[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 11 (Friday, January 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2413-2414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00634]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2012-0803] [ER-FRL-9018-9]


Availability of an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of 
No Significant Impact (FONSI)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Environmental Assessment (EA)/Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 
U.S.C. 4321-4307h), the Council on Environmental Quality's NEPA 
regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), and EPA's regulations for 
implementing NEPA (40 CFR part 6), EPA has prepared an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts related 
to the reissuance of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 
System (NPDES) General Permit for stormwater discharges associated with 
Industrial Activity (the ``2015 Multi-Sector General Permit''). The EA 
evaluates the potential environmental impacts from the discharge of 
pollutants in stormwater discharges associated with industrial 
activities where EPA is the permitting authority. Based on the 
environmental impact analysis in the EA, EPA has made a preliminary 
determination that no significant environmental impacts are anticipated 
from the issuance of the 2015 Multi-Sector General Permit.
    This notice initiates the 30-day review period and invites comments 
from Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and the public 
regarding EPA's preliminary determination.

DATES: Comments must be received by February 16, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to the Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2012-
0803 by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments by clicking on ``Help'' or ``FAQs.''
    <bullet> Mail: ATTN: MSGP Comments, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Office of Wastewater Management, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., 
Mail Code: 4203 M, Washington, DC 20460
    <bullet> Courier: ATTN: MSGP Comments, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Wastewater Management, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue NW., Rm # 7235A, Washington, DC 20004, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Comments should be received within 30 days of the date of the 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. EPA's policy is 
that all comments received will be included in the public docket 
without change and may be made available online at www.regulations.gov, 
including any personal information provided, unless the comment 
includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information 
(CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise 
protected through www.regulations.gov. The www.regulations.gov Web site 
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your 
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of 
your comment. If you submit an electronic comment, 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 EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Trice, NEPA Compliance 
Division, Office of Federal Activities, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Mail Code: 2252A, Washington, DC 
20460. Telephone: (202) 564-6646.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA is seeking public comment regarding its 
preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) to document its 
determination that no significant environmental impacts are anticipated 
from the issuance of the 2015 Multi-Sector General Permit. EPA invites 
the public to submit comments through Regulations.gov or by mail to the 
address cited in the ADDRESSES section during the 30-day comment period 
following the publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
    Since 1995, EPA has issued a series of NPDES Multi-Sector General 
Permits (MSGP) that cover areas where EPA is the permitting authority. 
At present, EPA is the permitting authority in Idaho, Massachusetts, 
New Hampshire, and New Mexico, Indian Country Lands, Puerto Rico, 
Washington, DC, and U.S. territories and protectorates. EPA's current 
MSGP became effective on September 29, 2008 (73 FR 56572) and expired 
at midnight on September 29, 2013. The proposed action, would replace 
the 2008 MSGP. EPA proposes to issue the MSGP for five (5) years during 
which time the permit will provide coverage to eligible existing and 
new dischargers for the ten categories of industrial activities 
identified in 40 CFR 122.26(b)(14)(i)-(xi) where EPA is the NPDES 
permitting authority. On November 15, 2013, EPA initiated scoping for 
the development of the environmental issues and reasonable alternatives 
to be addressed in the EA. 78 FR 68835.
    The environmental review process, which is documented by the 
Environmental Assessment (EA), indicates that no potential significant 
adverse environmental impacts are anticipated from the proposed action. 
The EA, which analyzed the potential environmental impacts of issuing 
the new MSGP, considered the potential environmental impacts from the 
discharge of pollutants in stormwater discharges associated with 
industrial activities where EPA is the permitting authority.
    Based on the environmental impact analysis in the EA, EPA has 
determined that no significant environmental impacts are anticipated 
from the issuance of the 2015 Multi-Sector General Permit and the 
proposed action does not constitute a major Federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, making 
the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) unnecessary. 
Therefore,

[[Page 2414]]

EPA is issuing a preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

    Dated: January 13, 2015.
Cliff Rader,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 2015-00634 Filed 1-15-15; 8:45 am]
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