[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10519-10520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04112]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9907-15-OGC]
Proposed Consent Decree, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of proposed consent decree; request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 113(g) of the Clean Air Act, as
amended (``CAA''), notice is hereby given of a proposed consent decree
to address a lawsuit filed by Air Alliance Houston, Community In-Power
and Development Association, Inc., Louisiana Bucket Brigade and Texas
Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (``Plaintiffs''), in the United
States District Court for the District of Columbia: Air Alliance
Houston, et al. v. McCarthy, No. 1:13-cv-00621-KBJ (D.D.C.). On May 1,
2013, Plaintiffs filed a complaint that EPA failed to perform
nondiscretionary duties to review, and, if necessary, revise the
emission factors for volatile organic compounds (``VOC''), carbon
monoxide (``CO''), and nitrogen oxides (``NOX'') for flares,
liquid storage tanks (``tanks'') and wastewater collection, treatment
and storage systems (``wastewater treatment systems'') at least once
every three years. The consent decree would require EPA to propose
action by August 19, 2014, and take final action by December 19, 2014.
DATES: Written comments on the proposed consent decree must be received
by March 27, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OGC-2014-0168, online at www.regulations.gov (EPA's preferred method);
by email to [email protected]; mailed to EPA Docket Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; or by hand delivery or courier to
EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday,
excluding legal holidays. Comments on a disk or CD-ROM should be
formatted in Word or ASCII file, avoiding the use of special characters
and any form of encryption, and may be mailed to the mailing address
above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Stahle, Air and Radiation Law
Office (2344A), Office of General Counsel, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone: (202) 564-1272; fax number (202) 564-5603; email address:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Additional Information About the Proposed Consent Decree
The proposed consent decree would settle Plaintiffs' claims in a
deadline suit alleging EPA failed to perform nondiscretionary duties
pursuant to section 130 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 7430, to review, and, if
necessary, revise the emission factors for VOC, CO, and NOX
for flares, tanks and wastewater treatment systems at least once every
three years. The proposed consent decree would require EPA, by August
19, 2014, to review and either propose revisions to the VOC, CO and
NOX emission factors for flares, tanks and wastewater
treatment systems under CAA section 130, or propose a determination
under CAA section 130 that revision of these emission factors is not
necessary. The proposed consent decree would also require EPA, by
December 19, 2014, to issue final revisions to the VOC, CO and
NOX emission factors for flares, tanks and wastewater
treatment systems under CAA section 130, or issue a final determination
under CAA section 130 that revision of these emission factors for
flares is not necessary. EPA will post each proposed revision or
determination (or combination thereof), and each final revision or
determination (or combination thereof), on its AP-42 Web site (located
at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/) on the dates indicated above. In
addition, EPA will provide a copy of each such action to Plaintiffs'
counsel within seven days of posting. Under the proposed consent
decree, once EPA has met these obligations, and any claims by
Plaintiffs for costs of litigation have been resolved pursuant to the
process provided in the proposed consent decree, the court would
dismiss the suit with prejudice.
For a period of thirty (30) days following the date of publication
of this notice, the Agency will receive written comments relating to
the proposed consent decree from persons who were not named as parties
or intervenors to the litigation in question. EPA or the Department of
Justice may withdraw or withhold consent to the proposed consent decree
if the comments disclose facts or considerations that indicate that
such consent is inappropriate, improper, inadequate, or inconsistent
with the requirements of the Act. Unless EPA or the Department of
Justice determines that consent to the consent decree should be
withdrawn, the terms of the decree will be affirmed.
II. Additional Information About Commenting on the Proposed Consent
Decree
A. How can I get a copy of the consent decree?
Direct your comments to the official public docket for this action
under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OGC-2014-0168 which contains a copy of the
consent decree. The official public docket is available for public
viewing at the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket in the
EPA Docket Center,
[[Page 10520]]
EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The
EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone
number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone
number for the OEI Docket is (202) 566-1752.
An electronic version of the public docket is available through
www.regulations.gov. You may use the www.regulations.gov to submit or
view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the
official public docket, and to access those documents in the public
docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, key in
the appropriate docket identification number then select ``search''.
It is important to note that EPA's policy is that public comments,
whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available
for public viewing online at www.regulations.gov without change, unless
the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Information claimed as CBI
and other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute is not
included in the official public docket or in the electronic public
docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material, including
copyrighted material contained in a public comment, will not be placed
in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in
printed, paper form in the official public docket. Although not all
docket materials may be available electronically, you may still access
any of the publicly available docket materials through the EPA Docket
Center.
B. How and to whom do I submit comments?
You may submit comments as provided in the ADDRESSES section.
Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified
comment period. Comments received after the close of the comment period
will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider these late
comments.
If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name, mailing address, and an email address or other
contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD
ROM you submit. This ensures that you can be identified as the
submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA
cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties or needs further
information on the substance of your comment. Any identifying or
contact information provided in the body of a comment will be included
as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket,
and made available in EPA's electronic public docket. If EPA cannot
read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you
for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
Use of the www.regulations.gov Web site to submit comments to EPA
electronically is EPA's preferred method for receiving comments. The
electronic public docket system is an ``anonymous access'' system,
which means EPA will not know your identity, email address, or other
contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.
In contrast to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's electronic mail
(email) system is not an ``anonymous access'' system. If you send an
email comment directly to the Docket without going through
www.regulations.gov, your email address is automatically captured and
included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public
docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
Dated: February 18, 2014.
Lorie J. Schmidt,
Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2014-04112 Filed 2-24-14; 8:45 am]
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