[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]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P