[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 12, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41313-41314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14754]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9926-01-OMS]


Cross-Media Electronic Reporting: Authorized Program Revision 
Approval, Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME DEP)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the Environmental Protection Agency's 
(EPA) approval of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME 
DEP) request to revise/modify certain of its EPA-authorized programs to 
allow electronic reporting.

DATES: EPA approves the authorized program revisions/modifications as 
of July 12, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shirley M. Miller, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Information Management, Mail Stop 2824T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460, (202) 566-2908, 
[email protected].

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 May 19, 2022, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection 
(ME DEP) submitted an application titled National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Tool (NeT) for 
revisions/modifications to its EPA-approved programs under title 40 CFR 
to allow new electronic reporting. EPA reviewed

[[Page 41314]]

ME DEP'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 ME DEP's request to 
revise/modify its following EPA-authorized programs to allow electronic 
reporting under 40 CFR is being published in the Federal Register:
    Part 123: EPA-Administered Permit Programs: the National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Reporting under 40 CFR parts 122 
and 125
    Part 403: General Pretreatment Regulations for Existing and New 
Sources of Pollution Reporting under 40 CFR part 403
    ME DEP was notified of EPA's determination to approve its 
application with respect to the authorized programs listed above.

    Dated: July 6, 2022.
Jennifer Campbell,
Director, Office of Information Management.
[FR Doc. 2022-14754 Filed 7-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


