Environmental Protection Agency August 30, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine that the New York-N. New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT fine particle (PM2.5) nonattainment area has attained the 2006 24-hour fine particle National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). This proposed determination is based upon quality assured, quality controlled, and certified ambient air monitoring data that shows the area has monitored attainment of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS for the 2007-2009 and 2008-2010 monitoring periods and continues to show attainment through 2011. If this proposed determination is made final, the requirements for this area to submit an attainment demonstration, reasonably available control measures, reasonable further progress plan, and contingency measures related to attainment of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS shall be suspended for so long as the area continues to attain the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS.

Notice is hereby given that a reissuance of an exemption to the land disposal Restrictions, under the 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, has been granted to Cornerstone for four Class I injection wells located at Waggaman, Louisiana. The company has adequately demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Environmental Protection Agency by the petition reissuance application and supporting documentation that, to a reasonable degree of certainty, there will be no migration of hazardous constituents from the injection zone for as long as the waste remains hazardous. This final decision allows the continued underground injection by Cornerstone, of the specific restricted hazardous wastes identified in this exemption, into Class I hazardous waste injection Wells 2, 3 4B and 5 at the Waggaman, Louisiana facility until June 30, 2016, unless EPA moves to terminate this exemption. Additional conditions included in this final decision may be reviewed by contacting the Region 6 Ground Water/UIC Section. A public notice was issued June 28, 2012. The public comment period closed on August 13, 2012, and no comments were received. This decision constitutes final Agency action and there is no Administrative appeal. This decision may be reviewed/appealed in compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

This final rule clarifies the distinction between ``isolates'' and ``strains,'' and clarifies the requirements applicable to new isolates, which are considered to be new active ingredients under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Additional revisions to regulatory text include several minor corrections to words and references. Finally, EPA is announcing the availability of a final microbial pesticide test guideline that further explains the existing data requirement to deposit a sample in a nationally recognized culture collection. Collectively, the final rule clarifications and revisions, as well as the final microbial pesticide test guideline, are expected to enhance the ability of industry to efficiently manage its microbial pesticide registration submissions.

EPA is proposing to approve into the Indiana State Implementation Plan (SIP) the addition of a new rule that sets emissions limits on the amount of volatile organic compounds in architectural and industrial maintenance coatings that are sold, supplied, manufactured, or offered for sale in the state.