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

EPA expressed environmental concerns about impacts to wetlands and natural areas, and requested additional information on hazardous waste, noise and vibration. Rating EC2.

EPA is finalizing approval of revisions to the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD) and San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions were proposed in the Federal Register on July 13, 2009, and concern volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from asphalt paving, gasoline bulk storage tanks, and gasoline dispensing stations. We are approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act).

EPA is approving State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Maryland, with the exception of its 2009 nitrogen oxides (NOX) ozone season and NOX annual allocations, its 2009 set-aside allocations and the Compliance Supplement Pool (CSP) allocations. The revisions establish budget trading programs for nitrogen oxides (NOX) annual, NOX ozone season, and sulfur dioxides (SO2)

On or about October 20, 2009, the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) of EPA is making available for public comment a draft assessment document: Risk and Exposure Assessment to Support the Review of the Carbon Monoxide (CO) Primary National Ambient Air Quality StandardsFirst External Review Draft. This draft document describes the quantitative analyses that are being conducted as part of the review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for carbon monoxide (CO).

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

EPA is issuing national emission standards for the control of hazardous air pollutants for nine area source categories in the chemical manufacturing sector: Agricultural Chemicals and Pesticides Manufacturing, Cyclic Crude and Intermediate Production, Industrial Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing, Industrial Organic Chemical Manufacturing, Inorganic Pigments Manufacturing, Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing, Plastic Materials and Resins Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Production, and Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing. The standards and associated requirements for the nine area source categories are combined in one subpart. This final rule establishes emission standards in the form of management practices for each chemical manufacturing process unit as well as emission limits for certain subcategories of process vents and storage tanks. The rule also establishes management practices and other emission reduction requirements for subcategories of wastewater systems and heat exchange systems.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is announcing the formation of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Lead Review Panel. The SAB Staff Office is soliciting public nominations for this Panel.

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the microbial fungicide, Ulocladium oudemansii (U3 Strain), in or on all food commodities when applied or used pre-harvest only, and excluding applications made post-harvest or to processed commodities. Botry-Zen, Ltd. submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of Ulocladium oudemansii (U3 Strain).

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the biochemical pesticide, cold pressed neem oil on all food commodities when applied/used on/in food commodities. Plasma Power Limited of India submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of cold pressed neem oil.

EPA is proposing to withdraw the residual risk and technology review portions of the final rule amending the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants From Petroleum Refineries, which was signed by then Administrator Stephen Johnson, on January 16, 2009.

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference of the SAB Drinking Water Committee (DWC) to finalize its draft advisory report on EPA's Microbial Risk Assessment Protocol to Support Human Health Protection for Water-Based Media.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is scheduled to expire on February 28, 2010. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92- 463, notice is hereby given that the Good Neighbor Environmental Board (GNEB) will hold a public teleconference on November 3, 2009 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The meeting is open to the public. For further information regarding the teleconference and background materials, please contact Dolores Wesson at the number listed below.

Pursuant to Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 505(b)(2) and 40 CFR 70.8(d), the EPA Administrator signed an Order, dated September 21, 2009, granting, in part, a petition to object to a merged prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) and state operating permit issued by the Kentucky Division for Air Quality (KDAQ) to East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc. (EKPC) for its Hugh L. Spurlock Generating Station located in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky. This Order constitutes a final action on one of the three issues raised in the petition submitted by Sierra Club (Petitioner) on April 28, 2008. Pursuant to section 505(b)(2) of the CAA, any person may seek judicial review of the Order in the United States Court of Appeals for the appropriate circuit within 60 days of this notice under section 307(b) of the Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee Ozone Review Panel to conduct a consultation on EPA's draft Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone (External Review Draft, September 2009).

EPA is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the Commonwealth of Virginia State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revision pertains to the timing for the first phase of the sulfur dioxide (SO2) trading budget under the Commonwealth's approved regulations that implement the requirements of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). EPA is approving this revision to change the start date of Virginia's CAIR SO2 trading budget from the control period in 2009 to the control period in 2010 in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

This document announces the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) responses to Agency Clearance requests, in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Carbon Monoxide Review Panel to peer review EPA's Integrated Science Assessment for Carbon Monoxide: Second External Review Draft (September 2009) and EPA's Risk and Exposure Assessment to Support the Review of the Carbon Monoxide Primary National Ambient Air Quality StandardsFirst External Review Draft (October 2009). The chartered CASAC will subsequently hold a public teleconference to review and approve the Panel's reports.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the establishment of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Update Project. The purpose of the IRIS Update Project is to revisit a portion of the dose-response assessment values with a posting date on the IRIS database that is more than 10 years old. IRIS is an EPA data base containing human health risk information on possible adverse health effects that may result from chronic or long-term exposures to chemical substances found in the environment. This Federal Register notice (FRN) also announces the IRIS Update Project's 2009/2010 agenda and requests submission of new and relevant scientific information on health effects for the identified assessments listed in the Project's 2009/2010 agenda.

EPA is announcing the availability of the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) Tier 1 battery of assays and availability of test guidelines (protocols) for conducting the assays included in the battery. The EDSP was established under section 408(p) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), which directed EPA ``to develop a screening program. . .to determine whether certain substances may have an effect in humans that is similar to an effect produced by a naturally occurring estrogen, or such other endocrine effect as the Administrator may designate.'' Coordinated by EPA, several in vitro and in vivo screening assays were developed, standardized, and validated to identify the potential of a chemical substance to interact with the estrogen, androgen or thyroid (E, A, or T) hormonal systems. Test chemicals that were thought to be potentially interactive as well as non-interactive with the E, A, or T hormonal systems were used to evaluate feasibility of the protocols, relevance of endpoints and reliability of results within and among independent contract laboratories. Subsequent independent peer review of individual assays helped to clarify the strengths and limitations of each assay and define their modes of action involving the E, A, or T hormonal systems within the context of the EDSP Tier 1 battery. EPA submitted a proposed battery of assays to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel (FIFRA SAP) for external peer review in March 2008. Based on the SAP recommendation, which found the proposed battery adequate to begin screening chemicals to detect the potential for interaction with the E, A, or T hormonal systems, EPA is finalizing the Tier 1 battery as proposed.