Environmental Protection Agency June 30, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended, EPA is issuing a notice of receipt of a request by the registrant to amend their registrations to terminate uses of certain products containing the pesticide DDVP. The request would terminate DDVP use in or on: Mushroom house (hand held fogger); Greenhouse (hand held fogger); Warehouse (hand held fogger); Residential Crack and Crevice use; Residential Total Release Fogger; Lawn, Turf and Ornamentals; 21 gram Pest Strip; 65 gram Pest Strip; 80 gram Pest Strip; and 100 gram Pest Strip. The request would not terminate the last DDVP products registered for use in the United States. EPA intends to grant this request at the close of the comment period for this announcement unless the Agency receives substantive comments within the comment period that would merit its further review of the request. In addition, EPA will not approve the request as to the 21 gram, 65 gram, or 80 gram pest strips prior to EPA approving the replacement registrations, per the registrant's May 9, 2006 letter to EPA. Upon acceptance of this request, any sale, distribution, or use of products listed in this notice will be permitted only if such sale, distribution, or use is consistent with the terms as described in the final order.

EPA is proposing to revise the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting requirements and Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards (ELGs) for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in response to the order issued by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Waterkeeper Alliance et al. v. EPA, 399 F.3d 486 (2nd Cir. 2005). This proposed rule responds to the court order while furthering the statutory goal of restoring and maintaining the nation's water quality and effectively ensuring that CAFOs properly manage manure generated by their operations. This proposal would revise several aspects of EPA's current regulations governing discharges from CAFOs. First, EPA proposes to require only the owners and operators of those CAFOs that discharge or propose to discharge to seek coverage under a permit. Second, EPA proposes to require CAFOs seeking coverage under a permit to submit their nutrient management plan (NMP) with their application for an individual permit or notice of intent to be authorized under a general permit. Permitting authorities would be required to review the plan and provide the public with an opportunity for meaningful public review and comment. Permitting authorities would also be required to incorporate terms of the NMP as NPDES permit conditions. Third, this action proposes to authorize permit writers, upon request by a CAFO, to establish best management, zero discharge effluent limitations when the facility demonstrates that it has designed an open containment system that will comply with the no discharge requirements. This proposed rule also responds to the court's remand orders regarding water-quality based effluent limitations (WQBELs) and pathogens. EPA proposes to clarify that WQBELs are available in permits with respect to production area discharges and non-precipitation related discharges from land application, but are statutorily unavailable in permits for Large CAFOs with respect to precipitation related land application discharges because the only allowable discharge from a land application area is due to agricultural storm water which is by statute exempt from permitting requirements. Finally, EPA proposes to clarify its selection of BCT technologies for pathogens (fecal coliform), and reaffirm its decision to set the BCT limitations for fecal coliform to be equal to the BPT limits established in the 2003 CAFO rule.