Revisions to the Clean Water Act Regulatory Definition of “Discharge of Dredged Material”; Final Rule, 79641-79645 [E8-30984]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 250 / Tuesday, December 30, 2008 / Rules and Regulations
Indian Tribal Governments
This rule does not have tribal
implications under Executive Order
13175, Consultation and Coordination
With Indian Tribal Governments,
because it does not have a substantial
direct effect on one or more Indian
tribes, on the relationship between the
Federal Government and Indian tribes,
or on the distribution of power and
responsibilities between the Federal
Government and Indian tribes.
Energy Effects
We have analyzed this rule under
Executive Order 13211, Actions
Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply,
Distribution, or Use. We have
determined that it is not a ‘‘significant
energy action’’ under that order because
it is not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’
under Executive Order 12866 and is not
likely to have a significant adverse effect
on the supply, distribution, or use of
energy. The Administrator of the Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs
has not designated it as a significant
energy action. Therefore, it does not
require a Statement of Energy Effects
under Executive Order 13211.
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Technical Standards
The National Technology Transfer
and Advancement Act (NTTAA) (15
U.S.C. 272 note) directs agencies to use
voluntary consensus standards in their
regulatory activities unless the agency
provides Congress, through the Office of
Management and Budget, with an
explanation of why using these
standards would be inconsistent with
applicable law or otherwise impractical.
Voluntary consensus standards are
technical standards (e.g., specifications
of materials, performance, design, or
operation; test methods; sampling
procedures; and related management
systems practices) that are developed or
adopted by voluntary consensus
standards bodies.
This rule does not use technical
standards. Therefore, we did not
consider the use of voluntary consensus
standards.
Environment
We have analyzed this rule under
Department of Homeland Security
Management Directive 5100.1 and
Commandant Instruction M16475.lD,
which guide the Coast Guard in
complying with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321–4370f), and
have concluded under the Instruction
that there are no factors in this case that
would limit the use of a categorical
exclusion under section 2.B.2 of the
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Instruction. Therefore, this rule is
categorically excluded, under figure 2–
1, paragraph (34)(g), of the Instruction,
from further environmental
documentation.
An environmental analysis checklist
and a categorical exclusion
determination are available in the
docket where indicates under
ADDRESSES.
List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165
Harbors, Marine safety, Navigation
(water), Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Security measures,
Waterways.
■ For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, the Coast Guard amends 33
CFR part 165 as follows:
PART 165—REGULATED NAVIGATION
AREAS AND LIMITED ACCESS AREAS
1. The authority citation for part 165
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1226, 1231; 46 U.S.C.
Chapter 701, 3306, 3703; 50 U.S.C. 191, 195;
33 CFR 1.05–1, 6.04–1, 6.04–6, 160.5; Pub. L.
107–295, 116 Stat. 2064; Department of
Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1.
2. Add § 165.T07–1120 to read as
follows:
■
§ 165.T07–1120 Safety Zone; Flagler
Museum New Year’s Eve Celebration
fireworks display, West Palm Beach,
Florida.
(a) Regulated area. A temporary safety
zone is established for the Flagler
Museum New Year’s Eve Celebration
fireworks display in West Palm Beach,
Florida. The 370 yard radius safety zone
encompasses the waters surrounding the
fireworks barges. The approximate
positions for the two fireworks display
barges are 26°42′34″ N, 080°02′50″ W
and 26°42′33′ N, 080°02′47″ W.
(b) Definitions. The following
definitions apply to this section:
Designated representative means
Coast Guard Patrol Commanders,
including Coast Guard coxswains, petty
officers and other officers operating
Coast Guard vessels, and federal, state,
and local officers designated by or
assisting the Captain of the Port Miami,
Florida in the enforcement of regulated
navigation areas, safety zones, and
security zones.
(c) Regulations.
(1) In accordance with the general
regulations in § 165.23 of this part, no
person or vessel may anchor, moor or
transit a safety zone without permission
of the Captain of the Port Miami, Florida
or his designated representative. To
request permission to enter into a safety
zone, the Captain of the Port’s
designated representative may be
contacted on VHF channel 16.
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79641
(2) At the completion of scheduled
parade, and departure of participants
from the regulated area, the Coast Guard
Patrol Commander may permit traffic to
resume normal operations.
(d) Effective Dates. This rule is
effective from 11:55 p.m. on
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 to 1
a.m. on Thursday, January 1, 2009.
Dated: November 28, 2008.
J.O. Fitton,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the
Port, Miami, Florida.
[FR Doc. E8–30878 Filed 12–29–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, CORPS
OF ENGINEERS
33 CFR Part 323
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 232
[FRL–8757–7]
RIN 2040–AE96
Revisions to the Clean Water Act
Regulatory Definition of ‘‘Discharge of
Dredged Material’’; Final Rule
AGENCIES: U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Department of the Army,
DOD; and Environmental Protection
Agency.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (Corps) and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
(together, the ‘‘Agencies’’) are
promulgating a final rule to amend a
Clean Water Act (CWA) section 404
regulation that defines the term
‘‘discharge of dredged material.’’ This
action conforms the Corps’ and EPA’s
regulations to a court order invalidating
the January 17, 2001, amendments to
the regulatory definition (referred to as
the ‘‘Tulloch II’’ rule). This final rule
responds to the court decision by
deleting language from the regulation
that was invalidated.
DATES: Effective Date: December 30,
2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information on the final rule, contact
Rachel Fertik of EPA at
Fertik.Rachel@epa.gov or Jennifer
McCarthy of the Corps at
jennifer.l.mccarthy@usace.army.mil. For
questions on project-specific activities,
contact your local Corps District office.
Addresses and telephone numbers for
Corps District offices can be obtained
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from the Corps Regulatory Homepage at
https://www.usace.army.mil/inet/
functions/cw/cecwo/reg/district.htm. If
you do not have access to the Internet,
telephone numbers for Corps District
offices can be obtained by calling (202)
761–4614.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
A. Potentially Affected Entities
Persons or entities engaged in
discharging dredged material to waters
of the U.S. could be affected by this
rule. This final rule addresses the
regulatory definition of ‘‘discharge of
dredged material,’’ a term that is
important in determining what types of
activities do or do not require a CWA
section 404 permit. As described further
below, this action does not increase
regulatory burdens, but rather conforms
the language in our section 404
regulations to the outcome of a lawsuit
challenging the regulatory definition.
Examples of entities that might
potentially be affected include:
Category
State/Tribal governments or instrumentalities.
Local governments or
instrumentalities.
Industrial, commercial, or agricultural
entities.
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Land developers and
landowners.
