[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 32 (Thursday, February 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6004-6006]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3484]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5423-4]


Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, Science Advisory Board; 
Emergency Notification of Public Advisory Committee Meetings: February 
29, 1996 and March 1, 1996

    This is an emergency notification for meetings of a Federal 
Advisory Committee and one of its subcommittees. Scheduling and 
announcement of these meetings has been delayed due to ongoing 
litigation that has set the schedule for the Advisory Committee's 
review of certain scientific documents. Information concerning this 
court schedule is given below.
    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 
92-463, notice is hereby given that two meetings of Committees of the 
Science Advisory Board (SAB) will be held on the dates and times 
indicated below. Times noted are Eastern Time and meetings are open to 
the public. Due to limited space, seating at these meetings will be on 
a first-come first-serve basis. Important Notice: Documents that are 
the subject of SAB reviews are normally available from the originating 
EPA office and are not available from the SAB Office--information 
concerning document availability from the relevant Program area is 
included below.

1. Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC)

    The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) of the Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) will meet on February 29, 1996 at the Omni Europa 
Hotel, One Europa Drive, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514. The hotel 
phone number is 919-968-4900. The meeting will begin at 8:30 am and end 
no later than 5:00 pm.

Purpose of the Meeting

    The CASAC previously met on December 14-15, 1995 to review the 
draft criteria document for particulate matter (Air Quality Criteria 
for Particulate Matter) and the draft staff paper for particulate 
matter (Review of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for 
Particulate Matter: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical 
Information) (See Federal Register, Vol 60, No. 232, pages 62089-62090 
for further information concerning that meeting). At that meeting and 
in its subsequent report to the EPA Administrator (EPA-SAB-CASAC-LTR-
96-003, dated January 5, 1996--see below for ordering information), the 
Committee reached closure on portions of the draft Criteria Document. 
However, it was the Committees' view that Chapters 1 (Executive 
Summary), 5 (Sources and Emissions), 6 (Air Quality) and 13 
(Integrative Synthesis) of the draft Criteria Document required further 
review. The Committee also recommended revisions and further review of 
the draft Staff Paper. As part of their comments on the draft Staff 
Paper, the Committee recommended that the staff conduct and summarize 
the results of a quantitative risk assessment for the current and 
recommended alternative particle standards.
    Preparation and review of the draft Criteria Document and draft 
Staff Paper are being conducted according to a schedule imposed by 
court orders 

[[Page 6005]]
entered in American Lung Association v. Browner, No. CIV 93-643 (D. 
Ariz.). That schedule would not permit the additional review and 
revisions recommended by CASAC. For this reason, the Agency has filed 
an unopposed motion with the Court, seeking to extend the schedule by 
the amount needed for further revisions and review. At the time of this 
submission to the Federal Register, there is no word as to when or 
whether this motion will be granted. In order to avoid unnecessary 
delays, however, EPA believes it is imperative to make arrangements 
that would be needed to meet the extended schedule. Accordingly, in 
order to secure meeting facilities and to provide CASAC and interested 
members of the public adequate notice of the meeting and the 
availability of documents, EPA is issuing this notice on the assumption 
that the Court will grant the motion to extend the schedule, even 
though there is no certainty that the Court will do so.
    At the February 29, 1996 meeting, the Committee will review and 
provide advice to EPA on Chapters 1, 5, 6, and 13 of the draft Criteria 
Document. The Committee will consider presentations from Agency staff 
and the interested public prior to making recommendations to the 
Administrator. The Committee will also receive a briefing from the 
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) on the proposed 
methodology for conducting the recommended risk assessment. The 
proposed methodology is summarized in two documents: (a) Particulate 
Matter NAAQS Risk Analysis Project Plan, and (b) Proposed Methodology 
for PM Risk Analysis in Selected Cities. In addition, the Committee has 
tentatively scheduled a public review meeting in May 1996 for the 
revised Particulate Matter Staff Paper.

