Environmental Protection Agency February 26, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is adopting controls on gasoline, passenger vehicles, and portable fuel containers (primarily gas cans) that will significantly reduce emissions of benzene and other hazardous air pollutants (``mobile source air toxics''). Benzene is a known human carcinogen, and mobile sources are responsible for the majority of benzene emissions. The other mobile source air toxics are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects. We are limiting the benzene content of gasoline to an annual refinery average of 0.62% by volume, beginning in 2011. In addition, for gasoline, we are establishing a maximum average standard for refineries of 1.3% by volume beginning on July 1, 2012, which acts as an upper limit on gasoline benzene content when credits are used to meet the 0.62 volume % standard. We are also limiting exhaust emissions of hydrocarbons from passenger vehicles when they are operated at cold temperatures. This standard will be phased in from 2010 to 2015. For passenger vehicles, we are also adopting evaporative emissions standards that are equivalent to those currently in effect in California. Finally, we are adopting a hydrocarbon emissions standard for portable fuel containers beginning in 2009, which will reduce evaporation and spillage of gasoline from these containers. These controls will significantly reduce emissions of benzene and other mobile source air toxics such as 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and naphthalene. There will be additional substantial benefits to public health and welfare because of significant reductions in emissions of particulate matter from passenger vehicles.

EPA proposes to approve an amendment to the State of West Virginia's operating permit program to correct the definition of ``a major source'' and ``volatile organic compound.'' West Virginia's revision was submitted in response to the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1990 that required States to submit to EPA program revisions in accordance with the Federal Title V regulations. The EPA granted final approval of West Virginia's operating permit program on November 23, 2001. West Virginia amended its operating permit program to address the Federal EPA amendment to the Federal Title V regulations, which went into effect on November 27, 2001. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's amendment to its operating permit program as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. The EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

Idaho applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for final authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). On November 9, 2006, EPA published a proposed rule to authorize the changes and opened a public comment period under Docket ID No. EPA-R10-RCRA-2006-0830. The comment period closed on December 11, 2006. EPA has decided that these revisions to the Idaho hazardous waste management program satisfy all of the requirements necessary to qualify for final authorization and is authorizing these revisions to Idaho's authorized hazardous waste management program in this final rule.

This notice announces the availability of EPA's Land Status Determination, which concludes that the approximately 160 acres of land located in the southeast portion of Section 8, Township 16N, Range 16W, in the State of New Mexico (the Section 8 land), is part of a dependent Indian community under 18 U.S.C. 1151(b) and, thus, considered to be ``Indian country.'' EPA is therefore the appropriate agency to consider underground injection control (UIC) permit applications under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) for that land.