Department of Agriculture 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces EPA's approval of the State of Washington's request to revise its National Primary Drinking Water Regulations Implementation EPA-authorized program to allow electronic reporting.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a May 11, 2012 State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from the State of Colorado that is intended to demonstrate that its SIP meets certain interstate transport requirements of the Clean Air Act (Act or CAA) for the 2006 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This submission addresses the requirement that Colorado's SIP contain adequate provisions prohibiting air emissions that will have certain adverse air quality effects in other states. EPA is determining that Colorado's existing SIP contains adequate provisions to ensure that air emissions in Colorado do not significantly contribute to nonattainment or interfere with maintenance of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS in any other state, or interfere with another state's measures to prevent significant deterioration of air quality or to protect visibility. EPA is also approving the portion of Colorado's submission that addresses the CAA requirement that SIPs contain adequate provisions related to interstate and international pollution abatement.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) on July 10, 2015. The SIP submission contains revisions to the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (SRCAA) solid fuel burning device regulations to control particulate matter from residential wood combustion. The updated regulations reflect the State of Washington's statutory changes setting fine particulate matter trigger levels for impaired air quality burn bans. The submission also contains updates to the regulations to improve the clarity of the language. We are proposing to approve these changes because they meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act and strengthen the Washington SIP.

Waters on the majority of Indian reservations do not have water quality standards under the Clean Water Act to protect human health and the environment. Only 40 of over 300 federally recognized tribes with reservations have completed the process of obtaining EPA's approval to be treated in a manner similar to a state (TAS), and adopting standards for their waters that EPA has approved. EPA proposes to streamline how tribes apply for TAS for the water quality standards program and other Clean Water Act regulatory programs. The proposal would reduce the burden on applicant tribes and advance cooperative federalism by facilitating tribal involvement in the protection of reservation water quality as intended by Congress. Since 1991, EPA has followed a cautious approach that requires applicant tribes to demonstrate inherent authority to regulate waters and activities on their reservations under principles of federal Indian common law. The Agency has consistently stated that its approach was subject to change in the event of further congressional or judicial guidance addressing tribal authority under section 518 of the Clean Water Act. Having received such guidance, EPA proposes to conclude definitively that section 518 includes an express delegation of authority by Congress to eligible Indian tribes to administer regulatory programs over their entire reservations. This reinterpretation would eliminate the need for applicant tribes to demonstrate inherent authority to regulate under the Act, thus allowing tribes to implement the congressional delegation of authority unhindered by requirements not specified in the statute. The reinterpretation would also bring EPA's treatment of tribes under the Clean Water Act in line with EPA's treatment of tribes under the Clean Air Act, which has similar statutory language addressing tribal regulation of Indian reservation areas. This action would not revise any regulatory text. Regulatory provisions would remain in effect requiring tribes to identify the boundaries of the reservation areas over which they seek to exercise authority and allowing the adjacent state(s) to comment to EPA on an applicant tribe's assertion of authority. As a streamlining step, the proposed interpretive rule would have no significant cost.

Under 122(h) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the United States Environmental Protection Agency has entered into a settlement with Jeffrey Jones Properties, LLC concerning the Pender Plating Superfund Site located in Burgaw, Pender County, North Carolina. The settlement addresses costs from a time-critical Removal performed by the EPA at the Site.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is updating the materials submitted by Missouri that are incorporated by reference (IBR) into the state implementation plan (SIP). EPA is also notifying the public of the correction of certain typographical errors within the IBR table. The regulations affected by this update have been previously submitted by the state agency and approved by EPA. This update affects the SIP materials that are available for public inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Regional Office.

EPA has received applications to register pesticide products containing active ingredients not included in any currently registered pesticide products. Pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is hereby providing notice of receipt and opportunity to comment on these applications.

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA), Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is announcing a teleconference of the Chartered SAB to conduct a review of a draft report of recommendations regarding the agency's 2015 Scientific and Technological Achievement Awards (STAA). The Chartered SAB teleconference will be closed to the public.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving portions of two State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA). Whenever new or revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are promulgated, the CAA requires states to submit a plan for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of such NAAQS. The plan is required to address basic program elements, including but not limited to regulatory structure, monitoring, modeling, legal authority, and adequate resources necessary to assure implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of the NAAQS. These elements are referred to as infrastructure requirements. PADEP made submittals addressing the infrastructure requirements for the 2008 ozone NAAQS and the 2010 sulfur dioxide (SO2) primary NAAQS.

