Notice of Intent to Form an Advisory Committee for the Industrial Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking and Request for Nomination of Candidates

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Chapter I

[AD-FRL-5523-6]

Notice of Intent to Form an Advisory Committee for the Industrial

Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking and Request for Nomination of

Candidates

AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Intent to Form Industrial Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking

Advisory Committee and request for nomination of candidates.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is planning to establish an Industrial Combustion

Coordinating Rulemaking (ICCR) Advisory Committee under the Federal

Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of this Federal Advisory

Committee (hereafter referred to as ``Coordinating Committee'') is to

advise and assist the EPA in coordinating the development of

regulations to control emissions of air pollutants from industrial,

commercial, and institutional combustion of fuels and non-hazardous

solid wastes.

The EPA is also requesting nominations for candidates for

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membership on both the Coordinating Committee as well as several Work

Groups. The Work Groups will work in concert with the Coordinating

Committee to develop recommendations and provide advice to the EPA. The

membership of both the Coordinating Committee and the Work Groups will

include a balanced representation of interested persons with personal

and professional qualifications and experience to contribute to the

functions of the Coordinating Committee and the Work Groups. The EPA

will hold a public meeting to discuss the ICCR and answer any questions

on the nomination process.

DATES: A public meeting will be held on July 24, 1996. Submit

nominations of candidates no later than August 20, 1996. Any interested

person or organization may submit the names and information on the

qualifications of persons who are interested in serving on the

Coordinating Committee or a Work Group.

ADDRESSES: Inspection of Documents: Docket. A document entitled

``Industrial Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking: Proposed Organizational

Structure and Process'' (the ICCR document) which describes the ICCR

Project and contains an example nomination form is available for public

inspection at EPA Air Docket No. A-96-17 and is also available on the

Technology Transfer Network (TTN) (see below). The docket is open for

public inspection and copying between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except for Federal holidays, at the following address:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket and

Information Center (6102), 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460;

telephone: (202) 260-7548. The docket is located at the above address

in Room M-1500, Waterside Mall (ground floor). A reasonable fee may be

charged for copying.

Technology Transfer Network. The ICCR document and other relevant

materials are available electronically on the TTN. Choose the ``ICCR-

Industrial Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking Process'' selection from

the Technical Information Areas menu. The TTN is one of the EPA's

electronic bulletin boards and provides information and technology

exchange in various areas of air pollution control. The service is free

except for the cost of a phone call. Dial (919) 541-5472 for up to a

14,400 bits-per-second (bps) modem. The TTN is also accessible through

the Internet at ``TELNET ttnbbs.rtpnc.epa.gov.'' If more information on

the TTN is needed, call the help desk at (919) 541-5384. The help desk

is staffed from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time. The help desk

utilizes a voice menu system at other times.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Sheraton City Center,

Washington, D.C. Submit nominations for candidates to: U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket and

Information Center (6102), Attention: Docket Number A-96-17, Room M-

1500, 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460, and to Ms. Amanda Agnew,

Combustion Group (MD-13), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711. Nominations may also be

submitted to Ms. Agnew electronically through the TTN.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Fred Porter, Combustion Group (MD-

13), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park,

North Carolina 27711, phone number (919) 541-5251; Mr. Sims Roy, phone

number (919) 541-5263; Ms. Agnew, phone number (919) 541-5268; or Mr.

Jim Eddinger, phone number (919) 541-5426, all at the same address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Scope of ICCR Project

Seven categories of Industrial-Commercial-Institutional (ICI)

combustion sources (industrial boilers, commercial-institutional

boilers, process heaters, industrial-commercial solid waste

incinerators, other solid waste incinerators, stationary gas turbines,

and stationary internal combustion [IC] engines) are listed for

regulatory development under section 112 (national emission standards

for hazardous air pollutants [NESHAP]) or section 129 (solid waste

combustion) of the Clean Air Act (the Act). The Act requires the EPA to

develop these regulations by the year 2000. Furthermore, existing

section 111 (new source performance standards [NSPS]) regulations

affecting some of these source categories are periodically reviewed and

may be developed or revised as part of this project. These seven

combustion source categories encompass thousands of combustion units at

a wide range of industries, institutions, and businesses.

An Industrial Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking that addresses the

seven combustion source categories at the same time will result in more

consistent regulations with greater environmental benefits at a lower

cost than regulating each source category individually. It will avoid

the potential for conflicting or duplicative regulations for the

various combustion sources. Furthermore, by involving knowledgeable

stakeholders in the regulatory development process, the scientific

basis for the regulations will be improved. The major advantages of the

ICCR are that stakeholders will have substantial input in a very direct

way into the final regulations, and that they will be allowed to

leverage resources by working in concert with other groups in gathering

information, analyzing alternatives, and recommending actions. The goal

of the ICCR is to develop a unified set of Federal air emissions

regulations that will result in maximum gains to the environment at

reasonable cost to ICI sources and, ultimately, to the public.

