Environmental Protection Agency June 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In the Rules and Regulations section of this Federal Register, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is granting a request by the California Air Resources Board (CARB or ``State'') to voluntarily reclassify the Eastern Kern nonattainment area (``Eastern Kern'') from ``Serious'' to ``Severe'' for the 2008 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) under section 181(b)(3) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). In this action, the EPA is proposing a schedule for the State to submit revisions to the state implementation plan (SIP) addressing Severe area requirements and to submit revisions to the title V operating permit rules for this area. Under the EPA's proposed schedule, California would be required to submit SIP revisions addressing Severe area requirements for Eastern Kern, including revisions to New Source Review (NSR) rules, no later than 18 months from the effective date of the EPA's final rule reclassifying Eastern Kern to Severe. Submittal of any corresponding revisions to the title V rules that apply in Eastern Kern would be due within six months of the effective date of the reclassification. Lastly, the EPA is proposing a deadline for implementation of new Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) rules as expeditiously as practicable but no later than 18 months from the date when the Severe area RACT SIP will be due.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (also, ``the Agency'' or ``we'' in this preamble) is proposing technical amendments to an existing exclusion from the list of federal hazardous waste (delisting) issued to the United States Department of Energy (Energy) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. These modifications address changes to the 200-Area Effluent Treatment System associated with the delisting necessary to accept liquid effluents expected to be generated from vitrification of certain low-activity mixed wastes at the Hanford Federal Facility, or Hanford Site, in Richland, Washington.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Mission Support is giving notice that it proposes to modify a system of records pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974. The Office of Mission Support is modernizing the Debarment and Suspension Files system of records by implementing an electronic case management system: Case Application for Debarment and Suspension. Case Application for Debarment and Suspension is an electronic records management system that supports the Environmental Protection Agency in assembling information in order to conduct and document discretionary suspension and debarment proceedings under the Federal Acquisition Regulation or the Non procurement Common Rule (2 CFR part 180), as well as to carry out the Environmental Protection Agency's obligations to process statutory exclusions under Clean Air Act section 306 and Clean Water Act section 508. The Office of Mission Support is accordingly modifying its system of records notice EPA-33 in several respects. All other exemptions and provisions included in the previously published system of records notice for Debarment and Suspension Files will transfer to the modified system of records notice for Case Application for Debarment and Suspension.

In accordance with section the Clean Air Act, as amended (``CAA'' or the ``Act''), notice is given of a proposed consent decree in Association of Irritated Residents v. EPA, No. 4:21-cv-426-JST (N.D. CA.). On January 17, 2021, Plaintiff filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland Division, alleging that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) failed to perform several mandatory duties under the CAA. On May 10, 2019, the State of California submitted a SIP revision to EPA with two components titled ``2018 Plan for the 1997, 2006, and 2012 PM2.5 Standards'' and ``San Joaquin Valley Supplement to the 2016 State Strategy for the State Implementation Plan'' (together, the ``SJV PM2.5 Plan'') to address CAA requirements for attainment of the PM2.5 NAAQS in the SJV Area. The SJV PM2.5 Plan includes measures intended to control emissions of fine particulate matter and its precursors within the San Joaquin Valley for purposes of attaining the 1997 annual and 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS, 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS and 2012 annual PM2.5 NAAQS. The proposed consent decree would establish deadlines for EPA to take final actions on the portions of the SJV PM2.5 Plan that address requirements for the various PM2.5 NAAQS by specific dates.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of difenoconazole in or on olive; olive, with pit; pepper, black; and persimmon, Japanese. Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC. and the American Spice Trade Association, Inc. requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

Under the Clean Air Act (CAA or ``Act''), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve a request from the State of California to reclassify the San Diego County ozone nonattainment area from ``Serious'' to ``Severe'' for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and from ``Moderate'' to ``Severe'' for the 2015 ozone NAAQS. The EPA is also finalizing our action to reclassify in the same manner as state land, reservation areas of Indian country and any other area of Indian country within it where the EPA or a tribe has demonstrated that the tribe has jurisdiction located within the boundaries of the San Diego County ozone nonattainment area. The new applicable attainment dates for the San Diego County ozone nonattainment area are as expeditious as practicable but no later than July 20, 2027, for the 2008 ozone NAAQS, and August 3, 2033, for the 2015 ozone NAAQS. With respect to Severe state implementation plan (SIP) element submittal dates that have passed, the EPA is approving a deadline of no later than 12 months from the effective date of this rule for submittal of revisions to the San Diego County portion of the California SIP to meet additional requirements for Severe ozone nonattainment areas to the extent that such revisions have not already been submitted.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maine. This revision incorporates Maine's statute repealing the State's requirement for the sale of federal reformulated gasoline (RFG) in York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox and Lincoln Counties (hereinafter referred to as the ``southern Maine counties'') into the Maine SIP. The intended effect of this action is to approve the SIP revision and approve, but not incorporate into the SIP, the corresponding noninterference demonstration. At this time, EPA is not removing the requirement for the sale of federal RFG in the applicable southern Maine counties as that is the subject of a separate petition to the EPA Administrator submitted on August 20, 2020. The Administrator intends to act on that petition in the near future. This action is being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving selected revisions to a Missouri State rule in the State Implementation Plan (SIP) that establishes a process and standardized conditions under which certain types of sources can construct and operate in lieu of going through the State's formal construction permitting process. The EPA is approving rule revisions that include modifications to the operating conditions for crematories and animal incinerators, adjustments to sulfur limits on Number 2 diesel oil for consistency with Federal limits, removal of ``restrictive'' words, addition of definitions specific to the rule, and other minor edits. At this time, the agency is not acting on revisions that conflict with an EPA regulation related to disposal of pharmaceuticals collected in drug take-back programs. The EPA's approval of the State's other rule revisions is being done in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Maryland. This revision consists of the base year inventory for the Baltimore, Maryland marginal nonattainment area (Baltimore Area) for the 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

This notice announces the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) approval of the State of North Dakota's request to revise/modify certain of its EPA-authorized programs to allow electronic reporting.

This notice announces the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) approval of the District of Columbia's request to revise/modify certain of its EPA-authorized programs to allow electronic reporting.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to rescind its previously issued clean data determination for the Yuma, Arizona ``Moderate'' nonattainment area for the 1987 24-hour national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 micrometers (PM10) because recent complete, quality-assured monitoring data show that the area has subsequently violated this NAAQS. We are also proposing to find that the Arizona State Implementation Plan (SIP) is substantially inadequate to attain or maintain the PM10 standard and to call for Arizona to revise the SIP to address this inadequacy.

This document announces the Agency's receipt of initial filings of pesticide petitions requesting the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities.