[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 140 (Monday, July 22, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 47721-47726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-18410]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 147

[FRL-7247-7]


Underground Injection Control Program Revision; Aquifer Exemption 
Determination for Portions of the Lance Formation Aquifer in Wyoming

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality 
(WDEQ) has requested Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval of 
a revision to the State Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program, 
specifically that EPA approve an aquifer exemption from classification 
as an underground source of drinking water (USDW) for portions of the 
Lance Formation within the Powder River Basin in Johnson County, 
Wyoming.
    Until August 2000, COGEMA Minerals was mining uranium from the 
Wasatch Formation under a UIC Class III in-situ leaching permit, issued 
by WDEQ. A previous Lance Formation aquifer exemption, approved by EPA 
in the Federal Register on March 26, 1999, allowed COGEMA to inject 
mining and mineral processing waste fluids from the Wasatch into the 
Lance Formation through two Class I Non-Hazardous deep injection wells 
permitted in 1997. COGEMA, after closing its mining operations, is 
extending its large-scale ground water restoration throughout the 
entire mined portion of the Wasatch Formation.
    During the active mining process, the disposal capacity of the two 
existing Class I wells were adequate for the smaller scale restoration 
waste stream as COGEMA mined, then closed each Class III well field 
sequentially. However, now that COGEMA is restoring the entire mine 
site, large-scale restoration will produce a larger volume of waste 
fluid. WDEQ issued the final permit to COGEMA for the operation of two 
additional wells on November 3, 2000. However, COGEMA cannot inject any 
fluids into these wells until EPA approves this aquifer exemption.
    Today's approval of this new aquifer exemption will allow COGEMA to 
use the newly permitted Class I injection wells to inject ground water 
restoration waste fluids from the Wasatch Formation into the Lance 
Formation. As a result of this increased disposal

[[Page 47722]]

capacity, COGEMA will be able to restore the Wasatch ground water more 
quickly and pump and treat less ground water. The rate of pumping out 
of the Wasatch will prevent any negative impact to the adjacent 
portions of this USDW.
    EPA published a notice of the aquifer exemption request and asked 
for comments from the public in the Federal Register on January 30, 
2001. EPA did not receive comments and after careful review of the 
exemption request, EPA has determined that the designated portions of 
the Lance Formation meet the requirements for an aquifer exemption. EPA 
is approving this aquifer exemption as a revision of the Wyoming UIC 
program. This final rule contains a table listing approved aquifer 
exemption areas for Class I wells on Wyoming State lands within the 
Lance Formation approved since January 1, 1999.

DATES: This rule shall become effective on August 21, 2002. In 
accordance with 40 CFR 23.7, this rule shall be considered promulgated 
for the purposes of judicial review at August 5, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valois Shea, US EPA Region 8, Mail 
Code 8P-W-GW, 999 18th Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202; (303) 312-
6276.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   

I. Regulated Entities

    COGEMA Mining, Inc. is the only regulated entity affected by 
today's action. COGEMA will derive some economic benefit as a result of 
this approval because the accelerated restoration will reduce the 
volume of waste being disposed and close the site more quickly. There 
is no other impact on regulated entities.

