Environmental Protection Agency July 31, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection, EPA-New England, is today providing notice of availability of the final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permits for noncontact cooling water (NCCW) discharges to certain waters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (including both Commonwealth and Indian country lands) and the State of New Hampshire. The general permits replace the NCCW general permits which expired on April 25, 2005. The general permits establish permit eligibility conditions, Notice of Intent (NOI) requirements, effluent limitations, standards, prohibitions, and management practices for facilities discharging NCCW. Owners and/or operators of facilities discharging NCCW, including those currently authorized to discharge under the expired general permits, are required to submit an NOI to be covered by one of the general permits to both EPA-New England and the appropriate State agency. EPA and the State will review the NOI and the facility will receive written notification from EPA stating whether permit coverage and authorization to discharge under one of the general permits is approved. The eligibility requirements for coverage under the general permits are discussed in detail under Part 3 of the permits. The reader is strongly urged to go to that section of the general permits to determine eligibility. The general permits do not cover new sources as defined at 40 CFR 122.2.

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 agreement pursuant to section 122(h)(1) of CERCLA for recovery of past response costs incurred by EPA in connection with the Sterling Morton High School Superfund Site, located in the Town of Cicero, Cook County, Illinois (the ``Site''). The proposed settlement has been approved by the Deputy Section Chief of the Environmental Enforcement Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Under the terms of the proposed settlement agreement, within fifteen (15) days of its effective date the following parties will pay $550,000 to the Hazardous Substances Superfund: J. Sterling Morton High School District 201; Amphenol Corporation; Berkshire Investments LLC; Chemtura Corporation; CSX Transportation, Inc.; E.I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company; Getronics NV; Honeywell International Inc.; Total Logistics Control, LLC; and Vesper Holdings LLC. In each of the nine years subsequent to the effective date of the proposed agreement, J. Sterling Morton High School District 201 will pay an additional $50,000. The settlement represents recovery of approximately 91% of the response costs incurred by the Agency in connection with the time- critical removal action conducted by EPA at the Site, plus interest. In exchange for payment, the United States covenants not to sue or take administrative action pursuant to section 107(a) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9607(a), to recover past response costs. In addition, the settling parties are entitled to protection from contribution actions or claims for past response costs, as provided by sections 113(f)(2) and 122(h)(4) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9613(f)(2) and 9622(h)(4). For thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice, the Agency will receive written comments relating to the proposed settlement. The Agency will consider all comments received, and may withdraw its consent to the settlement if comments received disclose facts or considerations which indicate that the settlement is inappropriate, improper, or inadequate.

This Notice announces EPA's findings from its informal review of the state of Michigan's approved Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 program. EPA finds that, at this time, formal program withdrawal proceedings should not be initiated for Michigan's approved CWA Section 404 program. EPA's Final Report of this review is now available. EPA has identified several deficiencies in Michigan's approved CWA Section 404 program; those are identified in the Final Report along with corrective actions which Michigan has proposed to take and a schedule for implementing the corrective actions.