Examples of potentially affected entities
State/tribal agencies
or instrumentalities
that discharge
dredged material to
waters of the U.S.
Local governments or
instrumentalities
that discharge
dredged material to
waters of the U.S.
Industrial, commercial, or agricultural
entities that discharge dredged
material to waters
of the U.S.
Land developers and
landowners that
discharge dredged
material to waters
of the U.S.
This table is not intended to be
exhaustive, but rather provides a guide
for readers regarding entities that are
likely to carry out activities affected by
this action. This table lists the types of
entities that the Agencies are now aware
of that carry out activities potentially
affected by this action. Other types of
entities not listed in the table could also
perform activities that are affected. To
determine whether your organization or
its activities are affected by this action,
you should carefully examine the
preamble discussion in section II of this
final rule. If you still have questions
regarding the applicability of this action
to a particular activity, consult the
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Corps District offices as listed in the
preceding FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section.
B. ‘‘Tulloch’’ Rules and Related
Litigation
Clean Water Act section 301 prohibits
the discharge of a pollutant into a water
of the United States, except as in
compliance with specified sections of
the CWA. 33 U.S.C. 1311(a). Among
these sections is CWA section 404,
which authorizes the Corps (or a state or
tribe with an authorized permitting
program) to issue permits for the
discharge of dredged or fill material into
waters of the U.S. Two states (New
Jersey and Michigan) have assumed the
CWA section 404 permitting program.
On August 25, 1993 (58 FR 45008),
the Agencies issued a regulation (the
‘‘Tulloch rule’’) defining the term
‘‘discharge of dredged material’’ to
include:
any addition, including any redeposit, of
dredged material, including excavated
material, into waters of the United States
which is incidental to any activity, including
mechanized landclearing, ditching,
channelization, or other excavation. 33 CFR
323.2(d)(1); 40 CFR 232.2.
The American Mining Congress and
several other trade associations
challenged this regulation. On January
23, 1997, the U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia ruled that the
regulation exceeded the Agencies’
authority under the CWA because it
impermissibly regulated ‘‘incidental
fallback’’ of dredged material. American
Mining Congress v. United States Army
Corps of Engineers, 951 F.Supp. 267,
272–76 (D.D.C. 1997). The court
concluded that incidental fallback is not
subject to the CWA as an ‘‘addition’’ of
pollutants, and declared the rule
‘‘invalid and set aside.’’ Id; 278. The
court also enjoined the agencies from
applying or enforcing the regulation. Id.
The government appealed the court’s
ruling, and, on June 19, 1998, the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit affirmed the district
court’s decision. National Mining
Association v. United States Army
Corps of Engineers, 145 F.3d 1339 (D.C.
Cir. 1998) (‘‘NMA’’).
The NMA court described incidental
fallback as ‘‘redeposit’’ of dredged
material that ‘‘takes place in
substantially the same spot as the initial
removal.’’ NMA, 145 F.3d at 1401. The
court further portrayed such fallback as
‘‘the situation in which material is
removed from the waters of the United
States and a small portion of it happens
to fall back,’’ and concluded that
because such fallback represents a net
withdrawal, it cannot constitute a
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regulable ‘‘addition’’ of a pollutant. Id.
at 1404. The NMA court did not,
however, conclude that all forms of
redeposit were outside the government’s
authority to regulate under CWA § 404:
‘‘We hold only that by asserting
jurisdiction over ‘any redeposit,’
including incidental fallback, the
Tulloch rule outruns the Corps’s
statutory authority.’’ Id. at 1405
(emphasis in original). The NMA court
noted, for example, that ‘‘redeposits at
some distance from the point of
removal,’’ could still be regulated. Id. at
1407, 1410 (Silberman, J., concurring).
On May 10, 1999, the Agencies issued
a final rule modifying our definition of
‘‘discharge of dredged material’’ in
response to the Court of Appeals’
decision to affirm the district court’s
order invalidating the Tulloch rule (64
FR 25120, 25123) (the ‘‘1999 Rule’’).
The 1999 Rule made those changes
necessary to conform the regulations to
these decisions. First, the rule deleted
use of the word ‘‘any’’ as a modifier of
the term ‘‘redeposit.’’ Second, the rule
expressly excluded ‘‘incidental
fallback’’ from the definition of
‘‘discharge of dredged material.’’ The
resulting definition was as follows:
(1) Except as provided below in paragraph
(2), the term discharge of dredged material
means any addition of dredged material into,
including redeposit of dredged material other
than incidental fallback within, the waters of
the United States. The term includes, but is
not limited to, the following:
(i) The addition of dredged material to a
specified discharge site located in waters of
the United States;
(ii) The runoff or overflow, associated with
a dredging operation, from a contained land
or water disposal area; and
(iii) Any addition, including redeposit
other than incidental fallback, of dredged
material, including excavated material, into
waters of the United States which is
incidental to any activity, including
mechanized landclearing, ditching,
channelization, or other excavation.
(2) The term discharge of dredged material
does not include the following:
(i) Discharges of pollutants into waters of
the United States resulting from the onshore
subsequent processing of dredged material
that is extracted for any commercial use
(other than fill). These discharges are subject
to section 402 of the Clean Water Act even
though the extraction and deposit of such
material may require a permit from the Corps
or applicable State.
(ii) Activities that involve only the cutting
or removing of vegetation above the ground
(e.g., mowing, rotary cutting, and
chainsawing) where the activity neither
substantially disturbs the root system nor
involves mechanized pushing, dragging, or
other similar activities that redeposit
excavated soil material.
(iii) Incidental fallback.
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40 CFR 232.2 (July 1, 1999)
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(Corresponding changes were also made
to Corps regulations at 33 CFR
323.2(d)(1), (2) (July 1, 1999).
As explained in the preamble to that
rulemaking, the determination whether
a particular redeposit of dredged
material in waters of the United States
requires a section 404 permit would be
done on a case-by-case basis, consistent
with our CWA authorities and
governing case law.
After the Agencies published the 1999
Rule, the National Association of Home
Builders (the ‘‘Home Builders’’) and
others filed a motion with the district
court that issued the AMC injunction
seeking to compel compliance with that
injunction. Home Builders’ motion,
among other things, asserted that the
1999 Rule violated the court’s
injunction by asserting unqualified
authority to regulate mechanized
landclearing. On September 13, 2000,
the district court denied Home Builders’
motion to compel compliance with the
AMC injunction, finding that the 1999
Rule was consistent with its decision
and injunction, and the decision of the
DC Circuit in NMA. American Mining
Congress v. U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, 120 F.Supp.2d 23, 29 (D.D.C.
