Environmental Protection Agency 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In 2010, EPA issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (2010 ANPRM) concerning renovation, repair, and painting activities on and in public and commercial buildings. EPA is in the process of determining whether these activities create lead-based paint hazards, and, for those that do, developing certification, training, and work practice requirements as directed by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This document opens a comment period to allow for additional data and other information to be submitted by the public and interested stakeholders. This document also provides advance notice of EPA's plan to hold a public meeting on June 26, 2013.

EPA in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District (USACE) intends to prepare an EA to evaluate the proposed designation of an expanded ODMDS offshore Charleston, South Carolina. An EA will provide the environmental information necessary to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with expanding the ODMDS. Need for Action: The USACE has requested that EPA evaluate and designate an expanded ODMDS. The study area includes an area approximately 7.18 square miles in size, for the disposal of dredged material from the proposed harbor deepening dredging at Charleston Harbor (4.04 square miles are within the current ODMDS and 3.14 square miles are outside the current ODMDS). The size of an expanded ODMDS will based on capacity computer modeling results, and will be refined throughout the study phase. Alternatives: The following proposed alternatives have been tentatively defined. 1. No action. 2. Expansion of the existing Charleston ODMDS. Expand the existing disposal zone and ODMDS to the north, south and east. Scoping: EPA is requesting written comments from federal, state, and local governments, industry, non-governmental organizations, and the general public on the range of alternatives considered, specific environmental issues to be evaluated, and the potential impacts of the alternatives. Scoping comments will be accepted for 60 days, beginning with the date of this Notice. Estimated Date of Draft EA Release: May 2014. Responsible Official: Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming, Regional Administrator, Region 4.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (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 collection and the estimated burden and cost.

EPA has received applications to register new uses for pesticide products containing currently registered active ingredients. Pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is hereby providing notice of receipt and opportunity to comment on these applications.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that the New York-N. New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT fine particle (PM2.5) nonattainment area for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) has attained the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. The determination of attainment will suspend the requirements for the New York-N. New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT PM2.5 nonattainment area to submit an attainment demonstration, associated reasonably available control measures, reasonable further progress, contingency measures, and other planning state implementation plans (SIPs) related to attainment of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS for so long as the area continues to attain the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS.

EPA is proposing to more clearly describe the active and inert ingredients permitted in products eligible for the exemption from regulation for minimum risk pesticides. EPA is proposing to reorganize these lists with a focus on clarity and transparency by adding specific chemical identifiers. The identifiers would make it clearer to manufacturers; the public; and Federal, state, and tribal inspectors which ingredients are permitted in minimum risk pesticide products. EPA is also proposing to modify the label requirements in the exemption to require the use of specific common chemical names in lists of ingredients on minimum risk pesticide product labels, and to require producer contact information on the label. Once final, these proposed changes would maintain the availability of minimum risk pesticide products while providing more consistent information for consumers, clearer regulations for producers, and easier identification by states, tribes and EPA as to whether a product is in compliance with the exemption.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hereby provides notice that the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) will host a public teleconference meeting on Wednesday, January 23, 2013, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time. The primary topic of discussion will be promoting community resiliency in EJ industrial waterfront areas. There will be a public comment period from 3:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Members of the public are encouraged to provide comments relevant to the topic of the meeting. For additional information about registering to attend the meeting or to provide public comment, please see the ``REGISTRATION'' and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION sections below. Due to a limited number of telephone lines, attendance will be on a first-come, first served basis. Pre-registration is required. Registration for the teleconference meeting closes at 12:00 noon Eastern Time on Friday, January 11, 2013. The deadline to sign up to speak during the public comment period, or to submit written public comments, is also Friday, January 11, 2013.

There will be a 3-day meeting of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel (FIFRA SAP) to consider and review Scientific Issues Concerning the Draft Product Performance Data Needs Assessment for Products Claiming Efficacy Against Invertebrate Pests.

EPA is updating the materials submitted by Idaho that are incorporated by reference (IBR) into the Idaho State Implementation Plan (SIP). The regulations affected by this update have been previously submitted by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) and approved by EPA. This update affects the SIP materials that are available for public inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center located at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC, and the EPA Regional Office.

EPA is withdrawing the final Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) section 8(d) Health and Safety Data Reporting Rule that it issued on December 3, 2012. The health and safety data reporting rule would have required manufacturers (including importers) of cadmium or cadmium compounds, including as part of an article, that have been, or are reasonably likely to be, incorporated into consumer products to report certain unpublished health and safety studies to EPA.

