Environmental Protection Agency February 13, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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

EPA is proposing to approve the State of Louisiana's request to relax the federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard applicable to gasoline introduced into commerce in the Grant Parish 8-hour ozone attainment area (Grant Parish) during the summer high ozone season June 1 to September 15 of each year. Grant Parish is a designated attainment area under the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (``NAAQS'') and is a redesignated attainment area under the 1- hour ozone NAAQS. This action amends our regulations to change the summertime RVP standard for Grant Parish from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 psi. EPA has determined that this change to our federal RVP regulations is consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act. Louisiana's request is supported by evidence that Grant Parish can implement the 9.0 psi RVP standard and maintain the 8- hour ozone NAAQS and that relaxation of the applicable RVP standard to 9.0 psi will provide economic benefits.

EPA is taking direct final action approving the State of Louisiana's request to relax the federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard applicable to gasoline introduced into commerce in Grant Parish, Louisiana, (Grant Parish) during the summer ozone control seasonJune 1 to September 15 of each year. Grant Parish is a designated attainment area under the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (``NAAQS'') and is a redesignated attainment area under the 1-hour ozone NAAQS. This action amends our regulations to change the summertime RVP standard for Grant Parish from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 psi. EPA has determined that this change to our federal RVP regulations is consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act. Louisiana's request is supported by evidence that Grant Parish can implement the 9.0 psi RVP standard and maintain the 8- hour ozone NAAQS and that relaxation of the applicable RVP standard to 9.0 psi will provide economic benefits. This action is being taken without prior proposal because EPA believes that this final rulemaking is noncontroversial, for the reasons set forth in this preamble, and due to the limited scope of this action.

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.

The U.S. Environmental Protection is announcing the availability of a draft report titled, Draft Nanomaterial Research Strategy (EPA/600/S-08/002), which was prepared by EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). EPA is also announcing that Versar, Inc., an EPA contractor for external peer review, will convene a panel of experts and will organize and conduct an independent expert external peer meeting April 11, 2008, to review the draft document. Versar, Inc. invites the public to register to attend this meeting as observers. In addition, Versar, Inc. invites the public to give oral comments or provide written comments at the external peer review meeting regarding the draft document under review. The expert panel will review the draft document and consider public comments received prior to the meeting in the official public docket for this activity under docket ID number EPA-HQ-ORD-2008-0114 as well as comments made by the public at the meeting. The draft document is available through https:// www.regulations.gov and at https://es.epa.gov/ncer/nano/publications/ index.html. In preparing a final document, EPA will consider Versar, Inc.'s report of the comments and recommendations from the external peer-review meeting, as well as public comments. EPA plans to issue a final research strategy for nanomaterials in 2008. The public release of this draft document is solely for the purpose of seeking public comment and external peer review. This draft research strategy does not represent and should not be construed to represent any EPA policy, viewpoint, or determination.

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.

EPA is proposing to take direct final action approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Colorado. On August 3, 2007, the Governor's designee submitted revisions to Colorado's Regulation No. 7, ``Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds,'' Section XII, ``Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) From Oil and Gas Operations.'' EPA is proposing to approve the revisions to Regulation No. 7, Section XII. This action is being taken under Section 110 of the Clean Air Act. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP revision as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a non- controversial SIP revision and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the preamble to the direct final rule. If EPA receives no adverse comments, EPA will not take further action on this proposed rule. If EPA receives adverse comments, EPA will withdraw the direct final rule and it will not take effect. EPA will address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting must do so at this time. Please note that if EPA receives adverse comment on an amendment, paragraph, or section of the rule and if that provision may be severed from the remainder of the rule, EPA may adopt as final those provisions of the rule that are not the subject of an adverse comment.

This regulation establishes a tolerance for combined residues of 1,3-dichloropropene and metabolites in or on grape. Dow AgroSciences, LLC requested this tolerance under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).