Environmental Protection Agency June 2, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Regional Administrator of EPA Region 3 is hereby granting a project waiver of the Buy American requirements of ARRA Section 1605 under the authority of Section 1605(b)(2) [manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and of a satisfactory quality] to the Canaan Valley Public Service District (CVPSD) for the purchase of a membrane bioreactor system (MBR), supplied by Enviroquip Inc., that contains a primary component not manufactured in America, at two of its Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). CVPSD indicates that the MBR treatment process is necessary to achieve the wastewater treatment levels required by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued for these WWTPs. The membrane filtration equipment under consideration is manufactured by a company located in Japan and no United States manufacturer produces an alternative that meets the CVPSD's technical specifications. This is a project specific waiver and only applies to the use of the specified product for the ARRA funded project being proposed. Any other ARRA project that may wish to use the same product must apply for a separate waiver based on the specific project circumstances. The Regional Administrator is making this determination based on the review and recommendations of the EPA Region III, Water Protection Division, Office of Infrastructure and Assistance. The CVPSD has provided sufficient documentation to support its request. The Assistant Administrator of the EPA's Office of Administration and Resources Management has concurred on this decision to make an exception to Section 1605 of ARRA. This action permits the purchase of membrane filtration cassettes for the proposed project being implemented by the CVPSD.

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences of the SAB Trichloroethylene (TCE) Review Panel to conduct a follow-up discussion of its review of EPA's Toxicological Review of Trichloroethylene in Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), External Review Draft.

Due to the receipt of an adverse comment, EPA is withdrawing the April 8, 2010 (75 FR 17865), direct final rule approving Wisconsin's update to its state ambient air quality standards. The updates were made to the particulate matter standards by adding fine particulate standards and revoking the state's course particulate standards. The State of Wisconsin submitted this revision as a modification to the State Implementation Plan on September 11, 2009. In the direct final rule, EPA stated that if adverse comments were submitted by May 10, 2010, the rule would be withdrawn and not take effect. On May 7, 2010, EPA received a comment. EPA believes this comment is adverse and, therefore, EPA is withdrawing the direct final

EPA is announcing a 90-day public comment period and a public listening session for the external review draft human health assessment titled, ``Toxicological Review of Formaldehyde Inhalation Assessment: In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' (EPA/635/R-10/002C). The draft assessment was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD). EPA is releasing this draft assessment solely for the purpose of pre-dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. This draft assessment has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. A committee of the National Research Council, acting under the auspices of National Academy of Sciences (NAS), will conduct an independent scientific peer review of the EPA draft human health assessment of formaldehyde. The peer review committee will hold meetings, some of which may involve public sessions. Public sessions will be announced before each meeting on the National Academies Web site (https://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/projectview.aspx?key=49 207). The public comment period and NAS scientific peer review are separate processes that provide opportunities for all interested parties to comment on the assessment. Due to the timing of the NAS peer review meetings, one or more NAS meetings may take place before the close of EPA's public comment period (see DATES below). For NAS meetings that occur during the public comment period, EPA will provide all public comments to the NAS at least 5 working days before the meeting date announced on the National Academies website. All comments provided to the EPA during the public comment period will inform the Agency's revision of the draft assessment.