Environmental Protection Agency September 29, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agency is requesting public comments on the proposed list of candidate peer reviewers for the independent contractor-managed external peer review of the draft documents released for public comment in the August 6, 2014 Federal Register notice entitled ``Approach for Estimating Exposures and Incremental Health Effects from Lead Due to Renovation, Repair, and Painting Activities in Public and Commercial Buildings.'' This notice provides the names and professional affiliations of the proposed peer reviewers. The public is requested to provide relevant information or documentation on the candidates who are being evaluated by the external peer review contractor, Versar, Inc. (Versar). Versar will consider the public comments on the proposed list of peer reviewers and will select the final peer reviewers who, collectively, best provide expertise spanning the multiple subject matter areas covered by the draft documents and, to the extent feasible, best provide a balance of perspectives according to EPA peer review guidance. This notice provides the public peer review meeting dates as well as Versar's Web site that will provide details about the meeting location, how to register to attend the meeting either in person or electronically, and how to provide comments at the meeting. The date, time, and conference call-in number of the initial meeting of the peer review panel can be obtained at Versar's peer review Web site.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is taking final action on a petition from the United States Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to import foreign-manufactured polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). For purposes of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), ``manufacture'' is defined to include the import of chemical substances into the customs territory of the United States. With certain exceptions, section 6(e)(3) of TSCA bans the manufacture, processing, and distribution in commerce of PCBs. One of these exceptions is TSCA section 6(e)(3)(B), which gives the EPA authority to grant petitions to import PCBs into the customs territory of the United States for a period of up to 12 months, provided the EPA can make certain findings by rule. On April 23, 2013, the EPA received a petition from DLA, a component of the United States Department of Defense (DOD), to import PCBs that DOD currently owns in Japan for disposal in the United States. The EPA is granting DLA's petition as of October 1, 2014. This decision to grant the petition allows DLA to ``manufacture'' (i.e., import) certain PCBs for disposal. Without an exemption granted by the EPA, DLA would not be allowed to import the PCB waste to the U.S. for proper disposal.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the Placer County Air Pollution Control District (PCAPCD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns a permitting rule that regulates construction and modification of major stationary sources of air pollution. These revisions correct deficiencies in PCAPCD Rule 502, New Source Review, previously identified by EPA in a final rule dated September 24, 2013. We are approving revisions that correct the identified deficiencies.