Proposed Settlement Agreement, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice of Proposed Settlement Agreement; request for public comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with section 113(g) of the Clean Air Act, as amended (“Act”), 42 U.S.C. 7413(g), notice is hereby given of a proposed settlement agreement, to address a lawsuit filed by Automotive Refrigeration Products Institute, Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, and Interdynamics (collectively, “Petitioners”): Automotive Refrigeration Products Institute, and Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, et al. v. EPA, No. 04-1158 (DC Cir.) (consolidated with No. 04-1159). On May 11, 2004, Petitioners filed petitions for review challenging the EPA's final rule entitled “Protection of Stratospheric Ozone; Refrigerant Recycling Substitute Refrigerants” published on March 12, 2004 (69 FR 11945). Under the terms of the proposed settlement agreement, EPA will undertake rulemaking acting to make certain corrections to the rule at issue. EPA will provide notice in the Federal Register and an opportunity for public comment. No later than 60 days after the date this Agreement becomes final, EPA shall sign either a notice of proposed rulemaking or a notice of direct final rulemaking and concurrent proposal to correct definitions of “refrigerant” and “technician” and to ensure that it remains illegal to knowingly vent certain substances during described activities.

DATES:

Written comments on the proposed settlement agreement must be received by January 12, 2005.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by docket ID number OGC-2004-0011, online at http://www.epa.gov/edocket (EPA's preferred method); by e-mail to oei.docket@epa.gov; mailed to EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; or by hand delivery or courier to EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Comments on a disk or CD-ROM should be formatted in Wordperfect or ASCII file, avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption, and may be mailed to the mailing address above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Padmini Singh, Air and Radiation Law Office (2344A), Office of General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: (202) 564-5641.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Additional Information About the Proposed Settlement

Petitioners filed petitions for review of EPA's final rule entitled “ Protection of Stratospheric Ozone; Refrigerant Recycling; Substitute Refrigerants, 69 FR 11945 (March 12, 2004), challenging the final rule. Once implemented the Settlement Agreement (the “Agreement”) would resolve these petitions for review. The Agreement, which is subject to CAA section 113(g), provides that EPA shall sign either a notice of proposed rulemaking or a notice of direct final rulemaking and concurrent proposal to correct the definitions of “refrigerant” and “technician.” In addition, EPA will propose to amend 40 CFR 82.154(a) to ensure that it will continue to be illegal to knowingly vent pure HFCs, pure PFCs, class I or class II ozone-depleting substance, and blends of these substances during the service, maintenance, repair, or disposal of appliances.

The Agreement also provides that within five days of its execution by the Parties but before the Agreement becomes final, the Parties shall file a joint motion with the Court notifying it of this Agreement and requesting that this case be held in abeyance pending implementation of the terms of the Agreement. Petitioners agree to voluntarily dismiss this case within 30 days of final agency action if EPA takes action as described in the Agreement.

For a period of thirty (30) days following the date of publication of this notice, the Agency will receive written comments relating to the proposed settlement agreement from persons who were not named as parties or interveners to the litigation in question. EPA or the Department of Justice may withdraw or withhold consent to the proposed settlement agreement if the comments disclose facts or considerations that indicate that such consent is inappropriate, improper, inadequate, or inconsistent with the requirements of the Act. Unless EPA or the Department of Justice determine, based on any comment which may be submitted, that consent to the settlement agreement should be withdrawn, the terms of the agreement will be affirmed.

II. Additional Information About Commenting on the Proposed Settlement

A. How Can I Get A Copy of the Settlement?

EPA has established an official public docket for this action under Docket ID No. OGC-2004-0011 which contains a copy of the settlement. The official public docket is available for public viewing at the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket in the EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OEI Docket is (202) 566-1752.

An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “search,” then key in the appropriate docket identification number.

It is important to note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or on paper, will be made available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public docket as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Information claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute is not included in the official public docket or in EPA's electronic public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material, including copyrighted material contained in a public comment, will not be placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in printed, paper form in the official public docket. Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through the EPA Docket Center.

B. How and To Whom Do I Submit Comments?

You may submit comments as provided in the ADDRESSES section. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified comment period. Comments received after the close of the comment period will be marked “late.” EPA is not required to consider these late comments.

If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name, mailing address, and an e-mail address or other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD ROM you submit. This ensures that you can be identified as the submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties or needs further information on the substance of your comment. Any identifying or contact information provided in the body of a comment will be included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.

Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to submit comments to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for receiving comments. The electronic public docket system is an “anonymous access” system, which means EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. In contrast to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's electronic mail (e-mail) system is not an “anonymous access” system. If you send an e-mail comment directly to the Docket without going through EPA's electronic public docket, your e-mail address is automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.