E7-18573. Proposed Consent Decree, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice of Proposed Consent Decree; Request for Public Comment.

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 consent decree. On February 3, 2006, the Center for Biological Diversity and four other plaintiffs (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) filed an amended complaint alleging that EPA failed to perform its mandatory duty under CAA section 109(d)(1) to periodically review the air quality criteria for nitrogen oxides (“NO_X”) and sulfur oxides (“SO_X”) and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (“NAAQS”) for nitrogen dioxide (“NO₂”) and sulfur dioxide (“SO₂”), to make such revisions to these air quality criteria and NAAQS as may be appropriate, and to promulgate such new NAAQS as may be appropriate. Center for Biological Diversity, et al. v. Johnson, No. 05-1814 (D.D.C.). The proposed consent decree establishes a schedule for EPA's review and, if appropriate, revisions of the air quality criteria for SO_X and NO_X and the NAAQS for NO₂ and SO₂ NAAQS.

DATES:

Written comments on the proposed consent decree must be received by October 22, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OGC-2007-0962, online at www.regulations.gov (EPA's preferred method); by e-mail to [e-mail]; 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 3334, 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 Word 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:

M. Lea Anderson, Air and Radiation Law Office (2344A), Office of General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: [phone]; fax number [phone]; e-mail address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Additional Information About the Proposed Consent Decree

Under section 109(d) of the CAA, EPA is required to periodically review air quality criteria and NAAQS and to make such revisions as may be appropriate. Plaintiffs allege that EPA has failed to do this by the deadline set forth in the CAA. The proposed consent decree establishes a schedule for EPA's review and, if appropriate, revisions of the air quality criteria for NO_X and SO_X and the NO₂ and SO₂ NAAQS. The schedule establishes dates for issuance of Integrated Science Assessments (document containing air quality criteria) addressing the human health effects of NO_X, the human health effects of SO_X, and the public welfare effects of NO_X and SO_X. The proposed consent decree also establishes a schedule for EPA's issuance of notices of proposed rulemaking and final rules concerning its review of the primary and secondary NO₂ and SO₂ NAAQS. The consent decree provides that EPA will sign a notice setting forth its decision concerning its review of (1) the primary NO₂ NAAQS no later than December 18, 2009; (2) the primary SO₂ NAAQS no later than March 2, 2010; and (3) the secondary NO₂ and SO₂ NAAQS no later than October 19, 2010.

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 consent decree from persons who were not named as parties or intervenors to the litigation in question. EPA or the Department of Justice may withdraw or withhold consent to the proposed consent decree 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 determines, based on any comment which may be submitted, that consent to the consent decree should be withdrawn, the terms of the decree will be affirmed.

II. Additional Information About Commenting on the Proposed Consent Decree

A. How Can I Get A Copy of the Consent Decree?

The official public docket for this action (identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OGC-2007-0962) contains a copy of the proposed consent decree. 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 3334, 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 [phone], and the telephone number for the OEI Docket is [phone].

An electronic version of the public docket is available through www.regulations.gov. You may use the www.regulations.gov 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 in paper, will be made available for public viewing online at www.regulations.gov 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 the 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 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.

Use of the www.regulations.gov Web site 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 www.regulations.gov, 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: September 14, 2007.

Richard B. Ossias,

Associate General Counsel.