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Public Meetings To Discuss Air Quality Modeling and Infrastructure Issues Associated With Alternative-Fueled Vehicles
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: May 14, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 93)]
[Notices]
[Page 26410-26412]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14my99-68]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6342-1]
RIN 2060-AH52
Public Meetings To Discuss Air Quality Modeling and
Infrastructure Issues Associated With Alternative-Fueled Vehicles
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency intends to hold two public
workshops to discuss issues associated with alternative fuel vehicles
(AFVs) (i.e., vehicles powered by fuels other than gasoline). The first
workshop (which EPA will hold May 26, 1999, in Louisville, Kentucky),
will focus on issues associated with air quality modeling of AFVs. The
purpose of this workshop is to facilitate an exchange of information
that will help EPA determine which areas of its modeling, if any,
should be enhanced to better estimate the air quality impacts of
alternative-fueled vehicles. The second workshop will focus on issues
related to infrastructure development and creating a sustainable market
for AFVs.
DATES: The first workshop (on modeling and AFVs) will be held on May
26, 1999, in Louisville, Kentucky, following the Department of Energy's
National Clean Cities Conference. The date for the second workshop (on
infrastructure development and creating a sustainable market for AFVs)
will be announced later. Members of the public are invited to attend as
observers.
ADDRESSES: Questions about the workshop should be addressed to: Barry
Garelick (202-564-9028; garelick.barry@epa.gov) or Christine Hawk (202-
564-9672; hawk.christine@epa.gov), 401 M Street, S.W. (6406J),
Washington, D.C. (20460). The workshop will be held at the Sellbach
Hilton Hotel, 500 4th St, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 800 333-3399 or
502-585-3200.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Garelick (202) 564-9028.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As this Administration has long recognized,
one of the keys to moving forward environmentally is moving forward
technologically. Progress towards sustainable reductions in emissions
from the mobile source sector is inextricably linked to technological
advancement. Motor vehicles are significant contributors to ground-
level ozone, the principal harmful ingredient in smog. They also emit
other pollutants, including particulate matter and air toxics. Motor
vehicle emissions contribute to public health problems such as asthma
and other respiratory problems, especially in children.
History has shown that the rise in vehicle sales and vehicle miles
traveled every year has consistently led to increases in the aggregate
emissions from the mobile source sector, despite progress in reducing
emissions from gasoline-powered, conventional motor vehicles. This
places increasing importance on technological developments, including
vehicles powered by fuels other than gasoline. There is particular
interest in the creation of vehicles whose emissions do not increase as
the vehicle ages. There are a number of types of alternative fuel
vehicles (AFVs) in production and under development. In the United
States, manufacturers are already selling various types of AFVs,
including vehicles powered by electricity, compressed natural gas,
methanol, and ethanol. The last year has also seen dramatic
developments in hybrid-electric vehicle and fuel cell technology.
Congress and the Administration have already recognized that they
have an important role to play regarding AFVs. As part of the 1990
Amendments to the Clean Air Act, Congress included sections promoting
increased numbers of clean fuel fleet vehicles. The Clean Fuel Fleet
program, which began on September 1, 1998, requires certain
nonattainment areas to adopt and implement a program requiring certain
centrally-fueled fleets to include a specified percentage of clean-fuel
vehicles in their new fleet vehicle purchases. Additionally, Congress
passed the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), which includes numerous
provisions designed to increase the
[[Page 26411]]
number of alternative fueled vehicles in vehicle fleets. These
provisions include minimum Federal fleet requirements, public
information programs, and guidelines for state and local incentive
programs. The Administration is working on implementing the
requirements of EPAct. In 1996, President Clinton signed Executive
Order 13031, ``Federal Alternative Fueled Vehicle Leadership.'' This
Executive Order sets forth reporting requirements to ensure that
federal agencies comply with the AFV acquisition requirements of EPAct.
By FY1999, 75 percent of certain federal vehicle purchases must be
AFVs. The Order also includes a credit system that allows agencies to
gain extra credits towards meeting their light-duty vehicle procurement
goals by acquiring medium-duty and heavy-duty AFVs and zero emission
vehicles.
States also are playing a role in supporting AFVs. California
created Low and Zero Emission Vehicle programs that New York, Vermont,
Maine, and Massachusetts have adopted.
