[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 200 (Monday, October 19, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53498-53499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-24815]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0699; FRL-8969-1]


Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Availability of draft document for public review and comment.

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SUMMARY: On or about October 1, 2009, the National Center for 
Environmental Assessment (NCEA) and the Office of Air Quality Planning 
and Standards (OAQPS) of EPA is making available for public review and 
comment a draft document titled Integrated Review Plan for the Ozone 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards Review--External Review Draft.
    This document contains the plans for the new periodic review of the 
air quality criteria for ozone (O3)-related effects on public health 
and public welfare and the current O3 standards or any revised 
standards that may result from the reconsideration of the 2008 O3 
standards. This draft Integrated Review Plan (IRP) is being released 
for the purpose of consulting with the Clean Air Scientific Advisory 
Committee (CASAC) of EPA's Science Advisory Board 1 and 
obtaining public comment on the Agency's plans. The final IRP will be 
informed by comments received from the CASAC and the public. The draft 
IRP will be posted on the Agency's Technology Transfer Network (TTN) 
Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_index.html. The draft IRP may be accessed in the ``Documents from 
Current Review'' section under ``Planning Documents.''

    \1\ For purposes of this review, the 7-member CASAC has been 
supplemented by additional scientific experts collectively referred 
to as the CASAC O3 NAAQS Review Panel.


DATES: Comments should be submitted on or before November 6, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2008-0699, by one of the following methods:
    [squ] www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
    [squ] E-mail: a-and-r-Docket(epa.gov).
    [squ] Fax: 202-566-9744.
    [squ] Mail: EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0699, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mail code 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. 
Please include a total of two copies.
    Hand Delivery: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA West, Room 
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries are 
only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and 
special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed 
information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2008-0699. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be 
included in the public docket without change and may be made available 
online at www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov

[[Page 53499]]

(or e-mail). The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous 
access'' system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through 
www.regulations.gov your e-mail address will be automatically captured 
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket 
and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic 
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact 
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you 
submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties 
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to 
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special 
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or 
viruses.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov. index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
    Certain other materials, such as copyrighted material, will be 
publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket 
materials are available either electronically in www.regulations.gov or 
in hard copy at the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, 
EPA/DC, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, 
DC. The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the 
Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the 
Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center is (202) 566-1742.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any questions concerning the draft IRP 
should be directed to Dr. David McKee at epa.gov">mckee.dave@epa.gov; telephone 
919-541-5288.

General Information

A. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through 
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly mark the part or all of the 
information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or 
CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as 
CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the 
specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one 
complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as 
CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information 
claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. 
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with 
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
    2. Tips for Preparing Your Comments. When submitting comments, 
remember to:
    [squ] Identify the rulemaking by docket number and other 
identifying information (subject heading, Federal Register date and 
page number).
    [squ] Follow directions--The Agency may ask you to respond to 
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number. Explain why you agree 
or disagree; suggest alternatives and substitute language for your 
requested changes.
    [squ] Describe any assumptions and provide any technical 
information and/or data that you used.
    [squ] If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you 
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be 
reproduced.
    [squ] Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and 
suggest alternatives.
    [squ] Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period 
deadline identified.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act 
(CAA), the Administrator identifies and lists certain pollutants which 
``cause or contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be 
anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.'' The EPA then issues 
air quality criteria for listed pollutants, which are commonly referred 
to as ``criteria pollutants.'' The air quality criteria are to 
``accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge useful in 
indicating the kind and extent of all identifiable effects on public 
health or welfare which may be expected from the presence of [a] 
pollutant in the ambient air, in varying quantities.'' Under section 
109 of the CAA, EPA establishes National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
(NAAQS) for each listed pollutant, with the NAAQS based on the air 
quality criteria, Section 109(d) of the CAA requires periodic review 
and, if appropriate, revision of existing air quality criteria. The 
revised air quality criteria reflect advances in scientific knowledge 
about the effects of the pollutant on public health or welfare. The EPA 
is also required to periodically review and revise the NAAQS, if 
appropriate, based on the revised criteria.
    Air quality criteria have been established for O3, and primary and 
secondary O3 NAAQS have been set to provide protection against adverse 
health and welfare effects, respectively. EPA is currently reviewing 
the air quality criteria and NAAQS for O3, and the overall plan and 
schedule for this review is presented in the Integrated Review Plan for 
the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards--External Review 
Draft.\2\ This draft of the integrated review plan is available for 
public review and comment until November 6, 2009, and will be the 
subject of a consultation with the CASAC on November 13, 2009. Comments 
received from that consultation with CASAC and from the public will be 
considered in finalizing the plan and in beginning the review of the 
air quality criteria.

    \2\ EPA 452/D-09-001; September 2009; Available: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_index.html

    Dated: October 7, 2009.
Jennifer Noonan Edmonds,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. E9-24815 Filed 10-16-09; 8:45 am]
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