement in Principle (AIP), which includes recommended revisions to the TCR and recommendations for research and information collection to better understand and address possible public health impacts from potential degradation of drinking water quality in the distribution system. DATES: The public conference call will be held on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 (1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time (ET)). Attendees should register for the conference call to receive the call in information by calling Kate Zimmer at (202) 965–6387 or by e-mail to kzimmer@resolv.org no later than August 29, 2008. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact Kate Zimmer of RESOLVE at (202) 965–6387. For technical inquiries, contact Sean Conley (conley.sean@epa.gov, (202) 564–1781), Standards and Risk Management Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (MC 4607M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; fax number: (202) 564–3767. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The conference call is open to the public. The Committee encourages the public’s VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:57 Aug 13, 2008 Jkt 214001 input and will accept written statements. Any person who wishes to file a written statement can do so before or after a Committee meeting or conference call. Written statements received by August 29, 2008, will be distributed to all members before any final discussion or vote is completed. Any statements received on or after August 30, 2008, will become part of the permanent meeting and conference call file and will be forwarded to the members for their information. Special Accommodations For information on access or accommodations for individuals with disabilities, please contact Crystal Rodgers-Jenkins at (202) 564–5275 or by e-mail at rodgersjenkins.crystal@epa.gov. Please allow at least 10 days prior to the conference call to give EPA time to process your request. Dated: August 8, 2008. Cynthia Dougherty, Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water. [FR Doc. E8–18834 Filed 8–13–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL–8704–6] Tentative Approval and Solicitation of Request for a Public Hearing for Public Water Supply Supervision Program Revision for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is revising its approved Public Water Supply Supervision Program. The EPA has determined that these revisions are no less stringent than the corresponding Federal regulations. Therefore, the EPA intends to approve these program revisions. All interested parties may request a public hearing. DATES: This determination to approve Puerto Rico’s primacy program revision application is made pursuant to 40 CFR 142.12(d)(3). It shall become final and effective unless (1) a timely and appropriate request for a public hearing is received or (2) the Regional Administrator elects to hold a public hearing on his own motion. Any interested person, other than Federal Agencies, may request a public hearing. A request for a public hearing must be PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 submitted to the Regional Administrator at the address shown below by September 15, 2008. If a substantial request for a public hearing is made within the requested thirty day time frame, a public hearing will be held and a notice will be given in the Federal Register and a newspaper of general circulation. Frivolous or insubstantial requests for a hearing may be denied by the Regional Administrator. If no timely and appropriate request for a hearing is received and the Regional Administrator does not elect to hold a hearing on his own motion, this determination shall become final and effective September 15, 2008. ADDRESSES: Any request for a public hearing shall include the following information: (1) Name, address and telephone number of the individual, organization or other entity requesting a hearing; (2) a brief statement of the requesting person’s interest in the Regional Administrator’s determination and a brief statement on information that the requesting person intends to submit at such hearing; (3) the signature of the individual making the requests or, if the request is made on behalf of an organization or other entity, the signature of a responsible official of the organization or other entity. Requests for Public Hearing shall be addressed to: Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency— Region 2, 290 Broadway, New York, New York 10007–1866. All documents relating to this determination are available for inspection between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the following offices: Puerto Rico Department of Health, Public Water Supply Supervision Program, 9th Floor—Suite 903, Nacional Plaza Building, 431 Ponce De Leon Avenue, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 00917. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—Region 2, 24th Floor Drinking Water Section, 290 Broadway, New York, New York 10007–1866. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael J. Lowy, Drinking Water Section, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—Region 2, (212) 637–3830. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined to approve an application by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Department of Health to revise its Public Water Supply Supervision Primacy Program to incorporate regulations no less stringent than the EPA’s National Primary E:\FR\FM\14AUN1.SGM 14AUN1 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 158 / Thursday, August 14, 2008 / Notices Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) for the following: Lead and Copper Rule; Minor Revisions; promulgated by EPA January 12, 2000 (65 FR 1950), Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts (Stage 2 DBPR); Final Rule; promulgated by EPA January 4, 2006 (71 FR 388), Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment (LT2); Final Rule; promulgated by EPA January 5, 2006 (71 FR 654), Correction to the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule; promulgated by EPA January 27, 2006 (71 FR 4644) and Correction to Stage 2; promulgated by EPA June 29, 2006 (71 FR 37168), and Correction to the LT2; promulgated by EPA January 30, 2006 (71 FR 4968) and Correction to the LT2; promulgated by EPA February 6, 2006 (71 FR 6136). The application demonstrates that Puerto Rico has adopted drinking water regulations which satisfy the NPDWRs for the