[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 8, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11561-11563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3225]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 50

[FRL-8042-1]


Review of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Lead

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of review.

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SUMMARY: This document describes EPA's plans and schedule for the 
review of the air quality criteria and national

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ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for lead. This review will take 
into account newly emerging research on the effects of airborne lead on 
human health and the environment. The schedule for this review 
incorporates Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) review and 
is consistent with the recent decision made by the U.S. District Court, 
Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division that ordered completion 
of this lead review by September 1, 2008 (Missouri Coalition for the 
Environment v. EPA, Civil Action No. 4:04-CV-00660 (ERW) (E.D. Mo. 
Sept. 14, 2005)).

DATES: The target dates for major milestones in the lead NAAQS review 
are contained in a chart in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Ginger Tennant, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards (C504-06), with regard to review of the 
standard, or Dr. Lori White, National Center for Environmental 
Assessment (B243-01), with regard to the air quality criteria document, 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; 
telephone: (919) 541-4072 for Ms. Tennant and (919) 541-3146 for Dr. 
White; e-mail: [email protected] and [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On October 5, 1978, the EPA published a final rule setting primary 
(health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS for lead under 
section 109 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), each set at 1.5 micrograms per 
cubic meter ([mu]g/m\3\), maximum arithmetic daily mean averaged over a 
calendar quarter (43 FR 46258). During the 1980s, EPA conducted an 
extensive review of the air quality criteria and NAAQS for lead under 
section 109(d)(1) of the CAA. With full involvement of CASAC and the 
public, this review led to publication of a revised air quality 
criteria document (1986), several supplemental documents covering 
important new studies (1986, 1990), an exposure analysis (1989), and a 
staff paper (1990). After consideration of these documents, EPA chose 
not to propose revision of the NAAQS.
    On November 9, 2004 (69 FR 64926), EPA formally announced the 
beginning of the current lead NAAQS review and the start of the 
development of an updated AQCD by requesting the submission of recent 
scientific information on specified topics. The release of the first 
external review draft of the AQCD and the opening of a public comment 
period for this document was announced on December 2, 2005 (70 FR 
72300).

Review Plans and Schedule

    The EPA's plan to review the criteria and standards for lead are 
outlined in the table below, together with target dates for key 
milestones. As with all NAAQS reviews, the purpose is to update the 
criteria and to determine whether it is appropriate to retain or revise 
the standards in light of new scientific and technical information.
    The lead NAAQS review, as with other NAAQS reviews, includes a 
rigorous assessment of relevant scientific information that will be 
presented in an AQCD prepared by EPA's National Center for 
Environmental Assessment. The development of the AQCD involves 
substantial external peer review through public workshops involving the 
scientific community at large and through iterative reviews of 
successive drafts by CASAC and the public. The final AQCD will reflect 
input received through these reviews and will serve to evaluate and 
integrate this scientific information to ensure that the review of the 
standards is based on sound science.
    The EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards will also 
prepare a Staff Paper (SP) for the Administrator, drawing on 
information in the AQCD. The SP will evaluate the policy implications 
of the key studies and scientific information contained in the AQCD and 
identify critical elements that EPA staff believes should be considered 
in reviewing the standards. The SP is intended to bridge the gap 
between the scientific review in the AQCD and the public health and 
welfare policy judgments required of the Administrator in reviewing the 
lead NAAQS. For that purpose, the SP will present technical analyses 
including air quality analyses and assessments of human health risks 
and environmental effects, other factors relevant to the evaluation of 
the lead NAAQS, as well as staff conclusions and recommendations of 
options for the Administrator's consideration. The SP will also be 
reviewed by CASAC and the public, and the final SP will reflect the 
input received through these reviews.
    The court-ordered schedule requires EPA to complete the initial 
draft of the AQCD no later than December 1, 2005; finalize the AQCD no 
later than October 1, 2006; prepare an initial draft of the SP no later 
than January 1, 2007; finalize the SP no later than November 1, 2007; 
have the proposed rulemaking notice signed no later than May 1, 2008; 
and have a final rulemaking concerning any revisions to the lead NAAQS 
signed no later than September 1, 2008. In order to meet this schedule 
for final rulemaking, EPA has advanced the target dates for some of 
these milestones. The schedule below represents EPA's best judgment of 
the target dates necessary for meeting the court-ordered deadlines. 
Accordingly, EPA intends to adhere closely to this schedule.

                                      Major Milestones in Lead NAAQS Review
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               Major milestones                                 Completed/future target date(s)
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Call for Information.........................  November 9, 2004.
CASAC Teleconsultation on AQCD Development     March 28, 2005.
 Plan.
Peer Review Workshops for AQCD...............  August 4-5 and 16-19, 2005.
First Draft AQCD for CASAC and Public Comment  December 1, 2005.
CASAC Meeting on First Draft AQCD............  February 28 and March 1, 2006.
Plan for Human Health and Ecological Risk      Late April 2006.
 Assessments for CASAC and Public Comment.
CASAC Consultation on Plan for Human Health    Late May 2006.
 and Ecological Risk Assessments.
Second Draft AQCD for CASAC and Public         Late May 2006.
 Comment.
CASAC Meeting on Second Draft AQCD...........  July 2006.
Complete Final AQCD..........................  October 1, 2006.
First Draft SP and First Draft Human Health    Late November 2006.
 and Ecological Risk Assessment Reports for
 CASAC and Public Comment.
CASAC Meeting on First Draft SP and First      Late January 2007.
 Draft Human Health and Ecological Risk
 Assessment Reports.

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Second Draft SP and Second Draft Human Health  Mid-June 2007.
 and Ecological Risk Assessment Reports for
 CASAC and Public Comment.
CASAC Meeting on Second Draft SP and Second    Late July 2007.
 Draft Human Health and Ecological Risk
 Assessment Reports.
Complete Final SP and Final Human Health and   Late September 2007.
 Ecological Risk Assessment Reports.
Publish Proposal Notice in Federal Register..  Late February 2008.
Final Promulgation Notice Signed by            September 1, 2008.
 Administrator.
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List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 50

    Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Carbon monoxide, 
Lead, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Particulate matter, Sulfur oxides.

    Dated: February 23, 2006.
Jeffrey S. Clark,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. E6-3225 Filed 3-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P