Environmental Protection Agency April 11, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Silicic acid, sodium salt, reaction products with chlorotrimethylsilane and iso-propyl alcohol, reaction with poly(oxypropylene)-poly(oxyethylene) glycol; when used as an inert ingredient in a pesticide chemical formulation. Dow Corning Corporation submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of Silicic acid, sodium salt, reaction products with chlorotrimethylsilane and iso-propyl alcohol, reaction with poly(oxypropylene)-poly(oxyethylene) glycol on food or feed commodities.

EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the Arizona state implementation plan (SIP) that demonstrate attainment of the 1997 8- hour ozone national ambient air quality standards in the Phoenix-Mesa nonattainment area by June 15, 2009. These SIP revisions are the 2007 Ozone Plan developed by the Maricopa Association of Governments and adopted and submitted to EPA by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality on June 13, 2007. EPA is proposing to approve the 2007 Ozone Plan based on our determination that the plan contains all the provisions required for areas classified as nonattainment under Part D, Subpart 1 of the Clean Air Act, including the demonstration of reasonably available control measures (RACM), reasonable further progress (RFP), emission inventories, transportation conformity motor vehicle emission budgets for 2008, and contingency measures to be implemented if the Phoenix-Mesa nonattainment area fails to attain by June 15, 2009.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences of the SAB Biogenic Carbon Emissions Panel to discuss the Panel's draft report on EPA's draft Accounting Framework for Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources (September 2011).

EPA is taking final action to approve a revision to the Kentucky state implementation plan (SIP) submitted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, Division for Air Quality (DAQ), to EPA on December 3, 2008, for the purpose of providing for attainment of the 1997 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) in the Kentucky portion of the Huntington-Ashland, West Virginia-Kentucky- Ohio PM2.5 nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the ``Huntington-Ashland Area'' or ``Area''). The Huntington-Ashland Area is comprised of Boyd County and a portion of Lawrence County in Kentucky; Cabell and Wayne Counties and a portion of Mason County in West Virginia; and Lawrence and Scioto Counties and portions of Adams and Gallia Counties in Ohio. The Kentucky plan at issue in this action (hereafter referred to as the ``PM2.5 attainment plan'') pertains only to the Kentucky portion of the Huntington-Ashland Area. As proposed on January 30, 2012, EPA is approving Kentucky's PM2.5 attainment plan, which includes an attainment demonstration; reasonably available control technology (RACT) and reasonably available control measures (RACM); reasonable further progress (RFP); base-year and attainment-year emissions inventories; contingency measures; and, for transportation conformity purposes, an insignificance determination for direct PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOX) for the mobile source contribution to ambient PM2.5 levels for the Commonwealth's portion of the Huntington-Ashland Area. This action is being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) and the ``Clean Air Fine Particle Implementation Rule,'' hereafter referred to as the ``PM2.5 Implementation Rule,'' published on April 25, 2007. EPA is also responding to adverse comments received on the proposed approval of Kentucky's PM2.5 attainment plan.

This notice announces EPA's order for amendments to terminate uses, voluntarily requested by registrants and accepted by the Agency, of products containing imidacloprid, methomyl, and oxamyl, pursuant to section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended. This cancellation order follows a January 11, 2012 Federal Register Notice of Receipt of Requests from the registrants listed in Table 2 of Unit II to voluntarily amend certain imidacloprid pesticide registrations to terminate use on almonds, to voluntarily amend certain methomyl product registrations to delete use on grapes, and to voluntarily amend oxamyl product registrations to delete use on soybeans. These are not the last products containing imidacloprid, methomyl, or oxamyl registered for use in the United States. In the January 11, 2012 Notice, EPA indicated that it would issue an order implementing the amendments to terminate uses, unless the Agency received substantive comments within the 30-day comment period that would merit its further review of these requests, or unless the registrants withdrew their requests. The Agency did not receive any comments on the notice. Further, the registrants did not withdraw their requests. Accordingly, EPA hereby issues in this notice a cancellation order granting the requested amendments to terminate uses. Any distribution, sale, or use of the products subject to this cancellation order is permitted only in accordance with the terms of this order, including any existing stocks provisions.