Department of Agriculture August 18, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is announcing the availability and opening of a 60-day public comment period for TSCA Work Plan Chemical problem formulation and initial assessment documents for three flame retardant clusters. EPA is also making available and opening a 120-day public comment period for the TSCA Work Plan Chemical data needs assessment document for the Brominated Phthalates flame retardant cluster. Based on experience in conducting TSCA Work Plan Chemical assessments and public input, starting in 2015 EPA will publish a problem formulation and initial assessment, or a data needs assessment, for each TSCA Work Plan assessment as a stand-alone document to facilitate public input prior to conducting further risk analysis. EPA believes publishing problem formulation and initial assessment documents for TSCA Work Plan assessments will increase transparency about EPA's thinking and analysis process, provide opportunity for the public to comment on EPA's approach, and give EPA the opportunity to receive additional information/data prior to EPA conducting detailed risk analysis and risk characterization. There are three clusters of flame retardant on the TSCA Work Plan for which there are problem formulation and initial assessment documents: Brominated Bisphenol A, Chlorinated Phosphate Esters, and Cyclic Aliphatic Bromides. In addition, there is a data needs assessment document for the Brominated Phthalates flame retardant cluster. There is a separate docket assigned to each TSCA Work Plan Chemical flame retardant cluster.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a redesignation substitute demonstration provided by the State of Texas that the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria 1-hour ozone nonattainment area (HGB area) has attained the revoked 1-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) due to permanent and enforceable emission reductions, and that it will maintain that NAAQS for ten years from the date of the EPA's approval of this demonstration. Final approval of the redesignation substitute demonstration will result in the State no longer being required to adopt any additional applicable 1-hour ozone NAAQS requirements for the area which have not already been approved into the State Implementation Plan (SIP). In addition, final approval will allow Texas to seek to revise the Texas SIP to remove anti- backsliding measures from the active portion of its SIP if it can demonstrate, pursuant to Clean Air Act (CAA) section 110(1), that such revision would not interfere with attainment or maintenance of any applicable NAAQS, or any other requirement of the CAA.