[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 2, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39557-39558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-16735]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7521-6]


Public Water Supply Supervision Program Revision for the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of tentative approval and solicitation of request for a 
public hearing for Public Water Supply Supervision Program Revision for 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) has determined to approve an application by the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to revise its Public Water Supply 
Supervision Primacy Program to incorporate regulations no less 
stringent than the EPA's National Primary Drinking Water Regulations 
(NPDWR) for the following: Lead and Copper Rule Technical Correction; 
Final Rule, promulgated by EPA on June 30, 1994 (59 FR 33860), 
Synthetic Organic Chemicals and Inorganic Chemicals; Final Rule, 
promulgated by EPA on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34320), Analytical Methods 
Technical Corrections; Final Rule, promulgated by EPA on December 5, 
1994 (59 FR 62456), Analytical Methods Technical Corrections; Final 
Rule, promulgated by EPA on June 29, 1995 (60 FR 34083), Analytical 
Methods for Radionuclides Technical Corrections, promulgated by EPA on

[[Page 39558]]

March 5, 1997 (62 FR 10168), Revisions to State Primacy Requirements to 
Implement Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments; Final Rule (Primacy 
Revisions), promulgated by EPA on April 28, 1998 (63 FR 23362), 
Revision of Existing Variance and Exemption Regulations To Comply With 
Requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act; Final Rule, promulgated by 
EPA on August 14, 1998 (63 FR 43834), Consumer Confidence Reports; 
Final Rule, promulgated by EPA on August 19, 1998 (63 FR 44512), along 
with 3 separate Technical Corrections to the Consumer Confidence 
Reports, promulgated as follows: December 16, 1998 (63 FR 69475 and 63 
FR 69516), June 29, 1999 (64 FR 34732) and September 14, 1999 (64 FR 
49671); Final Rule, Suspension of Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring 
Requirements for Small Public Water Systems, promulgated by EPA January 
8, 1999 (64 FR 1494), the Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts; 
Final Rule, and Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment; Final Rule, 
both promulgated December 16, 1998 (63 FR 69390 and 63 FR 69478, 
respectively), and the Analytical Methods for Chemical and 
Microbiological Contaminants and Revisions to Laboratory Certification 
Requirements; Final Rule, promulgated by EPA December 1, 1999 (64 FR 
67450). Effective March 6, 2000, the Puerto Rico Department of Health 
(PRDOH) promulgated the General Regulation of Environmental Health 
(Regulation 6090) giving the Secretary of PRDOH broad 
discretion to enact and/or adopt regulations deemed necessary to 
protect the Commonwealth's drinking water. Regulation 6090 
also allowed for incorporation by reference of federally promulgated 
regulations. The revised regulation has been submitted by the 
Commonwealth in an application to revise its approved Public Water 
Supply Supervision Primacy Program (approved primacy program). The 
application demonstrates that Puerto Rico has adopted drinking water 
regulations which satisfy the NPDWRs for the above. The USEPA has 
determined that Puerto Rico's regulations are no less stringent than 
the corresponding Federal Regulations and that Puerto Rico continues to 
meet all requirements for primary enforcement responsibility as 
specified in 40 CFR 142.10.

DATES: This determination to approve the Commonwealth's primacy program 
revision application is made pursuant to 40 CFR 142.12(d)(3). It shall 
become final and effective August 1, 2003 unless (1) a timely and 
appropriate request for a public hearing is received or (2) the 
Regional Administrator elects to hold a public hearing on her own 
motion. Any interested person, other than Federal Agencies, may request 
a public hearing. A request for a public hearing must be submitted to 
the Regional Administrator at the address shown below by August 1, 
2003. If a substantial request for a public hearing is made within the 
requested thirty day time frame, a public hearing will be held and a 
notice will be given in the Federal Register and a newspaper of general 
circulation. Frivolous or insubstantial requests for a hearing may be 
denied by the Regional Administrator. If no timely and appropriate 
request for a hearing is received and the Regional Administrator does 
not elect to hold a hearing on her own motion, this determination shall 
become final and effective August 1, 2003.
    Any request for a public hearing shall include the following 
information: (1) Name, address and telephone number of the individual 
organization or other entity requesting a hearing; (2) a brief 
statement of the requesting person's interest in the Regional 
Administrator's determination and a brief statement on information that 
the requesting person intends to submit at such hearing; (3) the 
signature of the individual making the request or, if the request is 
made on behalf of an organization or other entity, the signature of a 
responsible official of the organization or other entity.

ADDRESSES: Requests for Public Hearing shall be addressed to:
    Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Region 2, 290 Broadway, New York, New York 10007-1866.
    All documents relating to this determination are available for 
inspection between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through 
Friday, at the following offices: Puerto Rico Department of Health, 
Public Water Supply Supervision Program, 9th Floor, Suite 903, Nacional 
Plaza Building, 431 Ponce De Leon Avenue, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, 00917.
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, 24th Floor, 
Drinking Water Section, 290 Broadway, New York, New York 10007-1866.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael J. Lowy, Drinking Water 
Section, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, (212) 637-
3830.

    Authority: (Section 1413 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as 
amended, 40 U.S.C. 300g-2, and 40 CFR 142.10, 142.12(d) and 142.13)

William J. Muszynski,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 2.
[FR Doc. 03-16735 Filed 7-1-03; 8:45 am]
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