Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 81 /Tuesday, April 28, 1998 / Proposed Rules 23255

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ray

Vogel (telephone 919–541–3153) or

Roger Powell (telephone 919–541–

5331), Mail Drop 12, EPA, Information

Transfer and Program Integration

Division, Research Triangle Park, North

Carolina, 27711. Internet addresses are:

vogel.ray@epa.gov and

powell.roger@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The part

70 operating permits regulations were

originally promulgated on July 21, 1992

(57 FR 32250). Revisions to part 70 were

proposed on August 29, 1994 (59 FR

44460) and August 31, 1995 (60 FR

45530). On May 13, 1997, the Agency

released a draft of the final preamble

and regulatory revision rulemaking that

would revise part 70 for purposes of

considering any final comments from

interested parties before final action.

The draft rulemaking reflected EPA’s

consideration of comments on the 1994

and 1995 proposals, and included

additional regulatory changes that EPA

believed appropriate based on

comments. Availability of the May 13,

1997 draft and a 30-day public review

period were announced in a June 3,

1997 Federal Register notice (62 FR

30289).

Subsequently, after discussing the

draft rulemaking with industry,

environmental, and State/local

permitting agency representatives

(‘‘stakeholders’’), EPA decided that

additional changes were necessary,

particularly to the section on permit

revision procedures. Consequently, EPA

announced in a July 3, 1997 notice (62

FR 36039) that the public should

withhold comment on the May 1997

draft until a new draft was prepared.

Since May 1997, EPA has discussed

with stakeholders alternative

approaches to the permit revision

system contained in the May draft.

While the discussions with stakeholders

to date have involved the provisions of

§§ 70.7 and 70.8, EPA also wants to

discuss with the stakeholders any

concerns with the remaining sections.

To prepare for those discussions, it is

important to be aware of concerns from

the public at large on the remaining

sections. Therefore, the March 25, 1998

notice (63 FR 14392) announced

availability of the remaining sections of

part 70 for public review and provided

for a period until April 25, 1998 for the

public to submit any comments. The

preamble and regulatory revisions

related to §§ 70.7 and 70.8 will be made

available in a future Federal Register

notice of availability.

Items VI–A–4 and VI–A–5 in docket

A–93–50 contain the portions of the

preamble and regulations for the

revisions that may be made to §§ 70.2

through 70.6 and §§ 70.9 through 70.11

of the part 70 regulations. That material

is also available on the Internet at the

address noted above. As in the June 3,

1997 notice, EPA seeks comment only

on regulatory revisions that have

changed since the August 1994 and

August 1995 proposals. The changes

since the proposals are addressed in the

preamble discussions on the relevant

sections of part 70 (e.g. § 70.2).

This action extends the comment

submittal period until May 26, 1998.

Please send comments directly to

Docket A–93–50 at the address

previously provided and specify that

they are in response to this notice.

Comments will be forwarded from the

Air Docket to the Operating Permits

Group of EPA.

Dated: April 21, 1998.

Richard D. Wilson,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and

Radiation.

[FR Doc. 98–11264 Filed 4–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

40 CFR Part 86

[FRL–6005–2]

Control of Air Pollution From New

Motor Vehicles and New Motor Vehicle

Engines; Draft Tier 2 Study and Fuel

Sulfur Paper Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

SUMMARY: The Clean Air Act requires

EPA to prepare a study and submit a

report to Congress regarding whether or

not further reductions in emissions from

light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks

should be required. EPA has performed

the required study, called the ‘‘Tier 2

Study.’’ Today EPA is releasing a draft

of the study for public comment prior to

submitting it to Congress.

In the very near future, EPA will also

be releasing a related document titled

‘‘EPA Staff Paper on Gasoline Sulfur

Issues’’ and encourages public comment

on this document as well.

