Environmental Protection Agency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is proposing significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 31 chemical substances which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). Eight of these chemical substances are subject to TSCA Orders issued by EPA and the remaining 23 of these chemical substances received a ``not likely to present an unreasonable risk'' determination. This action would require persons who intend to manufacture (defined by statute to include import) or process any of these 31 chemical substances for an activity that is proposed as a significant new use to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. Persons may not commence manufacture or processing for the significant new use until EPA has conducted a review of the notice, made an appropriate determination on the notice, and has taken such actions as are required by that determination.

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Emission Control System Performance Warranty Regulations and Voluntary Aftermarket Part Certification Program (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 0116.12, OMB Control No. 2060-0060) 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 May 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 approving South Carolina's June 25, 2018, State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission pertaining to the ``good neighbor'' provision of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (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 has determined 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 2010 1-hour SO2 NAAQS in any other state.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a revision to the District of Columbia's (the District) state implementation plan (SIP) submitted on August 29, 2018. The District's SIP revision satisfies the volatile organic compound (VOC) reasonably available control technology (RACT) requirements under the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). The District will address RACT for nitrogen oxides (NOX) in a separate SIP submission. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of indaziflam in or on the tropical and subtropical fruit (edible peel) group 23 and tropical and subtropical fruit (inedible peel) group 24. Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4) requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories'' (EPA ICR No. 0234.13, OMB Control No. 2080-0021) 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 May 31, 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.

EPA is revoking the significant new use rule (SNUR) promulgated under section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for a chemical substance which was identified generically as fatty acid amide and was the subject of premanufacture notice (PMN) P- 13-267. EPA issued a SNUR based on the PMN designating certain activities as significant new uses. EPA has received a significant new use notice (SNUN) and test data for the chemical substance and is revoking the SNUR based on the information in the SNUN submission.

This action presents the proposed results of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) residual risk and technology review (RTR) required under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for major source Iron and Steel Foundries, initially promulgated in 2004 and amended in 2008. Pursuant to the CAA, this action also presents the proposed results of the technology review for the NESHAP for area source Iron and Steel Foundries, initially promulgated in 2008. In this proposed action, the EPA is also proposing to remove exemptions for periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) and specify that the emissions standards apply at all times; require electronic reporting of performance test results and compliance reports; and make minor corrections and clarifications for a few other rule provisions for major sources and area sources. Implementation of these proposed rules is not expected to result in significant changes to the emissions from iron and steel foundries, human health, or environmental impacts associated with those emissions. However, this action, if finalized, would result in improved monitoring, compliance, and implementation of the existing standards.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 30- day public comment period associated with release of the IRIS Assessment Plan for Inorganic Mercury 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 the IRIS assessment and the type of evidence considered most pertinent to address the scoping needs. EPA is releasing this IRIS Assessment Plan for a 30-day public comment period in advance of a public science webinar planned for December 5, 2019. The Agency encourages the public to comment on all aspects of the assessment plan, including key science issues.

EPA is withdrawing part of a proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on January 7, 2015, that proposed significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for certain chemical substances. This withdrawal covers only the portion of the proposed rule that would have established a SNUR for the chemical substance generically described as aromatic dibenzoate, which was the subject of premanufacture notice (PMN) P-13-270. EPA has received test data for this chemical substance and based on its review is withdrawing the proposed SNUR for the chemical substance.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving elements of a State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from Indiana regarding the infrastructure requirements of section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2012 annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA. This action pertains specifically to infrastructure requirements concerning interstate transport provisions. EPA did not receive any adverse comments in response to its July 30, 2019 proposal to approve this submission.

The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (doing business as The National Environmental Education Foundation or ``NEEF'') was created by Section 10 of Public Law 101-619, the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (NEEA) as a private 501(c)(3) non- profit organization. It was established by Congress as a common ground upon which leaders from business and industry, all levels of government, public interest groups, and others can work cooperatively to raise a greater national awareness of environmental issues beyond traditional classrooms. Per NEEA, the EPA Administrator appoints and reappoints eligible individuals to serve on NEEF's Board of Directors. The Administrator announces the following four-year appointments to NEEF's Board of Directors, effective 90 days after publication of this notice: Jeniffer Harper-TaylorSiemens Foundation (Re- appointment) Jennifer LoveRoyal Caribbean International Lori A. McFarlingDiscovery Education Steve SikraProctor & Gamble Additional considerations: As an independent foundation, NEEF is different from the Agency's several federal advisory committees and scientific boards, which have their own appointment processes. Because NEEA gives complete discretion to the Administrator in appointing members to NEEF's Board of Directors, EPA is taking additional steps to ensure all prospective members are qualified to serve on the Board and represent diverse points of view. In early 2019, EPA's Office of the Administrator formed an internal review panel comprised of senior EPA career officials tasked with verifying the qualifications of all future members of the NEEF Board of Directors selected by the Administrator. All new Board appointees underwent review by the panel prior to publication of this notice. These appointees will join the current Board members. Information on the Board members is available on NEEF's public website: https://www.neefusa.org/about-neef/board. In December 2018, NEEF signed a first-time Memorandum of Understanding with the (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler to establish increased coordination between EPA and NEEF on key EPA initiatives including but not limited to EPA's Recycling Initiative, Trash Free Waters Program, Winning on Reducing Food Waste initiative, and the Healthy Schools Initiative.

