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

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2007. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

On January 23, 2007 (72 FR 2776), EPA published a direct final rule approving the redesignation of the El Paso, Texas, carbon monoxide (CO) nonattainment area to attainment for the CO National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and the CO maintenance plan with its associated Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs). EPA also found the MVEBs adequate. The direct final action was published without prior proposal because EPA anticipated no adverse comment. EPA stated in the direct final rule that if EPA received relevant adverse comment by February 22, 2007, EPA would publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register. EPA subsequently received a timely relevant adverse comment on the direct final rule. Therefore, EPA is withdrawing the direct final approval, as well as the finding of adequacy for the MVEBs. EPA will address the comment in a subsequent final action based on the parallel proposal also published on January 23, 2007 (72 FR 2825).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is today publishing a supplemental proposal which would revise the definition of solid waste to exclude certain hazardous secondary materials from regulation under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). We are also soliciting comments on regulatory factors to be used to determine whether recycling of hazardous secondary materials is legitimate. The Agency first proposed changes to the definition of solid waste on October 28, 2003 (68 FR 61558). The purpose of this proposal is to encourage safe, environmentally sound recycling and resource conservation and to respond to several court decisions concerning the definition of solid waste.

The EPA proposes to revise the codification of New York's authorized hazardous waste program which is set forth in the regulations entitled ``Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs'', New York's authorized hazardous waste program. EPA will incorporate by reference into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) those provisions of the State regulations that are authorized and that EPA will enforce under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended and commonly referred to as the Resource Conservative and Recovery Act (RCRA). In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, the EPA is codifying and incorporating by reference the State's hazardous waste program as an immediate final rule. EPA did not make a proposal prior to the immediate final rule because we believe these actions are not controversial and do not expect comments that oppose them. We have explained the reasons for this codification and incorporation by reference in the preamble to the immediate final rule. Unless we get written comments which oppose this incorporation by reference during the comment period, the immediate final rule will become effective on the date indicated, and we will not take further action on this proposal. If we get comments that oppose these actions, we will withdraw the immediate final rule and it will not take effect. We will then respond to public comments in a later final rule based on this proposal. You may not have another opportunity for comment. If you want to comment on this action, you must do so at this time.