[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 44 (Thursday, March 6, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10723-10724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5322]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7459-3]


Draft Exposure and Human Health Evaluation of Airborne Pollution 
from the World Trade Center Disaster

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of 
Research and Development (ORD) is announcing the extension of the 
public comment period for the external review draft (ERD) document, 
Exposure and Human Health Evaluation of Airborne Pollution from the 
World Trade Center Disaster (EPA/600/P-02/002A, October 2002). This 
draft document was prepared by ORD's National Center for Environmental 
Assessment (NCEA) within the Office of Research and Development.

DATES: In the December 27, 2002, Federal Register (67 FR 79089), EPA 
announced a limited comment period through February 25, 2003. The 
Agency is now extending the public comment period to April 7, 2003. 
Technical comments should be in writing and must be postmarked by April 
7, 2003.

ADDRESSES: The primary distribution method for the ERD will be via 
ORD's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ncea/wtc.htm. This draft report, 
in PDF format, can be viewed and downloaded from the Internet for 
review and comment. In addition, a limited number of CD-ROM and paper 
copies of the ERD are available by contacting the Technical Information 
Staff, NCEA-W (8623D), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone: (202) 564-3261; facsimile: (202) 565-
0050; e-mail: [email protected]. Please provide your name and 
mailing address, and the title and EPA number of the requested 
publication.
    Comment Submission: Comments on the ERD may be mailed to the 
Technical Information Staff, NCEA-W (8623D), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460; telephone: (202) 564-3261; 
facsimile: (202) 565-0050. Comments should be in writing. Please submit 
one unbound original with pages numbered consecutively, and three 
copies of the comments. For attachments, provide an index, number pages 
consecutively with the comments, and submit an unbound original and 
three copies. Electronic comments may be e-mailed to: 
[email protected].
    Please note that all technical comments received in response to 
this notice will be placed in a public record. For that reason, 
commentors should not submit personal information (such as medical data 
or home address), Confidential Business Information, or information 
protected by copyright. Due to limited resources, acknowledgments will 
not be sent.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment 
period, contact the Technical Information Staff of the National Center 
for Environmental Assessment-Washington, telephone: (202) 564-3261; 
facsimile: (202) 565-0050; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Immediately following the September 11, 
2001, terrorist attack on New York City's World Trade Center, many 
federal agencies, including the EPA, were called upon to focus their 
technical and scientific expertise on the national emergency issues. 
EPA, other federal agencies, New York City, and New York State public 
health and environmental authorities focused on numerous air monitoring 
activities to better understand the ongoing human health impact of the 
disaster. Many EPA offices and programs quickly became involved with 
these activities, providing scientific, engineering, public health, and 
management expertise to help cope with the aftereffects of the collapse 
of the World Trade Center.
    As part of these activities, a human health evaluation of exposure 
to air pollutants resulting from the World Trade Center disaster was 
initiated. The primary purpose and scope of this draft report were to 
evaluate the environmental levels of various air pollutants to which 
the public could potentially be exposed as a result of the collapse of 
the towers. The draft report evaluates the measured outdoor levels of 
various air pollutants to which the public potentially had been 
exposed. These data were evaluated in terms of available health 
benchmarks and typical background concentrations for New York City or 
other urban areas. The draft evaluation concludes that, with the 
exception of those exposed immediately following the collapse and 
perhaps during the next few days, people in the surrounding community 
are not likely to suffer from serious long-or short-term health 
effects.
    While the primary focus of EPA's draft evaluation is on outdoor 
levels of various air pollutants to which the public could potentially 
be exposed as a result of the collapse of the towers, some information 
on indoor and occupational exposures is summarized. The incursion of 
dust and other contaminants into residences and buildings is being 
addressed via a number of other studies initiated in conjunction with 
the plans by EPA and its federal, state, and city partners to clean up 
residences impacted by the collapse of the World Trade Center.
    The draft report also includes a discussion of rodent respiratory 
toxicology studies, conducted by EPA scientists, that exposed mice to 
fallen dust samples collected at or near Ground Zero on September 12 
and 13, 2001. The purpose of these studies was to evaluate the toxicity 
of fine particulate matter dust on the respiratory tract of mice and to 
compare well-studied particulate matter reference samples, ranging from 
essentially inert to quite toxic, to those collected at the World Trade 
Center site. These studies found that fine particles were dominated by 
calcium containing compounds derived from World Trade Center building 
materials, and that a high exposure to World Trade Center fine 
particulate matter could cause mild lung inflammation and airflow 
obstruction in mice. These findings suggest that a similarly high 
exposure in people could cause short-term respiratory effects such as 
inflammation and cough.
    Further, it is important to note that while this ERD is undergoing 
public review and comment, a process of external independent expert 
scientific peer review also is underway. These review processes are the 
usual steps that EPA takes to ensure full and open participation by 
interested parties. These steps also help EPA identify areas where a 
draft document could be improved to strengthen both clarity and 
completeness of the draft. Comments from the public and from the expert 
peer reviewers will be used to improve the draft report before it is 
finalized.
    Finally, EPA scientists, in collaboration with other Federal and 
State environmental health

[[Page 10724]]

professionals, as well as colleagues in academia and medical 
institutions, will continue to analyze available data on human 
exposures to environmental contaminants resulting from the World Trade 
Center disaster. This continuing work will help us to better understand 
the potential human health impacts.

    Dated: February 27, 2003.
Art Payne,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 03-5322 Filed 3-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P