Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255-0031
Agency: epa
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Lead and Copper Rule Revisions Virtual Engagements
Posted Date: 2021-06-23T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 23, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 32856-32857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13309]

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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 141

[EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255; FRL-10024-80-OW]

Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) Virtual Engagements

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Extension of comment period.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending 
the comment period for the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) 
Virtual Engagements. In order to provide the public with opportunities 
to submit additional comments to the LCRR Virtual Engagements docket 
after participating in or viewing the community, tribal, and 
stakeholder roundtables, EPA is extending the comment period an 
additional 30 days, from June 30, 2021 to July 30, 2021.

DATES: The comment period announced in the document published on April 
5, 2021 (86 FR 17571), is extended.

[[Page 32857]]

Comments must be received by EPA on or before July 30, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-
2021-0255 via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/ (our preferred method). Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255 for this rulemaking. Comments received may be 
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov/, including any 
personal information provided. For detailed instructions on sending 
comments and additional information on the rulemaking process, see the 
``Public Participation'' heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of this document. Out of an abundance of caution for members of 
the public and our staff, the EPA Docket Center and Reading Room are 
closed to the public, with limited exceptions, to reduce the risk of 
transmitting COVID-19. Our Docket Center staff will continue to provide 
remote customer service via email, phone, and webform. We encourage the 
public to submit comments via https://www.regulations.gov/ or email, as 
there may be a delay in processing mail and faxes. Hand deliveries and 
couriers may be received by scheduled appointment only. For further 
information on EPA Docket Center services and the current status, 
please visit us online at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erik Helm at the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Standards 
and Risk Management Division (Mail Code 4607M), 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 202-566-1049; or email: 
Helm.Erik@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 5, 2021, EPA published a document 
in the Federal Register (86 FR 17571), announcing that the agency will 
host virtual engagements beginning in April 2021. The goal of the 
events is to obtain further public input on EPA's LCRR, particularly 
from individuals and communities that are most at-risk of exposure to 
lead in drinking water. For more information on each event, visit EPA's 
drinking water website: https://www.epa.gov/safewater. In addition to 
these events, EPA opened a docket (No. EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255) to collect 
input from the public on the LCRR.
    EPA hosted public listening sessions on April 28, 2021 and May 5, 
2021, and is now working to schedule the community, tribal, and 
stakeholder roundtables from the beginning of June to mid-July. EPA 
intends to make each roundtable available for viewing to those who are 
not participating but are interested in listening. EPA will be posting 
meeting materials and additional event details on https://www.epa.gov/safewater as they become available. In order to provide the public with 
opportunities to submit additional comments to the LCRR Virtual 
Engagements docket once these virtual meetings have been held, EPA is 
extending the comment submission date to July 30, 2021.

A. Opportunities To View Additional Information and Public Input on the 
LCRR

    EPA is hosting virtual community, tribal, and stakeholder 
roundtables through mid-July. Community roundtables offer an 
opportunity through which local organizations can participate in a 
discussion of LCRR related topics and provide their unique perspective 
to EPA. These roundtables will focus on communities that are 
disproportionately impacted by the challenges of lead in drinking 
water. Participants in these community roundtables will be 
representative of the interests in these individual communities 
including, but not limited to, local government entities, public water 
utilities, community-organized groups, environmental groups, and 
elected officials.
    EPA will also host a virtual tribal roundtable regarding the LCRR 
in mid-July. This will be a facilitated discussion of topics related to 
the LCRR among participants who represent tribes and tribal communities 
including, but not limited to, tribal governments, public water 
utilities serving Indian country, tribal consortia, and tribally 
authorized organizations. EPA will soon invite these groups to self-
nominate individuals to participate in this discussion. Information and 
updates on the tribal roundtable will be posted on https://www.epa.gov/safewater as it becomes available.
    In addition, EPA intends to host a stakeholder roundtable where 
representatives of national organizations (e.g., environmental, 
industry, consumer, intergovernmental) can participate in a discussion 
of LCRR related topics and provide their perspective to the agency.
    Lastly, EPA will meet with state coregulators to consider their 
input provided up to that point to understand the states' perspectives 
on the LCRR.
    For specific information on the scheduled times and participants in 
these roundtable events, visit EPA's drinking water website: https://www.epa.gov/safewater.

B. Public Participation

Submission of Written Comments to the Docket

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2021-
0255, at https://www.regulations.gov. Once submitted, comments cannot 
be edited or removed from the docket. EPA may publish any comment 
received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any 
information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) 
or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a 
written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment 
and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. EPA will 
generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of 
the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing 
system). For the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI 
or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective 
comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

Radhika Fox,
Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2021-13309 Filed 6-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P