[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 160 (Thursday, August 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 55194]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19541]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9950-79-Region 1]
Notice of Availability of Draft NPDES General Permits for
Remediation Activity Discharges in Massachusetts and New Hampshire: The
Remediation General Permit
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of Availability of DRAFT NPDES General Permits MAG910000
and NHG910000.
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SUMMARY: The Director of the Office of Ecosystem Protection, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency--Region 1 (EPA), is providing a notice
of availability of draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) general permits for discharges from sites engaged in
certain remediation activities to certain waters of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire. The draft NPDES general
permits establish Notice of Intent (NOI), Notice of Change (NOC), and
Notice of Termination (NOT) requirements, effluent limitations and
requirements, standard and special conditions and best management
practice (BMP) requirements for sites that discharge 1.0 million
gallons per day or less in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. These
general permits replace the Remediation General Permit (RGP) that
expired on September 9, 2015.
DATES: Comment on the draft general permits must be received on or
before September 19, 2016.
Public Hearing Information: EPA will hold a public hearing, if
necessary, in accordance with 40 CFR 124.12 and will provide interested
parties with the opportunity to provide written and/or oral comments
for the official administrative record.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the draft RGP shall be submitted by one of the
following methods: (1) Email: [email protected]; or (2) Mail: U.S.
EPA Region 1, Attn: Shauna Little, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100,
Mail Code OEP06-4, Boston, MA 02109-3912. No facsimiles (faxes) will be
accepted.
The draft RGP is based on an administrative record available for
public review at EPA-Region 1, Office of Ecosystem Protection, 5 Post
Office Square, Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts 02109-3912. A
reasonable fee may be charged for copying requests. The fact sheet for
the draft RGP sets forth principal facts and the significant factual,
legal, methodological and policy questions considered in the
development of the draft general permit and is available upon request.
A brief summary is provided as supplementary information below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information concerning the
draft general permits may be obtained between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5
p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from Shauna Little,
U.S. EPA Region 1, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Mail Code OEP06-4,
Boston, MA 02109-3912.; telephone: 617-918-1989; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
General Information: EPA is proposing to reissue two general
permits for discharges from sites engaged in remediation activities
from eight general categories: (1) Petroleum-related site remediation;
(2) Non-petroleum-related site remediation; (3) Contaminated/formerly
contaminated site dewatering; (4) Pipeline and tank dewatering; (5)
Aquifer pump testing; (6) Well development/rehabilitation; (7)
Dewatering/remediation of collection structures; and (8) Dredge-related
dewatering. While the draft general permits are two distinct permits,
for convenience, EPA has grouped them together in a single document and
has provided a single fact sheet. This document refers to the draft
general ``permit'' in the singular. The draft general permit,
appendices and fact sheet are available at: http://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/rgp.html. The draft general permit includes effluent limitations
and requirements based on technology-based considerations, best
professional judgment (BPJ), and water quality considerations. The
effluent limits established in the draft general permit assure that the
surface water quality standards of the receiving water(s) are attained
and/or maintained. The permit also contains BMP requirements in order
to ensure EPA has the information necessary to ensure compliance and to
ensure discharges meet water quality standards.
Obtaining Authorization: In order to obtain authorization to
discharge, operators must submit a complete and accurate NOI containing
the information in Appendix IV--Part 1 of the draft general permit.
Operators with existing discharges must submit a NOI within 90 days of
the effective date of the final general permit. Operators with new
discharges must submit a NOI at least 30 days prior to initiating
discharges and following the effective date of the final general
permit. The effective date of the final general permit will be
specified in the Federal Register publication of the Notice of
Availability of the final permit. Operators must meet the eligibility
requirements of the general permit prior to submission of a NOI. An
operator will be authorized to discharge under the general permit upon
receipt of written notice from EPA following EPA's web posting of the
submitted NOI. EPA will authorize the discharge, request additional
information, or require the operator to apply for an alternative permit
or an individual permit.
Other Legal Requirements: Endangered Species Act (ESA): EPA has
updated the provisions and necessary actions and documentation related
to potential impacts to endangered species from facilities seeking
coverage under the RGP. EPA has requested concurrence from the
appropriate federal services (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
National Marine Fisheries Service) in connection with this draft
general permit.
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA): In accordance with NHPA,
EPA has established provisions and documentation requirements for sites
seeking coverage under the RGP to ensure that discharges or actions
taken under this general permit will not adversely affect historic
properties and places.
Authority: This action is being taken under the Clean Water Act,
33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.
Dated: August 9, 2016.
H. Curtis Spalding,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2016-19541 Filed 8-17-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P