Environmental Protection Agency 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) EPA is seeking public comment on the following Information Collection Request (ICR): Notification of Substantial Risk of Injury to Health and the Environment under Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 8(e) (EPA ICR No. 0794.11, OMB Control No. 2070- 0046). This ICR involves a collection activity that is currently approved and scheduled to expire on June 30, 2006. The information collected under this ICR relates to reporting requirements placed on persons who manufacture, import, process, or distribute in commerce chemical substances or mixtures and who obtain information that such substances or mixtures present a substantial risk of injury to health or the environment. Before submitting this ICR to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval under the PRA, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the collection.

In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that EPA has found that the motor vehicle emissions budgets in the Greene County, Indiana 8-hour ozone redesignation request and maintenance plan are adequate for conformity purposes. On March 2, 1999, the DC Circuit Court ruled that submitted State Implementation Plans (SIPs) cannot be used for conformity determinations until EPA has affirmatively found them adequate. As a result of our finding, Greene County can use the motor vehicle emissions budgets from the submitted 8-hour ozone redesignation request and maintenance plan for future conformity determinations. These budgets are effective November 4, 2005. The finding and the response to comments will be available at EPA's conformity Web site: https://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp.htm, (once there, click on the ``Conformity'' button, then look for ``Adequacy Review of SIP Submissions for Conformity'').

This notice announces Agency approval of applications submitted by Monsanto Company, to conditionally register the pesticide products, Event MON 863: Corn Rootworm Protected Corn (ZMIR13L) and YieldGard Plus containing a new active ingredient not included in any previously registered products pursuant to the provisions of section 3(c)(7)(C) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended.

EPA is proposing to approve a request from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to revise the Indiana State Implementation Plan (SIP) in three areas: To amend the definition of ``particulate matter,'' and ``ambient air quality standards,'' add new rules consistent with these amended definitions, and amend rules pertaining to sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) ambient standards; to update the references to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) from the 2000 edition to the 2002 edition; and to add ``credible evidence provisions'' into state rules consistent with federal requirements. In the final rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the SIP revision as a direct final rule without prior proposal, because EPA views this as a noncontroversial revision and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If we do not receive any adverse comments in response to these direct final and proposed rules, we do not contemplate taking any further action in relation to this proposed rule. If EPA receives adverse comments, we will withdraw the direct final rule and will respond to all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maryland. This revision consists of regulations for the control of particulate and visible emissions from glass melting facilities.

Due to adverse comment, EPA is withdrawing the direct final rule published August 24, 2005, (70 FR 49493) approving a revision to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This revision incorporates Kentucky rule 401 KAR 52:080 into the Kentucky SIP. This rule allows sources with a potential to emit (PTE) that equals or exceeds a title V major source threshold to be classified as minor sources if they restrict their actual emissions to less than 50 percent of the title V major source thresholds and meet other conditions specified in the rule. EPA stated in the direct final rule that if EPA received adverse comment by September 23, 2005, the rule would be withdrawn and not take effect. EPA subsequently received adverse comment. EPA will address the comment in a subsequent final action based upon the proposed action also published on August 24, 2005 (70 FR 49525). EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action.

Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requires any person who intends to manufacture (defined by statute to include import) a new chemical (i.e., a chemical not on the TSCA Inventory) to notify EPA and comply with the statutory provisions pertaining to the manufacture of new chemicals. Under sections 5(d)(2) and 5(d)(3) of TSCA, EPA is required to publish a notice of receipt of a premanufacture notice (PMN) or an application for a test marketing exemption (TME), and to publish periodic status reports on the chemicals under review and the receipt of notices of commencement to manufacture those chemicals. This status report, which covers the period from September 12, 2005 to September 23, 2005, consists of the PMNs pending or expired, and the notices of commencement to manufacture a new chemical that the Agency has received under TSCA section 5 during this time period.

This notice announces that pesticide related information submitted to EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), including information that may have been claimed as Confidential Business Information (CBI) by the submitter, will be tranferred to Cambridge Environmental Inc. and its subcontractor, Dynamac, in accordance with 40 CFR 2.307(h)(3) and 2.308(i)(2). Cambridge Environmental Inc. and its subcontractor, Dynamac, have been awarded a contract to perform work for OPP, and access to this information will enable Cambridge Environmental Inc. and its subcontractor, Dynamac, to fulfill the obligations of the contract.

