Environmental Protection Agency July 5, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 is publishing a direct final notice of partial deletion of approximately 7 acres within the Uravan Superfund Site (Site), located in Montrose County, Colorado, from the National Priorities List (NPL). The acerage comprises a one mile section of Colorado State Highway 141 between mile posts 75 and 76. The NPL, promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is appendix B of 40 CFR part 300, which is the National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). This direct final partial deletion is being published by EPA with the concurrence of the State of Colorado, through the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment because EPA has determined that all appropriate response actions, under CERCLA, for the approximate 7 acres have been completed and, therefore, further remedial action pursuant to CERCLA is not appropriate.

The EPA is giving final approval to a State plan submitted by Ohio concerning criteria pollutant and toxic emissions from Hospital, Medical and Infectious Waste Incinerators (HMIWI) in the State. Ohio prepared a plan based on Clean Air Act (CAA) sections 111(d) and 129 for existing hospital, medical and infectious waste incinerators and asked that it be reviewed and approved as the State plan. The State's HMIWI plan sets out requirements for affected units at least as stringent as the EPA requirements entitled ``Emission Guidelines (EG) and Compliance Times for Hospital/Medical/ Infectious Waste Incinerators'' published in the Federal Register dated September 15, 1997. For approval, the State plan must include requirements for emission limits at least as protective as those requirements stated in the emission guideline. We are approving, with some exceptions, items requested in Ohio's letter of October 18, 2005, including limits for a variety of emissions from HMIWI units including mercury, cadmium, lead, hydrogen chloride, and dioxin and criteria pollutants. The rules in the plan apply to existing sources only, for which construction commenced on or before June 20, 1996. New sources constructed after this date are covered by a Federal new source performance standard. The Ohio rules, contained in the plan, were proposed on March 22, 2002, and a public hearing was held on April 29, 2002. The rules became effective in Ohio on March 23, 2004. EPA proposed approval in the Federal Register on January 10, 2007, and received no comments on the proposal. We are approving the Ohio plan, with several noted exceptions, because it meets the requirements of the EPA emission guideline affecting hospital incinerators.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92- 463, the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD), gives notice of a meeting of the Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) Standing Subcommittee.

The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection, EPA-New England, is issuing notice of availability of the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permits for noncontact cooling water (NCCW) discharges to certain waters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire. These General Permits replace the NCCW General Permits which expired on April 25, 2005. These draft General Permits establish Notice of Intent (NOI) requirements, effluent limitations, standards, prohibitions, and management practices for facilities discharging NCCW. Owners and/or operators of facilities discharging NCCW, including those currently authorized to discharge under the expired General Permits, will be required to submit an NOI to be covered by the General Permit to both EPA-New England and the appropriate state agency. After EPA and the State have reviewed the NOI, the facility will receive a written notification from EPA of permit coverage and authorization to discharge under the General Permit. The eligibility requirements for coverage under this General Permit are discussed in detail under Part 3 of the General Permit. The reader is strongly urged to go to that section to determine eligibility before reading further. Public Comment Period: Interested persons may submit comments on the draft General Permits to the EPA-Region I. Interested persons may also request, in writing, that EPA hold a public hearing pursuant to 40 CFR 124.12, on the draft . All comments and requests for public hearings must be postmarked or delivered before midnight August 6, 2007, the close of the public comment period. All public comments or requests for a public hearing must be submitted to the address below. Adresses and Contact Information: Written comments on the draft General Permit may be hand delivered or mailed to Ms. Austine Frawley, EPA-Region 1, Office of Ecosystem Protection, CIP, 1 Congress Street, Suite 1100, Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2023, or sent via e-mail to frawley.austine@epa.gov. No facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted. The draft General Permits are based on an administrative record available for public review at EPA-Region 1, Office of Ecosystem Protection, 1 Congress Street, Suite 1100, Boston, Massachusetts 02114- 2023, Monday-Friday from 9 am-5 pm. For further information contact Ms. Frawley at 617-918-1065, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.