Environmental Protection Agency July 29, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit a proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This is a request for a new collection. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of the Tribal Drinking Water Operator Certification Program (Program) Final Guidelines. EPA established the Program to further protect public health by providing operators of drinking water systems in Indian country additional training and certification opportunities for community and non-transient non-community drinking water systems. The Program guidelines establish baseline standards for non-State organizations certifying operators of systems in Indian county and outline a consistent method of assessing, tracking, and addressing the certification and training needs of those operators.

EPA is proposing to approve a revision to the Maryland State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revision repeals Maryland's Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) Budget Program under COMAR 26.11.27 and 26.11.28. This program implemented Maryland's portion of the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) regional cap and trade program to significantly reduce transport of ozone in 12 northeastern states and the District of Columbia (DC), an area known as the Ozone Transport Region (OTR). Maryland's OTC NOX Budget Program has been superseded by its more stringent, federally-approved NOX Reduction and Trading Program which satisfies the NOX SIP Call. This action is in accordance with the Clean Air Act.

EPA expressed environmental concerns about cumulative impacts to air and water quality as a result of prescribed fire, mechanical harvesting, and road construction, and requested the final EIS include additional information on monitoring and maintenance of the desired conditions. Rating EC2.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 is issuing this notice of intent to delete the North Sea Municipal Landfill Superfund Site (Site), located in Southampton, New York from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comment on this action. The NPL is Appendix B of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 CFR part 300, which EPA promulgated pursuant to Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended. The EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, have determined that responsible parties have implemented all appropriate response actions required. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' Section of today's Federal Register, we are publishing a direct final deletion of the North Sea Municipal Landfill Superfund Site without prior notice of this action because we view this as a noncontroversial revision and anticipate no significant adverse comment. We have explained our reasons for this deletion in the preamble to the direct final deletion. If we receive no significant adverse comment(s) on this notice of intent to delete or the direct final notice of deletion, we will not take further action on this notice of intent to delete. If we receive significant adverse comment(s), we will withdraw the direct final notice of deletion and it will not take effect. We will, as appropriate, address all public comments. If, after evaluating public comments, EPA decides to proceed with deletion, we will do so in a subsequent final deletion notice based on this notice of intent to delete. We will not institute a second comment period on this notice of intent to delete. Any parties interested in commenting must do so at this time. For additional information, see the direct final notice of deletion which is located in the Rules section of this Federal Register.

On July 30, 2004, EPA promulgated national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for the plywood and composite wood products (PCWP) source category. Stakeholders expressed concern with some of the final rule requirements, including definitions; the emissions testing procedures required for facilities demonstrating eligibility for the low-risk subcategory; stack height calculations to be used in low-risk subcategory eligibility demonstrations; and permitting and timing issues associated with the low-risk subcategory eligibility demonstrations. In this action, EPA proposes amendments to the final PCWP NESHAP to address these issues and to correct any other inconsistencies that were discovered during the review process. This action also clarifies some common applicability questions. We are seeking comment on the provisions of the final PCWP rule outlined in this action. We are not requesting comments addressing other provisions of the final PCWP rule.