Extension of Public Comment Period for the Draft EPA-USGS Technical Report: Protecting Aquatic Life From Effects of Hydrologic Alteration, 21863-21864 [2016-08491]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 71 / Wednesday, April 13, 2016 / Notices FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Newton Tedder, Stormwater and Construction Permits Section OEP 06–4, Environmental Protection Agency, 5 Post Office Square—Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts 02109–3912; 617–918– 1038; tedder.newton@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES General Information EPA is reissuing three final NPDES permits for discharges of stormwater from small MS4s to certain waters within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The three general permits are: MAR041000—Traditional cities and towns MAR042000—Non-traditional state, federal, county, and other publicly owned MS4s MAR043000—Non-traditional transportation MS4s While these are technically distinct permits, for convenience they have been grouped into a single document and this document refers to the ‘‘permit’’ in the singular. The final general permit, appendices and attachments, as well as response to comments on the draft permit and supplemental fact sheet information are available at https:// www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/ stormwater/MS4_MA.html. The conditions in the general permit are established pursuant to Clean Water Act (CWA) section 402(p)(3)(iii) to ensure that pollutant discharges from small MS4s are reduced to the Maximum Extent Practicable (MEP), protect water quality, and satisfy the appropriate requirements of the CWA. Further information on the requirements of the permit related to MEP and water quality may be found in EPA’s Response to Comments document on the above Web site. EPA issued a final general permit to address stormwater discharges from small MS4s in Massachusetts and New Hampshire on May 1, 2003. The 2003 general permit required small MS4 operators to develop and implement a Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) designed to control pollutants to the maximum extent practicable and protect water quality. This final general permit for Massachusetts MS4s builds on the requirements of the 2003 general permit. During 2010, EPA drafted two separate Small MS4 general permits to replace the 2003 Small MS4 permit for eligible operators located in Massachusetts; one for operators located in the North Coastal watershed and the other for those located in the Interstate, Merrimack and South Coastal watersheds. Based on comments and VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:41 Apr 12, 2016 Jkt 238001 information gathered while developing responses, EPA modified the initial draft general permits and issued a draft permit covering all eligible operators in Massachusetts pursuant to 40 CFR 124.6. EPA took public comments on this draft permit from September 30, 2014 to February 27, 2015. EPA received over 150 unique written letters and oral comments on the draft permit. Concurrent with the release of the final permit and supplemental materials EPA will make available a Response to Comments received on the draft permit. The Response to Comments will be available on the EPA Web site listed above. Changes to the permit resulting from public comments include, but are not limited to: Reduction of certain reporting requirements and metrics, reorganization of certain requirements for clarity, and extension of deadlines for certain required tasks and reports within the permit. Obtaining Authorization In order for a small MS4 operator to obtain authorization to discharge, it must submit a complete and accurate NOI containing the information in Appendix E of the general permit. The NOI must be submitted on or before September 29, 2017 (90 days from the effective date of the final permit). A small MS4 operator must meet the eligibility requirements of the general permit found in Part 1.2 and Part 1.9 prior to submission of its NOI. A small MS4 operator will be authorized to discharge under the permit upon receipt of written notice from EPA following a public notice of the submitted NOI. EPA will authorize the discharge, request additional information, or require the small MS4 to apply for an alternative permit or an individual permit. NOIs may be submitted electronically to EPA at stormwater.reports@epa.gov or sent via regular or overnight mail to: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Stormwater and Construction Permits Section OEP 06–1, 5 Post Office Square—Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts 02109–3912. A copy of the NOI shall also be sent to MassDEP at the following address: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, One Winter Street—5th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 ATTN: Frederick Civian, Stormwater Coordinator. Other Legal Requirements In accordance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), EPA has updated the provisions and necessary actions and documentation related to potential impacts to endangered species from discharges and related actions under the PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 21863 Massachusetts small MS4 general permit. EPA has obtained concurrence from the appropriate federal services (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service) regarding the requirements of this general permit. In accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, EPA has established provisions and documentation requirements for operators seeking coverage under the Massachusetts small MS4 general permit to ensure that discharges or actions taken under this permit will not adversely affect historic properties and places. Authority: This action is being taken under the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq. Dated: April 4, 2016. H. Curtis Spalding, Regional Administrator, Region 1. [FR Doc. 2016–08503 Filed 4–12–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OW–2015–0335; FRL–9944–91– OW] Extension of Public Comment Period for the Draft EPA–USGS Technical Report: Protecting Aquatic Life From Effects of Hydrologic Alteration Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice; extension of comment period. AGENCY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the comment period for the draft technical report: Protecting Aquatic Life from Effects of Hydrologic Alteration. In response to stakeholder requests, the comment period will be extended for an additional 45 days, from May 3, 2016 to June 17, 2016. DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 17, 2016. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OW–2015–0335, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\13APN1.SGM 13APN1 21864 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 71 / Wednesday, April 13, 2016 / Notices accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit https:// www2.epa.gov/dockets/commentingepa-dockets. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diana Eignor, Health and Ecological Criteria Division, Office of Water (Mail Code 4304T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566–1143; email address: eignor.diana@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 1, 2016 (81 FR 10620), EPA and United States Geological Survey (USGS) announced the availability of the draft technical report: Protecting Aquatic Life from Effects of Hydrologic Alteration, and opened a 60-day public review and comment period to solicit additional scientific views, data, and information regarding the science and technical approach used in the derivation of the draft technical document. The original deadline to submit comments was May 2, 2016. This action extends the comment period for 45 days. Written comments must now be received by June 17, 2016. The draft report and other supporting materials may also be viewed and downloaded from EPA’s Web site at https:// www.epa.gov/wqc/aquatic-life-ambientwater-quality-criteria#draft. Dated: April 6, 2016. Joel Beauvais, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water. [FR Doc. 2016–08491 Filed 4–12–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES [EPA–HQ–OPPT–2015–0234; FRL–9939–82] Orientation Session for the Chemical Safety Advisory Committee; Notice of Public Meeting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: There will be a half-day orientation meeting of the new SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:41 Apr 12, 2016 Jkt 238001 Chemical Safety Advisory Committee (CSAC). At this meeting, entitled ‘‘Orientation Session of the Chemical Safety Advisory Committee (CSAC),’’ the CSAC will consider and review background information on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the TSCA Work Plan Chemical Program, and aspects of TSCA risk assessment approaches. The meeting will be held on May 11, 2016, from approximately 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST). This is an open public meeting that will be conducted over the Internet using Adobe Connect. Registration is required to attend this meeting. Please visit: https:// www.epa.gov/csac to register. Comments. The Agency encourages written comments to be submitted on or before April 26, 2016, and requests for oral comments be submitted on or before May 4, 2016. Written comments may be submitted until noon on May 10, 2016; however, anyone submitting written comments after April 26, 2016, should contact the Designated Federal Official (DFO) listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. For additional instructions, see Unit I.C. under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Webcast. Please refer to the following Web site for information on how to access the meeting webcast: https://www.epa.gov/ csac. Special accommodations. For information on access or services for individuals with disabilities, and to request accommodation of a disability, please contact the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least 10 days prior to the meeting to give EPA time to process your request. ADDRESSES: Meeting: This meeting will be webcast. Please refer to the following Web site for information on how to access the webcast: https://www.epa.gov/ csac. Comments. Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2015–0234, by one of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not electronically submit information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. • Mail: OPPT Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/ DC) (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001. • Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand delivery or delivery of boxed information, please DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 follow the instructions at https:// www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html. Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets, is available at https:// www.epa.gov/dockets. Requests to present oral comments, and requests for special accommodations. Submit requests for special accommodations, or requests to present oral comments to the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Lynn, Ph.D., DFO, Office of Science Coordination and Policy (7201M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: (202) 564–2631; email address: lynn.scott@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. General Information A. Does this action apply to me? This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, however, be of interest to those involved in the manufacture, processing, distribution, disposal, and/or the assessment of risks involving chemical substances and mixtures. Since other entities may also be interested, the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may be affected by this action. B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA? 1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit CBI information to EPA through regulations.gov or email. If your comments contain any information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected, please contact the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT to obtain special instructions before submitting your comments. 2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting your comments, see the commenting tips at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/ comments.html. C. How may I participate in this meeting? You may participate in this meeting by following the instructions in this unit. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2015–0234 in the subject line on the first page of your request. 1. Written comments. The Agency encourages written comments be submitted, using the instructions in ADDRESSES and Unit I.B., on or before E:\FR\FM\13APN1.SGM 13APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 13, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21863-21864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08491]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0335; FRL-9944-91-OW]


