Environmental Protection Agency September 5, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing the final "Achieving Health and environmental Protection Through EPA's Meaningful Engagement Policy." The final Policy supersedes the EPA's 2003 Public Involvement Policy and highlights three steps for planning and providing opportunities for meaningful engagement and public participation that will enhance decision-making, while recognizing that meaningful engagement processes will need to be tailored to meet different program or decision contexts. The accompanying "Resources and Best Practices" reflect experience gained since the 2003 Public Involvement Policy. The Policy will help EPA staff build and strengthen capabilities necessary to reach and hear from members of the public on actions they are interested in or affected by, while accounting for Agency time and resource constraints. This policy does not have the force and effect of law and it does not bind the agency or the public in any way. The EPA solicited public comments on the draft policy for sixty days beginning on November 16, 2023.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is proposing to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulation with reporting and recordkeeping requirements for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that was finalized on October 11, 2023. The final rule requires manufacturers (including importers) of PFAS in any year between 2011-2022 to report certain information to EPA beginning November 12, 2024. EPA is proposing a one-time modification of the data submission period and a technical correction to amend a typographical error in the regulatory text. EPA is not proposing any changes to the scope of reporting under TSCA. EPA has concluded that a change to the submission period is necessary and in the public interest as the reporting application being developed to collect this data will not be fully functional by November 2024. The proposed revision of the submission period would facilitate compliance with the rule and help ensure that the collection includes accurate data on manufactured PFAS in the United States. EPA thus believes the proposed amendments are necessary and does not expect to receive any adverse comments. Therefore, in addition to this notice of proposed rulemaking, in the "Rules and Regulations" section of this issue of the Federal Register, EPA is promulgating the submission period modification and technical correction as a direct final rule. For more information on this proposal, please refer to the direct final rule.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), "Acid Rain Program under title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments (Renewal)" (EPA ICR No. 1633.19, OMB Control No. 2060-0258) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through May 31, 2025. 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 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 ("CERCLA" or "the Act"), as amended, requires that the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan ("NCP") include a list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants throughout the United States. The National Priorities List ("NPL") constitutes this list. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the Environmental Protection Agency ("the EPA" or "the agency") in determining which sites warrant further investigation. These further investigations will allow the EPA to assess the nature and extent of public health and environmental risks associated with the site and to determine what CERCLA-financed remedial action(s), if any, may be appropriate. This rule adds one site to the General Superfund section of the NPL.

On July 24, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) from Hazardous Waste Combustors (HWC). The EPA is extending the comment period on this proposed rule that currently closes on September 9, 2024, by 15 days. The comment period will now remain open until September 24, 2024, to allow additional time for stakeholders to review and comment on the proposal.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that the next meeting of the Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee (CHPAC) will be held virtually and in-person on October 30-31, 2024 at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Headquarters located at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460. The CHPAC advises the EPA on science, regulations and other issues relating to children's environmental health.