Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices 27955

Permit Compliance System (PCS)

database. PCS provides EPA with a

nationwide inventory of NPDES permit

holders. EPA Headquarters uses the

information contained in the PCS to

develop reports on permit issuance,

backlogs, and compliance rates. The

Agency also uses the information to

respond to public and Congressional

inquiries, develop and guide its

policies, formulate its budgets, assist

States in acquiring authority for

permitting programs, and manage its

programs to ensure national consistency

in permitting.

NPDES permit applications and

requests for supplemental information

currently require information about

wastewater treatment systems,

pollutants, discharge rates and volumes,

whole effluent toxicity testing and other

data. Additional information collection

requirements that may be necessary to

implement State, Tribal, or EPA

promulgated provisions consistent with

the final Guidance include: (1)

Monitoring (pollutant-specific and

whole effluent toxicity or WET); (2)

pollutant minimization programs; (3)

bioassays to support the development of

water quality criteria; (4)

antidegradation policy/demonstrations;

and (5) regulatory relief options (e.g.,

variances from water quality criteria).

This information may be used to

ensure compliance with provisions

consistent with the Guidance and reevaluate existing permit conditions and

monitoring requirements. Data on

discharges is entered into STORET and

PCS, EPA’s databases for ambient water

quality data and NPDES permits,

respectively. Results of water quality

criteria testing will be entered into an

EPA Information Clearinghouse

database.

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 OMB control

numbers for EPA’s regulations are listed

in 40 CFR Part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter

15. The Federal Register Notice

required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d),

soliciting comments on this collection

of information was published on

December 29, 1997, (62 FR 67637–

67639); no comments were received.

Burden Statement: The annual public

reporting and recordkeeping burden for

this collection of information is

estimated to average 18.8 hours per

response. The burden will vary among

dischargers and states and, depending

on effluent quality, according to the

requirements of the Guidance

provisions. Burden means the total time,

effort, or financial resources expended

by persons to generate, maintain, retain,

or disclose or provide information to or

for a Federal agency. This includes the

time needed to review instructions;

develop, acquire, install, and utilize

technology and systems for the purposes

of collecting, validating, and verifying

information, processing and

maintaining information, and disclosing

and providing information; adjust the

existing ways to comply with any

previously applicable instructions and

requirements; train personnel to be able

to respond to a collection of

information; search data sources;

complete and review the collection of

information; and transmit or otherwise

disclose the information.

Respondents/Affected Entities:

Industries and local governments, as

POTWs, discharging toxic pollutants to

waters in the Great Lakes System as

defined in 40 CFR 132.2; the

governments of the eight Great Lakes

States (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,

Minnesota, New York, Ohio,

Pennsylvania, Wisconsin).

Estimated Number of Respondents:

588 major industrial and POTW

dischargers, and 3,207 minor

dischargers.

Frequency of Response: varies

depending on dischargers effluent

characteristics.

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:

43,395 hours.

Estimated Total Annualized Cost

Burden: $2,504,000.

Send comments on the Agency’s need

for this information, the accuracy of the

provided burden estimates, and any

suggested methods for minimizing

respondent burden, including through

the use of automated collection

techniques to the following addresses.

Please refer to EPA ICR No. 1639.03 and

OMB Control No. 2040–0180 in any

correspondence to: Ms. Sandy Farmer,

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

OPPE Regulatory Information Division

(2137), 401 M Street, SW, Washington,

DC 20460; and, Office of Information

and Regulatory Affairs, Office of

Management and Budget, Attention:

Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street,

NW, Washington, DC 20503.

Dated: May 15, 1998.

Richard Westlund,

Acting Director, Regulatory Information

Division.

[FR Doc. 98–13612 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–U

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5990–3 ]

Delegation of National Emission

Standards for Hazardous Air

Pollutants; Pennsylvania

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Information notice.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is

to announce that on January 5, 1998,

EPA granted the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania’s request for partial

delegation of the National Emission

Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

(NESHAPs), and associated

infrastructure programs. This request for

partial delegation of authority only

pertains to affected sources of hazardous

air pollutants (HAPs), for all source

categories which are located at major

sources. EPA granted the delegation

with certain restrictions. The

restrictions involve EPA’s retainment of

certain authorities including:

implementation and enforcement of

standards that control radionuclides or

that apply to an area source which is not

located at a major source,

implementation and enforcement of an

accidental release program, approvals of

alternative means of limiting emissions,

alternative control technologies,

alternative test methods, alternative

monitoring methods; and the authority

to make certain applicability

determinations. In addition, certain

provisions will be delegated only on a

case-by-case basis and require

notification by the Pennsylvania

Department of Environmental Protection

(PADEP) to EPA. These provisions

include: approvals of compliance

extensions, site-specific test plans,

performance evaluation plans;

approvals of minor alternatives to test

methods, monitoring, and shorter

sampling times/volumes; and waivers of

performance testing and record keeping.

EFFECTIVE DATES: The effective date of

the delegation authority is January 5,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the requests for

delegation of authority and EPA’s letters

of delegation are available for public

inspection at EPA’s Region III Office,

841 Chestnut Bldg., Philadelphia, PA

19107; PADEP’s Central Office, the

PADEP regional offices, the Allegheny

County Bureau of Air Pollution Control

office and the Philadelphia Air

Management Services office during

normal business hours. The addresses of

these offices are provided below.

Effective immediately, all notifications,
27956 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices

requests, applications, reports and other

correspondence required pursuant to 40

CFR part 63 for major sources, as

defined in 40 CFR part 70, to be sent to

the Administrator should be submitted

to EPA Region III office and, with

respect to sources located in listed

counties, to the following addresses.

Although, by this delegation, PADEP is

the sole agency authorized to implement

and enforce the 40 CFR part 63

standards, Allegheny County Bureau of

Air Pollution Control and Philadelphia

Air Management Services will serve as

agents to PADEP for the receipt of all

notifications, requests, applications,

reports and other correspondence

required pursuant to 40 CFR part 63 for

major sources, as defined in 40 CFR part

70 for Allegheny County and

Philadelphia County, respectively.

Allegheny County Bureau of Air

Pollution Control and Philadelphia Air

Management Services will notify

PADEP’s Central Office of the receipt of

this information for proper

implementation and enforcement.

PADEP Central Office—Rachel Carson

State Office Building, 400 Market

Street, 12th Floor, Harrisburg, PA

17105–8468, Telephone: 717–787–

9702, Contact: Permit Chief

PADEP Region I-Southeast Regional

Office, Lee Park—Suite 6010, 555

North Lane, Conshohocken, PA

19428, Telephone: 610–832–

6242,Contact: Program Manager

Counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware,

Montgomery

PADEP Region II-Northeast Regional

Office, Two Public Square, WilkesBarre, PA 18711–0790, Telephone:

717–826–253, Contact: Program

Manager, Counties: Carbon,

Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne,

Monroe, Northampton, Pike,

Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne,

Wyoming

PADEP Region III–Southcentral

Regional Office, One Ararat

Boulevard, Harrisburg, PA 17110,

Telephone: 717–657–4587, Contact:

Program Manager, Counties: Adams,

Bedford, Berks, Blair, Cumberland,

Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton,

Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster,

Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, York

PADEP Region IV-Northcentral Regional

Office, 208 West 3rd Street, Suite 101,

Williamsport, PA 17701, Telephone:

717–327–3637, Contact: Program

Manager Counties: Bradford,

Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton,

Columbia, Lycoming, Montour,

Northumberland, Potter, Snyder,

Sullivan, Tioga, Union

PADEP Region V-Southwest Regional

Office, 400 Waterfront Drive,

Pittsburgh, PA 15222–4745,

Telephone 412–442–4174, Contact:

Program Manager, Counties:

Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette,

Greene, Indiana, Somerset,

Washington, Westmoreland

PADEP Region VI-Northwest Regional

Office, 230 Chestnut Street,

Meadville, PA 16335–3481,

Telephone 814–332–6940, Contact:

Program Manager, Counties: Butler,

Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest,

Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer,

Venango, Warren

Allegheny County—Allegheny County

Health Department, Plan Review

Section, Bureau of Air Pollution

Control, 301 39th Street, Pittsburgh,

PA 15201, Telephone 412–578–8111

Philadelphia County—Department of

Public Health, Air Management

Services, 321 University Avenue,

Spelman Building, Philadelphia, PA

19104, Telephone 215–823–7584

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dianne J. Walker, Permit and Technical

Assessment Section (3AP11), Air

Protection Division, EPA Region III, 841

Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA

19107, Telephone: 215–566–3297.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

112(l) of the Clean Air Act, as amended

November 15, 1990, and 40 CFR part 63,

subpart E, authorizes EPA to delegate

authority to any state agency which

submits adequate regulatory procedures

for implementation and enforcement of

emission standards of hazardous air

pollutants.

On February 13, 1996, the

Pennsylvania Department of

Environmental Protection (PADEP)

requested partial delegation of authority

to implement and enforce the National

Emission Standards for Hazardous Air

Pollutants (NESHAPs) and associated

infrastructure programs, pursuant to

section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA),

as set forth in 40 CFR part 63. This

request was made in the CAA Title V

Operating Permits Program

Implementation Agreement which was

negotiated between PADEP and EPA.

This request for partial delegation of

authority only pertains to affected

sources of hazardous air pollutants

(HAPs), as defined in 40 CFR part 63,

for all source categories which are

located at major sources, as defined in

40 CFR part 70.

On July 30, 1996, EPA approved

PADEP’s Title V Operating Permits

Program. Requirements for approval,

specified in 40 CFR 70.4(b), encompass

CAA section 112(l)(5) requirements for

approval of a program for delegation of

CAA section 112 standards as

promulgated by EPA as they apply to 40

CFR part 70 sources. Section 112(l)(5)

requires that the State’s program contain

adequate authorities, adequate resources

for implementation and an expeditious

compliance schedule for enforcing

standards, which are also requirements

under 40 CFR part 70. Therefore, as part

of the Title V Operating Permits

Program approval, EPA also

promulgated full approval under CAA

section 112(l)(5) and 40 CFR 63.91 of

the State’s program for receiving

delegation of the CAA section 112

standards that are unchanged from

Federal standards as promulgated in 40

CFR part 63. This program for

delegation only applies to sources

covered by the 40 CFR part 70 program.

On January 5, 1998, the

Environmental Protection Agency

granted the request for partial delegation

with certain restrictions. The following

authorities will be retained by EPA

Region III: (1) implementation and

enforcement of standards that control

radionuclides (40 CFR 63.12(b)(1)); (2)

implementation and enforcement of

standards that apply to an area source,

as defined in 40 CFR 63.2, which is not

located at a major source, as defined in

40 CFR part 70; (3) implementation and

enforcement of an accidental release

program, as defined in CAA section

112(r) and 40 CFR part 68; (4) approval

of alternative means of emission

limitations and alternative control

technologies; (5) approval of alternative

test methods; (6) approval of alternative

monitoring methods; and, (7) the

authority to make certain applicability

determinations, as required by formal

requests from owners or operators of

facilities or the public. In addition,

certain provisions of 40 CFR part 63 are

delegated on a case-by-case basis to

PADEP and require PADEP to notify

U.S. EPA Region III, in writing. These

provisions include: (1) compliance

extensions; (2) approval of site-specific

test and performance evaluation plans;

(3) approval of minor alternatives to test

methods and monitoring; (4) approval of

shorter sampling times/volumes; (5)

waiver of performance testing and, (6)

waiver of record keeping. As of January

5, 1998, PADEP has primary authority to

enforce the standards in 40 CFR part 63

for CAA part 70 sources, however, EPA

will retain independent enforcement

authority. Pennsylvania has adopted by

reference all existing NESHAPs and the

corresponding amendments and

revisions into 25 Code 127.35. Because

PADEP will automatically incorporate

by reference all future 40 CFR part 63

NESHAPs and all future amendments

and revisions into 25 Code 127.35, this

delegation will be automatic (i.e.,
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices 27957

delegation is granted upon Federal

promulgation of a standard, amendment

or revision).

If the Administrator determines that

Pennsylvania cannot adequately

implement or enforce the requirements

of 40 CFR part 63, this delegation may

be revoked in whole or in part.

EPA hereby notifies the public that it

has partially delegated the authority for

implementation and enforcement of the

NESHAPs, pursuant to 40 CFR part 63,

as outlined above, to the Pennsylvania

Department of Environmental

Protection.

The Office of Management and Budget

has exempted this action informing the

public of partial delegation of NESHAPS

to PADEP, as outlined above, from

Executive Order 12688 review. This

notice is issued under the authority of

sections 101, 110, 112 and 301 of the

Clean Air Act, as amended (42 U.S.C.

7401, 7410, 7412, 7601).

Dated: March 18, 1998.

Thomas Voltaggio,

Acting Regional Administrator, EPA Region

III.