2000). Specifically the court determined
that the 1999 Rule did not violate the
court’s injunction because that rule
‘‘eliminated § 404 jurisdiction over
incidental fallback, and removes the
language asserting jurisdiction over
‘any’ redeposit of dredged material.’’ Id.
EPA and the Corps proposed further
revisions to the definition of ‘‘discharge
of dredged material’’ in August 2000 (65
FR 50108), based on the Agencies’
understanding of language in the
relevant court decisions addressing
‘‘incidental fallback.’’ Following receipt
and analysis of public comments, EPA
and the Corps promulgated a final rule
in January 2001 (66 FR 4550). This
‘‘Tulloch II’’ rule retained the language
from the 1999 Rule excluding
‘‘incidental fallback’’ from regulation,
and added language defining
‘‘incidental fallback’’ as:
The redeposit of small volumes of dredged
material that is incidental to excavation
activity in waters of the United States when
such material falls back to substantially the
same place as the initial removal. Examples
of incidental fallback include soil that is
disturbed when dirt is shoveled and the
back-spill that comes off a bucket when such
small volume of soil or dirt falls into
substantially the same place from which it
was initially removed. (66 FR 4575)
(amending 33 CFR 323.2(d)(2)(ii), and 40 CFR
232.2(2)(ii)).
This Tulloch II rule also indicated
that
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The Corps and EPA regard the use of
mechanized earth-moving equipment to
conduct landclearing, ditching,
channelization, in-stream mining or other
earth-moving activity in waters of the United
States as resulting in a discharge of dredged
material unless project-specific evidence
shows that the activity results in only
incidental fallback. This paragraph ... does
not and is not intended to shift any burden
in any administrative or judicial proceeding
under the CWA. (66 FR 4575) (amending 33
CFR 323.2(d)(2)(i); 40 CFR 232.2(2)(i)).
In February 2001, NAHB filed a facial
challenge in the district court to the
Tulloch II rule, asserting that the
regulations create an impermissible
rebuttable presumption that all
unpermitted dredging results in
unlawful discharge, and alleging that
the rule exceeds the Corps’ CWA section
404 authority by defining ‘‘incidental
fallback’’ in terms of volume. The
district court initially dismissed these
claims as unripe in National Ass’n of
Homebulders v. U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, 311 F.Supp.2d 91 (D.D.C.
2004) (NAHB), but the Court of Appeals
for the DC Circuit reversed the district
court’s order dismissing the case and
remanded the case to the district court
for consideration of the merits. National
Ass’n of Homebulders v. U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, 440 F.3d 459 (2006).
In a January 2007 decision, the
district court held that the Tulloch II
rule violates the Clean Water Act
because of the way the rule used volume
to determine ‘‘incidental fallback.’’
NAHB, No. 01–0274 at 7, 10 (D.D.C. Jan.
30, 2007). The court stated that ‘‘[t]he
difference between incidental fallback
and redeposit is better understood in
terms of two other factors: (1) The time
the material is held before being
dropped to earth and (2) the distance
between the place where the material is
collected and the place where it is
dropped.’’ Id. at 7–8. The court also
criticized the rule for failing to specify
exactly when mechanized land clearing
would require a permit, since the Court
of Appeals has made clear ‘‘that not all
uses of mechanized earth-moving
equipment may be regulated.’’ Id. at 9.
The district court declared the Tulloch
II rule ‘‘invalid’’ and enjoined the
Agencies from enforcing the rule.
NAHB, No. 01–0274 Order at 1 (D.D.C.
Jan. 30, 2007).
II. This Final Rule
This final rule addresses the
regulatory definition of ‘‘discharge of
dredged material,’’ a term that is
important in determining whether an
activity requires a Clean Water Act
section 404 permit. Previous
amendments to the definition aimed to
better differentiate between regulable
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79643
redeposits of dredged material and
‘‘incidental fallback,’’ which is not
regulated under EPA or Corps
regulations. Consistent with the district
court’s 2007 NAHB order this rule
returns the definition of ‘‘discharge of
dredged material’’ to that which was
promulgated in the 1999 rule, as
described above. The definition outlines
several examples where a discharge
results in a regulable redeposit, but
specifically excludes ‘‘incidental
fallback’’ without defining that term. As
with the 1999 rule, deciding when a
particular redeposit of dredged material
is subject to Clean Water Act
jurisdiction will entail a case-by-case
evaluation, consistent with our Clean
Water Act authorities and governing
case law.
This rule conforms the language in
the Code of Federal Regulations with
the legal state of the regulations defining
‘‘discharge of dredged material’’
following the DC district court’s
decision invalidating the 2001
amendment to the regulations made by
the Tulloch II rule. The effect of the
district court’s 2007 NAHB order was to
reinstate the 1999 rule text. See
Georgetown Univ. Hosp. v. Bowen, 821
F.2d 750, 757 (D.C. Cir. 1987), aff’d 499
U.S. 2104 (1988) (‘‘the effect of
invalidating an agency rule is to
‘reinstat[e] the rules previously in
force.’ ’’). Before the Tulloch II rule was
promulgated in 2001, the regulations
governing discharges of dredged
material were last amended on May 10,
1999. The regulations in force following
the 1999 amendments, therefore, have
been reinstated by the court’s decision
on the Tulloch II rule. This rulemaking
is being undertaken so that the
published regulatory text will match the
regulations reinstated by the district
court’s 2007 NAHB order.
With one exception described below,
this final rule removes all changes to the
definition of ‘‘discharge of dredged
material’’ that had been made by the
Tulloch II rule and restores 33 CFR
323.2(d)(2) and 40 CFR 232.2 to the text
as it existed immediately following the
1999 Rule amendments. This means that
the definition of ‘‘incidental fallback’’ is
deleted from the regulation, as is the
language indicating that the agencies
‘‘regard’’ the use of mechanized earthmoving equipment as resulting in a
regulable discharge.
There is just one facet of the Tulloch
II rule that is not being reversed by this
final rule. The Tulloch II rule removed
a ‘‘grandfather’’ provision from the
regulations that had exempted from 404
permit requirements a limited class of
discharges. See 33 CFR 323.2(d)(3)(iii)
(1999) and 40 CFR 232.2(3)(iii) (1999).
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In issuing its decision in NAHB (2007),
the district court did not consider the
merits of this provision because it was
not at issue in the litigation. There is,
therefore, no reason to believe that the
court intended for the Agencies to
reinsert this provision into the
Agencies’ regulations when the court
declared the Tulloch II rule ‘‘invalid.’’
