[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 124 (Wednesday, June 28, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33411-33412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15875]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[AD-FRL-5249-4; Docket No. AQM-95-01]


Conference on Air Quality Modeling

AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Conference.

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SUMMARY: EPA announces the Sixth Conference on Air Quality Modeling. 
Such a conference is required by Section 320 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) 
to be held every 3 years. The purpose of the Sixth Conference is to 
provide a forum for public review of modeling techniques that may be 
candidates for use in regulatory applications.

DATES: The sixth conference will be held on August 9-10, 1995 from 9:00 
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. As needed to allow for presentation of all verbal 
comments, the conference may extend to noon of the next day. Requests 
to speak at the conference should be submitted to the individuals 
listed below by July 26, 1995. All written comments must be submitted 
by COB October 10, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Conference: The conference will be held in the GSA 
Auditorium, GSA National Capitol Region Building, 7th and D Streets, 
SW., Washington, DC.
    Comments: Written statements or comments not presented at the 
conference should be submitted (in duplicate if possible) to: OAR 
Regulatory Docket (6102), Room M-1500, Waterside Mall, Attention: OAR 
Regulatory Docket AQM-95-01, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 
M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460.
    Copies of technical review materials may be obtained from several 
sources. Copies of all materials may be obtained from the docket. Many 
materials will also be available from the National Technical 
Information Service (NTIS), U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Springfield, VA 
22161; (703) 487-4650. In addition, many materials may be obtained from 
the Support Center for Regulatory Air Models Bulletin Board System by 
downloading the appropriate file. To register or access this electronic 
bulletin board, users with a personal computer should dial (919) 541-
5742.
    Docket: Items referenced in this notice as well as comments 
received are maintained in Docket AQM-95-01. The docket is available 
for public inspection and copying between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, at the address above. A reasonable fee may be 
charged for copying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph A. Tikvart, Chief, Air Quality 
Modeling Group (MD-14), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; 
[[Page 33412]] telephone (919) 541-5562 or C. Thomas Coulter, telephone 
(919) 541-0832.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Background

    The Guideline on Air Quality Models (Revised)(hereafter, 
``Guideline'' \1\) is used by EPA, States, and private industry in the 
review and preparation of new source permits and SIP revisions. The 
Guideline serves as a means by which consistency is maintained in air 
quality analyses. It was first incorporated in the Code of Federal 
Regulations in 1978 and was subsequently revised in 1986 to include 
knowledge concerning modeling analyses that developed since the 
original guidance was issued. In 1988 four techniques were added as 
supplement A to the Guideline as a result of public comments on the 
1986 revisions. In 1993, the Guideline was further revised with 
supplement B, and supplement C is expected to be promulgated soon.

    \1\ The Guideline is published as appendix W to 40 CFR part 51.
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    To support the process of developing and revising the Guideline 
during the period 1977-1988, the First, Second and Third Conferences on 
Air Quality Modeling were held as required by Section 320 of the Clean 
Air Act to help standardize modeling procedures. These modeling 
conferences provided EPA with comments on the Guideline and associated 
revisions, thereby facilitating introduction of improved modeling 
techniques into the regulatory process.
    In October 1988, the Fourth Conference on Air Quality Modeling was 
held. Its purpose was to advise the public on new modeling techniques 
and to solicit comments to guide EPA's consideration of any rulemaking 
needed to further revise the Guideline. The new models provide 
techniques for situations where specific procedures had not previously 
been available, and also improve several previously adopted techniques.
    The Fifth Conference on Air Quality Modeling, held in March 1991, 
served as the public hearing for the proposed supplement B revisions to 
the Guideline (aforementioned). Since the Fifth Conference and the 
imminent adoption of supplement C, EPA believes it is time to consider 
a wide range of modeling issues in order to update its available 
modeling tools with state-of-the-science techniques. The Agency 
believes the Sixth Conference will appropriately serve as an ideal 
forum for the airing of these issues and the public offering of new 
ideas. The public feedback from such a conference is invaluable.
Public Participation

    The Sixth Conference on Air Quality Modeling will be open to the 
public; no admission fee is charged. The conference will begin the 
first morning with introductory remarks by EPA officials. The 
conference will continue with prepared presentations on several key 
modeling areas, i.e., long range transport modeling under the 
Interagency Workgroup on Air Quality Modeling (IWAQM 2) and the 
development of an enhanced Gaussian dispersion model with boundary 
layer parameterization (AERMOD 3). In the afternoon, invited 
speakers will discuss special topics, i.e., the Electric Power Research 
Institute's building downwash program, as well as several new and 
developing models (CAMRAQ, MODELS3, HPDM).

    \2\ IWAQM was formed in 1991 to provide a focus for development 
of technically sound regional air quality models for regulatory 
assessments of pollutant source impacts on federal Class I areas. 
IWAQM is an interagency collaboration that includes efforts by EPA, 
U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
    \3\ AMS/EPA Regulatory Model; AERMOD is being developed by 
AERMIC: AMS/EPA Regulatory Model Improvement Committee.
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    The second morning, discussion of special topics will continue 
based on voluntary presentations. Such presentations may include topics 
such as air models for accidental releases, fires, etc., air models for 
risk assessment of toxic pollutants, model evaluation, candidate models 
for Guideline appendix B, and miscellaneous models/data processing 
systems. These presen-tations will be followed by a critical review/
discussion of the IWAQM and AERMOD modeling systems facilitated jointly 
by the Air & Waste Management Association's AB-3 Committee and the 
American Meteorological Society's Committee of Meteorological Aspects 
of Air Pollution. That afternoon representatives of State and local air 
pollution control agencies, appropriate Federal agencies, and 
professional and constituency groups will be invited to make 
statements. The conference will then be opened to statements and 
comments from the general public.
    For the new models and modeling techniques described, EPA will be 
asking the public to address the following questions:
     What is the scientific merit of the models presented?
     What is their accuracy?
     What should be the regulatory use of individual models for 
specific applications?
     What implementation issues are apparent and what 
additional guidance is needed?
     What are the resource requirements of modeling systems 
presented?
     What additional analyses or information are needed?
    Persons wishing to speak at the conference, whether to volunteer a 
presentation on a special topic or to offer general comment on any of 
the modeling techniques scheduled for presentation, should contact EPA 
at the address given in the FURTHER INFORMATION section no later than 
July 26. Such persons should identify the organization (if any) on 
whose behalf they are speaking and the length of presentation. An early 
contact regarding voluntary presentations of special topics, as well as 
time required and any materials that can be made publicly available, 
would help facilitate organization of the conference. If a presentation 
of general comments is projected to be longer than 10 minutes, the 
presenter should also state why a longer period is needed. Persons 
failing to submit a written notice but desiring to speak at the 
conference should notify the presiding officer immediately before the 
conference and will be scheduled on a time-available basis.
    The conference will be conducted informally and chaired by an EPA 
official. There will be no sworn testimony or cross examination. A 
verbatim transcript of the conference proceedings will be produced and 
placed in the docket. Speakers should bring extra copies of their 
presentation for inclusion in the docket, for the convenience of the 
reporter. Speakers will be permitted to enter into the record any 
additional written comments that are not presented orally. Additional 
written statements or comments should be sent to the OAR Regulatory 
Docket (see ADDRESSES section). A transcript of the proceedings and a 
copy of all written comments will be maintained in Docket AQM-95-01 
which will remain open until October 10, 1995 for the purpose of 
receiving additional comments.

    Dated: June 21, 1995.
Mary D. Nichols,
Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 95-15875 Filed 6-27-95; 8:45 am]
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