Environmental Protection Agency 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agency is announcing the availability of a Pesticide Registration Notice (PR Notice) titled ``Web-Distributed Labeling for Pesticide Products.'' This PR Notice was issued by the Agency on March 24, 2014, and is identified as PR Notice 2014-1. PR Notices are issued by the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) to inform pesticide registrants and other interested persons about important policies, procedures, and registration related decisions, and serve to provide guidance to pesticide registrants and OPP personnel. This particular PR Notice provides guidance to the registrant concerning the process by which registrants can make legally-valid versions of pesticide labeling available through the Internet. Web-distributed labeling would allow users to retrieve a streamlined version of the pesticide product labeling, containing the directions for use and necessary information related to the user's specific state and intended site of use.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to Michigan's Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Program rules and definitions, including revisions to Parts 1 and 18 of Michigan's Air Pollution Control Rules into Michigan's State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revised rules address the Federal requirements for significant emission levels, and definitions for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) submitted these revisions to EPA on August 9, 2013, and September 19, 2013.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 proposes to reissue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Groundwater Remediation Discharge Facilities in Idaho (GWGP). As proposed, the GWGP authorizes the discharge of groundwater from remediation sites to Waters of the U.S. within the State of Idaho from both facilities with existing coverage and new facilities interested in seeking coverage. The draft GWGP contains technology-based and water quality-based effluent limitations for conventional and toxic water quality pollutants, along with administrative reporting and monitoring requirements, as well as standard conditions, prohibitions, and management practices. A fact sheet is available that explains the draft GWGP in detail. Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1341, requires EPA to seek a certification from the State of Idaho that the conditions of the GWGP are stringent enough to comply with State water quality standards. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) has provided a draft certification that the draft GWGP complies with State of Idaho Water Quality Standards (IDAPA 58.01.02), including the State's antidegradation policy. EPA intends to seek a final certification from IDEQ prior to issuing the final GWGP. This is also notice of the draft Sec. 401 certification provided by IDEQ. Persons wishing to comment on the draft State certification should send written comments to Ms. Miranda Adams; Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, State Office, Surface Water Program; 1410 North Hilton Street; Boise, Idaho 83706 or via email to Miranda.Adams@deq.idaho.gov

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is taking direct 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 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 EPA can make certain findings by rule. On April 23, 2013, EPA received a petition from DLA, a component of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), to import foreign-manufactured PCBs that DoD currently owns in Japan for disposal in the United States. EPA is granting DLA's petition as of July 1, 2014. This decision to grant the petition allows DLA to manufacture (i.e., import) certain PCBs for disposal. EPA has granted two previous exemptions in 2003 and 2007 to DLA for similar petitions to import PCBs for disposal. Without an exemption granted by EPA, DLA would not be allowed to import the PCB waste to the U.S. for proper disposal. In fact, if the exemption is not granted, it is very likely that DLA will not be able to find any country willing to accept and properly dispose of the PCB waste.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to withdraw federal water quality standards applicable to waters of the state of Florida now that Florida has adopted and EPA has approved relevant state standards. On December 6, 2010, EPA published a rule finalizing numeric nutrient standards for Florida's lakes, springs, and flowing waters outside of the South Florida Nutrient Watershed Region. EPA established these water quality standards to protect Florida's Class I and III freshwaters from nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. On November 30, 2012, June 27, 2013, and September 26, 2013, EPA approved numeric nutrient standards adopted by the state of Florida for certain waters in the state. Some of the water body types and provisions covered by state- adopted water quality standards were also included in EPA's final inland waters rule (criteria for Florida's lakes and springs, approaches to protect downstream lakes, and a provision for developing Site-Specific Alternative Criteria). EPA is now proposing to withdraw the overlapping federally-promulgated water quality standards to allow Florida to implement their state-adopted, EPA-approved water quality standards to address nutrient pollution in Florida's waters. Additionally, EPA is not finalizing three 2012 federal proposed rules related to nutrient pollution in Florida.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing two actions pertaining to the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) State Implementation Plan (SIP) requirements for the State of Tennessee. First, EPA is approving the SIP revision submitted by Tennessee, through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) on October 9, 2013, as meeting the applicable requirements of the Act. This SIP revision addresses Tennessee's outstanding obligations related to the CAA State board and conflict of interest requirements. Second, EPA is fully approving the infrastructure SIP sub-element related to the State board and conflict of interest requirements for the 2008 Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), 1997 Annual Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) NAAQS, 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS and 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS. EPA notes that all other applicable Tennessee infrastructure SIP elements for the 2008 Lead, 1997 annual PM2.5, 2006 24-hour PM2.5, and 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS have been addressed in separate rulemakings.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of forchlorfenuron in or on multiple commodities which are identified and discussed later in this document. KIM-C1, LLC requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

