[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 31]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR790.24]

[Page 10]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 790_PROCEDURES GOVERNING TESTING CONSENT AGREEMENTS
AND TEST RULES--Table of Contents
 
  Subpart B_Procedures for Developing Consent Agreements and Test Rules
 
Sec.  790.24  Criteria for determining whether a consensus exists concerning the provisions of a draft consent agreement.

    (a) EPA will enter into consent agreements only where there is a 
consensus among the Agency, one or more manufacturers and/or processors 
who agree to conduct or sponsor the testing, and all other interested 
parties who identify themselves in accordance with Sec.  790.22(b)(2). 
EPA will not enter into a consent agreement in either of the following 
circumstances:
    (1) EPA and affected manufacturers and/or processors cannot reach a 
consensus on the testing requirements or other provisions to be included 
in the consent agreement.
    (2) A draft consent agreement is considered inadequate by other 
interested parties who, pursuant to Sec.  790.22(b)(2), have asked to 
participate in or monitor negotiations; and these parties have submitted 
timely written objections to the draft consent agreement which provide a 
specific explanation of the grounds on which the draft agreement is 
objectionable.
    (b) EPA may reject objections described in paragraph (a)(2) of this 
section only where the Agency concludes the objections are either:
    (1) Not made in good faith.
    (2) Untimely.
    (3) Do not involve the adequacy of the proposed testing program or 
other features of the agreement that may affect EPA's ability to fulfill 
the goals and purposes of the Act.
    (4) Not accompanied by a specific explanation of the grounds on 
which the draft agreement is considered objectionable.
    (c) The unwillingness of some manufacturers and/or processors of a 
prospective test chemical to sign the draft consent agreement does not, 
in itself, establish a lack of consensus if EPA concludes that those 
manufacturers and/or processors who are prepared to sign the agreement 
are capable of accomplishing the testing to be required and that the 
draft agreement will achieve the purposes of the Act in all other 
respects.