Moreover, this ‘‘grandfather’’ provision
expired—by its own express terms—in
1996, and it is the Agencies’ view that
this provision would not be meaningful
if included in the regulations. Indeed,
EPA received no comments on this
provision when the Agency proposed to
remove it from the CFR on August 16,
2000 (65 FR 50111, 50117), and it has
been absent from the regulations since
2001.
The ‘‘grandfather’’ provision, which is
not being added to the Agencies’
regulations in this final rule, stated that
section 404 authorization is not required
for the following activities:
Those discharges of dredged material
associated with ditching, channelization or
other excavation activities in waters of the
United States, including wetlands, for which
Section 404 authorization was not previously
required, as determined by the Corps district
in which the activity occurs or would occur,
provided [emphasis in original] that prior to
August 25, 1993, the excavation activity
commenced or was under contract to
commence work and that the activity will be
completed no later that August 25, 1994. This
provision does not apply to discharges
associated with mechanized landclearing.
For those excavation activities that occur on
an ongoing basis (either continuously or
periodically), e.g., mining operations, the
Corps retains the authority to grant, on a
case-by-case basis, an extension of this 12month grandfather provision provided that
the discharger has submitted to the Corps
within the 12-month period an individual
permit application seeking 404 authorization
for such excavation activity. In no event can
the grandfather period under this paragraph
extend beyond August 25, 1996.
See 33 CFR 323.2(d)(3)(iii) (1999), and
40 CFR 232.2(3)(iii) (1999).
III. Statutory and Executive Order
Reviews
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A. Findings Under 5 U.S.C. 553
Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. 553, agencies
generally are required to publish a
notice of proposed rulemaking and
provide an opportunity for the public to
comment on any substantive rulemaking
action. Notice is not required, however,
When the agency for good cause finds (and
incorporates the finding and a brief statement
of reasons therefore in the rules issued) that
notice and public procedure thereon are
impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the
public interest. 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B).
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This rule merely conforms the
language in our section 404 regulations
to the current status of those regulations
after the 2007 NAHB order and
injunction. The district court judgment
invalidated the changes made to the
regulatory definition of ‘‘discharge of
dredged material’’ promulgated on
January 17, 2001. By removing the
definition of ‘‘incidental fallback’’ and
the language indicating that the agencies
‘‘regard’’ the use of mechanized earthmoving equipment as resulting in a
regulable discharge, these revisions
conform the regulations to reflect the
legal status quo in light of the district
court’s January 30, 2007, order in the
NAHB case invalidating the Tulloch II
rule. Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(3)(B), we find that solicitation of
public comment is unnecessary.
To the extent EPA must find good
cause for declining to reinstate the
‘‘grandfather’’ clause described in
section II, above, the Agency finds such
good cause because it is unnecessary to
seek comment to exclude meaningless
provisions from the regulations.
Under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(1) and (3), rules
must be published at least 30 days prior
to their effective date, except where the
rule ‘‘grants or recognizes an exemption
or relieves a restriction,’’ or where
justified by the agency for ‘‘good cause.’’
The good cause rationale presented in
the preceding paragraph also applies
herein. Because this final rule simply
conforms the published regulatory text
with the applicable regulations
following the district court’s January 30,
2007 order in the NAHB case, the
Agencies have good cause to make this
rule effective immediately.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act
This final rule does not impose an
information collection burden under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction
Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Burden is
defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b). This is
because it merely conforms the
definition of ‘‘discharge of dredged
material’’ to reflect the district court’s
January 30, 2007, order in the NAHB
case. It does not establish or modify any
information reporting, or record-keeping
requirements, and therefore is not
subject to the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act.
C. Other Statutes and Executive Orders
This final rule does not establish any
new requirements, mandates or
procedures. As explained above, this
rule merely conforms the regulations’
definition of ‘‘discharge of dredged
material’’ to reflect the judicial decision
in the NAHB case and associated
January 30, 2007, order. Because this
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final rule is a ‘‘housekeeping’’ measure
undertaken to conform the regulatory
language to that judicial determination,
it does not result in any additional or
new regulatory requirements.
Accordingly, it has been determined
that this rule is not a ‘‘significant
regulatory action’’ under Executive
Order 12866, and therefore is not
subject to review by the Office of
Management and Budget. In addition,
this action does not impose any
enforceable duty, contain any unfunded
mandate, or impose any significant or
unique impact on small governments as
described in the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4).
This rule also does not impose any
federalism requirements or require prior
consultation with tribal government
officials as specified by Executive Order
13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999)
or Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249,
November 9, 2000). This rule does not
involve special consideration of
environmental justice-related issues as
required by Executive Order 12898 (59
FR 7629, February 16, 1994). This rule
is not subject to Executive Order 13211
(66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001) because it
is not a significant regulatory action
under Executive Order 12866. Because
this action is not subject to notice-andcomment requirements under the APA
or any other statute, and because it does
not impose any new requirements on
small entities, it is not subject to the
regulatory flexibility provisions of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601
et seq.) This rule is not subject to
Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885,
April 23, 1997) because it is not
economically significant as defined
under Executive Order 12866. Further,
this final rule is not subject to Executive
Order 13045 because it does not
establish an environmental standard
intended to mitigate health or safety
risks. Because this final rule does not
involve technical standards, EPA did
not consider the use of any voluntary
consensus standards. Therefore, this
rule is not subject to section 12(d) of the
National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act of 1995, Public Law
No. 104–113, § 12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272
note).
The Congressional Review Act (CRA),
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. Section 808 allows
the issuing agency to make a rule
E:\FR\FM\30DER1.SGM
30DER1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 250 / Tuesday, December 30, 2008 / Rules and Regulations
effective sooner than otherwise
provided by the CRA if the agency
makes a good cause finding that notice
and public procedure is impracticable,
unnecessary or contrary to the public
interest. This determination must be
supported by a brief statement. 5 U.S.C.
808(2). As stated previously, we have
made such a good cause finding,
including the reasons stated, and
established an effective date of [Date of
Publication]. Therefore, the Agencies
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 this rule in the Federal
Register. This action is not a ‘‘major
rule’’ as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
■
■
List of Subjects
[FR Doc. E8–30984 Filed 12–29–08; 8:45 am]
33 CFR Part 323
Navigation, Water Pollution Control,
Waterways.
40 CFR Part 232
Environmental Protection, Wetlands,
Water Pollution Control.
Dated: December 19, 2008.
John Paul Woodley, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works),
Department of the Army.
Dated: December 19, 2008.
Stephen L. Johnson,
Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
In consideration of the foregoing, 33
CFR part 323 and 40 CFR part 232 are
amended as set forth below:
■
PART 323—[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 323
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1344.
