Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles; Compliance Programs for New Light-Duty Vehicles and Light-Duty Trucks

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 86

[FRL-6470-7]

Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles; Compliance

Programs for New Light-Duty Vehicles and Light-Duty Trucks

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice requesting comment on Ethyl Corporation petition for

reconsideration.

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SUMMARY: EPA requests comment on a petition submitted to EPA by the

Ethyl Corporation (Ethyl). The petition requests reconsideration of the

CAP 2000 final rule at 64 FR 23906 (May 4, 1999).

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 20, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties should submit written comments (in

duplicate, if possible) to: EPA Air and Radiation Docket, Attention

Docket No.A-96-50, room M-1500 (mail code 6102), 401 M St., SW,

Washington, D.C. 20460. The docket may be inspected at this location

from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. weekdays. The docket may also be reached

by telephone at (202) 260-7548. As provided in 40 CFR part 2, a

reasonable fee may be charged by EPA for photocopying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Hormes, Office of Mobile

Sources, Vehicle Programs and Compliance Division, 2000 Traverwood, Ann

Arbor, MI 48105. Phone: (734) 214-4502. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 2, 1999, the Ethyl Corporation

submitted a petition to EPA requesting reconsideration of the CAP 2000

final rule. Ethyl based its request for reconsideration on the argument

that certain aspects of the CAP 2000 rule are inconsistent with the

Clean Air Act (Act). In brief, Ethyl focused on the durability

demonstration requirements of the regulation and stated that section

206(d) of the Act requires EPA to establish certification test

procedures by regulation and that EPA can not avoid its rulemaking

responsibilities under 307(d) by characterizing the certification

process as an adjudicatory type

[[Page 60402]]

proceeding. Ethyl's petition also states that maintaining the secrecy

of certification test procedures is not in the public interest. Ethyl

also submitted comments during the CAP 2000 rulemaking; the preamble to

the final rule discusses these, explains EPA's reasons for adopting the

durability demonstration procedures contained in the rule, and why EPA

believes these provisions are consistent with the Act.

Because of the potential impact the Agency's decision could have on

the automotive industry and on other concerned parties, EPA is

requesting comment on all the issues raised in Ethyl's petition for

reconsideration. EPA also requests that commenters address any specific

impacts the decision (whether approval or denial) would have on the

commenter. EPA will consider all comments and publish its final

decision in a separate Federal Register document.

The Ethyl petition and other related documents may be found in the

docket listed above in the ADDRESSES section. An electronically scanned

copy of Ethyl's petition can be found at http://www.epa.gov/oms/ld-

hwy.htm#regs.

Dated: November 1, 1999.

Margo T. Oge,

Director, Office of Mobile Sources.

[FR Doc. 99-29076 Filed 11-4-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-U