EPA has authorized its contractor, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) of McLean, VA and its identified subcontractor, Impact Innovations Systems, Inc. (IIS), to access information which has been submitted to EPA under all sections of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Some of the information may be claimed or determined to be Confidential Business Information (CBI).

EPA is proposing to approve the 2002 base year emissions inventory portion of the West Virginia State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of West Virginia through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) on June 24, 2009 for the Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV nonattainment area (the Steubenville- Weirton Area) for the 1997 annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The emissions inventory is part of a SIP revision that was submitted to meet West Virginia's nonattainment requirements related to the Steubenville-Weirton Area. EPA is proposing to approve the 2002 base year emissions inventory for the West Virginia portion of the Steubenville-Weirton Area in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requires any person who intends to manufacture (defined by statute to include import) a new chemical (i.e., a chemical not on the TSCA Chemical Substances Inventory (TSCA Inventory)) to notify EPA and comply with the statutory provisions pertaining to the manufacture of new chemicals. In addition under TSCA, EPA is required to publish in the Federal Register a notice of receipt of a premanufacture notice (PMN) or an application for a test marketing exemption (TME), and to publish in the Federal Register periodic status reports on the new chemicals under review and the receipt of notices of commencement (NOC) to manufacture those chemicals. This document, which covers the period from November 1, 2012 to November 30, 2012, and provides the required notice and status report, consists of the PMNs and TMEs, both pending or expired, and the NOC to manufacture a new chemical that the Agency has received under TSCA section 5 during this time period.

EPA is taking final action to approve a request submitted on June 1, 2011, from the State of South Carolina, through the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC), to redesignate the portion of York County, South Carolina that is within the bi-state Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, North Carolina-South Carolina ozone nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the ``bi- state Charlotte Area,'' or ``Area'') to attainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The bi-state Charlotte Area consists of Cabarrus, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Union and a portion of Iredell County (Davidson and Coddle Creek Townships) in North Carolina; and a portion of York County in South Carolina, including the Catawba Indian Nation reservation lands (hereafter referred to as ``the York County Area''). EPA's approval of the redesignation request is based on the determination that South Carolina has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). Additionally, EPA is approving a revision to the South Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP) to include the 1997 8-hour ozone maintenance plan for the York County Area that contains the new 2013 and 2022 motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) for the years 2013 and 2022. EPA will take action on the North Carolina submission for the 1997 8-hour ozone redesignation request and maintenance plan for its portion of the bi-state Charlotte Area in a separate action. EPA did not receive comments on the November 15, 2012, proposed rulemaking.

Notice is hereby given that the EPA has tentatively approved revisions to the State of Ohio's public water system supervision program. Ohio EPA has revised three of its rules to comply with the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, including the Total Coliform Rule, the Public Notification Rule, and the Filter Backwash Recycling Rule. EPA has determined that these revisions are consistent with and no less stringent than the corresponding federal regulations. Therefore, EPA intends to approve these revisions to the State of Ohio's public water system supervision program, thereby giving Ohio EPA primary enforcement responsibility for these regulations. Ohio EPA's revised coliform and public notification requirements became effective on December 20, 2007, and Ohio EPA has been administering the filter backwash recycling requirements since August 3, 2004. Any interested party may request a public hearing. A request for a public hearing must be submitted by January 23, 2013, to the Regional Administrator at the EPA Region 5 address shown below. The Regional Administrator may deny frivolous or insubstantial requests for a hearing. However, if a substantial request for a public hearing is made by January 23, 2013, EPA Region 5 will hold a public hearing, and a notice of such hearing will be given in the Federal Register and a newspaper of general circulation. If EPA Region 5 does not receive a timely and appropriate request for a hearing and the Regional Administrator does not elect to hold a hearing on her own motion, this determination shall become final and effective on January 23, 2013. Any request for a public hearing shall include the following information: The name, address, and telephone number of the individual, organization, or other entity requesting a hearing; a brief statement of the requesting person's interest in the Regional Administrator's determination and a brief statement of the information that the requesting person intends to submit at such hearing; and the signature of the individual making the request, or, if the request is made on behalf of an organization or other entity, the signature of a responsible official of the organization or other entity.

