Environmental Protection Agency May 16, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA has environmental objections to the proposed Circ A-B alternatives based on environmental impacts to wetlands, water resources and storm water, air quality, indirect and cumulative impacts and hydrologic impacts. EPA also noted that the VT 2A alternatives appear to include the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative. Rating EO2.

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.

EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 today are proposing for public comment the issuance of their 2008 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general permits for stormwater discharges from new dischargers engaged in large and small construction activities. Hereinafter, these NPDES general permits will be referred to as ``permit'' or ``2008 construction general permit'' or ``2008 CGP.'' ``New dischargers'' are those who did not file a notice of intent (``NOI'') to be covered under the 2003 construction general permit (``2003 CGP'') before it expired. Existing dischargers who properly filed an NOI to be covered under the 2003 CGP continue to be authorized to discharge under that permit according to its terms. This draft 2008 CGP contains the same limits and conditions as the Agency's 2003 CGP with the exception of a few minor modifications which are detailed below. As proposed, EPA is issuing this CGP for a period not to exceed two (2) years and will make the permit available to new construction activities and unpermitted ongoing activities only. In addition to proposing this draft CGP, EPA is also requesting comments on the criteria to be used by the Agency to incorporate, by reference, ``qualifying local program requirements'' for erosion and sediment control as provided for in EPA's regulations. Approved qualifying local program requirements can then be incorporated by reference into the Agency's construction general permit. A construction site operator with construction activities within the jurisdiction of the qualifying local program can follow local erosion and sediment control requirements in lieu of complying with comparable erosion and sediment control requirements in EPA's CGP.

This notice announces EPA's order for the cancellation, voluntarily requested by the registrant and accepted by the Agency, of products containing the pesticide sulfluramid, pursuant to section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended. This cancellation order follows a December 19, 2007 Federal Register Notice of Receipt of Request from the sulfluramid registrant to voluntarily cancel the last remaning sulfluramid manufacturing-use product (MUP) registration. In the December 19, 2007 notice, EPA indicated that it would issue an order implementing the cancellation, unless the Agency received substantive comments within the 30-day comment period that would merit its further review of these requests, or unless the registrant withdrew their request within this period. The Agency did not receive any comments on the notice. Further, the registrant did not withdraw their request. Accordingly, EPA hereby issues in this notice a cancellation order granting the requested cancellation. This cancellation order does not cancel the remaining end-use sulfluramid products currently registered for use in the United States. Any distribution, sale, or use of the sulfluramid products subject to this cancellation order is permitted only in accordance with the terms of this order, including any existing stocks provisions.

The EPA is finalizing regulations to implement the New Source Review (NSR) program for fine particulate matter (that is, particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 2.5 micrometers, generally referred to as ``PM2.5''). The NSR program was created by the Clean Air Act (Act or CAA) to ensure that stationary sources of air pollution are constructed or modified in a manner that is consistent with air quality goals in the area. The Clean Air Fine Particle Implementation Rule, which was proposed in the Federal Register on November 1, 2005, included requirements and guidance for State and local air pollution agencies to follow in developing State implementation plans (SIPs) and also the NSR provisions. The final implementation rule that was promulgated on April 25, 2007, included all the SIPs related provisions. In this rulemaking, EPA is finalizing the NSR provisions of the November 1, 2005 proposed rule including the major source threshold, significant emissions rate, and offset ratios for PM2.5, interpollutant trading for offsets and applicability of NSR to PM2.5 precursors.