[Federal Register: February 16, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 32)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 8228-8229]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16fe06-13]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Parts 50, 53, and 58
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2001-0017; EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0018; FRL-8033-6]
RIN 2060-AI44 and RIN 2060-AJ25
Public Hearings for Proposed Rules--National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Particulate Matter and Revisions to Ambient Air
Monitoring Regulations
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Announcement of public hearings.
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SUMMARY: The EPA is announcing three public hearings to be held jointly
for two proposed rules--``National Ambient Air Quality Standards for
Particulate Matter'' and ``Revisions to Ambient Air Monitoring
Regulations'' that were published in the Federal Register on January
17, 2006 (71 FR 2620 and 71 FR 2710). The hearings will be held
concurrently in Chicago, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and San
Franciso, California.
In the proposed rule entitled ``National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Particulate Matter,'' EPA proposes to make revisions to
the primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards
(NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) to provide requisite protection of
public health and welfare, respectively, and to make corresponding
revisions in monitoring reference methods and data handling conventions
for PM.
In the ``Revisions to Ambient Air Monitoring Regulations,'' EPA is
proposing to revise the ambient air monitoring requirements for
criteria pollutants. The proposal establishes ambient air monitoring
requirements in support of the proposed revisions to the NAAQS for PM
and proposes other changes to better serve current and future air
quality management and research needs.
DATES: The public hearings will be held concurrently on March 8, 2006.
Please refer to SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional information on
the public hearings.
ADDRESSES: The hearings will be held at the following locations:
[[Page 8229]]
1. Chicago: Hyatt Regency, 151 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601,
312-565-1234.
2. Philadelphia: Holiday Inn Historic District, 400 Arch Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19106, 215-923-8660.
3. San Francisco: Courtyard Marriott San Francisco Downtown, 299
Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 947-0700.
Written comments on these proposed rules may also be submitted to
EPA electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or through hand delivery/
courier. Please refer to the two proposals for the addresses and
detailed instructions.
A complete set of documents related to the two proposals is
available for public inspection at the EPA Docket Center, located at
1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room B102, Washington, DC between 8:30
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. A
reasonable fee may be charged for copying. Documents are also available
through the electronic docket system at http://www.regulations.gov.
The EPA Web site for the rulemakings, which includes the proposals
and information about the public hearings, can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/air/particlepollution/actions.html
.
for further information contact: If you would like to speak at the
public hearings or have questions concerning the public hearings,
please contact Ms. Tricia Crabtree at the address given below under
supplementary information.
Questions concerning the ``National Ambient Air Quality Standards
for Particulate Matter'' proposed rule should be addressed to Dr. Erika
Sasser, U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Health
and Environmental Impacts Division, (C504-01), Research Triangle Park,
NC 27711, telephone number (919) 541-3889, e-mail at
sasser.erika@epa.gov.
Questions concerning the ``Revisions to Ambient Air Monitoring
Regulations'' proposed rule should be addressed to the following
individuals. For general questions, please contact Mr. Lewis Weinstock,
U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Air Quality
Assessment Division (D243-02), Research Triangle Park, NC 27711,
telephone number (919) 541-3661, e-mail at weinstock.lewis@epa.gov. For
technical questions, please contact Mr. Tim Hanley, U.S. EPA, Office of
Air Quality Planning and Standards, Air Quality Assessment Division
(D243-02), Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, telephone number (919)
541-4117, e-mail at hanley.tim@epa.gov.
supplementary information: The two proposals for which EPA is holding
the public hearings were published in the Federal Register on January
17, 2006 and are available on the following Web site http://www.epa.gov/air/particlepollution/actions.html.
The public hearings
will provide interested parties the opportunity to present data, views,
or arguments concerning the proposed rules. The EPA may ask clarifying
questions during the oral presentations, but will not respond to the
presentations at that time. Written statements and supporting
information submitted during the comment period will be considered with
the same weight as any oral comments and supporting information
presented at the public hearings. Written comments must be postmarked
by the last day of the comment period, April 17, 2006, as specified in
the two proposals.
The three public hearings will be held concurrently in Chicago,
Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and San Francisco, California.
The public hearings will begin each day at 9 a.m. (local time) and
continue into the evening until 9 p.m., or later if necessary,
depending on the number of speakers wishing to participate. The EPA
will make every effort to accommodate all speakers that arrive and
register before 9 p.m. The EPA is scheduling lunch breaks from 12:30
until 2 p.m. and dinner breaks from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you would
like to present oral testimony at the hearings, please notify Ms.
Tricia Crabtree, (C504-01) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, crabtree.tricia@epa.gov, (919) 541-
5688. She will arrange a general time slot for you to speak. The EPA
will make every effort to follow the schedule as closely as possible on
the day of the hearings.
Oral testimony will be limited to five (5) minutes for each
commenter to address either or both proposals. We will not be providing
equipment for commenters to show overhead slides or make computerized
slide presentations unless we receive special requests in advance.
Commenters should notify Ms. Tricia Crabtree if they will need specific
equipment. The EPA encourages commenters to provide written versions of
their oral testimonies either electronically on computer disk or CD-ROM
or in paper copy.
The hearing schedules, including lists of speakers, will be posted
on EPA's Web pages for the proposals at http://www.epa.gov/air/particlepollution/actions.html
prior to the hearings. Verbatim
transcripts of the hearings and written statements will be included in
the rulemaking dockets.
How Can I Get Copies of This Document and Other Related Information?
The EPA has established the official public docket for the
``National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter'' under
Docket Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2001-0017. The EPA has established the
official public docket for the ``Revisions to Ambient Air Monitoring
Regulations'' under Docket Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0018. The EPA has
also developed Web sites for the two proposals at the addresses given
above. Please refer to the two proposals, which were published in the
Federal Register on January 17, 2006, for detailed information on
accessing information related to each of the proposals.
Dated: February 9, 2006.
Jeffrey S. Clark,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 06-1462 Filed 2-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M