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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 09-269

NOTICES

Proposed Revision to the State Implementation Plan for the Vehicle Emissions Anti-Tampering Quality Assurance Program in the Inspection and Maintenance Program; Public Hearing

[39 Pa.B. 909]
[Saturday, February 14, 2009]

   The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) is seeking public comment on a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision. The proposed SIP revision addresses the quality assurance program implemented by the Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for the visual inspection of emission components performed by safety inspection stations in 42 Pennsylvania counties as part of the vehicle safety inspection program. These 42 counties are not subject to the Commonwealth's vehicle inspection and maintenance program. In addition to ensuring that statutorily required emissions components are present and have not been rendered inoperative, the safety program visual inspection test and quality assurance program bolster emission reductions toward meeting the goals of areas of the Commonwealth that are subject to I/M program testing.

   The proposed SIP revision pertains only to a portion of the quality assurance program in the SIP implemented by PennDOT. The quality assurance program in the SIP provides a window in which program auditors can determine whether randomly selected vehicles properly passed the visual inspection portion of the safety inspection. PennDOT has conducted a pilot study in which the timing of the audit of inspected vehicles was examined. As a result of the study, PennDOT advised increasing the length of the window between the initial inspection of a vehicle and the audit inspection from 2 days to 5 days. The Department is proposing to revise Pennsylvania's SIP to update the quality assurance program information in this way. This proposal is available on the Department's web site at www.depweb.state.pa.us (DEP Keyword: Air Plans), or through the contact persons listed.

   The Department will hold a public hearing to receive comments on the proposed SIP revision on Thursday, March 19, 2009, at 1 p.m. at the Department of Environmental Protection's Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Avenue, Susquehanna Room A, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

   Persons who wish to present testimony at the hearing should contact Yvette House, P. O. Box 8468, Harrisburg, PA 17105, (717) 787-9495, yhouse@state.pa.us to reserve time. Persons who do not reserve a time will be able to testify as time allows. Witnesses should keep testimony to 10 minutes and should provide two written copies of their statement at the hearing.

   Persons with a disability who wish to attend the hearing and require an auxiliary aid, service or other accommodation to participate in the proceeding should contact Yvette House at yhouse@state.pa.us or (717) 787-9495. TDD users may contact the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 to discuss how the Department can best accommodate their needs.

   The Department must receive comments no later than March 20, 2009. Written comments should be sent to the attention of Arleen Shulman, Division of Air Resource Management, Bureau of Air Quality, P. O. Box 8468, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8468 or ashulman@state.pa.us.

JOHN HANGER,   
Acting Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 09-269. Filed for public inspection February 13, 2009, 9:00 a.m.]



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