[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 40683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20284]
[[Page 40683]]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Chapter I
[FRL-6132-4]
Public Meeting to Discuss Issues Associated with Regulation of
Cooling Water Intake Structures
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting
to discuss specific issues associated with the development of
regulations under section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act applicable to
cooling water intake structures. The purpose of this meeting is to
facilitate an exchange of information that will assist EPA in
developing regulatory options relating to: determining what is best
technology available (BTA); the role of cost determinations in
implementing section 316(b) and, the role of mitigation in minimizing
adverse environmental impacts from cooling water intake structures.
This is a follow-on public meeting to the one the Agency held on June
29, 1998 (63 FR 27958, May 21, 1998) to discuss issues associated with
defining and measuring adverse environmental impacts from cooling water
intake structures. The meeting is open to the public.
DATES: The public meeting will be held on Thursday, September 10, 1998
and Friday, September 11, 1998. On Thursday, the meeting will begin
promptly at 10:00 a.m. and end at approximately 4:30 p.m. On Friday,
the meeting will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at
approximately 12:00 noon.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites,
625 First Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. For reservation
information see supplementary information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Deborah Nagle, senior project manager, Office of Wastewater Management
(4203), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW,
Washington, DC 20460; phone number is (202) 260-2656 and E-mail address
is [email protected]. For any updates on the issues that EPA will
discuss at the meeting, refer to EPA's 316(b) web site at http://
www.epa.gov/owm/316b.htm. To register for the meeting, please contact
Betty Peterson of SAIC via FAX at (703) 903-1374 or via mail at 1710
Goodridge Drive (1-11-7), McLean, VA 22102. Please register by
September 3, 1998.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1995, EPA entered into a Consent Decree
that requires the Agency, no later than July 2, 1999, to propose
regulations under section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C.
1326(b), and to take final action with respect to the regulations no
later than August 13, 2001. The Agency is currently developing these
regulations for proposal. Section 316(b) provides that any standard
established pursuant to section 301 or 306 of the Clean Water Act and
applicable to a point source shall require that the location, design,
construction, and capacity of cooling water intake structures reflect
the best technology available for minimizing adverse environmental
impact. A primary purpose of section 316(b) is to minimize the
impingement and entrainment of fish and other aquatic organisms as they
are drawn into a facility's cooling water intake.
The public meeting will focus on the following topics:
(1) BTA. The BTA determination is a critical element in
implementing section 316(b). The Agency seeks input from stakeholders
on appropriate technologies for satisfying the requirement of section
316(b) that the location, design, construction, and capacity of cooling
water intake structures reflect the best technology currently available
for minimizing adverse environmental impact from cooling water intake
structures.
(2) Role of Costs in Implementing section 316(b). EPA seeks input
on how cost should or should not be considered in implementing section
316(b).
(3) Mitigation. EPA is considering whether the section 316(b)
regulations should include a national standard on the use of mitigation
in minimizing adverse environmental impacts. EPA seeks input on whether
and how to apply such a standard.
The public meeting will be divided into three discussion periods.
Each discussion period will address one of the three topics outlined
above. EPA will initiate the discussion in each period by defining the
issue. EPA expects that stakeholders will then continue the discussion
by providing their views. EPA does not intend for the public meeting to
be a forum for formal testimony. However, EPA will accept written
comments on the three issues at the meeting or until October 5, 1998.
The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 625
First Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. A block of sleeping rooms has
been reserved at the hotel for the nights of Wednesday, September 9 and
Thursday, September 10. Contact the hotel to make reservations at (703)
548-6300. The rooms are listed under ``U.S. EPA Section 316(b)
Meeting.''
The hotel can be reached via hotel shuttle bus from Washington's
National Airport (baggage claim area of Gate 5 in the new terminal).
The shuttle runs on the half hour. The blue and yellow lines of
Washington's subway system (Metro) stop at National Airport. The
closest subway stop to the hotel is the ``King Street'' metro station.
It is approximately 9 blocks from the hotel and is also on the blue and
yellow lines of the subway system.
Tudor T. Davies,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 98-20284 Filed 7-29-98; 8:45 am]
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