[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 150 (Monday, August 9, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 43469-43470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16598]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 86 and 600

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0208; FRL-8824-01-OAR]
RIN 2060-AV13


Public Hearing for Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty 
Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notification of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 
virtual public hearing to be held August 25, 2021, on its proposal for 
the ``Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse 
Gas Emissions Standards,'' which was signed on July 29, 2021. An 
additional session will be held on August 26th if necessary, to 
accommodate the number of testifiers that sign-up to testify. EPA is 
proposing to revise the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for 
light-duty vehicles for 2023 and later model years to make the 
standards more stringent.

DATES: EPA will hold a virtual public hearing on August 25, 2021. An 
additional session will be held on August 26th if necessary to 
accommodate the number of testifiers that sign-up to testify. Please 
refer to the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for additional 
information on the public hearing.

ADDRESSES: The virtual public hearing will be held on August 25, 2021. 
An additional session will be held on August 26th if necessary to 
accommodate the number of testifiers that sign-up to testify. The 
hearing will convene at 9:30 a.m. Eastern and will conclude when the 
last pre-registered speaker has testified but no later than 8:00 p.m. 
Eastern. All hearing attendees (including those who do not intend to 
provide testimony) should notify the contact person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by August 18, 2021, preferably by email to 
ASD-Registration@epa.gov. Additional information regarding the hearing 
appears below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tad Wysor, Office of Transportation 
and Air Quality, Assessment and Standards Division (ASD), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; 
telephone number: (734) 214-4332; email address: ASD-Registration@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 
proposing to revise the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for 
light-duty vehicles for 2023 and later model years to make the 
standards more stringent. On January 20, 2021, President Biden issued 
Executive Order 13990 ``Protecting Public Health and the Environment 
and Restoring Science To Tackle the Climate Crisis'' directing EPA to 
consider whether to propose suspending, revising, or rescinding the 
standards previously revised under the ``The Safer Affordable Fuel-
Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars 
and Light Trucks,'' promulgated in April 2020. The SAFE rule 
significantly weakened the standards established in 2012 for this time 
period. Based on our updated assessment, EPA is proposing under the 
Clean Air Act to revise the GHG standards to be more stringent than the 
SAFE rule standards in each model year from 2023 through 2026. EPA is 
also proposing to include several flexibilities to ease the auto 
manufacturers' transition to the more stringent standards, including 
incentives for the production of vehicles with zero or near-zero 
emissions technology. In addition, EPA is proposing some technical 
amendments to clarify and streamline our regulations. The proposed 
revised standards would result in significant net benefits. The 
``Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas 
Emissions Standards'' proposal was signed on July 29th and will be 
published separately in the Federal Register. The pre-publication 
version is available at https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/proposed-rule-revise-existing-national-ghg-emissions.

Participation in Virtual Public Hearing

    Please note that EPA is deviating from its typical approach for 
public hearings. Because of current CDC recommendations, as well as 
state and local orders for social distancing to limit the spread of 
COVID-19, EPA is not holding in-person public meetings at this time.
    EPA will begin pre-registering speakers for the hearing upon 
publication of this document in the Federal Register. To register to 
speak at the virtual hearing, please contact the person listed in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section, preferably by email to ASD-Registration@epa.gov. The last day to pre-register to speak at the 
hearing will be August 18, 2021.
    Each commenter will have 3 minutes to provide oral testimony. EPA 
may ask clarifying questions during the oral presentations but will not 
respond to the presentations at that time. EPA recommends submitting 
the text of your oral comments as written comments to the rulemaking 
docket. Written statements and supporting information submitted during 
the comment period will be considered with the same weight as oral 
comments and supporting information presented at the public hearing.
    Please note that any updates made to any aspect of the hearing 
logistics, including any change to the date of the hearing or a 
potential additional session on August 26, 2021, will be posted online 
at the light-duty vehicle GHG rule website https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/proposed-rule-revise-existing-national-ghg-emissions. While EPA expects the hearing to go 
forward as set forth above, please monitor our website or contact the 
person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section to 
determine if there are any updates. EPA does not intend to publish a 
document in the Federal Register announcing updates.
    If you require the services of a translator or special 
accommodations such as audio description, please pre-register for the 
hearing and describe your needs by August 18, 2021. EPA may not be able 
to arrange accommodations without advance notice.

[[Page 43470]]

How can I get copies of the proposed action and other related 
information?

    EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. 
EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0208. EPA has also developed a website for this 
proposal, which is available at https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/proposed-rule-revise-existing-national-ghg-emissions. Please refer to the notice of proposed rulemaking for 
detailed information on accessing information related to the proposal.

    Dated: July 29, 2021.
William Charmley,
Director, Assessment and Standards Division, Office of Transportation 
and Air Quality, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2021-16598 Filed 8-6-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


