CAS-RM-78-110 COMMENT 02

44086 Federal Re~ister \"01. -0\5. :':0. 1::7 f :\!onday. June 30. 1980 ! P:-oposed Rules

10 CFR Part 430

Energy ConservatIon Program for

Consumer Products

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTlON: :--lotice of availability of

environmental assessment and finding

of no sigmficant impact.

SUMMARY: The Deoartment of EnerQV

(DOE) announces "the avaHabl!ity O(lts

environmental assessment (EA) of its

Energy Conservation Program for

Consumer Products (DOE/EA-Q113).

DOE has determined. based on the E.a..

that this Program does not constitute a major Federal action significantly

affecting thi quality of the human

environment. within the meaning of

section 102(Z)(Q of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA). 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. Therefore.

a finding of no significant impa"ct.

pursuant to 40 CFR 1501A(e). is hereby

issued to notify the public that an

environmental impact statement is not

reqUired for this action.

ADDRESSES: For copies of the EA:

Department of Energy. Office of

Hearings and Dockets. Forrestal

Building. Room 1F-Q85. Mail Station

68-025.1000 Independence Avenue.

S.W.• Washington. D.C. 20585. Phone:

202-252-9319.

Department of Energy. Freedom of

Information Reading Room. Forrestal

Building. Room 58-180. 1000

Independence Avenue. S.W.•

Washington. D.C. 20585. Phone: 202-

252-6020.

Mr. James A. Smith. Department of

Energy. Office of Conservation and

Solar Energy. Forrestal Building.

Room GH-Q65. Mail Station GH-ooa,

1000 Independence Avenue. S.W..

Washington. D.C. 20585. Phone: 202-

252-9127.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Energy Policy and Conservation

Act (EPCAI (Pub. 1.. 94-163). as amended

by the National Energy Conservation

Policy Act (NECPAJ (Pub. 1.. 95-819).

requires that the Department of Energy'

(DOE) prescribe energy efficiency

standards for thirteen types of consumer products. These consumer products are

sometimes referred-to as "covered

products." Standards for nine of these

product types are required to be

published in the Federal Register no

later than December 24. 1980. The nine

product types given priority by £PeA as

amended. by NEPCA. and for which a rule is thereby proposed today, are

refrigerators and refrigerator·freezers.

freezers. clothes dryers. water heaters.

room air conditioners. home heatinl!

equipment. not including furnaces. -

kitchen ranges and ovens. central air

conditioners (cooling only). and

furnaces. Standards for dishwashers.

teleVISion sets. dothes washers. and

humidifiers and dehumIdifiers are

reqwred to be pubiished in the Federal

Register no later than :--lovember 9. 1981"

Standards for central aIr conditioners

(heat pumps) are required to be

pubHshed in the Federal Register no

later than January 23.1982.

DOE'S first in prescribing energy

efficiency standards for the thirteen

product types was to publish three

advance notices of proposed I'\Ilemaking

in the Federal Re'gister. The UrsL

covering nin"e"product types. WllS

published on January 2.1979 (44 FR 49).

The second. covering dishwashers.

television sets. clothes washers. and

humidifiers and dehumidifiers. was

published on December 13. 19i9 (44 FR

:'z::!76). The thiro. coverillg heat pumps.

was published on January 23. 1980 (45

FR 56(2).

The notice of proposed rulemaking for

energy efficiency standards for nine

types of consumer products presents a

discussion of DOE's basis for the

proposed standards and the process for

implementing the regulation. Ensuing

sections deal with the legislative

background. the standards

implementation process. the phase-in

period for standards, a discussion of the

comments received as a result of the

advanC2 notice. a discussion of the

product types and classes to which the

proposed standards will apply. the

certification and enforcement

procedures proposed. a summary of the

basis for arriving at maximtml

technologically feasible efficiency levels

for each class of product. a summary of

the basis for arriving at the minimum

energy efficiency standards

(intermediate and final) for each class of

product. a discussion of state preemption petitions. small business

exemptions. and a requesl for comments

on various standards-related issues. In

support of this proposed rule. the

Department had developed six

Technical Support Documents. These

documents provide detailed information on important aspects of the proposed

rule.

In accordam:e with its obligations

under the National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPAl (42. U.S.c. 4321. et seq,) and

the Council of Environmental Quality

• regulations implementing the procedural

provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508).

DOE stated in the advance notice of

January z. 1979 that it would prepare an

Environmental Assessment on the

:mpact of setting energy efficiency

standards for the nine types of

consumer oroducts covered bv the

notice. Subsequent to pubiicaiion of [hl_

advance notice. advance notices were

;JUbiished indicating that DOE is

conSIderIng energy efficiency standJrds

for dishwashers. televiSIon sets. clothes

washers. humldiJiers and dehumldifiers.

and heat pumps. In oroer to produce a

fun envir~nm~ntal review d generically

similar actions. thereby averting

program segmentation. the

Environmental Assessment being made

available at this time addresses the

potential environmental impacts of all

thirteen types of consumer products.

