[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34005-34006]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-11959]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8329-2]


Workshop To Discuss Policy-Relevant Science To Inform EPA's 
Integrated Plan for the Review of the Secondary Particulate Matter (PM) 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of workshop.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is announcing that a workshop entitled ``Workshop to 
Discuss Policy-Relevant Science to Inform EPA's Integrated Plan for the 
Review of the Secondary Particulate Matter (PM) National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards (NAAQS)'' is being organized by EPA's National Center 
for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), Office of Research and Development 
and EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), Office 
of Air and Radiation. The workshop will be held on July 16, 2007 in 
Chapel Hill, North Carolina and will be open to attendance by 
interested public observers on a first-come, first-served basis up to 
the limits of available space.

DATES: The workshop entitled ``Workshop to Discuss Policy-Relevant 
Science to Inform EPA's Integrated Plan for the Review of the Secondary 
Particulate Matter (PM) National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
(NAAQS)'' will be held on July 16, 2007.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Carolina Inn in Chapel 
Hill, North Carolina. An EPA contractor, SAIC, is providing logistical 
support for the workshop. For further information on the workshop, 
contact Ms. Kristen Wheeler, SAIC Conference Coordinator, 11251 Roger 
Bacon Drive, Reston, VA 20190, telephone: 703-318-4535; facsimile: 703-
318-4755; e-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding information, 
registration, and logistics for the workshops should be directed to the 
SAIC Conference Coordinator listed in ADDRESSES above.
    Additional questions regarding the secondary PM NAAQS workshop 
should be directed to Dr. Paul Wagner, U.S. EPA, NCEA, telephone: 919-
541-2255; facsimile: 919-541-0237; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Summary of Information About the Workshops

    The U.S. Clean Air Act requires that EPA carry out periodic reviews 
of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for major 
``criteria'' air pollutants and to revise the NAAAQS for a given 
pollutant, as appropriate. The Agency's last review of the PM NAAQS was 
completed in September 2006 with the promulgation of revisions to some 
aspects of the PM standards to provide requisite protection of public 
health and welfare (71 FR 61144, October 17, 2006). Initiating the next 
review of these standards at this time is consistent with the Clean Air 
Act's requirement that the Agency periodically review the latest 
scientific information and the standards. It is also consistent with 
the Agency's new NAAQS review process. For more information on the 
NAAQS review process, please see http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/.
    The workshop will provide an opportunity for external experts as 
well as EPA staff to highlight significant new and emerging research, 
and to make individual recommendations to the Agency regarding the 
design and scope of the review for the secondary (welfare-based) PM 
standards to ensure it addresses key policy-relevant issues and 
considers the new science relevant to informing our understanding of 
these issues. A similar workshop to discuss planning for the review of 
the primary (health-based) PM NAAQS will be held on July 11, 12, and 
13, 2007 in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Please see the 
announcement elsewhere in today's Federal Register.
    Based in large part on the input received during the primary and 
secondary PM workshops, EPA intends to develop a draft integrated PM 
NAAQS review plan that will outline the schedule, process, and 
approaches for evaluating the relevant scientific information and 
addressing the key policy-relevant issues to be considered in this 
review. The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) will be 
asked to conduct a consultation with the Agency on the draft integrated 
plan later this year, and the public will have the opportunity to 
comment on the draft integrated plan as well. The final integrated plan 
will be used to frame each of the major elements of the PM review under 
the new NAAQS process: An integrated science assessment document, a 
risk/exposure assessment report, and a policy assessment to be 
published as an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR).

[[Page 34006]]

    Immediately following this workshop, EPA is sponsoring a workshop 
entitled ``Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulfur (NOX/
SOX) Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
(NAAQS) Workshop.'' These workshops are being held in close 
coordination because EPA has recognized that some overlap is likely in 
the issues discussed and areas of expertise involved in the review of 
secondary standards for PM, Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX), and 
Sulfur Oxides (SOX).

    Dated: June 14, 2007.
P.W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E7-11959 Filed 6-19-07; 8:45 am]
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