[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 27, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 56418-56419]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19256]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 197

[FRL-7975-6]
RIN 2060-AN15


Notice of Extension of the Public Comment Period, Public Health 
and Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Yucca Mountain, 
NV; Proposed Rule

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period and announcement of 
additional public hearing in Las Vegas on October 6, 2005.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is extending the comment 
period for the Public Health and Environmental Radiation Protection 
Standards for Yucca Mountain, Nevada; Proposed Rule which appeared in 
the Federal Register on August 22, 2003 (68 FR 65120). The public 
comment period for this proposed rule was to end on October 21, 2005. 
The purpose of this notice is to extend the comment period to November 
21, 2005, and to announce an additional public hearing in Las Vegas on 
October 6, 2005.

DATES: EPA will accept public comments on this proposed rule until 
November 21, 2005. Comments received after that date will be marked 
``late'' and accepted at our discretion. The public hearing will be on 
October 6, 2005 from 11 a.m. to 12. a.m. This hearing will be preceded 
by an information session from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

ADDRESSES: Procedures for preregistering for and testifying at the 
public hearing are detailed in the ``Hearings Procedures'' subsection 
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Comments may be submitted by 
mail to: EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Air and Radiation Docket, 
Environmental Protection Agency, EPA West, Mail Code 6102T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No. 
OAR-2005-0083. Comments may also be submitted electronically or through 
hand delivery/courier. Follow the detailed instructions as provided in 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ray Clark, Office of Radiation and 
Indoor Air, Radiation Protection Division (6608J), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC, 20460-
0001; telephone (202) 343-9601; fax number: 202-343-2305; e-mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Extension of the Public Comment Period

    The proposed rule which is the subject of this notice was published 
in the Federal Register on August 22, 2005 (70 FR 49014). That notice 
requested public comment on the proposed amendments to the public 
health and environmental radiation protection standards for Yucca 
Mountain, Nevada (40 CFR part 197).
    At that time, EPA announced a 60-day public comment period ending 
on October 21, 2005. However, the Agency has received formal requests 
from several stakeholders to extend the comment period to 180 days. EPA 
recognizes the high level of interest in the issue of Yucca Mountain 
and that the proposed rule addresses safety over unprecedented time 
frames. Furthermore, the Agency agrees that it is important to allow 
adequate time for public information to readily reach more rural areas, 
particularly in Nevada, which may be affected by decisions related to 
Yucca Mountain. In view of these factors, and in consideration of 
requests from the stakeholders, EPA is extending the comment period an 
additional 30 days to end on November 21, 2005. This will provide a 
full three months for the public to submit comments, as much time as 
EPA provided for the full Yucca Mountain standards issued in 2001, 
which covered a significantly wider array of issues.

II. Additional Public Hearing in Las Vegas, Nevada

    EPA is also adding an additional day, October 6, 2006, for a public 
hearing in Las Vegas, to respond to concerns about schedule conflicts 
with religious holidays. Hearings for two days (October 4 and October 
5) in Las Vegas were announced in a previous Federal Register notice 
published on September 14, 2005 (70 FR 54325-54327). That notice also 
announced hearings in

[[Page 56419]]

Amargosa Valley, Nevada and in Washington, DC. The hearings previously 
announced in the Federal Register will be held as described in the 
earlier notice; EPA is simply providing an additional hearing in Las 
Vegas.
    The additional hearing will be held October 6, 2005, at the Cashman 
Center, 850 North Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada, from 10 a.m. until 
12 p.m. An information session will be held from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. and a 
public hearing from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Meeting Purpose and Format

    The meetings will provide opportunities for both informal exchanges 
of information and formal comments. Meeting formats are as follows:
     Information Sessions: an informal opportunity to learn 
about the standards, meet EPA staff, and ask questions. Comments on the 
record can also be provided in writing or on tape.
     Public Hearings: a formal opportunity to make verbal 
statements that will be recorded for the public record. For the 
convenience of the public, individuals and organizations should 
schedule a specific time to make their comments (see Hearings 
Procedures below).

Hearing Procedures

    Persons wishing to testify at any of the public hearings are 
requested to pre-register by calling EPA's toll-free Yucca Mountain 
Information Line at 1-800-331-9477 at any time. You will be asked to 
leave a message with the following information:
     Name/Organizational Affiliation (if any).
     Hearing time(s) available to testify.
     Daytime telephone number.

Your call will be returned within one business day to confirm a 
scheduled time for testimony. In order to obtain a scheduled speaking 
time, EPA must receive requests no later than September 30, 2005, for 
the hearings in Las Vegas, Nevada. Speakers not registered in advance 
may register at the door but are not guaranteed the opportunity to 
testify, depending on time constraints (all individuals will also be 
able to comment in writing or on tape). Individuals testifying on their 
own behalf will be allowed 5 minutes. Groups or organizations must 
designate one individual to testify as the official representative, and 
each group will be allocated ten minutes for an oral presentation. 
Individuals and organizations may submit written comments in addition 
to oral testimony. Time allowed is exclusive of any time consumed by 
questions from the government panel and answers to these questions. 
Testimony from individuals and representatives of organizations is 
limited to one hearing location. In order to ensure that all 
individuals and groups are given an opportunity to testify, 
substitutions will not be permitted for any pre-registered person. 
Registrants will not be permitted to yield their time to other 
individuals or groups, nor will hearing time be used to ``read into the 
record'' testimony from individuals not present at the hearings. In the 
event any person wishes to enter comments for the record, but either 
cannot or does not appear personally at the hearings, EPA will accept 
written comments during the hearings and other meetings. These written 
comments will be considered to the same extent as oral testimony and 
will be included as part of the official hearings transcripts. The 
hearing transcript will constitute the official record of the hearings. 
Written comments submitted outside of the public hearings must be 
received by EPA Docket OAR-2005-0083 in Washington, DC, by November 21, 
2005. All comments received by EPA, whether written or oral, will be 
given equal consideration in development of the final rule.

III. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    EPA is providing numerous ways for the public to provide comments 
for us to consider in developing our final rule. First, the Agency has 
scheduled two public hearings in Nevada and one in Washington, DC. A 
Federal Register notice has been published with times, locations, and 
format of the meetings. In addition, you may submit comments 
electronically, by mail, by facsimile, 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 by 
November 21, 2005. Comments received after that date will be marked 
``late.'' EPA is not required to consider these late comments, but will 
do so at its discretion.
    To submit comments electronically:
     Follow the instructions at the Federal e-Rulemaking Web 
site: http://www.regulations.gov, OR
     Go to EPA's E-Docket for item OAR-2005-0083, click on 
submit comment, OR,
     E-mail comments to: [email protected] and specify 
``to the attention of Docket ID No. OAR-2005-0083.''
    Do not use e-mail or the E-Docket to submit confidential business 
information or other legally protected information.
    Send comments by surface mail to:
    EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Air and Radiation Docket, Environmental 
Protection Agency, EPA West, Mail Code 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No. OAR-2005-0083.
    Send comments by fax to: 202-566-1741, Attention: Docket ID. No. 
OAR-2005-0083.
    Deliver comments by courier or in-person to:
    Air and Radiation Docket, EPA Docket Center, (EPA/DC), EPA West, 
Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC.

    Dated: September 20, 2005.
William L. Wehrum,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 05-19256 Filed 9-26-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P