above. The USEPA has determined that Puerto Rico’s regulations are no less stringent than the corresponding Federal Regulations and that Puerto Rico continues to meet all requirements for primary enforcement responsibility as specified in 40 CFR 142.10. Authority: Section 1413 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, 40 U.S.C. 300g–2, and 40 CFR 142.10, 142.12(d) and 142.13. Dated: July 25, 2008. Alan J. Steinberg, Regional Administrator, Region 2. [FR Doc. E8–18837 Filed 8–13–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL–8704–7] Sole Source Aquifer Designation of Conanicut Island, Narragansett Bay, RI Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of determination. sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Regional Administrator of Region I of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined, pursuant to section 1424(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act, that the aquifer system that underlies Conanicut Island, Rhode Island is the sole or principal source of drinking water for this area and if the aquifer system were contaminated would create a significant hazard to public health. As a result of Sole Source Aquifer (SSA) designation, federal financially-assisted projects over the designated aquifer area will be subject to EPA review to ensure that VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:57 Aug 13, 2008 Jkt 214001 these projects are designed and constructed so that they do not contaminate this aquifer so as to create a significant hazard to public health. Effective Date: This determination shall become effective on August 14, 2008. DATES: The data and record upon which these findings are based are available to the public and may be inspected during normal business hours at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—Region I, Office of Ecosystem Protection, One Congress Street, Suite 1100, Boston, MA 02114–2023. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Heath, U.S. EPA—Region I at the address above or at (617) 918–1585, e-mail: heath.doug@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background Section 1424(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. 300h–3(e), states: ‘‘If the Administrator determines, on his own initiative or petition, that an area has an aquifer which is the sole or principal drinking water source for the area and which, if contaminated, would create a significant hazard to public health, he shall publish notice of that determination in the Federal Register. After the publication of any such notice, no commitment for federal financial assistance (through a grant, contract, loan guarantee, or otherwise) may be entered into for any project which the Administrator determines may contaminate such aquifer through a recharge zone so as to create a significant hazard to public health, but a commitment for federal financial assistance may, if authorized under another provision of law, be entered into to plan or design the project to assure that it will not so contaminate the aquifer.’’ On February 1, 2006, EPA Region I received a petition from the North End Concerned Citizens (NECC) requesting the designation of the aquifer system underlying Conanicut Island as a SSA. NECC subsequently submitted a revised petition. Among other things, the revised petition removed references to an original request that EPA review closure plans for a landfill and the location of a proposed Town Garage. On August 17, 2007, EPA completed its technical review of the completeness and adequacy of the petition. On February 13, 2008, EPA held a public meeting in Jamestown and invited public comment on the petition. The public comment period closed on March 19, 2008. PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 47599 II. Basis for Determination Among the factors considered by the Regional Administrator as part of the review and technical verification process for designating an area under section 1424(e) were: 1. The aquifer system underlying Conanicut Island supplies the service area population with 50% or more of its drinking water needs. Approximately 57% of the island’s residents rely solely on residential supply wells. The remaining 43% of residents rely on municipal water provided by the Jamestown Water District (a portion of which is also ground water extracted by bedrock wells) with a peak flow of 400,000 gallons per day. 2. There is no physical, legal and/or economical alternative drinking water source or combination of sources to meet all of the needs of the designated service area. 3. The EPA finds that the petition appropriately delineates the boundaries of the aquifer project review and service area. For purposes of this designation, EPA finds the Conanicut Island Aquifer System boundary is based on the mean high tide line since this marks the freshwater-saltwater boundary. 4. While the quality of the area’s ground water is considered to be good, it is vulnerable to contamination due to the relatively thin soil cover and rapid movement of ground water in fractured rock, coupled with increasing development and other land uses. Recharge of the water supply is by infiltration of precipitation over the entire island. The designated area is underlain primarily by a fractured bedrock aquifer system. The aquifer system is overlain by areas of glacial till and soil deposits. Freshwater in bedrock fractures under the island forms a lensshaped body that floats on saltwater as its density is less than that of saltwater. According to a 1997 study by the University of Rhode Island, the thickness of the freshwater lens is estimated to range from a few tens of feet near the shoreline to more than 500 feet in the central part of the island under non-pumping conditions. III. Description of the Conanicut Island Aquifer System That Underlies Conanicut Island The Conanicut Island Aquifer System is a nine-square-mile island located in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The island is divided into three land masses: North Island, Central Island, and Beavertail Peninsula. North Island rises to an elevation of about 140 feet above sea level and is characterized by parallel ridges running north-south which create E:\FR\FM\14AUN1.SGM 14AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 158 (Thursday, August 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47598-47599]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-18837]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8704-6]


