Environmental Protection Agency February 6, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2006. 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.

EPA issued a notice in the Federal Register of January 6, 2006, concerning the availability of EPA's human health risk assessment and related documents for the fumigant iodomethane. These documents can be viewed in the docket. This document is extending the comment period for 15 days, from February 6, 2006 to February 21, 2006.

As required by section 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is giving notice that it is establishing the Human Studies Review Board (HSRB). The purpose of this Board is to provide advice and recommendations to EPA on issues related to the scientific and ethical review of human subjects research. EPA has determined that this advisory committee is in the public interest and will assist the Agency in performing its duties as directed in the 2006 EPA Appropriations Act. Further, the Agency included the establishment of such a Board in a final rule for protection of subjects in human research. The Agency is publishing, in a separate Federal Register notice, the final rule that strengthens the protections for subjects in human research, including a provision addressing the establishment and operation of the HSRB. In addition, in a report requested by the Agency, the National Academy of Sciences recommended that EPA establish such a Board. See: ``Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006,'' Public Law 109-54; and ``Intentional Human Dosing Studies for EPA Regulatory Purposes,'' Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 2004. Balanced membership will be driven by a number of considerations characterized by: inclusion of the necessary areas of technical expertise, different scientific perspectives within each technical discipline, and the collective breadth of experience needed to address the Agency's charge. Copies of the Committee Charter will be filed with the appropriate congressional committees and the Library of Congress.

EPA is taking final action to approve revisions to the Wisconsin State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Wisconsin on July 28, 2005. These revisions include General and Registration permit programs that provide for the issuance of general and registration permits as part of the State's construction permit and operation permit programs. In addition, these permit programs may include the regulation of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) which may be regulated under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (the Act). Thus, EPA is also approving Wisconsin's general and registration permit program under section 112(l) of the Act. These SIP revisions also contain changes to definitions related to Wisconsin's air permit program, as well as a minor technical change to provide correct references to the updated chapter NR 445, which was inadvertently omitted in the processing of that rule package. Additionally, these revisions clarify an existing construction permit exemption and operation permit exemption for certain grain storage and drying operations. This clarification is necessary to ensure that column dryers and rack dryers are included in the exemption criteria.