II. Introduction

    The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) established the Underground 
Injection Control (UIC) Program, which protects underground sources of 
drinking water \1\ (USDWs) from potential contamination from injection 
well practices. The UIC program regulations also provide for exempting 
aquifers from the definition of USDWs stated in 40 CFR 144.3. The UIC 
regulations, specifically 40 CFR 144.7 and 146.4, define and provide 
criteria for exempting aquifers.
    On September 25, 2000, the EPA Regional Office in Denver, Colorado 
(Region 8) received a request from the Wyoming Department of 
Environmental Quality (WDEQ), dated September 9, 2000, submitted on 
behalf of COGEMA Mining, Inc. (COGEMA), for EPA to grant an aquifer 
exemption for the Lance Formation. This exemption surrounds two Class I 
\2\ Non-Hazardous deep injection wells in Johnson County, WY. The 
exemption area includes two cylindrical volumes with centers in the 
wells COGEMA DW No. 2 and COGEMA DW No. 3 respectively, and a radius of 
1320 feet. These volumes were determined to be required to protect 
adjacent portions of the USDW from contamination from the injection 
activity. Traditional algorithms were used to determine the minimum 
distance from the wells that would be affected by the injection of the 
restoration waste. Both wells are located in the Christensen Ranch, in 
Johnson County WY. The COGEMA DW No.2 is located at approximately 2,290 
feet from the North line and 1130 feet from the East line SW1/4 SE1/4 
NE1/4 of Section 7, Township 44 North, Range 76 West. The COGEMA DW No. 
3 is located approximately 3300 feet from the North line and 1340 feet 
from the West line center of SW1/4 of Section 5, Township 44 North, 
Range 76 West. The upper boundary of the exemption is at 3800 feet 
below ground surface and the lower boundary is at 6500 feet below 
ground surface.
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    \1\ An underground source of drinking water (USDW) means an 
aquifer or its portion: (a)(1) which supplies any public water 
system; or (2) which contains a sufficient quantity of ground water 
to supply a public water system; and (i) currently supplies drinking 
water for human consumption; or (ii) contains fewer than 10,000 
milligrams/liter total dissolved solids; and (b) which is not an 
exempted aquifer.
    \2\ Injection wells are divided into 5 classes. Class I wells 
are associated with the disposal of industrial, municipal or 
radioactive waste into formations below the lowermost underground 
source of drinking water (USDW). These wells have strict standards 
for siting, construction and operation.
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    EPA has reviewed this aquifer exemption request and approves the 
request to exempt the designated portions of the Lance Formation from 
classification as a USDW. The technical review done by EPA included the 
verification of the volume of the Lance formation that would be 
affected by the waste. Part of this verification included determination 
that all contaminants injected in the wells would be precipitated out 
of solution, neutralized, diluted or adsorbed by the formation matrix 
within the volume of the exemption. The January 30, 2001 Federal 
Register document (66 FR 8234, January 30, 2001) contains a detailed 
discussion of the justification of this aquifer exemption approval. 
Today's approval exempts two cylindrical volumes with centers in the 
wells COGEMA DW No. 2 and COGEMA DW No. 3 respectively, and a radius of 
1320 feet (approximately one square mile of the Lance Formation, at 
depths between approximately 3,800 to 6,500 feet below the surface). On 
March 26, 1999, EPA approved a similar exemption of an nearby portion 
of the Lance Formation for two other COGEMA Class I wells located 
within 2 miles of the Class I wells involved in today's final rule. EPA 
published a Request for Public Comment on a Substantial Modification to 
the Wyoming 1422 Underground Injection Control Program in the Federal 
Register on August 27, 1998 (63 FR 45810). EPA received no public 
comment and subsequently published approval of the aquifer exemption in 
the Federal Register on March 26, 1999 (64 FR 14799).
    The procedures to follow for approval or disapproval of State 
program revisions in the UIC program are codified in 40 CFR 145.32 and 
described in UIC Guidance 34, Guidance for Review and Approval 
of State UIC Programs and Revisions to Approved State Programs. EPA UIC 
Guidance 34 also identifies criteria that EPA generally uses 
to determine whether or not a State program revision is substantial. 
The Lance Formation ground water contains less than 3,000 milligrams 
per liter total dissolved solids (TDS), and the aquifer exemption is 
associated with a Class I injection well permit. For these two reasons 
this aquifer exemption is a substantial revision of the Wyoming UIC 
program as approved under section 1422 of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
    WDEQ determined that the Lance Formation in the exemption area is 
located at such a depth below the surface so as to make its use 
economically impractical as a possible source of drinking water. 
Previously, WDEQ's request for public participation in issuing the well 
permits focused on the poor quality of the water in the Lance formation 
to justify the exemption. Subsequent analysis of the water quality and 
geological data by EPA determined that this criterion was not adequate 
and was replaced with the * * * (2) It is situated at a depth or 
location which makes recovery of water for drinking water purposes 
economically or technologically impractical; * * * Sec. 146.4(b)(2)). 
The depth of the Lance Formation in the exemption area is between 
approximately 3,800 to 6,500 feet below ground surface, based on its 
depth at the nearer of the two other COGEMA Class I Non-Hazardous deep 
injection wells. WDEQ issued a public notice in local newspapers, the 
Casper Star Tribune and the Johnson County Buffalo Bulletin on October 
2, 2000 inviting public

