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