Environmental Protection Agency May 31, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On September 12, 2006, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) submitted a request for EPA approval of a redesignation of Lake and Porter Counties to attainment of the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and of an ozone maintenance plan for this area as a revision to the Indiana State Implementation Plan (SIP). EPA is proposing to determine that the Chicago-Gary-Lake County, Illinois-Indiana (IL-IN) 8-hour ozone nonattainment area, which includes Lake and Porter Counties, has attained the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA is proposing to approve Indiana's ozone maintenance plan for Lake and Porter Counties as a revision to the SIP. EPA is proposing to approve Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for Lake and Porter Counties as supported by the ozone maintenance plan. EPA is proposing to approve Indiana's 2002 base year VOC and NOX emission inventories for Lake and Porter Counties. EPA is proposing to approve into the Indiana SIP the VOC and NOX periodic emission inventories for 1999, 2002, and 2004. Finally, EPA is proposing to approve the redesignation of Lake and Porter Counties to attainment of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS.

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. The ICR which is abstracted below describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost.

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the purpose of revising the general emission rate for particulate matter.

The Director, Office of Water and Watersheds, EPA Region 10, is publishing notice of availability of the final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit authorizing discharges from exploration, development, and production platforms and related facilities in Cook Inlet, Alaska, pursuant to the provisions of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq. The general permit contains conditions and limitations that conform to the Offshore and Coastal Subcategories of the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Effluent Limitations Guidelines, set forth at 40 CFR Part 435, subparts A and D, as well as additional requirements that ensure that the regulated discharges will not cause unreasonable degradation of the marine environment, as required by section 403(c) of the Clean Water Act (i.e., the Ocean Discharge Criteria), 33 U.S.C. 1343(c). New facilities seeking permit coverage must submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) at least 30 days prior to discharge. The general permit expands the existing coverage area to include the Minerals Management Service Lease Sales Nos. 191 and 199, and the State waters adjoining those lease areas. The general permit also authorizes discharges from oil and gas exploration, development and production facilities, however, new development and production facilities are not authorized to discharge produced water, drilling fluids, or drill cuttings. A fact sheet has also been prepared which sets forth the principle factual, legal, policy, and scientific information considered in the development of the general permit.

EPA is approving a request to amend the Missouri State Implementation Plan (SIP) to include the base year inventory for the Missouri portion of the St. Louis 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) nonattainment area and a demonstration of Missouri's emissions statement authority. The Missouri portion of the St. Louis nonattainment area consists of the City of St. Louis and Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis Counties. The nonattainment area also includes four counties in Illinois. This amendment would fulfill Missouri's obligation, as a moderate nonattainment area, to submit a base year inventory for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS and to demonstrate adequate authority to address the emissions statement requirement as required under Section 182(a)(1) and Section 182(a)(3)(B) of the Clean Air Act, respectively.