[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 169 (Wednesday, August 30, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52751-52752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22159]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6860-6]


Project XL Draft Final Project Agreement: State of Pennsylvania 
Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Coal Remining and 
Reclamation XL Project

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: EPA is requesting comments on a draft Project XL Final Project 
Agreement (FPA) for the State of Pennsylvania Department of 
Environmental Protection (PADEP) Coal Remining and Reclamation XL 
Project (hereafter ``Coal Remining and Reclamation''). The FPA is a 
voluntary agreement developed collaboratively by PADEP and the EPA. 
Project XL, announced in the Federal Register on May 23, 1995 (60 FR 
27282), gives regulated entities the opportunity to develop alternative 
strategies that will replace or modify specific regulatory or 
procedural requirements on the condition that they produce greater 
environmental benefits.
    The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) has 
proposed a project aimed at improving overall in-stream water quality 
by reducing acid mine drainage (AMD) and reclaiming scarred lands 
resulting from abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania. Under this 
project, PADEP will explore a new approach to encourage the remining 
and reclamation of abandoned coal mine sites and provide 
environmentally responsible incentives for potential reminers.
    The proposed approach would be based on compliance with in-stream 
pollutant concentration limits and implementation of best management 
practices (``BMPs''), instead of National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (``NPDES'') numeric effluent limitations measured at 
individual discharge points. The project will collect data to compare 
in-stream pollutant concentrations versus the loading from

[[Page 52752]]

individual discharge points and provide for the evaluation of the 
performance of BMPs and this alternate permitting strategy in PADEP's 
efforts to address AMD. This set of BMPs has been used in many 
successful remining projects in Pennsylvania to prevent acid mine 
drainage and reclaim lands that have been harmed by past mining 
practices. The proposed XL project would provide for a test of this 
approach in up to eight watersheds with significant AMD pollution.

DATES: The period for submission of comments ends on September 13, 
2000.

ADDRESSEES: All comments on the draft Final Project Agreement should be 
sent to: Steven Donohue, EPA Region III, 1650 Arch Street, 
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029. Comments may also be faxed to Mr. Donohue 
at (215) 814-2783. Comments may also be received via electronic mail 
sent to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain a copy of the draft Final 
Project Agreement or a Fact Sheet, contact: Steven Donohue, EPA Region 
III, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-2029, or Ted 
Cochin, Office of Environmental Policy Innovation, U.S. EPA, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW (1802), Washington, DC 20460. The FPA and 
related documents are also available via the Internet at the following 
location: http://www.epa.gov/ProjectXL. Questions to EPA regarding the 
documents can be directed to Steven Donohue at (215) 814-3215 or Ted 
Cochin at (202) 260-0880. To be included on the Coal Remining and 
Reclamation Project XL mailing list for information about future public 
meetings, XL progress reports and other mailings from PADEP on the XL 
project, contact Michael Smith, District Mining Manager, Hawk Run 
District Mining Office, Empire Road, P.O. Box 209, Hawk Run, 
Pennsylvania 16840-0209. For information on all other aspects of the XL 
Program contact Christopher Knopes at the following address: Office of 
Policy, Economics and Innovation, United States Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW (1802), Washington, DC 
20460. Additional information on Project XL, including documents 
referenced in this notice, other EPA policy documents related to 
Project XL, regional XL contacts, application information, and 
descriptions of existing XL projects and proposals, is available via 
the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/ProjectXL.

    Dated: August 24, 2000.
Elizabeth A. Shaw,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy Innovation.
[FR Doc. 00-22159 Filed 8-29-00; 8:45 am]
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