Department of Agriculture September 1, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection, EPA-New England, is reopening the public comment period for certain provisions of the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit for discharges from small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) to certain waters of the State of New Hampshire, originally released as draft February 12, 2013. The reopened comment period applies to the following sections only: Section 2.1.1, Section 2.2 (including all subsections) and Section 2.3.6 (including all subsections), Appendix F (excluding attachments) and Appendix H (excluding attachments). The reopening of this notice is pursuant to 40 CFR 124.14.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is disapproving revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted to meet certain requirements under section 182(c) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) nonattainment area under the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or standard). The revisions address the attainment demonstration submitted on January 17, 2012, by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for the DFW Serious nonattainment area. The EPA has also determined that the DFW nonattainment area is currently attaining the 1997 ozone NAAQS. This determination is based upon complete, quality-assured and certified ambient air monitoring data that show the area has monitored attainment of the 1997 ozone NAAQS for the 2012-2014 monitoring period. Thus, the requirements to submit an attainment demonstration and other planning SIPs related to attainment of the 1997 ozone NAAQS, and the sanctions clock and the EPA's obligation to promulgate an attainment demonstration Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) for the DFW area are suspended for so long as the area continues to attain the 1997 ozone NAAQS.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the State of Georgia's February 5, 2015, State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision, submitted through the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD), to modify the SIP by removing Georgia's Gasoline Marketing Rule and Consumer and Commercial Products Rule, revising the Nitrogen Oxide (NOX) Emissions from Stationary Gas Turbines and Stationary Engines Rule, and adding measures to offset the emissions increases expected from the changes to these rules. This modification to the SIP will affect, in varying ways, the 45 counties in and around the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area covered by the Georgia Gasoline Marketing Rule (hereinafter referred to as the ``Georgia Fuel Area''). Additionally, EPA is also approving structural changes to the NOX Emissions from Stationary Gas Turbines and Stationary Engines Rule included in a SIP revision submitted by GA EPD on September 26, 2006. EPA has determined that the portion of Georgia's September 26, 2006, SIP revision addressing changes to the NOX Emissions from Stationary Gas Turbines and Stationary Engines Rule and the February 5, 2015, SIP revision meet the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).