[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 70 (Friday, April 11, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 17771-17772]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-9518]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 80

[FRL-5810-9]


Regulations of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Reformulated Gasoline 
Covered Areas Provision Modification

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document announces the time and place for a public 
hearing regarding EPA's proposed rule to modify the covered areas 
provision of the reformulated gasoline (RFG) rule. The agency published 
this proposed rule in the Federal Register on March 28, 1997 (See 62 FR 
15077 for further information on the proposal).

DATES: EPA will conduct a public hearing on the proposed rule on April 
18, 1997, in Washington, DC beginning at 9:00 a.m. The hearing will 
continue until all interested parties have had an opportunity to 
testify. If you wish to testify at this public hearing, contact Karen 
Smith at (202) 233-9674 by April 16, 1997. If no party has contacted 
EPA by that date and stated their interest in testifying on the 
proposal, the hearing with be subject to cancellation without further 
notification. If you want to know if the hearing has been canceled 
contact the person named above.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held from 9:00 a.m. until its 
completion at the Holiday Inn Capitol Hill, South Ballroom, 415 New 
Jersey Avenue, Washington, DC. Material relevant to this document have 
been placed in Docket A-96-30. The docket is located at the Air Docket 
Section, Mail Code 6102, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M 
Street, SW, Washington DC 20460, in room M-1500 Waterside Mall. 
Documents may be inspected from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. A reasonable fee 
may be charged for copying docket material.
    Written comments should be submitted (in duplicate) to Air Docket 
Section, Mail Code 6102, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M 
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460. A copy should also be sent to Karen 
Smith at the address listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Smith at U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency Office of Air and Radiation, 401 M Street, SW 
(6406J), Washington, DC 20460, (202) 233-9674.

Procedures for Public Participation

A. Comments and the Public Docket

    The scope of EPA's modification of section 80.70(k) of the 
reformulated gasoline rule is to allow states to opt into the federal 
RFG program for any area classified as marginal, moderate, serious or 
severe ozone nonattainment area as of November 15, 1990, the date of 
the enactment of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, or any time 
later. EPA is seeking comments on whether a minimum lead time of up to 
one year should be used in setting the effective date and whether this 
should apply to former nonattainment areas that opt-in and/or areas 
that are classified as nonattainment when they opt-in.
    Persons with comments containing propriety information must 
distinguish such information from other comments to the greatest extent 
and label it as ``Confidential Business Information.'' If a person 
making comments wants EPA to base the final rule in part on a 
submission labeled as confidential business information, then a non-
confidential version of the document which summarizes the key data or 
information should be placed in the public docket. Information covered 
by a claim of confidentiality will be disclosed by EPA only to the 
extent allowed by the procedures set forth in

[[Page 17772]]

40 CFR part 2. If no claim of confidentiality accompanies the 
submission when it is received by EPA, it may be made available to the 
public without further notice to the person making comments.

B. Public Participation

    Any person desiring to present testimony regarding this proposed 
rule at the public hearing (see DATES) should notify the contact person 
listed above of such intent as soon as possible. A sign-up sheet will 
be available at the registration table the morning of the hearing for 
scheduling testimony for those who have not notified the contact 
person. This testimony will be scheduled on a first come, first serve 
basis to follow the previously scheduled testimony.
    EPA suggests that approximately 50 copies of the statement or 
material to be presented be brought to the hearing for distribution to 
the audience. In addition, EPA would find it helpful to receive an 
advance copy of any statement or material to be presented at the 
hearing in order to give EPA staff adequate time to review such 
material before the hearing. Such advance copies should be submitted to 
the contact person listed previously.
    The official records of the hearing will be kept open for 30 days 
following the hearing to allow submission of rebuttal and supplementary 
testimony. All such submittals should be directed to the Air Docket, 
Docket No. A-96-30 (see ADDRESSES).
    Mr. Charles Freed, Division Director of the Fuels and Energy 
Division, Office of Mobile Sources, is hereby designated Presiding 
Officer of the hearing. The hearing will be conducted informally and 
technical rules of evidence will not apply. Because a public hearing is 
designed to give interested parties an opportunity to participate in 
the proceeding, there are no adversary parties as such. Statements by 
participants will not be subject to cross examination by other 
participants. A written transcript of the hearing will be placed in the 
above docket for review. Anyone desiring to purchase a copy of the 
transcript should make individual arrangements with the court reporter 
recording the proceeding. The Presiding Officer is authorized to strike 
from the record statements which he deems irrelevant or repetitious and 
to impose reasonable limits on the duration of the statement of any 
witness. EPA asks that persons who testify attempt to limit their 
testimony to ten minutes, if possible. The Administrator will base her 
decision with regard to the modification of the covered areas of the 
reformulated gasoline rule on the record of the public hearing and on 
any other relevant written submissions and other pertinent information. 
This information will be available for public inspection at the EPA Air 
Docket, Docket No. A-96-30 (see ADDRESSES).

    Dated: April 8, 1997.
Mary D. Nichols,
Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 97-9518 Filed 4-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P