01-4402. Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program: Approval Decisions on Pennsylvania and Virginia Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs

AGENCY:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION:

Notice of Intent to Approve the Pennsylvania and Virginia Coastal Nonpoint Programs.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given of the intent to fully approve the Pennsylvania and Virginia Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs (coastal nonpoint programs) and of the availability of the draft Approval Decisions on conditions for the Pennsylvania and Virginia coastal nonpoint programs. Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA), 16 U.S.C. 1455b, requires states and territories with coastal zone management programs that have received approval under section 306 of the Coastal Zone Management Act to develop and implement coastal nonpoint programs. Coastal states and territories were required to submit their coastal nonpoint programs to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval in July 1995. NOAA and EPA conditionally approved the Pennsylvania coastal nonpoint program on October 3, 1997 and the Virginia coastal nonpoint program on February 23, 1998. NOAA and EPA have drafted approval decisions describing how Pennsylvania and Virginia have satisfied the conditions placed on their programs and therefore have fully approved coastal nonpoint programs.

NOAA and EPA are making the draft decisions for the Pennsylvania and Virginia coastal nonpoint programs available for 30-day public comment periods. If no comments are received, the Pennsylvania and Virginia programs will be approved. If comments are received, NOAA and EPA will consider whether such comments are significant enough to affect the decision to fully approve the programs.

Copies of the draft Approval Decisions can be found on the NOAA website at http://www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/​czm/​6217/​ or may be obtained upon request from: Joseph P. Flanagan, Coastal Programs Division (N/ORM3), Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOS, NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, tel. [phone], extension 201, e-mail [e-mail].

DATES:

Individuals or organizations wishing to submit comments on the draft Approval Decisions should do so by March 26, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Comments should be made to John King, Acting Chief, Coastal Programs Division (N/ORM3), Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOS, NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland, tel. [phone] extension 195, e-mail [e-mail] or to Fred Suffian, EPA Region 3, 1650 Arch Street (3WP14), Philadelphia, PA 19104, tel. [phone], e-mail [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For Pennsylvania, Neil Christerson, Coastal Programs Division (N/ORM3), Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOS, NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, tel. [phone], extension 167, e-mail [e-mail]; for Virginia, Elisabeth Morgan, Coastal Programs Division (N/ORM3), Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOS, NOAA, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, tel. [phone], extension 166, e-mail [e-mail].

(Federal Domestic Assistance Catalog 11.419 Coastal Zone Management Program Administration).

Dated: February 15, 2001.

Ted I. Lillestolen,

Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

Diane C. Regas,

Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency.