Environmental Protection Agency November 7, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of 2-propenoic acid, 2-methyl-, phenylmethyl ester, polymer with 2-propenoic acid, peroxydisulfuric acid ([(HO)S(O)2]2O2) sodium salt (1:2)-initiated, compounds with diethanolamine, with a minimum number average molecular weight of 2,000 amu; when used as an inert ingredient in a pesticide formulation. Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry, LLC submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of 2- propenoic acid, 2-methyl-, phenylmethyl ester, polymer with 2-propenoic acid, peroxydisulfuric acid ([(HO)S(O)2]2O2) sodium salt (1:2)- initiated, compounds with diethanolamine on food or feed commodities.

This document announces the Agency's receipt of an initial filing of a pesticide petition requesting the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities.

EPA is continuing to authorize Student Services Contractors access to information which has been submitted to EPA under all sections of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Some of the information may be claimed or determined to be Confidential Business Information (CBI). Original notice of this access was published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2012.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the Washington State Implementation Plan (SIP) that were submitted by the Department of Ecology (Ecology) on January 27, 2014. These revisions update the preconstruction permitting regulations for large industrial (major source) facilities located in designated nonattainment areas, referred to as the Nonattainment New Source Review (major nonattainment NSR or major NNSR) program. While these revisions update Ecology's major NNSR program generally, the most significant change is the incorporation of regulations to implement major NNSR for fine particulate matter, particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5). The major NNSR program is designed to ensure that major stationary sources of air pollution are constructed or modified in a manner that is consistent with attainment and maintenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

In accordance with section 113(g) of the Clean Air Act, as amended (``CAA'' or the ``Act''), notice is hereby given of a proposed consent decree to address a lawsuit filed by Sierra Club in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia: Sierra Club v. McCarthy, Case No. 1:14-cv-00833-ESH (D.D.C.). On May 20, 2014, Plaintiff filed a complaint which alleged that Gina McCarthy, in her official capacity as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA''), failed to perform her nondiscretionary duty to take action on a number of Texas state implementation plan (``SIP'') submissions for the Dallas/Ft. Worth nonattainment area to address the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS within one year of the date the submissions were deemed complete by operation of law. These SIP submissions include a demonstration of attainment, reasonably available control technology (``RACT'') requirements for volatile organic compounds (``VOCs'') and nitrogen oxides (``NOX''), and provisions for reasonable further progress (``RFP'') toward attainment. Plaintiff's complaint also alleged that the Administrator failed to perform a nondiscretionary duty to determine whether the Dallas/Ft. Worth area attained the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS by the June 15, 2013 attainment date and to reclassify the area accordingly. The proposed consent decree would establish deadlines for EPA to take these actions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Phosphoric Acid Manufacturing and Phosphate Fertilizer Production source categories and to new source performance standards (NSPS) for several phosphate processing categories. The proposed amendments address the results of the residual risk and technology reviews (RTR) conducted as required under the Clean Air Act (CAA), as well as other actions deemed appropriate during the review of these standards. The proposed amendments include numeric emission limits for mercury and work practice standards for hydrogen fluoride (HF) from calciners; work practice standards for hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from gypsum dewatering stacks and cooling ponds; emission standards requiring HF testing from various affected sources; clarifications to the applicability and monitoring requirements for both source categories to accommodate process equipment and technology changes; changes to remove the exemptions for startup, shutdown and malfunction; work practice standards for periods of startup and shutdown; and revised provisions to address recordkeeping and reporting requirements applicable to periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction. The proposed amendments will reduce mercury emissions, thereby reducing potential mercury exposure to children, including the unborn. Further, the EPA has conducted an 8- year review of the current NSPS for these source categories, and is proposing that no revisions to the numeric emission limits for these standards are appropriate.