[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 58 (Monday, March 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 15624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-6038]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7887-9]


Notice of Availability: Draft NPDES Permit for Concentrated 
Animal Feeding Operations for Puerto Rico

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft permit.

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SUMMARY: Today's notice makes available for public comment the draft 
NPDES Permit for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations for Puerto Rico 
for public review and comment. This draft permit is being published to 
meet one of EPA's key action items in the Concentrated Animal Feeding 
Operations Regulations--to issue NPDES permits to reduce risk to water 
quality and human health from animal feeding operations by December 
2006. Please note that this Draft Permit for CAFOs in Puerto Rico has 
been sent to Public Notice in both an English and a Spanish Newspaper 
in Puerto Rico for a period of 60 days.
    The Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) General Permit is 
a single permit which covers all CAFOs that apply for coverage in the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Consequently, those CAFOs which are 
covered by the General Permit will have identical permit language and 
requirements. Unique facility-specific requirements will be similarly 
referenced in the permit. The facility-specific requirements are found 
in the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board's regulations for Animal 
Feeding Operations and detailed in an Agricultural Waste Management 
Plan (AWMP). The AWMP is a requirement for all CAFOs. For Puerto Rico 
the AWMP is synonymous with a Residuals Management System.
    Only Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) which meet the definition of 
a CAFO are eligible to apply for coverage under the General Permit. 
AFOs which do not meet the definition are not eligible to be covered 
under the General Permit. To determine if your operation is a CAFO, see 
40 CFR 122.23 (4) and (6) as well as Part VII of the Definitions 
section of the General Permit. In addition, facilities can be 
designated as CAFOs on a case by case basis.
    EPA believes that comments from a wide range of interested 
stakeholders is important to produce a final permit that will help EPA 
achieve the goal of reducing risk to water quality and human health 
from animal feeding operations. EPA is interested in receiving comments 
from reviewers of the draft NPDES Permit for Concentrated Animal 
Feeding Operations for Puerto Rico, and will carefully consider this 
input as it prepares a final permit.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by April 30, 2005, to the 
address below.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments to Karen O'Brien, U.S. EPA Region 2, 
290 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, New York 10007. Submit electronic 
comments to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen O'Brien, (212) 637-3717 or Jeff 
Gratz, (212) 637-3873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of the draft NPDES Permit for 
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations for Puerto Rico may be obtained 
on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/owm. If you do not have Internet 
access, you may obtain a paper copy of the draft guidance by calling 
the EPA Region 2 at (212) 637-3717. The draft permit is also available 
in electronic format.

    Dated: March 10, 2005.
Kevin Bricke,
Deputy Director, Division of Environmental Planning and Protection, 
Region II.
[FR Doc. 05-6038 Filed 3-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P