[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 32 (Thursday, February 16, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8228-8229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1462]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 50, 53, and 58

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2001-0017; EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0018; FRL-8033-6]
RIN 2060-AI44 and RIN 2060-AJ25


Public Hearings for Proposed Rules--National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards for Particulate Matter and Revisions to Ambient Air 
Monitoring Regulations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Announcement of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is announcing three public hearings to be held jointly 
for two proposed rules--``National Ambient Air Quality Standards for 
Particulate Matter'' and ``Revisions to Ambient Air Monitoring 
Regulations'' that were published in the Federal Register on January 
17, 2006 (71 FR 2620 and 71 FR 2710). The hearings will be held 
concurrently in Chicago, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and San 
Franciso, California.
    In the proposed rule entitled ``National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards for Particulate Matter,'' EPA proposes to make revisions to 
the primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards 
(NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) to provide requisite protection of 
public health and welfare, respectively, and to make corresponding 
revisions in monitoring reference methods and data handling conventions 
for PM.
    In the ``Revisions to Ambient Air Monitoring Regulations,'' EPA is 
proposing to revise the ambient air monitoring requirements for 
criteria pollutants. The proposal establishes ambient air monitoring 
requirements in support of the proposed revisions to the NAAQS for PM 
and proposes other changes to better serve current and future air 
quality management and research needs.

DATES: The public hearings will be held concurrently on March 8, 2006. 
Please refer to SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional information on 
the public hearings.

ADDRESSES: The hearings will be held at the following locations:

[[Page 8229]]

    1. Chicago: Hyatt Regency, 151 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601, 
312-565-1234.
    2. Philadelphia: Holiday Inn Historic District, 400 Arch Street, 
Philadelphia, PA 19106, 215-923-8660.
    3. San Francisco: Courtyard Marriott San Francisco Downtown, 299 
Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 947-0700.
    Written comments on these proposed rules may also be submitted to 
EPA electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or through hand delivery/
courier. Please refer to the two proposals for the addresses and 
detailed instructions.
    A complete set of documents related to the two proposals is 
available for public inspection at the EPA Docket Center, located at 
1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room B102, Washington, DC between 8:30 
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. A 
reasonable fee may be charged for copying. Documents are also available 
through the electronic docket system at http://www.regulations.gov.
    The EPA Web site for the rulemakings, which includes the proposals 
and information about the public hearings, can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/air/particlepollution/actions.html.

for further information contact: If you would like to speak at the 
public hearings or have questions concerning the public hearings, 
please contact Ms. Tricia Crabtree at the address given below under 
supplementary information.
    Questions concerning the ``National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
for Particulate Matter'' proposed rule should be addressed to Dr. Erika 
Sasser, U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Health 
and Environmental Impacts Division, (C504-01), Research Triangle Park, 
NC 27711, telephone number (919) 541-3889, e-mail at 
[email protected].
    Questions concerning the ``Revisions to Ambient Air Monitoring 
Regulations'' proposed rule should be addressed to the following 
individuals. For general questions, please contact Mr. Lewis Weinstock, 
U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Air Quality 
Assessment Division (D243-02), Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, 
telephone number (919) 541-3661, e-mail at [email protected]. For 
technical questions, please contact Mr. Tim Hanley, U.S. EPA, Office of 
Air Quality Planning and Standards, Air Quality Assessment Division 
(D243-02), Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, telephone number (919) 
541-4117, e-mail at [email protected].

supplementary information: The two proposals for which EPA is holding 
the public hearings were published in the Federal Register on January 
17, 2006 and are available on the following Web site http://www.epa.gov/air/particlepollution/actions.html. The public hearings 
will provide interested parties the opportunity to present data, views, 
or arguments concerning the proposed rules. The EPA may ask clarifying 
questions during the oral presentations, but will not respond to the 
presentations at that time. Written statements and supporting 
information submitted during the comment period will be considered with 
the same weight as any oral comments and supporting information 
presented at the public hearings. Written comments must be postmarked 
by the last day of the comment period, April 17, 2006, as specified in 
the two proposals.
    The three public hearings will be held concurrently in Chicago, 
Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and San Francisco, California. 
The public hearings will begin each day at 9 a.m. (local time) and 
continue into the evening until 9 p.m., or later if necessary, 
depending on the number of speakers wishing to participate. The EPA 
will make every effort to accommodate all speakers that arrive and 
register before 9 p.m. The EPA is scheduling lunch breaks from 12:30 
until 2 p.m. and dinner breaks from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you would 
like to present oral testimony at the hearings, please notify Ms. 
Tricia Crabtree, (C504-01) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, [email protected], (919) 541-
5688. She will arrange a general time slot for you to speak. The EPA 
will make every effort to follow the schedule as closely as possible on 
the day of the hearings.
    Oral testimony will be limited to five (5) minutes for each 
commenter to address either or both proposals. We will not be providing 
equipment for commenters to show overhead slides or make computerized 
slide presentations unless we receive special requests in advance. 
Commenters should notify Ms. Tricia Crabtree if they will need specific 
equipment. The EPA encourages commenters to provide written versions of 
their oral testimonies either electronically on computer disk or CD-ROM 
or in paper copy.
    The hearing schedules, including lists of speakers, will be posted 
on EPA's Web pages for the proposals at http://www.epa.gov/air/particlepollution/actions.html prior to the hearings. Verbatim 
transcripts of the hearings and written statements will be included in 
the rulemaking dockets.

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

    The EPA has established the official public docket for the 
``National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter'' under 
Docket Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2001-0017. The EPA has established the 
official public docket for the ``Revisions to Ambient Air Monitoring 
Regulations'' under Docket Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0018. The EPA has 
also developed Web sites for the two proposals at the addresses given 
above. Please refer to the two proposals, which were published in the 
Federal Register on January 17, 2006, for detailed information on 
accessing information related to each of the proposals.

    Dated: February 9, 2006.
Jeffrey S. Clark,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 06-1462 Filed 2-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-M