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Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Changes to Renewable Fuel Standard Program; Extension of Comment Period

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[Federal Register: July 7, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 128)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 32091-32092]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07jy09-14]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 80
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0161; FRL-8927-3]
RIN 2060-A081

Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Changes to Renewable Fuel
Standard Program; Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'') is
announcing an extension of the public comment period for the proposed
rule ``Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Changes to Renewable
Fuel Standard Program'' (the proposed rule is hereinafter referred to
as ``RFS2''). EPA published a notice of proposed rulemaking, which
included a request for comment, in the Federal Register on May 26,
2009. The public comment period was to end on July 27, 2009--60 days
after publication in the Federal Register. The purpose of this document
is to extend the comment period an additional 60 days until September
25, 2009. This extension of the comment period is provided to allow the
public additional time to provide comment on the proposed rule.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published May 26, 2009
(74 FR 24904) is extended. Written comments must be received on or
before September 25, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2005-0161, by one of the following methods:
    • http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
    • E-mail: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov.
    • Mail: Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center,
Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. In addition, please mail a copy of
your comments on the information collection provisions to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), Attn: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th St., NW., Washington, DC 20503.
    • Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20004. Such
deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of
operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of
boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2005-0161. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without
going through http://www.regulations.gov your e-mail address will be
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any
disk or CD-ROM you submit. 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. Electronic files should avoid
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of
any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public
docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/
epahome/dockets.htm. For additional instructions on submitting
comments, please refer to the notice of proposed rulemaking (Section
XI, Public Participation, of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
the proposed rulemaking document).

How Can I Access the Docket?

    All documents in the docket are listed in the 
http://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, 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, will be publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Air and Radiation Docket
and Information Center, EPA/DC, EPA West,

[[Page 32092]]

Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., 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. The telephone number for the Public
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Air
Docket is (202) 566-1742.

How Can I Get Copies of This Document, the Proposed Rule, and Other
Related Information?

    The EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0161. The EPA has also developed a Web site for the
proposed RFS2 rule, including the notice of proposed rulemaking, at:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels/index.htm. Please refer to the
notice of proposed rulemaking for detailed information on accessing
information related to the proposal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia MacAllister, Office of
Transportation and Air Quality, Assessment and Standards Division,
Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI
48105; telephone number: (734) 214-4131; Fax number: (734) 214-4816; E-
mail address: macallister.julia@epa.gov, or Assessment and Standards
Division Hotline; telephone number (734) 214-4636; E-mail address:
asdinfo@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: In a separate notice of proposed
rulemaking, EPA proposed a regulation to implement changes to the
Renewable Fuel Standard program as mandated by the Clean Air Act (as
amended by Sections 201, 202, and 210 of the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007). The revised statutory requirements specify the
volumes of cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel,
and total renewable fuel that must be used in transportation fuel each
year, with the volumes increasing over time. The rule proposed
regulations designed to ensure that refiners, blenders, and importers
of gasoline and diesel would use enough renewable fuel each year so
that the four volume requirements of the Energy Independence and
Security Act would be met with renewable fuels that also meet the
required lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions performance standards. The
RFS2 proposed rule describes the standards that would apply to these
parties, the lifecycle greenhouse gas modeling, and the renewable fuels
that would qualify for compliance. The proposed regulations also make a
number of changes to the current Renewable Fuel Standard program while
retaining many elements of the compliance and trading system already in place.
    Extension of Comment Period: EPA received requests for an extension
of the RFS2 public comment period from various parties ranging from 60
to 120 days. EPA also received a request to not extend the comment
period, and to continue with the schedule as proposed. After
considering all of these comments, EPA has determined that an extension
of the comment period would provide the public adequate time to provide
meaningful comment on the proposed rule. However, this need must be
balanced against our desire to finalize and implement the new standards
in a timely manner. EPA believes that an additional 60 days is an
appropriate amount of time to balance these needs. Accordingly, the
public comment period for the RFS2 proposed rulemaking is extended
until September 25, 2009. EPA does not anticipate any further extension
of the comment period at this time.

    Dated: June 30, 2009.
Gina McCarthy,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. E9-15947 Filed 7-6-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

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