Environmental Protection Agency November 7, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is given that, pursuant Clean Water Act Section 312(f)(3), the Washington State Department of Ecology has determined that the protection and enhancement of the quality of the waters of Puget Sound requires greater environmental protection, and has petitioned the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, for a determination that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for those waters, so that the State may completely prohibit the discharge from all vessels of any sewage, whether treated or not, into such waters. Washington State has proposed to establish a ``No-Discharge Zone'' (NDZ) for all marine waters of Washington State inward from the line between New Dungeness Lighthouse and the Discovery Island Lighthouse to the Canadian border, and fresh waters of Lake Washington, Lake Union, and connecting waters between and to Puget Sound. The western boundary of the NDZ would be the exit of the Strait of Juan de Fuca near the entrance of Admiralty Inlet. This boundary is known and visible to vessel operators as it is the line between New Dungeness Lighthouse and Discovery Island Lighthouse. The northern boundary would be the border with Canada and heading south including all marine waters down to the south end of the south Sound and Hood Canal. The fresh waters of Lake Washington, Union Bay, Montlake Cut, Portage Bay, Lake Union, Fremont Cut, the Lake Washington Ship Canal, and Salmon Bay (the connecting waters from Lake Washington to Puget Sound) would be included. For more information regarding the State's planned NDZ, please go to https://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/nonpoint/ CleanBoating/nodischargezone.html. Today's notice seeks public comment on EPA's tentative determination that adequate facilities for the safe and sanitary removal and treatment of sewage from all vessels are reasonably available for the waters subject to Washington's planned NDZ.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is granting the California Air Resources Board's (CARB's) request for a waiver of Clean Air Act preemption for amendments made in 2013 (``2013 HD OBD Amendments'') to its Malfunction and Diagnostic System Requirements for 2010 and Subsequent Model Year Heavy-Duty Engine (HD OBD Requirements) and to its Enforcement of Malfunction and Diagnostic System Requirements for 2010 and Subsequent Model-Year Heavy-Duty Engines (``HD OBD Enforcement Regulation''), collectively referred to herein as HD OBD Regulations. EPA also confirms that certain of the 2013 HD OBD Amendments are within the scope of the previous waiver for the HD OBD Requirements and HD OBD Enforcement Regulation. This decision is issued under the authority of the Clean Air Act (``CAA'' or ``the Act'').

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan dated August 30, 2016, submitted by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to the EPA, for the purpose of providing for attainment of the 2008 Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards in the Arecibo Lead nonattainment area. The Arecibo nonattainment Area is comprised of a portion of Arecibo Municipality in Puerto Rico with a 4 kilometer radius surrounding The Battery Recycling Company, Inc. Puerto Rico initially submitted a lead SIP revision for the Arecibo area on January 30, 2015. The EPA proposed to disapprove the January 30, 2015 submittal on February 29, 2016. The PREQB rescinded the January 30, 2015 submittal and replaced it with the August 30, 2016 lead SIP submittal for the Arecibo area.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promulgating amendments to the EPA's federal Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) regulations to remove a date restriction from the Permit Rescission provision. Other than removing the date restriction, this final rule does not alter the criteria under which a new source review (NSR) permit may be rescinded. This final rule also clarifies that a rescission of a permit is not automatic and corrects an outdated cross- reference to another part of the PSD regulations. The EPA is also adding a corresponding Permit Rescission provision in the federal regulations that apply to major sources in nonattainment areas of Indian country.