82 FR 43309 - Amendment to Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries Under CERCLA

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 178 (September 15, 2017)

On June 20, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the agency) took direct final action to amend the All Appropriate Inquiries Rule to reference ASTM International's E2247-16 ``Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process for Forestland or Rural Property'' and allow for its use to satisfy the statutory requirements for conducting all appropriate inquiries under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The direct final rule was scheduled to be effective on September 18, 2017, unless EPA received adverse written comment. Because EPA received adverse comment, we are withdrawing the direct final rule for the Amendment to Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries published on June 20, 2017.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43309-43310]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19594]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 312

[EPA-HQ-OLEM-2016-0786; FRL-9967-47-OLEM]
RIN 2050-AG94


Amendment to Standards and Practices for All Appropriate 
Inquiries Under CERCLA

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Withdrawal of direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: On June 20, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA or the agency) took direct final action to amend the All 
Appropriate Inquiries Rule to reference ASTM International's E2247-16 
``Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I 
Environmental Site Assessment Process for Forestland or Rural 
Property'' and allow for its use to satisfy the statutory requirements 
for conducting all appropriate inquiries under the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The 
direct final rule was scheduled to be effective on September 18, 2017, 
unless EPA received adverse written comment. Because EPA received 
adverse comment, we are withdrawing the direct final rule for the 
Amendment to Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries 
published on June 20, 2017.

DATES: The direct final rule published on June 20, 2017 at 82 FR 28009 
is withdrawn effective September 15, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Overmeyer, Office of 
Brownfields and Land Revitalization (5105T), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0002, 202-566-2774, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Because EPA received adverse comment, we are 
withdrawing the direct final rule for the Amendment to Standards and 
Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries published on June 20, 2017 (82 
FR 28009). We stated in that direct final rule that if we received 
adverse comment by July 20, 2017, the direct final rule would not take 
effect and we would publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal 
Register. We subsequently received adverse comment on that direct final 
rule. We addressed the comments received in the final action, which is 
published in the ``Final Rules'' section of this Federal Register. As 
stated in the direct final rule and the parallel proposed rule, we will 
not institute a second comment period on the parallel proposed rule 
published on June 20, 2017 (82 FR 28040).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 312

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Hazardous substances, Intergovernmental relations, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Superfund.


[[Page 43310]]


    Dated: August 31, 2017.
Barry N. Breen,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Land and Emergency 
Management.

0
Accordingly, EPA withdraws the amendment to 40 CFR 312.11(a), published 
in the Federal Register on June 20, 2017 (82 FR 28009), as of September 
15, 2017.

[FR Doc. 2017-19594 Filed 9-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P