Environmental Protection Agency 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This Notice provides an opportunity to comment on the EPA's revised Hazard Ranking System (HRS) scoring for the Leeds Metal site in Leeds, Maine. The site was proposed to the National Priorities List (NPL) on September 16, 2011.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a new Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Before submitting the ICR, titled: ``Soil Fumigant Risk Mitigation'' and identified by EPA ICR No. 2451.01 and OMB Control No. 2070-new to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR which is abstracted below describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost.

EPA is proposing to determine that the Tacoma, Pierce County nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as ``Tacoma, Pierce County'' or ``the area'') for the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) has clean data for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. This proposed determination is based upon quality-assured, quality-controlled, and certified ambient air monitoring data showing that the area has monitored attainment of the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS based on the 2009-2011 data available in EPA's Air Quality System (AQS) database. If this proposed determination is made final, the requirements for the area to submit an attainment demonstration, associated reasonably available control measures (RACM), a reasonable further progress plan (RFP), contingency measures, and other planning State Implementation Plans (SIPs) related to attainment of the standard shall be suspended for so long as the area continues to meet the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

EPA is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by West Virginia. This SIP revision provides the basic program elements specified in Clean Air Act (CAA) section 110(a)(2) necessary to implement, maintain, and enforce the 2008 lead national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).

The EPA is finalizing a partial limited approval and a partial disapproval of a revision to the Louisiana State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Louisiana through the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), on June 13, 2008, that addresses regional haze (RH) for the first implementation period. This revision was submitted to address the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the EPA's rules that require states to prevent any future and remedy any existing anthropogenic impairment of visibility in mandatory Class I areas (national parks and wilderness areas) caused by emissions of air pollutants from numerous sources located over a wide geographic area (also referred to as the ``regional haze program''). States are required to assure reasonable progress toward the national goal of achieving natural visibility conditions in Class I areas. In a separate action, the EPA has finalized a limited disapproval of the Louisiana RH SIP, along with several other states' regional haze plans, because of deficiencies in the state's regional haze SIP submittal arising from the remand by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Circuit) to the EPA of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). In this action, the EPA is finalizing a partial disapproval because of deficiencies in Louisiana's RH SIP submittal that go beyond the issues addressed in the EPA's limited disapproval in that separate action. The EPA is also finalizing a partial limited approval of those elements of this SIP revision not addressed by our partial disapproval. The partial limited approval of the RH requirements for Louisiana is based on the conclusion that the revisions, as a whole, strengthen the Louisiana SIP. This action is being taken under section 110 and part C of the CAA.

EPA is announcing a 60-day public comment period for the external review draft document titled, ``Nanomaterial Case Study: A Comparison of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Decabromodiphenyl Ether Flame-Retardant Coatings Applied to Upholstery Textiles'' (EPA/600/R- 12/043A). The draft document is being issued by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). It does not draw conclusions regarding potential environmental risks or hazards of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT); rather, it aims to identify what is known and unknown about MWCNT to support future assessment efforts. EPA is releasing this draft document for the purposes of public comment and peer review. This draft document is not final as described in EPA's information quality guidelines, and it does not represent and should not be construed to represent Agency policy or views. EPA will consider public comments it receives in accordance with this notice when finalizing the draft document. EPA is also announcing a Public Information Exchange Meeting to: (1) Receive comments and questions on the draft ``Nanomaterial Case Study: A Comparison of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Decabromodiphenyl Ether Flame-Retardant Coatings Applied to Upholstery Textiles;'' and (2) to provide information on the draft EPA nanomaterial case study and the workshop process that the draft document will be used in for identifying and prioritizing research gaps that could support future assessment and risk management efforts for MWCNT. This workshop process will be conducted independently by RTI International, a contractor to EPA.

The EPA is announcing two public hearings for the proposed rule titled, ``National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter,'' that is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on June 29, 2012. The hearings will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Sacramento, California. In this rulemaking, the EPA is proposing to make revisions to the primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) to provide requisite protection of public health and welfare, respectively, and to make corresponding revisions to the data handling conventions for PM and ambient air monitoring, reporting, and network design requirements. The EPA is proposing changes to the Air Quality Index (AQI) to be consistent with the proposed primary standards. In addition, the EPA is proposing revisions to the prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permitting program with respect to the proposed NAAQS revisions.

On June 1, 2012 (77 FR 32398), EPA published a direct final approval of a revision to the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerned South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1156, Further Reductions of Particulate Emissions from Cement Manufacturing Facilities. The direct final action was published without prior proposal because EPA anticipated no adverse comment. The direct final rule stated that if adverse comments were received by July 2, 2012, EPA would publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register. EPA received a timely adverse comment. Consequently, with this revision we are withdrawing the direct final approval of SCAQMD Rule 1156. EPA will either address the comment in a subsequent final action based on the parallel proposal also published on June 1, 2012 (77 FR 32398), or repropose an alternative action. As stated in the parallel proposal, EPA will not institute a second comment period on a subsequent final action.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking nominations from a diverse range of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment as members of its Great Lakes Advisory Board (GLAB). The GLAB will provide advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator, in her capacity as Chair of the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, on matters pertaining to Great Lakes restoration and protection. Vacancies are expected to be filled by September 2012. Sources in addition to this Federal Register Notice may be used in the solicitation of nominees.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA), Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a meeting of the SAB's Scientific and Technological Achievement Awards (STAA) Committee to discuss SAB recommendations regarding the Agency's 2012 STAA recipients. The SAB meeting will be closed to the public.

In this action we are proposing to approve into the Indiana State Implementation Plan (SIP) the addition of a new rule that sets volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions limits and other restrictions on consumer products that are sold, supplied, manufactured, or offered for sale in the State.