[[Page 47723]]

comment on its intent to issue a permit for the two new wells. The 
public comment period began October 2, 2000, and ended October 31, 
2000, but WDEQ did not receive any public comments or requests for a 
public hearing.
    On January 30, 2001, EPA published a notice in the Federal Register 
(66 FR 8234, January 30, 2001) requesting public comment on the aquifer 
exemption request by COGEMA, based on both the contamination 
(Sec. 146.4(b)(3)) and the location (Sec. 146.4(b)(2)) criteria.\3\ EPA 
did not receive comments or requests for a public hearing.
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    \3\ Final decision to grant the exemption only under the 
location criterion did not occur until after this notice was 
published in the Federal Register.
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III. Background

    Until August 2000, COGEMA operated the Christensen Ranch in-situ 
leaching uranium mine within the Wasatch Formation in Johnson and, 
Campbell Counties WY. The mining operation included five well fields 
operating under a UIC Class III \4\ permit. The mining process 
contaminated ground water within the mined portions of the Wasatch 
Formation. To fulfill the mine permit closing requirements, COGEMA is 
engaging in large-scale ground water restoration throughout the entire 
mined portion of the Wasatch Formation.
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    \4\ Class III wells are associated with the extraction of 
minerals, such as uranium, salts and sulfur, by in-situ mining.
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    COGEMA must conduct ground water restoration upon completion of 
mining activities to return the ground water affected by mining to 
baseline condition or to a condition consistent with its pre-mining or 
potential use. Once the ground water within the Wasatch is restored, 
the concentrations of contaminants in the ground water will be below 
drinking water standards. Complete restoration of the ground water 
quality within the mined-out areas of the Wasatch Formation will 
require a wastewater disposal capacity of 300 to 500 gallons per minute 
(gpm) over the next 4 to 6 years.
    While mining was active, COGEMA used two Class I Non-Hazardous deep 
injection wells permitted in 1997 to inject mining, mineral process and 
ground water restoration waste fluids into the Lance Formation. Under 
the previously planned mining closure and aquifer restoration process, 
the disposal capacity of the two previously permitted Class I wells 
(and the volume of the previously granted aquifer exemption) would have 
been adequate for the long-term (18 years) restoration waste stream as 
COGEMA sequentially mined, then closed each Class III well field. 
However, now that COGEMA is restoring all areas of the mine site 
simultaneously, large-scale, accelerated restoration will produce a 
larger volume of waste fluids more quickly than the existing two Class 
I wells can inject it into the Lance Formation at the permitted 
injection rate.
    Limiting the rate of the restoration process results in the 
generation of a bleed stream (discussed below) which constitutes an 
additional volume of waste fluids. Much of the mined portion of the 
Wasatch is on ``standby'' until either (a) the two new wells increase 
the disposal capacity, or (b) COGEMA sequentially restores each well 
field and completes the restoration process in other mined-out areas. 
In the standby areas, it is necessary to keep underground water flow 
directed into the mined portions until COGEMA can begin the restoration 
process there. Ground water flowing into the unrestored mined areas 
prevents contaminated water migration from the mined part of the 
aquifer outward into the surrounding high water quality areas of the 
Wasatch Formation. In order to allow underground water to flow into the 
standby areas, COGEMA must continuously pump ground water out of them. 
The term ``bleed stream'' refers to the ground water that COGEMA 
extracts for this purpose.\5\
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    \5\ The mined volume acts like a vessel, which the ``bleed 
stream'' is continually emptying. This makes water drain into the 
vessel, preventing any contaminated water from flowing outside the 
mined area.
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    The injected wastewater consists of the bleed stream described 
above and fluids from the restoration of the Wasatch Formation. The 
injectate also includes yellow cake wash water from washing any 
residual uranium recovered during the restoration process, laboratory 
wastewater, reverse osmosis brine, and ground water sweep solutions.\6\ 
The bleed streams are non-hazardous, beneficiation \7\ wastes exempt 
from regulation as hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act as stipulated by the Bevill Amendment (40 CFR 261.4(b)(7).
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    \6\ To restore the Wasatch Formation, COGEMA must pump ground 
water from the mined portion and treat it by reverse osmosis. The 
reverse osmosis process cleans most of the water, but also generates 
a large volume of concentrated brine that COGEMA must inject into 
the Class I wells. Pumping the ground water out draws clean ground 
water into the mined area from surrounding areas in the Wasatch 
Formation and from injection wells used for injecting the previously 
extracted and treated ground water. This process causes the ground 
water to ``sweep'' through and clean the mined area. Eventually this 
process will restore the water in the formation to a pre-determined 
baseline quality.
    \7\ For a list of the processes included under beneficiation, 
please see 40 CFR 261.4(b)(7).
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    Bringing the two new Class I wells on line to handle an increased 
volume of restoration waste water will increase the rate of the 
restoration process and will allow restoration to begin more 
immediately in the standby areas. These two new injection wells will 
decrease the time these mined areas will have to remain in standby 
mode, producing a continuous bleed stream. Use of the two new Class I 
injection wells will prevent the production of an additional 31 million 
gallons of bleed stream requiring disposal.\8\ The increased rate of 
restoration will allow COGEMA to complete the restoration of the 
Wasatch Formation two years sooner than without the two additional 
wells.
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    \8\ This volume is the amount of additional bleed off fluids 
that would have to be disposed in the two years that this action 
would save.
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IV. Basis for Approval of the Aquifer Exemption