Notice is hereby given of a proposed settlement pursuant to sections 104, 106(a), 107 and 122 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, 42 U.S.C. 9604, 9606(a), 9607 and 9622, as amended (``CERCLA''), and under the authority of the Attorney General of the United States to compromise and settle claims of the United States concerning the Denver Radium Superfund site, Operable Unit 2 (``OU 2''). The proposed settlement is embodied in an Administrative Order on Consent (``AOC'') between the United States, on behalf of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'') and the Atlas Metal & Iron Corp. and Atlas Umatilla, LLC (``Settling Respondents,'' (collectively the ``Parties'')). This AOC provides for the performance of operation and maintenance activities by the Settling Respondents, the recording of an environmental covenant by Atlas Umatilla, LLC, and the reimbursement of certain response costs incurred by the United States at or in connection with OU 2. In exchange, the United States will provide covenants to the Settling Respondents under sections 106 and 107 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9606 or 9607, will provide contribution protection for the Settling Respondents, and will waive any lien(s) it may have on the property located at 1100 Umatilla, Denver, Colorado (``Property'') under sections 107(l) and 107(r) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9607(l) and 9607(r). EPA has notified the State of Colorado (the ``State'') of this action pursuant to section 106(a) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9606(a). The Property was listed on the NPL as part of OU 2, on September 8, 1983. EPA issued a ROD for OU 2 on September 29, 1987. The ROD called for excavation and off-site disposal of the radium-contaminated soils. During implementation of the ROD, EPA determined that some radium- contaminated soils could be left in place pursuant to supplemental standards and also discovered the lead contaminated soils. It was determined that excavation, treatment, and off-Site disposal were the best response actions for the lead contaminated soils. These changes to the ROD were documented in an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) dated September 17, 1993. Operation and maintenance activities still need to be performed at the Property, including implementation of institutional controls, to limit or control disturbances of any contaminated soils left on-Site under supplemental standards, to restrict use of ground water, and to monitor and maintain acceptable radon levels in buildings on the Property.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin to accept requests, from December 1, 2005 through January 31, 2006, for grants to supplement State and Tribal Response Programs. This notice provides guidance on eligibility for funding, use of funding, grant mechanisms and process for awarding funding, the allocation system for distribution of funding, and terms and reporting under these grants. EPA has consulted with state and tribal officials in developing this guidance. The primary goal of this funding is to ensure that state and tribal response programs include, or are taking reasonable steps to include, certain elements and a public record. Another goal is to provide funding for other activities that increase the number of response actions conducted or overseen by a state or tribal response program. This funding is not intended to supplant current state or tribal funding for their response programs. Instead, it is to supplement their funding to increase their response capacity. For fiscal year 2006, EPA will consider funding requests up to a maximum of $1.5 million per state or tribe. Subject to the availability of funds, EPA regional personnel will be available to provide technical assistance to states and tribes as they apply for and carry out these grants.

The Environmental Protection Agency will recognize municipalities and industries for outstanding and innovative technological achievements in wastewater treatment and pollution abatement programs at the annual Clean Water Act Recognition Awards ceremony during the Water Environment Federation's Technical Exposition and Conference (WEFTEC) in Washington, DC. An inscribed plaque will be presented to first and second place national winners for projects and programs in operations and maintenance at wastewater treatment facilities, biosolids management, pretreatment and storm water management. This action also announces the 2005 national awards winners.

Because EPA received adverse comments, we are withdrawing the direct final rule on the supplemental authorization of methyl bromide for critical uses in 2005, published in the Federal Register on August 30, 2005 (70 FR 51270). We stated in the direct final rule that if we received adverse comment by September 29, 2005, we would publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register. We received adverse comment on the direct final rule. We will address those comments in a subsequent final action based on the parallel proposal also published on August 30, 2005 (70 FR 51317). As stated in the parallel proposal, we will not institute a second comment period on this action.

EPA is taking direct final action to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) section 8(a) Inventory Update Reporting (IUR) regulations by adding 1,2,3-propanetriol (CASRN 56-81-5) to the list of chemical substances in 40 CFR 710.46(b)(2)(iv) which are exempt from reporting processing and use information required by 40 CFR 710.52(c)(4). EPA has determined that the IUR processing and use information for this chemical is of low current interest. Manufacturers and importers of the chemicals listed in 40 CFR 710.46(b)(2)(iv) must continue to report manufacturing information.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given that the next meeting of the Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee (CHPAC) will be held October 25 and 26, 2005 at the Hotel Washington, Washington, DC. The CHPAC was created to advise the Environmental Protection Agency on science, regulations, and other issues relating to children's environmental health.

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference meeting of the chartered SAB to discuss a draft SAB report.

EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential adverse effects of management activities on water quality, fish habitat and soil productivity. Rating EC2.

EPA is approving an alternative volatile organic compounds (VOC) control device for Serigraph, Inc. (Serigraph) as a revision to the Wisconsin State Implementation Plan (SIP). On May 18, 2005, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources submitted a request to revise the Wisconsin SIP. The revision approves Serigraph's use of a biofilter to control VOC emissions from its printing facility in Washington County, Wisconsin. The biofilter will achieve VOC emission reductions at or beyond the level of the control methods listed in the SIP. Serigraph has designed one of its plants as a permanent total enclosure (PTE), which captures all VOC emissions and routes them to the biofilter. There are no fugitive emissions from the plant. This control system will reliably control emissions at or below the level of Federally mandated emission limits.

EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the Monterey Bay United Air Pollution Control District (MBUAPCD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and sulfur compounds emitted by various sources. We are proposing to approve a local rule to regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that Versar Inc., an EPA contractor for external scientific peer review, will convene a panel of experts and organize and conduct an independent external peer-review workshop to review the draft report, ``Approaches for the Application of Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Models and Supporting Data in Risk Assessment'' (EPA/600/R-05/043A), which was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development. Versar, Inc. invites the public to register to attend this workshop as observers. In addition, Versar, Inc. invites the public to give oral and/or provide written comments at the workshop regarding the draft document under review. The draft document and EPA's peer-review charge are available primarily via the Internet on NCEA's home page under the Recent Additions and Publications menus at https:// www.epa.gov/ncea. In preparing a final report, EPA will consider Versar, Inc.'s report of the comments and recommendations from the external peer-review workshop. In addition to the workshop announced today, EPA previously published a Federal Register notice (70 FR 43692) announcing a separate process for public comment on the draft document on July 28, 2005 and a second Federal Register notice (70 FR 48950) announcing a 45-day extension (closing October 14, 2005) of the public comment period.

Today's final rule revises several provisions of the General Pretreatment Regulations that address requirements for, and oversight of, Industrial Users who introduce pollutants into Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs). This final rule includes changes to certain program requirements to be consistent with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements for direct dischargers to surface waters. Today's action will reduce the regulatory burden on both Industrial Users and State and POTW Control Authorities without adversely affecting environmental protection and will allow Control Authorities to better focus oversight resources on Industrial Users with the greatest potential for affecting POTW operations or the environment.

EPA is extending the comment period for an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) published on August 31, 2005 (70 FR 51694). In the August 31, 2005 ANPR, EPA solicited comments, data and information for determining how to calculate the reductions in volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions achieved in ozone nonattainment and maintenance areas from the implementation of rules which limit the VOC content of architectural coatings (commonly referred to as architectural industrial maintenance, or AIM, coatings). In addition to submitting comments, data and information, interested parties may also request to meet with EPA to present their recommended approaches and rationales. Pursuant to requests of the Ozone Transport Commission and the California Air Resources Board, EPA is extending the comment period through December 16, 2005.

EPA is proposing to approve State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the Governor of Utah on September 20, 1999 and February 5, 2001. The September 20, 1999 submittal revises the numbering and format of the Utah Administrative Code (UAC) rules within Utah's SIP. The February 5, 2001 submittal restores a paragraph that was inadvertently deleted from Utah's rules when the State submitted their September 20, 1999 SIP submittal that renumbered the UAC rules. The intended effect of this action is to make these provisions federally enforceable. In addition, the approval of Utah's September 20, 1999 SIP revision supersedes and replaces previous SIP revisions submitted by Utah on October 26, 2000, September 7, 1999, two SIP revisions submitted February 6, 1996, and one submitted on January 27, 1995. Some of the provisions of the rules submitted in Utah's SIP revisions will be addressed at a later date by more recent SIP actions that have been submitted which supersede and replace the earlier SIP submittal actions. EPA will be removing Utah's Asbestos Work Practices, Contractor Certification, AHERA Accreditation and AHERA Implementation rule R307-1-8 and Eligibility of Pollution Control Expenditures for Sales Tax Exemption rule R307-1-6 from Utah's federally enforceable SIP because these rules are not generally related to attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and are therefore not required to be in Utah's SIP. Finally, EPA will be removing Utah's National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants rule R307-1- 4.12. Utah has delegation of authority for NESHAPs in 40 CFR part 61 (49 FR 36368), pursuant to 110(k)(6) of the Act, therefore we are removing the existing language (R307-1-4.12) that was approved into Utah's current SIP because it is no longer required to be in the SIP. This action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air Act.

EPA is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Maryland Department of the Environment. The revision consists of modifications to the ambient air quality standards for ozone and fine particulate matter and the replacement of the abbreviation ``ppm'' with parts per million in existing standards. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

The EPA is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Connecticut. This revision establishes a Limited Maintenance Plan (LMP) for the New Haven PM10 nonattainment area (New Haven NAA) in the State of Connecticut and grants a request by the State to redesignate the New Haven NAA to attainment for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 micrometers (PM10). EPA is approving this redesignation and LMP because Connecticut has met the applicable requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

EPA is establishing the framework by which it will accept electronic reports from regulated entities in satisfaction of certain document submission requirements in EPA's regulations. EPA will provide public notice when the Agency is ready to receive direct submissions of certain documents from regulated entities in electronic form consistent with this rulemaking via an EPA electronic document receiving system. This rule does not mandate that regulated entities utilize electronic methods to submit documents in lieu of paper-based submissions. In addition, EPA is not taking final action on the electronic recordkeeping requirements at this time. States, tribes, and local governments will be able to seek EPA approval to accept electronic documents to satisfy reporting requirements under environmental programs that EPA has delegated, authorized, or approved them to administer. This rule includes performance standards against which a state's, tribe's, or local government's electronic document receiving system will be evaluated before EPA will approve changes to the delegated, authorized, or approved program to provide electronic reporting, and establishes a streamlined process that states, tribes, and local governments can use to seek and obtain such approvals.