Environmental Protection Agency March 26, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that the EPA has tentatively approved five revisions to the State of Michigan's public water system supervision program. Michigan has revised several of its rules to comply with the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, including the Ground Water Rule, the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule, the Long-Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, the Lead and Copper Rule Short Term Revisions, and the Lead and Copper Rule Minor Revisions. These rules better protect public health by controlling microbial contaminants and disinfection byproducts, and streamline existing lead and copper rule requirements. EPA has determined that these revisions are no less stringent than the corresponding federal regulations. Therefore, EPA intends to approve these revisions, thereby giving the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality primary enforcement responsibility for these regulations. This approval action does not extend to public water systems in Indian Country, as the term is defined in 18 U.S.C. 1151. By approving these rules, EPA does not intend to affect the rights of federally recognized Indian Tribes in Michigan, nor does it intend to limit existing rights of the State of Michigan.

EPA is finalizing approval of revisions to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This action was proposed in the Federal Register on November 7, 2012 and concerns volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from architectural coatings. We are approving a local rule that regulates these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

EPA is taking final action to conditionally approve submissions from Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee for inclusion into each State Implementation Plan (SIP). This action addresses the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) requirements pertaining to prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) infrastructure SIPs. 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. EPA is conditionally approving the submissions for Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee that relate to adequate provisions prohibiting emissions that interfere with any other state's required measures to prevent significant deterioration of its air quality. All other applicable infrastructure requirements for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS associated with these States have been addressed in separate rulemakings.