2. Amend § 323.2 as follows:
a. Remove paragraph (d)(2).
b. In paragraph (d)(1) introductory
text, remove the words ‘‘paragraph
(d)(3)’’ and add, in their place, the
words ‘‘paragraph (d)(2)’’.
■ c. Redesignate paragraphs (d)(3)
through (d)(6) as paragraphs (d)(2)
through (d)(5), respectively.
■ d. In the newly redesignated
paragraph (d)(3), in the first sentence of
paragraph (d)(3)(i) remove each time
they appear the words ‘‘paragraphs
(d)(5) and (d)(6)’’ and add, in their
place, the words ‘‘paragraphs (d)(4) and
(d)(5)’’.
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with RULES
■
■
■
PART 232—[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 232
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1344.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
23:31 Dec 29, 2008
Jkt 217001
2. Amend § 232.2 as follows:
a. In the definition of ‘‘Discharge of
dredged material’’, remove paragraph
(2).
■ b. In paragraph (1) of the definition of
‘‘Discharge of dredged material’’,
remove the words ‘‘paragraph (3)’’ and
add, in their place, the words
‘‘paragraph (2)’’.
■ c. Redesignate paragraphs (3) through
(6) as paragraphs (2) through (5),
respectively.
■ d. In the newly redesignated
paragraph (3) of the definition of
‘‘Discharge of dredged material’’, in the
first sentence of paragraph (3)(i) remove
each time they appear the words
‘‘paragraphs (5) and (6)’’ and add, in
their place, the words ‘‘paragraphs (4)
and (5)’’.
BILLING CODE 3710–KF–P
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
38 CFR Part 21
RIN 2900–AM67
Increase in Rates Payable Under the
Survivors’ and Dependents’
Educational Assistance Program and
Other Miscellaneous Issues
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Final rule.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: This document amends
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
regulations to reflect increases effective
for fiscal years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008,
and 2009, respectively, in the monthly
rates payable under the Survivors’ and
Dependents’ Educational Assistance
(DEA) program in accordance with
statutory requirements and previously
established formulas; a change in the
formula used to calculate entitlement
charges for individuals pursuing
apprenticeship or other on-job training
in accordance with the Veterans
Benefits Improvement Act of 2004; and
nonsubstantive changes for the purpose
of clarity and to reflect agency
organization.
DATES: Effective Date: This final rule is
effective December 30, 2008.
Applicability Dates: For information
concerning the dates of applicability for
certain provisions, see the
Supplementary Information section of
this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brandye R. Terrell, Regulation
Development Team Leader (225C),
Education Service, Veterans Benefits
Administration, Department of Veterans
PO 00000
Frm 00055
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
79645
Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20420, (202) 461–9822.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Increase in Monthly Rates Payable
Under the Survivors’ and Dependents’
Educational Assistance Program
Under the formula mandated by 38
U.S.C. 3564, the monthly rates of basic
educational assistance payable under
the Survivors’ and Dependents’
Educational Assistance (DEA) program
must be increased by the percentage by
which the total monthly Consumer Price
Index-W for the 12-month period ending
on June 30 preceding the fiscal year (FY)
during which the increase is applicable
exceeds the Consumer Price Index-W for
the 12-month period ending on June 30
preceding the previous FY. Using this
formula, VA calculated a 2 percent
increase for FY 2005, a 3 percent
increase for FY 2006, a 4 percent
increase for FY 2007, a 2.5 percent
increase for FY 2008, and a 3.9 percent
increase for FY 2009.
Public Law 91–219 authorized
monthly educational assistance
payments for eligible persons pursuing
training at less than half time. Since the
effective date of that public law,
February 1, 1970, students pursuing a
program of education at less than onehalf time but more than one-quarter
time have had their payments limited to
the prorated amount of tuition and fees
not to exceed the half-time rate.
Similarly, students pursuing a program
of education at one-quarter time or less
have had their payments limited to the
prorated amount of tuition and fees not
to exceed 25 percent of the full-time
institutional rate. The monthly rates of
basic educational assistance for students
pursuing a program of education at less
than half time are increased in
accordance with the provisions of this
paragraph, and this document makes
changes in the regulations accordingly.
The entitlement charge for
correspondence courses is based on the
monthly rates of basic educational
assistance. Hence, the amount used to
determine entitlement charge for
correspondence courses is increased by
2 percent for FY 2005, 3 percent for FY
2006, 4 percent for FY 2007, 2.5 percent
for FY 2008, and 3.9 percent for FY
2009, consistent with the adjustments in
the monthly rates of basic educational
assistance discussed above.
The increases in the DEA rates are
applied in accordance with the
applicable statutory provisions
discussed above. Thus, VA began
paying the increases for FY 2005, 2006,
2007, and 2008 effective for training
pursued on or after October 1, 2004,
October 1, 2005, October 1, 2006, and
E:\FR\FM\30DER1.SGM
30DER1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 250 (Tuesday, December 30, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 79641-79645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30984]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS
33 CFR Part 323
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 232
[FRL-8757-7]
RIN 2040-AE96
Revisions to the Clean Water Act Regulatory Definition of
``Discharge of Dredged Material''; Final Rule
AGENCIES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, DOD;
and Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) (together, the ``Agencies'') are promulgating a
final rule to amend a Clean Water Act (CWA) section 404 regulation that
defines the term ``discharge of dredged material.'' This action
conforms the Corps' and EPA's regulations to a court order invalidating
the January 17, 2001, amendments to the regulatory definition (referred
to as the ``Tulloch II'' rule). This final rule responds to the court
decision by deleting language from the regulation that was invalidated.
DATES: Effective Date: December 30, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the final rule,
contact Rachel Fertik of EPA at Fertik.Rachel@epa.gov or Jennifer
McCarthy of the Corps at jennifer.l.mccarthy@usace.army.mil. For
questions on project-specific activities, contact your local Corps
District office. Addresses and telephone numbers for Corps District
offices can be obtained
[[Page 79642]]
from the Corps Regulatory Homepage at https://www.usace.army.mil/inet/
functions/cw/cecwo/reg/district.htm. If you do not have access to the
Internet, telephone numbers for Corps District offices can be obtained
by calling (202) 761-4614.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
A. Potentially Affected Entities
Persons or entities engaged in discharging dredged material to
waters of the U.S. could be affected by this rule. This final rule
addresses the regulatory definition of ``discharge of dredged
material,'' a term that is important in determining what types of
activities do or do not require a CWA section 404 permit. As described
further below, this action does not increase regulatory burdens, but
rather conforms the language in our section 404 regulations to the
outcome of a lawsuit challenging the regulatory definition. Examples of
entities that might potentially be affected include:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Examples of potentially
Category affected entities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
State/Tribal governments or State/tribal agencies or
instrumentalities. instrumentalities that
discharge dredged material
to waters of the U.S.
