[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 238 (Monday, December 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72193-72195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27259]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7847-3]
Proposed Settlement Agreement, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of Proposed Settlement Agreement; request for public
comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 113(g) of the Clean Air Act, as
amended (``Act''), 42 U.S.C. 7413(g), notice is hereby given of a
proposed settlement agreement, to address a lawsuit filed by
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Automotive Refrigeration Products Institute, Automotive Aftermarket
Industry Association, and Interdynamics (collectively,
``Petitioners''): Automotive Refrigeration Products Institute, and
Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, et al. v. EPA, No. 04-1158
(DC Cir.) (consolidated with No. 04-1159). On May 11, 2004, Petitioners
filed petitions for review challenging the EPA's final rule entitled
``Protection of Stratospheric Ozone; Refrigerant Recycling Substitute
Refrigerants'' published on March 12, 2004 (69 FR 11945). Under the
terms of the proposed settlement agreement, EPA will undertake
rulemaking acting to make certain corrections to the rule at issue. EPA
will provide notice in the Federal Register and an opportunity for
public comment. No later than 60 days after the date this Agreement
becomes final, EPA shall sign either a notice of proposed rulemaking or
a notice of direct final rulemaking and concurrent proposal to correct
definitions of ``refrigerant'' and ``technician'' and to ensure that it
remains illegal to knowingly vent certain substances during described
activities.
DATES: Written comments on the proposed settlement agreement must be
received by January 12, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket ID number OGC-
2004-0011, online at http://www.epa.gov/edocket (EPA's preferred
method); by e-mail to [email protected]; mailed to EPA Docket Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; or by hand delivery or courier to
EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday,
excluding legal holidays. Comments on a disk or CD-ROM should be
formatted in Wordperfect or ASCII file, avoiding the use of special
characters and any form of encryption, and may be mailed to the mailing
address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Padmini Singh, Air and Radiation Law
Office (2344A), Office of General Counsel, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone: (202) 564-5641.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Additional Information About the Proposed Settlement
Petitioners filed petitions for review of EPA's final rule entitled
`` Protection of Stratospheric Ozone; Refrigerant Recycling; Substitute
Refrigerants, 69 FR 11945 (March 12, 2004), challenging the final rule.
Once implemented the Settlement Agreement (the ``Agreement'') would
resolve these petitions for review. The Agreement, which is subject to
CAA section 113(g), provides that EPA shall sign either a notice of
proposed rulemaking or a notice of direct final rulemaking and
concurrent proposal to correct the definitions of ``refrigerant'' and
``technician.'' In addition, EPA will propose to amend 40 CFR 82.154(a)
to ensure that it will continue to be illegal to knowingly vent pure
HFCs, pure PFCs, class I or class II ozone-depleting substance, and
blends of these substances during the service, maintenance, repair, or
disposal of appliances.
The Agreement also provides that within five days of its execution
by the Parties but before the Agreement becomes final, the Parties
shall file a joint motion with the Court notifying it of this Agreement
and requesting that this case be held in abeyance pending
implementation of the terms of the Agreement. Petitioners agree to
voluntarily dismiss this case within 30 days of final agency action if
EPA takes action as described in the Agreement.
For a period of thirty (30) days following the date of publication
of this notice, the Agency will receive written comments relating to
the proposed settlement agreement from persons who were not named as
parties or interveners to the litigation in question. EPA or the
Department of Justice may withdraw or withhold consent to the proposed
settlement agreement if the comments disclose facts or considerations
that indicate that such consent is inappropriate, improper, inadequate,
or inconsistent with the requirements of the Act. Unless EPA or the
Department of Justice determine, based on any comment which may be
submitted, that consent to the settlement agreement should be
withdrawn, the terms of the agreement will be affirmed.
II. Additional Information About Commenting on the Proposed Settlement
A. How Can I Get A Copy of the Settlement?
EPA has established an official public docket for this action under
Docket ID No. OGC-2004-0011 which contains a copy of the settlement.
The official public docket is available for public viewing at the
Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket in the EPA Docket
Center, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington,
DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The
telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the
telephone number for the OEI Docket is (202) 566-1752.
An electronic version of the public docket is available through
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may
use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public
comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official
public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that
are available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,''
then key in the appropriate docket identification number.
It is important to note that EPA's policy is that public comments,
whether submitted electronically or on paper, will be made available
for public viewing in EPA's electronic public docket as EPA receives
them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted
material, CBI, or other information whose disclosure is restricted by
statute. Information claimed as CBI and other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute is not included in the official
public docket or in EPA's electronic public docket. EPA's policy is
that copyrighted material, including copyrighted material contained in
a public comment, will not be placed in EPA's electronic public docket
but will be available only in printed, paper form in the official
public docket. Although not all docket materials may be available
electronically, you may still access any of the publicly available
docket materials through the EPA Docket Center.
B. How and To Whom Do I Submit Comments?
You may submit comments as provided in the ADDRESSES section.
Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified
comment period. Comments received after the close of the comment period
will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider these late
comments.
If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name, mailing address, and an e-mail address or other
contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD
ROM you submit. This ensures that you can be identified as the
submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA
cannot read your comment due to technical
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difficulties or needs further information on the substance of your
comment. Any identifying or contact information provided in the body of
a comment will be included as part of the comment that is placed in the
official public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public
docket. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to
consider your comment.
Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to submit comments to
EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for receiving comments.
The electronic public docket system is an ``anonymous access'' system,
which means EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other
contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.
In contrast to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's electronic mail
(e-mail) system is not an ``anonymous access'' system. If you send an
e-mail comment directly to the Docket without going through EPA's
electronic public docket, your e-mail address is automatically captured
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the official
public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
Dated: December 2, 2004.
Lisa K. Friedman,
Associate General Counsel, Air and Radiation Law Office, Office of
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 04-27259 Filed 12-10-04; 8:45 am]
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