    EPA approves the exemption of the designated portions of the Lance 
Formation because the formation meets the following criteria for 
exempted aquifers:

Sec. 146.4  Criteria for exempted aquifers

    An aquifer or a portion thereof which meets the criteria for an 
``underground source of drinking water'' in 146.3 may be determined 
under 40 CFR 144.8 [sic--should read 144.7(b)] to be an ``exempted 
aquifer'' if it meets the following criteria:
    (a) It does not currently serve as a source for drinking water;

    There are no drinking water wells, public or private, extracting 
water from the Lance Formation in the exemption area or within 30 miles 
of the exemption area.

    (b) It cannot now and will not serve as a source of drinking water 
because:
    * * * (2) It is situated at a depth or location which makes 
recovery of water for drinking water purposes economically or 
technologically impractical.\9\
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    \9\ Originally the State had requested the exemption under a 
different criterion. Analysis of the request indicated that the 
stated criterion is more relevant.

    The depth of the Lance Formation within the aquifer exemption area 
ranges from 3,800 to 6,500 feet. The Powder River Basin is a deep 
syncline \10\ and the aquifer exemption area occurs

[[Page 47724]]

very near the center of the syncline, which is the deepest occurrence 
of the Lance Formation within this syncline. Retrieval of water from an 
aquifer at these depths is very expensive.
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    \10\ A syncline is a geologic structure in which earth's 
compressional forces deformed originally flat-lying rock strata into 
a large U-shaped fold where the center of the fold is deeper than 
the edges.
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    In addition to the great depth of the Lance Formation within the 
exemption area, it is also a low-yielding aquifer and does not produce 
a sufficient volume to supply drinking water to a public system. 
Verification that the Lance Formation is unable to provide a public 
drinking water system with a sufficient supply of water is presented by 
the towns of Midwest and Edgerton, WY, which depended on the Lance 
Formation for drinking water until 1997. These towns are located 30 
miles southwest of the exemption area where the Lance Formation occurs 
near the surface at the western edge of the Powder River Basin. In 1997 
these wells were abandoned because of low water productivity (40 
gallons per minute (gpm) sustainable flow). At that time the towns of 
Midwest and Edgerton determined that piping in pre-treated water 50 
miles from Casper, WY is more economically feasible than continuing 
operation of the drinking water wells completed in the Lance Formation, 
even at the relatively shallow depth of 1,500 to 2,000 feet. (The 
Wasatch formation is not present near these two towns.) Another factor 
in this decision was the expense of treatment that would be required to 
continue using the Lance wells as a public water supply (COGEMA, 1998).
    Alternatively, the Wasatch Formation occurs 2,600 feet above the 
Lance Formation in the mining restoration area and provides a 
shallower, more prolific, better quality water supply source available 
for use in the area. Given this abundant, shallower supply of high 
quality ground water, EPA concludes that the deeper Lance Formation 
will never be required to provide drinking water in the area of the 
aquifer exemption. (Please note that the Wasatch is the same aquifer 
that COGEMA will restore to drinking water quality more quickly if 
these disposal wells are available to increase capacity for disposal of 
aquifer restoration waste fluids into the Lance Formation.)
    As indicated before, neither the State of Wyoming nor EPA received 
comments or a request for a public hearing in response to several 
public notices including the January 31, 2001 notice published in the 
Federal Register (66 FR 8234) for this aquifer exemption.

V. Regulatory Impact/Administrative Requirements

A. Paperwork Reduction Act

