[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38859-38861]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12671]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OGC-2023-0310; FRL-11030-01-OGC]


Proposed Consent Decree, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of proposed consent decree; request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 113(g) of the Clean Air Act, as 
amended (CAA or the Act), the Environmental

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Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is providing notice of a proposed 
consent decree in East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice v. 
EPA, No. 22-cv-0094 (D.D.C.). On January 13, 2022, Plaintiffs East Yard 
Communities for Environmental Justice, Ironbound Community Corporation, 
and Sierra Club (collectively Plaintiffs) filed a complaint in the 
United States District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that 
the EPA failed to perform its non-discretionary duty under to review 
and, if appropriate, revise new source performance standards and 
emissions guidelines for large municipal solid waste incinerators 
(LMWCs) at five-year intervals. In addition, Plaintiffs filed a 
separate petition on December 21, 2021, in the United States Court of 
Appeals for the District of Columbia seeking a writ of mandamus 
relating to a 2008 order of that court remanding to the EPA performance 
standards for LMWCs. EPA is providing notice of this proposed consent 
decree, which would resolve all claims in both cases by establishing 
deadlines for EPA to issue proposed and final rulemakings to review 
and, if necessary, revise emissions standards for LMWCs.

DATES: Written comments on the proposed consent decree must be received 
by July 14, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OGC-2023-0310, online at https://www.regulations.gov (EPA's preferred 
method). Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket ID 
number for this action. Comments received may be posted without change 
to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided. For detailed instructions on sending comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see the ``Additional Information 
about Commenting on the Proposed Consent Decree'' heading under the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew McNerney, Air and Radiation 
Law Office, Office of General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency; telephone (202) 564-1049; email address 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Obtaining a Copy of the Proposed Consent Decree

    The official public docket for this action (identified by Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OGC-2023-0310) contains a copy of the proposed consent 
decree. The official public docket is available for public viewing at 
the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket in the EPA Docket 
Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. 
The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The 
telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the 
telephone number for the OEI Docket is (202) 566-1752.
    The electronic version of the public docket for this action 
contains a copy of the proposed consent decree and is available through 
https://www.regulations.gov. You may use https://www.regulations.gov to 
submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the 
contents of the official public docket, and access those documents in 
the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, key in the appropriate docket identification number then select 
``search.''

II. Additional Information About the Proposed Consent Decree

    On January 13, 2022, Plaintiffs East Yard Communities for 
Environmental Justice, Ironbound Community Corporation, and Sierra Club 
(collectively Plaintiffs) filed a complaint in the United States 
District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that the EPA 
failed to perform its non-discretionary duty under CAA section 
129(a)(5) to review and, if appropriate, revise emissions standards for 
large municipal solid waste incinerators (LMWCs) at five-year 
intervals. In addition, on December 21, 2021, Plaintiffs filed a 
separate petition in the United States Court of Appeals for the 
District of Columbia seeking a writ of mandamus relating to a 2008 
order of that court remanding to the EPA performance standards for 
LMWCs (Petition Matter).
    The proposed consent decree, if finalized, would establish 
deadlines for the EPA to take proposed and final actions under CAA 
section 129(a)(5) to review, and if appropriate, revise new source 
performance standards and emissions guidelines for LMWCs. Specifically, 
the EPA would be required to sign the proposed action by December 31, 
2023, and final action by November 30, 2024. Further, Plaintiffs agree 
to withdraw the related Petition Matter shortly after the entry of this 
Consent Decree.
    In accordance with section 113(g) of the CAA, for a period of 
thirty (30) days following the date of publication of this document, 
the Agency will accept written comments relating to the proposed 
consent decree. EPA or the Department of Justice may withdraw or 
withhold consent to the proposed consent decree if the comments 
disclose facts or considerations that indicate that such consent is 
inappropriate, improper, inadequate, or inconsistent with the 
requirements of the Act.

III. Additional Information About Commenting on the Proposed Consent 
Decree

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OGC-2023-
0310, via https://www.regulations.gov. Once submitted, comments cannot 
be edited or removed from this docket. EPA may publish any comment 
received to its public docket. Do not submit to EPA's docket at https://www.regulations.gov any information you consider to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must 
be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered 
the official comment and should include discussion of all points you 
wish to make. EPA will generally not consider comments or comment 
contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, 
cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission 
methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or 
multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective 
comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets. For additional information about submitting information 
identified as CBI, please contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. Note that written 
comments containing CBI and submitted by mail may be delayed and 
deliveries or couriers will be received by scheduled appointment only.
    If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name, mailing address, and an email address or other 
contact information in the body of your comment. This ensures that you 
can be identified as the submitter of the comment and allows EPA to 
contact you in case EPA cannot read your comment due to technical 
difficulties or needs further information on the substance of your 
comment. Any identifying or contact information provided in the body of 
a comment will be included as part of the comment that is placed in the 
official public docket and made available in EPA's electronic public 
docket. If EPA cannot read your

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comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
    Use of the https://www.regulations.gov website to submit comments 
to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for receiving comments. 
The electronic public docket system is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity, email address, or other 
contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.
    Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified 
comment period. Comments received after the close of the comment period 
will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider these late 
comments.

Gautam Srinivasan,
Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2023-12671 Filed 6-13-23; 8:45 am]
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