Local governments or instrumentalities.... Local governments or
instrumentalities that
discharge dredged material
to waters of the U.S.
Industrial, commercial, or agricultural Industrial, commercial, or
entities. agricultural entities that
discharge dredged material
to waters of the U.S.
Land developers and landowners............ Land developers and
landowners that discharge
dredged material to waters
of the U.S.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This table is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a
guide for readers regarding entities that are likely to carry out
activities affected by this action. This table lists the types of
entities that the Agencies are now aware of that carry out activities
potentially affected by this action. Other types of entities not listed
in the table could also perform activities that are affected. To
determine whether your organization or its activities are affected by
this action, you should carefully examine the preamble discussion in
section II of this final rule. If you still have questions regarding
the applicability of this action to a particular activity, consult the
Corps District offices as listed in the preceding FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section.
B. ``Tulloch'' Rules and Related Litigation
Clean Water Act section 301 prohibits the discharge of a pollutant
into a water of the United States, except as in compliance with
specified sections of the CWA. 33 U.S.C. 1311(a). Among these sections
is CWA section 404, which authorizes the Corps (or a state or tribe
with an authorized permitting program) to issue permits for the
discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S. Two
states (New Jersey and Michigan) have assumed the CWA section 404
permitting program.
On August 25, 1993 (58 FR 45008), the Agencies issued a regulation
(the ``Tulloch rule'') defining the term ``discharge of dredged
material'' to include:
any addition, including any redeposit, of dredged material,
including excavated material, into waters of the United States which
is incidental to any activity, including mechanized landclearing,
ditching, channelization, or other excavation. 33 CFR 323.2(d)(1);
40 CFR 232.2.
The American Mining Congress and several other trade associations
challenged this regulation. On January 23, 1997, the U.S. District
Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the regulation exceeded
the Agencies' authority under the CWA because it impermissibly
regulated ``incidental fallback'' of dredged material. American Mining
Congress v. United States Army Corps of Engineers, 951 F.Supp. 267,
272-76 (D.D.C. 1997). The court concluded that incidental fallback is
not subject to the CWA as an ``addition'' of pollutants, and declared
the rule ``invalid and set aside.'' Id; 278. The court also enjoined
the agencies from applying or enforcing the regulation. Id. The
government appealed the court's ruling, and, on June 19, 1998, the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed the
district court's decision. National Mining Association v. United States
Army Corps of Engineers, 145 F.3d 1339 (D.C. Cir. 1998) (``NMA'').
The NMA court described incidental fallback as ``redeposit'' of
dredged material that ``takes place in substantially the same spot as
the initial removal.'' NMA, 145 F.3d at 1401. The court further
portrayed such fallback as ``the situation in which material is removed
from the waters of the United States and a small portion of it happens
to fall back,'' and concluded that because such fallback represents a
net withdrawal, it cannot constitute a regulable ``addition'' of a
pollutant. Id. at 1404. The NMA court did not, however, conclude that
all forms of redeposit were outside the government's authority to
regulate under CWA Sec. 404: ``We hold only that by asserting
jurisdiction over `any redeposit,' including incidental fallback, the
Tulloch rule outruns the Corps's statutory authority.'' Id. at 1405
(emphasis in original). The NMA court noted, for example, that
``redeposits at some distance from the point of removal,'' could still
be regulated. Id. at 1407, 1410 (Silberman, J., concurring).
On May 10, 1999, the Agencies issued a final rule modifying our
definition of ``discharge of dredged material'' in response to the
Court of Appeals' decision to affirm the district court's order
invalidating the Tulloch rule (64 FR 25120, 25123) (the ``1999 Rule'').
The 1999 Rule made those changes necessary to conform the regulations
to these decisions. First, the rule deleted use of the word ``any'' as
a modifier of the term ``redeposit.'' Second, the rule expressly
excluded ``incidental fallback'' from the definition of ``discharge of
dredged material.'' The resulting definition was as follows:
(1) Except as provided below in paragraph (2), the term
discharge of dredged material means any addition of dredged material
into, including redeposit of dredged material other than incidental
fallback within, the waters of the United States. The term includes,
but is not limited to, the following:
(i) The addition of dredged material to a specified discharge
site located in waters of the United States;
(ii) The runoff or overflow, associated with a dredging
operation, from a contained land or water disposal area; and
(iii) Any addition, including redeposit other than incidental
fallback, of dredged material, including excavated material, into
waters of the United States which is incidental to any activity,
including mechanized landclearing, ditching, channelization, or
other excavation.
(2) The term discharge of dredged material does not include the
following:
(i) Discharges of pollutants into waters of the United States
resulting from the onshore subsequent processing of dredged material
that is extracted for any commercial use (other than fill). These
discharges are subject to section 402 of the Clean Water Act even
though the extraction and deposit of such material may require a
permit from the Corps or applicable State.
(ii) Activities that involve only the cutting or removing of
vegetation above the ground (e.g., mowing, rotary cutting, and
chainsawing) where the activity neither substantially disturbs the
root system nor involves mechanized pushing, dragging, or other
similar activities that redeposit excavated soil material.
(iii) Incidental fallback.
[[Page 79643]]
40 CFR 232.2 (July 1, 1999)
(Corresponding changes were also made to Corps regulations at 33 CFR
323.2(d)(1), (2) (July 1, 1999).
As explained in the preamble to that rulemaking, the determination
whether a particular redeposit of dredged material in waters of the
United States requires a section 404 permit would be done on a case-by-
case basis, consistent with our CWA authorities and governing case law.
After the Agencies published the 1999 Rule, the National
Association of Home Builders (the ``Home Builders'') and others filed a
motion with the district court that issued the AMC injunction seeking
to compel compliance with that injunction. Home Builders' motion, among
other things, asserted that the 1999 Rule violated the court's
injunction by asserting unqualified authority to regulate mechanized
landclearing. On September 13, 2000, the district court denied Home
Builders' motion to compel compliance with the AMC injunction, finding
that the 1999 Rule was consistent with its decision and injunction, and
the decision of the DC Circuit in NMA. American Mining Congress v. U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, 120 F.Supp.2d 23, 29 (D.D.C. 2000).
Specifically the court determined that the 1999 Rule did not violate
the court's injunction because that rule ``eliminated Sec. 404
jurisdiction over incidental fallback, and removes the language
asserting jurisdiction over `any' redeposit of dredged material.'' Id.
