Environmental Protection Agency October 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of and seeking public comment on a draft guidance document entitled ``Guidance for Waiving Acute Dermal Toxicity Tests for Pesticide Technical Chemicals & Supporting Retrospective Analysis.'' Guidance documents are issued by the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) to inform pesticide registrants and other interested persons about important policies, procedures, and registration related decisions, and serve to provide guidance to pesticide registrants and OPP personnel. This draft guidance document provides information to pesticide registrants concerning the Agency's consideration to expand the potential for data waivers for acute dermal studies to single technical active ingredients (technical AIs) used to formulate end use products. The reasoning and analysis in this dermal waiver guidance for technical active ingredients is similar to what was presented in the 2016 guidance for end-use products. While more acute toxicity studies are submitted to OPP annually for formulated pesticide products than for technical AIS, there is still the potential for animal and resource savings from waivers for acute toxicity studies.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of the insecticide afidopyropen, including its metabolites and degradates, in or on multiple food and animal commodities identified and discussed later in this document. BASF Corporation and the Interregional Research Project #4 requested these tolerances under section 346a of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

This regulation establishes time-limited tolerances for residues of kasugamycin in or on almonds. This action is in response to EPA's granting of an emergency exemption under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) authorizing use of the pesticide on almond trees. This regulation establishes maximum permissible levels for residues of kasugamycin in or on this commodity. The time-limited tolerances expire on December 31, 2023.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Placer County Air Pollution Control District (PCAPCD), Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District (AVAQMD), Mariposa County Air Pollution Control District (MCAPCD), and Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District (EKAPCD) portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). These revisions concern negative declarations for the Control Techniques Guidelines (CTG) for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry (Oil and Natural Gas CTG). We are taking comments on this proposal to approve the PCAPCD, AVAQMD, MCAPCD, and EKAPCD negative declarations into the California SIP. We plan to follow with a final action.

EPA is requesting comment on applications from North American Subaru, Inc., (Subaru) for off-cycle carbon dioxide (CO2) credits under EPA's light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards. ``Off-cycle'' emission reductions can be achieved by employing technologies that result in real-world benefits, but where that benefit is not adequately or entirely captured on the test procedures used by manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with emission standards. EPA's light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas program acknowledges these benefits by giving automobile manufacturers several options for generating ``off-cycle'' carbon dioxide (CO2) credits. Under the regulations, a manufacturer may apply for CO2 credits for technologies that result in off-cycle benefits. In these cases, a manufacturer must provide EPA with a proposed methodology for determining the real-world off-cycle benefit. Subaru has submitted applications that describe methodologies for determining off-cycle credits from high efficiency alternator and brushless motor technologies. Subaru's application is limited to 2017 and later model year vehicles for the high efficiency alternator and 2019 model year and later as the brushless motor technology is adopted across Subaru's product line. Pursuant to applicable regulations, EPA is making descriptions of the manufacturers' off-cycle credit calculation methodologies available for public comment.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the San Diego Air Pollution Control District (SDAPCD or ``District'') portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns the regulation of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from large coating operations for wood products. We are proposing to approve the rescission of a local rule from the California SIP that is no longer needed to regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the ``Act''). We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is amending the national marine diesel engine program with relief provisions to address concerns associated with finding and installing certified Tier 4 marine diesel engines in certain high-speed commercial vessels. This relief is in the form of additional lead time for qualifying engines and vessels.