[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34129-34130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9186]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8183-7]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee (CASAC); Notification of a Public Advisory Committee 
Meeting of the CASAC Lead 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) Lead Review Panel (Panel) to 
conduct a peer review of EPA's Air Quality Criteria for Lead (Second 
External Review Draft), Volumes I and II (EPA/600/R-05/144aB-bB, May 
2006); and to conduct a consultation on the Agency's Analysis Plan for 
Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment for the Review of the Lead 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (Draft, May 31, 2006).

DATES: The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) on 
Wednesday, June 28, 2006, through 12 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Thursday, 
June 29, 2006.
    Location: The meeting will take place at the Marriott at Research 
Triangle Park, 4700 Guardian Drive, Durham, NC, 27703, Phone: (919) 
941-6200.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wishes to 
submit a written or brief oral statement (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: EPA is in the process of 
updating, and revising where appropriate, the air quality criteria 
document (AQCD) for lead. Section 109(d)(1) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) 
requires that EPA carry out a periodic review and revision, as 
appropriate, of the air quality criteria and the national ambient air 
quality standards (NAAQS) for the six ``criteria'' air pollutants, 
including lead. On December 1, 2005, EPA's National Center for 
Environmental Assessment National, Research Triangle Park (NCEA-RTP), 
within the Agency's Office of Research and Development (ORD), made 
available for public review and comment a revised draft document, Air 
Quality Criteria for Lead (First External Review Draft), Volumes I and 
II (EPA/600/R-05/144aA-bA). This first draft Lead air quality criteria 
document (AQCD) represented a revision to the previous EPA document, 
Air Quality Criteria for Lead, EPA-600/8-83/028aF-dF (published in June 
1986) and an associated supplement (EPA-600/8-89/049F) published in 
1990. Under CAA sections 108 and 109, the purpose of the revised AQCD 
is to provide an assessment of the latest scientific information on the 
effects of ambient lead on the public health and welfare, for use in 
EPA's current review of the NAAQS for lead. Detailed summary 
information on the revised draft AQCD for lead is contained in a 
previous EPA Federal Register notice (70 FR 72300, December 2, 2005).
    EPA is soliciting advice and recommendations from the CASAC by 
means of a peer review of the revised draft Lead AQCD. The CASAC, which 
is comprised of seven members appointed by the EPA Administrator, was 
established under section 109(d)(2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) 
(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. Earlier this year, the 
SAB Staff Office established a CASAC Lead Review Panel to provide EPA 
with advice and recommendations concerning lead in ambient air. The 
Panel complies with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB 
Staff Office procedural policies.

[[Page 34130]]

    This meeting is a continuation of the CASAC Lead Review Panel's 
peer review of the current draft Lead AQCD. The Lead Panel met in a 
public meeting on February 28 and March 1, 2006 to conduct its initial 
peer review of the first draft Lead AQCD. The report from that meeting, 
dated April 26, 2006, is posted on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/casac-06-005.pdf.
    In addition, in conjunction with its preparation of the Lead Staff 
Paper, EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), 
within the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), on May 31, 2006 released 
a draft Analysis Plan for Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment 
for the Review of the Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The 
purpose of this analysis plan is to outline the scope, approaches, and 
methods that Agency staff are planning to use for the human health and 
ecological risk assessments for lead. This plan also highlights key 
issues in the estimation of human health and ecological exposure and 
risks posed by lead under existing air quality levels (``as is'' 
exposures and health risks). Furthermore, this analysis plan is 
intended to facilitate consultation with the CASAC, as well as public 
review, for the purpose of obtaining advice on the overall scope, 
approaches, and key issues in advance of the completion of such 
analyses and presentation of results in the first draft Lead Staff 
Paper.
    Technical Contact: Any questions concerning the second draft Lead 
AQCD should be directed to Dr. Lori White, NCEA-RTP, at phone: (919) 
541-3146, or e-mail: [email protected]. Any questions concerning the 
Analysis Plan for Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment for the 
Review of the Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards should be 
directed to Ms. Ginger Tennant, OAQPS, at phone: (919) 541-4072, or e-
mail: [email protected].
    Availability of Meeting Materials: The Air Quality Criteria for 
Lead (Second External Review Draft), Volumes I and II (May 2005) can be 
accessed via the Agency's NCEA Web site at: http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=154041. The Analysis Plan for Human Health 
and Ecological Risk Assessment for the Review of the Lead National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards (Draft, May 31, 2006) can be accessed via 
EPA's Technology Transfer Network (TTN) Web Site at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pb/s_pb_cr_pd.html. 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 Lead Review Panel meeting. Other meeting 
materials, including the charge to the CASAC Lead Review Panel, will be 
posted on the SAB Web site prior to this meeting at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/panels/casac_lead_review_panel.htm.
    Procedures for Providing Public Input: Interested members of the 
public may submit relevant written or oral information for the CASAC 
Lead Review Panel to consider during the advisory process. Oral 
Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an oral 
presentation at a public meeting will be limited to five minutes per 
speaker, with no more than a total of one hour for all speakers. 
Interested parties should contact Mr. Butterfield, DFO, in writing 
(preferably via e-mail), by June 21, 2006, at the contact information 
noted above, to be placed on the public speaker list for this meeting. 
Written Statements: Written statements should be received in the SAB 
Staff Office by June 23, 2006, so that the information may be made 
available to the Panel for their consideration prior to this meeting. 
Written statements should be supplied to the DFO in the following 
formats: 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).
    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: June 7, 2006.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Associate Director for Science, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff 
Office.
 [FR Doc. E6-9186 Filed 6-12-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P