Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 51 and 52

[AD-FRL-5557-6]

RIN 2060-AE11

Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Nonattainment

New Source Review (NSR)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a change in the date of the public

hearing regarding EPA's proposed rulemaking, known as the NSR Reform

Rulemaking, published on July 23, 1996 at 61 FR 38249. That rulemaking

proposes to revise regulations for the approval and promulgation of

implementation plans and the requirements for preparation, adoption,

and submittal of implementation plans governing the NSR programs

mandated by parts C and D of title I of the Clean Air Act. The date of

the hearing is being changed from September 23 to September 16, 1996.

This notice also announces a meeting on the day following the public

hearing of the NSR Reform Subcommittee (Subcommittee) (58 FR 36407) of

the Clean Air Act Federal Advisory Committee (55 FR, No. 217, 46993),

which will also be open to the public. The Subcommittee's purpose is to

provide independent advice and counsel to the EPA on policy and

technical issues associated with reforming the NSR rules. Today's

announcement does not change the October 21, 1996 deadline for

receiving written public comments on the proposed rulemaking.

DATES: Public Hearing. The public hearing has been rescheduled for

September 16, 1996 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The hearing may be

canceled if no requests to speak have been received 15 days prior to

this rescheduled hearing date.

Subcommittee Meeting. A meeting of the Subcommittee is scheduled

for September 17, 1996 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Public Hearing. The public hearing will be held at the

Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center,

[[Page 43031]]

Imperial Center, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, telephone

(919) 941-5050.

Subcommittee Meeting. The Subcommittee meeting will be held at the

Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center, Imperial Center, Research

Triangle Park, North Carolina [(919) 941-5050.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Public Hearing. Seating will be available for

approximately 60 persons on a first-come, first-served basis. Persons

wishing to make oral presentations at the public hearing should contact

EPA as indicated below in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

The order of presentation will be based on the order in which EPA

receives requests to speak. Written statements in lieu of, or in

addition to, oral testimony are encouraged and may be any length.

Individuals will be given an opportunity to register for an opportunity

to speak, as time allows, beginning at 9:00 a.m. on the day of the

public hearing. If necessary, oral presentations will be time limited.

Subcommittee Meeting. Although open to the public; general seating

will be available for approximately 60 persons (in addition to that

allocated for the Subcommittee) on a first-come, first-served basis.

There will be a limited opportunity for public remarks at the

Subcommittee meeting and any member of the public may submit a written

statement for consideration by the Subcommittee. To ensure that written

public statements are provided to the Subcommittee prior to the

scheduled meeting they should be mailed to David Solomon, the

Designated Federal Official for this FACA subcommittee, at the

Information Transfer and Program Integration Division (MD-12), Office

of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle

Park, North Carolina 27711.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Crumpler, Information Transfer

and Program Integration Division (MD-12), Office of Air Quality

Planning and Standards, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, North

Carolina 27711, telephone (919) 541-0871, telefax (919) 541-5509.

Persons wishing to make oral presentations at the public hearing, or

seeking further information, should contact Cynthia Baines at (919)

541-5319, telefax (919) 541-5509.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 23, 1996 at 61 FR 38249, the EPA

proposed substantial changes to the major NSR program, a

preconstruction permitting program required by the Clean Air Act, that

regulates the construction and modification of major stationary sources

of air pollution. In that document the EPA announced that the public

hearing for the proposed rulemaking would be held in the Research

Triangle Park, North Carolina, on September 23, 1996--the date 60 days

from the date of publication of the Federal Register notice of proposed

rulemaking.

In the same document, EPA indicated that it planned to convene a

meeting of the NSR Subcommittee in conjunction with the public comment

period to review the proposed rulemaking, but no date or location for

that meeting was announced at the time of publication. Subsequent to

the publication date of the proposed rulemaking, EPA concluded that (1)

it would be desirable to hold the public hearing and the Subcommittee

meeting in sequence because many participants would be interested in

attending both sessions; and (2) due to other scheduling conflicts, the

Subcommittee meeting could not be held on September 24, 1996--the day

following the original date of the public hearing.

It was determined that most feasible dates for scheduling both

meetings jointly would be September 16 and 17, 1996. Consequently, EPA

has decided to reschedule the date of the public hearing so that the

two sessions could be scheduled in sequence in order to reduce the

burden of duplicative travel-related activities for interested

participants. By holding the comment period open the EPA intends to

provide an opportunity for the submission of rebuttal and supplementary

information relative to comments and questions raised in either the

public hearing or Subcommittee meeting.

The tentative Subcommittee meeting agenda is to review the proposed

NSR Reform revisions by topic area as follows:

8:30-10:30 a.m.--NSR applicability criteria

10:30-12:00--noon--NSR technology requirements

12:00-1:00 p.m.--Lunch

1:00-2:00 p.m.--Class I protection requirements

2:00-3:00 p.m.--Miscellaneous reforms

3:00-4:00 p.m.--1990 Clean Air Act Implementing Revisions

4:00 p.m.--Adjourn

Time for breaks and public response will be incorporated. An agenda

will be provided at the meeting.

INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS: Documents related to the NSR Reform

Rulemaking, are available for public inspection in EPA Air Docket No.

A-90-37. Transcripts of the public hearing and Subcommittee meeting

will also be available for public inspection in the same docket. The

docket is available for public inspection and copying between 8:30 a.m.

to 12 noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., weekdays, at EPA's Air Docket (6102),

Room M-1500, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460. A reasonable fee

may be charged for copying.

Approximately 3-4 weeks after the public hearing and Subcommittee

meeting, a transcript of each meeting will also be available to the

public through the Office of Air Quality Planning And Standards

Technology Transfer Network (the TTN). Access to the TTN, via a

computer and communications software, may be obtained by dialing (919)

541-5742. For assistance in accessing the TTN, contact the TTN Help

Desk at (919) 541-5384 in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 1:00

p.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern standard time.

Dated: August 15, 1996.

John S. Seitz,

Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.

[FR Doc. 96-21281 Filed 8-19-96; 8:45 am]

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