[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 31, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 78750-78752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30688]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 50, 51, 52, 53, and 58

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0699; FRL-9921-26-OAR]
RIN 2060-AP38


National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Announcement of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing three 
public hearings for the proposed rule titled, ``National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards for Ozone,'' that was published in the Federal 
Register on December 17, 2014. The hearings will be held in Washington, 
DC, Arlington, Texas, and Sacramento, California.
    Based on its review of the air quality criteria for ozone 
(O3) and related photochemical oxidants and national ambient 
air quality standards (NAAQS) for O3, the EPA proposes to 
make revisions to the primary and secondary NAAQS for O3 to 
provide requisite

[[Page 78751]]

protection of public health and welfare, respectively. The EPA is 
proposing to revise the primary standard to a level within the range of 
0.065 to 0.070 parts per million (ppm), and to revise the secondary 
standard to within the range of 0.065 to 0.070 ppm, which air quality 
analyses indicate would provide air quality, in terms of 3-year average 
W126 index values, at or below a range of 13-17 ppm-hours. The EPA 
proposes to make corresponding revisions in data handling conventions 
for O3 and conforming changes to the Air Quality Index; to 
revise regulations for the Prevention of Significant Deterioration 
program to add a transition provision for certain applications; and to 
propose schedules and convey information related to implementing any 
revised standards. The EPA is proposing changes to the O3 
monitoring seasons, the Federal Reference Method (FRM) for monitoring 
O3 in the ambient air, Federal Equivalent Method procedures 
for testing, and the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations 
network.
    Along with proposing exceptional event schedules related to 
implementing any revised O3 standards, the EPA is proposing 
to apply this same schedule approach to other future revised NAAQS and 
to remove obsolete regulatory language for expired exceptional event 
deadlines. The EPA is proposing to make minor changes to the procedures 
and time periods for evaluating potential FRMs and equivalent methods 
(including making the requirements for nitrogen dioxide consistent with 
the requirements for O3) and to remove an obsolete 
requirement for the annual submission of documentation by manufacturers 
of certain particulate matter monitors.

DATES: The public hearings will be held on January 29, 2015, in 
Washington, DC and Arlington, Texas, and on February 2, 2015, in 
Sacramento, California. Please refer to SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
additional information on the public hearings.

ADDRESSES: The hearings will be held at the following locations:
    1. Washington: EPA, WJC East Building, Room 1153, 1201 Constitution 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC. Identification is required. If your 
driver's license is issued by Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, 
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New 
York, Oklahoma, or the state of Washington, you must present an 
additional form of identification to enter (see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for additional information on this location).
    2. Sacramento: California Air Resources Board, Byron-Sher 
Auditorium, 1001 ``I'' Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Commenters will be 
required to sign in and show valid picture identification to security 
staff upon entering.
    3. Arlington: Arlington City Hall, Arlington Municipal Building, 
101 W. Abram Street, Arlington, Texas 76010.
    Written comments on the proposed rule may also be submitted to the 
EPA electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or through hand delivery/
courier. Please refer to the proposed rule for the addresses and 
detailed instructions.
    A complete set of documents related to the proposed rule is 
available for public inspection at the EPA Docket Center, located at 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0699, EPA, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 
1301 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC. The Public Reading Room 
is open from 8:30 a.m. to 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 
www.regulations.gov.
    The EPA Web site for the rulemaking, which includes the proposal 
and information about the public hearings, can be found at http://www.epa.gov/glo/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. Eloise Shepherd, Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards, Health and Environmental Impacts Division, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: (919) 
541-5507; fax number: (919) 541-0804; email address: 
[email protected].
    Questions concerning the proposed rule should be addressed to Ms. 
Susan Stone, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Health and 
Environmental Impacts Division, Mail Code: C504-06, Research Triangle 
Park, NC 27711; telephone: (919) 541-1146; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed rule for which the EPA is 
holding the public hearings was published in the Federal Register on 
December 17, 2014 (79 FR 75234), and is available at www.epa.gov/glo/actions.html. The public hearings will provide interested parties the 
opportunity to present data, views, or arguments concerning the 
proposed rule. 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, March 17, 2015, as specified in the proposed rule.
    The three public hearings will be held in Washington, DC; 
Arlington, Texas; and Sacramento, California. The public hearings will 
begin each day at 9:00 a.m. (local time) and continue until 7:30 p.m. 
(local time). The EPA will make every effort to accommodate all 
speakers that arrive and register before 7:30 p.m. The EPA is 
scheduling lunch breaks from 12:30 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. Please note 
that the Washington, D.C. hearing is being held at a U.S. government 
facility. Individuals planning to attend the Washington, D.C. hearing 
should be prepared to show valid picture identification to the security 
staff in order to gain access to the building. The REAL ID Act, passed 
by Congress in 2005, established new requirements for entering federal 
facilities. These requirements took effect July 21, 2014. If your 
driver's license is issued by Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, 
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New 
York, Oklahoma, or the state of Washington, you must present an 
additional form of identification to enter the federal building in 
Washington, DC where the public hearing will be held. Acceptable 
alternative forms of identification include federal employee badges, 
passports, enhanced driver's licenses, and military identification 
cards. In addition, you will need to obtain a property pass for any 
personal belongings you bring with you. Upon leaving the building, you 
will be required to return this property pass to the security desk. No 
large signs will be allowed in the building, cameras may only be used 
outside of the building and demonstrations will not be allowed on 
federal property for security reasons. Individuals planning to attend 
the public hearing in Sacramento, California will also be required to 
sign in and show valid picture identification to security staff in 
order to gain access to the building.
    If you would like to present oral testimony at the hearings, please 
notify Ms. Eloise Shepherd, U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning 
and Standards, Mail Code: C504-02, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research 
Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: (919) 541-5507; fax: (919) 541-
0804; email address: [email protected]

[[Page 78752]]

(preferred method for registering). Ms. Shepherd 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 5 minutes for each commenter to 
address the proposed revisions. The EPA will not provide audiovisual 
equipment for presentations unless we receive special requests in 
advance. Commenters should notify Ms. Shepherd if they will need 
specific equipment. Commenters should notify Ms. Shepherd if they need 
specific translation services for non-English speaking commenters. 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 
at www.epa.gov/glo/actions.html prior to the hearings. Verbatim 
transcripts of the hearings and written statements will be included in 
the rulemaking docket.

How can I get copies of this document and other related information?

    The EPA has established the official public docket for the proposed 
rule under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0699. The EPA has also 
developed a Web site for the proposed rule at www.epa.gov/glo/actions.html. Please refer to the proposed rule (79 FR 75234, December 
17, 2014) for detailed information on accessing information related to 
the proposed rule.

    Dated: December 23, 2014.
Mary E Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2014-30688 Filed 12-30-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P