EPA and the Corps proposed further revisions to the definition of
``discharge of dredged material'' in August 2000 (65 FR 50108), based
on the Agencies' understanding of language in the relevant court
decisions addressing ``incidental fallback.'' Following receipt and
analysis of public comments, EPA and the Corps promulgated a final rule
in January 2001 (66 FR 4550). This ``Tulloch II'' rule retained the
language from the 1999 Rule excluding ``incidental fallback'' from
regulation, and added language defining ``incidental fallback'' as:
The redeposit of small volumes of dredged material that is
incidental to excavation activity in waters of the United States
when such material falls back to substantially the same place as the
initial removal. Examples of incidental fallback include soil that
is disturbed when dirt is shoveled and the back-spill that comes off
a bucket when such small volume of soil or dirt falls into
substantially the same place from which it was initially removed.
(66 FR 4575) (amending 33 CFR 323.2(d)(2)(ii), and 40 CFR
232.2(2)(ii)).
This Tulloch II rule also indicated that
The Corps and EPA regard the use of mechanized earth-moving
equipment to conduct landclearing, ditching, channelization, in-
stream mining or other earth-moving activity in waters of the United
States as resulting in a discharge of dredged material unless
project-specific evidence shows that the activity results in only
incidental fallback. This paragraph ... does not and is not intended
to shift any burden in any administrative or judicial proceeding
under the CWA. (66 FR 4575) (amending 33 CFR 323.2(d)(2)(i); 40 CFR
232.2(2)(i)).
In February 2001, NAHB filed a facial challenge in the district
court to the Tulloch II rule, asserting that the regulations create an
impermissible rebuttable presumption that all unpermitted dredging
results in unlawful discharge, and alleging that the rule exceeds the
Corps' CWA section 404 authority by defining ``incidental fallback'' in
terms of volume. The district court initially dismissed these claims as
unripe in National Ass'n of Homebulders v. U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, 311 F.Supp.2d 91 (D.D.C. 2004) (NAHB), but the Court of
Appeals for the DC Circuit reversed the district court's order
dismissing the case and remanded the case to the district court for
consideration of the merits. National Ass'n of Homebulders v. U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, 440 F.3d 459 (2006).
In a January 2007 decision, the district court held that the
Tulloch II rule violates the Clean Water Act because of the way the
rule used volume to determine ``incidental fallback.'' NAHB, No. 01-
0274 at 7, 10 (D.D.C. Jan. 30, 2007). The court stated that ``[t]he
difference between incidental fallback and redeposit is better
understood in terms of two other factors: (1) The time the material is
held before being dropped to earth and (2) the distance between the
place where the material is collected and the place where it is
dropped.'' Id. at 7-8. The court also criticized the rule for failing
to specify exactly when mechanized land clearing would require a
permit, since the Court of Appeals has made clear ``that not all uses
of mechanized earth-moving equipment may be regulated.'' Id. at 9. The
district court declared the Tulloch II rule ``invalid'' and enjoined
the Agencies from enforcing the rule. NAHB, No. 01-0274 Order at 1
(D.D.C. Jan. 30, 2007).
II. This Final Rule
This final rule addresses the regulatory definition of ``discharge
of dredged material,'' a term that is important in determining whether
an activity requires a Clean Water Act section 404 permit. Previous
amendments to the definition aimed to better differentiate between
regulable redeposits of dredged material and ``incidental fallback,''
which is not regulated under EPA or Corps regulations. Consistent with
the district court's 2007 NAHB order this rule returns the definition
of ``discharge of dredged material'' to that which was promulgated in
the 1999 rule, as described above. The definition outlines several
examples where a discharge results in a regulable redeposit, but
specifically excludes ``incidental fallback'' without defining that
term. As with the 1999 rule, deciding when a particular redeposit of
dredged material is subject to Clean Water Act jurisdiction will entail
a case-by-case evaluation, consistent with our Clean Water Act
authorities and governing case law.
This rule conforms the language in the Code of Federal Regulations
with the legal state of the regulations defining ``discharge of dredged
material'' following the DC district court's decision invalidating the
2001 amendment to the regulations made by the Tulloch II rule. The
effect of the district court's 2007 NAHB order was to reinstate the
1999 rule text. See Georgetown Univ. Hosp. v. Bowen, 821 F.2d 750, 757
(D.C. Cir. 1987), aff'd 499 U.S. 2104 (1988) (``the effect of
invalidating an agency rule is to `reinstat[e] the rules previously in
force.' ''). Before the Tulloch II rule was promulgated in 2001, the
regulations governing discharges of dredged material were last amended
on May 10, 1999. The regulations in force following the 1999
amendments, therefore, have been reinstated by the court's decision on
the Tulloch II rule. This rulemaking is being undertaken so that the
published regulatory text will match the regulations reinstated by the
district court's 2007 NAHB order.
With one exception described below, this final rule removes all
changes to the definition of ``discharge of dredged material'' that had
been made by the Tulloch II rule and restores 33 CFR 323.2(d)(2) and 40
CFR 232.2 to the text as it existed immediately following the 1999 Rule
amendments. This means that the definition of ``incidental fallback''
is deleted from the regulation, as is the language indicating that the
agencies ``regard'' the use of mechanized earth-moving equipment as
resulting in a regulable discharge.
There is just one facet of the Tulloch II rule that is not being
reversed by this final rule. The Tulloch II rule removed a
``grandfather'' provision from the regulations that had exempted from
404 permit requirements a limited class of discharges. See 33 CFR
323.2(d)(3)(iii) (1999) and 40 CFR 232.2(3)(iii) (1999).
[[Page 79644]]
In issuing its decision in NAHB (2007), the district court did not
consider the merits of this provision because it was not at issue in
the litigation. There is, therefore, no reason to believe that the
court intended for the Agencies to reinsert this provision into the
Agencies' regulations when the court declared the Tulloch II rule
``invalid.'' Moreover, this ``grandfather'' provision expired--by its
own express terms--in 1996, and it is the Agencies' view that this
provision would not be meaningful if included in the regulations.
Indeed, EPA received no comments on this provision when the Agency
proposed to remove it from the CFR on August 16, 2000 (65 FR 50111,
50117), and it has been absent from the regulations since 2001.
The ``grandfather'' provision, which is not being added to the
Agencies' regulations in this final rule, stated that section 404
authorization is not required for the following activities:
Those discharges of dredged material associated with ditching,
channelization or other excavation activities in waters of the
United States, including wetlands, for which Section 404
authorization was not previously required, as determined by the
Corps district in which the activity occurs or would occur, provided
[emphasis in original] that prior to August 25, 1993, the excavation
activity commenced or was under contract to commence work and that
the activity will be completed no later that August 25, 1994. This
provision does not apply to discharges associated with mechanized
landclearing. For those excavation activities that occur on an
ongoing basis (either continuously or periodically), e.g., mining
operations, the Corps retains the authority to grant, on a case-by-
case basis, an extension of this 12-month grandfather provision
provided that the discharger has submitted to the Corps within the
12-month period an individual permit application seeking 404
authorization for such excavation activity. In no event can the
grandfather period under this paragraph extend beyond August 25,
1996.
