[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 156 (Thursday, August 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 43592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21673]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6143-5]
Regulatory Reinvention (XL) Pilot Projects
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability of Massachusetts Environmental Results
Program Project XL Draft Umbrella Final Project Agreement.
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SUMMARY: EPA is today requesting comments on a proposed Project XL
Final Project Agreement (FPA) for the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection. The FPA is a voluntary agreement developed
collaboratively by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection, stakeholders, and EPA. Project XL, announced in the Federal
Register on May 23, 1995 (60 FR 27282), gives regulated sources the
flexibility to develop alternative strategies that will replace or
modify specific regulatory requirements on the condition that they
produce greater environmental benefits. EPA has set a goal of
implementing a total of fifty projects undertaken in full partnership
with the states.
The draft FPA for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) proposes to streamline permitting and reporting
processes in the state. The Environmental Results Program (ERP), was
developed to reduce the number of permits applied for, renewed, and
issued through a program of facility-wide, performance-based self-
certification. Beginning with a demonstration project of 23 companies,
industry representatives have cooperated with Massachusetts DEP to
establish criteria for reporting compliance with state performance and
operating standards in certain industrial categories, without
developing permits for each facility. The first 3 sectors of this
project are Dry Cleaners, Photo Processors, and Printers.
Massachusetts DEP will guide companies through the process,
providing explanations of laws and regulations and ideas for meeting
associated requirements. The project is intended to reduce resources
expended by both the DEP and industry in the permitting process, as
well as improve compliance by offering companies flexibility in
pollution prevention. Massachusetts DEP believes that after an initial
evaluation and revision phase, the program will be easily transferable
to other industry sectors throughout Massachusetts and other states.
The draft FPA would provide a framework for developing self-
certification requirements for industrial sectors and for assessing
whether those requirements achieve superior environmental performance.
Massachusetts proposed project is a multi-sector, multi-facility
attempt to incorporate environmental management practices across entire
business sectors. It is an attempt to reduce the reporting burden for
affected facilities and the DEP while fostering superior environmental
performance by identifying and encouraging opportunities for pollution
prevention. The draft umbrella FPA would allow the Massachusetts DEP an
expedited review process for later proposed addenda which will
demonstrate superior environmental performance for each specific sector
involved. The regulatory flexibility necessary to implement sector-
specific projects will also be discussed in each sector-specific
addendum.
As part of its draft FPA, Massachusetts DEP will actively work to
ensure and maintain involvement of key stakeholders and the general
public in ERP development. DEP has developed an ERP Design Team
comprised of representatives from EPA, other government entities,
environmental advocacy groups, business and industry, consulting firms,
and the legal community.
DATES: The period for submission of comments ends on September 14,
1998.
ADDRESSES: All comments on the draft Final Project Agreement should be
sent to: Thomas D'Avanzo, U.S. EPA, Region I, John F. Kennedy Building,
Boston, MA 02203, or Chad A. Carbone, U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Room
1027WT (1802), Washington, DC 20460. Comments may also be faxed to Mr.
D'Avanzo at (617) 565-4939 or Mr. Carbone at (202) 401-6637. Comments
will also be received via electronic mail sent to:
davanzo.thomas@epamail.epa.gov or carbone.chad@epamail.epa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain a copy of the proposed Final
Project Agreement or Fact Sheet, contact: Thomas D'Avanzo, U.S. EPA,
Region I, John F. Kennedy Building, Boston, MA 02203, or Chad A.
Carbone, U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Room 1027WT (1802), Washington, DC
20460. The documents are also available via the Internet at the
following location: ``http://yosemite.epa.gov/xl/xl__home.nsf/all/
homepage.'' In addition, public files on the Project are located at EPA
Region I in Boston. Questions to EPA regarding the documents can be
directed to Thomas D'Avanzo at (617) 566-3277 or Chad A. Carbone at
(202) 260-4296.
To be included on the Massachusetts ERP Project XL mailing list to
receive information about future public meetings, XL progress reports
and other mailings from Massachusetts on the XL Project, contact: Tara
Velazquez, Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs,
Department of Environmental Protection, 1 Winter Street, Boston, MA
02108. Ms. Velazquez can also be reached by telephone at (617) 292-
5505. For information on all other aspects of the XL Program contact
Christopher Knopes at the following address: Office of Reinvention,
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Room 1029, 401 M Street,
SW (1802), Washington, DC 20460. Additional information on Project XL,
including documents referenced in this notice, other EPA policy
documents related to Project XL, regional XL contacts, application
information, and descriptions of existing XL projects and proposals, is
available via the Internet at ``http://yosemite.epa.gov/xl/
xl__home.nsf/all/homepage'' and via an automated fax-on-demand menu at
(202) 260-8590.
Identification of Document: Notice of availability of Massachusetts
Environmental Results Program Project XL Draft Umbrella Final Project
Agreement.
Dated: August 3, 1998.
Lisa Lund,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Reinvention Programs, Office of
Reinvention.
[FR Doc. 98-21673 Filed 8-12-98; 8:45 am]
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