Based on its review of the air quality criteria and the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM), the EPA proposes to make revisions to the primary and secondary NAAQS for PM to provide requisite protection of public health and welfare, respectively, and to make corresponding revisions to the data handling conventions for PM and ambient air monitoring, reporting, and network design requirements. The EPA also proposes revisions to the prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permitting program with respect to the proposed NAAQS revisions. With regard to primary standards for fine particles (generally referring to particles less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers ([mu]m) in diameter, PM2.5), the EPA proposes to revise the annual PM2.5 standard by lowering the level to within a range of 12.0 to 13.0 micrograms per cubic meter ([mu]g/m\3\), so as to provide increased protection against health effects associated with long- and short-term exposures (including premature mortality, increased hospital admissions and emergency department visits, and development of chronic respiratory disease) and to retain the 24-hour PM2.5 standard. The EPA proposes changes to the Air Quality Index (AQI) for PM2.5 to be consistent with the proposed primary PM2.5 standards. With regard to the primary standard for particles generally less than or equal to 10 [mu]m in diameter (PM10), the EPA proposes to retain the current 24-hour PM10 standard to continue to provide protection against effects associated with short-term exposure to thoracic coarse particles (i.e., PM10-2.5). With regard to the secondary PM standards, the EPA proposes to revise the suite of secondary PM standards by adding a distinct standard for PM2.5 to address PM-related visibility impairment and to retain the current standards generally to address non-visibility welfare effects. The proposed distinct secondary standard would be defined in terms of a PM2.5 visibility index, which would use speciated PM2.5 mass concentrations and relative humidity data to calculate PM2.5 light extinction, translated to the deciview (dv) scale, similar to the Regional Haze Program; a 24-hour averaging time; a 90th percentile form averaged over 3 years; and a level set at one of two optionseither 30 dv or 28 dv.

Notice is hereby given of a proposed administrative settlement concerning the Arkansas Waste to Energy Superfund Site, located in Osceola, Mississippi County, Arkansas. The settlement requires the settling party to pay a total of $220,000 as payment of response costs to the Hazardous Substances Superfund. The settlement includes a covenant not to sue pursuant to Section 107 of CERCLA. For thirty (30) days following the date of publication of this notice, the Agency will receive written comments relating to this notice and will receive written comments relating to the settlement.

Notice is hereby given of a proposed administrative settlement concerning the Arkansas Waste to Energy Superfund Site, located in Osceola, Mississippi County, Arkansas. The settlement requires the settling party to pay a total of $50,000 as payment of response costs to the Hazardous Substances Superfund. The settlement includes a covenant not to sue pursuant to Section 107 of CERCLA. For thirty (30) days following the date of publication of this notice, the Agency will receive written comments relating to this notice and will receive written comments relating to the settlement.

Louisiana has applied to the EPA for final authorization of the changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The EPA has determined that these changes satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for final authorization, and is authorizing the State's changes through this immediate final action. The EPA is publishing this rule to authorize the changes without a prior proposal because we believe this action is not controversial and do not expect comments that oppose it. Unless we receive written comments which oppose this authorization during the comment period, the decision to authorize Louisiana's changes to its hazardous waste program will take effect. If we receive comments that oppose this action, we will publish a document in the Federal Register withdrawing this rule before it takes effect, and a separate document in the proposed rules section of this issue of the Federal Register will serve as a proposal to authorize the changes.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR which is abstracted below describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR which is abstracted below describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost.

This action announces the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) approval of alternative testing methods for use in measuring the levels of contaminants in drinking water and determining compliance with national primary drinking water regulations. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to approve the use of alternative testing methods through publication in the Federal Register. EPA is using this streamlined authority to make 10 additional methods available for analyzing drinking water samples required by regulation. This expedited approach provides public water systems, laboratories, and primacy agencies with more timely access to new measurement techniques and greater flexibility in the selection of analytical methods, thereby reducing monitoring costs while maintaining public health protection.

EPA is finalizing a limited approval of a revision to the Alabama State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Alabama through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) on July 15, 2008. Alabama's July 15, 2008, SIP revision addresses regional haze for the first implementation period. Specifically, this SIP revision addresses the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) and EPA's rules that require states to prevent any future and remedy any existing anthropogenic impairment of visibility in mandatory Class I areas (national parks and wilderness areas) caused by emissions of air pollutants from numerous sources located over a wide geographic area (also referred to as the ``regional haze program''). States are required to assure reasonable progress toward the national goal of achieving natural visibility conditions in Class I areas. EPA is finalizing a limited approval of Alabama's July 15, 2008, SIP revision to implement the regional haze requirements for Alabama on the basis that this SIP revision, as a whole, strengthens the Alabama SIP. Additionally, EPA is rescinding the federal regulations previously approved into the Alabama SIP on November 24, 1987, and approving the provisions in Alabama's July 15, 2008, SIP submittal to meet the long- term strategy (LTS) requirements for reasonably attributable visibility impairment (RAVI). In a separate action published on June 7, 2012, EPA finalized a limited disapproval of this same SIP revision because of the deficiencies in the State's regional haze SIP revision arising from the remand by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit) to EPA of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR).

EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD), and Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PCDEQ) portions of the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP) that EPA expects to be submitted by ADEQ. These revisions concern regulations that require monitoring and reporting of volatile organic compounds (VOC), oxides of nitrogen (NOX), and particulate matter (PM) emissions from stationary sources. This proposed approval is based upon proposed regulations submitted by ADEQ and an accompanying request that EPA proceed with SIP review while the State and local agencies complete their public review and agency adoption processes. EPA will not take final action on these regulations until ADEQ submits the final adopted versions to EPA as a revision to the Arizona SIP. Final EPA approval of the regulations and incorporation of them into the Arizona SIP would make them federally enforceable under the Clean Air Act (CAA). We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.