[Federal Register: August 16, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 158)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 45905-45908]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16au07-11]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 271
[FRL-84559]
Louisiana: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste
Management Program Revision
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Immediate final rule.
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SUMMARY: Louisiana has applied to the EPA for final authorization of
the changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The EPA has determined that these
changes satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for final
authorization, and is authorizing the State's changes through this
immediate final action. The EPA is publishing this rule to authorize
the changes without a prior proposal because we believe this action is
not controversial and do not expect comments that oppose it. Unless we
receive written comments which oppose this authorization during the
comment period, the decision to authorize Louisiana's changes to its
hazardous waste program will take effect. If we receive comments that
oppose this action, we will publish a document in the Federal Register
withdrawing this rule before it takes effect, and a separate document
in the proposed rules section of this Federal Register will serve as a
proposal to authorize the changes.
DATES: This final authorization will become effective on October 15,
2007, unless the EPA receives adverse written comment by September 17,
2007. If the EPA receives such comment, it will publish a timely
withdrawal of this immediate final rule in the Federal Register and
inform the public that this authorization will not take effect.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments by one of the following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
2. E-mail: patterson.alima@epa.gov.
3. Mail: Alima Patterson, Region 6, Regional Authorization
Coordinator, State/Tribal Oversight Section (6PD-O), Multimedia
Planning and Permitting Division, EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue,
Dallas, Texas 75202-2733.
4. Hand Delivery or Courier. Deliver your comments to Alima
Patterson, Region 6, Regional Authorization Coordinator, State/Tribal
Oversight Section (6PD-O), Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division,
EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733.
Instructions: Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI
or otherwise protected through regulations.gov, or e-mail. The Federal
regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means
the EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment
directly to the EPA without going through regulations.gov, your e-mail
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, the EPA recommends that
you include your name and other contact information in the body of your
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If the EPA cannot read
your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, the EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form
of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. You can view and
copy Louisiana's application and associated publicly available
materials from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the
following locations: Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, 602
N. Fifth Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70884-2178, phone number (225)
219-3559 and EPA, Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733,
phone number (214) 665-8533. Interested persons wanting to examine
these documents should make an appointment with the office at least two
weeks in advance.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alima Patterson, Region 6, Regional
Authorization Coordinator, State-Tribal Oversight Section (6PD-O),
Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division, EPA Region 1445 Ross
Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202-2733, (214) 665-8533) and e-mail address
patterson.alima@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Why Are Revisions to State Programs Necessary?
States which have received final authorization from the EPA under
RCRA section 3006(b), 42 U.S.C. 6926(b), must maintain a hazardous
waste program that is equivalent to, consistent with, and no less
stringent than the Federal program. As the Federal program changes,
States must change their programs and ask the EPA to authorize the
changes. Changes to State programs may be necessary when Federal or
State statutory or regulatory authority is modified or when certain
other changes occur. Most commonly, States must change their programs
because of changes to the EPA's regulations in 40 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) parts 124, 260 through 266, 268, 270, 273, and 279.
B. What Decisions Have We Made in This Rule?
We conclude that Louisiana's application to revise its authorized
program meets all of the statutory and regulatory requirements
established by RCRA. Therefore, we grant Louisiana final authorization
to operate its hazardous waste program with the changes described in
the authorization application. Louisiana has responsibility for
permitting treatment, storage, and disposal facilities within its
borders (except in Indian Country) and for carrying out the aspects of
the RCRA program described in its revised program application, subject
to the limitations of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984
(HSWA). New Federal requirements and prohibitions imposed by Federal
regulations that the EPA promulgates under the authority of HSWA take
effect
[[Page 45906]]
in authorized States before they are authorized for the requirements.
Thus, the EPA will implement those requirements and prohibitions in
Louisiana including issuing permits, until the State is granted
authorization to do so.
C. What Is the Effect of Today's Authorization Decision?
The effect of this decision is that a facility in Louisiana subject
to RCRA will now have to comply with the authorized State requirements
instead of the equivalent Federal requirements in order to comply with
RCRA. Louisiana has enforcement responsibilities under its State
hazardous waste program for violations of such program, but the EPA
retains its authority under RCRA sections 3007, 3008, 3013, and 7003,
which include, among others, authority to:
Do inspections, and require monitoring, tests, analyses,
or reports;
Enforce RCRA requirements and suspend or revoke permits
and
Take enforcement actions regardless of whether the State
has taken its own actions.
