Environmental Protection Agency November 6, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Since 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has maintained a Federal Agency Hazardous Waste Compliance Docket (``Docket'') under Section 120(c) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Section 120(c) requires EPA to establish a Docket that contains certain information reported to EPA by Federal facilities that manage hazardous waste or from which a reportable quantity of hazardous substances has been released. As explained further below, the Docket is used to identify Federal facilities that should be evaluated to determine if they pose a threat to public health or welfare and the environment and to provide a mechanism to make this information available to the public. Today's notice identifies the Federal facilities not previously listed on the Docket and reported to EPA since the last update of the Docket on October 13, 2010. In addition to the list of additions to the Docket, this notice includes a section with revisions of the previous Docket list. Thus, the revisions in this update include 52 additions and 17 deletions, as well as 19 corrections to the Docket since the previous update. At the time of publication of this notice, the new total number of Federal facilities listed on the Docket is 2334.

EPA is making two final determinations under the Clean Air Act (Act) regarding the 1997 annual fine particle (PM2.5) nonattainment area of Detroit-Ann Arbor, Michigan (Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties) (Detroit-Ann Arbor area or area). First, EPA is determining that the Detroit-Ann Arbor area has attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). EPA made this determination of attainment based upon complete, quality-assured, and certified ambient air monitoring data for 2009-2011, showing that the area has monitored attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. Preliminary data available for 2012 indicate continued attainment. Pursuant to EPA rule, this determination suspends the requirements for the Detroit-Ann Arbor area to submit an attainment demonstration, associated reasonably available control measures (RACM) to include reasonably available control technology (RACT), a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, contingency measures, and other planning State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions related to attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS so long as the area continues to attain the PM2.5 NAAQS. EPA is also determining, based on complete, quality-assured and certified monitoring data for the 2007-2010 monitoring period, that the Detroit-Ann Arbor area had attained the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS by the its attainment date of April 5, 2010.

EPA is approving revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This action was proposed in the Federal Register on April 26, 2012 and concerns oxides of nitrogen (NOX) from solid fuel fired boilers. We are approving a local rule that regulates these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).