    This action does not impose an information collection burden under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. 
This action does not establish new monitoring and reporting 
requirements. Reporting by this facility, involving the injection 
wells, is already required by the State UIC program and it is not 
affected by the approval of this exemption. The approval of this 
aquifer exemption does not impose any additional information collection 
burdens.
    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.
    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.

B. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act

    Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement 
Act of 1995 (NTTAA), Public Law 104-113, section 12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272 
note) directs EPA to use voluntary consensus standards in its 
regulatory activities unless to do so would be inconsistent with 
applicable law or otherwise impractical. Voluntary consensus standards 
are technical standards (e.g., material specifications, test methods, 
sampling procedures, business practice) that are developed or adopted 
by voluntary consensus standard bodies. The NTTAA directs EPA to 
provide Congress, through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 
explanations when EPA decides not to use available and applicable 
voluntary consensus standards.
    This action does not involve technical standards. Therefore, EPA 
did not consider the use of any voluntary consensus standards.

C. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Public 
Law 104-4, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the 
effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and Tribal 
governments and the private sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA, EPA 
generally must prepare a written statement, including a cost-benefit 
analysis, for proposed and final rules with ``Federal mandates'' that 
may result in expenditures to State, local, and Tribal governments, in 
the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 million or more in any 
one year. Before promulgating an EPA rule for which a written statement 
is needed, section 205 of the UMRA generally requires EPA to identify 
and consider a reasonable number of regulatory alternatives and adopt 
the least costly, most cost-effective or least burdensome alternative 
that achieves the objectives of the rule. The provisions of section 205 
do not apply when they are inconsistent with applicable law. Moreover, 
section 205 allows EPA to adopt an alternative other than the least 
costly, most cost-effective or least burdensome alternative if the 
Administrator publishes with the final rule an explanation why that 
alternative was not adopted. Before EPA establishes any regulatory 
requirements that may significantly or uniquely affect small 
governments, including Tribal governments, it must have developed under 
section 203 of the UMRA a small government agency plan. The plan must 
provide for notifying potentially affected small governments, enabling 
officials of affected small governments to have meaningful and timely 
input in the development of EPA regulatory proposals with significant 
Federal intergovernmental mandates, and informing, educating, and 
advising small governments on compliance with the regulatory 
requirements.
    Today's rule contains no Federal mandates (under the regulatory 
provision of Title II of the UMRA), for State, local or Tribal 
governments, or the private sector. This rule imposes no enforceable 
duty on any State, local or Tribal governments or the private sector. 
This final rule merely approves the exemption of a portion of the Lance 
aquifer from the definition of a USDW. Thus, today's rule is not 
subject to the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of the UMRA. For 
the same reasons, EPA has also determined that this rule contains no 
regulatory requirements that

[[Page 47725]]

might significantly or uniquely affect small governments.
    Thus, today's rule is not subject to the requirements of section 
203 of UMRA.

D. Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), as amended by the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA), 5 U.S.C. 601 et 
seq.

    The RFA generally requires an agency to prepare a regulatory 
flexibility analysis of any rule subject to notice and comment 
rulemaking requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act or any 
other statute unless the agency certifies that the rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
Small entities include small businesses, small organizations, and small 
governmental jurisdictions.
    For purposes of assessing the impacts of today's rule on small 
entities, we defined small entities as (1) a small business based on 
Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards; (2) a small 
governmental jurisdiction that is a government of a city, county, town, 
school district or special district with a population less than 50,000; 
and (3) a small organization that is any not-for-profit enterprise 
which is independently owned and operated and is not dominant in its 
field.
    After considering the economic impacts of today's final rule on 
small entities, I certify that this action will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This final 
rule will not impose any requirements on any small entities. Further, 
EPA received information with the exemption request and confirmed that 
there are no entities of any size currently using the Lance Formation 
as a source of drinking water within 30 miles of the aquifer exemption 
area.

E. Executive Order 13175 (Consultation and Coordination with Indian 
Tribal Governments)

    Executive Order 13175, entitled ``Consultation and Coordination 
with Indian Tribal Governments'' (65 FR 67249, November 6, 2000), 
requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure ``meaningful 
and timely input by Tribal officials in the development of regulatory 
policies that have Tribal implications.'' ``Policies that have Tribal 
implications'' is defined in the Executive Order to include regulations 
that have ``substantial direct effects on one or more Indian tribes, on 
the relationship between the Federal government and the Indian tribes, 
or on the distribution of power and responsibilities between the 
Federal government and Indian tribes.''
    This final rule does not have Tribal implications. It will not have 
substantial direct effects on Tribal governments, on the relationship 
between the Federal government and Indian tribes, or on the 
distribution of power and responsibilities between the Federal 
government and Indian tribes, as specified in Executive Order 13175. 
This rule does not apply to any Tribal government and there are no 
Tribal jurisdictions on or near the area of this aquifer exemption. 
Thus, Executive Order 13175 does not apply to this rule.

F. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review

    Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), the 
Agency must determine whether the regulatory action is ``significant'' 
and therefore subject to OMB review and the requirements of the 
Executive Order. The Order defines ``significant regulatory action'' as 
one that is likely to result in a rule that may:
    (1) Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or 
adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the 
economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public 
health or safety, or State, local, or Tribal governments or 
communities;
    (2) Create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an 
action taken or planned by another agency;
    (3) Materially alter the budgetary impact of entitlements, grants, 
user fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients 
thereof; or
    (4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal 
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in 
the Executive Order.
    It has been determined that this rule is not a ``significant 
regulatory action'' under the terms of Executive Order 12866 and is 
therefore not subject to OMB review.

G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From Environmental 
Health Risks and Safety Risks

    Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997) applies to any 
rule that: (1) is determined to be ``economically significant'' as 
defined under Executive Order 12866, and (2) concerns an environmental 
health or safety risk that EPA has reason to believe may have a 
disproportionate effect on children. If the regulatory action meets 
both criteria, the Agency must evaluate the environmental health or 
safety effects of the planned rule on children, and explain why the 
planned regulation is preferable to other potentially effective and 
reasonably feasible alternatives considered by the Agency.
    This final rule is not subject to Executive Order 13054 because it 
is not ``economically significant'' as defined in Executive Order 
12866. Further, it does not concern an environmental health or safety 
risk that EPA has reason to believe may have a disproportionate effect 
on children.

