Environmental Protection Agency November 30, 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 EPA is planning to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR, 1432.29, is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2012. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

This notice announces the availability of EPA's action identifying water quality limited segments and associated pollutants in Louisiana to be listed pursuant to Clean Water Act Section 303(d), and request for public comment. Section 303(d) requires that States submit and EPA approve or disapprove lists of waters for which existing technology-based pollution controls are not stringent enough to attain or maintain State water quality standards and for which total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) must be prepared. On November 17, 2011, EPA partially approved and proposed to partially disapprove Louisiana's 2010 Section 303(d) submittal. Specifically, EPA approved Louisiana's listing of 410 waterbody pollutant combinations, and associated priority rankings. EPA proposed to disapprove Louisiana's decisions not to list three waterbodies. These three waterbodies were added by EPA because the applicable numeric water quality standards marine criterion for dissolved oxygen was not attained in these segments. EPA is providing the public the opportunity to review its proposed decisions to add the three waters to Louisiana's 2010 Section 303(d) List. EPA will consider public comments and if necessary amend its proposed action on the additional waterbodies identified for inclusion on Louisiana's Final 2010 Section 303(d) List.

EPA is taking final action to approve the State of Louisiana's request to redesignate the Baton Rouge, Louisiana moderate 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area to attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. As a part of this action, EPA is also approving, as a revision to the Louisiana State Implementation Plan (SIP), the state's 1997 8-hour ozone maintenance plan with a 2022 Motor Vehicle Emissions Budget (MVEB) for the Baton Rouge Nonattainment Area (BRNA or BR), revisions to the Louisiana SIP that meet the Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirements (for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) for the 1-hour and 1997 8-hour ozone standard requirements, and a state rule establishing a maintenance plan contingency measure. EPA finds that with this final approval the area has a fully approved SIP that meets all of its applicable 1997 8-hour ozone requirements and 1-hour anti- backsliding requirements under section 110 and Part D of the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for purposes of redesignation.