Environmental Protection Agency July 9, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is proposing to amend the Federal regulations to withdraw its 1992 federally promulgated marine copper and cyanide chronic aquatic life water quality criteria for Washington State, thereby enabling Washington to implement its current EPA-approved chronic numeric criteria for copper and cyanide that cover all marine waters of the State. In 1992, EPA promulgated Federal regulations establishing water quality criteria for priority toxic pollutants for 12 States, including Washington, and two Territories that had not fully complied with the Clean Water Act (CWA). These regulations are known as the ``National Toxics Rule'' or ``NTR.'' On November 18, 1997, Washington adopted revised chronic marine aquatic life criteria for copper and cyanide, the only two marine aquatic life priority toxic pollutants in the NTR applicable to Washington. These revisions included a chronic marine aquatic life water quality criterion for copper for all marine waters and a chronic site-specific cyanide criterion for the Puget Sound. EPA approved these criteria on February 6, 1998. On August 1, 2003, Washington adopted revisions to its water quality standards, including a chronic marine criterion for cyanide for all marine waters except the Puget Sound. EPA approved this criterion on May 23, 2007. Since Washington now has marine copper and cyanide chronic aquatic life criteria effective under the CWA that EPA has approved as protective of Washington's designated uses, EPA is proposing to amend the NTR to withdraw the federally promulgated criteria.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) is giving notice that it proposes to AMEND AN EXISTING SYSTEM OF RECORDS for EPA-1 PeoplePlus. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is amending a Privacy Act system of records to reflect the agency's collection of employee data determined to be privacy and or personally identifiable information (PII). In previous amendments the Human Capital Management (HCM) function of PeoplePlus was always the underlying source of employee information when providing Benefits, Payroll, and Time and Labor processing. The data collected includes, but is not limited to, contents of employee information in the Official Personnel Folder (OPF) as specified in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Operating Manual, ``The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping,'' but never to this level of detail. Further, the system's name is changing from ``PeoplePlus Payroll, Time and Labor Application'' to ``PeoplePlus'' because the name included functions of PeoplePlus which changed recently with the e-Payrolls initiative. This notice does not affect any Privacy Act rights already accorded individuals who are subject of Agency personnel and payroll records. PeoplePlus will not change the nature of the records currently kept by EPA. This action simply gives notice of the additional HCM, and employee information collected, and to notify the public of the routine uses for PeoplePlus. These records are maintained in PeoplePlus to administer EPA's pay and leave requirements, including processing, accounting, and reporting requirements. They also provide the basic source of factual data about a person's Federal employment while in the service and after his or her separation. Records in PeoplePlus have various uses by Agency personnel offices, including screening qualifications of employees; determining status, eligibility, and employee's rights and benefits under pertinent laws and regulations governing Federal employment; computing length of service; and other information needed to provide personnel services. These records and their automated or microform equivalents may also be used to locate individuals for personnel research.

EPA is issuing this NODA in support of the proposed rule published on November 7, 2006, entitled Standards of Performance for Equipment Leaks of VOC in the Synthetic Organic Chemicals Manufacturing Industry; Standards of Performance for Equipment Leaks of VOC in Petroleum Refineries. EPA received a number of comments on the proposed rule and is in the process of evaluating those comments. This NODA addresses new data collected and analyses conducted in response to comments that EPA received concerning the impacts of the proposed monitoring provisions for open-ended lines and valves. We are seeking comment only on the impacts of the proposed monitoring provisions for open-ended lines and valves at synthetic organic chemical manufacturing sources and petroleum refineries. We do not intend to respond to new comments addressing any other aspect of the proposed rule.

Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92463, EPA gives notice of a meeting of the Good Neighbor Environmental Board. The Board meets three times each calendar year at different locations along the U.S.-Mexico border and in Washington, DC. It was created by the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative Act of 1992. An Executive Order delegates implementing authority to the Administrator of EPA. The Board is responsible for providing advice to the President and the Congress on environmental and infrastructure issues and needs within the States contiguous to Mexico. The statute calls for the Board to have representatives from U.S. Government agencies; the States of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas; tribal representation; and a variety of non-governmental officials. One purpose of this meeting is to hear presentations on the theme selected for the Board's Eleventh Report, natural disasters and the environment. The meeting also will include a public comment session and a business meeting on the second day. A copy of the meeting agenda will be posted at https://www.epa.gov/ ocem/gneb.