WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is extending the
comment period on its proposed rule to provide a regulatory
definition of "routine maintenance, repair and replacement"for
the New Source Review (NSR) Program. During this time, the
agency will hold five public hearings across the country. The
November, 2002 proposed rule would offer facilities greater
flexibility to improve and modernize their operations in ways
that will reduce energy use and air pollution.

"We are taking this action today to provide additional
opportunity for comment and participation," said EPA
Administrator Christie Whitman. " I believe that full public
participation is key to our review of the NSR program."

The current schedule for comments is due to end on March 3.
Today's action extends the comment period by 60 days; the
closure for the extended comment period will be May 2, 2003. The
details for the five public hearings will soon be announced in
a Federal Register Notice.

The Federal Register notice on the comment extension and
public hearing will be published in the near future. Comments on
NSR may be submitted to EPA electronically, by mail, by
facsimile, or through hand delivery/courier. Additional
information and copies of the proposed rule are available on the
Web at: http://www.epa.gov/nsr/ .

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02/13 18:24

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