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

EPA is proposing to approve the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) 2002 base year emissions inventory portion of the West Virginia State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of West Virginia (WV), through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), on November 4, 2009 for the Charleston, WV nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the Charleston Area or Area). The emissions inventory is part of the West Virginia November 4, 2009 SIP revision that was submitted to meet nonattainment requirements related to the Charleston Area for the 1997 PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) SIP. EPA is proposing to approve the 2002 base year PM2.5 emissions inventory for the Charleston Area in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The EPA Office of the Science Advisor announces a public meeting of the Human Studies Review Board to advise the Agency on the EPA scientific and ethical reviews of research with human subjects.

EPA is taking final action to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission, submitted by the State of Alabama, through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), as demonstrating that the State meets certain state implementation plan (SIP) requirements of sections 110(a)(1) and (2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act) for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). Section 110(a) of the CAA requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of each NAAQS promulgated by EPA, which is commonly referred to as an ``infrastructure'' SIP. Alabama certified that the Alabama SIP contains provisions that ensure the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2 NAAQS are implemented, enforced, and maintained in Alabama (hereafter referred to as ``infrastructure submission''). Alabama's infrastructure submissions, provided to EPA on July 25, 2008, and September 23, 2009, addressed all the required infrastructure elements for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS with the exception of sections 110(a)(2)(D)(i) and (E)(ii), which will be addressed in separate actions.

EPA is proposing to approve six Permit-by-Rule provisions, a Permit to Install and Operate program, two permanent exemptions from the Permit to Install requirement and a general permit program as additions to Ohio's State Implementation Plan under the Clean Air Act. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has requested these rule revisions to make its air pollution permit program more efficient. Approving these additions will make the Permits by Rule, Permits to Install and Operate and general permits federally enforceable. Because these rule revisions will make Ohio's air permit program more efficient while continuing to protect human health and the environment, EPA is taking direct final action to approve the revisions.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended, (RCRA), allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to authorize State hazardous waste management programs if the EPA finds that such programs are equivalent to and consistent with the Federal RCRA program and if such programs provide adequate enforcement of compliance. The regulations are used by the EPA to codify its decision to authorize individual State programs and incorporate by reference those provisions of the State statutes and regulations that are subject to the EPA's RCRA inspection and enforcement authorities as authorized provisions of the State's program. This direct final rule revises the codification of the authorized Idaho hazardous waste management program and incorporates by reference authorized provisions of the State's rules and regulations.