P. 1



# OAR Box 

# 1830 Prepped byOllie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 185)IV-C-15 2 Docket Number: 

# A-87-1 1

Printed 11/13/20087:21:01 AM Sheet 185of 232P. 2

-it°» 1 '«*

. >-/ )

UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA LPROTECTIO N AGENC Y WASHINGTON

. D.C

. 2046 0 JAN 

### i 8 198 9

Honorabl e John D . Dingel l Chairman , Subcommitte e o n Oversigh t an

d Investigation s Committe e o n Energyan d Commerc e Hous e o f Representative s Washington , D C 2051 5 Dea r Mr . Chairman : TH E ADMINISTRATO R

&*

I a mwriting in respons e t o you r lette r o f Novembe r 9 , 198 8 regarding the draf t Supplementa l Notic e o f Propose d Rulemaking (SNPRM ) fo r onboar d refueling controls . You r lette r raise d issue s i n fou r mai n areas : th e releas e o f document s t o th e public , th e scop e o f the SNPRM , option s fo r proceedin g an d leadtime . Our respons e i s organize d int o thes e fou r topics . T o begi n with , yo u requeste d tha t w e provid e copie s o f th e draf t Augus t 198 8 "Summaryan d Analysi s o f Comment s Regardin g th e Potentia l Safet yImplication s o f Onboar d Vapo r Recovery Systems " t o th e Nationa l Transportatio n Safet yBoar d (NTSB) , th e Nationa l Safet yCounci l (NSC) , th e Insuranc e Institut e fo r HighwaySafet y(IIHS ) an d th e America n Automobil e Associatio n (AAA ) . A s w e explaine d t o yo u i n ou r lette r o f Octobe r 27 , 1988 , w e hav e place d thi s draf t safet yrepor t (togethe r wit h NHTSA' s comments ) in th e publi c docke t t o mak e themavailabl e t o al l intereste d parties . W e als o provide d copie s t o NTSB , IIHS , NSC , AAA , the Moto r Vehicl e Manufacturer s Associatio n an d th e Automobil e Importer s o f America . You r lette r reaueste d a briefing fo r you r Subcommitte e staf f b

yBattell e o n it s recentl ycomplete d fue l system comparativ e ris k assessment . Tha t briefing too k plac e o n Decembe r 19 , 1988 . You r letter als o expresse d concer n abou t whethe r th e SNPRM shoul d cove r issue s othe r than thos e relate d directl yt o safety , stating tha t th e "non-safet ychange s g o beyond wha t wa s understoo d i n 1987. " Further , you r lette r state d tha t you r revie wo f the SNPRMpackag e conclude d tha t "apparentl yn o significan t change s ar e propose d t o reflec t an yo f thos e [public ] comment s [o n the NPRM]. "

/ ? *** cP. 3



### -2 - Th e NPR M preambl e togethe r wit hth e relate d correspondenc e o n thi s matte r explai n th e intende d scop e o f th e reproposal . T o begi n with , whil e the ide a o f committing t o a reproposa l i n th e NPRMi s rathe r unusual , ther e i s no requiremen t t o limi t th e scop e t o safet yissue s alone . A s EPAstate d in th e origina l NPRM , th e purpos e o f th e reproposa l wa s t o "asses s change d circumstances, " a phras e whic hwe understoo d t o includ e safet yissues , bu t whic hplainl yinclude s othe r potentiall y materia l issue s a s well . O f course, , i t wa s no t possibl e fo r EPAt o stat e explicitl ywha t thes e significan t change d circumstance s woul d be withou t firs t knowing th e exten t an d conten t o f publi c commen t an d othe r possibl e development s afte r the NPRMwa s published . I n thi s case , al l o f the area s discusse d i n th e SNPRMar e eithe r base d directl yo n issue s raise d i n publi c comment s (e.g. , tes t procedur e changes , onboar d systemdesigns ) o r ne w informatio n whic hbecame availabl e afte r th e NPRMwa s publishe d (e.g. , ozon e complianc e data , Stag e I I implementation) . .Ever y ite mcontaine d i n th e SNPR Mi s relate d t o th e EPA' s decisio n regarding onboar d controls . W e believ e i t i s i n th e publi c interes t t o publis hth e SNPR Mt o provid e a n opportunit yfo r publi c commen t o n thes e issue s befor e makin g an ydecision s regarding th e conten t o f a possibl e onboar d fina l rule . Th e third topi c discusse d i n you r lette r relate d t o option s fo r proceeding wit hth e rulemaking . I n particular , yo u wer e concerne d wit hwhethe r w e shoul d respond t o NHTSA' s comment s o n our revise d safet yanalysi s prio r t o publicatio n o f th e SNPRM . Ther e ar e severa l reason s wh yw e pla n t o publis hth e SNPRM prio r t o responding t o NHTSA' s comments . T o begi n with , th e 198 7 NPRMclearl ystate s tha t w e "wil l reope n th e recor d o f thi s rulemaking whe n th e Agenc yreceive s th e comment s fromth e Secretaryo f Transportatio n an d wil l repropos e th e rul e fo r commen t t o asses s change d circumstances. " Therefore , w e wil l see k commen t no t onl yo n ou r draf t safet yrepor t bu t als o o n NHTSA' s comments . W e pla n t o full yan d carefull yconside r NHTSA' s views an

d comment s along wit hal l othe r publi c comment s receive d o n the SNPR Ma s w e mak e evaluation s regarding a possibl e fina l rule . Lastly , yo u raise d leadtime a s a n issu e an d questione d wh

y i t wa s no ^ addresse d i n th e reproposal . I n addition , yo u characterize d ou r positio n o n leadtim e a s a "reluctan t admissio n tha t 24-month s i s probabl yto o short. " W e hav e o n numerou s occasion s (beginning wit hth e Augus t 198 7 NPRM ) clearl ystate d ou r commitmen t t o provid e adequat e leadtime .P. 4 

## 1

-3

- Thi s commitmen t i s onc e agai n expresse d in the draf t preambl e t o the SNTOM , togethe r wit ha discussio n o f th e possibilit yo f a phase-i n an

d th e factor s affecting ho wmuc hleadtime i s necessary . Th e onboar d system desig n improvement s an d the revise d tes t procedure s describe d i n the SNPR Mmayaffec t the amoun t o f leadtime tha t wil l be necessary , an d publi c commen t i n thi s are a i s needed . Afina l leadtime assessmen t canno t b e mad e unti l w e hav e considere d th e manufacturers ' comment s o n ho wth e change s propose d i n th e SNPR Maffec t th e time neede d t o prepar e fo r a n onboar d requirement . Le t me onc e agai n reassur e yo u tha t we ar e committe d t o providing adequat e leadtime t o ensur e the saf e an d effectiv e implementatio n o f onboar d controls . I n closing , I appreciat e you r continue d concer n wit hthes e matters , an

d hop e thi s lette r help s clarif you r intentions . Sincerely , feteII . Thoma

s Le eM . Thoma s

cc : Th e Honorabl e Dian e K . Steed , Administrato r Nationa l HighwayTraffi c Safet yAdministratio n Docke t A-87-1 1 Docke t A-85-2 1