[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 14392-14393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-7765]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 70

[FRL-5985-5]


Operating Permits Program; Notice of Availability of Draft Rules

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The EPA is allowing public review and comment on the draft 
preamble and sections of the draft revisions to the operating permits 
regulations in 40 CFR part 70. The regulatory sections available for 
comment include those dealing with definitions, applicability, permit 
programs, permit applications, and permit content, among others, but do 
not include those associated with permit revisions or permit review by 
EPA, affected States, and the public. The draft revised sections being 
made available for review are the same as those contained in the May 
14, 1997 draft preamble and regulatory revisions, which were announced 
as available for review in a June 3, 1997 Federal Register notice. The 
EPA is making these sections available for comment now so that any 
public comments may be considered before the close of stakeholder 
discussions. Draft revisions to the sections on permit revisions and 
permit review by EPA, affected States, and the public will be made 
available in the future.

DATES: Comments on the draft preamble and regulatory revisions must be 
received by April 24, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The draft preamble and regulatory revisions are available in 
EPA's Air Docket number A-93-50 as items VI-A-4 and VI-A-5, 
respectively. This docket is available for public inspection and 
copying between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the 
address listed below. A reasonable fee may be charged for copying. The 
address of the EPA air docket is: EPA Air Docket (6102), Attention: 
Docket Number A-93-50, Room M-1500, Waterside Mall, 401 M Street SW, 
Washington, DC, 20460.
    The drafts may also be downloaded from the Internet at: http://
www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t5pgm.html.
    Comments on the materials referenced in today's notice must be 
mailed (in duplicate if possible) to: EPA Air Docket (6102), Attention: 
Docket No. A-93-50, at the above address. Please identify comments as 
concerning today's notice of availability of items VI-A-4 and VI-A-5.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ray Vogel (telephone 919-541-3153) or 
Roger Powell (telephone 919-541-5331), Mail Drop 12, EPA, Information 
Transfer and Program Integration Division, Research Triangle Park, 
North Carolina, 27711. Internet addresses are: [email protected] and 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The part 70 operating permits regulations 
were originally promulgated on July 21, 1992 (57 FR 32250). Revisions 
to part 70 were proposed on August 29, 1994 (59 FR 44460) and August 
31, 1995 (60 FR 45530). On May 13, 1997, the Agency released a draft of 
the final preamble and regulatory revision rulemaking that would revise 
part 70 for purposes of considering any final comments from interested 
parties before final action. The draft rulemaking reflected EPA's 
consideration of comments on the 1994 and 1995 proposals, and included 
additional regulatory changes that EPA believed appropriate based on 
comments. Availability of the May 13, 1997 draft and a 30-day public 
comment period was announced in a June 3, 1997 Federal Register notice 
(62 FR 30289).
    Subsequently, after discussing the draft rulemaking with industry, 
environmental, and State/local permitting agency representatives 
(``stakeholders''), EPA decided that additional changes were necessary, 
particularly to the section on permit revision procedures. 
Consequently, EPA announced in a July 3, 1997 notice (62 FR 36039) that 
the public should withhold comment on the May 1997 draft until a new 
draft was prepared.
    Since May 1997, EPA has discussed with stakeholders alternative 
approaches to the permit revision system contained in the May draft. 
While the discussions with stakeholders to date have involved the 
provisions of Secs. 70.7 and 70.8, EPA also wants to discuss with the 
stakeholders any concerns with the remaining sections. To prepare for 
those discussions, it is important to be aware of concerns from the 
public at large on the remaining sections. Therefore, this notice 
announces availability of the remaining sections of part 70 for public 
review. The preamble and regulatory revisions related to Secs. 70.7 and 
70.8 will be made available in a future Federal Register notice of 
availability.
    Items VI-A-4 and VI-A-5 in docket A-93-50 contain the portions of 
the preamble and regulations for the revisions that may be made to 
Secs. 70.2 through 70.6 and Secs. 70.9 through 70.11 of the part 70 
regulations. That material is also available on the Internet at the 
address noted above. As in the June 3, 1997 notice, EPA seeks comment 
only on regulatory revisions that have changed since the August 1994 
and

[[Page 14393]]

August 1995 proposals. The changes since the proposals are addressed in 
the preamble discussions on the relevant sections of part 70 (e.g. 
Sec. 70.2).
    Please send comments directly to Docket A-93-50 at the address 
previously provided and specify that they are in response to this 
document. Comments will be forwarded from the Air Docket to the 
Operating Permits Group of EPA.

    Dated: March 17, 1998.
Richard D. Wilson,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 98-7765 Filed 3-24-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P