Extension of Public Comment Period for the Draft EPA-USGS 
Technical Report: Protecting Aquatic Life From Effects of Hydrologic 
Alteration

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; extension of comment period.

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

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the 
comment period for the draft technical report: Protecting Aquatic Life 
from Effects of Hydrologic Alteration. In response to stakeholder 
requests, the comment period will be extended for an additional 45 
days, from May 3, 2016 to June 17, 2016.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 17, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2015-0335, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. EPA 
may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be

[[Page 21864]]

accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the 
official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish 
to make. EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents 
located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or 
other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full 
EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia 
submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please 
visit https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diana Eignor, Health and Ecological 
Criteria Division, Office of Water (Mail Code 4304T), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 566-1143; email address: eignor.diana@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 1, 2016 (81 FR 10620), EPA and 
United States Geological Survey (USGS) announced the availability of 
the draft technical report: Protecting Aquatic Life from Effects of 
Hydrologic Alteration, and opened a 60-day public review and comment 
period to solicit additional scientific views, data, and information 
regarding the science and technical approach used in the derivation of 
the draft technical document.
    The original deadline to submit comments was May 2, 2016. This 
action extends the comment period for 45 days. Written comments must 
now be received by June 17, 2016. The draft report and other supporting 
materials may also be viewed and downloaded from EPA's Web site at 
https://www.epa.gov/wqc/aquatic-life-ambient-water-quality-criteria#draft.

    Dated: April 6, 2016.
Joel Beauvais,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2016-08491 Filed 4-12-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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