Environmental Protection Agency January 31, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development's National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) is reviewing and, as appropriate, revising the EPA document, Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants, EPA-600/ AP-93/004aF-cF, published in 1996. Today's Federal Register notice announces the availability of a first external review draft of the revised ozone air quality criteria document (AQCD).

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the EPA Science Advisory Board (the Board) to discuss the EPA science and research programs and budget, and to conduct other Board activities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office (hereinafter, the ``Staff Office'') is announcing the formation of a new SAB review panel known as the EPI Suite Review Panel of the Science Advisory Board (hereinafter, the ``Panel'') and is hereby soliciting nominations for this Panel.

The EPA is offering animal feeding operations (AFOs) an opportunity to sign a voluntary consent agreement and final order (henceforth referred to as the ``Air Compliance Agreement'' or the ``Agreement''). A copy of the Air Compliance Agreement is attached as an Appendix to this notice. The sign-up period for eligible AFOs to sign the Agreement will run for 90 days from the date of this notice. AFOs that choose to sign the Air Compliance Agreement will share responsibility for funding an extensive, nationwide emissions monitoring study. The monitoring study will lead to the development of methodologies for estimating emissions from AFOs and will help AFOs to determine and comply with their regulatory responsibilities under the Clean Air Act (CAA); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA); and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA). Once applicable emission estimating methodologies have been published by EPA, the Agreement will also require each participating AFO to certify that it is in compliance with all relevant requirements of the CAA, CERCLA and EPCRA. EPA is requesting comment on the Air Compliance Agreement, with particular emphasis on implementation of the Agreement. All comments should be submitted within 30 days of the date of this notice.