Environmental Protection Agency June 30, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 is providing for comment the draft 2015 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) lagoon general permits for wastewater lagoon systems located in Indian country in Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming). These draft permits are similar to the existing permits and will authorize the discharge of wastewater from lagoons located in Region 8 Indian country in accordance with the terms and conditions described therein. EPA proposes to issue these permits for five (5) years and is seeking comment on the draft permits.

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Fuel Use Requirements for Great Lakes Steamships'' (EPA ICR No. 2458.02, OMB Control No. 2060-0679) 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, 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 has submitted an information collection request (ICR), ``NESHAP for Nine Metal Fabrication and Finishing Sources (40 CFR part 63, subpart XXXXXX) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 2298.04, OMB Control No. 2060-0622), 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 June 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 neither conduct nor 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 an information collection request (ICR), ``NESHAP for Pesticide Active Ingredient Production (40 CFR part 63, subpart MMM) (Renewal)'' (EPA ICR No. 1807.08, OMB Control No. 2060-0370) 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 June 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.

EPA is amending the significant new use rules (SNURs) under section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 21 chemical substances which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). This action amends the SNURs to allow certain uses without requiring a significant new use notice (SNUN), and extends SNUN requirements to certain additional uses. EPA is amending these SNURs based on review of new data for each chemical substance. This action requires persons who intend to manufacture (including import) or process any of these 21 chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this proposed rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. The required notification would provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity before it occurs.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of North Dakota. On April 8, 2013, the Governor of North Dakota submitted to EPA an alternative monitoring plan for Milton R. Young Station (MRYS). The plan relates to continuous opacity monitoring for Unit 1 at MRYS. The intended effect of this action is to approve a state plan established to address minimum emission monitoring requirements. The EPA is taking this action under section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

This action finalizes the residual risk and technology review (RTR) conducted for the Ferroalloys Production source category regulated under national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP). These final amendments include revisions to particulate matter (PM) standards for electric arc furnaces, metal oxygen refining processes, and crushing and screening operations, and expand and revise the requirements to control process fugitive emissions from furnace operations, tapping, casting, and other processes. We are also finalizing opacity limits, as proposed in 2014. However, regarding opacity monitoring, in lieu of Method 9, we are requiring monitoring with the digital camera opacity technique (DCOT). Furthermore, we are finalizing emissions standards for four previously unregulated hazardous air pollutants (HAP): Formaldehyde, hydrogen chloride (HCl), mercury (Hg) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Other requirements related to testing, monitoring, notification, recordkeeping, and reporting are included. This rule is health protective due to the revised emissions limits for the stacks and the requirement of enhanced fugitive emissions controls that will achieve significant reductions of process fugitive emissions, especially manganese.