[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 71 (Monday, April 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17939-17941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9040]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL -7482-8]


Science Advisory Board, Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, 
Notification of Public Advisory Committee Meeting; Teleconference 
Consultation on Risk Analysis Plans for Coarse Particulate Matter 
(PM10-2.5) and PM10

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Science Advisory 
Board (SAB), announces the conduct of a publically-accessible 
teleconference of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) 
Particulate Matter (PM) Review Panel to review the Agency's risk 
analysis plans for coarse-fraction PM10-2.5 and 
PM10.

DATES: The conference call meeting will take place on Thursday, May 1, 
2003, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. eastern time. Participation will be by 
teleconference only.

ADDRESSES: Members of the public who wish to obtain the call-in number 
and access code to participate must contact Ms. Delores Darden, EPA 
Science Advisory Board Staff, at telephone/voice mail: (202) 564-2282, 
via e-mail at: [email protected]; or at mailing address: EPA 
Science Advisory Board, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1400A), 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC, 20460 (FedEx/Courier Zip 
Code: 20004), in order to register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information about this conference call should contact Mr. Fred 
Butterfield, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science Advisory 
Board Staff; at telephone/voice mail: (202) 564-4561; or via e-mail at: 
[email protected]. General information concerning the CASAC or 
the EPA Science Advisory Board can be found on the EPA Web site at: 
http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Summary. The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee was 
established by 42 U.S.C. 7409 in part to provide advice, information 
and recommendations on the scientific and technical aspects of issues 
related to the criteria for national ambient air quality standards 
(NAAQS). The CASAC Particulate Matter Review Panel will report to the 
Administrator of EPA through the CASAC, which is

[[Page 17940]]

