[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 156 (Friday, August 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49240-49241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20344]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6849-4]


Notice of Public Comment and Public Meetings Western Regional Air 
Partnership

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces public meetings and a request for public 
comment sponsored by the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP). The 
meetings and the request for comments

[[Page 49241]]

concern several documents: the draft final recommendations on a 
backstop emissions trading program regarding regional emissions 
milestones for stationary sources of sulfur dioxide (SO2); a 
memorandum of understanding; and, a draft model rule. EPA is publishing 
this notice on behalf of the WRAP.

DATES: Please see Attachment to this notice.

ADDRESSES: Please see Attachment to this notice for public meeting 
locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Al Zemsky, Senior External Advisor, 
Air Division, [AIR-1], U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, 
75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, Telephone: (415) 744-
1262.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The WRAP, comprising governors from Western 
states, tribal leaders and federal agency representatives, is seeking 
public comment on a proposal to reduce regional emissions from 
stationary sources of sulfur dioxide (SO2), as well as 
proposed recommendations regarding a backstop emissions trading 
program. The comments are important for developing final 
recommendations for Western air quality regulations to be submitted to 
the U.S. EPA.
    The dates, times, and locations of the public meetings and the 
availability of the documents to be reviewed for comment are described 
in the Attachment to this notice.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.

    Dated: August 3, 2000.
John Wise,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.

Attachment: Notice of Public Comment and Public Meetings; August 
14-September 8, 2000

The Proposal

    The Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP), comprising governors 
from 12 Western states, tribal leaders and federal agency 
representatives, is seeking public comment on a proposal to reduce 
regional emissions from stationary sources of sulfur dioxide 
(SO2), as well as proposed recommendations regarding a 
backstop emissions trading program. SO2 is an important 
contributor to haze in Western parks and wilderness areas. Preliminary 
analysis indicates that the cost of using a backstop trading program to 
reduce emissions will be $50-100 million cheaper than a traditional 
command-and-control program. Since the largest sources of sulfur 
dioxide are coal-fired electric power generating plants, a backstop 
trading program can offset--and potentially reduce--any increases in 
the cost of electricity for consumers.

To Comment

    The WRAP is seeking public comment on several documents, including: 
(1) The draft final recommendations; (2) a memorandum of understanding; 
and, (3) a draft model rule. Complete details of the program are 
available at www.wrapair.org. The Web site contains links to submit 
comments via e-mail and instructions on how to join a listserve, which 
will automatically send an e-mail alerting subscribers that new 
information has been posted to the Web. If you have questions, contact 
either Patrick Cummins at the Western Governors' Association, 1515 
Cleveland Place, Suite 200, Denver CO 80202, (303) 623-9378; or Bill 
Grantham at the National Tribal Environmental Council at 2221 Rio 
Grande NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, (505) 242-2175.

Background

    The WRAP was created as the successor organization to the Grand 
Canyon Visibility Transport Commission (GCVTC), which made over 70 
recommendations in June 1996 for improving visibility in 16 national 
parks and wilderness areas on the Colorado Plateau. The Partnership 
promotes, supports and monitors implementation of those recommendations 
throughout the West.
    Under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Regional Haze 
Rule, nine of the Western states have the option to comply using the 
GCVTC's regional visibility protection program. The optional program 
requires the establishment of a regional emission target for 2018, in 
addition to interim targets. The recommendations and options regarding 
the market trading program were developed over the last two years by 
WRAP committees comprising a diverse group of stakeholders including 
industry, environmental groups and academia.
    Other pollutants and pollution sources--vehicles, fires, smaller 
industrial sources--will be addressed in programs over the next few 
years. The final WRAP recommendations will be submitted to EPA by 
October 2, 2000. EPA will consider the market trading program as part 
of its formal rulemaking process for the Regional Haze Rule.

Public Meetings

August 22--Santa Fe, New Mexico--7 p.m., Runnels Bldg. Auditorium, 1190 
St. Francis Drive
August 24--Phoenix, Arizona--7 p.m., Room 1709-10, Arizona DEQ, 3033 N. 
Central
August 29--Flagstaff, Arizona--6:30 p.m., Fremont Room, Dubois Center 
(follow signs off McConnell Drive), Northern Arizona University, Lower 
Campus
August 30--Salt Lake City, Utah--7 p.m., Utah DEQ Building, Room 101, 
168 N. 1950 West
August 31--Casper, Wyoming--7 p.m., Basco Building, 777 West First 
Street
Sept. 6--Boise, Idaho--7 p.m., Idaho DEQ, 1410 N. Hilton

(Other state and tribal public meetings may be scheduled, and will be 
posted to the Web site.)

[FR Doc. 00-20344 Filed 8-10-00; 8:45 am]
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