Environmental Protection Agency June 20, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or we) is announcing the availability of, and soliciting public comments for 45 days on, the proposed approval of the radioactive, contact-handled (CH), transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization Project (CCP) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This waste is intended for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. In accordance with the WIPP Compliance Criteria, EPA evaluated the characterization of CH TRU debris waste from ORNL-CCP during an inspection conducted the week of November 13, 2007. Using the systems and processes developed as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) program, EPA verified whether DOE could adequately characterize CH TRU waste consistent with the Compliance Criteria. The results of EPA's evaluation of ORNL-CCP's program and its proposed approval are described in the Agency's inspection report, which is available for review in the public dockets listed in ADDRESSES. We will consider public comments received on or before the due date mentioned in DATES. This notice summarizes the waste characterization processes evaluated by EPA and EPA's proposed approval. As required by the 40 CFR 194.8, at the end of a 45-day comment period EPA will evaluate public comments received, and if appropriate, finalize the reports responding to the relevant public comments, and issue a final report and approval letter to DOE.

EPA expressed environmental concerns about impacts to soil and water resources, and recommended including more information on water quality, current extent of invasive species, and drought mitigation planning. Rating EC2.

EPA is taking direct final action to approve Missouri's request to revise the State Implementation Plan (SIP). This approval will revise the SIP to include changes to the sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions rates and averaging times for Kansas City Power & Light's Hawthorn Plant and Montrose Station in the rule, Restriction of Emission of Sulfur Compounds. Previous changes to this rule were disapproved in 2006 because EPA was concerned that the averaging times for the rates at these units had been dramatically increased from a 3-hour average to an annual average, and that the revised averaging times were not demonstrated by the state to be protective of the short-term (3- and 24-hour) SO2 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). EPA believes that the recent changes, which EPA is now approving, have been shown by Missouri to be protective of the short-term SO2 NAAQS. This revision will ensure consistency between the state and the Federally-approved rules.

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the state of Missouri to amend the Missouri SIP to include revisions to the Kansas City Solvent Metal Cleaning rule. The revisions to this rule include consolidating exemptions in the applicability section, adding new exemptions, adding definitions of new and previously undefined terms, and clarifying rule language regarding operating procedure requirements for spray gun cleaners and air-tight and airless cleaning systems. This revision will ensure consistency between the state and the Federally-approved rules.