Environmental Protection Agency October 31, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Director of the Water Division, EPA Region 10, is reissuing two National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permits for: (1) Aquaculture Facilities in Idaho Excluding Facilities Discharging into the Upper Snake-Rock Subbasin, and (2) Aquaculture Facilities Located in Indian Country in Idaho. The General Permits will authorize discharges of wastewater from cold and warm water Concentrated Aquatic Animal Production facilities, (also referred to as CAAPs or ``hatcheries''). The permits will largely replace and combine IDG131000, the NPDES General Permit for Cold Water Aquaculture Facilities in Idaho (not subject to Wasteload Allocations) and IDG130000, the NPDES General Permit for Aquaculture Facilities in Idaho (subject to Wasteload Allocations). Facilities covered under IDG130000 that are not within the Upper Snake-Rock Subbasin will be terminated once coverage under IDG131000 or IDG133000 is available. Facilities covered under IDG130000 that discharge within the Upper Snake-Rock Subbasin are not affected by this action and will remain covered under IDG130000. By separating out discharges from aquaculture facilities located in Indian County in Idaho, where the EPA is the permitting authority, under a separate General Permit (IDG133000), this action will facilitate the transfer of IDG131000 to the State of Idaho in 2020 as part of the phased implementation of Idaho's administration of the NPDES Program.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR) for Contaminant Occurrence Data in Support of the EPA's Fourth Six-Year Review of National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (EPA ICR Number 2574.01, OMB Control Number 2040-NEW) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a request for approval of a new collection. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on October 5, 2018, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is below including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the Oregon State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted on December 11, 2018. The revisions update the SIP to allow for electronic public notice of proposed major stationary source permits, add references to stationary source sampling requirements, make use of plain language, and correct errors. The EPA has determined the changes are consistent with Clean Air Act requirements.