[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 121 (Friday, June 21, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 31883-31885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15880]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Chapter I
[AD-FRL-5523-6]
Notice of Intent to Form an Advisory Committee for the Industrial
Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking and Request for Nomination of
Candidates
AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Intent to Form Industrial Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking
Advisory Committee and request for nomination of candidates.
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SUMMARY: The EPA is planning to establish an Industrial Combustion
Coordinating Rulemaking (ICCR) Advisory Committee under the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of this Federal Advisory
Committee (hereafter referred to as ``Coordinating Committee'') is to
advise and assist the EPA in coordinating the development of
regulations to control emissions of air pollutants from industrial,
commercial, and institutional combustion of fuels and non-hazardous
solid wastes.
The EPA is also requesting nominations for candidates for
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membership on both the Coordinating Committee as well as several Work
Groups. The Work Groups will work in concert with the Coordinating
Committee to develop recommendations and provide advice to the EPA. The
membership of both the Coordinating Committee and the Work Groups will
include a balanced representation of interested persons with personal
and professional qualifications and experience to contribute to the
functions of the Coordinating Committee and the Work Groups. The EPA
will hold a public meeting to discuss the ICCR and answer any questions
on the nomination process.
DATES: A public meeting will be held on July 24, 1996. Submit
nominations of candidates no later than August 20, 1996. Any interested
person or organization may submit the names and information on the
qualifications of persons who are interested in serving on the
Coordinating Committee or a Work Group.
ADDRESSES: Inspection of Documents: Docket. A document entitled
``Industrial Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking: Proposed Organizational
Structure and Process'' (the ICCR document) which describes the ICCR
Project and contains an example nomination form is available for public
inspection at EPA Air Docket No. A-96-17 and is also available on the
Technology Transfer Network (TTN) (see below). The docket is open for
public inspection and copying between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except for Federal holidays, at the following address:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket and
Information Center (6102), 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460;
telephone: (202) 260-7548. The docket is located at the above address
in Room M-1500, Waterside Mall (ground floor). A reasonable fee may be
charged for copying.
Technology Transfer Network. The ICCR document and other relevant
materials are available electronically on the TTN. Choose the ``ICCR-
Industrial Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking Process'' selection from
the Technical Information Areas menu. The TTN is one of the EPA's
electronic bulletin boards and provides information and technology
exchange in various areas of air pollution control. The service is free
except for the cost of a phone call. Dial (919) 541-5472 for up to a
14,400 bits-per-second (bps) modem. The TTN is also accessible through
the Internet at ``TELNET ttnbbs.rtpnc.epa.gov.'' If more information on
the TTN is needed, call the help desk at (919) 541-5384. The help desk
is staffed from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time. The help desk
utilizes a voice menu system at other times.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Sheraton City Center,
Washington, D.C. Submit nominations for candidates to: U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation Docket and
Information Center (6102), Attention: Docket Number A-96-17, Room M-
1500, 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460, and to Ms. Amanda Agnew,
Combustion Group (MD-13), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711. Nominations may also be
submitted to Ms. Agnew electronically through the TTN.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Fred Porter, Combustion Group (MD-
13), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park,
North Carolina 27711, phone number (919) 541-5251; Mr. Sims Roy, phone
number (919) 541-5263; Ms. Agnew, phone number (919) 541-5268; or Mr.
Jim Eddinger, phone number (919) 541-5426, all at the same address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Scope of ICCR Project
Seven categories of Industrial-Commercial-Institutional (ICI)
combustion sources (industrial boilers, commercial-institutional
boilers, process heaters, industrial-commercial solid waste
incinerators, other solid waste incinerators, stationary gas turbines,
and stationary internal combustion [IC] engines) are listed for
regulatory development under section 112 (national emission standards
for hazardous air pollutants [NESHAP]) or section 129 (solid waste
combustion) of the Clean Air Act (the Act). The Act requires the EPA to
develop these regulations by the year 2000. Furthermore, existing
section 111 (new source performance standards [NSPS]) regulations
affecting some of these source categories are periodically reviewed and
may be developed or revised as part of this project. These seven
combustion source categories encompass thousands of combustion units at
a wide range of industries, institutions, and businesses.
An Industrial Combustion Coordinated Rulemaking that addresses the
seven combustion source categories at the same time will result in more
consistent regulations with greater environmental benefits at a lower
cost than regulating each source category individually. It will avoid
the potential for conflicting or duplicative regulations for the
various combustion sources. Furthermore, by involving knowledgeable
stakeholders in the regulatory development process, the scientific
basis for the regulations will be improved. The major advantages of the
ICCR are that stakeholders will have substantial input in a very direct
way into the final regulations, and that they will be allowed to
leverage resources by working in concert with other groups in gathering
information, analyzing alternatives, and recommending actions. The goal
of the ICCR is to develop a unified set of Federal air emissions
regulations that will result in maximum gains to the environment at
reasonable cost to ICI sources and, ultimately, to the public.
