[Federal Register: January 3, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 2)]
[Notices]
[Page 382-383]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03ja01-67]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Federal Land Managers' Air Quality Related Values Work Group
(FLAG)
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of final report.
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SUMMARY: The National Park Service, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest
Service, is announcing the availability of the final FLAG Phase I
Report, and the accompanying Response to Public Comments document.
At the request of permit applicants and State and Federal permit
review authorities, the Federal Land Managers (FLMs) (i.e., National
Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of
Agriculture Forest Service) formed the Federal Land Managers' Air
Quality Related Values Work Group (FLAG) to develop a more consistent
approach for evaluating air pollution effects on their resources. The
FLAG effort focused on how air pollutants, such as ozone, particulate
matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrates, and sulfates, could
affect the health and status of resources in areas managed by the three
agencies. FLAG formed subgroups that concentrated on four issues: (1)
Terrestrial effects of ozone; (2) aquatic and terrestrial effects of
wet and dry pollutant deposition; (3) visibility; and (4) process and
policy issues. The final report contains issue-specific technical and
policy analyses, recommendations for evaluating air quality related
values, and guidelines for completing and evaluating new source review
permit applications. In developing the final recommendations and
guidelines, the FLMs considered public comments received at a public
meeting and during a 90-day public comment period. The FLMs have
prepared a companion report that summarizes and responds to the public
comments received.
The FLMs recognize that permit applications may be at various
stages of preparation, and may be based on previous guidance provided
by the FLMs. Therefore, to ``grandfather'' those
[[Page 383]]
applications from the newly recommended guidance, the FLMs have
established the following phase-in schedule for implementing the FLAG
guidance. The FLMs expect that modeling protocols received after March
1, 2001, for applications to be submitted after April 1, 2001, follow
the recommendations and guidance provided in the FLAG report. For
complete permit applications and modeling protocols received after
April 1, 2001, the FLMs expect the application/protocol to follow the
recommendations and guidance provided in the FLAG report. Please note
that although the FLAG report contains a wealth of information and will
be a very useful tool, it is only guidance, not a rule. To expedite the
FLMs' review of permit applications, the FLMs strongly encourage all
permit applicants and permitting authorities to prepare and review new
source permit applications in accordance with the FLAG guidance. To do
otherwise will likely result in delays in the permitting process.
DATES: The FLMs expect new complete permit applications and modeling
protocols submitted after April 1, 2001, to follow the recommendations
and guidance provided in the FLAG report. This will facilitate the
FLMs' review of these applications and protocols.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the final FLAG Phase I Report and the accompanying
Response to Public Comments document can be downloaded from the
Internet at: http://www.aqd.nps.gov/ard/flagfree/ . A copy can also be
obtained from John Bunyak, Air Resources Division, National Park
Service, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado, 80225; e-mail:
john_bunyak@nps.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Bunyak at the above addresses or
by calling (303) 969-2818.
Dated: December 20, 2000.
Mark Scruggs,
Acting Chief, Air Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 01-51 Filed 1-2-01; 8:45 am]
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