Recent Developments from
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2002
/U.S. Newswire/ -- Following are some recent
developments at the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. For more
information on any of these subjects, call the
appropriate contact:
-- EPA Improves Transportation
Regulation
Contact: Cathy Milbourn, 202-564-7824,
milbourn.cathy@epa.gov
EPA is changing transportation
regulations to ease the process
that ensures federally supported highway and
transit project
activities are consistent with or conform to a
state's air quality
implementation plan.
Under the Clean Air Act,
transportation activities cannot cause
new air quality violations, worsen existing
violations, or delay
timely attainment of the national ambient air
quality standards.
The first revision to the conformity rule
incorporates an October
2000 Clean Air Act amendment that provides a
one-year grace period
before conformity is required in areas that
are designated
non-attainment for a given air quality
standard for the first time.
The grace period will ease implementation of
conformity in areas
that are newly designated under EPA's ozone
and particulate matter
air quality standards issued in 1997. The
one-year grace period
begins on the effective date of an area's
designation as
non-attainment.
The second change will help
areas implement conformity in a
practicable manner consistent with a March
1999 decision by the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Court. As a result of
the Court's decision, the amount of time for
state and local
governments to complete the conformity process
when a new air
quality plan was submitted had, in some
instances, been
significantly shortened.
The final rule addresses this
indirect impact of the court
decision by ensuring that state and local
governments have
sufficient time to meet the conformity
requirement for newly
submitted air quality plans, as was the case
prior to the 1999
court ruling.
The rule and supporting
documents are available at
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/transp/traqconf.htm
(click on
"conformity").
-- EPA Details West Nile Virus
Resources Available to Public
Contact: David Deegan, 202-564-7839,
deegan.dave@epa.gov
With the current outbreak and
renewed interest in the West Nile
Virus, there is a valuable source of
information available on this
and pesticide related topics: the National
Pesticide Information
Center.
This resource provides
objective, science-based information
about pesticides -- including mosquito
repellents and insecticides
that are used in controlling mosquitoes. NPIC,
which is funded in
part by EPA, also provides information on
federal, state, and local
mosquito control programs.
Additionally, its web site
offers a West Nile Virus Resource
Guide with information on the Virus; contacts
at local, state and
federal agencies; and maps and statistics.
Visit the National Pesticide
Information Center on the Web at
http://npic.orst.edu/
or call toll-free at 800-858-7378.
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention has a
comprehensive web site regarding West Nile
Virus which provides
many resources including preventive measures
to follow and how to
contact local and state authorities at: http://www.cdc.gov/.
CDC
also offers a fact sheet on the West Nile
Virus in Spanish,
available at: http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/.
As a reminder, whenever a
person uses a product such as insect
repellents or insecticides, it is important to
carefully read and
follow the manufacturer's DIRECTIONS FOR USE,
as printed on the
product label. Persons who health-related
questions or concerns
about insect repellents or insecticide
products used to control
mosquitoes in and around the home should
contact NPIC.
For other information about
pesticides used to control
mosquitoes, visit the Environmental Protection
Agency's website at
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/skeeters.htm.
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/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
08/23 09:51