This regulation establishes a tolerance for residues of propiconazole in or on the rapeseed crop subgroup 20A. Syngenta Crop Protection requested this tolerance under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

In accordance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is issuing a notice of receipt of request for amendments by registrants to delete uses in certain pesticide registrations. FIFRA provides that a registrant of a pesticide product may at any time request that any of its pesticide registrations be amended to delete one or more uses. FIFRA further provides that, before acting on the request, EPA must publish a notice of receipt of any request in the Federal Register.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve several revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) related to the Texas Minor New Source Review (NSR) Standard Permits (SP) Program. First, EPA is approving revisions submitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ, or Commission) on January 3, 2000, and March 11, 2011, expanding the Texas SP Program to include the Rule Standard Permit (Rule SP). The EPA is also proposing to approve a revision to the Texas SIP submitted by the TCEQ on February 1, 2006, for a specific Rule SP, the Rule Standard Permit for Pollution Control Projects (Rule SP for PCP) as meeting the requirements for a Minor NSR SIP revision. Finally, because EPA is proposing to approve the Rule SP for PCP, EPA is also proposing to approve a severable portion of the January 3, 2000, submittal concerning the Texas Senate Bill 7 (SB7) permitting program for grandfathered and electing electric generating facilities (EGFs). All of the Texas SB7 EGFs permitting program provisions have been approved as part of the Texas NSR SIP except for this severable portion. This severable portion allowing for the use of the Rule SP for PCP for permitting of collateral emission increases is being proposed for approval as meeting the requirements for a Minor NSR SIP revision. EPA is proposing these actions under section 110 of the Federal Clean Air Act (the Act or CAA) through a direct final rulemaking.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice that it has responded to a petition for reconsideration of a rule published in the Federal Register on August 5, 2013, that promulgated the initial air quality designations for the 2010 Primary Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for certain areas in the United States. The rule is titled, ``Air Quality Designations for the 2010 SO2 Primary NAAQS.'' Subsequent to publishing the rule, the EPA received three petitions requesting that the EPA reconsider its designation decisions for certain areas. This document announces the EPA's response to one of those petitions: a petition from U.S. Steel requesting the EPA to reconsider its designation decision for Detroit, Michigan. A subsequent document will announce the EPA's response to the other two petitions. The EPA carefully considered the U.S. Steel's petition and supporting information, along with information contained in the rulemaking docket, in reaching its decision on the petition. The EPA denied the U.S. Steel's petition for reconsideration in a letter to the petitioner dated March 11, 2014. The letter explains the EPA's reasons for the denial. The petitioner also requested that the EPA stay the effectiveness of the designations rule, pending reconsideration. Because the EPA denied the reconsideration request, the EPA also denied the stay request.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Arizona Statutes portion of the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns particulate matter (PM) emissions from dust generating operations that do not already have a permit. We are proposing to approve a state general permit to regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing under the Clean Air Act to approve a revision to the Arizona Statutes portion of the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns particulate matter (PM) emissions from dust generating operations that do not already have a permit within the Phoenix Planning area. We are proposing to approve a state statute that requires the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to develop and adopt a general permit that specifies episodic best management practices that are to be implemented by certain dust-generating activities.

