Environmental Protection Agency January 14, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This regulation establishes a time-limited exemption from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) section 408(a) requirement of a tolerance for residues of the pesticide Aspergillus flavus AF36 in or on dried figs resulting from use in accordance with the terms of an emergency exemption issued under section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This action is in response to the issuance of a crisis emergency exemption under FIFRA section 18 authorizing use of the pesticide on dried figs. The time-limited exemption from the requirement of a tolerance expires on December 31, 2017.

Under the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from the State of Texas for the 2008 Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The submittal addresses how the existing SIP provides for implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of the 2008 Pb NAAQS (infrastructure SIP or i-SIP). This i-SIP ensures that the State's SIP is adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA, including the four CAA requirements for interstate transport of Pb emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Arkansas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted to meet the Clean Air Act (CAA) emissions inventory (EI) requirement for the Crittenden County ozone nonattainment area. EPA is approving the SIP revision because it satisfies the CAA EI requirement for Crittenden County under the 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The inventory includes emission data for Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). EPA is approving the revisions pursuant to section 110 and part D of the CAA and EPA's regulations.

EPA has received applications to register pesticide products containing an active ingredient, fluopyram included in currently registered pesticide products. Pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is hereby providing notice of receipt and opportunity to comment on these applications.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Missouri consisting of the Early Progress Plan and motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) for the St. Louis Nonattainment area under the 2008 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). On August 26, 2013, EPA received from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) an Early Progress Plan for the St. Louis area showing progress toward attainment under the 2008 Ozone NAAQS. This submittal was developed to establish MVEBs for the St. Louis 8- hour ozone nonattainment area. This approval of the Early Progress Plan for the St. Louis 8-hour ozone nonattainment area fulfills EPA's requirement to act on the MDNR SIP submission and to formalize that the MVEB is approved, and when considered with the emissions from all sources, demonstrates progress toward attainment from the 2008 base year through a 2015 target year. EPA found these MVEBs adequate for transportation conformity purposes in an earlier action on March 5, 2014.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to take action pursuant to section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) on State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Utah on June 4, 2015, and October 20, 2015 to implement the regional haze program. The State's SIP revisions establish an alternative to best available retrofit technology (BART) controls that would otherwise be required to control nitrogen oxides (NOX) at PacifiCorp's Hunter and Huntington power plants. The June 2015 SIP revision also includes BART determinations for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 micrometers (PM10) at these power plants and provisions for making the NOX and PM10 BART emission limits federally enforceable. The CAA requires states to prevent any future and remedy any existing man-made impairment of visibility in national parks and wilderness areas designated as Class I areas. Air emissions from the four electric generating units (EGUs) at the two plants affected by this action cause or contribute to visibility impairment at nine Class I areas including Grand Canyon, Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. The EPA is issuing two co-proposals in order to fully evaluate the State's submittals and the public's input thereon. The EPA would work with the State on a revised State plan should a partial disapproval and FIP be finalized.