DATES: EPA requests that comments on

the draft Tier 2 Study be submitted by

June 12, 1998. A public meeting to

discuss the gasoline sulfur issues and

the Gasoline Sulfur Staff Paper will be

held on May 12, 1998 from 10:00 a.m.

to 5:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Materials relevant to this

rulemaking are contained in Docket No.

A–97–10 which may be found at 401 M

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460 and

may be viewed in room M1500 between

8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday

through Friday. The telephone number

is (202) 260–7548 and the fax number is

(202) 260–4400. A reasonable fee may

be charged by EPA for copying docket

material.

The Draft Tier 2 Study is also

available electronically from the EPA

Office of Mobile Sources World Wide

Web site at http://www.epa.gov/

omswww/tr2home/htm. The Gasoline

Sulfur Staff Paper will also be available

on this Web site upon its release.

Comments should be sent to Docket

No. A–97–10 at the above address. EPA

requests that a copy of comments also

be sent to Tad Wysor, U.S. EPA, Engine

Programs and Compliance Division,

2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor,

Michigan 48105 or to the Tier 2 Emailbox ‘‘tier2-study@epamail.epa.gov.’’

The public meeting will be held at

Quality Hotel, 1200 N. Courthouse Rd.,

Arlington, VA 22201 (Telephone: (703)

524–4000).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Delores Frank, U.S. EPA, Fuels and

Energy Division, 2565 Plymouth Road,

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105, Telephone

734–668–4295.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1990

revisions to the Clean Air Act set

specific exhaust emission standards for

light-duty vehicles or LDVs (passenger

cars) and light-duty trucks or LDTs

(including sport-utility vehicles,

minivans, and pickup trucks) beginning

in the 1994 model year. These ‘‘Tier 1’’

standards were required by Sections

202(g) and (h) of the Clean Air Act as

revised (‘‘the Act’’). Section 202(i) of the

Act requires EPA to ‘‘study whether or

not further reductions in emissions from

light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks

should be required....’’ The Act required

EPA to examine three specific issues

related to that question: (1) the need for

further emission reductions in order to

attain or maintain compliance with the

National Ambient Air Quality Standards

(NAAQS); (2) the technological

feasibility of meeting more stringent

standards by the 2004 model year; and

(3) the cost-effectiveness of such further

reductions as compared to alternate

means of reducing emissions. The Study

was to be submitted to Congress by June

1, 1997. EPA has recently entered into

a draft consent decree to sign a letter

transmitting the Study by July 31, 1998.

Section 202(i) of the Act also requires

that EPA provide a reasonable

opportunity for public comment on the

Tier 2 study prior to its formal submittal

to Congress. In response to this
23256 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 81 /Tuesday, April 28, 1998 / Proposed Rules

requirement, the Agency is today

releasing EPA’s current draft of the Tier

2 study for comment. EPA will include

a summary of any comments received

on this draft when it submits the final

report to Congress.

In the draft Tier 2 Study, EPA

discusses and provides information on

each of the three areas mentioned above

but does not make a determination

about whether further emission

reductions are appropriate. EPA plans to

make such a determination by way of

later rulemaking action, to be finalized

by the end of 1999, as required by the

Act. In addition to addressing the three

issues of need, feasibility, and cost

effectiveness, the Study also discusses

several key issues related to the

development of a potential Tier 2

program and the next steps EPA is

planning.

In addition to the draft Tier 2 Study,

EPA will soon be releasing a related

document titled ‘‘EPA Staff Paper on

Gasoline Sulfur Issues.’’ Because of its

effect on catalytic converters, sulfur in

gasoline is a very important issue when

vehicle emission standards more

stringent than today’s standards are

considered. The Staff Paper discusses a

range of issues including the

interactions between sulfur in gasoline

and vehicle technology, the impact on

refinery operations of reducing gasoline

sulfur content, other fuel quality issues,

a review of fuel sulfur control programs

in other countries, and a review of

proposals that have been put forward on

this topic by key stakeholders. EPA

plans to address any comments received

on the Staff Paper as a part of any

proposed rulemaking that EPA pursues

relating to this Tier 2 emission

standards. EPA will also hold a public

meeting to discuss issues relating to

gasoline sulfur and the Gasoline Sulfur

Staff Paper (see ADDRESSES above).

