[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 3, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 128-130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-102]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 88

[AMS-FRL-5347-1]


Conversions Sales Volume Limit Provisions for Small Volume 
Manufacturers Certification of the Final Rule Entitled ``Emission 
Standards for Clean Vehicles and Engines, Requirements for Clean-Fuel 
Vehicle Conversions, and California Pilot Test Program''

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule; removal of direct final rule provision.

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SUMMARY: On September 30, 1994 (59 FR 50042), EPA published the final 
rule establishing emission standards for clean-fuel vehicles (CFVs) and 
engines and requirements for CFV conversions. As a part of this final 
rule, EPA published a direct final rulemaking (DFRM) intended to apply 
a 10,000 vehicle sales volume limit (EPA's current Small-Volume 
Manufacturers Certification Program limit) to vehicle converters 
seeking to certify their conversion configurations as CFVs under EPA's 
Small-Volume Certification Program. EPA is removing this provision 
because adverse or critical comments were received by the Agency prior 
to October 31, 1994 (the published deadline for submitting comments).

EFFECTIVE DATE: This action is effective January 3, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Materials directly relevant to the direct final rule are 
contained in Public Docket A-92-30 located at: Air and Radiation Docket 
and Information Center, Room M-1500, Waterside Mall (ground floor), 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW, Washington, D.C. 
20460. The docket may be inspected from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday 
through Friday. As provided in 40 CFR part 2, a reasonable fee may be 
charged by EPA for copying docket materials.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bryan Manning, U.S. EPA (SRPB-12), 
Regulation Development and Support Division, 2565 Plymouth Road, Ann 
Arbor, MI 48105, Telephone: (313) 741-7832.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Accessing Electronic Copies of Rulemaking Documents through the 
Technology Transfer Network Bulletin Board System (TTNBBS)

    A copy of this action is available through TTNBBS under OMS, 
Rulemaking and Reporting, Alternative Fuels, Clean Fuel Fleets. TTNBBS 
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week except Monday morning from 
8-12 EST, when the system is down for maintenance and backup. For help 
in accessing the system, call the systems operator at 919-541-5384 in 
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, during normal business hours 
EST.

II. Description of Action

    The Clean Air Act requires EPA to establish, by regulation, 
emission standards for clean-fuel vehicles (CFVs) pursuant to sections 
242 and 243 of the Act. On September 30, 1994, EPA promulgated such 
emissions standards for all CFVs, including vehicles converted from 
conventional vehicles to CFVs. See 59 FR 50042. That rulemaking 
included a regulatory provision that adopted a sales volume limit of 
10,000 converted vehicles for converters seeking to certify as small 
volume manufacturers. The Small-Volume Manufacturers certification 
program exempts manufacturers with annual sales of 10,000 or less from 
EPA's full certification program. EPA had intended to implement the 
10,000 limit for CFV conversion certification under the small-volume 
manufacturers provisions to make the treatment of CFVs consistent with 
that of other conventional and alternative-fueled vehicles. A 
discussion of EPA's perspective on this regulatory provision was 
presented in Section II, Part B of the Clean Fuel Vehicle Conversions 
Final Rule. See 59 FR 50063-50064 (September 30, 1994).
    EPA did not include this sales volume limit in its proposed clean-
fuel vehicle regulations (See 58 FR 32474, June 10, 1993). EPA 
promulgated this provision in the final rule establishing the CFV 
standards through a direct final rulemaking process, because the Agency 
considered it a noncontroversial action and did not anticipate adverse 
comment. However, EPA did receive adverse comment during the comment 
period provided for the sales volume limit. Specifically, the Natural 
Gas Vehicle Coalition (NGVC) commented that certification is more 
burdensome for conversion companies compared to Original Equipment 
Manufacturers (OEMs) since the relative costs of the end products of 
the two types of business are very different and the opportunity to 
recover certification costs by increasing product prices is much more 
limited for converters. Since adverse comments were received on this 
direct final action, EPA is removing the volume limit for converters 
seeking to use the provisions for small-volume manufacturers. In 
another document elsewhere in this Federal Register, EPA is proposing 
to adopt this volume limit for application of small volume manufacturer 
provisions to certification of CFV conversions. Interested parties 
should refer to the ``Proposed Rules'' section of this Federal Register 
for that proposal.
    EPA's removal of these regulatory changes is not based on EPA's 
agreement or disagreement with the adverse comments received. The 
removal is based solely on the receipt of the comment itself. As stated 
in the September 30, 1994, rule, the sales volume limit would be 
effective only if no persons submitted adverse comments or requested an 
opportunity to comment. Section 88.306-94(b)(3) is being revised for 
purposes of removing the direct final rule provisions. In addition to 
removing the volume limit in this action, EPA is proposing new 
provisions regarding the vehicle volume limit for converters seeking 
certification under the small volume manufacturers provisions in a 
document elsewhere in this Federal Register.

III. Statutory Authority

    The statutory authority for this action is granted to EPA by 
Sections 202, 203, 247, and 301 of the Clean Air Act.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 88

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Motor vehicle pollution, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: November 27, 1995.
Carol M. Browner,
Administrator.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble part 88 of title 40 of 
the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows:

PART 88--CLEAN-FUEL VEHICLES

    1. The authority citation for Part 88 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7410, 7418, 7581, 7582, 7583, 7584, 7586, 
7588, 7589, 7601(a).

    2. Section 88.306-94 of subpart C is amended by revising paragraph 
(b)(3) to read as follows:


Sec. 88.306-94  Requirements for a converted vehicle to qualify as a 
clean-fuel fleet vehicle.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (3) For the purpose of determining whether certification under the 
Small-Volume Manufacturers Certification Program pursuant to the 
requirements of 40 CFR 86.094-14 is permitted, the 10,000 sales volume 
limit in 40 CFR 86.094-14(b)(1) is waived for a certifier 

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of a clean-fuel vehicle aftermarket conversion.
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[FR Doc. 96-102 Filed 1-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P