[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 4, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 5739-5740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2721]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 244 and 245

[FRL-5957-2 ]


Clarification to Technical Amendments to Solid Waste Programs; 
Management Guidelines for Beverage Containers and Resource Recovery 
Facilities Guidelines

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule; clarification of technical amendment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On January 7, 1998 (63 FR 683), the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register a technical amendment 
correcting the effective date of a direct final rule published on 
December 31, 1996 (61 FR 69032) that concerned the removal of obsolete 
solid waste guidelines (40 CFR parts 244 and 245). The amendment 
corrected the effective date of the direct final rule to December 30, 
1997 in order to be consistent with sections 801 and 808 of the 
Congressional Review Act, enacted as part of the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. This document clarifies that the 
January 7, 1998 technical amendment established a new effective date of 
December 30, 1997 for the removal of 40 CFR part 245 but had no effect 
on the status of 40 CFR part 244 because of a prior notice that was 
published on May 2, 1997 (62 FR 24051) that announced the withdrawal, 
effective March 3, 1997, of the portion of the December 31, 1996 direct 
final rule which affected 40 CFR part 244.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 22, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah Gallman, 703-308-8600. U.S. 
EPA, Office of Solid Waste, 401 M Street, SW (5306W), Washington, DC 
20460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The December 31, 1996 action was a direct 
final rule that concerned the removal of obsolete solid waste 
management guidelines for beverage containers (40 CFR part 244) and 
guidelines for resource recovery facilities (40 CFR part 245). In the 
final rule, EPA stated that the rule would become effective March 3, 
1997 unless adverse public comments were received on the accompanying 
proposal that was published the same day (61 FR 69059). The rule also 
stated that if adverse public comments were received then the final 
rule would be withdrawn.
    Adverse public comments were received with regard to the removal of 
part 244 only. Therefore, on May 2, 1997, EPA published a partial 
withdrawal notice announcing that part 244 was not removed from the 
Code of Federal Regulations. The withdrawal notice also stated that the 
removal of 40 CFR part 245 was not affected and that part 245 was 
removed effective March 3, 1997.
    Section 801 of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) precludes a rule 
from taking effect until the agency promulgating the rule submits a 
rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, to each House of 
Congress and to the Comptroller General of the General Accounting 
Office (GAO). As stated in the January 7, 1998 technical amendment, EPA 
inadvertently failed to submit the December 31, 1996 direct final rule 
to Congress and to GAO as required by the CRA. After EPA discovered the 
error, the rule was submitted to both Houses of Congress and GAO on 
December 11, 1997. Subsequently, EPA issued the technical amendment to 
correct the March 3, 1997 effective date to December 30, 1997. However, 
the technical amendment did not clarify that the new effective date 
applied to the removal of 40 CFR part 245 only and had no effect on 40 
CFR part 244 because of the prior partial withdrawal notice that was 
published on May 2, 1997. The proposal to remove part 244 from the CFR 
is pending further evaluation by EPA.
    Section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(B), provides that, when an agency for good cause finds that 
notice and public procedure are impracticable, unnecessary or contrary 
to the public interest, an agency may issue a rule without providing 
notice and an opportunity for public comment. EPA has determined that 
there is good cause for making today's rule final without prior 
proposal and opportunity for comment because EPA merely is clarifying 
the effect of the January 7, 1998 technical amendment in light of the 
May 2, 1997 partial withdrawal notice. Thus, notice and public 
procedure are unnecessary. The Agency finds that this constitutes good 
cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B). Moreover, since today's action does not 
create any new regulatory requirements or change the legal status of 
the May 2, 1997, and January 7, 1998 actions, EPA finds that good cause 
exists to provide for an immediate effective date pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
553(d)(3) and 808(2).
    Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), this 
action is not a ``significant regulatory action'' and is therefore not 
subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget. In addition, 
this action does not impose any enforceable duty or contain any 
unfunded mandate as described in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 
1995 (Pub. L. 104-4), or require prior consultation with State 
officials as specified by Executive Order 12875 (58 FR 58093, October 
28, 1993), or involve special consideration of environmental justice 
related issues as required by Executive Order 12898 (59 FR 7629, 
February 16, 1994). Because this action is not subject to notice-and-
comment requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act or any 
other statute, it is not subject to the regulatory flexibility 
provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). 
EPA's compliance with these statutes and Executive Orders for the 
underlying rule is discussed in the December 31, 1996 Federal Register 
notice.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A), as added by the Small Business 
Regulatory

[[Page 5740]]

Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, EPA will submit a report containing 
this rule and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. 
House of Representatives and the Comptroller General of the General 
Accounting Office; however, in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 808(2), this 
rule is effective on January 22, 1998. This rule is not a ``major 
rule'' as defined in 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

    Dated: January 22, 1998.
Matthew Hale,
Acting Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. 98-2721 Filed 2-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P