Environmental Protection Agency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Contractor Cumulative Claim and Reconciliation (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 0246.13, OMB Control No. 2030-0016) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through November 30, 2018. 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.

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) to meet the Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) requirements for the Houston- Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) moderate 2008 8-hour ozone nonattainment area (HGB area). Specifically, EPA is proposing to approve the RFP demonstration, contingency measures, motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) and an updated 2011 base year emissions inventory.

This action provides public notice and solicits comment on the alternative means of emission limitation (AMEL) requests from ExxonMobil Corporation; Marathon Petroleum Company, LP (for itself and on behalf of its subsidiary, Blanchard Refining, LLC); and Chalmette Refining, LLC, under the Clean Air Act (CAA), to operate flares at several refineries in Texas and Louisiana, as well as the AMEL request from LACC, LLC to operate flares at a chemical plant in Louisiana.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the Missouri state plan for designated facilities and pollutants developed under sections 111(d) and 129 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) that were requested by Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) in two separate submissions made on August 8, 2011 and on July 3, 2014. This final action will amend the state regulations referenced in the state's 111(d) plan applicable to existing Hospital, Medical, Infectious Waste Incinerators (HMIWI) operating in the state of Missouri. The state rule revisions we are approving with this action update HMIWI regulatory requirements for emission limits for waste management plans, training, compliance and performance testing, monitoring, and reporting and recordkeeping to be consistent with updates to Federal rules. These regulatory revisions we are approving into Missouri's state plan do not impact air quality. EPA's approval of this revision is being performed in accordance with the requirements of CAA section 111(d) as further described in the Technical Support Document that is included in this docket.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hereby approving an application from the state of North Dakota under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to implement an underground injection control (UIC) program for Class VI injection wells located within the state, except within Indian lands.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR)NESHAP for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair FacilitiesSurface Coating, EPA ICR Number 1712.10, OMB Control Number 2060-0330, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through April 30, 2018. Public comments were requested previously, via the Federal Register, on June 29, 2017 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 neither conduct nor 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 has submitted an information collection request (ICR)NSPS for Calciners and Dryers in Mineral Industries (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 0746.10, OMB Control Number 2060-0251to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through April 30, 2018. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on June 29, 2017 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.

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Bacillus licheniformis strain FMCH001 in or on all food commodities when used in accordance with label directions and good agricultural practices. FMC Corporation submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting the exemption from a requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of Bacillus licheniformis strain FMCH001 under FFDCA.

In a final rule published on January 19, 2017, federal departments and agencies made revisions to the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (hereafter the ``2018 Requirements''). The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) adopted the same regulatory changes in a separate final rule published on September 18, 2017. The 2018 Requirements were scheduled to become effective on January 19, 2018, with a general compliance date of January 19, 2018 (with the exception of the revisions to the cooperative research provision). The departments and agencies listed in this document have also published an interim final rule delaying the effective date and general compliance date for the 2018 Requirements for six months, to cover the time period of January 19, 2018 until July 19, 2018. As per the interim final rule, the effective date of the 2018 Requirements is now July 19, 2018. The departments and agencies listed in this document propose delaying the general compliance date for the 2018 Requirements for an additional six months, for the time period of July 19, 2018 until January 21, 2019. This proposed rule is intended to provide additional time to regulated entities for the preparations necessary to implement the 2018 Requirements. This proposed rule, if finalized, would require regulated entities to continue to comply with the requirements of the current Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (hereafter the ``pre-2018 Requirements'') until January 21, 2019. This proposal also takes comment on whether to permit institutions to implement, for certain research studies, the following provisions in the 2018 Requirements during the period from July 19, 2018, until January 21, 2019, that the general compliance date is delayed. Those three provisions, intended to reduce burdens on regulated entities, are the 2018 Requirements' definition of ``research,'' which deems certain activities not to be research, the allowance for no annual continuing review of certain categories of research, and the elimination of the requirement that institutional review boards (IRBs) review grant applications related to the research. The way that this option is proposed, regulated entities would be required to comply with all pre- 2018 Requirements during the period that the general compliance date is delayed, except for provisions substituted by the three burden-reducing provisions of the 2018 Requirements. As described in section III, below, this flexibility is proposed only for studies for which an institution makes a choice to transition to comply with the 2018 Requirements, beginning on July 19, 2018. In order to clearly describe this proposed flexibility, including how it would impact institutions choosing to transition research to comply with the 2018 Requirements, this document proposes a redrafted transition provision.

Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (the Act or CAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision, as supplemented, for the St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) Primary National Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) nonattainment area. EPA is proposing approval of the following CAA SIP elements: The attainment demonstration for the SO2 NAAQS, which includes an Agreed Order on Consent (AOC) for the Rain CII Carbon, LLC. (Rain) facility; the reasonable further progress (RFP) plan; the reasonably available control measures (RACM) and reasonably available control technology (RACT) demonstration; the emission inventories; and the contingency measures. The State has demonstrated that its current Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) program covers this NAAQS; therefore, no revision to the SIP is required for the NNSR element.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to re-establish the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) for a two-year period due to an administrative delay in filing the committee's renewal charter. EPA has determined that the EFAB is necessary and in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the agency by law. The purpose of EFAB is to provide advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on issues associated with environmental financing.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Aerosol Coatings'' (EPA ICR No. 2289.04, OMB Control No. 2060-0617) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Before doing so, the EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through October 31, 2018. 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.

Based on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) review of the air quality criteria addressing human health effects of oxides of nitrogen and the primary national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for oxides of nitrogen, as measured by nitrogen dioxide (NO2), the EPA is retaining the current standards, without revision.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites nominations from a diverse range of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment to its Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee (MSTRS). Vacancies are anticipated to be filled by Fall, 2018. Sources in addition to this Federal Register Notice may also be utilized in the solicitation of nominees.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of tetraconazole in or on multiple commodities which are identified and discussed later in this document. Isagro S.p.A (d/b/a Isagro USA, Inc.) requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice of its response to a petition for reconsideration of a rule published in the Federal Register on December 21, 2017 addressing Clean Air Act regional haze planning requirements for the State of Louisiana. The petition, submitted on February 20, 2018, on behalf of the Sierra Club and the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) asked EPA to reconsider its final action which determined that Louisiana has satisfied the Clean Air Act's reasonable progress and long-term strategy requirements. EPA has denied the petition by action signed April 9, 2018, for reasons that EPA explains in the document denying the petition.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 30- day public comment period associated with release of the draft IRIS Assessment Plan for ammonia and ammonium salts. This document communicates information on the scoping needs identified by EPA program and regional offices and the IRIS Program's initial problem formulation activities. Specifically, the assessment plan outlines the objectives for each assessment and the type of evidence considered most pertinent to address the scoping needs. EPA is releasing this draft IRIS Assessment Plan for public comment at least 30 days in advance of a public science webinar planned on May 23, 2018.

This notice announces EPA's order for the cancellations, voluntarily requested by the registrants and accepted by the Agency, of the products listed in Table 1 of Unit III., pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of fluensulfone in or on multiple commodities that are identified and discussed later in this document. Makhteshim Agan of North America (MANA) requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

On January 3, 2018, the State of Alabama, through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), submitted a request for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to redesignate the Troy 2008 lead Nonattainment Area (``Troy Area'' or ``Area'') to attainment for the 2008 lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or standard) and to approve an associated State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision containing a maintenance plan. The Troy Area is comprised of a portion of Pike County in Alabama surrounding the Sanders Lead Company facility (Sanders Lead Facility or Facility). EPA is proposing to determine that the Troy Area is attaining 2008 lead NAAQS; to approve the SIP revision containing the State's maintenance plan for maintaining attainment of the 2008 lead standard; and to redesignate the Troy Area to attainment for the 2008 lead NAAQS.

In this notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator has reconsidered the previous Final Determination of the Mid-term Evaluation of greenhouse gas emission standards for model year 2022-2025 light-duty vehicles. The Administrator determines that the current standards are based on outdated information, and that more recent information suggests that the current standards may be too stringent. The Administrator thus concludes that the standards are not appropriate in light of the record before EPA and, therefore, should be revised as appropriate. EPA is also withdrawing the previous Final Determination issued by the agency on January 12, 2017, with this notice. EPA, in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will initiate a notice and comment rulemaking in a forthcoming Federal Register notice to further consider appropriate standards for model year 2022-2025 light-duty vehicles, as appropriate. On March 22, 2017, EPA published a Federal Register notice providing its intention to reconsider the Final Determination of the Mid-term Evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions standards for model year 2022- 2025 light-duty vehicles, this notice was published jointly with the Department of Transportation (DOT). On August 21, 2017, EPA and DOT jointly published a Federal Register notice providing a 45-day public comment period on the reconsideration and EPA held a public hearing on September 6, 2017.

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has submitted updated regulations for receiving delegation and approval of a program for the implementation and enforcement of certain New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for all sources (both Title V and non-Title V sources). These updated regulations apply to certain NSPS promulgated by the EPA at part 60, as amended between September 24, 2013 and January 15, 2017; certain NESHAP promulgated by the EPA at part 61, as amended between January 1, 2011 and January 15, 2017; and other NESHAP promulgated by the EPA at part 63, as amended between August 30, 2013 and January 15, 2017, as adopted by the NMED. The EPA is providing notice that it is updating the delegation of certain NSPS to NMED, and taking direct final action to approve the delegation of certain NESHAP to NMED. The delegation of authority under this action does not apply to sources located in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, or to sources located in Indian Country.

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.

EPA has received applications to register new uses for pesticide products containing currently registered active ingredients. Pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is hereby providing notice of receipt and opportunity to comment on these applications.