Environmental Protection Agency November 7, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is announcing a workshop to identify approaches to assess the effectiveness of policies that reduce ambient levels of PM2.5. The workshop is being organized by EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) and the Office of Research and Development (ORD), and will be held on January 7, 2013, in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Reservations for the workshop will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited space.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of fluazinam in or on melon subgroup 9A and pepper/eggplant subgroup 8- 10B, associated with pesticide petition (PP) 1E7959; and soybean, seed and soybean, hulls, associated with PP 2F7977. Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4) and ISK Biosciences Corporation requested the tolerances associated with PPs 1E7959 and 2F7977, respectively, under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

This document announces the Agency's receipt of several initial filings of pesticide petitions requesting the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities.

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Procurement under EPA Financial Assistance Agreements (Reinstatement)'' (EPA ICR No. 2047.04, OMB Control No. 2090-0030) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This ICR expired on January 31, 2011. This is a request for reinstatement of a previously approved collection. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (77 FR 32087) on May 31, 2012 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

This document announces the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) responses to Agency Clearance requests, in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15.

EPA has granted emergency exemptions under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) for use of pesticides as listed in this notice. The exemptions were granted during the period April 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012 to control unforeseen pest outbreaks.

Due to the receipt of an adverse comment, EPA is withdrawing the September 14, 2012, direct final rule that makes several determinations relating to certain 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas in California. EPA will address the comment in a subsequent final action based upon the proposed rulemaking action, also published on September 14, 2012. EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action.

EPA is taking direct final action to amend the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), to acknowledge advancements in technologies used to manage and convey information to the public. Specifically, this revision will add language to EPA regulations to broaden the technology, to include computer telecommunications or other electronic means, that the lead agency is permitted to use to make the administrative record file available to the public. By updating the language used to describe permitted technology, the lead agency will be able to serve the information needs of a broader population, while maintaining the ability to provide traditional means of public access to the administrative record file, such as paper copies and microform. The lead agency should assess the capacity and resources of the public to utilize and maintain an electronic- or computer telecommunications-based repository to make a decision on which approach suits a specific site.