[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 221 (Friday, November 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68835-68836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27439]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ER-FRL-9012-1]


Initiation of Scoping for an Environmental Assessment (EA)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Initiation of scoping.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 
U.S.C. 4321-4307h), the Council on Environmental Quality's NEPA 
regulations (40 CFR Part 1500-1508), and EPA's regulations for 
implementing NEPA (40 CFR Part 6), EPA will prepare an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts related 
to the reissuance of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 
System (NPDES) General Permit for Discharges from Industrial 
Activities, also referred to as the Multi-Sector General Permit. The EA 
will evaluate the potential environmental impacts from the discharge of 
pollutants

[[Page 68836]]

in stormwater discharges from new sources associated with industrial 
facilities where EPA is the permitting authority. EPA will use the 
information in the EA to determine whether to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS).
    This notice initiates the scoping process by inviting comments from 
Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and the public to 
help identify the environmental issues and reasonable alternatives to 
be examined in the EA. The scoping process will inform the preparation 
of the EA, which will be made available for public comment.

DATES: Comments must be received by December 16, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit scoping comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Mail: ATTN: CGP Scoping Comments, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, William Jefferson Clinton Building--South, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Mail Code: 2252A, Washington, DC 20460.
     Electronically: email comments to [email protected], 
Subject line: CGP Scoping Comments.
     Courier: ATTN: CGP Scoping Comments, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, William Jefferson Clinton Building--South, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Rm  7235A, Washington, DC 20004, 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.
     Fax: 202-564-0072, ATTN: CGP Scoping Comments.
    Comments should be received within 30 days of the date of the 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. EPA's policy is 
that all comments received will be included in the public docket 
without change and may be made available online, including any personal 
information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed 
to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. If you submit an electronic 
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact 
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you 
submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties 
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to 
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special 
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or 
viruses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Trice, NEPA Compliance 
Division, Office of Federal Activities, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Mail Code: 2252A, Washington, DC 
20460. Telephone: (202) 564-6646.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA is seeking public comment to determine 
the scope of environmental issues and reasonable alternatives to be 
addressed in the EA on the reissuance of the National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit for the discharge 
of pollutants in stormwater discharges from new sources associated with 
industrial facilities where EPA is the permitting authority. EPA 
invites the public to submit comments electronically through email or 
by mail or fax to the address cited in the ADDRESSES section during the 
30-day comment period following the publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register.
    Since 1995, EPA has issued a series of NPDES Multi-Sector General 
Permits (MSGP) that cover areas where EPA is the permitting authority. 
At present, EPA is the permitting authority in four states (Idaho, 
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Mexico), the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, all U.S. territories with the exception of the 
Virgin Islands, federal facilities in four states (Colorado, Delaware, 
Vermont, and Washington), most Indian lands and a few other 
specifically designated activities in specific states (e.g., oil and 
gas activities in Texas and Oklahoma). EPA's current MSGP became 
effective on September 29, 2008 (see 73 FR 56572) and will expire on 
September 29, 2013 (Note: Facilities that obtained coverage under the 
2008 MSGP prior to its expiration are automatically granted an 
administrative continuance of permit coverage. EPA has issued a 
memorandum concerning new facilities that begin discharging stormwater 
associated with industrial activity after September 29, 2013. This 
memorandum provides a ``no action assurance'' for the new facilities 
that comply with the requirements of the 2008 MSGP, subject to 
particular terms and conditions as set forth in the memorandum). On 
September 27, 2013, EPA proposed for public comment the proposed 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general permit for the 
discharge of pollutants in stormwater discharges from industrial 
facilities. 78 Fed. Reg. 59675. The proposed permit, would replace the 
2008 MSGP. EPA proposes to issue the multi-sector general permit for 
five (5) years, and to provide permit coverage for sectors of 
industrial point source discharges that occur in areas not covered by 
an approved state NPDES program.
    EPA is currently planning to analyze two alternatives in the EA: No 
Action, that is not issuing the MSGP; and the proposed action, which is 
issuing the draft MSGP as proposed for a designated new source of 
industrial stormwater discharge. The EA will focus its analysis on the 
potential environmental impacts of both alternatives.

    Dated: November 12, 2013.
Cliff Rader,
Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities.
[FR Doc. 2013-27439 Filed 11-14-13; 8:45 am]
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