Control of Air Pollution From Motor Vehicles and New Motor Vehicle Engines; Modification of Federal On-Board Diagnostic Regulations for Light-Duty Vehicles and Light-Duty Trucks; Notice of Document Availability

Richard D. Wilson
Environmental Protection Agency
February 19, 1998

[Federal Register: February 19, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 33)]
[Proposed Rules]               
[Page 8386]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19fe98-25]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 86

[FRL-5967-8]

 
Control of Air Pollution From Motor Vehicles and New Motor 
Vehicle Engines; Modification of Federal On-Board Diagnostic 
Regulations for Light-Duty Vehicles and Light-Duty Trucks; Notice of 
Document Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Proposed rule; document availability.

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SUMMARY: On May 28, 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 
or Agency) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (see 62 FR 28932) 
proposing changes to the federal on-board diagnostics program. One of 
the proposed changes to the federal OBD program was to indefinitely 
allow manufacturers to comply with EPA's regulations by demonstrating 
compliance with the exception of the CARB OBDII anti-tampering 
provisions and certain evaporative emission monitoring requirements. In 
that NPRM, the Agency also proposed to update the version of the 
California OBDII regulations which with manufacturers must comply to a 
more recently revised version. The NPRM noted that the current version 
of CARB's regulations were contained in Mail-Out #96-34. However, CARB 
Mail-Out #96-34 was intended primarily for public comment purposes. In 
the May 28, 1997 NPRM, the Agency went on to state that, after CARB 
finalized their regulatory revisions being developed via Mail-Out #96-
34, the Agency would, in its final rule, allow compliance with that 
revised final version provided that relevant portions of that version 
were acceptable for federal OBD compliance demonstration. The Agency 
received comments during the public comment period following 
publication of the NPRM that this approach of incorporating CARB OBDII 
regulations would not allow EPA enough time to analyze the final 
revised version of the CARB OBDII changes for appropriateness and 
applicability to the federal OBD program. The Agency is in the process 
of developing the final rulemaking. CARB recently finalized its OBDII 
changes in CARB Mail-Out #97-24. The Agency has analyzed CARB Mail-Out 
#97-24 and has determined that it is appropriate for federal OBD 
compliance and its use for federal OBD presents no regulatory process 
concerns. This analysis, as well as CARB Mail-Out #97-24 is available 
in EPA Air Docket A-96-32 (see ADDRESSES).

DATES: The Docket will remain open until March 23, 1998 for any parties 
wishing to submit comment on CARB Mail-Out #97-24.

ADDRESSES: Materials relevant to this rulemaking are contained in 
Docket No. A-96-32. The docket is located at The Air Docket, 401 M. 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460, and may be viewed in room M1500 
between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The telephone 
number is (202) 260-7548 and the facsimile number is (202) 260-4400. A 
reasonable fee may be charged by EPA for copying docket material.
    Comments must be submitted to Holly Pugliese, Vehicle Programs and 
Compliance Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2565 
Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105, or Internet e-mail at 
``pugliese.holly@epamail.epa.gov.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Holly Pugliese, Telephone 313-668-
4288.

    Dated: February 9, 1998.
Richard D. Wilson,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 98-4010 Filed 2-18-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P