Environmental Protection Agency October 5, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated, three new equivalent methods, one for measuring concentrations of PM2.5, one for measuring concentrations of PM10, and one for measuring concentrations of PM10-2.5 in the ambient air.

EPA is finalizing approval of revisions to the Washoe County Air District Board of Health (WCDBOH) portion of the Nevada State Implementation Plan (SIP). This action was proposed in the Federal Register on July 30, 2012 and concerns regulations regarding compliance with permit conditions, recordkeeping, source sampling and testing, and statements of compliance with 40 CFR Part 70 permits. We are approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

EPA is taking final action to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Alabama, through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) to EPA on October 7, 2009, for the purpose of providing for attainment of the 1997 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) in the Alabama portion of the tri-state Chattanooga PM2.5 nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the ``Chattanooga Area'' or ``Area''). The Chattanooga Area is comprised of Catoosa and Walker Counties in Georgia; Hamilton County in Tennessee; and a portion of Jackson County in Alabama. The Alabama SIP revision (hereafter referred to as the ``attainment plan'') pertains only to the Alabama portion of the Chattanooga Area (hereafter referred to as ``Jackson County''). EPA is now taking final action to approve Alabama's October 7, 2009, SIP revision regarding reasonably available control technology (RACT) and reasonably available control measures (RACM); reasonable further progress (RFP); contingency measures; and, for transportation conformity purposes, an insignificance determination for PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOX) for the mobile source contribution to ambient PM2.5 levels for the Alabama portion of the Chattanooga 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,'' issued by EPA on April 25, 2007.

EPA is approving revisions to the Vermont State Implementation Plan (SIP), submitted by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC) Air Pollution Control Division to EPA on February 14, 2011. The SIP revision modifies Vermont's Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program to establish appropriate emission thresholds for determining which new stationary sources and modification projects become subject to Vermont's PSD permitting requirements for their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. EPA proposed approval of these regulatory revisions on August 16, 2012, and received no comments. This action affects major stationary sources in Vermont that have GHG emissions above the thresholds established in the PSD regulations.

Tennessee has applied to EPA for final authorization of the changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). EPA proposes to grant final authorization to Tennessee. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, EPA is authorizing the changes by an immediate final rule. EPA did not issue a proposed rule prior to the immediate final rule because we believe this action is not controversial and do not expect comments that oppose it. EPA has explained the reasons for this authorization in the preamble to the immediate final rule. Unless EPA receives written comments which oppose this authorization during the comment period, the immediate final rule will become effective on the date it establishes, and we will not take further action on this proposal. If EPA receives comments that oppose this action, we will withdraw the immediate final rule and it will not take effect. EPA will then respond to public comments in a later final rule based on this proposal. You may not have another opportunity for comment. If you want to comment on this action, you must do so at this time.

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Water's (OW's) Office of Science and Technology (OST) has authorized Eastern Research Group (ERG), its subcontractors, and its consultants to access confidential business information (CBI) collected from numerous industries. Transfer of this information is necessary for ERG to assist the Office of Water in the preparation of effluent guidelines and standards for certain industries. We have determined that the contractors listed below require access to CBI submitted to us under Section 308 of the Clean Water Act and in connection with various programs and are providing notice and an opportunity to comment. The nature of the work and its necessity, and the type of access granted, is described below for each contractor. Information has been provided to this contractor under a previous agreement since September 26, 2002. Transfer of the information to ERG will allow the contractor and subcontractors to support EPA in the planning, development, and review of effluent limitations guidelines and standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The information being transferred was or will be collected under the authority of section 308 of the CWA. Some information being transferred from the pulp, paper, and paperboard industry was collected under the additional authorities of section 114 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and section 3007 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Interested persons may submit comments on this intended transfer of information to the address noted below.