Proposed Implementation Guidance for the Revised Ozone and Particulate Matter (PM) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and Regional Haze Program

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6194-2]

Proposed Implementation Guidance for the Revised Ozone and

Particulate Matter (PM) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

and Regional Haze Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the EPA has issued proposed

guidance for public review and comment on implementation of the Clean

Air Act requirements for the revised 8-hour ozone (62 FR 38856, July

18, 1997) and PM (62 FR 38652, July 18, 1997) NAAQS. This proposed

guidance supplements the proposed guidance previously issued on August

14, 1998 (63 FR 45060, August 24, 1998). On July 16, 1997 (62 FR 38421,

July 18, 1997), President Clinton issued a memorandum to EPA

Administrator Browner on implementation of the revised standards for

ozone and PM. In that memorandum, the President laid out a plan on how

these new standards are to be implemented. This proposed guidance

reflects the Presidential Memorandum.

DATES: The EPA is establishing a 30-day comment period, ending on

December 28, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted (in duplicate, if possible) to:

Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6101), Attention:

Docket No. A-95-38, Category IV-I, U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, 401 M Street SW, Room M-1500, Washington, DC 20460, telephone

(202) 260-7548, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday,

excluding legal holidays. A reasonable fee may be charged for copying.

Comments and data may also be submitted electronically by following the

instructions under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION of this document. No

confidential business information (CBI) should be submitted through e-

mail.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions on the document

or for specific questions and comments on the ozone portion of this

guidance, contact Mr. John Silvasi, U.S. EPA, MD-15, Research Triangle

Park, NC 27711, telephone (919) 541-5666, e-mail address

``[email protected]''; for specific questions and comments on the PM

portion of this guidance, contact Mr. Larry Wallace, U.S. EPA, MD-15,

Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, telephone (919) 541-0906, e-mail

address ``[email protected]''; and for specific questions and

comments on the regional haze portion of this guidance, contact Mr.

Rich Damberg, U.S. EPA, MD-15, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711,

telephone (919) 54l-5592, e-mail address ``[email protected]''.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this guidance is to set forth

EPA's current views on the issues identified above. These issues will

be addressed in future rulemakings as appropriate, e.g., actions

approving or disapproving SIP submittals. In those rulemakings, EPA

plans to propose to take a particular action based in whole or in part

on its views of the relevant issues, and the public will have an

opportunity to comment on EPA's interpretations during the rulemakings.

When EPA issues final rules based on its views at that time, those

views will be binding on the States, the public, and EPA as a matter of

law.

Electronic Availability--A World Wide Web (WWW) site has been

developed for overview information on the NAAQS and the ozone, PM, and

regional haze implementation process. The Uniform Resource Location

(URL) for the home page of the web site is http://ttnwww.rtpnc.epa.gov/

implement. The proposed implementation guidance can be accessed through

this web site in a table entitled ``Major Action Items to Reinvent

Ozone and PM NAAQS and Regional Haze Implementation.'' The URL for the

table is http://ttnwww.rtpnc.epa.gov/implement/actions.htm. For

assistance with these web sites, the TTN Helpline is (919) 541-5384.

For those persons without electronic capability, a copy of the proposed

implementation guidance may be obtained from Ms. Tricia Crabtree, U.S.

EPA, MD-15, Air Quality Strategies and Standards Division, Research

Triangle Park, NC 27711, telephone (919) 541-5688).

The official record for this proposed guidance, as well as the

public version, has been established under docket number A-95-38

(including comments and data submitted electronically as described

below). A public version of this record, including printed, paper

versions of electronic comments, which does not include any information

claimed as CBI, is available for inspection from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00

p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The official

proposed rulemaking record is located at the address in ADDRESSES at

the beginning of this document. Electronic comments can be sent

directly to EPA at: A-and-R-D[email protected]. Electronic comments

must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special

characters and any form of encryption. Comments and data will also be

accepted on disks in WordPerfect file format or ASCII file format. All

comments and data in electronic form must be identified by the docket

number A-95-38. Electronic comments on this proposed rule may be filed

online at many Federal Depository Libraries.

Dated: November 19, 1998.

Anna B. Duncan,

Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.

[FR Doc. 98-31668 Filed 11-25-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P