EPA is proposing to partially approve and partially disapprove a Washington Regional Haze Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Washington on December 22, 2010, that addresses regional haze for the first implementation period. This plan was submitted to meet the requirements of Clean Air Act (CAA) sections 169A and 169B that require states to prevent any future and remedy any existing man-made impairment of visibility in mandatory Class I areas. EPA is proposing to: (1) Approve portions of this SIP submittal as meeting most of the requirements of the regional haze program, (2) propose a limited approval and limited disapproval of the SO2 Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) determination for Intalco Aluminum Corp. (Intalco) potline operation and propose a federal ``Better than BART'' alternative, and (3) propose to disapprove the NOx BART determination for five BART emission units at the Tesoro Refining and Marketing refinery (Tesoro) and propose a federal Better than BART alternative. This combined rule package of proposed SIP approved elements and proposed federal elements will meet the requirements of CAA sections 169A and 169B. On August 20, 2012, EPA approved those provisions of the Washington SIP addressing the BART determination for TransAlta Centralia Generation L.L.C. coal fired power plant (TransAlta).

EPA issued a final rule in the Federal Register of October 3, 2012, concerning the establishment of tolerances for the insecticide chlorantraniliprole on multiple commodities. This document corrects inadvertent errors and omissions. The corrections are further discussed in Unit II.

EPA is proposing to approve in part and disapprove in part a revision of Arizona's State Implementation Plan (SIP) to implement the regional haze program for the first planning period through July 31, 2018. This proposed action includes all portions of the SIP except for three electric generating stations that were addressed in a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 5, 2012. Today, EPA is taking action on Arizona's Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) control analysis and determinations, Reasonable Progress Goals (RPGs) for the State's 12 Class I areas, Long-term Strategy (LTS), and other elements of the State's regional haze plan. If EPA takes final action to disapprove any portion of the SIP, EPA will work with the State to develop plan revisions to address the disapproved provisions. Regional haze is caused by emissions of air pollutants from numerous sources located over a broad geographic area. The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires states to adopt and submit to EPA SIPs that assure reasonable progress toward the national goal of achieving natural visibility conditions in 156 national parks and wilderness areas designated as Class I areas.

EPA is withdrawing significant new use rules (SNURs) promulgated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for chemical substances which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). EPA published these SNURs using direct final rulemaking procedures. EPA received notices of intent to submit adverse comments on these rules. Therefore, the Agency is withdrawing these SNURs, as required under the expedited SNUR rulemaking process. EPA intends to publish in the near future proposed SNURs for these eight chemical substances under separate notice and comment procedures.

EPA Region 9 is proposing to reissue its general NPDES permit (permit No. CAG280000) for discharges from offshore oil and gas exploration, development and production facilities located in Federal waters off the coast of Southern California. This permit was issued on September 22, 2004, and modified on November 30, 2009. This notice announces the availability of the proposed general permit and fact sheet for public comment. For the most part, the proposed permit is very similar to the 2004 permit. The major changes from the 2004 permit include the following: (1) Reduced geographic area of coverage reflecting a reduction in the number of lease blocks considered active by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM); (2) revised effluent limits and monitoring requirements for produced water based on an updated reasonable potential analysis; (3) revised whole effluent toxicity (WET) requirements for produced water; (4) study requirement for cooling water intake structures; and (5) new requirements for an on-line oil and grease monitor for produced water. These changes are discussed in more detail below, and in the fact sheet accompanying the proposed general permit.

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ). These revisions allow the terms and conditions of various elements of the preconstruction program in Virginia to be combined into a single permit, establish limitations for issuance of Plantwide Applicability Limits (PALs), provide clarification to the exemption to Virginia's permitting rules regarding the use of alternate fuels and make minor administrative amendments. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

EPA is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision that was submitted by the State of Colorado on August 8, 2006. The August 8, 2006, revision updates Regulation Number 11, ``Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program,'' by removing the light duty vehicle emission testing limits that went into effect on January 1, 2006, for 1996 and newer model year vehicles. This action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air Act.

This document corrects an error in the rule language of a final rule pertaining to EPA's approval of the revised motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for the Fredericksburg 8-Hour Ozone Maintenance Area (Fredericksburg Area). The previous rulemaking updated the 2009 and 2015 MVEBs using EPA's Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator emissions model (MOVES2010a).

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Interagency Testing Committee (ITC) transmitted its 71st ITC Report to the EPA Administrator on November 14, 2012. In the 71st ITC Report, which is included with this notice, the ITC is revising the TSCA section 4(e) Priority Testing List by removing 16 High Production Volume (HPV) Challenge Program orphan chemicals. The ITC is removing these 16 chemicals because actions have been taken to assess their hazardous potential.

Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, EPA gives notice of a teleconference 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 teleconference is to discuss specific topics of relevance for consideration by the Committee in order to provide advice and insights to the Agency on environmental policies and programs that affect and engage agriculture and rural communities.