
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 31, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 78850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30524]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[9920-71-OEI]


Cross-Media Electronic Reporting: Authorized Program Revision 
Approval, State of Maryland

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces EPA's approval of the State of 
Maryland's request to revise its EPA Administered Permit Programs: The 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System EPA-authorized program 
to allow electronic reporting.

DATES: EPA's approval is effective December 31, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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, tribe, or local government will use to implement the electronic 
reporting. Additionally, Sec.  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 November 19, 2013, the Maryland Department of the Environment 
(MDE) submitted an application titled ``National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES) ePermits'' for revision of its EPA-
authorized authorized Part 123 program under title 40 CFR. EPA reviewed 
MDE's request to revise its EPA-authorized Part 123--EPA Administered 
Permit Programs: The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 
program and, based on this review, EPA determined that the application 
met the standards for approval of authorized program revision 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 Maryland's request to revise its 
Part 123--EPA Administered Permit Programs: The National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System program to allow electronic reporting 
under 40 CFR part 122 is being published in the Federal Register.
    MDE was notified of EPA's determination to approve its application 
with respect to the authorized program listed above.

Matthew Leopard,
Acting Director, Office of Information Collection.
[FR Doc. 2014-30524 Filed 12-30-14; 8:45 am]
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