Proposed Consent Decree, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit; Request for Public Comment

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 112 (Friday, June 10, 2016)

Federal Register Volume 81, Number 112 (Friday, June 10, 2016)

Notices

Pages 37588-37589

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2016-13792

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA-HQ-OGC-2016-0301; FRL-9947-57-OGC

Proposed Consent Decree, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit; Request for Public Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of proposed consent decree.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 113(g) of the Clean Air Act, as amended (``CAA'' or the ``Act''), notice is hereby given of a proposed consent decree to address a lawsuit filed by Partnership for Policy Integrity (``Plaintiffs'') in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia: Partnership for Policy Integrity v. McCarthy, Civil Action No. 5:16-cv-00038-CAR (M.D. G.A.). On January 25, 2016, Plaintiffs filed a complaint alleging that Gina McCarthy, in her official capacity as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA''), failed to perform a non-

discretionary duty to grant or deny within 60 days a petition submitted by Plaintiffs on May 26, 2015 requesting that EPA object to a CAA Title V permit issued by the Environmental Protection Division (``EPD'') of Georgia's Department of Natural Resources, to Piedmont Green Power, LLC, authorizing the operation of a 60.5 megawatt (MW) steam-turbine generator powered by a 700 million British thermal unit per hour (MMBtu) biomass boiler in Barnesville, Georgia. The proposed consent decree would establish a deadline for EPA to take such action.

DATES: Written comments on the proposed consent decree must be received by July 11, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID number EPA-HQ-

OGC-2016-0301, online at www.regulations.gov (EPA's preferred method); by email to oei.docket@epa.gov; by mail to EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; or by hand delivery or courier to EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Comments on a disk or CD-ROM should be formatted in Word or ASCII file, avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption, and may be mailed to the mailing address above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Krallman, Air and Radiation Law Office (2344A), Office of General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: (202) 564-0904; email address: krallman.john@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Additional Information About the Proposed Consent Decree

   The proposed consent decree would resolve a lawsuit filed by the Plaintiffs seeking to compel the Administrator to take actions under CAA section 505(b)(2). Under the terms of the proposed consent decree, EPA would agree to sign its response granting or denying the petition filed by Plaintiffs regarding Piedmont Green Power's biomass boiler located in Barnesville, Georgia, pursuant to section 505(b)(2) of

   Page 37589

   the CAA, on or before December 16, 2016.

   Under the terms of the proposed consent decree, EPA would expeditiously deliver notice of EPA's response to the Office of the Federal Register for review and publication following signature of such response. In addition, the proposed consent decree outlines the procedure for the Plaintiffs to request costs of litigation, including attorney fees.

   For a period of thirty (30) days following the date of publication of this notice, the Agency will accept written comments relating to the proposed consent decree from persons who are not named as parties or intervenors to the litigation in question. 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. Unless EPA or the Department of Justice determines that consent to this consent decree should be withdrawn, the terms of the consent decree will be affirmed.

2. Additional Information About Commenting on the Proposed Consent Decree

   1. How can I get a copy of the consent decree?

      The official public docket for this action (identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OGC-2016-0301) 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.

      An electronic version of the public docket is available through www.regulations.gov. You may use 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.''

      It is important to note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing online at www.regulations.gov without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Information claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute is not included in the official public docket or in the electronic public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material, including copyrighted material contained in a public comment, will not be placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in printed, paper form in the official public docket. Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through the EPA Docket Center.

   2. How and to whom do I submit comments?

      You may submit comments as provided in the ADDRESSES section. 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.

      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 and with any disk or CD ROM you submit. 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 comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.

      Use of the www.regulations.gov Web site 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. In contrast to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's electronic mail (email) system is not an ``anonymous access'' system. If you send an email comment directly to the Docket without going through www.regulations.gov, your email address is automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.

      Dated: June 1, 2016.

      Lorie J. Schmidt,

      Associate General Counsel.

      FR Doc. 2016-13792 Filed 6-9-16; 8:45 am

      BILLING CODE 6560-50-P