[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 68 (Wednesday, April 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 17365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8660]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7479-6]


Peer-Review Workshop on the Environmental Effects of Ozone and 
Related Photochemical Oxidants

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of peer-review workshop and public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 
peer review workshop to facilitate preparation of the Environmental 
Effects Chapter to be included in a revised version of the EPA document 
Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants 
(Ozone Criteria Document, EPA 600/P-93/004aF-cF). Draft sections for 
this chapter, prepared (with the assistance of qualified scientists 
under contract) by the EPA's National Center for Environmental 
Assessment-Research Triangle Park Division (NCEA-RTP) within EPA's 
Office of Research and Development, will be reviewed at the Workshop. 
NCEA will then consider the peer-review advice in revising the sections 
and incorporating them into the overall Environmental Effects Chapter 
of the First External Review Draft Ozone Criteria Document to be 
released later for public comment.

DATES: The peer-review workshop will begin on Tuesday, April 22, 2003, 
at 9 a.m., and end on Wednesday, April 23, 2003, at 5 p.m. Members of 
the public are invited to attend as observers.

ADDRESSES: The peer-review workshop will be held at the Sheraton 
Imperial Hotel, 4700 Emperor Boulevard, Durham, North Carolina 27703. 
Sleeping room reservations may be made at 919-541-5050. Logistics for 
the workshop are being arranged by Science Applications International 
Corporation (SAIC), an EPA contractor. To attend the workshop, register 
by Monday, April 21, 2003, by calling SAIC at 703-318-4678 or by 
sending a facsimile to 703-736-0826. You can also register in advance 
via e-mail at [email protected]. Space is limited, and reservations 
will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. On-site 
registration on April 22 and 23 will also be available, as space 
allows.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For workshop information and 
logistics, contact SAIC at: telephone: 703-318-4678; facsimile: 703-
736-0826. For technical information, contact Dr. Robert W. Elias, U.S. 
EPA, NCEA-RTP, B243-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: 
919-541-4167; facsimile: 919-541-1818; or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As discussed in a previous call for 
information (65 FR 57810, September 26, 2000), EPA is undertaking to 
review and, where appropriate, update and revise the Ozone Criteria 
Document last issued in July 1996. Pursuant to section 109 of the Clean 
Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 740, EPA periodically reviews, and when appropriate, 
updates and revises, the air quality criteria for ozone published under 
Section 108 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 7408. EPA then considers these air 
quality criteria when it periodically reviews the National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards (``NAAQS'') for ozone. See 42 U.S.C. 7409(d). As part 
of the review of the air quality criteria for ozone, a series of peer-
review workshops will be convened to discuss draft sections and 
chapters for the revised Ozone Criteria Document. Preliminary outlines 
for the proposed chapters were presented in the draft Project Work Plan 
released for public comment (66 FR 67524, December 31, 2001) and for 
review by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) of EPA's 
Science Advisory Board (68 FR 3527, January 24, 2003). The first 
workshop (to be held April 22-23, 2003) will cover draft sections on 
the environmental effects of ozone, followed at a later date by 
workshops on tropospheric ozone formation, concentrations, exposure 
aspects, and health effects. Copies of the draft materials will be made 
available to the public at the workshops. Peer-review comments and 
workshop discussions will be taken into account in revising the draft 
sections and chapters in preparation for release to the public as part 
of the First External Review Draft of the Ozone Criteria Document. 
Ample opportunity will be provided at that time for public review and 
submission of written comments.
    Interested parties are invited to assist the EPA in further 
developing and refining the scientific information base by identifying 
and submitting pertinent new information on potential health and 
environmental effects of ozone. In order to be considered for possible 
inclusion in the criteria document, submitted information should be 
published or be accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific 
journal. Such information should be provided to Dr. Robert W. Elias via 
the above-noted contact information.

    Dated: April 3, 2003.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 03-8660 Filed 4-8-03; 8:45 am]
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