[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 155 (Monday, August 12, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65575-65576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17751]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 84

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0643; FRL-11739-03-OAR]


Phasedown of Hydrofluorocarbons: Restrictions on the Use of HFCs 
Under the AIM Act in Variable Refrigerant Flow Air Conditioning 
Subsector; Reopening the Comment Period

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening the comment period.

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SUMMARY: On June 26, 2024, EPA published a proposed rule titled, 
Phasedown of Hydrofluorocarbons: Restrictions on the Use of 
Hydrofluorocarbons under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act 
in Variable Refrigerant Flow Air Conditioning Subsector, to allow one 
additional year for the installation of certain residential and light 
commercial air conditioning and heat pump variable refrigerant flow 
systems. The proposed rule did not include notice that the Agency would 
hold a public hearing if one were requested. This notice reopens the 
comment period specifically to provide an opportunity to request a 
public hearing on this rulemaking if one is desired.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published on June 26, 
2024, at 89 FR 53373, is reopened to allow for the opportunity to 
request a public hearing. To request a public hearing, please submit a 
comment per the instructions in the ADDRESSES section. If requested, 
EPA will hold a virtual public hearing on August 19, 2024. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for information on requesting and registering 
for a public hearing.
    If no public hearing is requested, the comment period will close on 
August 27, 2024. If a public hearing is requested, the comment period 
will close on September 26, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by docket identification 
number EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0643, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov 
(our preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Include Docket ID No. EPA-
HQ-OAR-2021-0643 in the subject line of the message.
     Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket 
Center, Air and Radiation Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: EPA Docket Center, WJC West 
Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. 
The Docket Center's hours of operations are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 
Monday-Friday (except Federal Holidays).
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket ID 
number for this rulemaking. Comments received may be posted without 
change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided.
    Do not submit any information you consider to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) through https://www.regulations.gov. For 
submission of confidential comments, please work with the person listed 
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. For additional 
submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information 
about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making 
effective comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice, 
contact Joshua Silver, Stratospheric Protection Division, Office of 
Atmospheric Protection (Mail Code 6205A), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-564-2473; email address: [email protected]. You may 
also visit EPA's website at https://www.epa.gov/climate-hfcs-reduction 
for further information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EPA is reopening the public comment 
period established in the Federal Register document of June 26, 2024 
(89 FR 53373), in order to provide an opportunity for the public to 
request a public hearing. The original public comment period for the 
proposed rule closed on July 26, 2024. The EPA did not receive a 
request for a public hearing or to reopen the comment period but, per 
the notice requirements of AIM Act subsection (k)(1)(C) and CAA section 
307(d)(5), EPA is offering this opportunity to request a public 
hearing. The comments the EPA has received were supportive of extending 
the compliance date for installations of VRF systems and previously 
provided comments do not need to be resubmitted. Oral comments will be 
weighed equally to written comments.
    If a public hearing is requested and held, the comment period will 
remain open, as required by CAA section 307(d)(5), until September 26, 
2024. If a

[[Page 65576]]

public hearing is not requested, the comment period will close August 
27, 2024. The EPA does not intend to issue an additional notification 
in the Federal Register announcing updates about the public hearing or 
the close of this additional comment period. Updates will instead be 
posted at https://www.epa.gov/climate-hfcs-reduction/regulatory-actions-technology-transitions.
    Participation in a virtual public hearing. To request a virtual 
public hearing, please submit that request as a comment per the 
instructions described in the ADDRESSES section. If requested, the 
virtual public hearing will be held on August 27, 2024. The EPA may 
close the hearing 15 minutes after the last pre-registered speaker has 
testified if there are no additional speakers.
    If a public hearing is requested, the EPA will begin pre-
registering speakers for the hearing no later than 1 business day after 
a request has been received. To register to speak at the virtual 
hearing, please notify the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section by email. The last day to pre-register to speak at the 
hearing will be August 26, 2024.
    Each commenter will have 4 minutes to provide oral testimony. The 
EPA encourages commenters to provide the EPA with a copy of their oral 
testimony electronically by submitting the text of oral testimony as 
written comments to the rulemaking docket. 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 oral testimony and supporting information presented 
at the public hearing.
    If you require the services of a translator or special 
accommodation such as audio description, please pre-register for the 
hearing and describe your needs by August 19, 2024. The EPA may not be 
able to arrange accommodations without advanced notice.
    Docket. The EPA has established a docket for the associated 
rulemaking under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0643. All documents in 
the docket are listed in https://www.regulations.gov. Although listed, 
some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other 
material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the internet 
and will be publicly available only as pdf versions that can only be 
accessed on the EPA computers in the docket office reading room. 
Certain databases and physical items cannot be downloaded from the 
docket but may be requested by contacting the docket office at 202-566-
1744. The docket office has up to 10 business days to respond to these 
requests. With the exception of such material, publicly available 
docket materials are available electronically in https://www.regulations.gov.

Joesph Goffman,
Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2024-17751 Filed 8-9-24; 8:45 am]
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