Environmental Protection Agency April 18, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that we have found that the motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for volatile organic compounds (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) in the Youngstown, Ohio area (Columbiana, Mahoning, and Trumbull Counties) are adequate for use in transportation conformity determinations. Ohio submitted these budgets with an 8-hour ozone redesignation request and maintenance plan on December 4, 2006, and February 20, 2007. As a result of our finding, Youngstown, Ohio must use the MVEBs from the submitted 8-hour ozone redesignation and maintenance plan for future conformity determinations.

On February 15, 2007, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), submitted a request for a redesignation of its portion of the Youngstown area to attainment of the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), and a request for EPA approval of an ozone maintenance plan for Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana Counties, Ohio. The State public hearing on the submittal was held on January 9, 2007. EPA is proposing to determine that the Youngstown area has attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA believes that the State's ozone maintenance plan for the area is acceptable and, in conjunction with projected emissions in the Pennsylvania portion of the area (Mercer County), will provide for maintenance of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS in these Counties through 2018. EPA is proposing approval of the State's request to redesignate Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana Counties, Ohio to attainment of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA is also proposing to approve the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana Counties, Ohio for purposes of transportation conformity determinations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or we) is announcing the availability of, and soliciting public comments for 30 days on, the proposed approval of the radioactive, transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization Project (CCP) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This waste is intended for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. In accordance with the WIPP Compliance Criteria, EPA evaluated LANL-CCP's characterization of contact-handled TRU debris and solid waste during an inspection conducted May 23-25, 2006, as well as during follow-up inspections on August 22, 2006, and March 6, 2007. Using the systems and processes developed as part of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO), EPA verified whether DOE could adequately characterize TRU waste consistent with the Compliance Criteria. The results of EPA's evaluation of the LANL-CCP program and the proposed approval are described in EPA's inspection report, which is available for review in the public dockets listed in ADDRESSES. We will consider public comments received on or before the due date mentioned in DATES. This notice summarizes the waste characterization processes evaluated by EPA and EPA's proposed approval. As required by the 40 CFR 194.8, at the end of a 30-day comment period EPA will evaluate public comments received, finalize the report responding to the relevant public comments, and issue the final report and an approval letter to DOE's CBFO. Based on previous EPA inspections and approvals, LANL-CCP is currently approved to dispose of debris and solid waste at WIPP. LANL-CCP is permitted to continue waste characterization and disposal in accordance with prior site approvals while EPA establishes a baseline approval.

On May 30, 2006, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) submitted a request for EPA approval of a redesignation of St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties to attainment of the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and of an ozone maintenance plan for St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties as a revision to the Indiana State Implementation Plan (SIP). Today, EPA is proposing to approve Indiana's request and corresponding SIP revision. EPA is also proposing to approve the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for these Counties, as supported by the ozone maintenance plan for this area, for purposes of transportation conformity determinations.

EPA is proposing to exempt from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) section 408 requirement of a tolerance, residues of coat proteins from viruses that naturally infect plants that humans consume when such coat proteins are produced in living plants as part of a plant-incorporated protectant (PIP) and the criteria proposed for this exemption are met. EPA believes there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure to such residues, including all anticipated dietary exposures and all other exposures for which there is reliable information. This proposed exemption would eliminate the need to establish a maximum permissible level in food for these residues.

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 a registrant to voluntarily cancel its registrations for all products containing the pesticide pyridate. This notice announces receipt by EPA of a request from the registrant Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc., to cancel all remaining pyridate product registrations. The request would terminate the last pyridate products registered for use in the United States. The last remaining pyridate products registered under FIFRA Section 3 were cancelled in 2004 for failure to pay the required annual maintenance fee (See Unit II for Federal Register cite), but there are several FIFRA 24(c) Special Local Needs registrations (for weed control on mint) that are still active. Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc., the registrant for all of the currently registered FIFRA 24(c) products, has requested cancellation of all of the remaining pyridate 24(c) products. 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, or unless the registrant withdraws their request within this period. 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.