Environmental Protection Agency March 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.

The 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) require that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) establish criteria for a program to monitor unregulated contaminants and to publish a list of contaminants to be monitored every five years. This action meets the SDWA requirement by proposing the design for the third UCMR cycle (i.e., UCMR 3). EPA is proposing six EPA-developed analytical methods, and four equivalent consensus organization-developed methods to monitor for 28 new UCMR chemical contaminants. In addition, EPA proposes monitoring for two viruses, for a total of 30 UCMR 3 contaminants. As envisioned, virus analysis (along with related analysis for pathogen indicators) would be conducted in laboratories under EPA contract. UCMR 3 provides EPA and other interested parties with scientifically valid data on the occurrence of these contaminants in drinking water, permitting the assessment of the number of people potentially being exposed and the levels of that exposure. These data are the primary source of occurrence and exposure information the Agency uses to determine whether to regulate these contaminants. In addition, as part of an Expedited Methods Update, this proposed action also would amend regulations concerning inorganic chemical sampling and analytical requirements. A minor editorial correction to the table moves methods from the ``Other'' column to the ``ASTM'' column, as it applies to the inorganic chemical sampling and analytical requirements. The UCMR program is not affected by these changes.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Safer Detergent Stewardship Initiative (SDSI) Program; EPA ICR No. 2261.02, OMB No. 2070-0171. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection activity and its expected burden and costs.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools and Asbestos Model Accreditation Plans; EPA ICR No. 1365.09, OMB No. 2070-0091. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection activity and its estimated burden and costs.

This notice announces EPA's progress in meeting its performance measures and goals for pesticide reregistration during fiscal years 2009 and 2010. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) requires EPA to publish information about EPA's annual achievements in this area. This notice discusses the integration of tolerance reassessment with the reregistration process, and describes the status of various regulatory activities associated with reregistration and tolerance reassessment. The notice gives the total numbers of products reregistered and products registered under the ``fast-track'' provisions of FIFRA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the Chartered SAB to consider a draft report commenting on the President's requested FY 2012 budget for EPA research and to discuss SAB plans to provide advice on Office of Research and Development (ORD) strategic research directions.

This regulation establishes the exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Potassium hypochlorite. Enviro Tech Chemical Services, Inc. submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting that Potassium hypochlorite in end-use products be eligible for the exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of difenoconazole in or on mango and wax jambu. Syngenta Crop Protection, Incorporated requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of the Science Advisor (OSA) announces a public teleconference of the HSRB to discuss its draft report from the January 26, 2011 HSRB meeting.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences of the SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC). The SAB EPEC, augmented with other experts, will discuss their draft advisory report about 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.

Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, EPA gives notice of a meeting of the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC). The FRRCC is a policy-oriented committee that provides policy advice, information, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities. The purpose of this meeting is to advance discussion of specific topics of unique relevance to agriculture such as effective approaches to addressing water quality issues associated with agricultural production, in such a way as to provide thoughtful advice and useful insights to the Agency as it crafts environmental policies and programs that affect and engage agriculture and rural communities. A copy of the meeting agenda will be posted at https://epa.gov/ofacmo/frrcc/ meetings.htm.

EPA is taking final action to remove codification of a State Implementation Plan (SIP) approval vacated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in a decision dated June 5, 2009. This relates to Ohio rule revisions concerning 240 allowances under the Nitrogen Oxides Budget Trading Program added to the SIP by EPA rulemaking dated February 13, 2008. This final rule conforms the codification of the SIP to the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Buckeye Power, Inc. v. EPA (6th Cir., No. 08-3399, June 5, 2009).

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Missouri State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted April 10, 2009. The revision includes two new rules which implement restrictions on the idling of heavy duty diesel vehicles in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and in the St. Louis Ozone Nonattainment Area. EPA is approving this revision because the standards and requirements set by the rules will strengthen the Missouri SIP. EPA's approval of this SIP revision is being done in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).