This action does not impose additional requirements on the
regulated community because the regulations for which Louisiana is
being authorized by today's action are already effective under State
law, and are not changed by today's action.
D. Why Wasn't There a Proposed Rule Before Today's Rule?
The EPA did not publish a proposal before today's rule because we
view this as a routine program change and do not expect comments that
oppose this approval. We are providing an opportunity for public
comment now. In addition to this rule, in the proposed rules section of
today's Federal Register we are publishing a separate document that
proposes to authorize the State program changes.
E. What Happens if the EPA Receives Comments That Oppose This Action?
If the EPA receives comments that oppose this authorization, we
will withdraw this rule by publishing a document in the Federal
Register before the rule becomes effective. The EPA will base any
further decision on the authorization of the State program changes on
the proposal mentioned in the previous paragraph. We will then address
all public comments in a later final rule. You may not have another
opportunity to comment. If you want to comment on this authorization,
you must do so at this time. If we receive comments that oppose only
the authorization of a particular change to the State hazardous waste
program, we will withdraw only that part of this rule, but the
authorization of the program changes that the comments do not oppose
will become effective on the date specified above. The Federal Register
withdrawal document will specify which part of the authorization will
become effective, and which part is being withdrawn.
F. For What Has Louisiana Previously Been Authorized?
The State of Louisiana initially received final authorization on
February 7, 1985 (50 FR 3348), to implement its base Hazardous Waste
Management Program. We granted authorization for changes to their
program on November 28, 1989 (54 FR 48889) effective January 29, 1990;
August 26, 1991 (56 FR 41958) effective August 26, 1991; November 7,
1994 (59 FR 55368) effective January 23, 1995; December 23, 1994 (59 FR
66200) effective March 8, 1995; there were technical corrections made
on January 23, 1995 (60 FR 4380), effective January 23, 1995; and
another technical correction was made on April 11, 1995 (60 FR 18360)
effective April 11, 1995; October 17, 1995 (60 FR 53704) effective
January 2, 1996; March 28, 1996 (61 FR 13777) effective June 11, 1996;
December 29, 1997 (62 FR 67572) effective March 16, 1998; October 23,
1998 (63 FR 56830) effective December 22, 1998; August 25, 1999 (64 FR
46302) effective October 25, 1999; September 2, 1999 (64 FR 48099)
effective November 1, 1999; February 28, 2000 (65 FR 10411) effective
April 28, 2000; January 2, 2001 (66 FR 23) effective March 5, 2001;
December 9, 2003 (68 FR 68526) effective February 9, 2004, June 10,
2005 (70 FR 33852) effective August 9, 2005 and November 13, 2006 (71
FR 66116) effective January 13, 2007. On September 18, 2006, Louisiana
applied for approval of its program revisions for RCRA Cluster XV. In
this application, Louisiana is seeking approval of RCRA Cluster XV in
accordance with 40 CFR 271.21(b)(3).
Since 1979, through the Environmental Affairs Act, Act 449 enabling
the Office of Environmental Affairs within the Louisiana Department of
Natural Resources, as well as, the Environmental Control Commission
conducted an effective program designed to regulate those who generate,
transport, treat, store, dispose or recycle hazardous waste. During the
1983 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, Act 97 was adopted,
which amended and reenacted La. R.S. 30:1051 et seq. as the
Environmental Quality Act, renaming the Environmental Affairs Act (Act
1938 of 1979). This Act created Louisiana Department of Environmental
Quality LDEQ), including provisions for new offices within this new
Department of Environmental Quality. Act 97 also transferred the duties
and responsibilities previously delegated to the Department of Natural
Resources, Office of Environmental Affairs, to the new Department. The
LDEQ has lead agency jurisdictional authority for administering the
Resource Recovery and Conservation Act (RCRA) Subtitle C program in
Louisiana. Also, the LDEQ is designated to facilitate communication
between the EPA and the State. During the 1999 Regular Session of
Louisiana Legislature, Act 303 revised the La. R.S. 30:2011 et seq.
allowing LDEQ to reengineer the Department to perform more efficiently
and to meet its strategic goals.
It is the intention of the State, through this application, to
demonstrate its equivalence and consistency with the federal statutory
tests, which are outlined in the United States Environmental Protection
Agency regulatory requirements under 40 CFR 271, Subpart A, for final
authorization. The submittal of this application is in keeping with the
spirit and intent of RCRA, which provides equivalent States the
opportunity to apply for final authorization to operate all aspects of
their hazardous waste management programs in lieu of the Federal
government. The Louisiana Environmental Quality Act authorizes the
State's program, Subtitle II of Title 30 of the Louisiana Revised
Statutes. With this application Louisiana is applying for authorization
for specific areas of the State regulations identified as requiring
authorization and the listed Checklists 206 and 207 will allow the
State to implement the equivalent RCRA Subtitle C portion of the
program.
G. What Changes Are We Authorizing With Today's Action?
On February 3, 2006, Louisiana submitted a final complete program
revision application, seeking authorization of their changes in
accordance with 40 CFR 271.21. We now make an immediate final decision,
subject to receipt of written comments that oppose this action, that
Louisiana's hazardous waste program revision satisfies all of the
requirements necessary to qualify for Final authorization. Therefore,
we grant the State of Louisiana Final authorization for the following
changes: The State of Louisiana's program revisions consist of
regulations which specifically govern RCRA Cluster XV as documented
below:
[[Page 45907]]
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Description of federal
requirement (include Federal Register date
checklist , and page (and/or RCRA Analogous state authority
if relevant) statutory authority)
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1. Nonwastewaters From 70 FR 9138-9180 Louisiana Revised
Dyes and Pigments. February 24, 2005. Statutes (LRS) 30:
(Checklist 206) Section 2001 et seq.,
with specific cites of
2174, 2175, and 2180
effective December 31,
2004; Supplement
effective June 2006;
Louisiana Hazardous
Waste Regulations (LHWR)
Sections 105.D.2.p,
105.D.2.p.i-v,
4901.C.Table 2,
4901.C.1.a, 49o.C.2, -3,
4901.C.3.a-b,
4901.C.3.b.i-iv,
4901.C.3.b.iv.(a)-(c),
4901.C.3.c, 4901.C.3.c.i-
iii, 4901.C.3.c.iii.(a)-
(d), 4901.3.c.iv,
4901.C.3.c.iv.(a)-(b),
4901.C.3.3.c.v-x,
4901.C.3.c.(a)-(d),
4901.C.3.c.xi,
4901.C.3.xi.(a)-(d),
4901.C.3.e,
Chapter.49.Table 6,
Chapter.31.Table 1,
2208.B.5, 2208.C,
Chapter.22.Table,
2299.Table 7, as
effective May 20, 2006.
2. Uniform Hazardous 70 FR 10776-10825 Louisiana Revised
Waste Manifest Rule. March 4, 2005. Statutes (LRS) 30:
(Checklist 207) Section 2001 et seq.,
with specific cites of
2174, 2175, and 2180
effective December 31,
2004; Supplement
effective June 2006;
Louisiana Hazardous
Waste Regulations (LHWR)
Sections 109, 1108
incorporate the federal
rules by reference,
1109.F, 1109.F.l,-2,
1109.C-E, 1109.E.13,
1109.E.13.a-b, 1113,
1113.E.3, 1113.E.5,
1123.C, 1123.C.1-2,
1307, 1307.A .2, 1301,
1307.G, 1307.G.1-G4,
1309, 1309.B, 1309.B.1,
1309.B.1.a, 1309.B.1.b,
1516, 1516.A.1,
1516.A.2, 1516.B.1,
1516.B., 1516.B.1.a-e,
1516.B.5, 1516.B.5.a-b,
1516.C.1, 1516.c.1.a-c,
1516.C.3, 1516.C.4.a-b,
1516.C.5, 1516.C.5.a-g,
1516.C.6.a, 1516.C.6.a.i-
iii, and 1516.D, as
effective May 20, 2006.
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H. Where Are the Revised State Rules Different From the Federal Rules?
