[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69338-69339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-22612]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7996-5]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee (CASAC); Notification of Advisory Committee Meeting 
of the CASAC Ozone Review Panel

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 peer review of the Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants (Second External Review Draft), Volumes I, II, 
and III (second draft Ozone AQCD, August 2005); and a consultation on 
the Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: 
Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information (first draft 
Ozone Staff Paper, November 2005) and two related draft technical 
support documents, Ozone Health Risk Assessment for Selected Urban 
Areas: First Draft Report (first draft Ozone Risk Assessment, November 
2005) and Ozone Population Exposure Analysis for Selected Urban Areas: 
Draft Report (first draft Ozone Exposure Assessment, October 2005).

DATES: The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. (eastern time) on Tuesday, 
December 6, 2005, through 3 p.m. (eastern time) on Thursday, December 
8, 2005.

[[Page 69339]]


Location: The meeting will take place at the Hilton Durham near Duke 
University, 3800 Hillsborough Road, Durham, NC 27705, Phone: (919) 383-
8033.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who would 
like to submit written or brief oral comments; or wants further 
information concerning this meeting, should 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 SAB can be found on 
the EPA Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: Section 109(d)(1) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) 
requires that EPA periodically review and revise, as appropriate, the 
air quality criteria and the national ambient air quality standards 
(NAAQS) for the six ``criteria'' air pollutants, including ambient 
ozone. EPA is in the process of updating, and revising where 
appropriate, the air quality criteria document (AQCD) for ozone and 
related photochemical oxidants published in 1996. Under CAA sections 
108 and 109, the purpose of the revised Ozone AQCD is to provide an 
assessment of the latest scientific information on the effects of 
ambient ozone on the public health and welfare, for use in EPA's 
current review of the NAAQS for ozone. In January 2005, EPA's National 
Center for Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC (NCEA-
RTP), within the Agency's Office of Research and Development (ORD), 
made available for public review and comment a First External Review 
Draft of a revised document, Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants (First External Review Draft), Volumes I, II, 
and III, (EPA/600/R-05/004aA, bA, and cA, first draft Ozone AQCD, 
January 2005). Detailed summary information on EPA's first draft Ozone 
AQCD is contained in a previous EPA Federal Register notice (70 FR 
4850, January 31, 2005).
    EPA is soliciting advice and recommendations from the CASAC by 
means of a peer review of the second draft Ozone AQCD. 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 complies with the provisions of FACA 
and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies. This meeting 
is a continuation of the CASAC Ozone Review Panel's peer review of the 
current draft Ozone AQCD. The Panel met in a public meeting on May 4-5, 
2005 to conduct its initial peer review of the first draft Ozone AQCD. 
The report from that meeting, dated June 22, 2005, is posted on the SAB 
Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/casac_ozone_casac-05-010.pdf.
    In addition, pursuant to sections 108 and 109 of the CAA, EPA is in 
the process of reviewing the ozone NAAQS, which the Agency most 
recently revised in July 1997. EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards (OAQPS), within the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), has 
developed a draft updated Staff Paper for ambient ozone as part of its 
review of the ozone NAAQS. This draft Ozone Staff Paper evaluates the 
policy implications of the key scientific and technical information 
contained in the current draft Ozone AQCD and identifies critical 
elements that EPA believes should be considered in its review of the 
ozone NAAQS. The Ozone 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 ozone NAAQS. EPA is soliciting early 
advice and recommendations from the CASAC by means of a consultation on 
the first draft Ozone Staff Paper and the first drafts of the Ozone 
Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment.
    Technical Contact: Any questions concerning the second draft Ozone 
AQCD should be directed to Dr. Lori White, NCEA-RTP, at phone: (919) 
541-3146, or e-mail: [email protected]. Any questions concerning the 
first draft Ozone Staff Paper and the first drafts Ozone Exposure 
Analysis and Risk Assessment should be directed to Dr. Dave McKee, 
OAQPS, at phone: (919) 541-5288, or e-mail: [email protected].
    Availability of Meeting Materials: The second draft Ozone AQCD (EPA 
600/R-05/004aB, bB, and cB, August 2005) can be accessed via the 
Agency's NCEA Web site at: http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=137307. The first draft Ozone Staff Paper, the 
first drafts of the Ozone Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment, and 
additional staff technical support memos referenced in the draft Ozone 
Staff Paper 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 in the ``Documents for Current Review'' section 
under ``Staff Papers'' and ``Technical Documents,'' respectively. 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.
    Procedures for Providing Public Comment: The SAB Staff Office 
accepts written public comments of any length, and will accommodate 
oral public comments whenever possible. The SAB Staff Office expects 
that the public will not repeat previously-submitted oral or written 
statements. Oral Comments: Requests to provide oral comments must be in 
writing (e-mail, fax or regular mail) and received by Mr. Butterfield 
no later than November 29, 2005 to reserve time on the meeting agenda. 
Opportunities for oral comments will be limited to five minutes per 
speaker. Written Comments: Written comments should be received in the 
SAB Staff Office by December 1, 2005 so that these comments may be made 
available to the members of the CASAC Ozone Review Panel for their 
consideration. Comments should be supplied to Mr. Butterfield at the 
contact information provided above, in the following formats: one hard 
copy (original signature optional), or one electronic copy via e-mail 
(acceptable file format: Adobe PDF, WordPerfect, MS Word, or Rich Text 
files (in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP format)).
    Accessibility: For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Butterfield at the 
phone number or e-mail address noted above, preferably at least ten 
days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to 
process your request.

    Dated: November 8, 2005.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Associate Director for Science, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff 
Office.
[FR Doc. 05-22612 Filed 11-14-05; 8:45 am]
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