Intent To Form a Policy Dialog Advisory Committee to Assist in the Development of Measures To Significantly Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Personal Motor Vehicles |
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President Bill Clinton
Executive Office of the President
April 14, 1994
[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 72 (Thursday, April 14, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-9288]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: April 14, 1994]
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Part V
Executive Office of the President
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Personal Motor Vehicles; Intent To Form a
Policy Dialog Advisory Committee
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Intent To Form a Policy Dialog Advisory Committee to Assist in
the Development of Measures To Significantly Reduce Greenhouse Gas
Emissions From Personal Motor Vehicles
AGENCY: Executive Office of the President.
ACTION: Intent to Form a Policy Dialog Advisory Committee under the
Federal Advisory Committee Act.
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SUMMARY: To address the danger of global climate change from emissions
of greenhouse gases, on April 21, 1993, President Clinton announced the
nation's commitment to reduce emissions of these gases in the United
States to their 1990 level by the year 2000 and to produce a cost-
effective plan to continue the trend of reduced emissions thereafter.
On October 19, 1993, the President released the Climate Change Action
Plan (CCAP), which commits the federal government, in partnership with
the private sector, to a broad range of measures in many sectors to
meet the target for the year 2000. Studies of greenhouse gas emission
trends leading up to the CCAP confirmed that, particularly in the years
after 2000, the personal transportation sector is expected to be the
fastest growing contributor to carbon dioxide emission levels, as a
result of continuing fast growth of vehicle miles travelled and
relatively slow improvement in vehicle fuel economy. Although the CCAP
contains several measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the
transportation sector, there is a need for significant cost-effective
longer-term efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles
and light duty trucks.
The CCAP directed three policy offices in the Executive Office of
the President--the Office of Environmental Policy (OEP), the Office of
Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Economic Council
(NEC)--to co-chair a process to develop policies to significantly
reduce greenhouse gas emissions from personal motor vehicles in the
years after 2000. The three offices, in consultation with the
Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Energy (DOE),
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) and Council of Economic Advisors (CEA), have established a
process under which a Policy Dialog Advisory Committee, constituted
pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, will be convened. The
Advisory Committee will develop recommendations on the sets of policies
that would, if adopted, most cost-effectively obtain a return to 1990
levels of greenhouse gas emissions from personal motor vehicles by the
years 2005, 2015 and 2025, with no upturn thereafter. This framework of
achievement of 1990 emissions levels in three alternative years is
designed to focus the issues and the Committee's recommendations.
Decisions on the amount and timing of reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions from personal motor vehicles, and the policies to attain
them, remain the responsibility of the federal government. However, the
Administration has stated that it is committed to significant
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from personal motor vehicles.
This notice includes the charter of the Advisory Committee. The
Executive Office of the President requests public comment on whether it
has properly identified interests that are affected by the issues
identified and that should be seated on the Advisory Committee, and
requests suggestions for potential members of the Advisory Committee.
DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS: Comments must be received by May 4, 1994.
ADDRESS FOR COMMENTS: Comments should be submitted in duplicate, if
possible, to EPA Air Docket #A-94-24, room M-1500, 401 M Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20460.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information pertaining to the
substantive issues to be dealt with by the Advisory Committee, contact:
Ellen Seidman, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy,
Washington, DC 20500, phone (202) 456-2802, fax (202) 456-2223; Henry
Kelly, Assistant Director for Technology, Office of Science and
Technology Policy, phone (202) 456-6034, fax (202) 456-6023; Wesley
Warren, Associate Director, Office on Environmental Policy, phone (202)
456-6224, fax (202) 456-2710; or Alan Krupnick, Senior Economist,
Council of Economic Advisors, phone (202) 395-5012, fax (202) 395-6853.
For information pertaining to the establishment of the Advisory
Committee and associated administrative matters contact: Deborah
Dalton, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20460, phone (202) 260-5495.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Goal of the Advisory Committee
The goal of the Advisory Committee's deliberations will be to
develop a consensus among major stakeholders on the sets of policies
that would, if adopted, most cost-effectively return greenhouse gas
emissions from cars and light trucks to 1990 levels by the years 2005,
2015, and 2025, with no upturn thereafter. (There will be three
different sets of policies, one for each year.) The Advisory Committee
process is structured this way to generate maximum consideration of
potential policies, their interactions and trade-offs and to increase
the potential to reach consensus. By law, the Advisory Committee's
functions must be purely advisory. Therefore the decisions on the
amount and timing of emissions reductions from personal motor vehicles
and the policies to attain them, ultimately remain the responsibility
of the federal government. However, in the CCAP the Administration
stated its intention to take action--regulatory, legislative or
otherwise--immediately after the process is completed to begin
responding to the problem of increased greenhouse gas emissions from
personal motor vehicles, with or without consensus among the
stakeholders.
