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

EPA has received a specific exemption request from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry to use the pesticide chlorantraniliprole (CAS No. 500008-45-7) to treat up to 160,000 acres of rice to control rice water weevil. The applicant proposes the use of a new chemical which has not been registered by EPA. EPA is soliciting public comment before making the decision whether or not to grant the exemption.

EPA is extending the comment period for action proposed on December 13, 2007 (72 FR 70812) concerning disapproval of the Nevada State Plan to address the requirements of EPA's Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR).

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

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 (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.

This notice announces the initial filing of pesticide petitions proposing the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities.

The Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) and the Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS), and workgroups will meet on February 5-6, 2008 in Washington, DC. The Committee and Subcommittee meetings will be located at The Madison, at 1177 Fifteenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005, in conference rooms Vernon A & B. The focus areas of the meeting will be Green Buildings, Small Communities, and other environmental issues potentially affecting local governments. This is an open meeting and all interested persons are invited to attend. The Committee will hear comments from the public between 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Tuesday, February 5, 2008. Each individual or organization wishing to address the LGAC meeting will be allowed a maximum of five minutes to present their point of view. Also, written comments should be submitted electronically to Eargle.Frances@epa.gov. Please contact the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) at the number listed below to schedule agenda time. Time will be allotted on a first come, first serve basis, and the total period for comments may be extended, if the number of requests for appearances require it.

EPA is announcing that Versar, Inc., an EPA contractor for external scientific peer review, will convene an independent panel of experts and organize and conduct an external peer-review meeting to review the external review draft document titled, ``Toxicological Review of 1,2,3-Trichloropropane: In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' (NCEA-S-1669). EPA previously announced the 60-day public comment period (ending January 15, 2008) for the draft document in the Federal Register on November 16, 2007 (72 FR 64626). EPA will consider public comments and recommendations from the expert panel meeting as EPA finalizes the draft document. The public comment period and the external peer-review meeting 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 Federal Register (72 FR 64626) to Versar, Inc., for consideration by the external peer-review panel prior to the meeting. 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, Inc., invites the public to register to attend this meeting as observers. In addition, Versar, Inc., invites the public to give brief oral comments at the meeting 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 Versar's report of the comments and recommendations from the external peer-review meeting and any public comments that EPA receives in accordance with 72 FR 64626, November 16, 2007. Public comments that were submitted during the 60- day public comment period ending January 15, 2008 may be observed at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-1083.

EPA expressed environmental concerns about potential adverse impacts to aquatic resources, uncertainty of groundwater availability, and carbon dioxide emissions. We recommend further discussion on renewable energy resources, groundwater protection, and issues associated with greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Rating EC2.

EPA is proposing to approve the maintenance plan for the San Manuel Area in Pinal and Pima Counties, Arizona, as a revision to the Arizona state implementation plan, and to grant the request submitted by the State to redesignate this area from nonattainment to attainment of the national ambient air quality standards for sulfur dioxide (SO2) for the San Manuel SO2 nonattainment area. EPA is proposing this action in accordance with the Clean Air Act.

EPA proposes to approve a revision to the Washoe County portion of the Nevada State Implementation Plan. Submitted by the State of Nevada on May 30, 2007, this plan revision consists of a maintenance plan prepared for the purpose of providing for continued attainment of the 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard in Washoe County through the year 2014 and thereby satisfying the related requirements under section 110(a)(1) of the Clean Air Act and EPA's phase 1 rule implementing the 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard. EPA is proposing this action pursuant to those provisions of the Clean Air Act that obligate the Agency to take action on submittals of state implementation plans and plan.

EPA is promulgating new source standards of performance for stationary spark ignition internal combustion engines. EPA is also promulgating national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for new and reconstructed stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines that either are located at area sources of hazardous air pollutant emissions or that have a site rating of less than or equal to 500 brake horsepower and are located at major sources of hazardous air pollutant emissions.

EPA proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the purpose of modifying and clarifying existing regulatory requirements for the control of volatile organic compounds from gasoline dispensing facilities in Allegheny County. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP submittal as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Maryland State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions will allow the Maryland Department of the Environment to utilize inspections of Stage I and Stage II systems by a certified inspector. EPA is approving these revisions to the Maryland SIP in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the Kern County Air Pollution Control District (KCAPCD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern particulate matter (PM-10) emissions from ambient dust and propellant and rocket testing. We are proposing to approve local rules under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act).

