Environmental Protection Agency November 13, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On October 14, 2009, EPA published an Emissions Factors Program Improvements ANPRM to convey issues raised by stakeholders

On December 5, 2008, EPA amended the Spill Prevention Control, and Countermeasures (SPCC) rule to provide increased clarity with respect to specific regulatory requirements, to tailor requirements to particular industry sectors, and to streamline certain rule requirements. The Agency subsequently delayed the effective date of these amendments to January 14, 2010, to allow the Agency time to review the amendments to ensure that they properly reflect consideration of all relevant facts. EPA also requested public comment on the delay of the effective date and its duration, and on the December 2008 amendments. Having reviewed the record for the amendments and the additional comments, EPA has decided to make only limited changes to the amendments. With respect to the majority of the December amendments, EPA is either taking no action or providing minor technical corrections. EPA is, however, removing the following provisions in the December 2008 amendments: the exclusion of farms and oil production facilities from the loading/unloading rack requirements; the exemption for produced water containers at an oil production facility; and the alternative qualified facility eligibility criteria for an oil production facility.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 is issuing a proposed rule, a Notice of Intent to Delete Operable Unit 8 (OU8) of the California Gulch Superfund Site (Site) located in Lake County, Colorado, from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comments on this proposed action. The NPL, promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA and the State of Colorado, through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, have determined that all appropriate response actions at these identified parcels under CERCLA, other than operation, maintenance, and five-year reviews, have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

This rule establishes the initial air quality designations for most areas in the United States (U.S.), including Indian Country, for the 2006 24-hour fine particle (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Through these designations, EPA is identifying areas that meet or violate these NAAQS. In particular, EPA is identifying the geographic boundaries of areas that violate, or contribute to violations of, the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. This is an important step toward providing the public health and welfare protections of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires states with areas designated nonattainment to undertake certain planning and pollution control activities within these areas in order to attain the standards as quickly as reasonably possible. Designating areas also helps citizens know whether the air quality where they live and work is healthful or unhealthful. Health studies have shown significant associations between exposure to PM2.5 and premature death from heart and lung disease. PM2.5 can also aggravate heart and lung diseases and has been linked to effects such as cardiovascular symptoms, cardiac arrhythmias, heart attacks, respiratory symptoms, asthma attacks, and bronchitis. These effects can result in increased hospital admissions, emergency room visits, absences from school or work, and restricted activity days. Individuals that may be particularly sensitive to PM2.5 exposure include people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children.