It is important for the Agency to keep pace with and encourage the
development of alternative fuel technologies. To continue progress in
meeting this objective with respect to AFVs, the Agency is announcing a
number of steps today. EPA intends to hold two workshops on issues
related to AFVs. One workshop, to be held on May 26, 1999, will address
issues related to modeling and AFVs, while a second workshop to be held
in the next year will address infrastructure issues related to creating
a sustainable market for AFVs.
Alternative Fuel Team
EPA's Office of Mobile Sources has established an Alternative Fuel
Team (AF Team), which has members from various OMS divisions. The goal
of the AF Team is to promote the use of alternative fuels to help meet
air quality goals. The team will help coordinate the Agency's existing
efforts related to AFVs, and develop and conduct new efforts. The
primary contact for outside parties interested in EPA's AFV efforts
will be Deborah Adler (734-214-4223) or Christine Hawk (202-564-9672)
(although others within the Agency may be the principal contact for
specific issues).
The AF Team is in the process of developing an action plan for the
next year. This plan will cover a range of activities, such as:
enhancing and/or developing modeling that accurately characterizes
emissions of AFVs as compared to gasoline vehicles; tracking and, where
appropriate, participating in various Administration efforts related to
AFVs, including the Clean Cities program and federal purchases of AFVs;
working with states on Clean Fuel Fleet programs; and facilitating
discussions on infrastructure development to create a sustainable
market for AFVs. In addition, within the next six months, the AF Team
will also begin to plan and execute an ongoing public education
campaign for which they will develop outreach and public education
materials on AFVs and the role they can play in cleaning up the
nation's air. The Team's efforts in this area will be comparable to the
public education efforts the Office of Mobile Sources has made on other
mobile source/clean air issues. Anyone who wishes to provide input on
appropriate activities for the Team should contact Deborah Adler or
Christine Hawk.
Workshop on AFVs and Modeling
It is important for state and federal policy makers to have
accurate information on the full environmental consequences of
different types of technology so that they can make informed regulatory
and purchasing decisions. On May 26, 1999, EPA plans to conduct a
public workshop in Louisville, Kentucky, to address various issues
related to modeling the environmental effects of AFVs as compared to
gasoline vehicles. (The date and location of the workshop were selected
to coordinate with the Department of Energy's National Clean Cities
conference, which begins May 24 in Louisville.) The goal of the
workshop will be to look at how at least two models for motor vehicle
emissions evaluate AFV emissions, to identify how these models might be
improved to be more accurate, and to identify whether there are data
gaps that limit a model's ability to compare gasoline vehicle and AFV
emissions accurately. The Agency will use this workshop to help the AFV
Team and others in the Agency focus future modeling and data collection
efforts.
At least two models will be discussed at the workshop. First, EPA
has developed, and is currently updating, its comprehensive mobile
source emissions model (the MOBILE model). This model provides average
in-use fleet emission factors for pollutants for different vehicle
categories operated under various conditions as specified by the model
user. Features incorporated in the MOBILE model allow the user to
simulate some characteristics of AFVs on the mobile source fleet, and
EPA is in the process of improving this capability. Second, EPA is
working with the Department of Energy on another model which calculates
the life cycle emissions of various fuels. In the workshop, EPA would
be interested in exploring ideas participants might have to enhance its
short-term modeling capabilities as well as suggestions for other,
longer-term projects.
Most of the data developed in support of the MOBILE model is based
on the emissions performance of gasoline-powered vehicles. EPA has
developed some limited data on the emissions performance of natural gas
vehicles, especially in the area of vehicle deterioration, and is
currently working with some interested parties to incorporate some of
this data into features in the next MOBILE model. One particular
feature would allow the model user to estimate the emissions difference
between a fleet of various numbers of natural gas and gasoline-powered
vehicles. However, one of the significant issues hampering AFV
modifications to the MOBILE model is the availability of emissions data
and performance characteristics of these vehicles. The modeling code is
based on the analysis of emissions data and the lack of emissions data
regarding AFVs hampers EPA's ability to model their performance
accurately. Some of the areas EPA has already identified where more
data would be useful are emissions factors for heavy-duty natural gas
vehicles, off-cycle emissions performance of vehicles, and the level of
toxic compounds in emissions from current and advanced technology
vehicles. In this workshop, EPA is interested in discussing ways to
generate emissions data in these areas as well as other areas
identified as significant areas for further study and how this data
could be incorporated into the MOBILE model.
