SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. What Is Codification?

Codification is the process of placing a State's statutes and regulations that comprise the State's authorized hazardous waste management program into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Section 3006(b) of RCRA, as amended, allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to authorize State hazardous waste management programs to operate in lieu of the Federal hazardous waste management regulatory program. EPA codifies its authorization of State programs in 40 CFR part 272 and incorporates by reference State statutes and regulations that EPA will enforce under sections 3007 and 3008 of RCRA and any other applicable statutory provisions.

The incorporation by reference of State authorized programs in the CFR should substantially enhance the public's ability to discern the current status of the authorized State program and State requirements that can be Federally enforced. This effort provides clear notice to the public of the scope of the authorized program in each State.

B. What Is the History of the Authorization and Codification of New Mexico's Hazardous Waste Management Program?

New Mexico initially received Final authorization effective January 25, 1985, (50 FR 1515) to implement its Base Hazardous Waste Management program. Subsequently, the EPA approved additional program revision applications effective April 10, 1990 (55 FR 4604); July 25, 1990 (55 FR 28397); December 4, 1992 (57 FR 45717); August 23, 1994 (59 FR 29734); December 21, 1994 (59 FR 51122); July 10, 1995 (60 FR 20238); January 2, 1996 (60 FR 53708) as affirmed by EPA in the Federal Register notice published on January 26, 1996 (61 FR 2450)); and March 10, 1997 (61 FR 67474). The EPA incorporated by reference New Mexico's then authorized hazardous waste program effective December 13, 1993 (58 FR 52677); August 21, 1995 (60 FR 32113); November 18, 1996 (61 FR 49265); and July 13, 1998 (63 FR 23224). Effective October 9, 2001 (66 FR 42140), EPA granted authorization to New Mexico for additional program revisions. In this document, EPA is approving a conforming change to the New Mexico regulations at Title 20, Chapter 4, Part 1, New Mexico Administrative code, section 20.4.1.1103, and incorporating by reference the authorized State hazardous waste program in New Mexico. The State's provision at section 20.4.1103 clarifies that references to any provisions of 40 CFR Part 280 within the text of any other provision of 40 CFR as adopted in Part 1 would mean the New Mexico Underground Storage Tank Regulations, 20 NMAC 5.1 through 5.16.

C. What Decisions Have We Made in This Rule?

The purpose of today's Federal Register document is to codify New Mexico's base hazardous waste management program and its revisions to that program. EPA provided notices and opportunity for comments on the Agency's decisions to authorize the New Mexico program, and EPA is not now reopening the decisions, nor requesting comments, on the New Mexico authorizations as published in the Federal Register notices specified in Section B of this document.

This document incorporates by reference New Mexico's hazardous waste statutes and regulations and clarifies which of these provisions are included in the authorized and Federally enforceable program. By codifying New Mexico's authorized program and by amending the Code of Federal Regulations, the public will be more easily able to discern the status of Federally approved requirements of the New Mexico hazardous waste management program.

The EPA is incorporating by reference the New Mexico authorized hazardous waste program in subpart GG of 40 CFR part 272. Section 272.1601 incorporates by reference New Mexico's authorized hazardous waste statutes and regulations. Section 272.1601 also references the statutory provisions (including procedural and enforcement provisions) which provide the legal basis for the State's implementation of the hazardous waste management program, the Memorandum of Agreement, the Attorney General's Statements and the Program Description, which are approved as part of the hazardous waste management program under Subtitle C of RCRA.

D. What Is the Effect of New Mexico's Codification on Enforcement?

The EPA retains its authority under statutory provisions, including but not limited to, RCRA sections 3007, 3008, 3013 and 7003, and other applicable statutory and regulatory provisions to undertake inspections and enforcement actions and to issue orders in authorized States. With respect to these actions, the EPA will rely on Federal sanctions, Federal inspection authorities, and Federal procedures rather than any authorized State analogues to these provisions. Therefore, the EPA is not incorporating by reference such particular, approved New Mexico procedural and enforcement authorities. Section 272.1601(b)(2) of 40 CFR lists the statutory provisions which provide the legal basis for the State's implementation of the hazardous waste management program, as well as those procedural and enforcement authorities that are part of the State's approved program, but these are not incorporated by reference.

E. What State Provisions Are Not Part of the Codification?

The public needs to be aware that some provisions of New Mexico's hazardous waste management program are not part of the Federally authorized State program. These non-authorized provisions include:

(1) provisions that are not part of the RCRA subtitle C program because they are “broader in scope” than RCRA subtitle C ( see40 CFR 271.1(i));

(2) Federal rules for which New Mexico is not authorized, but which have been incorporated into the State ( printed page 51486) regulations because of the way the State adopted Federal regulations by reference.

State provisions that are “broader in scope” than the Federal program are not part of the RCRA authorized program and EPA will not enforce them. Therefore, they are not incorporated by reference in 40 CFR part 272. For reference and clarity, 40 CFR 272.1601(b)(3) lists the New Mexico regulatory provisions which are “broader in scope” than the Federal program and which are not part of the authorized program being incorporated by reference. “Broader in scope” provisions cannot be enforced by EPA; the State, however, may enforce such provisions under State law.

With respect to any requirement pursuant to the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA) for which the State has not yet been authorized, EPA will continue to enforce the Federal HSWA standards until the State is authorized for these provisions.