Availability of Review Materials

    (a) Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter (The Draft Criteria 
Document)--Copies of revised Chapters 1, 5, 6 and 13 materials to be 
reviewed by the Committee at the February 29th meeting will be made 
available to the public at that meeting. Full copies of all PM Criteria 
Document draft chapters will also be available for public inspection at 
the February 29, 1996 CASAC meeting.
    Hard copies of the revised materials will also be made available in 
the Air Docket at EPA Headquarters, 401 M Street, Washington, DC, and 
in each of the EPA Regional Office Libraries during the week of 
February 12, 1996, shortly after they are forwarded to the CASAC Review 
Panel. For information regarding locations and office hours for the EPA 
Air Docket or Regional Office Libraries, please consult 60 FR 20085, 
April 24, 1995. For the benefit of interested parties, an electronic 
version of the revised draft Particulate Matter Criteria materials (EPA 
600/BP-95/001 a-c) will be available on the Agency's TTN Bulletin Board 
(reachable via modem on (919) 541-5742). To access the TTN Bulletin 
Board, a modem and communications software will be necessary. The 
terminal emulation needs to be VT100, VT102 or ANSI. The following 
parameters on the communications software are required: Data bits--8; 
Parity--N; and Stop Bits--1. The document will be located under the 
Clean Air Act Amendments BBS under Title I, Policy and Guidance. For 
INTERNET access--go to Telenet Site and enter TTNBBS.RTPNC.EPA.GOV or 
IP Number 134.67.234.17. For INTERNET, we do not have FTP to download 
documents. Requester must have Kermit Protocol Program or pay a fee for 
SLIP account for downloading capabilities. Once in the TTN Bulletin 
Board, you must register (there is no charge for this). At the prompt 
for name, you should enter your name; at the prompt for password, make 
up a password (8 characters); select registration and enter 
registration information including company name. Then follow 
instructions.
    For assistance in assessing the draft materials, please contact the 
Help Desk at (919) 541-5384 in Research Triangle Park, NC. Copies of 
figures for some chapters (e.g., Chapter 6) may not be available by 
this electronic bulletin board, but can be obtained by contacting Ms. 
Diane Ray at the numbers given below. For further information 
concerning the availability of the four draft chapters under review 
(Chapters 1, 5, 6 and 13), please contact: Ms. Diane Ray at the numbers 
listed below.
    Due to tight time constraints imposed for completion of the 
Particulate Matter Criteria Document, on the assumption that EPA's 
motion to extend the schedule is granted, EPA will accept written 
public comments received by March 15, 1996 only on the revised draft 
chapter (Chapters 1, 5, 6 & 13) materials reviewed at the February 29th 
CASAC meeting. Given prior opportunities for public comment and review 
on the other draft Criteria Document chapters and relatively limited 
revisions to them, EPA will not accept further comments on those other 
chapters. Written comments on revised Chapter 1, 5, 6 and 13 materials 
of the draft Particulate Matter Criteria Document must be received no 
later than March 15, 1996 by Ms. Diane Ray, US EPA, 3200 Progress 
Center, Highway 54, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Telephone: (919) 
541-3637; fax: (919) 541-1818.
    (b) Particulate Matter NAAQS Risk Analysis Project Plan, and 
Proposed Methodology for PM Risk Analyses in Selected Cities--Hard 
copies of these materials will be available from Ms. Tricia Crabtree, 
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (MD-15), U.S. EPA, 
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Ms. Crabtree can also be reached by 
telephone at (919) 541-5655 or by fax at (919) 541-0237. An electronic 
version of both documents will be available on the Agency's TTN 
Bulletin Board, under the Clean Air Act Amendments BBSA under Title I, 
Policy and Guidance. Other details for TTN access are as indicated 
above for the criteria document. To arrange for copies of specific 
figures/graphs, not adequately reproduced with the TTN Bulletin Board, 
contact Ms. Trish Crabtree at the previously stated location/phone 
number. The OAQPS will accept written comments from the public on both 
documents through March 7, 1996. Written comments should be sent to Ms. 
Crabtree at the previously stated address.

For Further Information

    Members of the public desiring additional information about the 
meeting, including an agenda, should contact Mr. Robert Flaak, 
Designated Federal Official, Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, 
Science Advisory Board (1400F), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone/voice mail at (202) 
260-5133; fax at (202) 260-7118; or via the INTERNET at 
[email protected]. To obtain copies of CASAC reports such as 
the one noted earlier, please contact Ms. Lori Gross on (202) 260-8414, 
fax on (202) 260-1889 or via the Internet at 
[email protected].
    Members of the public who wish to make a brief oral presentation to 
the Committee must contact Mr. Flaak in writing (by letter or by fax--
see previously stated information) no later than 12 noon Eastern Time, 
Friday, February 23, 1996 in order to be included on the Agenda. Since 
the Committee has already received oral and written public comments on 
the entire draft criteria document (including Chapters 1, 5, 6, and 
13), public comments during this meeting will be limited to a 
discussion of those new issues contained in the relevant chapters of 
the Criteria Document (Chapters 1, 5, 6 and 13) and any comments 
concerning the risk assessment methodology. The request should identify 
the name of the 

[[Page 6006]]
individual who will make the presentation, the organization (if any) 
they will represent, any requirements for audio visual equipment (e.g., 
overhead projector, 35mm projector, chalkboard, etc), and at least 35 
copies of an outline of the issues to be addressed or the presentation 
itself.
    Written comments to CASAC (as part of its FACA process) on Chapters 
1, 5, 6 and 13 and the risk assessment methodology will be accepted up 
until the meeting, as is our normal practice. In case of extreme 
hardship, provision can be made for individual commentors to provide 
written comments directly to Committee members/consultants up through 
March 6, 1996. This limitation is imposed because, on the assumption 
that EPA's motion to extend the schedule is granted, the Committee must 
close on its review and forward its final recommendations on the 
Criteria Document to the EPA Administrator by Friday, March 15, 1996. 
Please contact Mr. Flaak (address above) for further details.