[FR Doc. 98–13618 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6100–1]

Interim Policy for Addressing Public

Health and Welfare Impacts Caused by

Wildland and Prescribed Fires in the

Nation’s Wildlands

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the EPA has issued an ‘‘Interim Air

Quality Policy on Wildland and

Prescribed Fires.’’ The policy addresses

public health and welfare impacts

caused by wildland and prescribed fires

in the Nation’s wildlands (areas with

little development, such as forests and

grasslands). The policy applies to all

wildland and prescribed fires managed

to achieve resource benefits on public,

Indian and privately owned wildlands,

regardless of the cause of ignition (e.g.,

lightning, land management decision,

accidental, etc.) or purpose of the fire

(e.g., resource management, hazard

reduction, etc.). The policy does not

apply to other open burning activities,

such as burning at residential,

commercial or industrial sites; open

burning of land-clearing waste or

construction debris. It also does not

apply to open burning of agricultural

waste, crop residue or land in the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Conservation Reserve Program.

This is an interim policy for two

reasons. First, EPA expects

recommendations from the USDA based

on input from USDA’s Air Quality Task

Force on how to address public health

and welfare impacts caused by

agricultural burning. Those

recommendations may affect the

Agency’s understanding of fires in the

wildlands versus agricultural fires.

Second, until the final rules for

implementing EPA’s regional haze

program are promulgated, it is not

possible to formulate final policy with

respect to the impact of wildland and

prescribed fires on regional haze.

The policy was issued in response to

plans by some Federal, tribal and State

wildland owners/managers to

significantly increase the use of

wildland and prescribed fires to achieve

resource benefits. The absence of fire

effects, due to past management

practices, has allowed plant species

(e.g., trees and shrubs) that would

normally be eliminated by fires to

proliferate, vegetation to become dense

and insect infestations to go unchecked.

In response, wildland owners/managers

plan to significantly increase their use

of fires to correct these unhealthy

conditions and to reduce the risk of

wildfires to public and fire fighter

safety. The policy integrates two public

policy goals: (1) to allow fire to

function, as nearly as possible, in its

natural role in maintaining healthy

wildland ecosystems; and (2) to protect

public health and welfare by mitigating

the impacts of air pollutant emissions

on air quality and visibility.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

specific questions on the policy, contact

Mr. Kenneth Woodard, U.S. EPA, MD–

15, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711,

telephone (919) 541–5697, or Mr. Gary

Blais, U.S. EPA, MD–15, Research

Triangle Park, NC 27711, telephone

(919) 541–3223.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EPA

does not directly regulate the use of fire

within a State or on Indian lands. The

EPA’s authority is to enforce the Clean

Air Act requirements to attain and

maintain the national ambient air

quality standards (NAAQS) adopted to

protect public health and welfare. This

policy recommends that States/tribes

implement smoke management

programs (SMP’s) to mitigate the public

health and welfare impacts of fires

managed for resource benefits. The goals

of SMP’s are to mitigate the nuisance

and public safety hazards (e.g., on

roadways and at airports, etc.) posed by

smoke intrusions into populated areas;

to prevent deterioration of air quality

and NAAQS violations; and to address

visibility impacts in mandatory Class I

Federal areas. The SMP’s establish

procedures and requirements for

minimizing air pollutant emissions and

managing smoke dispersion.

Electronic Availability

A World Wide Web site has been

developed for policy and guidance

issued by the Office of Air and

Radiation. The Uniform Resource

Location for the home page of the web

site is http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg.

For assistance, the TTN Helpline is

(919) 541–5384. For those persons

without electronic capability, a copy

may be obtained from Ms. Virginia

Wyatt, MD–15, Air Quality Strategies

and Standards Division, RTP NC 27711,

telephone (919) 541–5628.

Dated: May 15, 1998.

Jeffrey S. Clark,

Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning

and Standards.

[FR Doc. 98–13616 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6100–4]

Public Water System Supervision

Program Revision for the State of Ohio

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Public notice is hereby given

in accordance with the provision of

section 1413 of the Safe Drinking Water

Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.,

and 40 CFR part 142, subpart B, the

National Primary Drinking Water

Regulations (NPDWR), that the State of

Ohio is revising its approved Public

Water System Supervision (PWSS)

primacy program. The Ohio

Environmental Protection Agency

(OEPA) has adopted new analytical

methods, withdrawn outdated analytical

methods, and updated older analytical

methods for regulated drinking water

contaminants. The OEPA has also

removed legally obsolete or redundant

rules from its regulations, and has

adopted technical amendments to

correct typographical errors and clarify

regulatory language. These regulations

correspond to the NPDWRs promulgated

by the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (U.S. EPA) on June 30, 1994, (59

FR 33860–33864); on July 1, 1994, (59

FR 34320–34325); on June 29, 1995, (60