Environmental Protection Agency November 14, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is proposing to amend the release notification regulations under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) to add the reporting exemption for air emissions from animal waste at farms provided in section 103(e) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). In addition, EPA is proposing to add definitions of ``animal waste'' and ``farm'' to the EPCRA regulations to delineate the scope of this reporting exemption. This proposed rulemaking maintains consistency between the emergency release notification requirements of EPCRA and CERCLA in accordance with the statutory text, framework and legislative history of EPCRA, and is consistent with the Agency's prior regulatory actions.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hereby provides notice that the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) will meet on the dates and times described below. All meetings are open to the public. Members of the public are encouraged to provide comments relevant to the specific issues being considered by the NEJAC. For additional information about registering to attend the meeting or to provide public comment, please see ``REGISTRATION'' under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Due to a limited number of telephone lines, attendance will be on a first-come, first served basis. Pre-registration is required.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing three actions related to the attainment date for 11 areas classified as ``Moderate'' for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). First, the agency is proposing to determine that two areas the Baltimore, Maryland, and Mariposa County, California, nonattainment areasattained the standard by the July 20, 2018, attainment date. Second, the agency is proposing to grant requests for a 1-year attainment date extension to two other areas: Denver-Boulder-Greeley- Ft. Collins-Loveland, Colorado, and Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Third, the agency is proposing to determine that seven areas failed to attain the standards by the attainment date: Chicago-Naperville, Illinois- Indiana-Wisconsin; Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Greater Connecticut, Connecticut; Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Texas; Nevada County (Western part), California; New York-North New Jersey-Long Island, Connecticut- New York-New Jersey; and San Diego County, California. The effect of failing to attain by the attainment date is that such areas will be reclassified by operation of law to ``Serious'' upon the effective date of the final reclassification notice. Consequently, the responsible state air agencies must submit State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions required to satisfy the statutory and regulatory requirements for Serious areas for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. The EPA is proposing deadlines for submittal of those SIP revisions and implementation of the related control requirements. This proposed action is necessary to fulfill the EPA's statutory obligation to determine whether ozone nonattainment areas attained the NAAQS by the attainment date, and, within 6 months of the attainment date, publish a notice in the Federal Register identifying each area that is determined as having failed to attain and identifying the reclassification.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a document in the Federal Register on October 30, 2018, providing notice of a proposed program revision to transfer the authority to implement and enforce the North Dakota Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NDPDES) program from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH) to the newly established North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ). There was an error in the Docket ID Number. This document corrects that typographical error.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve revisions to the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern emissions of lead and sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the copper smelter at Hayden, AZ and SO2 from the copper smelter at Miami, AZ. We are approving local rules that regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to convert its September 22, 2017 conditional approval of revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP), addressing Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX) Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for the TXI Operations, LP (Texas Industries, Inc., TXI) cement manufacturing plant in Ellis County, to full approval. The August 21, 2018 SIP submittal satisfies Texas' commitment which was the basis for our conditional approval of NOX RACT for this plant. Final approval of this SIP submittal will convert our earlier conditional approval to full approval. We are taking this action in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA, the Act) requirements.