Environmental Protection Agency December 20, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve, or conditionally approve, all or portions of two state implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of California to meet Clean Air Act (CAA or ``the Act'') requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') in the Ventura County, California (``Ventura County'') ozone nonattainment area. The two SIP revisions include the ``Final 2016 Ventura County Air Quality Management Plan,'' and the Ventura County portion of the ``2018 Updates to the California State Implementation Plan.'' In today's action, the EPA refers to these submittals collectively as the ``2016 Ventura County Ozone SIP.'' The 2016 Ventura County Ozone SIP addresses the nonattainment area requirements for the 2008 ozone NAAQS, including the requirements for an emissions inventory, attainment demonstration, reasonable further progress, reasonably available control measures, contingency measures, among others; and establishes motor vehicle emissions budgets. The EPA is proposing to approve the 2016 Ventura County Ozone SIP as meeting all the applicable ozone nonattainment area requirements except for the contingency measure requirement, for which the EPA is proposing conditional approval. In addition, the EPA is beginning the adequacy process for the 2020 motor vehicle emissions budgets in the 2016 Ventura County Air Quality Management Plan through this proposed rule.

In accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (``CERCLA''), notice is hereby given that the Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA''), has entered into a proposed settlement, embodied in an Administrative Settlement Agreement for Recovery of Past Response Costs (``Settlement Agreement''), with Honeywell International Inc. Under the Settlement Agreement, Honeywell agrees to pay $11,600,000 to reimburse EPA for costs EPA has incurred at the North Hollywood Operable Unit of the San Fernando Valley Area 1 Superfund Site (``NHOU'') and in conjunction with the San Fernando Valley Basin-Wide Remedial Investigation.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a variance under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) for Denver Water. This variance will allow Denver Water to implement a Lead Reduction Program Plan (LRPP) as an alternative to using orthophosphate as a corrosion control treatment to reduce lead concentrations in drinking water. Denver Water's LRPP is expected to be as protective in lowering lead levels as the requirements under the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). This variance is effective for an initial period of three years and may be extended if Denver Water demonstrates the effectiveness of this alternative approach. Concurrent with this action, the EPA is asking for comments on the potential criteria for how the Agency will determine whether to extend this variance for up to an additional twelve years. The EPA is accepting public comments on these criteria and on the EPA's interpretation of the statutory standard for future variance requests, as described under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

This regulation amends the existing tolerance exemption for residues of Paecilomyces lilacinus strain 251 in or on all food commodities due to a scientific reclassification of the substance as Purpureocillium lilacinum. Bayer CropScience LP submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting this amendment. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of Purpureocillium lilacinum strain 251 under FFDCA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a plan for the Wallula area in Washington State that addresses the second 10-year maintenance period for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 micrometers (PM10). This plan relies upon the control measures contained in the first 10-year maintenance plan, with revisions to reflect updated permits and agreements, also proposed for approval in this action. Lastly, we are proposing to take final agency action on high wind and wildfire exceptional events associated with the Wallula area.

In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal and State natural resource trustee agencies for the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (Louisiana TIG) prepared a Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #6: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats (Draft RP/EA). The Draft RP/EA describes and proposes restoration project alternatives considered by the Louisiana TIG to restore and conserve wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats injured as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Louisiana TIG evaluated these alternatives under criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) regulations, and also evaluated the environmental consequences of the restoration alternatives in accordance with the NEPA. The proposed projects are consistent with the restoration alternatives selected in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan/Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PDARP/PEIS). This notice informs the public of the availability of the Draft RP/EA and provides an opportunity for the public to submit comments on the document.