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# OAR Box 1830

Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 205 ) IV-C-17

2

Docket Number: 

# A-87-1 1

Printed 11/13/20087:21:02 AM Sheet 205of 232f39

i 08:0 2 FRO

M EP A MOBIL E SOURCE S

*»-««»«- ' P. 2 T O ECT D P.0 2

UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N AGENC Y <P ' WASHINGTON

. D.C

. 2046 0 

# A-Si- ' 

# FIL E COP Y

:MAY7 199 1 

# "XV-C-ng

. TH E ADMINISTRATO R

The Honorabl e Samue l K . Skinne r Secretar

y Departmen t o f Transportation 40X ) 7thStreet , S

W Washington , D C 2059 0 Dea r Sam :
I a m writin g to provide th

e Environmenta l Protection Agency' s (EPA ) understandin g of th

e Departmen t of Transportation' s (DOT ) rol e i n th e vehicl e refuelin g emission s contro l rulemakin

g process . A s you know , th e amendment s t o th e Clean Ai r Ac t direc t EPA , after consultation wit hth e Secretar

y o f Transportation , t o promulgat e withi n on e yea r standard s requirin

g vehicle-based "onboard " controls . The ke y issu e fo r thi s rul e ha s been , an d continue s t o be , th e safety

o f onboar

d systems . Congres s recognize d thi s i

n explicitl y

directin

g EP A t o consul t wit hth e Departmen t o f Transportation regardin g onboar

d syste m safety befor e promulgatin

g th e rule . Thi s consultation is , o f course , a continuation o f th e extensiv

e discussio

n o n th e topi c tha t ha s take n plac e between EP A an d Nationa l Highwa

y Traffi c Safety Administration (NHTSA ) in th e past . Mos t recently , member s o f m y staf f hav

e me t wit hyou

r ke y staf f a

t NHTS A t o discus s th

e rulemakin

g schedul e facin

g EP A an d detail s o f th

e consultation process . A s par t o f th

e consultatio

n process , w

e are lookin

g to yo u an d you r staf f t o advis e u s o n th e safety

o f onboar

d systems . I t wa s ou

r understandin

g tha t NHTS A

staf f wa s preparin g a n updated assessmen t o f onboar d syste m safety . W

e informed NHTSA staf f of ou

r intent t o solici t publi c commen t o n thei r assessmen t durin

g th e cours e of th

e continuin

g rulemakin

g proceeding .



# A
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_ y P. 3 MPY-15-199

1 0S:0 3 FRO

M EP A MOBIL E SOURCE S T

O ECT D P.03



### -2 -

W e received a letter fro m Mr . Jerr

y Curry , Administrato r of NHTSA , dated Februar y 27 , 199 1 in whic hh e reiterate s •NHTSA' s concern s abou t th e safety

o f onboar

d systems . The lette r doe s no t stat e whethe r thi s correspondenc e i s mean t t o b e NHTSA' s re-assessmen t of onboar d safety . I

n an y case , i

n ou r opinion , i t i s not a definitiv e findin

g o f th

e safety

of onboar d systems . Le t m

e provide yo

u wit hou

r views o

n th e necessit y

an d natur e o f a definitiv e findin

g b y DOT . I t seem s t o u s ther e are thre e possibl e outcome s o f you r assessment . First , yo u coul d fin

d tha t onboard system s ca n b e installed o

n vehicle s withou t degradin g safety . Second , yo u coul d fin

d tha t onboar

d system

s are inherentl y

unsaf e an

d shoul d no t be installe d o n vehicles . Third , yo u coul d fin

d tha t onboard system s ca n b e saf e o

r unsaf e dependin

g o n desig n feature s an

d that , a s par t of th e onboar

d syste m implementatio

n proces s tha t woul d follo w th e mandated onboar

d rule , NHTS A

an d EP A shoul d take specifi c step s to insur e th e actua l system

s designed an

d installed b

y th e vehicl e manufacturer s are i n fac t safe . A s I mentioned a

t th e outse t of thi s letter , Congres s ha s directed EP

A t o promulgat e regulation s requirin g th e installatio

n o f onboar

d controls , after consultation wit hth e Secretar

y o f Transportation concernin g thei r safety , withi n one yea r o f th

e enactmen t o f th

e Clea n Ai r Ac t Amendment s o f 1990 , i.e. , b y Novembe r 15 , 1991 . Th e onl y possibl e exceptio n t o thi s mandat e woul d nee d t o b e Based o

n a determination tha t onboar d system

s woul d inherentl y pos e a n unreasonabl e ris k t o publi c safety . A s th e Departmen t responsibl e fo r moto r vehicl e safety , w

e expec t DO T to mak e a definitiv e findin

g abou t th

e safety o f onboar

d system

s upo n whichth

e require

d determinatio

n coul d b e based . Congres s expected a safety.determination t o b e mad e expeditiously , an d certainl y

to occu

r befor e th

e dat e mandated fo

r issuin

g regulations . H . Rep . No . 101-490 , 101s t Cong . 2d Sess . 30 3 (1990) . I f DO T believe s tha t onboar d system s canno t b

e mad e acceptabl y

safe , it mus t mak e a specifi c an d definitive findin g t o EP A quickl y

given th

e pendin

g statutor

y deadline . W e greatl y

appreciat e th

e cooperatio

n tha t DO T staf f member s hav

e show n i n expeditin

g th e resolutio

n o f thi s issue .
Sincerel y

yours , 

# m Willia m K . Reill y