[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 170 (Thursday, August 31, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 52978-52979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22387]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 125

[FRL-6862-8]


Extension of Comment Period for National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System; Regulations Addressing Cooling Water Intake 
Structures for New Facilities; Proposed Rule

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period for proposed rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA is extending the comment period for the proposed rule 
addressing cooling water intake structures for new facilities. The 
proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on August 10, 2000 
(65 FR 49060). The comment period for the proposed rule is extended by 
30 days, ending on November 9, 2000. In light of issues raised by the 
regulated community and the plaintiffs in the lawsuit establishing the 
schedule for this action, EPA agrees that extending the comment period 
to 90 days is appropriate due to the complexity and

[[Page 52979]]

the range of issues raised by the proposed rule.

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted through November 
9, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Cooling Water Intake Structure 
(New Facilities) Proposed Rule Comment Clerk--W-00-03, Water Docket, 
Mail Code 4101, EPA, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., 
Washington, DC 20460. Comments delivered in person (including overnight 
mail) should be submitted to the Cooling Water Intake Structure (New 
Facilities) Proposed Rule Comment Clerk--W-00-03, Water Docket, Room EB 
57, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington DC 20460. Please submit any 
references cited in your comments. Submit an original and three copies 
of your written comments and enclosures. No facsimiles (faxes) will be 
accepted. For information on how to submit electronic comments, see the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional technical information, 
contact Deborah G. Nagle at (202) 260-2656, or James T. Morgan at (202) 
260-6015. For additional economic information, contact Lynne Tudor at 
(202) 260-5384.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 10, 2000, EPA published proposed 
regulations under section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) 
addressing cooling water intake structures for new facilities for 
public review and comment (65 FR 49060). The comment period was 
scheduled to end on October 10, 2000.
    EPA has received requests to extend the comment period from the 
regulated community and from the plaintiffs in the lawsuit establishing 
the schedule for this action. In response to these requests, EPA is 
extending the comment period 30 days, through November 9, 2000, due to 
the complexity and the range of issues raised by the proposed rule. 
However, EPA does not believe that additional time beyond 90 days is 
needed to comment adequately on the proposed rule. The regulated 
community has known since October 1995 that EPA was operating under a 
court order entered by the U.S. District Court, Southern District of 
New York that requires EPA to propose and take final action on this 
rule. Thus, they have had sufficient time to plan and conduct research 
projects they would like to rely upon to support their comments (for 
example, research into the survival rates of organisms drawn into and 
later discharged from cooling water intake systems). EPA conducted two 
public meetings on this rulemaking in 1998 and has met on numerous 
occasions with interested parties to discuss the Agency's plans for 
regulating cooling water intake structures. In particular, in May and 
June 2000, EPA held a series of meetings with interested groups to 
describe the draft framework for the proposed rule. EPA also made 
copies of the proposed rule and preamble available to representatives 
of potentially regulated industries, States, and environmental groups 
on July 21, 2000, 19 days prior to publication of the proposed rule and 
preamble in the Federal Register.
    In addition to accepting hard-copy written comments, EPA will also 
accept comments submitted electronically. Electronic comments must be 
submitted as a Word Perfect 5/6/7/8 or ASCII file and must be submitted 
to [email protected].

    Dated: August 24, 2000.
J. Charles Fox,
Assistant Administrator for Water.
[FR Doc. 00-22387 Filed 8-30-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U