See 33 CFR 323.2(d)(3)(iii) (1999), and 40 CFR 232.2(3)(iii)
(1999).
III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
A. Findings Under 5 U.S.C. 553
Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. 553,
agencies generally are required to publish a notice of proposed
rulemaking and provide an opportunity for the public to comment on any
substantive rulemaking action. Notice is not required, however,
When the agency for good cause finds (and incorporates the
finding and a brief statement of reasons therefore in the rules
issued) that notice and public procedure thereon are impracticable,
unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(3)(B).
This rule merely conforms the language in our section 404
regulations to the current status of those regulations after the 2007
NAHB order and injunction. The district court judgment invalidated the
changes made to the regulatory definition of ``discharge of dredged
material'' promulgated on January 17, 2001. By removing the definition
of ``incidental fallback'' and the language indicating that the
agencies ``regard'' the use of mechanized earth-moving equipment as
resulting in a regulable discharge, these revisions conform the
regulations to reflect the legal status quo in light of the district
court's January 30, 2007, order in the NAHB case invalidating the
Tulloch II rule. Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), we find
that solicitation of public comment is unnecessary.
To the extent EPA must find good cause for declining to reinstate
the ``grandfather'' clause described in section II, above, the Agency
finds such good cause because it is unnecessary to seek comment to
exclude meaningless provisions from the regulations.
Under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(1) and (3), rules must be published at least
30 days prior to their effective date, except where the rule ``grants
or recognizes an exemption or relieves a restriction,'' or where
justified by the agency for ``good cause.'' The good cause rationale
presented in the preceding paragraph also applies herein. Because this
final rule simply conforms the published regulatory text with the
applicable regulations following the district court's January 30, 2007
order in the NAHB case, the Agencies have good cause to make this rule
effective immediately.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act
This final rule does not impose an information collection burden
under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et
seq. Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.3(b). This is because it merely
conforms the definition of ``discharge of dredged material'' to reflect
the district court's January 30, 2007, order in the NAHB case. It does
not establish or modify any information reporting, or record-keeping
requirements, and therefore is not subject to the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act.
C. Other Statutes and Executive Orders
This final rule does not establish any new requirements, mandates
or procedures. As explained above, this rule merely conforms the
regulations' definition of ``discharge of dredged material'' to reflect
the judicial decision in the NAHB case and associated January 30, 2007,
order. Because this final rule is a ``housekeeping'' measure undertaken
to conform the regulatory language to that judicial determination, it
does not result in any additional or new regulatory requirements.
Accordingly, it has been determined that this rule is not a
``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866, and
therefore is not subject to review by the Office of Management and
Budget. In addition, this action does not impose any enforceable duty,
contain any unfunded mandate, or impose any significant or unique
impact on small governments as described in the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4). This rule also does not impose any
federalism requirements or require prior consultation with tribal
government officials as specified by Executive Order 13132 (64 FR
43255, August 10, 1999) or Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November
9, 2000). This rule does not involve special consideration of
environmental justice-related issues as required by Executive Order
12898 (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994). This rule is not subject to
Executive Order 13211 (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001) because it is not a
significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866. Because this
action is not subject to notice-and-comment requirements under the APA
or any other statute, and because it does not impose any new
requirements on small entities, it is not subject to the regulatory
flexibility provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601
et seq.) This rule is not subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR
19885, April 23, 1997) because it is not economically significant as
defined under Executive Order 12866. Further, this final rule is not
subject to Executive Order 13045 because it does not establish an
environmental standard intended to mitigate health or safety risks.
Because this final rule does not involve technical standards, EPA did
not consider the use of any voluntary consensus standards. Therefore,
this rule is not subject to section 12(d) of the National Technology
Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995, Public Law No. 104-113, Sec.
12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272 note).
The Congressional Review Act (CRA), 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. Section 808 allows the issuing agency to
make a rule
[[Page 79645]]
effective sooner than otherwise provided by the CRA if the agency makes
a good cause finding that notice and public procedure is impracticable,
unnecessary or contrary to the public interest. This determination must
be supported by a brief statement. 5 U.S.C. 808(2). As stated
previously, we have made such a good cause finding, including the
reasons stated, and established an effective date of [Date of
Publication]. Therefore, the Agencies 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 this rule in the Federal Register. This
action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
List of Subjects
33 CFR Part 323
Navigation, Water Pollution Control, Waterways.
40 CFR Part 232
Environmental Protection, Wetlands, Water Pollution Control.
Dated: December 19, 2008.
John Paul Woodley, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), Department of the Army.
Dated: December 19, 2008.
Stephen L. Johnson,
Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
0
In consideration of the foregoing, 33 CFR part 323 and 40 CFR part 232
are amended as set forth below:
PART 323--[AMENDED]
0
1. The authority citation for part 323 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1344.
0
2. Amend Sec. 323.2 as follows:
0
a. Remove paragraph (d)(2).
0
b. In paragraph (d)(1) introductory text, remove the words ``paragraph
(d)(3)'' and add, in their place, the words ``paragraph (d)(2)''.
0
c. Redesignate paragraphs (d)(3) through (d)(6) as paragraphs (d)(2)
through (d)(5), respectively.
0
d. In the newly redesignated paragraph (d)(3), in the first sentence of
paragraph (d)(3)(i) remove each time they appear the words ``paragraphs
(d)(5) and (d)(6)'' and add, in their place, the words ``paragraphs
(d)(4) and (d)(5)''.
PART 232--[AMENDED]
0
1. The authority citation for part 232 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1344.
0
2. Amend Sec. 232.2 as follows:
0
a. In the definition of ``Discharge of dredged material'', remove
paragraph (2).
0
b. In paragraph (1) of the definition of ``Discharge of dredged
material'', remove the words ``paragraph (3)'' and add, in their place,
the words ``paragraph (2)''.
0
c. Redesignate paragraphs (3) through (6) as paragraphs (2) through
(5), respectively.
0
d. In the newly redesignated paragraph (3) of the definition of
``Discharge of dredged material'', in the first sentence of paragraph
(3)(i) remove each time they appear the words ``paragraphs (5) and
(6)'' and add, in their place, the words ``paragraphs (4) and (5)''.
[FR Doc. E8-30984 Filed 12-29-08; 8:45 am]
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