Environmental Protection Agency September 29, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the requirements of Section 122(i)(1) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9622(i)(1), notice is hereby given of two Settlement Agreements under Section 122 (h)(1) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9622 (h)(1), between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Margery Metesh (Settling Party) and Mark Metesh (Settling Party), regarding the Granite Timber Site (Site), located 5 miles south of Philipsburg and 0.5 miles west of Montana Highway 10A in Granite County, Montana. The Settlement Agreements propose to compromise a claim the United States has at this Site for Past Response Costs, as those terms are defined in the Settlement Agreements. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreements, the EPA and the Settling Parties agree that the Settling Parties have no ability to pay and the Settling Parties agree not to assert any claims or causes of action against the United States or its contractors or employees with respect to the Site. Additionally, Margery Metesh (Settling Party) agrees to file a deed record notice concerning a building on a small portion of the Site property. In exchange, the Settling Parties will be granted a covenant not to sue under section 107(a) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9607(a), with regard to reimbursement of Past Response Costs. Opportunity for Comment: For thirty (30) days following the publication of this notice, the EPA will consider all comments received and may modify or withdraw its consent to that portion of the Settlement Agreement, if comments received disclose facts or considerations which indicate that the settlement is inappropriate, improper, or inadequate. The EPA's response to any comments received will be available for public inspection at the Superfund Record Center, EPA Region 8, 1595 Wynkoop Street, 3rd Floor, in Denver, Colorado.

EPA is determining that the tri-state Cincinnati-Hamilton, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana, fine particulate (PM2.5) nonattainment Area (hereafter referred to as ``the Cincinnati Area'' or ``Area'') has attained the 1997 annual average PM2.5 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and additionally, that the Area has attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS by its applicable attainment date of April 5, 2010. The Cincinnati Area is comprised of Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren Counties in Ohio; Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties in Kentucky; and a portion of Dearborn County in Indiana. These determinations of attainment are based upon quality-assured and certified ambient air monitoring data for the 2007-2009 period showing that the Area has monitored attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. The requirements for the Area to submit an attainment demonstration and associated reasonably available control measures (RACM), a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, contingency measures, and other planning State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions related to attainment of the standard shall be suspended so long as the Area continues to attain the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS.

EPA is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Santa Barbara Air Pollution Control District (SBAPCD), Sacramento Municipal Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from solvent cleaning machines and solvent cleaning operations and oil and gas production wells. We are approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA or the Act).