This notice announces the availability of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Final 2014 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan and EPA's 2014 Annual Effluent Guidelines Review Report. Section 304(m) of the Clean Water Act requires EPA to biennially publish a plan for new and revised effluent guidelines, after public notice and comment. The Plan identifies any new or existing industrial categories selected for effluent guidelines and provides a schedule. EPA typically publishes a preliminary plan upon which the public is invited to comment, and then publishes a final plan thereafter. EPA published the Preliminary 2014 Plan on September 16, 2014, and received public comment on it.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are announcing a public hearing to be held for the joint proposed rules ``Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and VehiclesPhase 2,'' and also for NHTSA's Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The proposed rules were published in the Federal Register on July 13, 2015. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published on June 19, 2015, and is available on the NHTSA Web site mentioned below. This hearing will be the second of two hearings, which will be held on August 6 and August 18, 2015. The August 6, 2015 hearing was announced in a separate Federal Register notice on July 28, 2015.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Connecticut. The revision consists of amendments to two existing Trading and Agreement Orders for new source review nitrogen oxides (NOX) emission offsets at PSEG Power Connecticut's facility in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This action is being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the Maryland State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revision pertains to amendments to Code of Maryland Regulation (COMAR) 26.11.13, Control of Gasoline and Volatile Organic Compound Storage and Handling. The amendments consist of establishing an alternative and equivalent method of transfer of high pressure materials as well as changing incorrect references in regulations .04 and .05. EPA is approving this revision in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is notifying the public of its finding that the motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of a nominal 2.5 microns or less (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) in the Klamath Falls PM2.5 state implementation plan (SIP or attainment plan) are adequate for transportation conformity purposes. The attainment plan was submitted to the EPA by the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ or the State) on December 12, 2012, with a clarification to the MVEB submitted on December 19, 2013. As a result of this adequacy finding, the Oregon DEQ, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Transportation will be required to use these MVEBs for future transportation conformity determinations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is notifying the public of its finding that the Grants Pass, Oregon second 10-year limited maintenance plan (LMP) for carbon monoxide (CO) is adequate for transportation conformity purposes. The LMP was submitted to the EPA by the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ or the State) on April 22, 2015. As a result of our adequacy finding, regional emissions analyses will no longer be required as part of the transportation conformity demonstrations for CO for the Grants Pass area.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve the 2011 base year emissions inventory submitted by the State of West Virginia for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The emissions inventory was submitted to meet one of the nonattainment requirements for the Marshall, West Virginia nonattainment area (Marshall Area or Area) for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS. EPA is approving the 2011 base year emissions inventory for the 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS for the Marshall Area in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve portions of State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Georgia, through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD), on August 30, 2010, December 15, 2011, and November 12, 2014. The SIP submittals include changes to GA EPD's air quality rules that, among other things, modify definitions and modify the ambient air standards for fine particulate matter. The portions of the SIP revisions that EPA is approving are consistent with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to disapprove a portion of a revision to the Georgia State Implementation Plan (SIP), submitted through the Georgia's Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division (EPD), on January 13, 2011, that would allow for the automatic rescission of federal permitting- related requirements in certain circumstances. EPA is proposing to disapprove Georgia's automatic rescission provision because the Agency has preliminarily determined that this provision is not consistent with the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) or federal regulations related to SIPs.

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``Aircraft EnginesSupplemental Information Related to Exhaust Emissions'' (EPA ICR No. 2427.03, OMB Control No. 2060-0680) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This is a proposed extension of the ICR. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve changes to Wyoming's State Implementation Plan (SIP) that update its ambient air quality standards with regard to the 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) and the secondary SO2 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). On February 7, 2014, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) submitted to EPA revisions to the Wyoming SIP. Specifically, the State revised Wyoming Air Quality Standards and Regulations (WAQSR) Chapter 2, Section 4, ``Ambient standards for sulfur oxides.'' In this action, EPA is proposing to approve some of the revisions provided in the February 2014 SIP submission. This action is being taken in accordance with section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

EPA issued a notice in the Federal Register of March 12, 2015, and June 3, 2015, concerning receipt of requests to voluntarily cancel certain pesticide registrations and its follow-up product cancellation order, respectively. In both notices, EPA inadvertently listed the pesticide product Biobor JF (EPA Reg. No. 065217-00001). The registrant did not request voluntary cancellation for this product. Therefore, EPA is not cancelling the pesticide product Biobor JF (EPA Reg. No. 065217- 00001). This document removes the cancellation order for Biobor JF (EPA Reg. No. 065217-00001) listed in both the March 12, 2015, and June 3, 2015, Federal Register notices.

This regulation amends the tolerances for residues of zeta- cypermethrin in or on corn, field, forage; corn, field, stover; and corn, pop, stover. FMC Corporation requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92- 463, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), gives notice of a meeting of the Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Subcommittee.