Environmental Protection Agency February 10, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of Version 4 of the CAP88-PC model. This version may be used to demonstrate compliance with the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) applicable to radionuclides. CAP88-PC is approved for this use by EPA. Version 4 has many changes and improvements from previous versions. The most significant of these changes from a user perspective are the incorporation of age-dependent radionuclide dose and risk factors for ingestion and inhalation, the increase in the number of included radionuclides, and a change in the file management system used by the program. Other changes less visible to the user include new code architecture, incorporation of numerical solvers for the calculation of radioactive decay chains, including the ingrowth of decay products during air transport and ground surface deposition, enhanced error messages, updated on-line help, and a utility for migrating Version 3 datasets, wind files and population files to Version 4. The modifications have produced a significant improvement in speed and stability for Version 4 relative to Version 3, and eliminated the solution approximations used in Version 3.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Continuous Release Reporting Regulations (CRRR) Under CERCLA 1980 (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1445.12, OMB Control No. 2050- 0086) 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 June 30, 2015. 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 proposing to approve revisions to the Placer County Air Pollution Control District (PCAPCD) and the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from gasoline transfer into stationary storage containers, and gasoline transfer into vehicle fuel tanks. We are proposing to approve local rules to regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

In this final rule and notice of availability, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising the requirements for how state and tribal implementation plans (hereinafter, collectively referred to as SIPs) under the Clean Air Act (CAA) are required to be submitted to the EPA. Specifically, we are providing state, local and tribal air agencies (hereinafter, collectively referred to as states or air agencies) an option to submit SIPs, including any necessary supporting documents, using our new electronic SIP (eSIP) submission system, which is web-based. We are providing notification that electronic submission via the eSIP submission system is now our preferred method for air agencies to make SIP submissions, and that if a SIP submission is made through the eSIP submission system, all documents transmitted through the system will be considered part of the official SIP submission from the air agency. We are also simplifying submission requirements for those air agencies that still wish to make paper submissions by reducing the number of paper copies required, and providing non-binding guidelines for SIP submissions that will aid in SIP processing.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of New Mexico on October 28, 2011, November 1, 2013, and August 8, 2014 on behalf of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED). These revisions amend the State transportation conformity provisions and remove the State general conformity provisions from the SIP as allowed by the 2005 amendments to the Clean Air Act (Act or CAA). These revisions also establish transportation conformity criteria and procedures related to interagency consultation and enforceability of certain transportation-related control measures and mitigation measures. If finalized, upon the effective date of this final action, the EPA federal rules will govern conformity of transportation Federal actions and general Federal actions within the State of New Mexico. This action is being taken in accordance with sections 110 and 176 of the Act.