[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 175 (Friday, September 8, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54518-54519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23237]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6867-6]


Regulatory Reinvention (XL) Pilot Projects

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

[[Page 54519]]


ACTION: Notice of Availability of the United Egg Producers Project XL 
Draft Final Project Agreement.

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SUMMARY: EPA is today requesting comments on a draft Project XL Final 
Project Agreement (FPA) for the United Egg Producers (UEP).

DATES: The period for submission of comments on the draft FPA ends on 
September 22, 2000.

ADDRESSES: All comments on the draft FPA should be sent to Ms. Lisa 
Reiter, US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (1802), Washington, D.C. 
20460. Comments may also be faxed to Ms. Reiter at (202) 260-3125. 
Comments will also be received via electronic mail sent to Ms. Reiter 
at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain a copy of the draft FPA, 
contact Ms. Lisa Reiter, US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (1802), 
Washington, D.C. 20460 or Mr. James Horne, US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW (4201), Washington, D.C. 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 Ms. Reiter at (202) 260-9041 or Mr. 
Horne at (202) 260-5802. Additional information on Project XL, 
including documents referenced in this notice, other EPA policy 
documents related to Project XL, application information, and 
descriptions of existing XL projects and proposals, is available via 
the Internet at ``http://www.epa.gov/ProjectXL''.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FPA is a voluntary agreement developed 
by UEP, EPA, various State water officials, environmental groups, and 
other stakeholders. 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 requirements on the condition that they produce greater 
environmental benefits. If implemented, the draft FPA will offer 
environmental and resource benefits to States, EPA, the public, and egg 
producers. This project includes a program whereby egg-producing 
facilities could qualify for coverage under general National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by EPA or states 
and achieve ``superior environmental performance'' by implementing an 
environmental management system (EMS), which would address a range of 
environmental problems that would not normally be addressed through 
NPDES permits alone. These other issues include odor, rodent control, 
pest control, preventative maintenance, emergency response and others. 
In order to be covered under a general permit instead of an individual 
permit, each facility would also need to be implementing an EMS to 
address these issues and have passed an audit by an independent third 
party to confirm that the EMS was in place and functioning properly. 
Facilities would communicate with the local community as the EMS was 
developed and implemented. Information on the results of the third-
party audits would also be available to the local community and to 
regulatory agencies when the facility submitted a Notice of Intent to 
be covered under a general permit. Regular followup audits would also 
take place and the results of these audits would be publicly available. 
If the facility failed to remain in compliance with the general permit 
or failed to adequately implement its EMS, regulatory agencies could 
require the facility to obtain an individual permit. Finally, UEP would 
significantly expand its industry outreach and education program in 
order to help ensure that users of manure generated by egg producers 
was properly applied and managed, including help to users on how to 
develop Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans over time.

    Dated: September 5, 2000.
Elizabeth A. Shaw,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy Innovation.
[FR Doc. 00-23237 Filed 9-7-00; 8:45 am]
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