H. Executive Order 13132 (Federalism)

    Executive Order 13132, entitled ``Federalism'' (64 FR 43255, August 
10, 1999), requires EPA to develop an accountable process to ensure 
``meaningful and timely input by State and local officials in the 
development of regulatory policies that have federalism implications.'' 
``Policies that have federalism implications'' is defined in the 
Executive Order to include regulations that have ``substantial direct 
effects on the States, on the relationship between the national 
government and the States, or on the distribution of power and 
responsibilities among the various levels of government.''
    This final rule does not have federalism implications. It will not 
have substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship 
between the national government and the States, or on the distribution 
of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government, 
as specified in Executive Order 13132. This final rule does not have 
any substantial direct effect on the State of Wyoming or local 
governments in the State of Wyoming, on the relationship between the 
national government and the State of Wyoming or local governments in 
the State of Wyoming, or on the distribution of power and 
responsibilities among the various levels of government. Thus, 
Executive Order 13132 does not apply to this rule.

I. Congressional Review Act

    The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally 
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating 
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, 
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the 
United States. 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 United States prior 
to publication of the rule in the Federal Register. A major rule cannot 
take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal 
Register. This action is not a ``major rule'' as

[[Page 47726]]

defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). This rule will be effective on August 21, 
2002.

J. Executive Order 13211 (Energy Effects)

    This rule is not subject to Executive Order 13211, ``Actions 
Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 
Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001) because it is not a 
significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866.

VI. References

    USEPA 1998. Underground Injection Control Program: Substantial 
Modification to an Existing State-Administered Underground Injection 
Control Program, 63 FR 45810, August 27, 1998.
    USEPA 1999. Underground Injection Control Program Revision; Aquifer 
Exemption Determination for Portions of the Lance Formation Aquifer in 
Wyoming; Final Rule. 64 FR 14799, March 26, 1999.
    USEPA 2001. Underground Injection Control Program: Substantial 
Modification to an Existing State-Administered Underground Injection 
Control Program. 66 FR 8234, January 30, 2001.
    COGEMA Mining, Inc. 1998(b). ``Submittal of Supplemental Technical 
Document in Support of Lance Formation Aquifer Exemption; Application 
for Modification of Class I UIC permit No. 95-241,'' Apr 17, 1998, 
COGEMA Mining, Inc., 935 Pendell Boulevard, P.O. Box 730, Mills, WY 
82644.
    ``Approval of Programs and Revisions to Approved State Programs, 
GWPB Guidance 34,'' July 9, 1984, US Environmental Protection 
Agency, Washington, DC.
    WDEQ 2000, ``Public Notice of Draft Permit 00-340,'' Oct 2, 2000, 
Casper Star Tribune, Casper, WY.
    WDEQ 2000, ``Public Notice of Draft Permit 00-340,'' Oct 2, 2000, 
Buffalo Bulletin, Johnson County, WY.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 147

    Environmental protection, Indians--lands, Intergovernmental 
relations, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Water supply.

    Dated: July 12, 2002.
Christine Todd Whitman,
Administrator.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 40 CFR part 147 is amended 
as follows:

PART 147--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 147 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 300h; and 42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.

Subpart ZZ--Wyoming

    2. Section 147.2555 is amended by revising the table heading and 
adding an entry to the table to read as follows:


Sec. 147.2555  Aquifer exemptions since January 1, 1999.

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                                    Aquifer Exemptions Since January 1, 1999
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                                          Approximate depth
                Formation                    (feet below                           Location
                                           ground surface)
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Lance Formation at indicated depths and        3,800--6,500  Two cylindrical volumes with centers in the wells
 locations.                                                   COGEMA DW No. 2 and COGEMA DW No. 3 respectively,
                                                              and radius of 1320 feet. Both wells are located in
                                                              the Christensen Ranch, in Johnson County WY. The
                                                              COGEMA DW No. 2 is located at approximately 2,290
                                                              feet from the North line and 1130 feet from the
                                                              East line SW1/4 SE1/4 NE1/4 of Section 7, Township
                                                              44 North, Range 76 West. The COGEMA DW No. 3 is
                                                              located approximately 3300 feet from the North
                                                              line and 1340 feet from the West line center of
                                                              SW1/4 of Section 5, Township 44 North, Range 76
                                                              West.
 
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[FR Doc. 02-18410 Filed 7-19-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P