In accordance with Section 743 of Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing this notice to advise the public of the availability of the FY 2013 Service Contract Inventory. This inventory provides information on service contract actions over $25,000 that were made in FY 2013. The information is organized by function to show how contracted resources are distributed throughout the Agency. The inventory has been developed in accordance with guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), Service Contract Inventories (December 19, 2011). The Environmental Protection Agency has posted its inventory and a summary of the inventory on the EPA's homepage at the following link: https://www.epa.gov/oam/inventory/inventory.htm

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the State of West Virginia's requests to redesignate to attainment the Charleston nonattainment area (hereafter ``the Charleston Area'' or ``the Area'') for both the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or standards). EPA is also approving as a revision to the West Virginia State Implementation Plan (SIP), the associated maintenance plans to show maintenance of the 1997 annual and the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS through 2025 for the Area. West Virginia's maintenance plans include insignificance findings for the mobile source contribution of PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions to the Area for both the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standards, which EPA agrees with and is approving for transportation conformity purposes. In addition, EPA is approving the 2008 emissions inventory for the Area for the 2006 24- hour PM2.5 NAAQS. These actions are being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve requests from Florida and North Carolina for the EPA to relax the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) Standard applicable to gasoline introduced into commerce from June 1 to September 15 of each year in six counties in Florida, and in counties in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Area (also referred to as the ``Triangle Area'') and the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point Area (also referred to as the ``Triad Area'') in North Carolina. Specifically, the EPA is proposing to amend the regulations to change the RVP standard for six counties in Florida and for the counties in the Triangle and Triad Areas from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 psi for gasoline in the aforementioned areas. The EPA has preliminarily determined that these changes to the federal RVP regulation are consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's (Pennsylvania) State Implementation Plan (SIP). The revisions consist of an update to the SIP approved Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) for the 1997 Eight-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) SIP for Berks County (also referred to as the ``Reading Maintenance Area''). Also as a part of this SIP revision is an update to the area and point source inventories for NOX. 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.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is clarifying its final action on revisions to the Hawaii State Implementation Plan (SIP), published in the Federal Register on August 9, 2012.

This regulation amends tolerances for residues of S- metolachlor in or on corn, field, forage; corn, field, stover; corn, pop, stover; corn, sweet, forage; and corn, sweet, stover. Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference of the Chartered Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and the CASAC Oxides of Nitrogen Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Review Panel to discuss its draft reviews of EPA's Integrated Review Plan for the Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide (External Review Draft) and Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Oxides of NitrogenHealth Criteria (External Review DraftNovember 2013).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 is publishing a direct final notice of deletion of the Eau Claire Municipal Well Field Superfund Site (Site) located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, from the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL, promulgated pursuant to Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix to the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). This direct final deletion is being published by EPA with the concurrence of the State of Wisconsin, through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), because EPA has determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Clean Air Act Tribal Authority'' (EPA ICR No. 1676.05, OMB Control No. 2060-0306) 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.). Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through August 31, 2014. 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 (EPA) is announcing a 30- day public comment period for the draft revised web-based, ``EPA's Report on the Environment 2014'' (ROE 2014). The ROE is a comprehensive source of scientific indicators that describe the trends in the nation's environmental and human health condition. ROE 2014 was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment within EPA's Office of Research and Development, working in collaboration with EPA Program and Regional offices. The public comment period provides opportunities for all interested parties to comment on the draft ROE 2014. The draft ROE will also be reviewed by the agency's independent Science Advisory Board (SAB) at a later date which will be announced in the Federal Register. When finalizing the draft ROE 2014, EPA intends to consider any public comments that EPA receives in accordance with this notice and intends to forward these comments to the SAB panel prior to their review. EPA is releasing the draft ROE 2014 for the purposes of public comment and peer review. This draft is not final as described in EPA's information quality guidelines, and it does not represent and should not be construed to represent Agency policy or views. The draft ROE 2014 Web site can be accessed at the following url: www.epa.gov/draftroe.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region III is issuing a Notice of Intent to Delete the Moyer's Landfill Superfund Site (Site) located in Lower Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comments on this proposed action. The NPL, promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), have determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA, other than operation, maintenance, and five-year reviews, have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to revise the regulatory definition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under the Clean Air Act (CAA). This direct final action adds 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (also known as AMP; CAS number 124-68-5) to the list of compounds excluded from the regulatory definition of VOCs on the basis that this compound makes a negligible contribution to tropospheric ozone formation.