[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 137 (Monday, July 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44050-44051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-18027]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6837-3]


Focus Group Meeting on Draft Reference Guide for Public 
Participation in Permitting Programs

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is drafting a Reference 
Guide (Guide) of the requirements and recommended best practices in 
public participation for use by states authorized to implement the air, 
water, and waste permitting programs. The purpose of this focus group 
meeting is to exchange information on the development and content of 
the Guide and to seek feedback with the expected outcomes of refining 
the Guide and the methods for distributing it. Comments and questions 
from the general public will also be discussed at this meeting. The 
authority to issue this notice is in the EPA Policy on Public 
Participation, published on January 19, 1981 at 46 FR 5736.

DATES: The meeting date is Tuesday, August 1, 2000 at the Houston 
Laboratory. To accommodate the wide range of schedules from all 
interested parties, two sessions will be held. The first session will 
be from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and then 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m (CST).

ADDRESSES: Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory, 10625 Fallstone 
Rd., Houston, Texas 77099, phone, 281-983-2100.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David S. Nicholas, U.S. EPA, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW (5103) Washington DC 20460, phone: (202) 260-
4512, facsimile: (202) 401-1496 or email: [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Guide describes the current public 
participation requirements within the EPA programs and discusses how 
all permitting programs can effectively inform and involve the public 
during the permitting process. This document has undergone significant 
review by EPA's media program offices as well as the Environmental 
Council of States (ECOS) and the National Environmental Justice 
Advisory Council (NEJAC). In addition, a focus group meeting was held 
in Washington DC on June 26, and was attended by a number of 
associations with permitting expertise, environmental groups, and 
industry. The purpose of these focus group meetings is to obtain 
comments on what

[[Page 44051]]

information needs to be in the Guide in order for it to be a valuable 
resource. While the Guide will be available to the public and to 
regulated entities, the primary audience for the Guide is the 
regulating community, specifically the states and tribes that are 
authorized to implement these programs. To prepare for the upcoming 
meeting participants should focus their review and comments around 
these questions:
    (1) Are the events, processes, and/or milestones that occur in the 
permitting process that currently provide meaningful public involvement 
accurately described in the Guide?
    (2) Are there any lessons you have learned in the permitting 
process that lend themselves to developing a comprehensive effective 
strategy for community involvement (milestones, steps, key principles/
actions)?
    (3) Are there any potential regulatory gaps in existing public 
participation activities?
    As a point of clarification, this public participation Guide does 
not address Title VI issues. It is important to note that while EPA's 
Office of Civil Rights plans to hold a public listening session to 
receive comments on the new Title VI Guidance document in Dallas, 
Texas, these are separate EPA initiatives. Again, the Guide that will 
be discussed at the August 1 meeting will only address public 
participation activities within the context of EPA's existing 
permitting regulations.
    Individuals requiring special accommodation at this meeting, 
including wheelchair access to the conference room, should contact EPA 
at least five business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate 
arrangements can be made.

    Dated: July 7, 2000.
Timothy Fields, Jr.,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 00-18027 Filed 7-14-00; 8:45 am]
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