+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
| **[World Trade]{.smallcaps}**                    |                   |
|                                                  |                   |
| **[Organization]{.smallcaps}**                   |                   |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  |                   |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  | **                |
|                                                  | G/TBT/N/USA/187** |
|                                                  |                   |
|                                                  | 5 May 2006        |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  | (06-2169)         |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  |                   |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
| **Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade**     | Original: English |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+

NOTIFICATION

The following notification is being circulated in accordance with
Article 10.6.

+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Member to Agreement     |   |                                 |
| 1. | notifying:** [UNITED      |   |                                 |
| ** | STATES]{.underline}       |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | **If applicable, name of  |   |                                 |
|    | local government involved |   |                                 |
|    | (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):** |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Agency responsible:**   |   |                                 |
| 2. | Environmental Protection  |   |                                 |
| ** | Agency (EPA) (193)        |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | **Name and address        |   |                                 |
|    | (including telephone and  |   |                                 |
|    | fax numbers, e-mail and   |   |                                 |
|    | web-site addresses, if    |   |                                 |
|    | available) of** **agency  |   |                                 |
|    | or authority designated   |   |                                 |
|    | to handle comments        |   |                                 |
|    | regarding the             |   |                                 |
|    | notification shall be     |   |                                 |
|    | indicated if different    |   |                                 |
|    | from above:**             |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Notified under Article  |   |                                 |
| 3. | 2.9.2 \[** **X** **\],    |   |                                 |
| ** | 2.10.1 \[ **  **\], 5.6.2 |   |                                 |
|    | \[ **  **\], 5.7.1        |   |                                 |
|    | \[ **  **\], other:**     |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Products covered (HS or |   |                                 |
| 4. | CCCN where applicable,    |   |                                 |
| ** | otherwise national tariff |   |                                 |
|    | heading. ICS numbers may  |   |                                 |
|    | be provided in addition,  |   |                                 |
|    | where applicable):**      |   |                                 |
|    | Fuels and fuel additives  |   |                                 |
|    | (HS Chapter: 2710; ICS:   |   |                                 |
|    | 13)                       |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Title, number of pages  |   |                                 |
| 5. | and language(s) of the    |   |                                 |
| ** | notified document:**      |   |                                 |
|    | Technical Amendments to   |   |                                 |
|    | the Highway and Nonroad   |   |                                 |
|    | Diesel Regulations (5     |   |                                 |
|    | pages, in English).       |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Description of          |   |                                 |
| 6. | content:** EPA is         |   |                                 |
| ** | proposing to correct,     |   |                                 |
|    | amend, and revise certain |   |                                 |
|    | provisions of the Highway |   |                                 |
|    | Diesel Rule, and the      |   |                                 |
|    | Nonroad Diesel Rule. This |   |                                 |
|    | action proposes to        |   |                                 |
|    | correct additional errors |   |                                 |
|    | and omissions from the    |   |                                 |
|    | previous rules, and make  |   |                                 |
|    | minor changes to the      |   |                                 |
|    | regulations to assist     |   |                                 |
|    | entities with regulatory  |   |                                 |
|    | compliance. Further, this |   |                                 |
|    | action also proposes      |   |                                 |
|    | technical amendments      |   |                                 |
|    | resulting from            |   |                                 |
|    | discussions with various  |   |                                 |
|    | diesel stakeholders.      |   |                                 |
|    | These technical           |   |                                 |
|    | amendments would: provide |   |                                 |
|    | a temporary increase in   |   |                                 |
|    | the sulfur testing        |   |                                 |
|    | tolerance, revise the     |   |                                 |
|    | designate and track       |   |                                 |
|    | provisions to account for |   |                                 |
|    | non-petroleum diesel      |   |                                 |
|    | fuels (i.e., biodiesel)   |   |                                 |
|    | and fuel that meets the   |   |                                 |
|    | California Air Resources  |   |                                 |
|    | Board\'s diesel fuel      |   |                                 |
|    | standards, and amend the  |   |                                 |
|    | alternative defense       |   |                                 |
|    | provisions to account for |   |                                 |
|    | conductivity additives    |   |                                 |
|    | and red dye. This         |   |                                 |
|    | proposed action is        |   |                                 |
|    | intended to help          |   |                                 |
|    | facilitate compliance     |   |                                 |
|    | with the diesel fuel      |   |                                 |
|    | regulations and ensure a  |   |                                 |
|    | smooth transition to      |   |                                 |
|    | ultra low sulfur diesel   |   |                                 |
|    | fuel.                     |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Objective and           |   |                                 |
| 7. | rationale, including the  |   |                                 |
| ** | nature of urgent problems |   |                                 |
|    | where applicable:**       |   |                                 |
|    | Protection of human       |   |                                 |
|    | health and the            |   |                                 |
|    | environment               |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Relevant documents:**   |   |                                 |
| 8. | 71 Federal Register (FR)  |   |                                 |
| ** | 25727 1 May 2006; Title   |   |                                 |
|    | 40 Code of Federal        |   |                                 |
|    | Regulations (CFR) Part    |   |                                 |
|    | 80. Will appear in the    |   |                                 |
|    | Federal Register when     |   |                                 |
|    | adopted.                  |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Proposed date of        |   | To be determined                |
| 9. | adoption:**               |   |                                 |
| ** |                           |   |                                 |
|    | **Proposed date of entry  |   |                                 |
|    | into force:**             |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| *  | **Final date for          |   |                                 |
| *1 | comments:** 31 May 2006   |   |                                 |
| 0. |                           |   |                                 |
| ** |                           |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| *  | **Texts available from:   |   |                                 |
| *1 | National enquiry point    |   |                                 |
| 1. | \[** **X** **\] or        |   |                                 |
| ** | address, telephone and    |   |                                 |
|    | fax numbers, e-mail and   |   |                                 |
|    | web-site addresses, if    |   |                                 |
|    | available of the other    |   |                                 |
|    | body:**                   |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | Full Texts are Now        |   |                                 |
|    | Available on the Internet |   |                                 |
|    | at URLs:                  |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | <http://a257.g.akama      |   |                                 |
|    | itech.net/7/257/2422/01ja |   |                                 |
|    | n20061800/edocket.access. |   |                                 |
|    | gpo.gov/2006/06-3929.htm> |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | <http://a257.g.akamaitec  |   |                                 |
|    | h.net/7/257/2422/01jan200 |   |                                 |
|    | 61800/edocket.access.gpo. |   |                                 |
|    | gov/2006/pdf/06-3929.pdf> |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+