Organization Structure
In order to realize the potential of the ICCR, all interested
stakeholders must play a key role in all phases of regulatory
development. The proposed organizational structure consists of Source
Work Groups working in concert with a Coordinating Committee to make
recommendations directly to the EPA decision makers. Members must be
chosen for the Coordinating Committee and the various Source Work
Groups.
It is expected that there will be five Source Work Groups to
represent all seven source categories, and two Work Groups to address
issues that cut across all source categories; however, this proposed
structure may be refined by the Coordinating Committee. The Source Work
Groups are the focus of regulatory development activities for each
source category. The five Source Work Groups are for boilers, process
heaters, stationary gas turbines, stationary IC engines, and waste
incineration. The boilers Work Group combines two of the source
categories (industrial boilers with commercial/institutional boilers)
and the Waste Incinerators Work Group combines two of the source
categories (industrial/commercial incinerators with other solid waste
incinerators) into one Work Group. The function of the Source Work
Groups is to carry out information collection and analyses, identify
regulatory alternatives, assess the impacts of the regulatory
alternatives, and make preliminary recommendations for their source
category. The Testing and Monitoring Protocol Work Group and the
Economic Analysis Work Group are responsible for dealing with the named
issues as they relate to all source categories. These Work Groups will
provide support and assistance to all of the Source Work Groups. The
EPA will select recommended members from nominations and place these
recommendations before the
[[Page 31885]]
Coordinating Committee, who will choose the members of the Work Groups.
The Coordinating Committee will be chartered under the FACA and
will serve the role of planning and coordinating the regulatory
development process. The committee will communicate with the Source
Work Groups to ensure general consistency and thoroughness of data
analyses and preliminary regulatory recommendations. The Coordinating
Committee will consider and discuss the regulatory recommendations made
by the Source Work Groups and present final recommendations to the EPA
management. The Source Work Groups and Coordinating Committee will
strive for consensus, but if consensus is not reached, the Coordinating
Committee will present majority and minority recommendations to the EPA
management. The FACA requires that the Coordinating Committee members
be chosen by the EPA Administrator.
Criteria for Work Group and Coordinating Committee Membership
Source Work Group members should meet the following criteria:
represent an affected party and, preferably, be able to represent the
interests of other affected parties; commit to spending a significant
amount of their time (perhaps 20 to 25 percent) over a multiple year
period; and possess insight, understanding, and technical knowledge of
the source category. It is preferable that Source Work Group members
also have regulatory process experience. Source Work Groups should
include representatives of sources affected by the rule, State/local
regulatory agencies, environmental groups, and the EPA. Criteria for
membership in the testing and monitoring protocol and economic analyses
work groups are similar, but also require expertise in the named
technical areas.
Criteria for membership on the Coordinating Committee includes the
ability to: represent an affected party; be able to represent the
interests of other affected parties; communicate with other affected
parties; commit a significant amount of their time (perhaps 20 to 25
percent) over a multi-year period; and have substantive experience with
the EPA air programs regulatory process (particularly NSPS or NESHAP
regulatory development). The Coordinating Committee should be made up
of representatives of the following: environmental, public health, and
environmental justice groups; State/local regulatory agencies; affected
sources; manufacturers of combustion, emission control, and emission
monitoring/testing equipment; fuel producers and suppliers; labor; and
the EPA.
Nomination Process
Nominations are being solicited for members of the Coordinating
Committee as well as members of the Work Groups. The nominations must
indicate whether the nomination is for one of the Work Groups or for
the Coordinating Committee. Each nomination must discuss and explain
how the nominee meets or satisfies the membership criteria discussed
above. A brief resume and several current references should be
included. The ICCR document includes an example nomination form. It is
recommended that this form be used in order to assure that the
nomination includes all of the necessary information.
Before submitting a nomination, individuals or organizations should
obtain and thoroughly read the ICCR document. This document is
available on the TTN or may be obtained by calling or writing the Air
and Radiation Docket and Information Center. See Inspection of
Documents section for more details.
Public Information
The EPA plans to accomplish several tasks at a public meeting to be
held in July. The ICCR project will be discussed in general, and
information will be provided on how to follow the progress of this
rulemaking. The EPA also plans to describe the roles and membership
criteria for the various Work Groups and the Coordinating Committee,
along with an explanation of the nomination process. The EPA will try
to answer any questions raised by the public on any of these processes.
There will also be a satellite video presentation to discuss the
ICCR at 190 sites across the United States. This video presentation
will serve to educate the public on the same topics to be covered at
the public meeting. Viewers of the satellite presentation will also
have the opportunity to have their questions answered by the EPA. This
video presentation will be shown at the public meeting.
Dated: June 14, 1996.
Mary D. Nichols,
Assistant Administrator For Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 96-15880 Filed 6-20-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