The State's hazardous regulations for Checklists 206 and 207 are
consistent, equivalent and no less stringent than the Federal
regulations. There are no provisions that are more stringent or broader
in scope. Broader in scope requirements are not part of the authorized
program and EPA can not enforce them.
I. Who Handles Permits After the Authorization Takes Effect?
Louisiana will issue permits for all the provisions for which it is
authorized and will administer the permits it issues. The EPA will
continue to administer any RCRA hazardous waste permits or portions of
permits which we issued prior to the effective date of this
authorization. We will not issue any more new permits or new portions
of permits for the provisions listed in the Table in this document
after the effective date of this authorization. The EPA will continue
to implement and issue permits for HSWA requirements for which
Louisiana is not yet authorized.
J. How Does Today's Action Affect Indian Country in Louisiana?
Louisiana is not authorized to carry out its Hazardous Waste
Program in Indian Country within the State. This authority remains with
EPA. Therefore, this action has no effect in Indian Country.
K. What Is Codification and Is the EPA Codifying Louisiana's Hazardous
Waste Program as Authorized in This Rule?
Codification is the process of placing the State's statutes and
regulations that comprise the State's authorized hazardous waste
program into the CFR. We do this by referencing the authorized State
rules in 40 CFR part 272. We reserve the amendment of 40 CFR part 272,
subpart T for this authorization of Louisiana's program changes until a
later date. In this authorization application the EPA is not codifying
the rules documented in this Federal Register notice.
L. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted this action
from the requirements of Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4,
1993), and therefore this action is not subject to review by OMB. This
action authorizes State requirements for the purpose of RCRA 3006 and
imposes no additional requirements beyond those imposed by State law.
Accordingly, I certify that this action will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). Because this action
authorizes preexisting requirements under State law and does not impose
any additional enforceable duty beyond that required by State law, it
does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or uniquely
affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4). For the same reason, this action also does
not significantly or uniquely affect the communities of Tribal
governments, as specified by Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249,
November 9, 2000). This action will not have substantial direct effects
on the States, on the relationship between the national government and
the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among
the various levels of government, as specified in Executive Order 13132
(64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999), because it merely authorizes State
requirements as part of the State RCRA hazardous waste program without
altering the relationship or the distribution of power and
responsibilities established by RCRA. This action also is not subject
to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), because it is
not economically significant and it does not make decisions based on
environmental health or safety risks. This rule is not subject to
Executive Order 13211, ``Actions Concerning Regulations That
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 28355
(May 22, 2001)) because it is not a significant regulatory action under
Executive Order 12866.
Under RCRA 3006(b), the EPA grants a State's application for
authorization as long as the State meets the criteria required by RCRA.
It would thus be inconsistent with applicable law for the EPA, when it
reviews a State authorization application, to require the use of any
particular voluntary consensus standard in place of another standard
that otherwise satisfies the requirements of RCRA. Thus, the
requirements of section 12(d) of the
[[Page 45908]]
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272
note) do not apply. As required by section 3 of Executive Order 12988
(61 FR 4729, February 7, 1996), in issuing this rule, the EPA has taken
the necessary steps to eliminate drafting errors and ambiguity,
minimize potential litigation, and provide a clear legal standard for
affected conduct. The EPA has complied with Executive Order 12630 (53
FR 8859, March 15, 1988) by examining the takings implications of the
rule in accordance with the ``Attorney General's Supplemental
Guidelines for the Evaluation of Risk and Avoidance of Unanticipated
Takings'' issued under the Executive Order. This rule does not impose
an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the
United States. The EPA will submit a report containing this document
and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior
to publication in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot take effect
until 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. This
action is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). This
action will be effective October 15, 2007.
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 271
Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure,
Confidential business information, Hazardous materials transportation,
Hazardous waste, Indians--lands, Intergovernmental relations,
Penalties, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Authority: This action is issued under the authority of sections
2002(a), 3006, and 7004(b) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act as
amended 42 U.S.C. 6912(a), 6926, 6974(b).
Dated: July 25, 2007.
Lawrence E. Starfield,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 6.
[FR Doc. 07-4001 Filed 8-15-07; 8:45 am]
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