### Posting an FDMS Docket without a Federal Register Notice

MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: Posting EPA-HQ

- OW-2010-0257 to Regulation s.gov for Public Access FROM: Jack Fau lk Office o f Water

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# . Thru: Deborah Nagle 

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This memorandum au thori zes the posting of EPA-HQ

- OW-2010-0257 to Regulations.gov for public access . Background: EPA i s see king public comment o n a draft Biological Op ini on 

### by the Nat i onal Marin e Fi s he rie s Service (NMFS) which concludes that the Pe st icide General Permit ( PGP ) i s likel y to jeopardize endangered and threatened s pecie s and their critical habitat. Under the En dan ge red Species Act (ESA) , consultation with federa l reso urce age n cies is required to ensure that federal actions are not likel y to jeopard i ze endangered o r threatened s peci es o r th e ir critical habitat. As part of this consultati o n , on June 17 , 2011 , NMFS submitted to EPA a draft Biological Opinion finding the di sc harge s allowed under th e permit are lik e ly to j eo pardize species and habitat and an a sso ciated Reasonab le and Prudent Alternative ( RP A) to avoid jeopa rd y. EPA is seek in g comment on thi s draft Biological Op inion , and s pecificall y , EPA is seek ing comment on the appropriateness of the RPA in prote ct ing jeopardized spe cie s and their crit i ca l h abi tat, w het her the RPA can be reasonab l y implemented, and on possible a lternati ves to th e RP A that cou ld be required to address ESA concerns. EPA clarifie s for the public that this is not a notice and comment rulemaking , and that NMFS will cons id er comme nt s and as appropriate modify th e opi ni on, but NMFS w ill not provide a respon se to comments document. Thi s document w ill be open for public comment from 06 / 24 / 2011 t o 07 / 25/ 20 11.] Submi t yo ur comments , identified b y Docket ID No. EPA -H Q-OW-2010-0257, by one of the following methods : • www. r egu iations. gov: Follow th e o n·line instruction s for sub mitting comments. • Emai l : ow·docket@epa.gov• Mail: Water Docket, Environmenta l Protection Agency , Mailc ode 2822T, 1 200 PelUlsylvania Ave, NW, Was hing to n , D C 20460, Attent io n: Do c ket ID No. EPA- H Q-OW

- 2010

- 0257. • I

- land Delivery: EP A D oc k e t Ce nte r, EPA West Room 3334,13 01 Cons tituti o n Avenue, NW. , Was hin g to n , D C 20004 , A tt e nt io n: Docket ID No. E PA

- H Q-OW-2010--0257. Such deliverie s are on ly accepted during the Docke t 's nonnal hours of opera tion, and s pecial arrangemen t s should be made f o r deliveries of boxed i n fonnat i o n . EPA's polic y i s that all comments received wi ll be included in th e public docket without change and may be mad e avail ab le o nlin e at http ://www.regu lations.gov, including an y personal inform at ion provided, unle ss the com me nt includ es inf orm at io n claimed to be Co nfidenti a l B u s in ess Inf onnation (CBI) o r o th er infonnation w hose di s cl os ure is restricted by s tatute. Do not s ubmit in fo r mat io n th at you consider to be CB I or otherwi se protected through http ://www. regu l at i ons.govor e -m ai l. The http ://www.reg ulations.go v Web si t e i s an " ano nymou s access" system, which mea n s EP A w ill not know your ide nt ity o r co ntact i n format io n un less you provide i t in the body of yo ur co mment. If yo u send an e - mail comment directl y 10 EPA withou t go in g thr ough http: //www.regu lati o n s.gov. your e -m a il address wi ll be automatically cap tu red and incl ud ed as part of the comme nt th at is p laced in the public docket and made available on th e Interne t. l ryo u sub mit an e lec tro ni c comme nt , EP A reco mm e nds th at you include yo ur nam e and other co nt ac t inform ati o n in th e body of your co mm e nt a nd w ith any di sk or CD-ROM you s ubmit. If E PA cannot read your commen t due to technica l difficultie s and cannot contact yo u fo r clarification , EPA may n ot be ab le to co n s id e r your comment. E lectronic fil es s hould avoid the use of spec ia l c harac t ers, avo id any form of enc r yp t ion , and be free of any defec t s or vi ru ses. For addi t ional inf onnati on abou t EPA ' s p ublic docket , vis i t th e EPA D oc ket Cen t e r homepage at http: //\vww.epa.gov / epahome/docket s. h tm. S ho uld yo u have a ny questions regard in g thi s memorandum , pl ease co nt act Jack Faulk at (202) 564-0768 , o r via e m a il at l a ulk.ja ck@epa.gov.