[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 141 (Monday, July 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37894-37896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18168]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5539-4]


Notice of Proposed NPDES General Permits for Discharges Resulting 
From Implementing Corrective Action Plans for Cleanup of Petroleum UST 
Systems in Texas (TXG830000), Louisiana (LAG830000), Oklahoma 
(OKG830000) and New Mexico (NMG830000)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of draft NPDES general permits.

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SUMMARY: EPA Region 6 is proposing to issue general NPDES permits 
authorizing discharges resulting from implementing Corrective Action 
Plans for the cleanup of Petroleum UST Systems in Texas, Louisiana, 
Oklahoma and New Mexico. A Petroleum UST System is an underground 
storage tank system that contains petroleum or a mixture of petroleum 
with de minimis quantities of other regulated substances. Such systems 
include those containing motor fuels, jet fuels, distillate fuel oils, 
residual fuel oils, lubricants, petroleum solvents and used oils. As 
proposed, the permits place limits on benzene, Total BTEX and pH for 
all discharges, as well as limits on polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons 
(PAH) for discharges from cleanups of Petroleum UST Systems other than 
gasoline, jet fuel and kerosene. Additional limits include those on 
lead and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Texas permit, lead and TOC 
in the Louisiana permit, Total Organic Carbon and Total Phenols in the 
Oklahoma permit, and lead, Chemical Oxygen Demand, No Visible Oil 
Sheen, as well as a biomonitoring requirement, in the New Mexico 
permit.

DATES: Comments on these proposed permits must be submitted by 
September 20, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments on these proposed permits should be sent to the 
Regional Administrator, EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 
75202-2733.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Ellen Caldwell, EPA Region 6 1445 
Ross Avenue, Dallas Texas 75202-2733, telephone (214) 665-7513.
    Copies of the draft permits and/or an explanatory fact sheet may be 
obtained from Ms. Caldwell. In addition, the current administrative 
record on the proposal is available for examination at the Region's 
Dallas offices during normal working hours after providing Ms. Caldwell 
24 hours advanced notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulated categories and entities include:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Category                  Examples of regulated entities   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Industry..........................  Operators of facilities discharging 
                                     waste waters resulting from the    
                                     cleanup of underground storage tank
                                     systems that contain petroleum     
                                     substances, such as motor fuels,   
                                     jet fuels and fuel oils.           
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This table is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide for readers regarding entities likely to be regulated by this 
action. This table lists the types of entities that EPA is now aware 
could potentially be regulated by this action. Other types of entities 
not listed in the table could also be regulated. To determine whether 
your (facility, company, business, organization, etc.) is regulated by 
this action, you should carefully examine the applicability criteria in 
Part I, Section A.1 of these permits. If you have questions regarding 
the applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the 
person listed in the preceding FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    Section 301(a) of the Clean Water Act (CWA or the Act), 33 U.S.C. 
1311(a), makes it unlawful to discharge pollutants to waters of the 
United States in the absence of authorizing permits. CWA section 402, 
33 U.S.C. 1342, authorizes EPA to issue National Discharge Elimination 
System (NPDES) permits allowing discharges on condition they will meet 
certain requirements, including CWA sections 301, 304, and 401 (33 
U.S.C. 1331, 1314 and 1341). Those statutory provisions require that 
NPDES permits include effluent limitations requiring that authorized 
discharges: (1) meet standards reflecting levels of technological 
capability, (2) comply with EPA-approved state water quality standards 
and (3) comply with other state requirements adopted under authority 
retained by states under CWA 510, 33 U.S.C. 1370.
    Two types of technology-based effluent limitations must be included 
in the permits proposed here. With regard to conventional pollutants, 
i.e., pH, BOD, oil and grease, TSS and fecal coliform, CWA section 301 
(b)(1)(E) requires effluent limitations based on ``best conventional 
pollution control technology'' (BCT). With regard to nonconventional 
and toxic pollutants, CWA section 301(b)(2) (A), (C), and (D) require 
effluent limitations based on ``best available pollution control 
technology economically achievable'' (BAT), a standard which generally 
represents the best performing existing technology in an industrial 
category or subcategory. BAT and BCT effluent limitations may never be 
less stringent than corresponding effluent limitations based on best 
practicable control technology (BPT), a standard applicable to similar 
discharges prior to March 31, 1989 under CWA 301(b)(1)(A).
    National guidelines establishing BPT, BCT and BAT standards have 
not been promulgated for discharges from Petroleum UST System cleanups. 
The BCT and BAT requirements for these discharges have, therefore, been 
established using best professional judgement, as required by CWA 
section 402(a)(1). EPA Office of Water Enforcement and Permits and 
Office of Underground Storage Tanks has developed and issued ``Model 
NPDES Permit for Discharges Resulting from the Cleanup of Gasoline 
Released from Underground Storage Tanks'', July 11, 1989. That model 
permit and fact sheet established treatment technologies, treatment 
costs, parameters to be limited and permit limits for discharges 
resulting from the cleanup of gasoline released from underground 
storage tanks. The information contained in that model permit and fact 
sheet has been used to establish BCT and BAT permit requirements for 
the NPDES general permits being proposed today for discharges resulting 
from cleanup of Petroleum UST Systems.
    The following limits are proposed:

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                                                             Daily average                  Daily maximum       
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                                                Texas (TXG830000)                                               
                                                                                                                
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Benzene............................................  5 g/l (1)...........  5g/l (1).          
Total BTEX.........................................  100 g/l.............  100 g/l.           
Total petroleum hydrocarbons.......................  15 mg/l......................  15 mg/l.                    
Total lead.........................................  250 g/l.............  250 g/l.           