Tentative Approval and Solicitation of Request for a Public 
Hearing for Public Water Supply Supervision Program Revision for the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is 
revising its approved Public Water Supply Supervision Program. The EPA 
has determined that these revisions are no less stringent than the 
corresponding Federal regulations. Therefore, the EPA intends to 
approve these program revisions. All interested parties may request a 
public hearing.

DATES: This determination to approve Puerto Rico's primacy program 
revision application is made pursuant to 40 CFR 142.12(d)(3). It shall 
become final and effective unless (1) a timely and appropriate request 
for a public hearing is received or (2) the Regional Administrator 
elects to hold a public hearing on his own motion. Any interested 
person, other than Federal Agencies, may request a public hearing. A 
request for a public hearing must be submitted to the Regional 
Administrator at the address shown below by September 15, 2008. If a 
substantial request for a public hearing is made within the requested 
thirty day time frame, a public hearing will be held and a notice will 
be given in the Federal Register and a newspaper of general 
circulation. Frivolous or insubstantial requests for a hearing may be 
denied by the Regional Administrator. If no timely and appropriate 
request for a hearing is received and the Regional Administrator does 
not elect to hold a hearing on his own motion, this determination shall 
become final and effective September 15, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Any request for a public hearing shall include the following 
information: (1) Name, address and telephone number of the individual, 
organization or other entity requesting a hearing; (2) a brief 
statement of the requesting person's interest in the Regional 
Administrator's determination and a brief statement on information that 
the requesting person intends to submit at such hearing; (3) the 
signature of the individual making the requests or, if the request is 
made on behalf of an organization or other entity, the signature of a 
responsible official of the organization or other entity. Requests for 
Public Hearing shall be addressed to: Regional Administrator, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency--Region 2, 290 Broadway, New York, New 
York 10007-1866.
    All documents relating to this determination are available for 
inspection between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, at the following offices:

Puerto Rico Department of Health, Public Water Supply Supervision 
Program, 9th Floor--Suite 903, Nacional Plaza Building, 431 Ponce De 
Leon Avenue, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 00917.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency--Region 2, 24th Floor Drinking 
Water Section, 290 Broadway, New York, New York 10007-1866.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael J. Lowy, Drinking Water 
Section, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency--Region 2, (212) 637-
3830.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that the United 
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined to approve 
an application by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Department of Health 
to revise its Public Water Supply Supervision Primacy Program to 
incorporate regulations no less stringent than the EPA's National 
Primary

[[Page 47599]]

Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) for the following: Lead and Copper 
Rule; Minor Revisions; promulgated by EPA January 12, 2000 (65 FR 
1950), Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts (Stage 2 
DBPR); Final Rule; promulgated by EPA January 4, 2006 (71 FR 388), Long 
Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment (LT2); Final Rule; promulgated 
by EPA January 5, 2006 (71 FR 654), Correction to the Stage 2 
Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule; promulgated by EPA 
January 27, 2006 (71 FR 4644) and Correction to Stage 2; promulgated by 
EPA June 29, 2006 (71 FR 37168), and Correction to the LT2; promulgated 
by EPA January 30, 2006 (71 FR 4968) and Correction to the LT2; 
promulgated by EPA February 6, 2006 (71 FR 6136).
    The application demonstrates that Puerto Rico has adopted drinking 
water regulations which satisfy the NPDWRs for the above. The USEPA has 
determined that Puerto Rico's regulations are no less stringent than 
the corresponding Federal Regulations and that Puerto Rico continues to 
meet all requirements for primary enforcement responsibility as 
specified in 40 CFR 142.10.

    Authority: Section 1413 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as 
amended, 40 U.S.C. 300g-2, and 40 CFR 142.10, 142.12(d) and 142.13.

    Dated: July 25, 2008.
Alan J. Steinberg,
Regional Administrator, Region 2.
[FR Doc. E8-18837 Filed 8-13-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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