This additional information is being cross-posted to several listservs at
the request of GPO's Office of Electronic Information Dissemination
Services. Sorry for the duplication.
Sheila McGarr
>
> ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE: EPA FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE
> THAT DIRECTS THE PUBLIC TO FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES
> FOR ASSISTANCE WITH ELECTRONIC COMMENTS
>
>
> BACKGROUND: On Thursday, August 25, 1994, the Environmental
> Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule in the Federal
> Register on Air Quality Planning and Management for Indian
> tribes. This proposal solicits electronic comments from the
> public through an Internet e-mail address and through the EPA
> bulletin board.
>
> In the Federal Register document, EPA directs the public to
> Federal Depository Libraries to view or submit electronic
> comments. Clearly most Depository Libraries have the ability to
> provide access to the Federal Register, in paper, microfiche or
> online, to facilitate public review of the proposed rule.
> However, what EPA is seeking with this notice is assistance from
> Depository Libraries in providing a terminal with a modem or
> Internet connection that the public could use to view and submit
> electronic comments on the proposed rule. This is clearly a
> service that goes beyond providing access to the Federal Register
> into assisting users to participate in the electronic rulemaking
> process.
>
> EPA has been informed that not every Depository Library will be
> able to provide this type of assistance since not every library
> has public access terminals that support dial out or Internet
> access. EPA hopes that libraries that do not have this ability
> will assist users who contact them as a result of this notice,
> and that other libraries will at least refer users to places
> where they might obtain such assistance.
>
> ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: GPO has received a number of
> comments and one question from Depository Libraries. The
> question and the response from EPA are provided below to
> clarify the type of public assistance that EPA is hoping that
> Depository Libraries can provide.
>
> QUESTION: As a depository library we would be willing to help
> people file and view comments. However we are reluctant to go to
> the trouble of joining a listserve for this purpose and clutter
> up our mailbox with materials we only need once and we are also
> reluctant to incur telephone charges to access the EPA Bulletin
> Board. Is the EPA Bulletin Board available on the Internet?
> This would work much better for most depository libraries, I
> believe.
>
> EPA RESPONSE: I fully understand your reluctance to "Subscribe"
> to the ListServe. ...I had envisioned the Depository Library role
> as just what you have described - providing access and assisting
> in the submission of comments directly via e-mail. While the
> [EPA] Bulletin Board is not an Internet function and would
> require a telephone charge, we have designed a way around that
> problem into the system.
>
> The Archives for the ListServe is open and accessible via e-mail
> without subscribing to the ListServe itself. By sending the
> message: Index RIN-2060-AE95 or the designation for whichever
> pilot document you are interested in the Archives will come back
> will all content items displayed. Even though the material is
> only retrievable by date - by sending the message: Get
> RIN-2060-AE95 25AUG94 you can see the entire contents on the
> index message. All this can be done via Internet by sending the
> message to: listserver@unixmail.rtpnc.epa.gov.
>
> I hope this helps in your planning and support of this concept.
> I think the Depository Libraries have a dynamic role to play in
> the expansion of the Information Highway, and as this pilot
> develops in support of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the
> Electronic Enhancement of the Regulatory Process this
> participation provides significant access for the public.
>
> COMMENTS SOLICITED: The Library Programs Service (LPS) and
> Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services (EIDS) at
> the U.S. Government Printing Office are very interested in
> receiving additional comments or questions from Depository
> Libraries about their response to this request from EPA. In
> particular we are interested in knowing which libraries are willing
> and able to support such technical assistance. Please send your
> comments to jrussell@locator.access.gpo.gov. Your responses
> will be shared with EPA.
>
>
> Judy Russell
> Electronic Information Dissemination Services
> U.S. Goernment Printing Office
> Washington, DC 20401
> jrussell@locator.access.gpo.gov
> Phone: (202) 512-1622
> Fax: (202 512-1262
>
> For Orders and Assistance contact the GPO Access User Support Team:
> help@eids05.eids.gpo.gov; fax (202) 512-1262 or call (202) 512-1530
>
>
>
>
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