AGENCY:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
This notice announces EPA's approval of the State of Mississippi's request to revise/modify certain of its EPA-authorized programs to allow electronic reporting.
DATES:
EPA's approval is effective on September 19, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Evi Huffer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Information, Mail Stop 2823T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460, (202) 566-1697, huffer.evi@epa.gov, or Karen Seeh, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Information, Mail Stop 2823T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460, (202) 566-1175, seeh.karen@epa.gov.
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, tribal, or local government will use to implement the electronic reporting. Additionally, § 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 January 14, 2010, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) submitted an application entitled “Regulatory Services Portal/Hazardous Waste Biennial Reporting” for revisions/modifications of its EPA-authorized programs under title 40 CFR. EPA reviewed MDEQ'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 Mississippi's request to revise/modify its following EPA-authorized programs to allow electronic reporting under 40 CFR parts 51, 61, 70, 261-262, and 264-265 is being published in the Federal Register:
Part 52—Requirements for Preparation, Adoption, and Submittal of Implementation Plans;
Part 61—National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants Subpart M—National Emission Standard for Asbestos;
Part 70—State Operating Permit Programs; and
Part 272—Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs.
Specifically, EPA has approved the state's revision to its part 272 authorized program for electronic reporting of hazardous waste biennial report information under 40 CFR parts 262.41 and 264.75, for electronic submissions that include a handwritten signature on a separate paper submission report instead of an electronic signature.
MDEQ was notified of EPA's determination to approve its application with respect to the authorized programs listed above.
Dated: September 10, 2012.
Andrew Battin,
Director, Office of Information Collection.
[FR Doc. 2012-23089 Filed 9-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P