Environmental Protection Agency June 5, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

With this direct final rule, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action to approve the negative declarations for several designated facility classes in various states of Region 8. First, the EPA is taking direct final action in approving the negative declarations for small municipal waste combustor (MWC) units submitted by the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Second, the EPA is taking direct final action in approving the negative declarations for large MWC units submitted by the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Third, the EPA is taking direct final action in approving the negative declarations for commercial industrial solid waste incineration (CISWI) units submitted by the states of Montana, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Fourth, the EPA is taking direct final action in approving the negative declarations for other solid waste incineration (OSWI) units submitted by the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Each state included in this action has notified the EPA in a letter of negative declaration that there are no existing designated facilities, of the source category specified in each particular letter of negative declaration, subject to the requirements of sections 111(d) and 129 of the Clean Air Act (CAA or the ``Act'') currently operating within the jurisdictional boundaries of their state. The EPA is accepting the negative declarations in accordance with sections 111(d) and 129(b) of the Act. This is a direct final action without prior notice and comment because the action is deemed noncontroversial.

EPA is giving notice that it is establishing a Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (Committee) under the Negotiated Rulemaking Act (NRA). The objective of the Committee is to negotiate a proposed rule that would limit chemical data reporting requirements under section 8(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, for manufacturers of any inorganic byproduct chemical substances when such byproduct chemical substances are subsequently recycled, reused, or reprocessed. The purpose of the Committee is to conduct discussions in a good faith attempt to reach consensus on proposed regulatory language. This negotiation process is required by section 8(a)(6) of TSCA. This notice lists the stakeholder groups from which EPA plans to invite representatives to participate as members of the Committee, all of whom have been identified as having a definable stake in the outcome of the proposed requirements. This notice also announces the first two meetings of the Committee, which are open to the public.

By a letter dated April 18, 2017, the Administrator announced the convening of a proceeding for reconsideration of the fugitive emission requirements at well sites and compressor station sites in the final rule, ``Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources,'' published in the Federal Register on June 3, 2016. In this action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is granting reconsideration of additional requirements in that rule, specifically the well site pneumatic pumps standards and the requirements for certification by professional engineer. In addition, the EPA is staying for three months these rule requirements pending reconsideration.