[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 176 (Monday, September 11, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 54828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23236]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 50, 52 and 81

[FRL-6867-9]
RIN 2060-AJ05


Rescinding the Finding that the Pre-existing PM-10 Standards Are 
No Longer Applicable in Northern Ada County/Boise, ID

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice to reopen the comment period.

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SUMMARY: Today, EPA is reopening the public comment period on EPA's 
notice of proposed rulemaking ``Rescinding the Finding that the Pre-
existing PM-10 Standards are No Longer Applicable in Northern Ada 
County/Boise, Idaho,'' published June 26, 2000 at 65 FR 39321. The 
original comment period was to close on July 26, 2000. We had 
previously extended the comment period to August 31, 2000 but due to 
the number of comments received so far, and the type of concerns 
expressed about the impact this decision may potentially have on the 
public, we feel it is appropriate to reopen the comment period and 
provide an additional 30 days for interested and affected parties to 
submit comments. The new closing date will be 30 days from the date of 
publication of this notice. You can find this notice, once it's 
published, and all Federal Register notices from 1995-2000 online at 
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html. All comments 
received by EPA during the public comment period will be considered in 
the development of a final rule.
    In our June 26, 2000 proposal we also proposed to amend 40 CFR part 
50. Specifically, we proposed to delete 40 CFR 50.6(d) in its entirety 
consistent with our decision that, in light of the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the D.C. Circuit's opinion in American Trucking Association 
in which, among other things, the Court vacated EPA's revised PM-10 
standards, the pre-existing PM-10 standards, as reflected in 
subsections (a) and (b) of 40 CFR 50.6, should continue to apply in all 
areas. The effect of this action would be that the pre-existing PM-10 
standards, as codified at 40 CFR 50.6(a) and (b), would remain 
applicable to all areas. To date, we have not received any comments on 
this aspect of the June 26, 2000 proposal. Therefore, we are not 
reopening the comment period on this portion of the proposal. Instead, 
we will take final action on this portion of the proposal in a separate 
Federal Register document.

DATES: All comments regarding EPA's notice of proposed rulemaking 
issued on June 26, 2000 must be received by EPA on or before close of 
business on the last day of the new public comment period October 11, 
2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to:
    On paper. Send paper comments (in duplicate, if possible) to the 
Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6102), Attention: 
Docket No. A-2000-13, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460, telephone (202) 260-7548.
    Electronically. Send electronic comments to EPA at: [email protected]. Avoid sending confidential business information (CBI). 
We accept comments as e-mail attachments or on disk. Either way, they 
must be in WordPerfect version 5.1, 6.1 or Corel 8 file format. Avoid 
the use of special characters and any form of encryption. You may file 
your comments on this proposed rule online at many Federal Depository 
Libraries. Be sure to identify all comments and data by docket number 
A-2000-13.
    Public inspection. You may read the proposed rule (including paper 
copies of comments and data submitted electronically, minus anything 
claimed as CBI) at the Office of Air and Radiation Docket and 
Information Center located at 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460. 
They are available for public inspection from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. A reasonable fee may 
be charged for copying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposal should be 
addressed to Gary Blais, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, 
Air Quality Strategies and Standards Division, Integrated Policy and 
Strategies Group, MD-15, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, telephone 
(919) 541-3223 or e-mail to [email protected]. To ask about policy 
matters specifically regarding Northern Ada County/Boise, call Bonnie 
Thie, EPA Region 10, Office of Air Quality (OAQ-107), EPA, Seattle, 
Washington,(206) 553-1189.

    Dated: August 31, 2000.
Henry C. Thomas,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 00-23236 Filed 9-8-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P