Environmental Protection Agency October 25, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 EPA is proposing to approve revisions of the Texas State Implementation Plan submitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ, or Commission) on July 31, 2002; September 4, 2002; and March 1, 2004. These revisions require that all grandfathered facilities obtain specific permits which include emission control methods to achieve mandated emission reductions, as required, or shutdown; and require that emissions from dockside vessels which result from operations at grandfathered land-based facilities be included in specific permits. The revisions also outline additional permitting procedures for certain grandfathered pipeline equipment located in an ozone nonattainment area. These permitting requirements and emissions reductions will contribute to achieving attainment and help ensure attainment and continued maintenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone in the State of Texas. EPA is proposing the revisions under section 110, part C, and part D of the Act, and EPA's regulations.

EPA proposes to approve State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia adding ambient air quality standards and associated reference conditions for Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) that are consistent with the 2013 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM2.5. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the State's SIP submittal as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

EPA is making two separate and independent determinations regarding the Liberty-Clairton, Pennsylvania 1997 annual fine particulate (PM2.5) nonattainment area (the Liberty-Clairton Area). First, EPA is determining that the Liberty-Clairton Area attained the 1997 PM2.5 annual national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) by the applicable attainment date, December 31, 2011. This determination is based on quality assured and certified ambient air quality date for the 2009-2011 monitoring period. Second, EPA is determining that the Liberty-Clairton Area has continued to attain the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS, based on quality-assured and certified ambient air quality data for the 2010-2012 monitoring period. The latter ``clean data determination'' suspends the requirement for the Liberty-Clairton Area to submit an attainment demonstration, reasonably available control measures (RACM), reasonable further progress (RFP), and contingency measures related to attainment of the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS for so long as the area continues to attain the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. These determinations do not constitute a redesignation to attainment. The Liberty-Clairton Area will remain designated nonattainment for the 1997 annual PM2.5 NAAQS until such time as EPA determines that the Liberty-Clairton Area meets the Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for redesignation to attainment, including an approved maintenance plan. These actions are being taken under the CAA.

EPA is partially approving and partially disapproving State Implementation Plan (SIP) submissions from the State of Utah to demonstrate that the SIP meets the infrastructure requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) promulgated for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on July 18, 1997 and on October 17, 2006. The CAA requires that each state, after a new or revised NAAQS is promulgated, review their SIPs to ensure that they meet infrastructure requirements. The State of Utah provided infrastructure SIP submissions on April 17, 2008 for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS and September 21, 2010 for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS. In addition, EPA is approving portions of SIP revisions submitted by the State of Utah on March 14, 2012. This submission revises Utah's Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program to incorporate the required elements of the 2008 PM2.5 New Source Review (NSR) Implementation Rule and the 2010 PM2.5 Increment Rule.

EPA is approving, through direct final rulemaking, revisions to the State of Iowa's State Implementation Plan (SIP), Title V program, and Clean Air Act (CAA) section 111(d) plan. The purpose of these revisions is to make general updates to existing state air quality rules, approve an exemption from constructing permitting for engines used in periodic pipeline testing, approve changes to state rules regarding regional haze requirements, and to approve adoption of Federal regulations including the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for 2008 Ozone, 2008 Lead, and 2010 Nitrogen Dioxide. EPA is approving the SIP provisions pursuant to section 110 of the CAA. EPA is also taking direct final action to approve a Hospital Medical Infectious Waste Incinerators (HMIWI) section 111(d) negative declaration from the State of Iowa which certifies that HMIWIs, subject to the requirements of sections 111(d) and 129 of the CAA, do not exist in the State; and approving the rescission of its section 111(d)/129 plan and emission guidelines for HMIWI units. EPA is approving these actions pursuant to section 111 of the CAA. EPA is also approving two minor administrative changes to the Title V program, pursuant to section 500 of the CAA.