[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 188 (Monday, September 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 60781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20878]



[[Page 60781]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-10014-27-OMS]


Cross-Media Electronic Reporting: Authorized Program Revision 
Approval, State of Texas

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) approval of the State of Texas's request to revise/modify certain 
of its EPA-authorized programs to allow electronic reporting.

DATES: EPA approves the authorized program revisions/modifications as 
of September 28, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shirley M. Miller, Cross-Media 
Electronic Reporting Rule (CROMERR) Program Manager, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Information, Mail Stop 
2824T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460, (202) 566-
2908, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 13, 2005, the final Cross-Media 
Electronic Reporting Rule (CROMERR) was published in the Federal 
Register (70 FR 59848) and codified as part 3 of title 40 of the CFR. 
CROMERR establishes electronic reporting as an acceptable regulatory 
alternative to paper reporting and establishes requirements to assure 
that electronic documents are as legally dependable as their paper 
counterparts. Subpart D of CROMERR requires that state, tribal or local 
government agencies that receive, or wish to begin receiving, 
electronic reports under their EPA-authorized programs must apply to 
EPA for a revision or modification of those programs and obtain EPA 
approval. Subpart D provides standards for such approvals based on 
consideration of the electronic document receiving systems that the 
state, tribe, or local government will use to implement the electronic 
reporting. Additionally, Sec.  3.1000(b) through (e) of 40 CFR part 3, 
subpart D provides special procedures for program revisions and 
modifications to allow electronic reporting, to be used at the option 
of the state, tribe or local government in place of procedures 
available under existing program-specific authorization regulations. An 
application submitted under the subpart D procedures must show that the 
state, tribe or local government has sufficient legal authority to 
implement the electronic reporting components of the programs covered 
by the application and will use electronic document receiving systems 
that meet the applicable subpart D requirements.
    On August 18, 2020, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 
(TCEQ) submitted an application titled EPA NPDES Electronic Reporting 
Tool (NeT) for revisions/modifications to its EPA-approved programs 
under title 40 CFR to allow new electronic reporting. EPA reviewed 
TCEQ's request to revise/modify its EPA-authorized programs and, based 
on this review, EPA determined that the application met the standards 
for approval of authorized program revisions/modifications set out in 
40 CFR part 3, subpart D. In accordance with 40 CFR 3.1000(d), this 
notice of EPA's decision to approve Texas's request to revise/modify 
its following EPA-authorized programs to allow electronic reporting 
under 40 CFR parts 123 and 501 is being published in the Federal 
Register:

Part 123: EPA-Administered Permit Programs: the National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Reporting under CFR 122 & 125
Part 501: State Sludge Management Program Regulations Reporting under 
40 CFR 503

    TCEQ was notified of EPA's determination to approve its application 
with respect to the authorized programs listed above.

    Dated: September 4, 2020.
Jennifer Campbell,
Acting Office Director, Office of Information Management.
[FR Doc. 2020-20878 Filed 9-25-20; 8:45 am]
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