Environmental Protection Agency December 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In this notice, EPA is notifying the public that EPA has made insignificance findings through the transportation conformity adequacy process, under the Clean Air Act (CAA), for directly emitted fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) in the Charleston, West Virginia 1997 and 2006 PM2.5 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) nonattainment area. West Virginia submitted the insignificance findings with the redesignation requests and maintenance plans submittal on December 6, 2012. As a result of EPA's findings, the Charleston, West Virginia nonattainment area is no longer required to perform a regional emissions analysis for directly emitted PM2.5, or NOX, as part of future PM2.5 conformity determinations for the 1997 and 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS.

EPA is amending certain reporting requirements that were promulgated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to require the use electronic reporting. EPA is requiring the use of electronic reporting in order to minimize the paperwork burden associated with the underlying regulatory requirements and to minimize the cost to the Federal Government of the creation, collection, maintenance, use, dissemination, and disposition of information. This action will also improve the quality and use of information to strengthen decisionmaking, accountability, and openness in government and society, as well as provide for the timely dissemination of public information and in a manner that promotes the utility of the information to the public and makes effective use of information technology.

EPA is notifying the public that we have received negative declarations from Michigan and Wisconsin regarding Hospital/Medical/ Infectious Waste Incinerator (HMIWI) units within those states. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) submitted its negative declaration on August 9, 2013. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) submitted its negative declaration on July 15, 2013. Each state notified EPA in its negative declaration letter that there are no HMIWI units subject to the requirements of sections 111(d) and 129 of the Clean Air Act (Act) currently operating in its state.

EPA is proposing to approve a section plan submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia for sewage sludge incineration (SSI) units. The section plan contains a state rule for existing SSI units and was submitted as a result of the March 21, 2011 promulgation of Federal new source performance standards (NSPS) and emission guidelines for SSI units. This action is being taken under sections of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

EPA is proposing to approve a revision to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Missouri which revises the written reporting requirements for maintenance, start-up, or shutdown activities; updates the information a source operator must provide to the department when a notice of excess emissions is received; and corrects references in the reporting and record keeping section.

With this notice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, or the Agency) proposes to approve the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE, or the Department) planned change request to implement the Run-of-Mine Panel Closure System (ROMPCS) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and to amend the WIPP Compliance Criteria to allow an EPA-approved panel closure other than the currently-required Option D design. Technical analyses demonstrate that, with the modified panel closure design, WIPP remains in compliance with the release limits set by the ``Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic (TRU) Radioactive Waste.'' The proposed changes do not lessen the requirements for complying with the Compliance Criteria, nor do these changes impact the technical approach that the EPA will employ when considering any future planned changes to the panel closure system. Compliance with environmental or public health regulations other than the EPA's disposal regulations and WIPP Compliance Criteria is not addressed by today's action. Today's notice marks the beginning of a 60-day public comment period on this proposed action.

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``NSPS for Electric Utility Steam Generating Units (40 CFR Part 60, Subpart Da) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1053.11, OMB Control No. 2060-0023), 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 March 31, 2014. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (78 FR 33409) on June 4, 2013, 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.

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``NSPS for Phosphate Rock Plants (40 CFR Part 60, Subpart NN) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1078.10, OMB Control No. 2060-0111), 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 March 31, 2014. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (78 FR 33409) on June 4, 2013, 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.

On June 1, 2009, EPA published a final rule in the Federal Register approving a Florida State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision, submitted through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), related to the State's gasoline vapor recovery program. This correcting amendment corrects errors in the regulatory language in paragraph (c) of EPA's June 1, 2009, final rule.

EPA is taking final action to redesignate the portion of North Carolina that is within the bi-state Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, North Carolina-South Carolina 8-hour ozone nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the ``Area,'' ``North Carolina portion of the bi-state Charlotte Area,'' ``North Carolina portion of the Area,'' or ``Metrolina nonattainment area'') to attainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), and to approve the maintenance plan for the Area. The State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Air Quality (NC DAQ), submitted the redesignation request and maintenance plan on November 2, 2011. The State supplemented the redesignation request and maintenance plan on March 28, 2013, extending the maintenance plan to the year 2025 and updating the sub-area motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) for the years 2013 and 2025 for the North Carolina portion of the Area. EPA's approval of NC DAQ's redesignation request is based on the determination that North Carolina has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). EPA finalized action to redesignate the South Carolina portion of the Area, including approval of South Carolina's maintenance plan for the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS, in a separate action.