North American Regional Action Plan on Mercury; Notice of Availability for Public Comment

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 179 (Thursday, September 16, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50284-50285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24167]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPTS-00276; FRL-6095-5]


North American Regional Action Plan on Mercury; Notice of 
Availability for Public Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Today's notice makes available for public comment the draft of 
the second phase of the North American Regional Action Plan (NARAP) on 
Mercury. This regional action plan stems from activities taken under 
the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) 
between the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The 
NARAP represents a mutually agreed upon framework for future actions to 
be taken by each country either independently or collaboratively under 
the direction of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).
    The Mercury NARAP is being made available for public/stakeholder 
review to allow interested parties the opportunity to provide guidance 
on the nature and direction that these three North American governments 
should proceed in order to reduce mercury use and releases to the 
environment.

DATES: Comments, identified by the docket control number OPPTS-00276, 
must be received by EPA on or before October 18, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in 
person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as 
provided in Unit I.C. of the ``SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION'' section. To 
ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket 
control number OPPTS-00276 in the subject line on the first page of 
your response.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: 
Christine Augustyniak, Associate Director, Environmental Assistance 
Division (7408), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone numbers: 202-554-1404 and TDD: 202-554-0551; e-mail address: 
TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.
    For technical information contact: Greg Susanke, Office of 
Pollution Prevention and Toxics, National Program Chemicals Division 
(7404), Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 
20460; telephone number: 202-260-3547; fax number: 202-260-0001; e-mail 
address: susanke.greg@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does This Notice Apply to Me?

    You may be potentially affected by this notice if you use mercury 
in, or release mercury from processing, operations, or products. 
Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited to: the 
automotive vehicle and equipment manufacturing sector, the mercury cell 
chlor-alkali sector, the dry cell battery manufacturing sector, the 
electrical switches and relays sector, the lamp manufacturing sector, 
health and dental care sectors, the users of mercury for cultural and 
artisanal uses, and the analytical, testing, measurement, and 
calibration sector. If you have any questions regarding the 
applicability of this notice to a particular entity, consult the 
technical person listed in the ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' 
section.

B. How Can I Get Additional Information or Copies of This Document and 
Other Related Documents?

    1. Electronically. Electronic copies of this document are available 
from the EPA Home Page at the Federal Register - Environmental 
Documents entry for this document under ``Laws and Regulations'' 
(http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/). You can follow the menu to find this 
Federal Register notice using the publication date or the Federal 
Register citation for this notice. You can also obtain copies of this 
document and certain other available documents from the CEC Internet 
Home Page at http://www.cec.org/. On the Home Page select ``CEC 
Resources and Publications'' and then look up the entry for this 
document under the ``Regional Action Plans'' section.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this notice under docket control number OPPTS-00276. The official 
record consists of the documents specifically referenced in this 
notice, any public comments received during an applicable comment 
period, and other information related to this notice, including any 
information claimed as Confidential Business Information (CBI). This 
official record includes the documents that are physically located in 
the docket, as well as the documents that are referenced in those 
documents. The public version of the official record does not include 
any information claimed as CBI. The public version of the official 
record, which includes printed, paper versions of any electronic 
comments submitted during an applicable comment period, is available 
for inspection in the TSCA Nonconfidential Information Center, Rm. NE 
B-607, Waterside Mall, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC. The Center is 
open from 12 noon to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The telephone number of the Center is 202-260-7099.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or 
electronically. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify docket control number OPPTS-00276 in the subject line on 
the first page of your response.
    1. By mail. Submit your written comments to: Document Control 
Office (7407), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460.
    2. In person or by courier. Deliver your written comments to: OPPT 
Document Control Office (DCO) in East Tower Rm. G-099, Waterside Mall, 
401 M St., SW., Washington, DC. The DCO is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number 
for the DCO is 202-260-7093.
    3. Electronically. You may submit your comments electronically by 
e-mail to: oppt.ncic@epa.gov. Do not submit any information 
electronically that you consider to be CBI. Electronic comments must be 
submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and 
any form of encryption. Comments will also be accepted on standard 
computer disks in Wordperfect 5.1/6.1 or ASCII file format. All 
comments in electronic form must be identified by the docket control 
number OPPTS-00276. Electronic comments may also be filed online at 
many Federal Depository Libraries.