On September 12, 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent the Commonwealth of Virginia (Virginia) a letter acknowledging that Virginia's delegation of authority to implement and enforce the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) and New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) had been updated, as provided for under previously approved delegation mechanisms. To inform regulated facilities and the public, EPA is making available a copy of EPA's letter to Virginia through this notice.

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 and Table 1A of Unit II., pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This cancellation order follows a March 5, 2019 Federal Register Notice of Receipt of Requests from the registrants listed in Table 2 of Unit II. to voluntarily cancel these product registrations. In the March 5, 2019 notice, EPA indicated that it would issue an order implementing the cancellations, unless the Agency received substantive comments within the 180-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. Accordingly, EPA hereby issues in this notice a cancellation order granting the requested cancellations. 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.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of chlorantraniliprole in or on palm, oil. FMC Corporation requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

This regulation establishes time-limited tolerances for residues of thiamethoxam in or on rice. This action is in response to EPA's granting of an emergency exemption under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) authorizing use of the pesticide on rice. This regulation establishes a maximum permissible level for residues of thiamethoxam in or on these commodities. The time-limited tolerances expire on December 31, 2024. This action is also associated with the utilization of a crisis exemption under the FIFRA authorizing use of the pesticide on rice.

In accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (``CERCLA''), notice is hereby given that the Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA''), has entered into a proposed settlement, embodied in an Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent for Removal Site Evaluation and Removal Action (``Settlement Agreement''), with Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (``AMD''), Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (``NGC''), and Philips Semiconductors, Inc. (``PSI''). Under the Settlement Agreement, AMD, NGC, and PSI agree to carry out a removal action to investigate and address vapor intrusion in the Offsite Operable Unit (``OOU'') of the Triple Site located in Sunnyvale, California. In addition, AMD, NGC, and PSI agree to pay EPA compromised past costs incurred by EPA at the OOU and future response costs incurred by EPA at the OOU during the cleanup.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving elements of the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from Wisconsin regarding the infrastructure requirements of section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2012 annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or standard). The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA. This action pertains specifically to infrastructure requirements in the Wisconsin SIP concerning interstate transport provisions.

This document announces the Agency's receipt of several initial filings of pesticide petitions requesting the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to determine that the West Central Pinal County nonattainment area attained the 2006 24-hour national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller (PM2.5 or ``fine particulate matter'') by December 31, 2017, the statutory attainment date for the area. This final action is based on the three-year average of annual 98th percentile 24-hour concentrations for the 2015-2017 period, using complete, quality- assured, and certified PM2.5 monitoring data.

Pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA or Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the State of Maine's Underground Storage Tank (UST) program submitted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME DEP). This action also codifies EPA's approval of Maine's State program and incorporates by reference those provisions of the State regulations that we have determined meet the requirements for approval. The provisions will be subject to EPA's inspection and enforcement authorities under sections 9005 and 9006 of RCRA Subtitle I and other applicable statutory and regulatory provisions.

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of nicotinamide (CAS Reg. No. 98-92-0) when used as an inert ingredient (corrosion inhibitor) on growing crops only and limited to 5.0% in a pesticide formulation. Dow AgroSciences LLC submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting an amendment to an existing requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of nicotinamide.

Notice is hereby given that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tentatively approved a revision to the state of Minnesota's Public Water System Supervision Program under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) by adopting the Revised Total Coliform Rule. The EPA has determined that this revision is no less stringent than the corresponding federal regulation. Therefore, the EPA intends to approve this revision to the state of Minnesota's Public Water System Supervision Program, thereby giving Minnesota Department of Health primary enforcement responsibility for this regulation. This approval action does not extend to public water systems in Indian Country. By approving this rule, EPA does not intend to affect the rights of federally recognized Indian Tribes in Minnesota, nor does it intend to limit existing rights of the State of Minnesota.

On July 26, 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule titled ``Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act.'' The EPA is reopening the comment period on the proposed rule that closed on September 24, 2019. The comment period will remain open until November 1, 2019 to allow additional time for stakeholders to review and comment on the proposal.