Environmental Protection Agency August 22, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``NESHAP for Gasoline Distribution Facilities (40 CFR Part 63, Subpart R) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1659.08, OMB Control No. 2060-0325), 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 is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through September 30, 2013. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (77 FR 63813) on October 17, 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.

Pursuant to section 304(a) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of final national recommended ambient water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic life from effects of ammonia in freshwater (EPA 822-R-13-001). The final criteria incorporate the latest scientific knowledge on the toxicity of ammonia to freshwater aquatic life. On December 30, 2009, EPA published draft national recommended water quality criteria for ammonia and provided the public an opportunity to provide scientific views. Aquatic life criteria are developed based on EPA's Guidelines for Deriving Numerical National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses (1985), (EPA/R- 85-100). EPA's recommended section 304(a) water quality criteria provide guidance to States and authorized Tribes in adopting water quality standards for protecting aquatic life and human health. EPA's recommended water quality criteria by themselves have no binding legal effect. These national recommended criteria for ammonia in freshwater are intended to protect aquatic life and do not address human health toxicity data. The water quality criteria for ammonia for the protection of saltwater organisms are not being updated at this time. EPA's national recommended final acute ambient water quality criteria (AWQC) for protecting freshwater organisms from potential effects of ammonia is 17 mg/L total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and the final chronic AWQC for ammonia is 1.9 mg/L TAN at pH 7.0 and temperature 20 [deg]C.