[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 65 (Monday, April 6, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 18327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07758]



[[Page 18327]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 147

[EPA-HQ-OW-2012-0186; FRL-9924-93-OW]


State of Washington Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program 
Revision Approval

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to 
approve the State of Washington Underground Injection Control (UIC) 
Program revisions as required by rule under the Safe Drinking Water Act 
(SDWA). The Agency determined that the state's revisions are consistent 
with the provisions of the SDWA and are as stringent as all applicable 
federal regulations to prevent underground injection activities that 
endanger underground sources of drinking water. The state revised its 
UIC Class V Program regulations and transferred oversight authority 
from the Department of Ecology to the Energy Facility Site Evaluation 
Council to issue UIC permits at energy facilities. EPA requests public 
comment on this proposed rule and supporting documentation. In the 
``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, the Agency 
published EPA's approval of the state's program revision as a direct 
final rule without a prior proposed rule. If the Agency receives no 
adverse comment, EPA will not take further action on this proposed 
rule.

DATES: Written comments must be received by May 6, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2012-0186, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: State of Washington; Underground Injection Control 
(UIC) Primacy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: Water Docket, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) 
EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. Such 
deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of 
operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of 
boxed information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa McWhirter, Drinking Water 
Protection Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (4606M), 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-2317; fax number: 
(202) 564-3754; email address: [email protected] or Peter 
Contreras, Ground Water Unit, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Region 10, Suite 900 M/S OCE-082, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, 
Washington 98101; telephone number (206) 553-6708; fax number: (206) 
553-6984; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Why is EPA issuing this proposed rule?

    EPA proposes to approve by rule the state's UIC Class V Program 
revisions and the transfer of oversight authority from the Department 
of Ecology to the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to issue UIC 
permits at energy facilities, as required under the SDWA to prevent 
underground injection activities that endanger underground sources of 
drinking water. Accordingly, the Agency proposes to codify the state's 
program revisions in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 40 CFR 
part 147. The Agency has published a direct final rule in the ``Rules 
and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, approving the 
state's program revisions, because EPA views the revisions as 
noncontroversial and anticipates no adverse comment. The Agency 
provided reasons for the approval and additional supplementary 
information in the preamble to the direct final rule. If EPA receives 
no adverse comment, the Agency will not take further action on this 
proposed rule. If EPA receives adverse comment, the Agency will 
withdraw the direct final rule and it will not take effect. The EPA 
would then address all public comments in any subsequent final rule 
based on this proposed rule. The EPA does not intend to institute a 
second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in 
commenting must do so at this time. For further information, please 
contact the persons in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.

    Dated: March 30, 2015.
Gina McCarthy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-07758 Filed 4-3-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P