The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is publishing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to seek feedback on reconsidering Clean Water Act Hazardous Substance Facility Response Plans regulations that were published in the Federal Register on March 28, 2024. This advanced notice of proposed rulemaking seeks feedback on potential amendments to address implementation challenges and clarify requirements from the 2024 final rule. Any resulting proposed amendments will align with Administration priorities and would prioritize opportunities to address regulatory burden while maintaining planning requirements to protect human health and the environment when responding to Clean Water Act Hazardous Substance worst case discharges.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS announces our 90-day finding on two petitions to list the Atlantic (or American) horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to designate critical habitat. We find that the petitions do not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned actions may be warranted.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service is revising the land management plan for the Tongass National Forest. This notice announces the Forest Service's initiation of the development of a revised land management plan (revised plan) and intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the effects of revising the current plan. This notice initiates the scoping period on the development of the proposed action and EIS. This notice also describes the documents and background resources available for review and how to obtain them; includes a description of the preliminary need to change the current land management plan; includes options for meeting the needs for change; includes a preliminary list of substantive issues to be analyzed in detail; provides information on public participation, including the process for submitting comments; provides an estimated schedule for the planning process; and describes how to obtain additional information. The Planning, Administrative Reviews, and Litigation System identification number for the project is 64039.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice is hereby given that permits, permit amendments, and permit modifications have been issued under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as applicable.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
This notice announces a virtual meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Northern New Mexico. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
This notice announces an in-person/livestreamed meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
The Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is proposing to update the Department's general pricing regulation to establish prices and charges for materials and services sold to organizations and people outside of the Federal Government. DOE's general pricing regulation does not apply to the prices and charges provided for by statute, Executive order, or regulation. This notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) proposes to update definitions, exclusions, exemptions, and special pricing activities affecting the general pricing regulation.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
In this action, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is rescinding the Administrator's 2009 findings of contribution and endangerment and repealing all greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and engines to effectuate the best reading of Clean Air Act (CAA) section 202(a)(1). The EPA determines that CAA section 202(a)(1) does not authorize the Agency to prescribe emission standards in response to global climate change concerns for multiple reasons, including the best reading of the statutory terms "air pollution," "cause," "contribute," and "reasonably be anticipated to endanger." This statutory interpretation is corroborated by application of the major questions doctrine. The EPA further determines that GHG emission standards for new motor vehicles and engines do not impact in any material way the public health and welfare concerns identified in the Administrator's prior findings in 2009. On these multiple and independent bases, the EPA concludes that it lacks statutory authority to regulate GHG emissions in response to global climate change concerns under CAA section 202(a)(1), and is not finalizing the additional bases for repeal set out in the proposed rule.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters within 200 yards radius around the Barge DEFIANT grounded north of El Morro, east of the green buoy three, near the entrance of the San Juan Harbor. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the Barge DEFIANT grounding. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector San Juan.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
Transportation Department, Federal Transit Administration
This notice announces final environmental actions taken by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regarding the Buffalo-Amherst- Tonawanda Corridor Expansion Project in Buffalo, New York. The purpose of this notice is to publicly announce FTA's environmental decisions on the subject project, and to activate the limitation on any claims that may challenge these final environmental actions.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
In accordance with Section 109 of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NASA is adopting one or more categorical exclusions (CATEXs) established by the Federal Rail Administration (FRA), Department of Energy (DOE), National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Department of the Army (DA), Department of the Air Force (DAF), Department of the Navy, Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). These CATEXs cover actions of the same nature and scope as those originally reviewed by the originating agency or agencies. NASA has determined that applying them to similar NASA activities is appropriate and consistent with NEPA. This notice describes the categories of proposed actions for which NASA intends to use the CATEXs and describes the consultation between the agencies.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.
EPA Region 10 intends to prepare a programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, to evaluate the potential environmental and sociocultural effects of the EPA Contaminated Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Lands Assistance Program. The program provides funding to eligible Alaska Native Regional and Village Corporations, Federally Recognized Tribes in Alaska, Alaska Native Nonprofit Associations, Alaska Native Nonprofit Organizations and Alaskan Inter- Tribal Consortia ("applicants") to investigate and remediate contamination present on ANCSA-conveyed lands at the time of conveyance. Through this notice, EPA is initiating scoping to help identify the scope of analysis, reasonable alternatives, and information sources, with particular attention to sociocultural issues tied to: (1) archaeological preservation and historic properties, including sacred sites and traditional cultural places; (2) protected subsistence resources and uses; and, (3) wetlands and associated aquatic resources. Concurrently, and pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108) and its implementing regulations at 36 CFR part 800, EPA is initiating consultation with the Alaska State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), Federally Recognized Tribes in Alaska, Alaska Native corporations, and other consulting parties for the Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance Program. EPA intends to develop a Section 106 Programmatic Agreement (PA) under 36 CFR 800.14(b) with the Alaska SHPO and invited signatories and concurring parties to establish program- wide procedures for identifying, evaluating, and resolving effects to historic properties potentially affected by representative assessment and cleanup actions funded under the program. The EA will consider potential direct, indirect, and reasonably foreseeable impacts of representative cleanup actions funded under the program and will inform whether a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is appropriate or whether preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is warranted.
Agency policy affects how CEQA analyses are scoped, reviewed, or challenged.