[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 119 (Friday, June 20, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36985-36986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15665]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7515-8]


Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter (Fourth External 
Review Draft)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of a draft for public review and comment.

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SUMMARY: On or about June 30, 2003, the National Center for 
Environmental Assessment (NCEA), within EPA's Office of Research and 
Development, will make available for public review and comment a fourth 
external review draft of a revised EPA document, Air Quality Criteria 
for Particulate Matter. Under sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air 
Act, the purpose of the revised document is to provide an assessment of 
the latest scientific information on the effects of airborne 
particulate matter (PM) on the public health and welfare, for use in 
EPA's current review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
(NAAQS) for PM.

DATES: Comments on the draft document must be submitted in writing no 
later than August 31, 2003. Send the written comments to the Project 
Manager for Particulate Matter, National Center for Environmental 
Assessment-RTP (B243-01), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the EPA document, Air Quality Criteria for 
Particulate Matter (Fourth External Review Draft), consisting of two 
volumes, will be available on CD ROM from NCEA-RTP. Contact Ms. Diane 
Ray by phone (919-541-3637), fax (919-541-1818), or email 
([email protected]) to request the document. Please provide the 
document's title, Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter (Fourth 
External Review Draft), and the EPA numbers for each of the two volumes 
(EPA/600/P-99/002aD and EPA/600/P-99/002bD), as well as your name and 
address, to facilitate processing of your request. Internet users will 
be able to download a copy from the NCEA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. Hard copies of the draft document can also be made 
available upon request to Ms. Ray.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Robert Elias, National Center for 
Environmental Assessment-RTP (B243-01), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: 919-541-4167; fax: 
919-541-1818; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA is in the process of updating, and 
revising where appropriate, the document Air Quality Criteria for 
Particulate Matter as issued in 1996. Sections 108 and 109 of the Clean 
Air Act require that EPA carry out a periodic review and revision, 
where appropriate, of the air quality criteria and the NAAQS for 
``criteria'' air pollutants such as PM. Details of EPA's plans for the 
review of the NAAQS for PM were initially announced in a previous 
Federal Register notice (62 FR 55201, October 23, 1997).
    EPA made a First External Review Draft of the updated Air Quality 
Criteria for Particulate Matter available in 1999 for review by members 
of the public and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) 
(64 FR 57884, October 27, 1999). Following that public review and a 
meeting of the CASAC in December 1999 (64 FR 61875, November 15, 1999), 
EPA revised the document in response to CASAC and public comments, as 
well as to reflect additional new studies on PM effects that were not 
available in time for the First External Review Draft.
    In April 2001, EPA made a Second External Review Draft of Air 
Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter available for public and CASAC 
review (66 FR 18929, April 12, 2001). Following that public review and 
a second CASAC meeting in July 2001 (66 FR 34924, July 2, 2001), EPA 
again revised the document in response to CASAC and public comments and 
to reflect more new PM studies that had become available.

[[Page 36986]]

    EPA then made a Third External Review Draft of Air Quality Criteria 
for Particulate Matter available for public and CASAC review in May 
2002 (67 FR 31303, May 9, 2002). Following that public review and a 
third CASAC meeting in July 2002 (67 FR 41723, June 19, 2002), EPA has 
again revised the document in response to CASAC and public comments and 
to take into account peer-reviewed analyses of a number of 
epidemiological studies conducted to address statistical modeling 
issues that were identified after release of the Third External Review 
Draft.
    EPA is now making the Fourth External Review Draft available for 
public comment and CASAC review. The public comment period (60 days) 
will close a few days after a CASAC public review meeting scheduled for 
August 25-26, 2003 (location to be announced in future Federal Register 
notice). Members of the public will be able to make brief oral 
statements during time set aside at that meeting for public comments. 
After the CASAC meeting and the close of the public comment period, EPA 
intends to make final revisions to complete the document in December, 
2003.
    On June 15, 2001, EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards (OAQPS) made available (66 FR 32621, June 15, 2001) for 
public review and comment a preliminary draft Staff Paper (SP) that 
drew on information in the earlier draft Air Quality Criteria document. 
The preliminary draft SP was also submitted to CASAC for discussion 
with the Committee at its July 2001 meeting. In January 2002 (67 FR 
3897, January 28, 2002), OAQPS also made available for CASAC and public 
review and comment a draft document, Proposed Methodology for 
Particulate Matter Risk Analyses for Selected Urban Areas, which was 
reviewed by CASAC at a public teleconference on February 27, 2002.
    OAQPS is now preparing a draft health risk assessment document 
based on the proposed methodology and is revising the draft SP to 
address CASAC and public comments and to incorporate updated 
information from the current draft Air Quality Criteria document. As in 
other NAAQS reviews, the SP will evaluate policy implications of key 
studies and other scientific information in the criteria document, 
identify critical elements that EPA staff believes should be 
considered, and present staff conclusions and recommendations for the 
Administrator's consideration.
    Dates and details of availability of the updated draft SP and of 
the draft health risk assessment document and plans for future public 
CASAC review meetings on the SP and the draft health risk assessment 
document will be published in future Federal Register notices.

    Dated: June 13, 2003.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 03-15665 Filed 6-19-03; 8:45 am]
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