[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6451-6452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3240]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7449-7]


Proposed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 
General Permits for Storm Water Discharges From Construction 
Activities--Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; extension of comment period.

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

SUMMARY: On December 20, 2002 (67 FR 78116), EPA published a notice of 
the availability of the proposed National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES) General Permits for Storm Water Discharges 
from Construction Activities and requested comments on the draft by 
February 13, 2003. The purpose of this notice is to extend this comment 
period to February 13, 2003.

DATES: Comments on the proposed general permits must be received by 
February 13, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail, or 
through hand delivery/courier. Send written comments to: follow the 
detailed instructions as provided in section I.B.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack Faulk, Office of Wastewater 
Management, Office of Water, EPA Headquarters at tel.: 202-564-0768 or 
e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. How Can I Get Copies of This Document and Other Related Information 
?

    1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this 
action under Docket ID No. OW-2002-0055. The official public docket is 
the collection of materials that is available for public viewing at the 
Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West, Room B102, 
1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. A copy of both the 
proposed permit and fact sheet are available for viewing and 
downloading from the Water Docket. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading 
Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading 
Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Water Docket 
is (202) 566-2426.
    2. Electronic Access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register'' 
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may 
use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public 
comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official 
public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that 
are available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,'' 
then key in the appropriate docket identification number.

B. How and To Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments electronically, by mail, or through hand 
delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the 
appropriate docket identification number in the subject line on the 
first page of your comment. Please ensure that your comments are 
submitted within the specified comment period. Comments received after 
the close of the comment period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not 
required to consider these late comments.
    1. Electronically. If you submit an electronic comment as 
prescribed below, EPA recommends that you include your name, mailing 
address, and an e-mail address or other contact information in the body 
of your comment. Also include this contact information on the outside 
of any disk or CD ROM you submit, and in any cover letter accompanying 
the disk or CD ROM. This ensures that you can be identified as the 
submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA 
cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties or needs further 
information on the substance of your comment. EPA's policy is that EPA 
will not edit your comment, and any identifying or contact information 
provided in the body of a comment will be included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the official public docket, and made 
available in EPA's electronic public docket. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
    i. EPA Dockets. Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to 
submit comments to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for 
receiving comments. Go directly to EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments. 
Once in the system, select ``search,'' and then key in

[[Page 6452]]

Docket ID No. OW-2002-0055. The system is an ``anonymous access'' 
system, which means EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or 
other contact information unless you provide it in the body of your 
comment.
    ii. E-mail. Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to [email protected], Attention Docket ID No. OW-2002-0055. In contrast to 
EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system is not an 
``anonymous access'' system. If you send an e-mail comment directly to 
the Docket without going through EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's 
e-mail system automatically captures your e-mail address. E-mail 
addresses that are automatically captured by EPA's e-mail system are 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public 
docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
    iii. Disk or CD ROM. You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM 
that you mail to the mailing address identified in section I.B.2. These 
electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect or ASCII file 
format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption.
    2. By Mail. Send the original and three copies of your comments to: 
Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 4101T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC, 20460, Attention Docket ID No. 
OW-2002-0055.
    3. By Hand Delivery or Courier. Deliver your comments to: Public 
Reading Room, Room B102, EPA West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20004, Attention Docket ID No. OW-2002-0055. Such 
deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of 
operation as identified in section I.A.1.

C. What Action Is Being Taken?

    The comment period for the construction general permits is being 
extended for 10 days until February 13, 2003, in response to requests 
from the National Association of Homebuilders, the National Mining 
Association, and the Associated General Contractors of America. After 
the close of the public comment period, EPA will issue a final permit 
decision. This decision will not be made until after public comments 
have been considered and appropriate changes made to the permit.

    Dated: February 3, 2003.
G. Tracy Mehan, III,
Assistant Administrator for Water.
[FR Doc. 03-3240 Filed 2-6-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P