February 3, 2010 Regulatory Update Information
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability and announcement of public comment period.
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is
announcing a 50-day public comment period for draft recommended
interim preliminary remediation goals (PRGs) developed in the Draft
Recommended Interim Preliminary Remediation Goals for Dioxin in Soil at
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Sites.
EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency and Emergency Response
(OSWER) has developed the draft recommended interim PRGs for dioxin
in soil. These draft recommended interim PRGs were calculated using
existing, peer-reviewed toxicity values and current EPA equations and
default exposure assumptions. This Federal Register notice is intended
to provide an opportunity for public comment on the draft recommended
interim PRGs. EPA will consider any public comments submitted in
accordance with this notice and may revise the draft recommended interim
PRGs thereafter.
DATES: Comments may be submitted in writing by February 26, 2010.
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 6 / Monday, January 11, 2010
Pages 1302 to 1324
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
49 CFR Parts 172, 173, 175
[Docket No. PHMSA-2009-0095 (HM-224F)] RIN 2137-AE44
Hazardous Materials: Transportation of Lithium Batteries
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
SUMMARY: PHMSA, in consultation with the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA), is proposing to amend requirements in the Hazardous Materials
Regulations (HMR) on the transportation of lithium cells and batteries,
including lithium cells and batteries packed with or contained in equipment.
The proposed changes are intended to enhance safety by ensuring that all
lithium batteries are designed to withstand normal transportation conditions.
This would include provisions to ensure all lithium batteries are packaged
to reduce the possibility of damage that could lead to a catastrophic incident,
and minimize the consequences of an incident. In addition, lithium batteries
would be accompanied by hazard communication that ensures appropriate
and careful handling by air carrier personnel, including the flight crew, and
informs both transport workers and emergency response personnel of
actions to be taken in an emergency.
These proposals are largely consistent with changes made to the United
Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods
(UN Recommendations) and the International Civil Aviation Organization
Technical Instructions on the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by
Air (ICAO Technical Instructions) and respond to recommendations
issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
DATES: Comments must be received by March 12, 2010.
We are proposing a mandatory compliance date of 75 days after the date of
publication of a final rule in the Federal Register.
Summary of Proposals in This NPRM
In this NPRM, we propose a numberof provisions to enhance the safe
transportation of lithium batteries. The proposals are intended to reform
the current regulatory framework specific to lithium batteries and
strengthen the regulations by eliminating certain exceptions. These revisions
will enhance safety by ensuring that all lithium batteries are designed to
withstand normal transportation conditions, packaged to reduce the
possibility of damage that could lead to an incident, and accompanied by
hazard communication information that ensures appropriate and careful
handling by air carrier personnel and informs transport workers and
emergency response personnel of actions to be taken in an emergency. The
additional hazard communication information will also provide the pilot in
command with additional information about the location and quantity of
lithium batteries should an unrelated fire require emergency measures.
Several of the proposals are based on recommendations issued by the NTSB.
Specifically, in this NPRM,we propose to:
• Revise current shipping descriptions for lithium batteries (UN3090),
lithium batteries packed with equipment (UN3091), and lithium batteries
contained in equipment (UN3091) to specify lithium metal batteries including
lithium alloy batteries as appropriate.
• Adopt shipping descriptions for lithium ion batteries including lithium ion
polymer batteries (UN3480), lithium ion batteries packed with equipment
including lithium ion polymer batteries (UN3481), lithium ion batteries
contained in equipment including lithium ion polymer batteries (UN3481).
• Adopt watt-hours in place of equivalent lithium content to measure the
relative hazard of lithium ion cells and batteries.
• Incorporate by reference the latest revisions to the United Nations
Manual of Tests and Criteria applicable to the design type testing of lithium
cells and batteries.
• Adopt and revise various definitions including ''Aggregate lithium
content'', ''Lithium content'', ''Lithium ion cell or battery'', ''Lithium
metal cell or battery'', ''Short circuit'', and ''Watthour'' based on
definitions found in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria.
