Environmental Protection Agency April 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) related to Stage I Regulations that were submitted by the State of Texas on November 12, 2014. The EPA evaluated the Texas SIP submittal and determined these revisions are consistent with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (Act or CAA). The EPA is approving this action under the federal CAA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve Clean Air Act (CAA) section 111(d)/129 negative declarations for the States of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, and the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, for existing sewage sludge incinerator (SSI) units. These negative declarations certify that existing SSI units subject to the requirements of sections 111(d) and 129 of the CAA do not exist within the jurisdictions of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico (including the City of Albuquerque). EPA is accepting the negative declarations in accordance with the requirements of the CAA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking a direct final action to approve revisions to the Arkansas State Implementation Plan (SIP) related to the Fee Regulations section of the Arkansas SIP that were submitted by the State of Arkansas on November 6, 2012. The EPA has evaluated the SIP submittal from Arkansas and determined these revisions are consistent with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (Act or CAA). The EPA is approving this action under section 110 of the Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a January 24, 2013 State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted for the State of Maryland by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). This revision pertains to preconstruction permitting requirements under Maryland's minor New Source Review (NSR) program. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

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 implement the preconstruction permitting regulations for large industrial (major source) facilities in attainment and unclassifiable areas, called the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program. The PSD program in Washington has been historically operated under a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP). This approval of Ecology's PSD program narrows the FIP to include only those few facilities, emission sources, geographic areas, and permits for which Ecology does not have PSD permitting jurisdiction or authority. The EPA is also approving Ecology's visibility protection permitting program which overlaps significantly with the PSD program.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve elements of a state implementation plan (SIP) submission by Indiana regarding the infrastructure requirements of sections 110(a)(1) and (2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA. The proposed rulemaking associated with this final action was published on August 19, 2013, and EPA received two comment letters during the comment period, which ended on September 18, 2013. The concerns raised in these letters, as well as EPA's responses, will be addressed in this final action.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to disapprove revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted to meet certain requirements under section 182(c) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) nonattainment area under the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. The revisions address the attainment demonstration submitted on January 17, 2012, by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for the DFW Serious nonattainment area. The EPA is also proposing to determine that the DFW 8-hour ozone nonattainment area is currently attaining the 1997 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). This determination is based upon certified ambient air monitoring data that show the area has monitored attainment of the 1997 ozone NAAQS for the 2012-2014 monitoring period. If this proposed determination is made final, the requirements for this area to submit an attainment demonstration, a reasonable further progress (RFP) plan, contingency measures, and other planning SIPs related to attainment of the 1997 ozone NAAQS shall be suspended for so long as the area continues to attain the 1997 ozone NAAQS. This proposed action is consistent with the requirements of section 110 and part D of the CAA.

With this notice, EPA is announcing that it will be publishing a problem formulation and initial assessment or data needs assessment document for each TSCA Work Plan Chemical prior to conducting further risk analysis. This notice is also announcing the availability of a problem formulation and initial assessment document for the Work Plan Chemical 1,4-Dioxane and opening the 60-day public comment period for the document. Based on experience in conducting TSCA Work Plan Chemical assessments to date and stakeholder feedback, starting in 2015 EPA will publish a problem formulation and initial assessment or data needs assessment for each TSCA Work Plan Chemical as a stand-alone document to facilitate public and stakeholder input prior to conducting further risk analysis. EPA believes publishing problem formulations and initial assessments for TSCA Work Plan Chemicals will increase transparency about EPA's thinking and analysis process, provide opportunity for the public and stakeholders to comment on EPA's approach and provide the opportunity to receive additional information/data to supplement or refine the assessment approach prior to EPA conducting detailed risk analysis and risk characterization.

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``State Small Business Stationary Source Technical and Environmental Compliance Assistance Programs (SBTCP) Annual Reporting Form (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1748.10, OMB Control No. 2060-0337) 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 May 31, 2015. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (79 FR 73576) on December 11, 2014 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 a new information collection request (ICR), ``Lead-Based Paint Pre-Renovation Information Dissemination (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1669.07, OMB Control No. 2070-0158) 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 April 30, 2015. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (79 FR 78084) on December 29, 2014, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A full 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.

This document corrects errors in the rule language of a final rule pertaining to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's requests to redesignate to attainment the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle and York nonattainment areas for the 1997 annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) and the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle-York 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS nonattainment area, which was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, December 8, 2014 (79 FR 72552).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District (YSAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from organic solvents cleaning operations. We are proposing to rescind and approve local rules to regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference of the Chartered SAB to discuss information provided in the agency's Fall 2014 regulatory agenda and to review the draft SAB report on the EPA's approach to develop preliminary bi-national phosphorous objectives and loading targets for Lake Erie.