D. How Should I Handle CBI Information That I Want to Submit to the 
Agency?

    Do not submit any information electronically that you consider to 
be CBI. You may claim information that you submit to EPA in response to 
this notice as CBI by marking any part or all of that information as 
CBI. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance 
with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. A copy of the comment that 
does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for 
inclusion in the public version of the official record. Information not 
marked confidential will be included in the public version

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of the official record without prior notice. If you have any questions 
about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, please consult the 
technical person identified in the ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' 
section.

E. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    We invite you to provide your views on the various options we 
propose, new approaches we haven't considered, the potential impacts of 
the various options (including possible unintended consequences), and 
any data or information that you would like the Agency to consider 
during the development of the final action. You may find the following 
suggestions helpful for preparing your comments:
    •  Explain your views as clearly as possible.
    •  Describe any assumptions that you used.
    •  Provide copies of any technical information and/or data 
you used that support your views.
    •  If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    •  Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
    •  Offer alternative ways to improve the document.
    •  Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this 
notice.
    •  To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the 
docket control number assigned to this notice in the subject line on 
the first page of your response. You may also provide the name, date, 
and Federal Register citation.

II. Background

A. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    EPA is representing the United States as the lead Agency in 
drafting not only the NARAP on Mercury but also other NARAPs on 
selected persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances of concern. 
The action plans are to incorporate, as appropriate, pollution 
prevention principles and precautionary approaches in making 
recommendations to reduce risks associated with these substances.
    These action plans reflect a shared commitment by the parties to 
work cooperatively by building upon international environmental 
agreements and existing policies and laws; by bringing a regional 
perspective to international initiatives that are in place or being 
negotiated with respect to persistent toxic substances; by promoting 
cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean nations and with 
countries that have territories in the high Arctic; and by encouraging 
mutually consistent trade and environment policies that are conducive 
to the conservation, protection, and enhancement of the environment in 
their territories. At the same time, each action plan is unique and 
recognizes the differentiated responsibilities of each of the countries 
while taking into account each country's respective natural endowments, 
climate and geographical conditions, and economic, technological, and 
infrastructure capabilities.
    The action plans reflect a long-term commitment to regional action. 
The sharing and transfer of information and best practices are seen as 
important means of enhancing national capacity for the sound management 
of chemicals. Other important elements and outcomes of these 
cooperative initiatives include collaboration and cooperation in the 
measurement, monitoring, modeling, research and assessment of selected 
persistent and toxic substances in environmental media. Such 
cooperation will improve the quality, availability, and relevance of 
the ``environmental information'' needed to make informed and 
responsible decisions throughout the implementation of the action 
plans.
    The action plans are also intended to help facilitate the 
meaningful participation of the public, including nongovernmental 
organizations; business and industry; native North Americans; 
provincial, state and municipal governments; academia; and technical 
and policy experts. Regular public reporting of the progress that has 
occurred with respect to each action plan will be important to its 
eventual success.

B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking This Action?

    The NARAP on Mercury is one of a number of such regional 
undertakings that stem from the NAAEC between the governments of 
Canada, Mexico, and the United States. As a parallel side agreement to 
the North American Free Trade Agreement, the NAAEC came into force on 
January 1, 1994 as an overarching framework for environmental 
cooperation. The NAAEC established the CEC to ``facilitate cooperation 
on the conservation, protection and enhancement of the environment in 
their territories.'' The Council (of Ministers) of the Commission 
agreed to Resolution 95-05 on the Sound Management of Chemicals on 
October 13, 1995, at its second regular meeting held in Oaxaca, Mexico. 
The resolution established ``a working group composed of two senior 
officials selected by each party whose duties pertain to the regulation 
or management of toxic substances and who shall work with the CEC to 
implement the decisions and commitments set out in this resolution.'' 
The resolution specifically calls for the development of four regional 
action plans for selected persistent and toxic substances as a first 
priority in the parties' common desire to address national and regional 
concerns associated with the sound management of chemicals. Mercury, as 
well as dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), chlordane, and 
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), is one of the four priority 
substances identified by the parties for action plan development.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection.

    Dated: September 8, 1999.

Stephen L. Johnson,

Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and 
Toxic Substances.

[FR Doc. 99-24167 Filed 9-15-99; 8:45 am]
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