98-20284. Public Meeting to Discuss Issues Associated with Regulation of Cooling Water Intake Structures

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 40683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20284]



[[Page 40683]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Chapter I

[FRL-6132-4]


Public Meeting to Discuss Issues Associated with Regulation of 
Cooling Water Intake Structures

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting 
to discuss specific issues associated with the development of 
regulations under section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act applicable to 
cooling water intake structures. The purpose of this meeting is to 
facilitate an exchange of information that will assist EPA in 
developing regulatory options relating to: determining what is best 
technology available (BTA); the role of cost determinations in 
implementing section 316(b) and, the role of mitigation in minimizing 
adverse environmental impacts from cooling water intake structures. 
This is a follow-on public meeting to the one the Agency held on June 
29, 1998 (63 FR 27958, May 21, 1998) to discuss issues associated with 
defining and measuring adverse environmental impacts from cooling water 
intake structures. The meeting is open to the public.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on Thursday, September 10, 1998 
and Friday, September 11, 1998. On Thursday, the meeting will begin 
promptly at 10:00 a.m. and end at approximately 4:30 p.m. On Friday, 
the meeting will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 
approximately 12:00 noon.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 
625 First Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. For reservation 
information see supplementary information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Deborah Nagle, senior project manager, Office of Wastewater Management 
(4203), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20460; phone number is [phone] and E-mail address 
is [e-mail]. For any updates on the issues that EPA will 
discuss at the meeting, refer to EPA's 316(b) web site at http://
www.epa.gov/owm/316b.htm. To register for the meeting, please contact 
Betty Peterson of SAIC via FAX at [phone] or via mail at 1710 
Goodridge Drive (1-11-7), McLean, VA 22102. Please register by 
September 3, 1998.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1995, EPA entered into a Consent Decree 
that requires the Agency, no later than July 2, 1999, to propose 
regulations under section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 
1326(b), and to take final action with respect to the regulations no 
later than August 13, 2001. The Agency is currently developing these 
regulations for proposal. Section 316(b) provides that any standard 
established pursuant to section 301 or 306 of the Clean Water Act and 
applicable to a point source shall require that the location, design, 
construction, and capacity of cooling water intake structures reflect 
the best technology available for minimizing adverse environmental 
impact. A primary purpose of section 316(b) is to minimize the 
impingement and entrainment of fish and other aquatic organisms as they 
are drawn into a facility's cooling water intake.
    The public meeting will focus on the following topics:
    (1) BTA. The BTA determination is a critical element in 
implementing section 316(b). The Agency seeks input from stakeholders 
on appropriate technologies for satisfying the requirement of section 
316(b) that the location, design, construction, and capacity of cooling 
water intake structures reflect the best technology currently available 
for minimizing adverse environmental impact from cooling water intake 
structures.
    (2) Role of Costs in Implementing section 316(b). EPA seeks input 
on how cost should or should not be considered in implementing section 
316(b).
    (3) Mitigation. EPA is considering whether the section 316(b) 
regulations should include a national standard on the use of mitigation 
in minimizing adverse environmental impacts. EPA seeks input on whether 
and how to apply such a standard.
    The public meeting will be divided into three discussion periods. 
Each discussion period will address one of the three topics outlined 
above. EPA will initiate the discussion in each period by defining the 
issue. EPA expects that stakeholders will then continue the discussion 
by providing their views. EPA does not intend for the public meeting to 
be a forum for formal testimony. However, EPA will accept written 
comments on the three issues at the meeting or until October 5, 1998.
    The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 625 
First Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. A block of sleeping rooms has 
been reserved at the hotel for the nights of Wednesday, September 9 and 
Thursday, September 10. Contact the hotel to make reservations at (703) 
548-6300. The rooms are listed under ``U.S. EPA Section 316(b) 
Meeting.''
    The hotel can be reached via hotel shuttle bus from Washington's 
National Airport (baggage claim area of Gate 5 in the new terminal). 
The shuttle runs on the half hour. The blue and yellow lines of 
Washington's subway system (Metro) stop at National Airport. The 
closest subway stop to the hotel is the ``King Street'' metro station. 
It is approximately 9 blocks from the hotel and is also on the blue and 
yellow lines of the subway system.
Tudor T. Davies,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 98-20284 Filed 7-29-98; 8:45 am]
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