[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 166 (Friday, August 25, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51823-51825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21782]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPTS-00672; FRL-6599-6]


National Action Plan for Alkyl-lead; Notice of Availability and 
Solicitation of Public Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability and solicitation of public comment.

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SUMMARY: EPA has developed a draft National Action Plan to promote 
further voluntary reductions of use and exposure to alkyl-lead 
compounds. Alkyl-lead is used as a fuel additive to reduce ``knock'' in 
combustion engines and also to help lubricate internal engine 
components and protect intake and exhaust valves against recession. 
Currently, the largest uses of alkyl-lead are in aviation gasoline for 
general aviation (piston-engine) aircraft and racing gasoline. This 
plan was developed pursuant to the Agency's Multimedia Strategy for 
Priority Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) Pollutants. This 
Notice announces the availability of the Alkyl-lead National Action 
Plan for public review and comment.

DATES: Comments, identified by docket control number OPPTS-00672, must 
be received on or before September 25, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in 
person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as 
provided in Unit I. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure proper 
receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket control 
number OPPTS-00672 in the subject line on the first page of your 
response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: 
Barbara Cunningham, Director, Office of Program Management and 
Evaluation, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (7401), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    For technical information contact: Paul Matthai, Pollution 
Prevention Division (7409), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 260-3385; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of interest to persons who make, distribute, or use racing 
and aviation gasoline. Since other entities may also be interested, the 
Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific

[[Page 51824]]

entities that may be affected by this action. If you have any questions 
regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, 
consult the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this 
Document or Other Related Documents?

    1. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this 
document, and certain other related documents that might be available 
electronically, from the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/pbt. To access this document, on the PBT Home Page select ``Strategy 
and Action Plans.''
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OPPTS-00672. The official 
record consists of the documents specifically referenced in this 
action, any public comments received during an applicable comment 
period, and other information related to this action, including any 
information claimed as confidential business information (CBI). This 
official record includes the documents that are physically located in 
the docket, as well as the documents that are referenced in those 
documents. The public version of the official record does not include 
any information claimed as CBI. The public version of the official 
record, which includes printed, paper versions of any electronic 
comments submitted during an applicable comment period, is available 
for inspection in the TSCA Nonconfidential Information Center, North 
East Mall Rm. B-607, Waterside Mall, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC. 
The Center is open from noon to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Center is (202) 
260-7099.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or 
electronically. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify docket control number OPPTS-00672 in the subject line on 
the first page of your response.
    1. By mail. Submit your comments to: Document Control Office 
(7407), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    2. In person or by courier. Deliver your comments to: OPPT Document 
Control Office (DCO) in East Tower Rm. G-099, Waterside Mall, 401 M 
St., SW., Washington, DC. The DCO is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the 
DCO is (202) 260-7093.
    3. Electronically. You may submit your comments electronically by 
e-mail to: ``[email protected],'' or mail your computer disk to the 
address identified in this unit. Do not submit any information 
electronically that you consider to be CBI. Electronic comments must be 
submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and 
any form of encryption. Comments and data will also be accepted on 
standard disks in WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or ASCII file format. All 
comments in electronic form must be identified by docket control number 
OPPTS-00672. Electronic comments may also be filed online at many 
Federal Depository Libraries.

D. How Should I Handle CBI Information that I Want to Submit to the 
Agency?

    Do not submit any information electronically that you consider to 
be CBI. You may claim information that you submit to EPA in response to 
this document as CBI by marking any part or all of that information as 
CBI. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance 
with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. In addition to one complete 
version of the comment that includes any information claimed as CBI, a 
copy of the comment that does not contain the information claimed as 
CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public version of the 
official record. Information not marked confidential will be included 
in the public version of the official record without prior notice. If 
you have any questions about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, 
please consult the technical person identified under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

E. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    We invite you to provide your views on the various options we 
propose, new approaches we have not considered, the potential impacts 
of the various options (including possible unintended consequences), 
and any data or information that you would like the Agency to consider 
during the development of the final action. You may find the following 
suggestions helpful for preparing your comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this 
notice.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
control number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first 
page of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

II. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    On November 16, 1998, EPA released its Agency-wide Multimedia 
Strategy for Priority Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) 
Pollutants (PBT Strategy). The goal of the PBT Strategy is to identify 
and reduce risks to human health and the environment from current and 
future exposure to priority PBT pollutants. This document serves as the 
Draft National Action Plan for Alkyl-Lead, one of the 12 Level 1 
priority PBT pollutants identified for the initial focus of action in 
the PBT Strategy.
    Alkyl-lead compounds are man-made compounds in which a carbon atom 
of one or more organic molecules is bound to a lead atom. 
Tetraethyllead (TML) and TML compounds are the most common alkyl-lead 
compounds that have been used in the past and are still in use today in 
the United States. These two alkyl-lead compounds are the focus of this 
National Action Plan. Alkyl-lead is used as a fuel additive to reduce 
``knock'' in combustion engines and also to help lubricate internal 
engine components and protect intake and exhaust valves against 
recession. Currently, the largest uses of alkyl-lead are in aviation 
gasoline for general aviation (piston-engine) aircraft, and racing 
gasoline. Neither of these uses are subject to any of the regulations 
that restrict leaded motor gasoline use.
    In the body, alkyl-lead compounds are distributed through the blood 
to ``soft tissues'' particularly the liver, kidneys, muscles, and 
brain. Initial symptoms of alkyl-lead poisoning include, among others: 
anorexia, insomnia, tremor, weakness, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, 
mood shifts such as aggression or depression, and impairment of memory. 
In the case of acute alkyl-lead poisoning, possible health effects 
include mania, convulsions, delirium, fever, coma, and in some cases 
even death. Lead poisoning due to the

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ingestion or inhalation of inorganic lead compounds emitted as exhaust 
through the combustion process (as a direct result of the use of alkyl-
lead in gasoline) is a widely recognized public health problem.
    EPA is requesting public comment on a strategy to address the 
remaining risks to human health and the environment from exposure to 
alkyl-lead: (1) Contribute to international efforts to reduce the use 
of alkyl-lead world-wide; (2) pursue voluntary initiatives to reduce 
the use of alkyl-lead in aircraft gasoline, race cars, and non-road 
vehicles such as farm machinery, marine vessels, construction 
equipment, and recreational vehicles; and (3) collect information as 
possible, given resource constraints, related to production, use, 
emissions, and continued exposure scenarios.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection.

    Dated: August 7, 2000.
Susan H. Wayland,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and 
Toxic Substances.
[FR Doc. 00-21782 Filed 8-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F