Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 91 / Thursday, May 10, 2001 / Notices 23923

adequacy determination on the motor

vehicle emissions budgets contained in

the ozone attainment demonstration for

St. Louis. The criteria by which EPA

determines whether a SIP’s motor

vehicle emission budgets are adequate

for conformity purposes are outlined in

40 CFR 93.118(e)(4). An adequacy

review is separate from EPA’s SIP

completeness review, and it also should

not be used to prejudge EPA’s ultimate

action to approve or disapprove the SIP.

The SIP could later be disapproved for

reasons unrelated to transportation

conformity even though the budgets had

been deemed adequate.

EPA believes that a consequence of

the D.C. Circuit’s order delaying the

implementation date of the NOX SIP

Call rule is that the budgets submitted

by Illinois can no longer be considered

adequate for purposes of transportation

conformity and that these budgets are

now inadequate. This belief is based on

the fact that the attainment

demonstration relied on the expected

reductions from the NOX SIP call in

2003, whereas those reductions can not

now be assumed prior to 2004.

On November 8, 2000, EPA sent a

letter to Illinois advising Illinois of the

need to revise the Metro East St. Louis

ozone attainment demonstration and to

submit revised budgets. The revised

budgets are expected to be based on

controls that will be in place by the year

2004.

Consequently, EPA has decided to

withdraw the June 12, 2000, adequacy

determination and is instead finding

that the budgets are inadequate. EPA is

taking this action without prior notice

and comment because adequacy

determinations are not considered

rulemaking subject to the procedural

requirements of the Administrative

Procedures Act. In addition, EPA does

not believe further notice through EPA’s

conformity website is necessary in

advance because of the delay in the NOX

SIP Call implementation date, it is clear

that the budgets can no longer be

considered adequate. Consequently,

further public comment would be

unnecessary and not in the public

interest. In this action, EPA is also

withdrawing all statements and

comments previously made in relation

to its earlier determination of the

adequacy of the budgets for

transportation conformity purposes. The

substance of the budgets and any

revisions to them will be further

reviewed by EPA as part of its final

decision to on the 1-hour ozone

attainment demonstration SIP for the St.

Louis nonattainment area. This SIP was

initially submitted to EPA on November

15, 1999 and supplemented on February

10, 2000.

EPA will announce the withdrawal of

the adequacy determination and

inadequacy finding on its conformity

website, (go to http://www.epa.gov/otaq/

traq and then click on ‘‘conformity’’).

Dated: April 30, 2001.

Jerri-Anne Garl,

Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.

[FR Doc. 01–11836 Filed 5–9–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6976–2]

Meeting of the Local Government

Advisory Committee and the Small

Community Advisory Subcommittee

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Local Government

Advisory Committee (LGAC) and its

Small Community Advisory

Subcommittee (SCAS) will meet jointly

on June 7–8, 2001, in Washington, D.C.

The Committee will hear remarks from

the EPA Administrator, Governor

Christine Todd Whitman, and the

Associate Administrator for the Office of

Congressional and Intergovernmental

Relations, Edward D. Krenik, on

Thursday, June 7th. The LGAC

Subcommittees will provide updates on

activities since the last Committee

meeting. Other agenda topics will

include Federalism and Environmental

Management Systems. The Committee

also will discuss proposed operating

principles and revisions to its bylaws

resulting from the merger of the SCAS

with the LGAC.

The Issues Subcommittee will discuss

water infrastructure funding, land use

credits under State Implementation

plans, and sustainability. The Process

Subcommittee will discuss the Agency’s

draft Public Involvement Policy and

accountability measures for Federalism

implementation.

The Small Community Advisory

Subcommittee will meet in a separate

session on Wednesday, June 6th from 9

a.m.–5 p.m. The Subcommittee will

update activities since its meeting in

Seattle, Washington, on March 1–2,

2001. Topics will include Small

Community Funding, a

recommendation for Small Community

Advocate, Federalism, TMDL

Implementation, Sustainability, and

Enforcement Flexibility.

The SCAS will hear comments from

the public from 1:30–1:45 p.m. at its

separate meeting June 6th. The LGAC

and SCAS will hear comments from the

public between 12:30–12:45 p.m. at

their joint session on June 7. Each

individual or organization wishing to

address the combined Committee or

Subcommittee meetings will be allowed

a minimum of three minutes. Please

contact the Designated Federal Officers

(DFO) at the numbers listed below to

schedule agenda time. Time will be

allotted on a first come, first served

basis.

These are open meetings and all

interested persons are invited to attend.

Meeting minutes will be available after

the meeting and can be obtained by

written request from the DFO. Members

of the public are requested to call the

DFO at the number listed below if

planning to attend so that arrangements

can be made to comfortably

accommodate attendees as much as

possible. Seating will be on a first come,

first served basis.

DATES: The Small Community Advisory

Subcommittee meeting is scheduled

from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on

Wednesday, June 6th. The Local

Government Advisory Committee and

Small Community Advisory

Subcommittee joint meeting will begin

at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 7th and

conclude at 4:00 p.m. on June 8th.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held

in Washington, D.C. at the EPA’s

Headquarters, located at 1200

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW—the Ariel

Rios North Building. The SCAS meeting

on Wednesday will be held in

conference room 3530. The joint LGAC/

SCAS meeting on Thursday and Friday

will be held in the Green Room on the

3rd floor.

Additional information can be

obtained by writing the DFOs at 1200

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (1306A),

Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The

DFO for the Local Government Advisory

Committee (LGAC) is Denise Zabinski

Ney (202) 564–3684 and the DFO for the

Small Community Advisory

Subcommittee (SCAS) is Anne

Randolph (202) 564–3679.

Dated: May 1, 2001.

Denise Zabinski Ney,

Designated Federal Officer, Local Government

Advisory Committee.

Dated: May 1, 2001.

Anne Randolph,

Designated Federal Officer, Small Community

Advisory Subcommittee.

[FR Doc. 01–11832 Filed 5–9–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–U