Dated: April, 23, 1998.

Richard D. Wilson,

Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and

Radiation.

[FR Doc. 98–11266 Filed 4–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

40 CFR Part 272

[FRL–6001–1]

Hazardous Waste Management

Program: Final Authorization and

Incorporation by Reference of State

Hazardous Waste Management

Program for New Mexico

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: EPA proposes to incorporate

by reference EPA’s approval of the New

Mexico Environment Department’s

(NMED) RCRA Cluster IV hazardous

waste program and to approve its

revisions to that program submitted by

the State of New Mexico. In the final

rules section of this Federal Register,

the EPA is approving the State’s request

as a immediate final rule without prior

proposal because USEPA views this

action as noncontroversial and

anticipates no adverse comments. A

detailed rationale for approving the

State’s request is set forth in the

immediate final rule. If no adverse

written comments are received in

response to that immediate final rule, no

further activity is contemplated in

relation to this proposed rule. If EPA

receives adverse written comments, a

second Federal Register document will

be published before the time the

immediate final rule takes effect. The

second document may withdraw the

immediate final rule or identify the

issues raised, respond to the comments

and affirm that the immediate final rule

will take effect as scheduled. Any

parties interested in commenting on this

action should do so at this time.

DATES: Written comments on this

proposed rule must be received on or

before May 28, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be

mailed to Alima Patterson, Region 6

Authorization Coordinator, Grants and

Authorization Section (6PD–G),

Multimedia Planning and Permitting

Division, at the address listed below.

Copies of the materials submitted by

NMED may be examined during normal

business hours at the following

locations: EPA Region 6 Library, 12th

Floor, Wells Fargo Bank Tower at

Fountain Place, 1445 Ross Avenue,

Dallas, Texas 75202–2733, Phone

number: (214) 665–6444. New Mexico

Environment Department, 1190, St

Francis Drive, Sante Fe, New Mexico

87502. Phone number: (505) 827–1558.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alima Patterson (214) 665–8533.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For

additional information see the

immediate final rule published in the

rules section of this Federal Register.

Dated: March 19, 1998.

Lynda F. Carroll,

Acting Deputy Regional Administrator,

Region 6.

[FR Doc. 98–11279 Filed 4–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

40 CFR Part 300

[FRL–6003–7]

National Oil and Hazardous

Substances Pollution Contingency

Plan; National Priorities List

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency.

ACTION: Notice of intent to delete the

Pine Bend Sanitary Landfill Site from

the National Priorities List; request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The United States

Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.

EPA) Region 5 announces its intent to

delete the Pine Bend Sanitary Landfill

(the Site) from the National Priorities

List (NPL) and requests public comment

on this action. The NPL constitutes

Appendix B of 40 CFR part 300 which

is the National Oil and Hazardous

Substances Pollution Contingency Plan

(NCP), which U.S. EPA promulgated

pursuant to Section 105 of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act of 1980 (CERCLA) as amended. This

action is being taken by U.S. EPA,

because it has been determined that all

Fund-financed responses under

CERCLA have been implemented and

U.S. EPA, in consultation with the State

of Minnesota, has determined that no

further CERCLA response is

appropriate. Moreover, U.S. EPA and

the State have determined that remedial

activities conducted at the Site to date

have been protective of public health,

welfare, and the environment.

DATES: Comments concerning the

proposed deletion of the Site from the

NPL may be submitted on or before May

28, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to

Gladys Beard, Associate Remedial

Project Manager, Superfund Division,

U.S. EPA, Region 5, 77 W. Jackson Blvd.

(SR–6J), Chicago, IL 60604.

Comprehensive information on the site

is available at U.S. EPA’s Region 5 office