Environmental Protection Agency April 28, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with Section 122(h)(1) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended (``CERCLA''), 42 U.S.C. 9622(h)(1), notice is hereby given of a proposed administrative settlement concerning the Webster-Gulf Nuclear Superfund Site, Gulf Nuclear Superfund Site, and the Tavenor-Gulf Nuclear Superfund Site, collectively known as the Gulf Nuclear Superfund Site (the Sites). The Sites are located in Webster, Harris County, Texas; Odessa, Ector County, Texas; and Houston, Harris County, Texas. The Settling Party, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has provided to EPA In-Kind Services valued at $124,592.40. A $102,000 portion of the value of the In-Kind Services already provided shall be valued as consideration in the Settlement Agreement. The remaining In-Kind Services value of $22,592.40 will be available to the Settling Party to use as credit for any expenditure of costs at the Sites that go beyond EPA's estimated response costs of $29,864,194.82. The purpose of this Agreement is to settle the claims for past costs incurred by EPA against DSHS, a potentially responsible party (PRP) who arranged for the disposal or treatment of hazardous substances at the Sites. The settlement includes a covenant not to sue which includes, but is not limited to: (1) Any direct or indirect claim for reimbursement from the EPA Hazardous Substance Superfund pursuant to Sections 106(b)(2), 107, 111, 112, or 113 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9606(b)(2), 9607, 9611, 9612, or 9613; (2) any claims arising out of the response actions at or in connection with the Sites; and (3) any claims against the United States pursuant to Sections 107 and 113 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9607 and 9613, relating to the Sites. 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 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733.

EPA is withdrawing Federal Implementation Plans (FIPs) for the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana (SO2 FIP trading program only), Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, and Virginia because these 12 states have previously submitted and received EPA approval of full state implementation plans (SIPs) to meet the CAIR requirements. When EPA issued the CAIR FIPs on April 28, 2006, it stated that it would withdraw the FIPs in a state in coordination with the approval of the CAIR SIP for that state. Also, when EPA approved the CAIR SIPs for these states, it explained that it would take a separate action to remove the CAIR FIPs for those states. EPA is now acting to formally withdraw the FIPs for 12 states. This action is necessary because EPA's approval of those states' CAIR SIPs corrected the deficiency that provided the basis for EPA's promulgation of the FIPs. EPA is also removing the CAIR FIP regulatory text for Connecticut and New York. The FIPs for these states have already been automatically withdrawn pursuant to a rulemaking published on November 2, 2007. This ministerial action is necessary to correct the regulatory text.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 announces the deletion from the National Priorities List (NPL) of the following two specific parcels of real property located at the Seneca Army Depot Activity (SEDA) Superfund Site (Site), Romulus, New York: Real Estate Parcel 1, except for a portion of this parcel known as SEAD-24; and the entirety of Real Estate Parcel 2. The NPL, promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is found at Appendix B of 40 CFR part 300, which is an appendix to the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). This partial deletion of SEDA parcels is done in accordance with 40 CFR 300.425(e) and the Notice of Policy Change: Partial Deletion of Sites Listed on the National Priorities List, 60 FR 55466 (Nov. 1, 1996). This deletion pertains to all media (surface soils, subsurface soils, structures, surface water, and ground water) within Parcel 1, excluding the SEAD-24 portion of Parcel 1, and Parcel 2. Parcel 1, also known as the Empire Biofuels Redevelopment area, is located midway on the western edge of SEDA. Most of this Parcel did not require remedial investigations under CERCLA. The two areas within Parcel 1 that were investigated under CERCLA are known as SEAD-58 and SEAD-24. SEAD-58 includes two debris disposal areas that have been found to require no active remediation under CERCLA. SEAD-24 is a two- acre area which underwent a soil removal action in 2004 and is awaiting a determination by EPA that all appropriate response actions have been implemented. SEAD-24 is not included in this deletion and will remain on the NPL. Parcel 2, also known as the Seneca County Public Safety Building and Jail area, is located along the eastern perimeter of SEDA in the southeast quadrant. The parcel encompasses two sub-parcel areas designated as SEAD-50 and SEAD-54, both of which have been remediated. Subsequent sampling of these two areas confirmed that all appropriate CERCLA response actions were performed. However, SEAD-50 and 54 are subject to institutional controls in the form of deed restrictions which prohibit residential use and use of the groundwater as they are part of the encompassing Planned Industrial Development area. The rest of SEDA will remain on the NPL, and response activities will continue at the remaining areas determined to be in need of response actions. The EPA and the State of New York, through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, have determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA have been completed at the parcels proposed for deletion. However, the deletion of these parcels does not preclude future actions under Superfund.