F. What Will Be the Effect of Federal HSWA Requirements on the Codification?

The EPA is not amending 40 CFR part 272 to include HSWA requirements and prohibitions that are implemented by EPA. Section 3006(g) of RCRA provides that any HSWA requirement or prohibition (including implementing regulations) takes effect in authorized and not authorized States at the same time. A HSWA requirement or prohibition supersedes any less stringent or inconsistent State provision which may have been previously authorized by EPA (50 FR 28702, July 15, 1985). EPA has the authority to implement HSWA requirements in all States, including authorized States, until the States become authorized for such requirement or prohibition. Authorized States are required to revise their programs to adopt the HSWA requirements and prohibitions, and then to seek authorization for those revisions pursuant to 40 CFR part 271.

Instead of amending the 40 CFR part 272 every time a new HSWA provision takes effect under the authority of RCRA section 3006(g), EPA will wait until the State receives authorization for its analog to the new HSWA provision before amending the State's 40 CFR part 272 incorporation by reference. Until then, persons wanting to know whether a HSWA requirement or prohibition is in effect should refer to 40 CFR 271.1(j), as amended, which lists each such provision.

Some existing State requirements may be similar to the HSWA requirement implemented by EPA. However, until EPA authorizes those State requirements, EPA can only enforce the HSWA requirements and not the State analogs. EPA will not codify those State requirements until the State receives authorization for those requirements.

G. Administrative Requirements

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted this action from the requirements of Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), and therefore this action is not subject to review by OMB. This rule incorporates by reference New Mexico's authorized hazardous waste management regulations and does not impose new burdens on small entities. Accordingly, I certify that this action will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). Because this rule merely incorporates by reference certain existing State hazardous waste management program requirements which EPA already approved under 40 CFR part 271, and with which regulated entities must already comply, it does not contain any unfunded mandate or significantly or uniquely affect small governments, as described in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4). For the same reason, this action also does not have tribal implications within the meaning of Executive Order 13175 (65 FR 67249, November 6, 2000). It does not have substantial direct effects on tribal governments, on the relationship between the Federal government and the Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities between the Federal government and Indian tribes, as specified in Executive Order 13175. This action will not have substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship between the Federal government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government, as specified in Executive Order 13132 (64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999), because it merely incorporates by reference existing authorized State hazardous waste management program requirements without altering the relationship or the distribution of power and responsibilities established by RCRA. This action also is not subject to Executive Order 13045 (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), because it is not economically significant and it does not make decisions based on environmental health or safety risks. This rule is not subject to Executive Order 13211, “Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use” (66 FR 28355 (May 22, 2001)) because it is not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866.

The requirements being codified are the result of New Mexico's voluntary participation in EPA's State program authorization process under RCRA Subtitle C. Thus, the requirements of section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note) do not apply. As required by section 3 of Executive Order 12988 (61 FR 4729, February 7, 1996), in issuing this rule, EPA has taken the necessary steps to eliminate drafting errors and ambiguity, minimize potential litigation, and provide a clear legal standard for affected conduct. EPA has complied with Executive Order 12630 (53 FR 8859, March 15, 1988) by examining the takings implications of the rule in accordance with the “Attorney General's Supplemental Guidelines for the Evaluation of Risk and Avoidance of Unanticipated Takings” issued under the executive order. This rule does not impose an information collection burden under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the United States. EPA will submit a report containing this document and other required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior to publication in the Federal Register . A major rule cannot take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register . This action is not a “major rule” as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2). This action will be effective October 27, 2003.

Authority: This action is issued under the authority of sections 2002(a), 3006 and ( printed page 51487) 7004(b) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6912(a), 6926, 6974(b).

For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 40 CFR part 272 is amended as follows:

1. The authority citation for part 272 continues to read as follows:

Authority: Secs. 2002(a), 3006, and 7004(b) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6912(a), 6926, and 6974(b).

2. Subpart GG is amended by revising § 272.1601 to read as follows:

3. Appendix A to Part 272 is amended by revising the listing for “ New Mexico” to read as follows:

Appendix A to Part 272—State Requirements

New Mexico

The statutory provisions include:

New Mexico Statutes 1978 Annotated, Hazardous Waste Act, Chapter 74, Article 4 (1993 Replacement Pamphlet), sections 74-4-2, 74-4-3 (except 74-4-3L, 74-4-3O and 74-4-3R), 74-4-3.1, 74-4-4.2A, 74-4-4.2B, 74-4-4.2G introductory paragraph, 74-4-4.2G(2), 74-4-4.3F, 74-4-4.7 (except 74-4-4.7B and 74-4-4.7C), 74-4-9 and 74-4-10.1C, as published by the Michie Company, Law Publishers, 1 Town Hall Square, Charlottesville, Virginia 22906-7587.

The regulatory provisions include:

Title 20, Chapter 4, part 1, New Mexico Annotated Code, effective June 14, 2000, sections 20.4.100, 20.4.1.101, 20.4.1.200, 20.4.1.300, 20.4.1.400, 20.4.1.401, 20.4.1.500, 20.4.1.501, 20.4.1.600, 20.4.1.601, 20.4.1.700, 20.4.1.800, 20.4.801, 20.4.1.900, 20.4.1.901.B.1 through 20.4.1.901.B.6, 20.4.1.901.E, 20.4.1.1000, 20.4.1.1001, 20.4.1.1102 and 20.4.1103. Copies of the New Mexico regulations can be obtained from the New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives, Administrative Law Division, 1205 Camino Carlos Rey, Santa Fe, NM 87507.