The Advisory Committee will consider a broad range of policy
alternatives, including policies affecting: (i) Demand for personal
vehicle travel, (ii) vehicle and fuel technology changes (including
increases in vehicle and fuel system operating efficiency); and (iii)
shifts in consumer choice among vehicle and fuel technology options.
Policies to be considered will focus on those that can be implemented
by the federal government, but such policies will be considered in the
context of what can and should be accomplished at the state, local and
regional levels, and by private parties, both consumers and producers.
Groups of policies designed to achieve 1990 levels of greenhouse gas
emissions in each of the three targeted years will be evaluated on the
basis of costs and projected reductions in metric tons of carbon
equivalents (greenhouse gas emissions). Policy groups will also be
evaluated on the basis of the speed, reliability, sustainability and
efficiency of greenhouse gas reductions; the potential impact of
options on urban air pollution and on safety; the cost of alternative
policies affecting this sector (including their impact on consumers,
jobs, competitiveness and mobility); improvements in energy security;
and the feasibility of adoption and ease of implementation.
Membership; Steering Committee
The Advisory Committee will consist of up to thirty members,
appointed for a term of one year from the date of the Committee's first
meeting. No employee of the federal government will be a member of the
Committee. The Advisory Committee will make recommendations to the
President through a steering committee chaired by representatives of
the OEP, OSTP and NEC, and consisting of representatives of the other
agencies named above. A member or representative of the steering
committee will serve as Executive Director of the Advisory Committee
and at least one member of the steering committee will attend each
meeting of the Advisory Committee and any subcommittees. The
deliberations of the Advisory Committee will be assisted by a
facilitator under contract to EPA, who will serve as Chair of the
Advisory Committee.
Members of the Advisory Committee will be chosen by the President,
upon the recommendation of the steering committee, to achieve balanced
representation of the following stakeholder interests:
State, local and regional governments and agencies,
including those responsible for land use, transportation, energy use
and air quality;
Automobile and light truck manufacturers and related
parties such as suppliers, dealers and the insurance industry;
Labor;
Transportation fuel (including potential alternative fuel)
industry; and
Public interest groups, including environmental, safety,
consumer and low income groups and those representing the driving
public.
This list of interests is illustrative, and is not meant to imply that
each named interest will be represented by any specific number of
Advisory Committee members.
We invite suggestions for members of the Advisory Committee. In
making a suggestion, please indicate the interest or interests proposed
to be represented. Suggestions may be in the form of groups or
individuals, although names of specific individuals are preferred.
Proposed members of the Advisory Committee should be prepared to devote
significant time to the project and to engage in meaningful
consultation and negotiation.
Operation of the Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee will be expected to meet approximately eight
times over a period of one year. Meetings are expected to be two days
in duration. Although most meetings will be held in Washington, DC, one
to two meetings may be held in other locations to maximize public
participation. Meetings will be open to the public. To maximize the
opportunities for participation by those representing the public, the
federal government may pay travel expenses, including per diem in lieu
of subsistence, of Advisory Committee members representing not-for-
profit entities and state or local governments who would not otherwise
be able to participate. On-line facilities will be used to enhance the
operation of the Advisory Committee, to broaden opportunities for
public participation, and to reduce costs. The Advisory Committee and
steering committee will be able to work with an interagency analytical
support team led by the CEA.
The Advisory Committee will issue an interim report within six
months of the date of its first meeting. This report shall advise the
President, through the steering committee, of the Advisory Committee's
proceedings. The Committee shall submit its final report to the
President, through the steering committee, within on year of the date
of its first meeting, unless this period is extended by the President.
Advisory Committee Charter
Following is the charter that has been adopted for the Advisory
Committee.
Charter--Advisory Committee on Personal Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas
Reductions
1. Committee's Official Designation
Advisory Committee on Personal Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas
Reductions (the ``Advisory Committee'' or ``Committee'').
2. Authority
Presidential Review Directive NEC-1, concerning the implementation
of a process to develop measures to significantly reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from personal motor vehicles.
3. Objectives and Scope of Activities
The Climate Change Action Plan directed the National Economic
Council (NEC), the Office of Environmental Policy (OEP), and the Office
of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to co-chair a process to
develop measures to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
personal motor vehicles, including cars and light trucks. This process,
called the Personal Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Reduction Project,
will be directed by a steering committee responsible for making
recommendations to the President at the close of the project. The
steering committee will consist of representatives of the NEC, OEP,
OSTP, Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, Environmental
Protection Agency, Office of Management and Budget and Council of
Economic Advisors. A representative of the Office of the Vice President
will participate in meetings of the steering committee. As set forth in
section 4 of this Charter, the Advisory Committee shall provide to the
President, through the steering committee, advice and recommendations
concerning cost-effective groups of policies that would, if adopted,
return total greenhouse gas emissions from use of personal motor
vehicles to their 1990 levels by the years 2005, 2015 and 2025 (and
then stabilize or continue to reduce such emissions).