[[Page 37895]]

                                                                                                                
Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons..................  10 g/l (2)..........  10 g/l (2).        
    pH 6.0--9.0 std. units                                                                                      
                                                                                                                
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                                              Louisiana (LAG830000)                                             
                                                                                                                
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Benzene............................................  5 g/l (1)...........  5 g/l (1).         
Total BTEX.........................................  100 g/l.............  100 g/l.           
Total lead.........................................  50 g/l..............  50 g/l.            
TOC................................................  50 mg/l......................  50 mg/l.                    
Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons..................  10 g/l (2)..........  10 g/l (2).        
    pH 6.0--9.0 std. units                                                                                      
                                                                                                                
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                                              Oklahoma (OKG830000)                                              
                                                                                                                
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Benzene............................................  5 g/l (1)...........  5 g/l (1).         
Total BTEX.........................................  100 g/l.............  100 g/l.           
Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons..................  10 g/l (2)..........  10 g/l (2).        
Total phenols......................................  0.15 mg/l....................  0.25 mg/l.                  
Total organic carbon...............................  75 mg/l......................  95 mg/l.                    
    pH 6.5--9.0 std. units                                                                                      
                                                                                                                
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                                              New Mexico (NMG83000)                                             
                                                                                                                
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Benzene............................................  5 g/l (1)...........  5 g/l (1).         
Total BTEX.........................................  100 g/l.............  100 g/l.           
Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons..................  10 g/l (2)..........  10 g/l (2).        
    pH 6.0--9.0 std. units                                                                                      
Chemical oxygen demand (COD).......................  125 mg/l.....................  125 mg/l.                   
Total lead.........................................  50 g/l..............  50 g/l.            
    No visible oil sheen                                                                                        
Biomonitoring (48 hour acute)......................             monitor             ............................
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    (1) For Discharge Monitoring Report calculations and reporting 
requirements for benzene, analytical test results less than 10 
g/l may be reported as zero.
    (2) The Daily Max limit and monitoring requirement for PAH's do not 
apply to discharges from the cleanup of Petroleum UST Systems 
containing only gasoline, jet fuel and/or kerosene. The daily max value 
of any of the following PAH's shall not exceed 10 g/l: 
acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, anthracene, benzo(a)anthracene, 
benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(ghi)perylene, 
benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, fluoranthene, 
fluorene, indeno(1,2,3,cd)pyrene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene.

Other Legal Requirements

A. State Certification

    Under section 401(a)(1) of the Act, EPA may not issue an NPDES 
permit until the State in which the discharge will originate grants or 
waives certification to ensure compliance with appropriate requirements 
of the Act and State law. Section 301(b)(1)(C) of the Act requires that 
NPDES permits contain conditions that ensure compliance with applicable 
state water quality standards or limitations. The proposed permits 
contain limitations intended to ensure compliance with state water 
quality standards and has been determined by EPA Region 6 to be 
consistent with the applicable state's water quality standards and the 
corresponding implementation plans. The Region has solicited 
certification from the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission 
for TXG830000, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources for 
LAG830000, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality for 
OKG830000 and the New Mexico Environment Department for NMG830000.

B. Endangered Species Act

    The proposed limits are sufficiently stringent to assure state 
water quality standards, both for aquatic life protection and human 
health protection, will be met. The effluent limitations established in 
these permits ensure protection of aquatic life and maintenance of the 
receiving water as an aquatic habitat. The Region finds that adoption 
of the proposed permits is unlikely to adversely affect any threatened 
or endangered species or its critical habitat. EPA is seeking written 
concurrence from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and 
National Marine Fisheries Service on this determination.

C. Historic Preservation Act

    Facilities which adversely affect properties listed or eligible for 
listing in the National Register of Historical Places are not 
authorized to discharge under this permit.

D. Executive Order 12866

    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted this action 
from the review requirements of Executive Order 12866.

E. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The information collection required by this permit has been 
approved by OMB under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq., in submission made for the NPDES permit program 
and assigned OMB control numbers 2040-0086 (NPDES permit application) 
and 2040-0004 (discharge monitoring reports).

F. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 USC 601 et seq, requires that EPA 
prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis for regulations that have a 
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. As 
discussed previously in this Fact Sheet, compliance with the permit 
requirements will not result in a significant impact on dischargers, 
including small businesses, covered by

[[Page 37896]]

these permits. This lack of significant impact is due, in part, to the 
State Reimbursement Fund's reimbursement to the discharger of all NPDES 
permit compliance costs, except for a small deductible amount. EPA 
Region 6 therefore certifies, pursuant to the provisions of 5 USC 
605(b), that the permits proposed today will not have a significant 
impact on a substantial number of small entities.

    Dated: July 10, 1996.
William B. Hathaway,
Director, Water Quality Protection Division, EPA Region 6.
[FR Doc. 96-18168 Filed 7-19-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P