[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11916-11917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4232]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8537-4; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2005-0029]
Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen-Health
Criteria
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing
the availability of the second external review draft of a document
titled, ``Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen--
Health Criteria'' (EPA/600/R-099aB). The document was prepared by the
National Center for Environmental Assessment within EPA(s Office of
Research and Development as part of the review of the primary (health-
based) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for oxides of
nitrogen.
EPA is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of
seeking public comment and for review by the Clean Air Scientific
Advisory Committee (CASAC) (meeting date and location to be specified
in a separate Federal Register notice). It does not represent and
should not be construed to represent any Agency policy, viewpoint, or
determination. EPA will consider any public comments submitted in
accordance with this notice when revising the document.
DATES: The public comment period begins on or about March 6, 2008.
Comments must be received on or before May 5, 2008.
ADDRESSES: The ``Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of
Nitrogen--Health Criteria'' will be available primarily via the
Internet on the National Center for Environmental Assessment's home
page under the Recent Additions and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of CD-ROM or paper copies will be
available. Contact Ms. Emily Lee by telephone: 919-541-4169, facsimile:
919-541-1818, or e-mail: [email protected] to request either of these,
and please provide your name, your mailing address, and the document
title, ``Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen--
Health Criteria'' (EPA/600/R-099aB) to facilitate processing of your
request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Kotchmar, NCEA; telephone: 919-
541-4158; facsimile: 919-541-1818; or e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Information About the Document
Section 108 (a) of the Clean Air Act directs the Administrator to
identify certain pollutants that ``may reasonably be anticipated to
endanger public health and welfare'' and to issue air quality criteria
for them. These air quality criteria are to ``accurately reflect the
latest scientific knowledge useful in indicating the kind and extent of
all identifiable effects on public health or welfare which may be
expected from the presence of [a] pollutant in the ambient air.''* * *
Under section 109 of the Act, EPA is then to establish national ambient
air quality standards (NAAQS) for each pollutant for which EPA has
issued criteria. Section 109 (d) of the Act subsequently requires
periodic review and, if appropriate, revision of existing air quality
criteria to reflect advances in scientific knowledge on the effects of
the pollutant on public health and welfare. EPA is also to revise the
NAAQS, if appropriate, based on the revised air quality criteria.
Oxides of nitrogen is one of six principal (or ``criteria'')
pollutants for which EPA has established NAAQS. Periodically, EPA
reviews the scientific basis for these standards by preparing an
Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), formerly called an Air Quality
Criteria Document (AQCD). The ISA and supplementary annexes, in
conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, provide
the scientific basis for EPA decisions on the adequacy of a current
NAAQS and the appropriateness of new or revised standards. The Clean
Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), an independent science
advisory committee mandated by the Clean Air Act and part of the EPA's
Science Advisory Board (SAB), is charged with independent expert
scientific review of EPA's draft ISAs.
On December 9, 2005 (70 FR 73236), EPA formally initiated its
current review of the criteria for Oxides of Nitrogen, requesting the
submission of recent scientific information on specified topics. A
draft of EPA's ``Integrated Plan for Review of the Primary National
Ambient Air Quality Standard'' was made available in February 2007 for
public comment and was discussed by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory
Committee (CASAC) via a publicly accessible teleconference consultation
on May 11, 2007 (72 FR 20336). A review of the secondary (welfare-
based) NAAQS for Oxides of Nitrogen is being conducted separately, in
conjunction with the review of the secondary NAAQS for Sulfur Oxides.
In February 2007 (72 FR 6238), a workshop was held to discuss, with
invited scientific experts, initial draft materials prepared in the
development of the ISA and supplementary annexes for oxides of
nitrogen. The first external review draft of this ISA was released for
public comment and review by the CASAC on August 31, 2007 (72 FR
50107), and was reviewed by CASAC at a public meeting held on October
24-25, 2007. This second draft document incorporates revisions to
address comments raised by CASAC and the public.
The second external review draft Integrated Science Assessment for
Oxides of Nitrogen will be discussed at a public meeting for review by
CASAC, and public comments received will be provided to the CASAC
review panel. A future Federal Register notice will inform the public
of the exact date and time of that CASAC meeting.
II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at http://www.regulations.gov
Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2005-
0029, by one of the following methods:
http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: [email protected].
Fax: 202-566-1753.
[[Page 11917]]
Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket
(Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-
566-1752.
Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA
Headquarters Docket Center, Room 3334 EPA West Building, 1301
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public
Reading Room is 202-566-1744. Such deliveries are only accepted during
the docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should
be made for deliveries of boxed information. If you provide comments by
mail or hand delivery, please submit three copies of the comments. For
attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the
comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2005-0029. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket
without change and to make the comments available online at
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided,
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to
be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-
mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous
access'' system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you
send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through http://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket
and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you
submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or
viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the
EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other materials,
such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the
EPA Headquarters Docket Center.
Dated: February 26, 2008.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E8-4232 Filed 3-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P