On March 21, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued emissions standards for new and existing sewage sludge incineration units (SSI). This action proposes that existing SSI units implement the emission guidelines (EG) adopted on March 21, 2011, in states that do not have an approved state plan implementing the EG in place by March 21, 2012. This Federal Plan will result in emissions reductions of certain pollutants from all affected units.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing an extension of the public comment period for the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) requesting public comment and information on revisions to the EPA's ``Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailings.'' The EPA published the NPRM on January 26, 2015 in the Federal Register (80 FR 4156), which included a request for comments on or before April 27, 2015. The purpose of this action is to extend this comment period an additional 30 days.

In this Notice, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting comment on its analysis of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to the production and transport of Brassica carinata (carinata) oil feedstock for use in making biofuels such as biodiesel, renewable diesel, and jet fuel. This notice explains EPA's analysis of the production and transport components of the lifecycle GHG emissions of biofuel made from carinata oil, and describes how EPA may apply this analysis in the future to determine whether biofuels produced from carinata oil meet the necessary GHG reductions required for qualification as renewable fuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard program. Based on this analysis, we anticipate that biofuels produced from carinata oil could qualify as advanced biofuel if typical fuel production process technology conditions are used.

EPA issued a notice in the Federal Register of March 30, 2015 (80 FR 16675), concerning the opening for public comment period for several registration reviews. This document corrects the listing of registration review docket openings to include forchlorfenuron (case 7057), docket identification (ID) number to be EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0641, and chemical review manager contact information. It also clarifies that there is no combined work plan, summary document, and proposed interim registration review decision for forchlorfenuron.

The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``NSPS for Kraft Pulp Mills (40 CFR part 60, subpart BB) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1055.11, OMB Control No. 2060-0021) 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 April 30, 2015. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register(79 FR 30117) on May 27, 2014 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 (EPA) is proposing to conditionally approve the New Hampshire November 15, 2012 State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions that are intended to ensure that the State's Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NNSR) programs are consistent with the federal PSD and NNSR program requirements. In a letter dated March 20, 2015, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) committed to revising its regulations no later than one year from the date when EPA publishes a notice of final conditional approval, and to submitting the revised regulations to EPA for approval into the SIP. EPA is also proposing to fully approve a July 1, 2003 SIP revision that clarifies two definitions related to New Hampshire's permitting programs. These actions are being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Pesticide Programs is announcing a public meeting of the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) on May 14-15, 2015. In addition, EPA is announcing meetings on May 13, 2015, of the following PPDC Workgroups: Integrated Pest Management, Comparative Safety Statements, 21st Century Toxicology/New Integrated Testing Strategies, and Public Health. These meetings provide advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on issues associated with pesticide regulatory development and reform initiatives, evolving public policy and program implementation issues, and science issues associated with evaluating and reducing risks from use of pesticides.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve revisions to the Feather River Air Quality Management District (FRAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern volatile organic compound (VOC), oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from rice straw burning, surface preparation and cleanup for solvents, wood product coating operations, boilers, steam generators, process heaters, and stationary internal combustion engines. We are approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's December 3, 2014 request to redesignate to attainment the Johnstown nonattainment area (Johnstown Area or Area) for the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or standards). EPA is also proposing to determine that the Area continues to attain the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS. In addition, EPA is proposing to approve as a revision to the Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP) the associated maintenance plan that was submitted with the redesignation request, to show maintenance of the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS through 2025 for the Area. The maintenance plan includes the 2017 and 2025 PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOX) motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for the Area for both NAAQS, which EPA is proposing to approve for transportation conformity purposes. Furthermore, EPA is proposing to approve as a revision to the Pennsylvania SIP the 2007 emissions inventory that is also included in the maintenance plan for the Area for both NAAQS. This rulemaking action to propose approval of the 1997 annual and 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS redesignation request and associated maintenance plan for the Johnstown Area is based on EPA's determination that Pennsylvania has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment specified in the Clean Air Act (CAA) for both NAAQS.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of saflufenacil in or on alfalfa, forage and alfalfa, hay. BASF Corporation requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``NESHAP for Natural Gas Transmission and Storage (40 CFR part 63, subpart HHH) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1789.09, OMB Control No. 2060-0418) 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 April 30, 2015. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register (79 FR 30117) on May 27, 2014 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.