Environmental Protection Agency October 8, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is now giving notice of an action that EPA has already taken to find a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision complete and stop the sanctions clocks associated with the Atlanta, Georgia, 1997 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the ``Atlanta Area''). Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA) and its implementing regulations, EPA has made an affirmative determination of completeness for the attainment demonstration, reasonably available control measures and reasonably available control technology, annual emissions reductions to ensure reasonable further progress, and contingency measures (hereafter referred to as ``nonattainment area submittals'') submitted by the State of Georgia for the Atlanta Area. On September 3, 2010, a letter announcing this determination was sent to the Governor of Georgia, effectively stopping the sanctions clocks started on November 27, 2009, by ``a finding of failure to submit'' the 1997 PM2.5 nonattainment submittals for the Atlanta Area. Today's notice is simply an announcement of a determination that EPA has already made.

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences of the Science Advisory Board Ecological Processes and Effects Committee, augmented, to discuss its advice on the effectiveness of shipboard ballast water treatment processes and ways to improve future assessments of ballast water treatment systems to minimize the impacts of invasive species in vessel ballast water discharge.

This notice announces Agency approval of applications submitted by Arkema, Inc., to conditionally register the pesticide products Paladin Technical, Paladin, and Paladin EC containing a new active ingredient not included in any previously registered products pursuant to the provisions of section 3(c)(7)(C) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended.

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 purpose of this document is to announce EPA's intent to hold several public ``listening sessions'' in October and November 2010 and to request input from the public on Chesapeake Bay-specific provisions of a new stormwater rulemaking. On December 28, 2009, EPA issued a Federal Register Notice announcing EPA's initiation of a national rulemaking to establish a program to better protect waterbodies from the harmful effects of stormwater discharges from new development and redevelopment and make other regulatory improvements to strengthen its stormwater program. A range of public and private stakeholders provided input through both written comments and during a series of public listening sessions. EPA is now soliciting input specifically on potential provisions of this stormwater rulemaking with respect to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with several public ``listening sessions'' to be held in October and November 2010, and an interactive Webcast scheduled for November 16, 2010. EPA seeks input on whether to consider, among other things, the following: Regulating additional stormwater discharges not currently regulated that are causing or contributing to water quality impairments in the Bay watershed; requiring additional measures targeting pollutants including, but not limited to, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed; requiring retrofits of stormwater controls for existing development; and applying specific performance standards to discharges from new and redevelopment within the watershed. EPA also seeks input on whether to consider specific evaluation, tracking, or reporting elements. EPA also welcomes any other information that may help EPA develop regulations to better control pollutants in stormwater from the built environment to meet water quality objectives in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. As part of the listening sessions, EPA will also address environmental justice considerations and potential impacts and benefits that may arise as a consequence of the rulemaking. EPA invites the public to participate in these environmental justice discussions to provide feedback and share ideas related to stormwater management.