Environmental Protection Agency June 2, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received requests for an extension of the period for providing comments on the proposed rule entitled ``Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category,'' published in the Federal Register on April 7, 2015. EPA extends the comment period in order to provide the public additional time to submit comments and supporting information.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the Part 3 rules into the Michigan State Implementation Plan (SIP). On December 13, 2013, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) submitted to EPA for approval revisions to Part 3, Emission Limitations and ProhibitionsParticulate Matter (PM), for open burning and electro-static precipitators (ESPs). The revisions for open burning eliminate specific provisions to allow household waste burning, and add a provision to allow for burning of fruit and vegetable storage bins for pest or disease control with specific location limitations. The SIP request also removes rule 330 dealing with operation parameters for electrostatic precipitators because of redundancy, and rule 349 dealing with compliance dates for coke ovens because it is now obsolete. EPA is approving this SIP revision because it will not interfere with attainment or maintenance of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).

Idaho has applied to the EPA for final authorization of certain changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended. RCRA allows the EPA to authorize State hazardous waste management programs if the EPA finds that such programs are equivalent to and consistent with the Federal program and provide adequate enforcement of compliance. The EPA has reviewed Idaho's application, has preliminarily determined these changes satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for final authorization, and is proposing to authorize the State's changes.