Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 191 / Thursday, October 2, 1997 / Notices 51659

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5902–4]

Fuel Economy Retrofit Devices;

Announcement of Fuel Economy

Retrofit Device Evaluation for Vehicle

Exhaust Emission Control Device

(VEECD) (Now Known as EVECTM)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of fuel economy retrofit

device evaluation.

SUMMARY: This document announces the

completion of EPA evaluation of

Vehicle Exhaust Emission Control

Device (VEECD) under provision of

Section 32918 of Title 49 U.S.C. This

notice also announces EPA’s findings,

conclusions, and the availability of the

report.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Henry Johnson, Vehicle Programs and

Compliance Division, Office of Mobile

Sources, Environmental Protection

Agency, 2565 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor,

Michigan 48105, Telephone: (313) 741–

7893.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Section 32918 of Title 49 U.S.C.

requires that:

(b)(1) ‘‘Upon application of any

manufacturer of a retrofit device (or

prototype thereof), upon the request of

the Federal Trade Commission pursuant

to subsection (a), or upon her own

motion, the EPA Administrator shall

evaluate, in accordance with rules

prescribed under subsection (d), any

retrofit device to determine whether the

retrofit device increases fuel economy

and to determine whether the

representations (if any) made with

respect to such retrofit devices are

accurate.’’

(c) ‘‘The EPA Administrator shall

publish in the Federal Register a

summary of the results of all tests

conducted under this section, together

with the EPA Administrator’s

conclusions as to—

(1) The effect of any retrofit device on

fuel economy:

(2) The effect of any such device on

emissions of air pollutants: and

(3) Any other information which the

Administrator determines to be relevant

in evaluating such device.’’

EPA published final regulations

establishing procedures for conducting

evaluations of fuel economy retrofit

devices on March 23, 1979 (44 FR

17968). These regulations were later

amended May 1, 1984 (49 FR 18486) to

explicitly include fuel additives within

the definition of a retrofit device and to

improve administration. They were also

amended May 3, 1984 (49 FR 18837) to

clarify that the manufacturer of the

device must pay the cost of any EPA

testing.

II. Origin of Request for Evaluation,

Device Descriptions, and Report

Identification

On January 17, 1997, EPA received an

application from Hawtal Whiting

Environmental Ltd. requesting

evaluation of the VEECD as a

hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide

(CO) emission reduction device. The

VEECD is an air bleed retrofit device

which is fitted to the vacuum brake line

and acts to optimize the air/fuel mixture

during idle and deceleration. The device

is intended to be fitted to vehicles

produced without any or with earlier

technology emission control systems. It

is not compatible with newer complex

engine management systems or closed

loop three-way catalyst systems. It is

claimed to significantly reduce HC and

CO without substantially increasing CO2

or NOX emissions. In addition,

incidental city fuel economy

enhancement was claimed. The report,

‘‘Emissions and Fuel Economy Effects of

Vehicle Emission Control Device’’

(Report Number EPA–VPCD–32918–

RD–97–1), contains the test data,

analysis, conclusions and consists of 52

pages including Appendices.

III. Availability of Evaluation Report

Copies of this report may be obtained

from the National Technical Information

Service by using the above report

number. Address requests to: National

Technical Information Service, U.S.

Department of Commerce, Springfield,

VA 22161, Telephone (703) 487–4650.

Dated: September 25, 1997.

Richard D. Wilson,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and

Radiation.

[FR Doc. 97–26182 Filed 10–1–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–U

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5902–9]

Proposed Administrative Settlements

Under Section 122(h)(1) of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act; In Re: Brockton Gas Works I

Superfund Site, Brockton MA;

Brockton Gas Works II Superfund Site,

Brockton, MA; and Taunton Gas/

Rogers Ave. Superfund Site, Taunton,

MA

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of proposed cost

recovery agreements and request for

public comment.

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) is proposing to enter into

three separate cost recovery settlement

agreements to address claims under the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation and Liability

Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA), 42

U.S.C. 9601 et seq. This document is

being published to inform the public of

the proposed settlements and of the

opportunity to comment. The

settlements are intended to resolve

liability under CERCLA of the Bay State

Gas Company for costs incurred by EPA

in initiating and overseeing removal

actions at the following three Superfund

Sites: Brockton Gas Works I in Brockton,

Massachusetts; Brockton Gas Works II in

Brockton, Massachusetts; and Taunton

Gas/Rogers Ave. in Taunton,

Massachusetts.

DATES: Comments must be provided on

or before November 3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

addressed to the Docket Clerk, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency,

Region I, JFK Federal Building,

Mailcode RCH, Boston, Massachusetts

02203, and should refer to: The

Agreement for Payment of Response

Costs Re: (a) Brockton Gas Works I

Superfund Site, Brockton,

Massachusetts, U.S. EPA Docket No.

CERCLA–I–97–1076; (b) Brockton Gas

Works II Superfund Site, Brockton,

Massachusetts, U.S. EPA Docket No.

CERCLA–I–97–1077; or (c) Taunton

Gas/Rogers Ave. Superfund Site,

Taunton, Massachusetts, U.S. EPA

Docket No. CERCLA–I–97–1078.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tina

Hennessy, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, J.F.K. Federal

Building, Mailcode HBR, Boston,

Massachusetts 02203, (617) 573–5701.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In

accordance with the Comprehensive