[Federal Register: November 15, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 219)]
[Proposed Rules]               
[Page 69302-69303]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15no05-14]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 51 and 52

[FRL-7997-4]
RIN 2060-AK74

 
Public Hearing and Extension of Public Comment Period for 
Proposed Rule To Implement the Fine Particle National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Announcement of public hearing and extension of public comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is announcing that a public hearing for the proposed 
rule to implement the fine particle national ambient air quality 
standards (NAAQS) will be held on November 30, 2005 in Washington, DC. 
The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on November 1, 
2005 (70 FR 65984) and is also available at http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations.
 The hearing will be at the Capitol Hilton Hotel in 

Washington, DC and will begin at 9 a.m. The EPA is also extending the 
public comment period for this proposed rule to January 31, 2006.

DATES: The public hearing will be held on November 30, 2005. The public 
comment period for this proposed rule is extended to January 31, 2006. 
Please refer to SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional information on 
the hearing.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Capitol Hilton Hotel, 
located at 1001 16th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20036, phone 202-393-
1000. (The hotel is within walking distance of three Metro stations: 
The Farragut North, Farragut West, and McPherson Square stations.) 
Written comments on the proposed rule may also be submitted to EPA 
electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or through hand delivery/
courier. Please refer to the proposal for the addresses and detailed 
instructions. Documents relevant to this action are 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 EPA's electronic Docket system at http://www.epa.gov/edocket The EPA Web site for the rulemaking is http://. www.epa.gov/

pmdesignations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you would like to speak at the 
public hearing or have questions concerning the public hearing, please 
contact Joann Allman of EPA (see contact information under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). Questions concerning PM 2.5 
implementation issues should be addressed to Richard Damberg, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards, Mail Code C504-02, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, phone 
number (919) 541-5592 or by e-mail at: damberg.rich@epa.gov. Questions 
concerning the new source review program revisions to address the PM 
2.5 standards should be addressed to Raj Rao, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards, Mail Code C339-03, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, phone 
number (919) 541-5344 or by e-mail at: rao.raj@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Public Hearing. The public hearing 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 hearing. 
Written comments must be postmarked by January 31, 2006.
    If you would like to present oral testimony at the hearing, please 
notify Joann Allman of the U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards, Air Quality Strategies and Standards Division, C539-02, 
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, telephone (919) 541-1815, e-mail 
allman.joann@epa.gov, by 12 p.m. Eastern time on November 28, 2005. She 

will provide you with a specific time to provide your comments. Oral 
testimony will be limited to 5 minutes for each commenter. The EPA 
encourages commenters to provide EPA with a copy of their oral 
testimony electronically (via e-mail, computer disk, or CD) or in hard 
copy form.
    The public hearing will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m., 
if necessary, depending on the number of speakers. The EPA may end the 
hearing early (no earlier than 2 p.m.) if all registered speakers have 
had an opportunity to speak. Persons wishing to present oral testimony 
that have not made arrangements in advance can register by 2 p.m. on 
the day of the hearing. We will provide equipment for commenters to 
show overhead slides or make computerized slide presentations if we 
receive special requests in advance. Commenters should notify Joann 
Allman if they will need specific equipment. The hearing schedule, 
including lists of speakers, will be posted on EPA's Web site: http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations.
 Verbatim transcripts of the hearings and 

written statements will be included in the rulemaking docket.
    Extension of public comment period. The proposed rule was signed by 
the Administrator on September 8, 2005 and published in the Federal 
Register on November 1, 2005. Since the 60-day public comment period 
would have concluded on December 31, 2005, EPA has decided to extend 
the comment period until January 31, 2006 in order to avoid the 
December holiday period and allow interested parties to have additional 
time to prepare their comments.

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

    The EPA has established the official public docket for the Rule to 
Implement the Fine Particle National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
under Docket ID No. OAR-2003-0062. Also, the proposed rule was 
published in the Federal Register on November 1, 2005 and is available 
at http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations.



[[Page 69303]]


    Dated: November 9, 2005.
Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 05-22694 Filed 11-14-05; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P