administratively located under the EPA Science Advisory Board. The SAB 
was established by 42 U.S.C. 4365 to provide independent scientific and 
technical advice, consultation, and recommendations to the EPA 
Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and 
regulations. Both the CASAC and the SAB are Federal advisory committees 
chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended 
(5 U.S.C. App.). The CASAC Particulate Matter Review Panel will comply 
with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB procedural 
policies.
    On April 9, 2003, EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards (OAQPS) will make available for public review and comment a 
draft memorandum, ``Preliminary Recommended Methodology for 
PM10 and PM10-2.5 Risk Analyses in Light of 
Reanalyzed Study Results'' (hereafter, draft Risk Analysis Methodology 
for PM10 and PM10-2.5). This document outlines 
the overall scope proposed for the quantitative risk assessments for 
PM10 and coarse-fraction PM (PM10-2.5) that will 
be conducted as part of the periodic review of the NAAQS for PM, 
pursuant to sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).
    2. Background. On January 28, 2002 (67 FR 3897), OAQPS made 
available for public and CASAC review a draft document, ``Proposed 
Methodology for Particulate Matter Risk Analyses for Selected Urban 
Areas'' (hereafter, draft PM Risk Analysis Methodology), that describes 
EPA's plans and approach for conducting PM health risk analyses 
primarily for fine particles (PM2.5). The PM risk analyses 
will be performed to assist in the preparation of the OAQPS PM Staff 
Paper, the purpose of which is to evaluate the policy implications of 
the key scientific and technical information contained in the Agency's 
PM Air Quality Criteria Document (AQCD) and identify critical elements 
that EPA staff believe should be considered in reviewing the PM NAAQS. 
The Staff Paper is intended to ``bridge the gap'' between the 
scientific review contained in the AQCD and the public health and 
welfare policy judgments required of the Administrator in reviewing the 
NAAQS. On February 27, 2002, the CASAC PM Review Panel met via public 
teleconference to provide advice to EPA on the proposed methodology; 
and, on May 23, 2002, the CASAC issued an Advisory providing its advice 
to the EPA Administrator entitled, ``Review of the Agency's Draft 
Proposed Methodology for Particulate Matter Risk Analysis for Selected 
Urban Areas; an Advisory by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee 
(EPA-SAB-CASAC-ADV-02-002), located on the EPA Science Advisory Board 
Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/casacadv02002.pdf.
    In response to the advice provided in the May 2002 CASAC Advisory, 
OAQPS has proposed to expand the scope of the PM health risk analyses 
to include risk analyses for PM10. The charge to the CASAC 
PM Panel during their consultation on May 1, 2003, is to provide 
feedback on the scope and approach proposed by EPA for the 
PM10 and PM10-2.5 components of the risk 
analyses. EPA is making available the draft Risk Analysis Methodology 
for PM10 and PM10-2.5 to facilitate discussion 
and review of the proposed approach by the CASAC and general public. 
This draft document takes into consideration the availability of 
reanalyses using alternative statistical approaches for some PM health 
effect studies identified by EPA as being of high priority for policy 
considerations (see the following URL: http://www.epa.gov/ncea/partmatt.htm, for more information). This document outlines the overall 
scope proposed for the quantitative risk assessments for 
PM10 and PM10-2.5 including health endpoints to 
be analyzed, health studies that serve as the source of concentration-
response functions, and cities to be examined.
    Following the May 1, 2003, CASAC Particulate Matter Review Panel 
teleconference to review the draft Risk Analysis Methodology for 
PM10 and PM10-2.5, EPA will prepare a technical 
report describing the risk analysis methodology in greater detail and 
including preliminary risk estimates taking into account public and 
CASAC comments. The methodology and preliminary estimates will be 
summarized in the next draft of the OAQPS PM Staff Paper, which will be 
released for public and CASAC review later this year.
    Any questions concerning the draft Risk Analysis Methodology for 
PM10 and PM10-2.5 should be directed to Mr. 
Harvey Richmond, OAQPS's Health and Ecosystems Effects Group, at 
telephone/voice mail: (919) 541-5271; or via e-mail at: 
[email protected].
    3. Availability of Additional Meeting Materials. A copy of the 
draft memorandum, ``Preliminary Recommended Methodology for 
PM10 and PM10-2.5 Risk Analyses in Light of 
Reanalyzed Study Results'' will be available through EPA's Technology 
Transfer Network (TTN) Web site under the technical area for National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards, under the heading of ``Particulate 
Matter--Technical Documents'' at the following URL address: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pm/s_pm_cr_td.html after April 9, 
2003. In addition, the draft agenda for the teleconference that is the 
subject of this notice will be posted on the EPA Science Advisory Board 
Web Site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab (under the ``Agendas'' subheading) 
approximately 10 days before the publically-accessible teleconference.
    4. Providing Oral or Written Comments at SAB Meetings. It is the 
policy of the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) to accept written public 
comments of any length, and to accommodate oral public comments 
whenever possible. The EPA SAB expects that public statements presented 
at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted oral or 
written statements. Oral Comments: In general, each individual or group 
requesting an oral presentation at a face-to-face meeting will be 
limited to a total time of 10 minutes (unless otherwise indicated). For 
conference call meetings, opportunities for oral comment will usually 
be limited to no more than three minutes per speaker and no more than 
15 minutes total. Interested parties should contact the CASAC DFO, Mr. 
Fred Butterfield, at the telephone number or e-mail address provided 
above, at least one week prior to the meeting in order to be placed on 
the public speaker list for the meeting. Speakers may attend the 
meeting and provide comment up to the meeting time. Speakers should 
bring at least 35 copies of their comments and presentation slides for 
distribution to the reviewers and public at the meeting. Written 
Comments: Although the SAB accepts written comments until the date of 
the meeting (unless otherwise stated), written comments should be 
received in the SAB Staff Office at least one week prior to the meeting 
date so that the comments may be made available to the review panel for 
their consideration. Written comments should be supplied to Ms. Delores 
Darden, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff, at the e-mail address or 
mailing address provided above, or via fax at: (202) 501-0582, in the 
following formats: one hard copy with original signature, and one 
electronic copy via e-mail (acceptable file format: Adobe Acrobat, 
WordPerfect, Word, or Rich Text files (in IBM-PC/Windows 95/98 format). 
Those providing written comments and who attend the meeting are also 
asked to bring 35 copies of their comments for public distribution. Any 
written comments supplied at the meeting should be provided to the DFO 
up to or

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immediately following the meeting. The SAB allows a grace period of 48 
hours after adjournment of the public meeting to provide written 
comments supporting any verbal comments stated at the public meeting to 
be made a part of the public record.
    5. Meeting Access. Individuals requiring special accommodation to 
access this teleconference should contact Ms. Delores Darden, EPA 
Science Advisory Board Staff, at the telephone or e-mail address 
provided above, at least five business days prior to the meeting so 
that appropriate arrangements can be made.

    Dated: April 7, 2003.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 03-9040 Filed 4-11-03; 8:45 am]
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