4. Duties of the Committee
The duties of the Advisory Committee are solely advisory and shall
be as follows:
a. The Advisory Committee shall develop recommendations concerning
the most cost-effective manner in which to return greenhouse gas
emissions from personal motor vehicles to their 1990 levels by the
years 2005, 2015 and 2025 (and then to stabilize or continue to reduce
such emissions). In developing its recommendations, the Advisory
Committee shall consider a wide range of policy alternatives, including
policies affecting: (i) Demand for personal vehicle travel; (ii)
vehicle and fuel technology changes (including increases in vehicle and
fuel system operating efficiency); and (iii) shifts in consumer choice
among vehicle and fuel technology options. Policies to be considered
will focus on those that can be implemented by the federal government,
but such policies will be considered in the context of what can and
should be accomplished at the state, local and regional levels, and by
private parties, both consumers and producers.
b. In developing recommendations, the Committee shall consider the
speed, reliability, sustainability and efficiency of greenhouse gas
reductions; the potential impact of options on urban air pollution and
on safety; the cost of alternative policies affecting this sector
(including their impact on consumers, jobs, mobility and
competitiveness); improvements in energy security; and the feasibility
of adoption and ease of implementation.
c. The Advisory Committee may recommend analyses and studies to be
undertaken by agencies of the federal government to support the
deliberations of the Advisory Committee.
d. The Advisory Committee may carry out such additional functions
as the steering committee may from time to time request.
5. To Whom the Advisory Committee Reports
The Advisory Committee shall report to the President through the
steering committee. At least one member of the steering committee shall
attend every meeting of the Advisory Committee and any subcommittees.
The Advisory Committee shall submit its final report to the
President, through the steering committee, within one year of the date
of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee, unless such period is
extended by the President. The Advisory Committee shall issue an
interim report not more than six months after the date of the first
meeting of the Advisory Committee. The interim report shall advise the
President, through the steering committee, of the Advisory Committee's
proceedings and the likelihood that the Committee will be able to
complete its duties within one year of the date of the first meeting of
the Committee.
6. Duration and Termination Date
The Advisory Committee shall terminate thirty days after submission
of its final report.
7. Agency Responsible for Providing Financial and Administrative
Support to the Advisory Committee
Financial and administrative support shall be provided by the
Department of Transportation, through an Interagency Agreement between
the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection
Agency. Financial support may include payment of travel expenses,
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, of Advisory Committee
members representing not-for-profit entities and state or local
governments who could otherwise not participate in Advisory Committee
meetings, as permitted by law for persons serving intermittently in the
government service (5 U.S.C. sections 5701-5707).
8. Estimated Operating Costs
The total operating costs of the Advisory Committee shall not
exceed $250,000.
9. Estimated Number and Frequency of Meetings
The Advisory Committee shall meet at the call of the Chairperson or
the steering committee or otherwise as it deems necessary to complete
its functions.
10. Subcommittee(s)
To facilitate functioning of the Advisory Committee,
subcommittee(s) of members of the Advisory Committee may be formed. The
objectives of such subcommittee(s) shall be to make recommendations to
the Advisory Committee with respect to specific matters related to the
responsibilities of the Advisory Committee. Subcommittee(s) shall meet
as the Advisory Committee deems appropriate.
11. Consultations
The Advisory Committee is authorized to consult with public and
private sector individuals, who need not be members of the Advisory
Committee. If appropriate, such individuals can be consulted in
workgroups. Workgroups have no authority to make decisions on behalf of
the full Advisory Committee, nor can they report directly to the
steering committee.
12. Members
Up to thirty Advisory Committee members shall be appointed by the
President for a term of one year, which may be extended by the
President. Committee members shall not be compensated for service on
the Committee. Membership shall be fairly balanced in terms of points
of view represented.
13. Chairperson and Executive Director
The facilitator serving the Advisory Committee shall serve as
Chairperson. A member or representative of the steering committee shall
serve as Executive Director.
Dated: April 13, 1993.
W. Bowman Cutter,
Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.
John H. Gibbons,
Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Kathleen A. McGinty,
Director, Office on Environmental Policy.
[FR Doc. 94-9288 Filed 4-13-94; 2:30 pm]
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