[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 67 (Thursday, April 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18093-18094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8540]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6573-2]


Public Meeting To Discuss Infrastructure Issues Associated With 
Alternative-Fueled Vehicles

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to hold a 
public workshop to discuss issues associated with alternative fueled 
vehicles (AFV's) (i.e. vehicles powered by fuels other than gasoline). 
The purpose of this workshop is to facilitate an exchange of 
information focusing on issues relating to infrastructure development 
and creating a sustainable market for AFV's. Members of the public are 
invited to attend as observers as well as to participate in the 
discussion.

DATES: The EPA Infrastructure Workshop will be held in San Diego, 
California on May 10, 2000, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. (The date and 
location were selected to coordinate with the Department of Energy's 
National Clean Cities Conference which begins May 7, in San Diego).

ADDRESSES: Questions about the workshop should be addressed to: Barry 
Garelick (202-564-9028; [email protected]) 401 M Street, SW. 
(6406J), Washington, DC. (20460) or Sally Newstead (734-214-4474; 
[email protected]) 2000 Traverwood Dr., Ann Arbor, MI (48105). The 
workshop will be held at the US Grant Hotel, 326 Broadway, San Diego, 
CA, 92101, 800-334-6957 or 619-232-3121. The workshop registration form 
can be down loaded from the alternative fuels website: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/fuels/altfuels/altfuels.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Garelick (202) 546-9028 or Sally 
Newstead (734) 214-4474.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As this Administration has long recognized, 
one

[[Page 18094]]

of the keys to moving forward environmentally is moving forward 
technologically. Progress towards sustainable reductions in emissions 
from the mobile source sector is inextricably linked to technological 
advancement. Motor vehicles are significant contributors to ground-
level ozone, the principal harmful ingredient in smog. They also emit 
other pollutants, including particulate matter and air toxics, and 
motor vehicle emissions contribute to public health problems such as 
asthma and other respiratory problems.
    The rise in vehicle sales and vehicle miles traveled each year has 
consistently led to increases in the aggregate emissions from the 
mobile source sector despite progress in reducing emissions from 
gasoline-powered, convention motor vehicles. This places increasing 
importance on technological developments, including vehicles powered by 
fuels other than gasoline. There are a number of types of alternative 
fuel vehicles (AFV's) in production and under development. In the 
United States, manufacturers are already selling various types of AFV's 
including vehicles powered by electricity, compresses natural gas, 
methanol and ethanol. The last year has also seen dramatic developments 
in hybrid-electric vehicle and fuel cell technology.
    EPA has noted that the development of a sustainable market for 
AFV's is a key component of any plan to achieve the air quality gains 
that are possible from the use of AFV's; developing the infrastructure 
necessary for AFV's is an important part in developing that sustainable 
market. For example, drivers may be reluctant to purchase electric 
vehicles if they have concerns about the availability of recharging 
stations. EPA believes that the solutions to infrastructure development 
needs can be found by a variety of stakeholders working together to 
identify useful steps that might best be taken by working in 
partnership with each other.
    At this workshop, the Agency's intent is to gather other 
Administration officials (both environmental and purchasing agent), 
auto and utility industry representatives, environmentalists, and other 
interested parties. In addition to providing a opportunity to briefly 
discuss the barriers that limit development, it will provide a forum to 
begin the process of defining ``next steps'' that public and private 
sector parties can exercise in overcoming the barriers to developing an 
alternative fuels infrastructure. Issues to be explored include: (1) 
What sectors of vehicles should be targeted for an alternative fuels 
infrastructure (i.e., heavy-duty vs light-duty;) (2) what will be the 
effect of Tier 2 standards on alternative fuel vehicles; (3) what 
market incentives and legislative actions that have worked well and are 
``transferable''. Additionally, EPA is interested in learning what 
programs have been successful in promoting the use of alternative fuel 
vehicles.
    This workshop is intended to be the type of workshop that the 
northeastern states and the auto industry had tentatively agreed to in 
the ATV Agreement in the National LEV MOU that was never finalized.\1\ 
EPA believed that the ATV agreement would have been a productive way of 
creating a sustainable market for AFV's through cooperative working 
relationships. The Agency intends that the workshop will draw on the 
expertise of the northeastern states and other areas (such as 
California). EPA also welcomes the participation by other states. 
Anyone with suggestions for this workshop should contact Barry Garelick 
at 202/546-9028.
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    \1\ In the negotiations between the northeastern states and the 
auto industry on EPA's National Low Emission Vehicle (NLEV) program, 
the states and the auto industry had tentatively agreed to a process 
to facilitate discussion on the creation of a sustainable market for 
advanced technology vehicles (ATV Agreement). (This tentative ATV 
Agreement was to be included in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 
that was to form the basis for the NLEV program, but the ATV 
Agreement was not intended to be included in the NLEV regulations. 
However, the parties ended discussions and decided not to finalize 
the MOU, which would have contained the ATV agreement.)

    Dated: March 30, 2000.
Margo T. Oge,
Office Director for Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Office of 
Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 00-8540 Filed 4-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P