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of acetamiprid in or on bushberry subgroup 13-07B; caneberry subgroup 13- 07A; low growing berry subgroup 13-07G; onion, bulb, subgroup 3-07A; and onion, green, subgroup 3-07B. Nippon Soda Co., Ltd. requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

This regulation establishes a tolerance for residues of mandipropamid, 4-chloro-N-[2-[3-methoxy-4-(2-propynyloxy)phenyl]ethyl]- alpha-(2-propynyloxy)-benzeneacetamide in or on Brassica, head and stem, subgroup 5A; Brassica, leafy greens, subgroup 5B; vegetable, cucurbit, group 9; vegetable, fruiting, group 8; okra; vegetable, leafy except brassica, group 4; vegetable, tuberous and corm, subgroup 1C; grape; grape, raisin; onion, dry bulb; onion, green; and potato, wet peel. Syngenta Crop Protection Inc. requested this tolerance under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

This notice announces the availability of EPA's risk assessments, and related documents for the pesticide Diiodomethyl p- tolyl sulfone (Amical 48), and opens a public comment period on these documents. The public is encouraged to suggest risk management ideas or proposals to address the risks identified. EPA is developing a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for Diiodomethyl p-tolyl sulfone through a modified, 4-Phase public participation process that the Agency uses to involve the public in developing pesticide reregistration decisions. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that all pesticides meet current health and safety standards.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing for public comment guidance for conducting prospective ground-water (PGW) studies. This study, which is required by EPA on a case-by-case basis, is conducted in a controlled setting and provides EPA with data for evaluating the impact of legal pesticide use on ground water quality. The PGW guidance document describes how to conduct a PGW monitoring study, milestones for consulting with EPA, and how to report results to EPA. Data generated from these field studies have proven valuable to EPA scientists and risk managers as they are specifically designed to relate pesticide use indicated on the label to measurements of the pesticide and its degradates in ground water used as a source of drinking water.

This notice announces receipt of applications to register pesticide products containing new active ingredients not included in any currently registered products pursuant to the provisions of section 3(c)(4) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended.

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 request by registrants to voluntarily cancel certain pesticide registrations containing dichlorvos (DDVP).

In accordance with section 122(i) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9622(i), notice is hereby given of a proposed administrative settlement for recovery of past response costs concerning the COLUMBIA AMERICAN PLATING COMPANY Time-Critical Removal Site in Portland, Oregon, with the following settling parties: LAKEA CORPORATION (dba Columbia American Plating Company) and LARRY ANSON, an individual. The settlement requires the settling parties to pay: $15,000.00 to the EPA Hazardous Substance Superfund; the net sale proceeds from selling the site if the settling parties are able to redeem the property out of foreclosure from Multnomah County; and assignment of all rights to insurance claims proceeds to EPA. The settlement includes a covenant not to sue the settling party pursuant to Sections 106 and 107(a) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9606 and 9607(a). For thirty (30) days following the date of publication of this notice, the Agency will receive written comments relating to the settlement. The Agency will consider all comments received and may modify or withdraw its consent to the settlement if comments received disclose facts or considerations which indicate that the settlement is inappropriate, improper, or inadequate. The Agency's response to any comments received will be available for public inspection at the U.S. EPA Region 10 offices, located at 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101.

The EPA is announcing that a workshop entitled ``Workshop to Discuss Policy-Relevant Science to Inform EPA's Integrated Plan for the Review of the Primary Carbon Monoxide National Ambient Air Quality Standards'' is being organized by EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), Office of Research and Development and EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), Office of Air and Radiation. The workshop will be held on January 28-29, 2008 in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The workshop will be open to attendance by interested public observers on a first-come, first-served basis up to the limits of available space.

On February 7, 2002, Indiana submitted revisions to its State Implementation Plan (SIP) for lead (Pb) as part of the State's incorporation of a Federal standard for secondary lead smelters. On October 3, 2006, and November 27, 2007, Indiana supplemented its request as it pertained to Quemetco, Incorporated (Quemetco), in Marion County. The requested SIP revision replaces the Pb emission limits for Quemetco with new, stringent limits. EPA has determined that the new limits will be protective of the Pb air quality standards, and is therefore approving them.

The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, signed into law on October 10, 2000, amended the Clean Water Act (CWA), to incorporate provisions to reduce the risk of illness to users of the Nation's recreational waters. Section 406(b) of the CWA, as amended by the BEACH Act, authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award grants to eligible States, Territories, Tribes, and local governments to develop and implement microbiological monitoring programs of coastal recreation waters, including the Great Lakes, which are adjacent to beaches or similar points of access used by the public. BEACH Act grants also develop and implement programs to notify the public of the potential exposure to disease-causing microorganisms in these waters. EPA encourages coastal and Great Lakes States and Territories to apply for BEACH Act grants for program implementation (referred to as implementation grants) to implement effective and comprehensive coastal recreation water monitoring and public notification programs. EPA also encourages coastal and Great Lakes Tribes to apply for BEACH Act grants for program development (referred to as development grants) to develop effective and comprehensive coastal recreation water monitoring and public notification programs.