Environmental Protection Agency October 16, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the South Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of South Carolina through the South Carolina Department of Health and

EPA is announcing that Versar, Inc., an EPA contractor for external scientific peer review, plans to convene an independent panel of experts and organize and conduct an external peer review meeting to review the draft document titled, ``Recommended Toxicity Equivalency Factors (TEFs) for Human Health Risk Assessments of Dioxin and Dioxin- Like Compounds.'' The peer review meeting is planned to take place by teleconference on October 22, 2009. On September 2, 2009, EPA announced a 30-day public comment period for the draft document (74 FR 45437). The draft document was prepared by the Agency's Risk Assessment Forum.

The State of North Carolina through the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Air Quality (NC DAQ) submitted, on July 24, 2009, a request to redesignate the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area to attainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS); and to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision containing a maintenance plan with a 2020 end year for the GSMNP Area. The GSMNP Area is composed of portions of Haywood and Swain Counties in North Carolina. In this action, EPA is proposing to approve the 1997 8-hour ozone redesignation request for the GSMNP Area. Additionally, EPA is proposing to approve the emission inventory and the 1997 8-hour ozone maintenance plan for the GSMNP Area, including motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and an insignificance determination for conformity for volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions from motor vehicles. Further, in this action, EPA is also describing the status of its transportation conformity adequacy determination for the new 2011 and 2020 MVEBs for NOX, and for the insignificance determination for VOC contribution from motor vehicle emissions to the 8-hour ozone pollution for the 1997 NAAQS, that are contained in the 1997 8-hour ozone maintenance plan for the GSMNP Area. On March 12, 2008, EPA issued a revised ozone standard. The current action, however,

This notice announces the availability of EPA's draft ecological risk assessment for the registration review of urea sulfate and opens a public comment period on this document. Registration review is EPA's periodic review of pesticide registrations to ensure that each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory standard for registration, that is, the pesticide can perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. As part of the registration review process, the Agency has completed a comprehensive draft ecological risk assessment for urea sulfate uses, including a determination that urea sulfate uses will have no effect on federally listed threatened or endangered species or their designated critical habitat. After reviewing comments received during the public comment period, EPA will issue a revised risk assessment, explain any changes to the draft risk assessment, and respond to comments and may request public input on risk mitigation before completing a proposed registration review decision for urea sulfate. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that each pesticide's registration is based on current scientific and other knowledge, including its effects on human health and the environment.