Environmental Protection Agency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve, or conditionally approve, all or portions of two state implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of California to meet Clean Air Act requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') in the Coachella Valley ozone nonattainment area (``Coachella Valley''). The two SIP revisions include the portions of the ``Final 2016 Air Quality Management Plan'' and the ``2018 Updates to the California State Implementation Plan'' that address ozone in the Coachella Valley. These submittals address the nonattainment area requirements for the 2008 8- hour ozone NAAQS, including the requirements for an emissions inventory, emissions statements, attainment demonstration, reasonable further progress (RFP), reasonably available control measures, contingency measures, and motor vehicle emissions budgets. The EPA is proposing to approve these submittals as meeting all the applicable ozone nonattainment area requirements except for the contingency measure requirements, for which the EPA is proposing to conditionally approve the RFP contingency measures and to defer action on the attainment contingency measure.

Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the applicable New Source Review (NSR) State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the City of Albuquerque-Bernalillo County submitted on January 18, 2018, that includes supplemental information provided on April 30, 2019. The EPA is approving newly adopted Minor New Source Review (MNSR) permitting regulations which waive specific permitting requirements for certain sources and create new procedures for authorizing construction and modification of these sources.

EPA is proposing significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for chemical substances that are the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). This action would require persons to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing manufacture (defined by statute to include import) or processing of any of these chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this proposed rule. This action would further require that persons not commence manufacture or processing for the significant new use until they have submitted a Significant New Use Notice, and EPA has conducted a review of the notice, made an appropriate determination on the notice under TSCA, and has taken any risk management actions as are required as a result of that determination.

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Air Pollution Regulations for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Activities'' (EPA ICR No. 1601.10, OMB Control No. 2060-0249), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Before doing so, the EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed renewal of the ICR, which is currently approved through September 30, 2020. 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 notifying the public that we have received CAA section 111(d)/129 negative declarations from New Mexico and Albuquerque-Bernalillo County, New Mexico for existing Other Solid Waste Incineration (OSWI) units. These negative declarations certify that existing OSWI units subject to the requirements of sections 111(d) and 129 of the CAA do not exist within the specified jurisdictions in New Mexico.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve a schedule for California to submit an ``Extreme'' ozone nonattainment area plan addressing the requirements of CAA section 182(e) and revised title V and new source review (NSR) rules for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). The EPA is approving a deadline of one year from the effective date of this rule for the State to submit a state implementation plan (SIP) revision addressing these requirements and to implement the related control requirements.

This action proposes editorial and technical revisions to the Environmental Protection Agency's Method 23 (Determination of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans from Stationary Sources). Proposed revisions include incorporating isotope dilution for quantifying all target compounds and changing the method quality control from the current prescriptive format to a more flexible performance-based approach with specified performance criteria. We are also proposing revisions that will expand the list of target compounds of Method 23 to include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The proposed revisions will improve the accuracy of Method 23 and will provide flexibility to stack testers and analytical laboratories who measure semivolatile organic compounds (SVOC) from stationary sources while ensuring that the stack testing community can consistently implement the method across emissions sources and facilities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit a request to renew an existing information collection request (ICR), ``Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program'' (EPA ICR No. 1391.11, OMB Control No. 2040-0118) 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 September 30, 2020. 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 promulgating this final rule to adjust the level of the maximum (and minimum) statutory civil monetary penalty amounts under the statutes the EPA administers. This action is mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended through the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (``the 2015 Act''). The 2015 Act prescribes a formula for annually adjusting the statutory maximum (and minimum) amount of civil penalties to reflect inflation, maintain the deterrent effect of statutory civil penalties, and promote compliance with the law. The rule does not necessarily revise the penalty amounts that the EPA chooses to seek pursuant to its civil penalty policies in a particular case. The EPA's civil penalty policies, which guide enforcement personnel on how to exercise the EPA's statutory penalty authorities, take into account a number of fact-specific considerations, e.g., the seriousness of the violation, the violator's good faith efforts to comply, any economic benefit gained by the violator as a result of its noncompliance, and a violator's ability to pay.

Pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA or Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the State of Idaho's Underground Storage Tank (UST) program submitted by the State. This action is based on EPA's determination that the State's revisions satisfy all requirements for UST program approval. This action also proposes to codify Idaho's State program as revised by Idaho and approved by the EPA and to incorporate by reference the State regulations that we have determined meet the requirements for approval. The State's federally-authorized and codified UST program, as revised pursuant to this action, will remain subject to the EPA's inspection and enforcement authorities under sections 9005 and 9006 of RCRA Subtitle I and other applicable statutory and regulatory provisions.

Pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA or Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the Georgia Environmental Protection Division's partial Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) state permit program, which will now operate in lieu of the Federal CCR program, with the exception of certain provisions for which the State did not seek approval. EPA has determined that Georgia's partial CCR permit program meets the standard for approval under RCRA. Facilities operating under the State's program requirements and resulting permit provisions are also subject to EPA's information gathering and inspection and enforcement authorities under RCRA and other applicable statutory and regulatory provisions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is partially approving and partially disapproving a Clean Air Act (CAA) section 111(d) plan submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to implement the EPA's Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills (Emission Guidelines). This State plan submittal pertains to the regulation of landfill gas and its components from existing municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. We are partially approving the State plan because it meets many of the requirements of the Emission Guidelines. However, we are partially disapproving the State plan because it does not fully meet certain provisions of the Emission Guidelines.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve a state plan submitted by the State of Alabama, through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) on May 19, 2017, and supplemented on October 24, 2017, for implementing and enforcing the Emissions Guidelines (EG) applicable to existing Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration (CISWI) units. The State plan provides for implementation and enforcement of the EG, as finalized by EPA on June 23, 2016, applicable to existing CISWI units for which construction commenced on or before June 4, 2010, or for which modification or reconstruction commenced after June 4, 2010, but no later than August 7, 2013. The State plan establishes emission limits, monitoring, operating, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements for affected CISWI units.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans (EPA ICR Number 0328.18, OMB Control Number 2050-0021) 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 May 31, 2020. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on September 11, 2019, 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) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), NSPS for Sewage Sludge Treatment Plants (EPA ICR Number 1063.14, OMB Control Number 2060-0035), 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 March 31, 2020. Public comments were previously requested, via the Federal Register, on May 6, 2019 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 Director of the Water Division, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyRegion 1 (EPA), is providing a Notice of Availability for the Draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Great Bay Total Nitrogen General Permit for certain discharges from Wastewater Treatment Facilities (WWTFs) to certain waters of the State of New Hampshire. This Draft NPDES Great Bay Total Nitrogen General Permit (``Draft General Permit'') establishes effluent limitations and requirements, effluent and ambient monitoring requirements, reporting requirements and standard conditions for 13 eligible WWTFs in New Hampshire. The Draft General Permit is available on EPA Region 1's website at https://www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/draft- great-bay-total-nitrogen-general-permit. The Fact Sheet for the Draft General Permit sets forth principal facts and the significant factual, legal, methodological, and policy questions considered in the development of the Draft General Permit and is also available at this website. The Draft General Permit only authorizes the discharge of nitrogen from 13 eligible WWTFs. The discharge of all other pollutants from these WWTFs will continue to be authorized by each WWTF's respective individual NPDES permit.

This notice announces EPA's order for the cancellations and amendments to terminate uses, voluntarily requested by the registrants and accepted by the Agency, of the products listed in Table 1 and Table 2 of Unit II, pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This cancellation order follows an October 25, 2019 Federal Register Notice of Receipt of Requests from the registrants listed in Table 3 of Unit II to voluntarily cancel and amend to terminate uses of these product registrations. In the October 25, 2019 notice, EPA indicated that it would issue an order implementing the cancellations and amendments to terminate uses, unless the Agency received substantive comments within the 30-day comment period that would merit its further review of these requests, or unless the registrants withdrew their requests. The Agency did not receive any comments on the notice. Further, the registrants did not withdraw their requests. Products, 45728-29, 57787-14, OR-160011 & WA-020030, have been removed from this cancellation order because they are already listed in a maintenance fee cancellation notice. Accordingly, EPA hereby issues in this notice a cancellation order granting the requested cancellations and amendments to terminate uses. Any distribution, sale, or use of the products subject to this cancellation order is permitted only in accordance with the terms of this order, including any existing stocks provisions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Nebraska that addresses the authority of the Lincoln- Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD). This proposed action will amend the Nebraska SIP by removing a portion of the SIP that addresses the authority of LLCHD regarding the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Program; specifically: Article 2. Section 19. Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality (PSD) Lincoln- Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD). This SIP revision will have no impact to air quality and eliminate confusion regarding the authority to issue PSD permits in Lancaster County.

This notice announces the availability of EPA's draft human health and/or ecological risk assessments for the registration review of chromated arsenicals; creosote; dichromic acid, disodium salt, dehydrate; and pentachlorophenol.

EPA is required under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, to make information publicly available and to publish information in the Federal Register pertaining to submissions under TSCA Section 5, including notice of receipt of a Premanufacture notice (PMN), Significant New Use Notice (SNUN) or Microbial Commercial Activity Notice (MCAN), including an amended notice or test information; an exemption application (Biotech exemption); an application for a test marketing exemption (TME), both pending and/or concluded; a notice of commencement (NOC) of manufacture (including import) for new chemical substances; and a periodic status report on new chemical substances that are currently under EPA review or have recently concluded review. This document covers the period from 09/01/ 2019 to 09/30/2019.

EPA has granted emergency exemptions under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) for use of pesticides as listed in this notice. The exemptions were granted during the period April 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019 to control unforeseen pest outbreaks.

Under the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve elements of a State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from the State of Oklahoma for the 2015 Ozone (O3) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). This submittal addresses how the existing SIP provides for implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of the 2015 O3 NAAQS (infrastructure SIP or i-SIP). The i-SIP ensures that the Oklahoma SIP is adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA for this NAAQS.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing approval of South Carolina's June 18, 2018, State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission pertaining to the ``good neighbor'' provision of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for the 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The good neighbor provision requires each state's implementation plan to address the interstate transport of air pollution in amounts that contribute significantly to nonattainment, or interfere with maintenance, of a NAAQS in any other state. In this action, EPA is finalizing the determination that South Carolina's SIP contains adequate provisions to prohibit emissions within the State from contributing significantly to nonattainment or interfering with maintenance of the 2008 8-hour ozone NAAQS in any other state.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the chartered SAB to discuss its reviews of the following proposed rules: (1) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating UnitsReconsideration of Supplemental Finding and Residual Risk and Technology Review; (2) The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks; (3) Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science; and (4) Revised Definition of ``Waters of the United States.''