Organization Structure

In order to realize the potential of the ICCR, all interested

stakeholders must play a key role in all phases of regulatory

development. The proposed organizational structure consists of Source

Work Groups working in concert with a Coordinating Committee to make

recommendations directly to the EPA decision makers. Members must be

chosen for the Coordinating Committee and the various Source Work

Groups.

It is expected that there will be five Source Work Groups to

represent all seven source categories, and two Work Groups to address

issues that cut across all source categories; however, this proposed

structure may be refined by the Coordinating Committee. The Source Work

Groups are the focus of regulatory development activities for each

source category. The five Source Work Groups are for boilers, process

heaters, stationary gas turbines, stationary IC engines, and waste

incineration. The boilers Work Group combines two of the source

categories (industrial boilers with commercial/institutional boilers)

and the Waste Incinerators Work Group combines two of the source

categories (industrial/commercial incinerators with other solid waste

incinerators) into one Work Group. The function of the Source Work

Groups is to carry out information collection and analyses, identify

regulatory alternatives, assess the impacts of the regulatory

alternatives, and make preliminary recommendations for their source

category. The Testing and Monitoring Protocol Work Group and the

Economic Analysis Work Group are responsible for dealing with the named

issues as they relate to all source categories. These Work Groups will

provide support and assistance to all of the Source Work Groups. The

EPA will select recommended members from nominations and place these

recommendations before the

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Coordinating Committee, who will choose the members of the Work Groups.

The Coordinating Committee will be chartered under the FACA and

will serve the role of planning and coordinating the regulatory

development process. The committee will communicate with the Source

Work Groups to ensure general consistency and thoroughness of data

analyses and preliminary regulatory recommendations. The Coordinating

Committee will consider and discuss the regulatory recommendations made

by the Source Work Groups and present final recommendations to the EPA

management. The Source Work Groups and Coordinating Committee will

strive for consensus, but if consensus is not reached, the Coordinating

Committee will present majority and minority recommendations to the EPA

management. The FACA requires that the Coordinating Committee members

be chosen by the EPA Administrator.

Criteria for Work Group and Coordinating Committee Membership

Source Work Group members should meet the following criteria:

represent an affected party and, preferably, be able to represent the

interests of other affected parties; commit to spending a significant

amount of their time (perhaps 20 to 25 percent) over a multiple year

period; and possess insight, understanding, and technical knowledge of

the source category. It is preferable that Source Work Group members

also have regulatory process experience. Source Work Groups should

include representatives of sources affected by the rule, State/local

regulatory agencies, environmental groups, and the EPA. Criteria for

membership in the testing and monitoring protocol and economic analyses

work groups are similar, but also require expertise in the named

technical areas.

Criteria for membership on the Coordinating Committee includes the

ability to: represent an affected party; be able to represent the

interests of other affected parties; communicate with other affected

parties; commit a significant amount of their time (perhaps 20 to 25

percent) over a multi-year period; and have substantive experience with

the EPA air programs regulatory process (particularly NSPS or NESHAP

regulatory development). The Coordinating Committee should be made up

of representatives of the following: environmental, public health, and

environmental justice groups; State/local regulatory agencies; affected

sources; manufacturers of combustion, emission control, and emission

monitoring/testing equipment; fuel producers and suppliers; labor; and

the EPA.

Nomination Process

Nominations are being solicited for members of the Coordinating

Committee as well as members of the Work Groups. The nominations must

indicate whether the nomination is for one of the Work Groups or for

the Coordinating Committee. Each nomination must discuss and explain

how the nominee meets or satisfies the membership criteria discussed

above. A brief resume and several current references should be

included. The ICCR document includes an example nomination form. It is

recommended that this form be used in order to assure that the

nomination includes all of the necessary information.

Before submitting a nomination, individuals or organizations should

obtain and thoroughly read the ICCR document. This document is

available on the TTN or may be obtained by calling or writing the Air

and Radiation Docket and Information Center. See Inspection of

Documents section for more details.

Public Information

The EPA plans to accomplish several tasks at a public meeting to be

held in July. The ICCR project will be discussed in general, and

information will be provided on how to follow the progress of this

rulemaking. The EPA also plans to describe the roles and membership

criteria for the various Work Groups and the Coordinating Committee,

along with an explanation of the nomination process. The EPA will try

to answer any questions raised by the public on any of these processes.

There will also be a satellite video presentation to discuss the

ICCR at 190 sites across the United States. This video presentation

will serve to educate the public on the same topics to be covered at

the public meeting. Viewers of the satellite presentation will also

have the opportunity to have their questions answered by the EPA. This

video presentation will be shown at the public meeting.

Dated: June 14, 1996.

Mary D. Nichols,

Assistant Administrator For Air and Radiation.

[FR Doc. 96-15880 Filed 6-20-96; 8:45 am]

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