The analyses in the Environmental

Assessment indicated thaI air pollution

and commitments ofland and energy

resources decreased as a result of

dec:resing future energy demand. Indoor

air quality was found to be at worst

unaffected by implementation of

standards and at best somewhat

improved: the exact effect could not be

measured because the design options

that will be selected by manufacturers

for imprOVing the efficiency of gasburning appliances could not be

ascertained. The program was found to

have no significant effect on water

quality. noise levels or solid waste

levels. -

A maximum ("worst case") increase

of about 4 percent (29 million pounds) in

the production/consumption of

chlorofluorocarbons in the United States

is projected to occur by the year 1990 as

a result of implementing tke proposed

standards. when compared to 1977

consumption levels. This increase is not

considered to be significant for the

following reasons:

• The "worst case"' projection uses 1977

chlorotluorocarbon consomption in the

appliances covered by the proposed

standards as a baseline reference and

assum~ that. absent the proposed

standards. there would not be anv incr~ase

in the use of chlorofluorocarbons'in those

appliances. However. gh:en the present

trends in improving the energy eificieocy of

a number of these products. some increase

in chlorofluorocarbon usage is likely tlo>

occur even without implementation of the

proposed standards.

• The 4 percent projected increase in United

Slales consumption represents only about 1

percent of world consumption of

chlorofluorocarbons.

• The projected increase iw small when

compared to the approximately 0170 mtiIion

pOWld decrelille in chlorotl\1orocaroon

consumption that has OCCUlTed in the

United States since 1973 with the phasmg

oQt (and.. beginrung in 1978. the total.ban)

of the use of chlorofluorocarbons in aerosol

sprays. As a result of this decrease. total

United-States consumption of

chlorofluorocarbons has dropped by over
CAS-RM-78-110 COMMENT 02

Federal Register / Vol. 45. No. 1:7 I Mondav. Iune 30. 1980 I Proposed E'-lles 44087

150 million pounds per year since the peak

vear of 1973.

• The Environmental Protection Allene\' is

currently developing strategles f~r the

control of the release of

chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere.

and has been informed of the projected

Increase inconsumption due to the

Implementation of this proposed program.

The Agency has informally stated that they

believe that this potential increase can be

mitigated through implementation of one or

more of the control strategies presently

under development. These strategies are

discussed in the program environmental

assessment.

Projected increases in the use of

copper. steel. iron. aluminum. plastic

and fiberglass were not considered to be

significant. when compared to total U.S.

production. In addition. it was found

that money saved from lower operating

costs would be likely to be spend on

goods and services in the general

economy and might therefore stimulate

additional pollution wjlich would not

have occurred without the program. This

amount was estimated to be minimal

and to have no significant impact on

future environmental quality.

The Environmental Assessment also

summarized the socioeconomic impacts

of the program in a number of areas. Change in the life cycle costs for

consumers; The differential impact of

the program on various income groups;

Change in the profitability of

manufacturers of consumer products;

The value of the program to the Nation

as a whole and to various regions of the

country; Effects of the program on the

health and safety of workers in the

consumer product manufacturing

industry; and Secondary effects of the

program on the national economy.

including effects on employment.

inflation. gross national product. and

balance of trade.

Alternatives to the energy efficiency

standards as proposed were assessed

from the perspective of environmental

impact. None of the alternatives

analy-zed Was found to vary significantly

from the program with respect to its

impact on the environment.

Based on the results of the

Environmental Assessment. DOE has

determined that the Energy

Conservation Program for Consumer

Products does not represent a major

Federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment

within the meaning of Section 120(Z)(C)

of NEPA.

n. Public Access to Information

Single copies of the EA may be

obtained from the Office of Hearings

and Dockets at the address listed above.

Copies of the EA are also available for

public review in the DOE Freedom of

Information Re.ading Room at the

address listed above. between the hours

of 8 a.m.. and 4 p.m.. Monday through

Friday. except Federal holidays.

Interested parties should be aware that a public meeting will be held on the

Notice oiProposed Rulemaking on July

9. 1980 and that public hearings are scheduled to be held in Washington.

D.C. over the period July 21-August 1.

1980 and in Chicago. Illinois over the

period August 4-8. 1980. Mr. Jarr.es A.

Smith. whose address is listed above.

can provide any additional information

desired. •

Issued in Washington. D.C. June 15.1980.

Ruth C. Clusen.

A.ssistant Secretary for Environment.

fFR Doc. 80-19191 filed S-24-llO: S:45 ami

B1L1.ING eoCE &45G-01-1oI