[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8735-8736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3382]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-1145; FRL-9266-9]


Release of Final Document Related to the Review of the Secondary 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and 
Sulfur

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) of 
EPA is announcing the availability of a document titled, Policy 
Assessment for the Review of the Secondary National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulfur (Policy Assessment). The 
Policy Assessment contains staff analyses of the scientific bases for 
alternative policy options for consideration by the Agency prior to 
rulemaking.

DATES: This Policy Assessment was released to the public via the 
internet on February 4, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The document will be available primarily via the Internet at 
the following Web site: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/no2so2sec/cr_pa.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions related to this 
document, please contact Dr. Richard Scheffe, Office of Air Quality 
Planning and Standards (Mail code C304-02), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; e-mail: 
[email protected] telephone: 919-541-4650; fax: 919-541-2357.

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 these 
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 
primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) national ambient 
air quality standards (NAAQS) for pollutants for which air quality 
criteria are issued. 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 
on 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.
    Presently, EPA is reviewing the secondary NAAQS for oxides of 
nitrogen and sulfur.\1\ The document

[[Page 8736]]

announced today, Policy Assessment for the Review of the Secondary 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and 
Sulfur, contains staff analyses of the scientific bases for alternative 
policy options for consideration by the Agency prior to rulemaking. 
This document, which builds upon the historical ``Staff Paper,'' will 
serve to ``bridge the gap'' between the available scientific 
information and the judgments required of the Administrator in 
determining whether it is appropriate to retain or revise the 
standards.\2\ The current and potential alternative standards for 
oxides of nitrogen and sulfur are considered in terms of the basic 
elements of the NAAQS: indicator, averaging time, form, and level. The 
Policy Assessment builds upon information presented in the Integrated 
Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulfur--Ecological 
Criteria: Final report (ISA, EPA EPA/600/R-08/082F, December 2008) and 
the quantitative risk and exposure assessment document (REA)--Risk and 
Exposure Assessment for Review of the Secondary National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of Sulfur (EPA-452/
R-09-008a and EPA-452/R-09-008b; September 2009).
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    \1\ The EPA's initial overall plan for this review was presented 
in the Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide (EPA-452/R-08-006, 
December 2007). Documents related to the current review of the 
secondary NAAQS for oxides of nitrogen and sulfur are available at: 
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/no2so2sec/index.html.
    \2\ See http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/review.html for a copy of 
Administrator Jackson's May 21, 2009, memorandum and for additional 
information on the NAAQS review process.
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    A first draft Policy Assessment (EPA-452/P-10-006) was released in 
March 2010 to facilitate discussion with the Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee (CASAC) at an April 1-2, 2010 meeting on the overall 
structure, areas of focus, and level of detail to be included in the 
Policy Assessment (75 FR 10479-10481, March 2010). CASAC's comments on 
the first draft Policy Assessment encouraged the development of a 
document focused on the key policy-relevant issues that draws from and 
is not repetitive of information in the ISA and REA. These comments 
were considered in developing a second draft Policy Assessment (EPA 
452/P-10-008, September 2010). The EPA presented an overview of the 
second draft Policy Assessment at a CASAC meeting on October 6-7, 2010 
(75 FR 54871-54872).
    CASAC (EPA-CASAC-11-003) and public comments on the second draft 
Policy Assessment were considered by EPA staff in developing both the 
January 14, 2011 version and this current version of the final Policy 
Assessment, which reflects final editing and formatting, and is 
available through the Agency's Technology Transfer Network (TTN) Web 
site at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/no2so2sec/cr_pa.html. 
CASAC has requested a February 15-16, 2011, meeting to review EPA's 
final Policy Assessment.

    Dated: February 9, 2011.
Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2011-3382 Filed 2-14-11; 8:45 am]
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