• Require manufacturers to retain results of satisfactory completion of UN
design type tests for each lithium cell and battery type and place a mark on
the battery and/or cell to indicate testing has been completed successfully.
PHMSA and the FAA will coordinate with the appropriate international
organizations to ensure consistency.
• For air transportation, eliminate regulatory exceptions for lithium cells
and batteries, other than certain exceptions for extremely small lithium cells
and batteries that are shipped in very limited quantities such as button cells
and other small batteries that are packed with or contained in equipment
and those required for operational use in accordance with applicable air
worthiness requirements and operating regulations.
• For all transport modes, require lithium cells and batteries to be packed
to protect the cell or battery from short circuits.
• Unless transported in a container approved by the FAA Administrator,
when transported aboard aircraft, limit stowage of lithium cells and
batteries to crew accessible cargo locations or locations equipped with an
FAA approved fire suppression system.
• Consolidate and simplify current and revised lithium battery
requirements into one section of the HMR.
• Apply appropriate safety measures for the transport of lithium cells or
batteries identified as being defective for safety reasons, or those that have
been damaged or are otherwise being returned to the manufacturer. To
expedite compliance with the amendments in this notice, we are proposing a
mandatory compliance date of 75 days after the date of publication of the
final.
Federal Register: January 19, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 11)]
Page 2938-3052
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Parts 50 and 58
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0172; FRL-9102-1] RIN 2060-AP98
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY: Based on its reconsideration of the primary and secondary
national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone (O3) set in
March 2008, EPA proposes to set different primary and secondary
standards than those set in 2008 to provide requisite protection of public
health and welfare, respectively. With regard to the primary standard for
O3, EPA proposes that the level of the 8-hour primary standard, which
was set at 0.075 ppm in the 2008 final rule, should instead be set at a
lower level within the range of 0.060 to 0.070 parts per million (ppm), to
provide increased protection for children and other ``at risk'' populations
against an array of O3-related adverse health effects that range from
decreased lung function and increased respiratory symptoms to serious
indicators of respiratory morbidity including emergency department
visits and hospital admissions for respiratory causes, and possibly
cardiovascular-related morbidity as well as total non-accidental and
cardiopulmonary mortality. With regard to the secondary standard for
O3, EPA proposes that the secondary O3 standard, which was set identical
to the revised primary standard in the 2008 final rule, should instead be a
new cumulative, seasonal standard expressed as an annual index of the
sum of weighted hourly concentrations, cumulated over 12 hours per day
(8 am to 8 pm) during the consecutive 3-month period within the O3 season
with the maximum index value, set at a level within the range of 7 to
15 ppm- hours, to provide increased protection against O3-related adverse
impacts on vegetation and forested ecosystems.
DATES: Written comments on this proposed rule must be received by
March 22, 2010.
Federal Register / Volume 75, Number 11 Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Pages 2926-2927
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA-2009-0408]
Pipeline Safety: Reporting Drug and Alcohol Test Results for
Contractors and Multiple Operator Identification Numbers
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice; Issuance of Advisory Bulletin.
SUMMARY: This notice advises operators of gas, hazardous liquid, and
carbon dioxide pipelines and liquefied natural gas facilities that the Pipeline
and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline
Safety (OPS), is modifying the Drug & Alcohol Management Information
System (DAMIS) to allow the reporting of contractor data without duplication
and will begin collecting annual drug and alcohol testing data for contractor
employees with Management Information System (MIS) reports due March
15, 2010. The collection of contractor MIS reports will provide data for the
entire pipeline industry to calculate the required minimum annual percent rate
for random drug testing. Operators will also identify all OPS issued operator
identification numbers (OpID) covered by a MIS report of operator employees.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stanley T. Kastanas, Program
Manager, Substance Abuse Prevention Program at 202-550-0629 or by e-mail at
Stanley.Kastanas@dot.gov.
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