The other modeling-related topic for discussion at this workshop
will be the possible creation of other modeling tools that could help
quantify the various emissions differences between vehicles operated on
different fuels. The Department of Energy has developed a methodology
for doing such an analysis. An air quality model that quantified the
full life-cycle emissions from various fuels could be useful for states
making regulatory decisions or determining which type of AFVs to
purchase to obtain the greatest air quality benefit possible. EPA
recognizes that a modeling tool of this type would require more than
just actual emissions data for it to be useful. It would also require
information such as the actual emissions inputs for a life-cycle
analysis for an electric vehicle and whether an AFV is used in the same
manner as a
[[Page 26412]]
conventional vehicle. However, the Agency is interested in discussing
this issue to see if such analysis would be worthwhile and beneficial
and if the developmental work done to date could be useful for states
making in future modeling analysis.
Anyone with suggestions for this workshop should contact Barry
Garelick at the address listed above.
Workshop on AFV Market and Infrastructure Development
Within the next year, the Agency intends to conduct a public
workshop on infrastructure issues related to creating a sustainable
market for AFVs. In previous discussions on AFVs, EPA has noted that
the development of a sustainable market for AFVs, which includes
necessary infrastructure development, is a key component of any plan to
achieve the air quality gains that are possible from the use of AFVs.
Developing the infrastructure necessary for AFVs is an important part
in developing a sustainable market. For example, drivers may be
reluctant to purchase electric vehicles if they have concerns about the
availability of recharging stations. EPA believes that solutions to
infrastructure development needs can be found by a variety of
stakeholders working together. For example, electric utilities that
support electric vehicles might provide special assistance for the
installation of residential or commercial charging stations; states
that wish to encourage the purchase of AFVs might provide tax
incentives; fleet operators in any given area, including states and the
federal government, could agree to focus AFV purchases on a particular
type of AFV. From past discussions with a variety of stakeholders, it
appeared that discussions on infrastructure development and creation of
a sustainable market for AFVs could identify useful steps for various
stakeholders to take and that some steps might best be taken by several
stakeholders working in partnership with each other.
At this workshop, the Agency's intent is to gather other
Administration officials, State officials (both environmental and
purchasing agent), auto and utility industry representatives,
environmentalists, and other interested parties. The workshop will
provide an opportunity for oral and written presentations on what AFVs
are available and how many are being purchased by whom (including
federal and state fleet purchases). It will provide a forum for looking
at what barriers exist that limit the sales of AFVs and how those
barriers can be reduced or eliminated. It will also provide a forum for
identifying key opportunities to create a sustainable market for AFVs.
The workshop will focus on the Ozone Transport Region (northern
Virginia through Maine) because of the interest the OTR States have
shown in AFVs over the past few years. The Agency intends that the
workshop will draw on the experience of other areas (such as
California). EPA also welcomes participation by states outside the OTR.
This workshop is intended to be the type of workshop that the
northeastern states and the auto industry had tentatively agreed to in
the ATV Agreement in the National LEV MOU that was never
finalized.1 As EPA indicated in several Federal Register
notices, EPA believed that the ATV Agreement would have been a
productive way of creating a sustainable market for ATVs through
cooperative working relationships.
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\1\ In the negotiations between the northeastern states and the
auto industry on EPA's National Low Emission Vehicle (NLEV) program,
the states and the auto industry had tentatively agreed to a process
to facilitate discussion on the creation of a sustainable market for
advanced technology vehicles (ATV Agreement). (This tentative ATV
Agreement was to be included in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
that was to form the basis for the NLEV program, but the ATV
Agreement was not intended to be included in the NLEV regulations.
However, the parties have ended discussions and decided not to
finalize the MOU, which would have contained the ATV Agreement).
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The date and location of the workshop and a more detailed agenda
will be published in the Federal Register at a later date. Anyone with
suggestions for this workshop should contact Barry Garelick.
Dated: May 5, 1999.
Carol M. Browner,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-12246 Filed 5-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P