[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 175 (Friday, September 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54783-54784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20505]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7810-8]

Science Advisory Board Staff Office


Notification of Upcoming Meetings of the Health Effects 
Subcommittee of the Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces 
two public teleconferences of the Health Effects Subcommittee (HES) of 
the Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis (Council) to 
discuss follow-on matters related to its report issued in March 2004 
entitled Advisory on Plans for Health Effects Analysis in the 
Analytical Plan for EPA's Second Prospective Analysis--Benefits and 
Costs of the Clean Air Act, 1990-2020.

DATES: The public teleconferences of the Council HES will be held on 
September 21, 2004 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern time) and on 
September 29, 2004 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern time).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain the call-in number and access code or who wish to submit written 
or brief oral comments (five minutes or less) must contact Dr. Holly 
Stallworth, Designated Federal Officer, at telephone/voice mail: (202) 
343-9867 or via e-mail at: [email protected]. Requests to 
provide oral comments must be in writing (e-mail, fax or mail) and 
received by Dr. Stallworth no later than five business days prior to 
the teleconference in order to reserve time on the meeting agenda. It 
is the policy of the EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office to accept 
written public comments of any length, and to accommodate oral public 
comments whenever possible. Any member of the public wishing further 
information regarding the SAB or the Council HES may also contact Dr. 
Stallworth, or visit the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) conducts periodic, 
scientifically reviewed studies to assess the costs and benefits of 
regulations promulgated under the Clean Air Act. The Council is an 
outside body of recognized experts charged with reviewing the data, 
methods and cost-benefit analyses conducted by OAR for implementing its 
programs. EPA has thus far issued one retrospective analysis of the 
Clean Air Act covering the 1970-1990 time period and one prospective 
analysis covering the 1990-2010 time period. EPA is planning a second 
prospective analysis covering the 1990-2020 time period and has issued 
two analytic blueprints for this analysis. The Council provided advice 
on these analytic blueprints in 2001 and 2004. These reports of the 
Council and its subcommittees may be found at http://www.epa.gov/sab/fiscal04.htm. OAR provides more information on ``Section 812'' reports 
at: http://www.epa.gov/air/sect812/index.html. Additional background on 
the Council and on the statutorily mandated analyses of the costs and 
benefits of Clean Air Act programs was provided in a Federal Register 
notice published on February 14, 2003 (68 FR 7531-7534).
    In its March 2004 Advisory report, posted at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/council_adv_04002.pdf, the Council HES provided advice 
through the Council on the health science aspects of EPA's analytic 
blueprint for its second prospective analysis. EPA's Office of Air and 
Radiation and EPA's Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation recently 
requested that the Council provide clarification on its advice in this 
March 2004 report pertaining to cessation lags, i.e. the time delay 
between reductions in air pollution and reductions in human health 
effects. The Agency seeks clarification of the Council's advice 
regarding this issue of cessation lags so that the Agency's analysis of 
the benefits of future rules for particulate matter (PM 2.5) might 
comport with the Council's previous recommendations. The Agency seeks 
the Council's advice on this proposed cessation lag structure.
    The September 21 and September 29 teleconferences will provide the 
Council HES an opportunity to address the Agency's questions as stated 
in the letter to the Council which is posted at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/comments_on_council_adv_04001.pdf. Agendas for these 
teleconferences will be posted on the SAB Web site prior to the 
teleconference calls.


[[Page 54784]]


    Dated: September 3, 2004.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 04-20505 Filed 9-9-04; 8:45 am]
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