[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 124 (Wednesday, June 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34191-34192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16267]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[AD-FRL-7004-6]
New Source Review (NSR) 90-day Review and Report to the President
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability and opportunity to comment.
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[[Page 34192]]
SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of, and opportunity to
comment on, a background paper that will be used in the development of
EPA's Report to the President on the impact of the Environmental
Protection Agency's New Source Review (NSR) program on investment in
new utility and refinery generation capacity, energy efficiency, and
environmental protection. The National Energy Policy Development Group,
under the direction of Vice President Richard Cheney, has directed EPA,
in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and other relevant
agencies, to review NSR regulations, including administrative
interpretation and implementation, and prepare this Report to the
President within 90 days. The Report to the President is scheduled to
be released in August. The background paper summarizes the data that
EPA has found thus far addressing the topics that are covered by the
NEPD Group's recommendation. The background paper is not a draft of the
Report to the President, but is intended to facilitate public comment
on issues that may be addressed in that report.
The EPA is now accepting comments on this background paper and
other information relevant to the NSR Review and Report to the
President. Because the Report to the President is scheduled to be
completed in August, commenters are encouraged to submit information as
early as possible.
DATES: Comments will be accepted until July 27, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Docket No. A-2001-19 contains the background paper and
additional supporting information that EPA relied upon in developing
the background paper. Material in the docket is available for public
inspection and copying between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, at the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC
20460, telephone (202) 260-7548, fax (202) 260-4000. The docket is
available at the above address in Room M-1500, Waterside Mall (ground
floor, central mall). A reasonable fee may be charged for copying. The
background paper is also available on the Internet at the following
address: http://www.epa.gov/air/NSR-review.
Comments and additional information may be provided in writing to
the address provided above for the Air and Radiation Docket and
Information Center, or may be faxed to the Docket at (202) 260-4000.
Information may also be submitted by electronic mail (e-mail) to: [email protected]. Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII
file to avoid the use of special characters and encryption problems or
on disks in WordPerfect version 5.1, 6.1 or Corel 9 file format. All
comments and data submitted in any form must note the docket number: A-
2001-19.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Ling, Information Transfer
and Program Integration Division (MD-12), U.S. EPA, Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina 27711, (919) 541-4729, e-mail:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In its May 2001 report, the energy task
force headed by Vice President Cheney recommended that ``the
Administrator of the EPA, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy
and other relevant agencies, review the New Source Review regulations,
including administrative interpretation and implementation, and report
to the President within 90 days on the impact of the regulations on
investment in new utility and refinery generation capacity, energy
efficiency, and environmental protection.''
New Source Review is a program that was first incorporated into the
Clean Air Act in 1977. It requires that a source of air pollution
install the best pollution control equipment when it is built or when
it makes a major modification that increases emissions. NSR has been an
important part of EPA's efforts to protect air quality. At the same
time, it is widely recognized that the NSR program is overly complex
and burdensome both for affected companies and for the state and local
agencies that are responsible for implementing it. For several years,
EPA has been exploring options designed to simplify the program, reduce
the length of the review process, and remove any barriers it may pose
to innovation and improved energy efficiency.
Consistent with the Report, EPA has undertaken a 90-day review of
NSR to determine if changes should be made to help the program work
more efficiently while still maintaining environmental safeguards. In
particular, the Agency will study the impact of NSR regulations on
investment in new utility and refinery capacity, energy efficiency, and
pollution emissions.
The final report, which is scheduled to be submitted to the
President on August 17, will summarize NSR data related to the
electricity generating and petroleum refining industries, and examine
whether NSR, including enforcement cases filed against those
industries, have had a negative impact on investments in new capacity.
The report will also include recommendations on how to improve NSR and
minimize any adverse impacts on the energy industry.
EPA is conducting this review in close cooperation and consultation
with the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the
Office of Management and Budget, the White House Council on
Environmental Quality, and the National Economic Council.
In addition to today's notice of availability and opportunity to
submit comments on the background paper, the Agency is taking
additional steps to seek input from the public and from affected
stakeholders. We will hold several public meetings across the U.S. to
collect information and public views on NSR. Information about these
meetings will be published separately in the Federal Register, and will
be available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/air/NSR-review. We
will also hold separate meetings with outside stakeholders, including
affected industries, environmental groups, and state and local
governments.
Dated: June 22, 2001.
Linda Fisher,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 01-16267 Filed 6-26-01; 8:45 am]
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