Environmental Protection Agency January 24, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is taking final action to approve a revision to the New York State Implementation Plan (SIP) that addresses the requirements of EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), promulgated on May 12, 2005 and subsequently revised on April 28, 2006, and December 13, 2006. EPA has determined that the SIP revision fully implements the CAIR requirements for New York. As a result of this rulemaking, EPA will also withdraw, through a separate rulemaking, the CAIR Federal Implementation Plans (CAIR FIPs) concerning sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX) annual, and NOX ozone season emissions for New York. The CAIR FIPs for all states in the CAIR region were promulgated on April 28, 2006 and subsequently revised on December 13, 2006. In addition, EPA is determining that the New York SIP revision satisfies New York's obligation under section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to prohibit air emissions that would interfere with provisions to prevent significant deterioration of air quality.

EPA is announcing that Versar, under a contract with EPA, will convene an independent panel of experts and organize and conduct an external peer-review workshop to review the external review draft document entitled, ``Toxicological Review of Chlordecone (Kepone): In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' (EPA/635/R-07/004). The EPA is also announcing a public comment period for the draft document. EPA intends to consider comments and recommendations from the public and the expert panel meeting when EPA finalizes the draft document. The public comment period and the external peer-review workshop are separate processes that provide opportunities for all interested parties to comment on the document. EPA intends to forward public comments, submitted in accordance with this notice, to the external peer-review panel prior to the workshop for their consideration. EPA is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of pre- dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. This document has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. Versar invites the public to register to attend this workshop as observers. In addition, Versar invites the public to give brief oral comments at the workshop regarding the draft document under review. The draft document and EPA's peer review charge are available via the Internet on NCEA's home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at https://www.epa.gov/ncea. When finalizing the draft document, EPA intends to consider any public comments that EPA receives in accordance with this notice.

This notice announces the final agency action on 3 TMDLs established by EPA Region 6 for waters listed in the State of Arkansas, under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). These TMDLs were completed in response to the lawsuit styled Sierra Club, et al. v. Browner, et al., No. LR-C-99-114. Documents from the administrative record files for the final 3 TMDLs, including TMDL calculations may be viewed at https://www.epa.gov/region6/6wq/npdes/tmdl/index.htm.

There will be a 4-day meeting of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel (FIFRA SAP) to consider and review the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) Proposed Tier-1 Screening Battery.

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.

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.

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Connecticut on April 26, 2007, with amendments submitted on September 12, 2007. This SIP revision addresses the requirements of EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), promulgated on May 12, 2005 and subsequently revised on April 28, 2006 and December 13, 2006. EPA has determined that the SIP revision fully implements the CAIR requirements for Connecticut. Therefore, as a consequence of the SIP approval, the Administrator of EPA will also, in a separate document, issue a final rule to withdraw the Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) concerning NOX ozone-season emissions for Connecticut. In the SIP revision that EPA is approving, Connecticut will meet CAIR requirements by participating in the EPA-administered cap-and- trade program addressing NOX ozone-season emissions. Connecticut's SIP revision is based on EPA's model CAIR NOX ozone season rule and is, in most respects, substantively identical to that model rule. The Connecticut CAIR program has two major substantive differences from that model rule (expanded applicability, and a different methodology for allocating NOX allowances), both of which are consistent with the flexibility allowed under CAIR for state participation in the EPA-administered cap-and-trade program. The SIP revision complies with the statutory and regulatory requirements for approval of a CAIR NOX ozone-season program. This action is being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act.

EPA is proposing to approve State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Alabama on June 16, 2006. The proposed revisions modify Alabama's Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) regulations in the SIP to address changes to the federal New Source Review (NSR) permitting regulations, which were promulgated by EPA on December 31, 2002, and reconsidered with minor changes on November 7, 2003 (collectively, these two final actions are called the ``2002 NSR Reform Rules''). The proposed revisions include provisions for baseline emissions calculations, an actual-to-projected-actual methodology for calculating emissions changes, options for plantwide applicability limits (PAL), and recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The June 16, 2006, submittal also contained provisions to address the Clean Air Interstate Rule, on which EPA has already taken action. As requested by Alabama on December 3, 2007, at this time, EPA is not taking action on a proposed revision found in Rule 335-3-14-.04(2)(w)1, which establishes a significance threshold for all NSR regulated pollutants for which there is not a listed significance threshold.

EPA is finalizing rule revisions that modify existing requirements for sources affected by the federally administered emission trading programs including the NOX Budget Trading Program, the Acid Rain Program, the Clean Air Interstate Rule, and the Clean Air Mercury Rule. The revisions are prompted primarily by changes being implemented by EPA's Clean Air Markets Division in its data systems in order to utilize the latest modern technology for the submittal of data by affected sources. Other revisions address issues that have been raised during program implementation, fix specific inconsistencies in rule provisions, or update sources incorporated by reference. These revisions do not impose significant new requirements upon sources with regard to monitoring or quality assurance activities.