Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2013-0820-0058
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Permits under Clean Water Act; Exemptions: Certain Agricultural Conservation Practices
Posted Date: 2014-06-17T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 116 (Tuesday, June 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34526-34527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14107]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers

[EPA-HQ-OW-2013-0820; 9912-30-OW]

Reopening of Comment Period for the Notice of Availability 
Regarding the Exemption From Permitting Under Section 404(f)(1)(A) of 
the Clean Water Act to Certain Agricultural Conservation Practices

AGENCIES: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers (Corps), Department of the Army, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of availability; reopening the comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) are reopening the comment period for a 
notice published on April 21, 2014. The notice of availability was for 
an interpretive rule to address the exemption from permitting provided 
under section 404(f)(1)(A) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) for discharges 
of dredged or fill material associated with certain agricultural 
conservation practices based on the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service (NRCS) conservation practice standards that are designed and 
implemented to protect and enhance water quality. While the 
interpretive rule is already in effect, the agencies recognize the 
importance and value of receiving public input on the implementation of 
this interpretive rule. EPA and the Corps are reopening the comment 
period in response to stakeholder requests. Comments submitted between 
the close of the original comment period and the re-opening of this 
comment period will be accepted and considered.

DATES: The comment period for the interpretive rule, the availability 
of which was published on April 21, 2014 (79 FR 22276), is reopened 
through July 7, 2014. Comments must be received on or before July 7, 
2014. The comment period was originally scheduled to end on June 5, 
2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket identification 
(ID) No. EPA-HQ-OW-2013-0820, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: ow-docket@epa.gov.
     Mail: Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail 
Code 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460. 
Attention: Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2013-0820.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, EPA West Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20004, Attention: Docket ID No. 
EPA-HQ-OW-2013-0820. Such deliveries are only accepted during the 
Docket Center's normal hours of operation. Special arrangements should 
be made for deliveries of boxed information by calling 202-566-2426.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2013-
0820. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://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 http://www.regulations.gov or email. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site 
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means the EPA will not know 
your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body 
of your comment. If you send an email comment directly to the EPA 
without going through www.regulations.gov your email address will be 
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you 
submit an electronic comment, the EPA recommends that you include your 
name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with 
any disc you submit. If the EPA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the 
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 additional information about the 
EPA's public docket visit the Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index. Although

[[Page 34527]]

listed in the index, some information is not publicly available (e.g., 
CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute). 
Certain other materials, such as copyrighted material, will be publicly 
available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are 
available either electronically in http://www.regulations.gov or in 
hard copy at the Office of Water Docket Center, EPA/DC, EPA West, Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The 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; the telephone number for the Office of Water 
Docket Center is (202) 566-2426. EPA has established a docket for this 
action under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2013-0820. Publicly available 
docket materials are available either electronically through 
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Water Docket, EPA Docket 
Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, 
DC, Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The 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 Water Docket is 
202-566-2426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Damaris Christensen, Office of 
Water (4502-T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number 202-566-2442; email 
address: Wetlands-HQ@epa.gov or Mr. Chip Smith, Office of the Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Policy and Legislation), 108 Army 
Pentagon, Washington, DC 22310; telephone number 703-697-4672; USACE_CWA_RULE@usace.army.mil or Ms. Stacey Jensen, Regulatory Community of 
Practice (CECW-CO-R), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 441 G Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20314; telephone number 202-761-5856; email address: 
USACE_CWA_RULE@usace.army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Document

    The interpretive rule, as well as a list of NRCS practices that 
meet the exemption, are available on the http://www.regulations.gov 
docket for EPA-HQ-OW-2013-0820 or via the Internet on the EPA Web site: 
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/agriculture.cfm.

    Dated: June 9, 2014.
Nancy K. Stoner,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Water, Environmental Protection 
Agency.
    Dated: June 9, 2014.
Jo-Ellen Darcy,
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), Department of the Army.
[FR Doc. 2014-14107 Filed 6-13-14; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P