Legislative

LEGISLATIVE
NEWS

2008 LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION - Wednesday, February 20th, 5:30 P.M. Brown Palace Hotel, Denver, CO. Don't miss this important opportunity to mix and mingle with Colorado's legislators about subjects of importance to Colorado Airports. RSVP to RSVP@ftg-airport.com.

CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FORM:

The FAA Northwest Mountain Region has released its Categorical Exclusion (CatEX) Form for use by airports. Click Here to download the form.

EPA EFFLUENT GUIDELINES link: www.epa.gov/waterscience/guide/airport/

SPCC NEWS:

EPA Proposes Amendments to Oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Rule

Contact: Roxanne Smith, (202) 564-4355 / smith.roxanne@epa.gov

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing revisions to certain regulatory requirements for facilities subject to the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule. The revisions will tailor and streamline requirements to particular industry sectors and facility owners or operators subject to the rule.

Nothing in this proposed rule removes any regulatory requirement for owners or operators of facilities in operation before Aug. 16, 2002 to develop, implement and maintain an SPCC plan in accordance with the SPCC regulations then in effect. These facilities are required to maintain their plans until the applicable date for revising and implementing plans under the new amendments. Public comments on the proposed changes will be accepted for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register, which is expected within two weeks.

Information about the SPCC rule proposed amendments: http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/spcc_oct07.htm

Compliance Date Extension

On May 10, 2007, the EPA Administrator signed the rule extending the compliance date for owners and operators of facilities preparing or amending and implementing Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans from October 31, 2007 to July 1, 2009. EPA originally proposed the date extension, which ACI-NA supported, on December 26, 2006.

The extension is intended to:

*  accommodate additional SPCC rule revisions to be proposed by EPA later this year.
*  allow time for the regulated community to understand the revisions finalized in December 2006; and
*  accommodate revisions to the SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors expected to address the December 2006 and forthcoming SPCC rule revisions.

Importantly, facilities in existence prior to August 16, 2002 are already required to have a SPCC plan in place. The compliance date is intended to allow facilities time to amend and implement their plans as necessary to meet the revised requirements. Facilities are required to continue to maintain their existing SPCC plans until their revised plans are amended and fully implemented.

More information on the extension is available on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/extension.htm <http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/extension.htm> .
Please let me know if you have any questions.