[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20544-20545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7935]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL -7901-5]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee (CASAC); Consultation on Ozone Health Assessment 
Plan

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the Clean Air 
Scientific Advisory Committee's (CASAC) Ozone Review Panel (Panel) to 
conduct a consultation on EPA's draft Ozone Health Assessment Plan: 
Scope and Methods for Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment (April 
2005).

DATES: May 5, 2005. The meeting will be held Thursday, May 5, 2005, 
from 3 to 5 p.m. (eastern time).
    Location: The meeting will take place at the Hilton Raleigh-Durham 
Airport at Research Triangle Park, 4810 Page Road, Research Triangle 
Park, NC 27709.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wishes to 
obtain the teleconference call-in numbers and access codes; would like 
to submit written or brief oral comments (five minutes or less); or 
wants further information concerning this meeting, must contact Mr. 
Fred Butterfield, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science 
Advisory Board (1400F), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; via telephone/voice 
mail: (202) 343-9994; fax: (202) 233-0643; or 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: Background: Under section 108 of the Clean 
Air Act (CAA or Act), the Agency is required to establish National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for each pollutant for which EPA 
has issued criteria, including ozone (O3). Section 109(d) of 
the CAA subsequently requires periodic review and, if appropriate, 
revision of existing air quality criteria and standards to reflect 
advances in scientific knowledge on the effects of the pollutant on 
public health and welfare. The Agency revised the NAAQS for 
O3 in July 1997. EPA's Office of Research and Development 
(ORD) has recently released a draft updated air quality criteria 
document for O3 (draft Ozone AQCD). The CASAC Ozone Review 
Panel will convene to conduct a peer review on this draft Ozone AQCD on 
May 4-5, 2005. EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards 
(OAQPS), within the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), is in the 
process of developing a draft updated Staff Paper for O3 as 
part of its review of the O3 NAAQS. This draft Staff Paper 
will evaluate the policy implications of the key scientific and 
technical information contained in the draft Ozone AQCD and identify 
critical elements that EPA believes should be considered in the review 
of the O3 NAAQS. The O3 Staff Paper is intended 
to ``bridge the gap'' between the scientific review contained in the 
Ozone AQCD and the public health and welfare policy judgments required 
of the EPA Administrator in reviewing the O3 NAAQS. Key 
components of this O3 Staff Paper include a quantitative 
population exposure analysis and health risk assessment. OAQPS has 
developed a draft Ozone Health Assessment Plan which includes a 
discussion of the scope, approaches, and methods that staff is planning 
to use in conducting the population exposure analysis and health risk 
assessment.
    EPA is soliciting advice and recommendations from the CASAC by 
means of a consultation on the draft Ozone Health Assessment Plan. The 
CASAC, which is comprised of seven members appointed by the EPA 
Administrator, was established under section 109(d)(2) of the CAA (42 
U.S.C. 7409) as an independent scientific advisory committee, in part 
to provide advice, information and recommendations on the scientific 
and technical aspects of issues related to air quality criteria and 
NAAQS under sections 108 and 109 of the Act. The CASAC is a Federal 
advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C., App. The CASAC Ozone Review Panel will 
comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office 
procedural policies.
    Technical Contact: Any questions concerning the draft Ozone Health 
Assessment Plan should be directed to Mr. Harvey Richmond, OAQPS, at

[[Page 20545]]

phone: (919) 541-5271, or e-mail: [email protected].
    Availability of Meeting Materials: The draft Ozone Health 
Assessment Plan can be accessed via the Agency's Technology Transfer 
Network (TTN) Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_index.html under ``Planning Documents.''
    In addition, a copy of the draft agenda for this meeting will be 
posted on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab (under the 
``Agendas'' subheading) in advance of this CASAC Ozone Review Panel 
meeting. Other meeting materials, including the charge to the CASAC 
Ozone Review Panel, will be posted on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/panels/casacorpanel.html prior to this meeting.
    Providing Oral or Written Comments at SAB Meetings: It is the 
policy of the SAB Staff Office to accept written public comments of any 
length, and to accommodate oral public comments whenever possible. The 
SAB Staff Office expects that public statements presented at its face-
to-face meetings and teleconferences 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 
meeting or teleconference will be limited to a total time of five 
minutes (unless otherwise indicated). For scheduling purposes, requests 
to provide oral comments must be in writing (e-mail, fax or mail) and 
received by Mr. Butterfield no later than noon Eastern Time five 
business days prior to the meeting in order to reserve time on the 
meeting agenda. Speakers should bring at least 75 copies of their 
comments and presentation slides for distribution to the reviewers and 
public at the meeting. Written Comments: Although the SAB Staff Office 
accepts written comments until the date of the meeting (unless 
otherwise stated), written comments should be received in the SAB Staff 
Office no later than noon Eastern Time five business days prior to the 
meeting so that the comments may be made available to the CASAC Ozone 
Review Panel for their consideration. Comments should be supplied to 
Mr. Butterfield (preferably via e-mail) at the address/contact 
information noted above, as follows: one hard copy with original 
signature, and one electronic copy via e-mail (acceptable file format: 
Adobe Acrobat PDF, WordPerfect, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, or Rich Text 
files (in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP format)). Those providing written 
comments and who attend the meeting in person are also asked to bring 
75 copies of their comments for public distribution.
    Meeting Access: Individuals requiring special accommodation at this 
meeting, including wheelchair access to the conference room, should 
contact Mr. Butterfield at the phone number or an e-mail address noted 
above at least five business days prior to the meeting so that 
appropriate arrangements can be made.

    Dated: April 14, 2005.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, PA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 05-7935 Filed 4-19-05; 8:45 am]
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