Environmental Protection Agency October 11, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the Butte County Air Quality Management District (BCAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns emissions of particulate matter (PM) from open burning. We are approving a local rule that regulates these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

EPA is seeking applications for the 2017 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Awards. In 2015, EPA developed the Partner of the Year Awards to recognize Safer Choice stakeholders who have advanced the goals of the Pollution Prevention Act and the Safer Choice program by reducing pollution at its source through safer chemistry. At the 2017 Partner of the Year Awards, as at the two prior awards, Safer Choice will recognize stakeholder organizations from five broad categories: Formulators/Product Manufacturers of both Consumer and Institutional/ Industrial (I/I) products, Purchasers and Distributors, Retailers, Supporters (e.g., non-governmental organizations), and Innovators (e.g., chemical manufacturers). All applications and accompanying materials must be received by Friday, December 16, 2016. Award winners will be recognized at a ceremony in late spring 2017.

Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, EPA gives notice of a teleconference meeting of the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC). The FRRCC is a policy-oriented committee that provides policy advice, information, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities. Purpose of Meeting: The purpose of this teleconference is to discuss specific recommendations that were drafted by the Committee at the May 2016 meeting and finalize any outstanding comments. Recommendations regarding soil health and outreach, when finalized, will be transmitted to the Agency and made available to the public.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP), the Operating Permit Program, and the 112(l) plan submitted on April 6, 2016, by the State of Missouri. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, we are approving the State's SIP and Operating Permit Program revisions as a direct final rule without a prior proposed rule. If we receive no adverse comment, we will not take further action on this proposed rule. The submission from Missouri revises fees for permitting services provided by the air quality program, including construction permit applications and operating permit applications. Missouri also removed the basic operating permit requirement for incinerators with emissions less than the de minimis levels in Missouri's ``Operating Permits'' rule. While EPA has never approved the basic operating permit program into Missouri's SIP or Missouri's Operating Permits Program, one statement on incinerators in the approved SIP and Operating Permits Program is removed by the submission. This statement applied Missouri's ``Operating Permits'' rule to all incinerators within the State. Any permittees with incinerators already required to have either Intermediate State Operating Permits or part 70 Operating Permits will still have the same permitting requirements. This revision does not exempt any incinerators from appropriate permitting. Likewise, any future permittees with incinerators under the former version of the SIP and Operating Permits Program would have required either an Intermediate State Operating Permits or a part 70 Operating Permits will still have the same permitting requirement under the revised SIP and Operating Permits Program. Finally the submission from Missouri makes non-substantive style changes.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve the state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the District of Columbia for the purpose of updating the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) to lower the sulfur content of fuel oil. In the Final Rules section of this Federal Register, EPA is approving the District's submittal as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a noncontroversial submittal and anticipates no adverse comments. A detailed rationale for the approval is set forth in the direct final rule. If no adverse comments are received in response to this action, no further activity is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse comments, the direct final rule will be withdrawn and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a second comment period. Any parties interested in commenting on this action should do so at this time.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Nebraska. This action will amend the SIP to include revisions to Title 129 of the Nebraska Air Quality Regulations, Chapter 4, ``Ambient Air Quality Standards''; Chapter 19, ``Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality''; and Chapter 22, ``Incinerators; Emission Standards''. This amendment makes the state regulation consistent with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter 10 micrometers or less (PM10), fine particulate matter 25 micrometers or less (PM2.5), Sulfur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Ozone, and Lead as of the date of the state submittal. This action also makes formatting and grammatical corrections to title 129, chapters 19 and 22.