2. CASAC Technical Subcommittee for Fine Particle Monitoring

    The CASAC Fine Particle Monitoring Subcommittee will meet on March 
1, 1996 at the Omni Europa Hotel, One Europa Drive, Chapel Hill, North 
Carolina 27514. The hotel phone number is 919-968-4900. The meeting 
will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end no later than 1:00 p.m. This is the 
first meeting of this Subcommittee. An additional public meeting or 
public teleconference is planned but not yet scheduled.

Purpose of the Meeting

    This technical subcommittee of CASAC has been established to 
provide advice and comment to EPA on appropriate methods and network 
strategies for monitoring fine particles in the context of implementing 
a possible revised national ambient air quality standard for 
particulate matter. In preparation for the meeting, EPA has produced 
the following three draft documents: (a) Office of Air Quality Planning 
and Standards Staff Recommendations for Characteristics of a Fine 
Particle Federal Reference Method; (b) Development of a Federal 
Reference Method for Fine Particles: Current Methodology; and (c) 
Regulatory Monitoring Strategy for a Revised PM NAAQS: A Blueprint for 
a New National Monitoring Program for PM.
    At the meeting, staff from the Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards and the National Exposure Research Laboratory will provide a 
briefing regarding its approach to a possible fine particle Federal 
Reference Method and Performance Requirements for Reference and 
Equivalent Methods and give an overview of the draft guidance for 
network design, siting and operations.

Availability of Review Materials

    Hard copies of the materials will be available from Ms. Tricia 
Crabtree, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (MD-15), U.S. 
EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Ms. Crabtree can also be reached 
by telephone at (919) 541-5655 or by fax at (919) 541-0237. Electronic 
versions of the documents will be available on the Agency's TTN 
Bulletin Board, under the Clean Air Act Amendments BBSA under Title I, 
Policy and Guidance. Other details for TTN access are as indicated 
above for the criteria document. To arrange for copies of specific 
figures/graphs, not adequately reproduced with the TTN Bulletin Board, 
contact Ms. Trish Crabtree at the previously stated location/phone 
number. The OAQPS will accept written comments from the public on both 
documents through March 15, 1996. Written comments should be sent to 
Ms. Crabtree at the previously stated address.

For Further Information

    Members of the public desiring additional information about the 
meeting, including an agenda, should contact Mr. Robert Flaak, 
Designated Federal Official, Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, 
Science Advisory Board (1400F), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone/voice mail at (202) 
260-5133; fax at (202) 260-7118; or via the INTERNET at 
[email protected].
    Members of the public who wish to make a brief oral presentation to 
the Subcommittee concerning the regulatory packages must contact Mr. 
Flaak in writing (by letter or by fax--see previously stated 
information) no later than 12 noon Eastern Time, Friday, February 23, 
1996 in order to be included on the Agenda. The request should identify 
the name of the individual who will make the presentation, the 
organization (if any) they will represent, any requirements for audio 
visual equipment (e.g., overhead projector, 35mm projector, chalkboard, 
etc), and at least 35 copies of an outline of the issues to be 
addressed or the presentation itself.
    Written comments to the Subcommittee concerning the regulatory 
packages will be accepted until March 15, 1996. Please send these 
comments directly to Mr. Flaak (35 copies please).

Providing Oral or Written Comments at SAB Meetings

    The Science Advisory Board expects that public statements presented 
at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted oral or 
written statements. In general, each individual or group making an oral 
presentation will be limited to a total time of five minutes. For 
conference call meetings, opportunities for oral comment are limited to 
no more than five minutes per speaker and no more than fifteen minutes 
total. Written comments of any length (at least 35 copies) received in 
the SAB Staff Office sufficiently prior to a meeting date, may be 
mailed to the relevant SAB committee or subcommittee prior to its 
meeting; comments received too close to the meeting date will normally 
be provided to the committee at its meeting. Written comments may be 
provided to the relevant committee or subcommittee up until the time of 
its meeting, unless other publicly announced arrangements have been 
made.

    Date: February 9, 1996.
Robert Flaak,
Acting Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 96-3484 Filed 2-14-96; 8:45 am]
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