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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 91740-91741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27128]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-12294-01-R9]

Notice of Availability of Final Designation of Certain Stormwater 
Discharges Within Two Watersheds in Los Angeles County, California 
Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System of the Clean 
Water Act

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) Region 9 is providing notice of the availability of EPA's 
Final Designation of stormwater discharges from certain commercial, 
industrial and institutional (CII) sites in the Alamitos Bay/Los 
Cerritos Channel Watershed and the Dominguez Channel and Los Angeles/
Long Beach Inner Harbor Watershed in Los Angeles County, California for 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting 
under the Clean Water Act (CWA).

DATES: EPA's Final Designation of Stormwater Discharges from Certain 
Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Sites in the Alamitos Bay/Los 
Cerritos Channel Watershed and the Dominguez Channel and Los Angeles/
Long Beach Inner Harbor Watershed in Los Angeles County (``EPA's Final 
Designation'') was signed on November 5, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eugene Bromley, EPA Region 9, Water 
Division, NPDES Permits Section (WTR-2-3), 75 Hawthorne Street, San 
Francisco, CA 94105; telephone (415) 972-3510; email: 
[email protected], or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Does this action apply to me?

    Entities potentially regulated by this action include a wide 
variety of privately-owned CII facilities such as shopping centers, 
office complexes, warehouses, private schools and hospitals, and 
various manufacturing facilities. Entities affected by this action are 
located within either of two watersheds in Los Angeles County, in 
California: the Los Cerritos Channel/Alamitos Bay Watershed or the 
Dominguez Channel and Los Angeles/Long Beach Inner Harbor Watershed. 
This description of affected entities is not intended to be exhaustive, 
but rather provides a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be 
affected by this action. This description of affected activities 
includes the types of entities that EPA is now aware could potentially 
be affected by this action. Other types of entities not included could 
also be affected. To determine whether your entity is affected by this 
action, you should also review the description of EPA's action in 
documents online at the website listed in the section C below. If you 
have questions regarding the applicability of this action to a 
particular entity, consult the person listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section.

B. Summary of Final Designation

    In the Final Designation, EPA has determined that stormwater 
discharges from certain CII sites in the Los Cerritos Channel/Alamitos 
Bay and Dominguez Channel and Los Angeles/Long Beach Inner Harbor 
Watersheds in Los Angeles County are contributing to violations of 
water quality standards and require NPDES permit coverage under the 
CWA. The Final Designation differs from the Revised Preliminary 
Designation of November 2, 2023 (88 FR 75282) in that EPA is not 
designating privately-operated facilities at the Ports of Long Beach 
and Los Angeles at this time. EPA is taking a phased approach to this 
Final Designation such that EPA may consider designating stormwater 
discharges from additional CII sources in the future.
    This Final Designation is in response to two September 15, 2015 
petitions entitled ``Petition For A Determination That Stormwater 
Discharges From Commercial, Industrial, And Institutional Sites 
Contribute To Water Quality Standards Violations in Dominguez Channel 
and the Los Angeles/Long Beach Inner Harbor (Los Angeles County, 
California) and Require Clean Water Act Permits,'' and ``Petition For A 
Determination That Stormwater Discharges From Commercial, Industrial, 
And Institutional Sites Contribute To Water Quality Standards 
Violations in the Alamitos Bay/Los Cerritos Watershed (Los Angeles 
County, California) And Require Clean Water Act Permits'' as well as an 
order from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of 
California in Los Angeles Waterkeeper v. Pruitt, 320 F. Supp.3d 1115 
(C.D. CA 2018).
    EPA's Final Designation is made pursuant to CWA sections 
402(p)(2)(E) and (6) and EPA's implementing regulations at 40 CFR 
122.26(a)(1)(v) and 40 CFR 122.26(a)(9)(i)(D) that authorize EPA to 
designate stormwater discharges for regulation under the NPDES 
permitting program that are contributing to violations of water quality 
standards but are not otherwise

[[Page 91741]]

required to be permitted under EPA's stormwater regulations.

C. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?

    Details of EPA's Final Designation, Response to Public Comments and 
ancillary materials may be viewed on EPA Region 9's website at: https://www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/residual-designation-authority-address-stormwater-quality-problems-epas-pacific.

    Dated: November 13, 2024.
Martha Guzman Aceves,
Regional Administrator, EPA Region 9.
[FR Doc. 2024-27128 Filed 11-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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