Hello ATW User Group!

OATS WILL BE UNAVAILABLE DECEMBER 29

Below is a message that was sent out by Alex Salpter of the EPA this
morning.  The scheduled shut down of the OATS system should be planned on so
that you don't find yourself in a last minute attempt to transfer allowances
online and not be allowed.  As mentioned below, this especially affects NOx
compliance since December 31, 2001 is the last day to transfer allowances in
NATS.  Please review and prepare.

Best Regards,
Ona Papageorgiou
ESP

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Dear Clients of the On-Line Allowance Transfer System (OATS):

This to to let you know that the National Computer Center (NCC) at Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina, will be moving its location and will be shut
down between Saturday, December 29 and Monday, December 31, as follows:

-- OATS will be unavailable on Saturday, December 29.

-- The mainframe, used for submission of quarterly emission reports, will
not be available from Saturday, December 29 through Monday, December 31.

OATS should be back in operation by Monday, December 31 and the mainframe
should be back in operation by Tuesday, January 1. There is a (small)
possibility that problems may arise and delay availability.

This is especially important to Authorized Account Representatives of
accounts in the NOx Allowance Tracking System (NATS), since December 31 is
the NOx Budget Program (NBP) allowance transfer deadline. December 31 is the
last day that a transfer of allowances, of 1999 through 2001 vintage, can be
recorded via the On-Line Allowance Transfer System (OATS). It is also the
last day for mailing a hardcopy Allowance Transfer form for NBP 2001 Annual
Reconciliation purposes.

Please do not wait until the last minute to do on-line allowance transfers!!
Should any problem arise in accessing OATS, please make sure to mail a
hardcopy NBP Allowance Transfer form by midnight, December 31.

Please feel free to contact me at (202) 564-9157 if you have any questions
or problems.

Alex Salpeter
Market Operations Branch
Clean Air Markets Division