[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 107-108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-33428]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6926-9]


Petition for Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for 
Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, and Fine Particulate Matter and 
Related Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On August 9, 2000 (65 FR 48699), EPA published a notice 
announcing receipt of a petition for rulemaking under section 109 of 
the Clean Air Act (CAA), to promulgate revised secondary national 
ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for pollutants associated with 
the formation of acid rain, including nitrogen dioxide 
(NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and fine particulate 
matter (PM2.5). The petition was submitted by 
representatives of the States of New York, Massachusetts, Maine, New 
Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont in a letter to the 
EPA Administrator, dated October 26, 1999. In that letter, the States 
request EPA to address what they assert to be a wide range of adverse 
environmental effects associated with these pollutants through the 
mechanism of revised secondary NAAQS. In addition, EPA has received a 
related request for rulemaking from the U.S. Department of the Interior 
(DOI) in a letter to the EPA Administrator, dated July 19, 2000, to 
address many of the same adverse environmental effects associated with 
the same types of air pollutants, and with ozone (O3) that 
DOI asserts are occurring in national parks and wilderness areas.
    To consider and respond to this petition and related requests 
properly, EPA is reviewing relevant scientific information and 
consulting with the public and potentially affected stakeholders to 
ensure that decisions in response to these requests are based on the 
best available information. By this action, EPA is extending the 
comment period to give the public additional time to review this 
petition for rulemaking from the States and this request from DOI and 
to submit public comments to EPA.

DATES: Comments and associated information and analyses should be 
submitted on or before April 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES: You may comment in various ways:
    On paper. Send paper comments (in duplicate, if possible) to the 
Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6102), Attention 
Docket No. A-2000-36, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    Electronically. Send electronic comments to EPA at: [email protected]. We accept comments as e-mail attachments or on disk. 
Either way, they must be in Wordperfect 5.1, 6.0, Corel 8, or ASCII 
file format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of 
encryption. Be sure to identify all comments by Docket No. A-2000-36.
    Public Inspection. Docket No. A-2000-36 containing the letters and 
related information is available for public inspection and copying 
between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays at the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6102), 
401 M Street, SW, Room M-1500, Washington, DC 20460, phone 202-260-
7548, fax 202-260-4400. A reasonable fee for copying may be charged.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David J. McKee, MD-15, Air Quality 
Strategies and Standards Division, Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle 
Park, NC 27711, telephone (919) 541-5288, e-mail [email protected]; or 
Geoffrey L. Wilcox, Mail Code 2344A,

[[Page 108]]

Office of General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460, telephone (202) 564-
5601, e-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: December 20, 2000.
John S. Seitz,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 00-33428 Filed 12-29-00; 8:45 am]
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