Environmental Protection Agency June 23, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has applied to EPA for final authorization of certain changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). EPA has determined that these changes satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for final authorization and is authorizing the State's changes through this immediate final action.

This document provides notice of availability of a Class Deviation from EPA's assistance agreement dispute procedures and also sets forth the procedures that will apply to the resolution of disputes that may arise in connection with certain enforcement actions taken by EPA on State cooperative agreements awarded under section 9003(h) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act with LUST funds appropriated by the ARRA. Enforcement actions affected by this alternative dispute resolution procedure are those actions, including suspension of performance and potential partial or complete cooperative agreement termination, associated with the obligation and expenditure of funds under the following term and condition: ``The recipient shall obligate funds for contracts, subgrants or similar transactions for at least 35 percent of funds, and expend at least 15 percent of funds within nine months of this award. EPA will consider the recipient's failure to comply with this requirement as a material failure to perform, which may warrant appropriate enforcement action under 40 CFR 31.43'' (hereafter referred to as the 35/15 term and condition).

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.

On May 21, 2010, EPA released the draft report entitled, ``EPA's Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments'' (EPA/600/R-10/038A) for independent external review, and public review and comment (75 FR 28610). Written comments on the draft report were to be submitted to EPA by August 19, 2010 (a 90-day public comment period). Since release, the Agency has received several requests for additional time to submit comments. In response to these requests, the EPA is extending the public comment period another 30 days until September 20, 2010 (a 120-day public comment period).

In accordance with section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended, EPA is issuing a notice of receipt of a request by the registrant to voluntarily amend its 2(hydroxymethyl)-2-nitro-1,3-propanediol (tris nitro) product registrations to terminate or delete one or more uses. The request would delete 2(hydroxymethyl)-2-nitro-1,3-propanediol (tris nitro) use in or on metalworking fluids; latex paints; resin/latex/polymer emulsions; specialty industrial products; livestock and poultry premises; paints, emulsions and thickener solutions; use as a preservative for packaged emulsions, solutions, or suspensions such as detergents and polishes containing water; use in pulp and paper-mill process water systems. The request would not terminate the last 2(hydroxymethyl)-2-nitro-1,3-propanediol (tris nitro) products registered for use in the United States. EPA intends to grant this request at the close of the comment period for this announcement unless the Agency receives substantive comments within the comment period that would merit its further review of the request, or unless the registrant withdraws its request. If this request is granted, any sale, distribution, or use of products listed in this notice will be permitted after the uses are deleted only if such sale, distribution, or use is consistent with the terms as described in the final order.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of thiamethoxam in or on onion, dry bulb. Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc., requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

EPA has established registration review dockets for the pesticides listed in the table in Unit III.A. With this document, EPA is opening the public comment period for these registration reviews. 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. Registration review dockets contain information that will assist the public in understanding the types of information and issues that the Agency may consider during the course of registration reviews. 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.