[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 170 (Thursday, September 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54462-54463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22430]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9458-6]


Notification of a Public Teleconference; Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee; Air Monitoring and Methods Subcommittee

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference of 
the Air Monitoring and Methods Subcommittee (AMMS) of the Clean Air 
Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) to provide advice on EPA's draft 
Near-Road NO2 Monitoring Technical Assistance Document.

DATES: A public teleconference call will be held on Thursday, September 
29, 2011 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time).

ADDRESSES: The public teleconference will be conducted by telephone 
only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Notice and public teleconference may 
contact Mr. Edward Hanlon, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB Staff 
Office, by telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-2134; by fax at (202) 565-
2098 or via e-mail at [email protected]. General information 
concerning the EPA CASAC can be found at the EPA CASAC Web site at 
http://www.epa.gov/casac. Any inquiry regarding EPA's draft Near-Road 
NO2 Monitoring Technical Assistance Document should be 
directed to Mr. Nealson Watkins, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards (OAQPS) at [email protected] or 919-541-5522.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The CASAC was established pursuant to the under the 
Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1977, codified at 42 U.S.C. 
7409D(d)(2), to provide advice, information, and recommendations to the 
Administrator on the scientific and technical aspects of issues related 
to the criteria for air quality standards, research related to air 
quality, sources of air pollution, and the strategies to attain and 
maintain air quality standards and to prevent significant deterioration 
of air quality. The CASAC is a Federal Advisory Committee chartered 
under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., App. 2. 
Pursuant to FACA and EPA policy, notice is hereby given that the AMMS 
will hold a public teleconference call to provide advice through the 
chartered CASAC on EPA's draft Near-Road NO2 Monitoring 
Technical Assistance Document.
    In February 2010, EPA promulgated new minimum monitoring 
requirements for the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) monitoring 
network in support of a newly revised National Ambient Air Quality 
Standard (NAAQS) for 1-hour NO2 (75 FR 6474). In the new 
monitoring requirements, state and local air monitoring agencies are 
required to install near-road NO2 monitoring stations at 
locations where peak hourly NO2 concentrations are expected 
to occur within the near-road environment in larger urban areas. State 
and local air agencies are required to consider traffic volumes, fleet 
mix, roadway design, traffic congestion patterns, local terrain or 
topography, meteorology, population exposure and other factors in 
determining where a required near-road NO2 monitor should be 
placed. In August 2010, EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) 
requested that CASAC review the initial phase of EPA's Near Road 
project, and CASAC issued a final report to the EPA Administrator in 
November 2010 entitled ``Review of the `Near-road Guidance Document--
Outline' and `Near-road Monitoring Pilot Study Objectives and 
Approach'.'' OAR considered those recommendations from CASAC and has 
developed a draft technical document entitled ``Near-Road 
NO2 Monitoring Technical Assistance Document--DRAFT August 
11, 2011'' to provide state and local air monitoring agencies with 
recommendations and ideas on how to successfully implement near-road 
NO2 monitors required by the 2010 revisions to the 
NO2 minimum monitoring requirements. Since the establishment 
of near-road NO2 monitoring stations will create an 
infrastructure that will likely be capable of housing multi-pollutant 
ambient air monitoring equipment, OAR's draft Technical Assistance 
Document also discusses other pollutants of interest that exist in the 
near-road environment, including definitions, basis of interest, and 
measurement methods. OAR requested CASAC advice on how to improve the 
near-road NO2 Monitoring draft Technical Assistance 
Document.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: The agenda and materials in 
support of these teleconference calls will be placed on the EPA CASAC 
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/casac in advance of the teleconference 
call.
    Procedures for Providing Public Input: Public comment for 
consideration by EPA's Federal advisory committees and panels has a 
different purpose from public comment provided to EPA program offices. 
Therefore, the process for submitting comments to a Federal advisory 
committee is different from the process used to submit comments to an 
EPA program office.
    Federal advisory committees and panels, including scientific 
advisory committees, provide independent advice to EPA. Members of the 
public can submit comments for a Federal advisory committee to consider 
as it develops advice for EPA. Input from the public to the CASAC will 
have the most impact if it provides specific scientific or technical 
information or analysis for CASAC to consider or if it relates to the 
clarity or accuracy of the technical information. Members of the public 
wishing to provide comment on the Subcommittee membership and/or this 
advisory activity should contact the Designated Federal Officer for the 
relevant advisory committee directly.
    Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an 
oral presentation at this public teleconference will be limited to 
three minutes per speaker. Interested parties should contact Mr. Edward 
Hanlon, DFO, in writing (preferably via e-mail), at the contact 
information noted above, by September 22, 2011 to be placed on the list 
of public speakers for the teleconference.
    Written Statements: Written statements should be received in the 
SAB Staff Office by September 22, 2011 so that the information may be 
made available to the Panel for their consideration. Written statements 
should be supplied to the DFO in electronic format via e-mail 
(acceptable file formats: Adobe Acrobat PDF, WordPerfect, MS Word, MS 
PowerPoint, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/Windows

[[Page 54463]]

98/2000/XP format). It is the SAB Staff Office general policy to post 
written comments on the Web page for the advisory meeting or 
teleconference. Submitters are requested to provide an unsigned version 
of each document because the SAB Staff Office does not publish 
documents with signatures on its Web sites. Members of the public 
should be aware that their personal contact information, if included in 
any written comments, may be posted to the CASAC Web site. Copyrighted 
material will not be posted without explicit permission of the 
copyright holder.
    Accessibility: For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Edward Hanlon 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: August 24, 2011.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2011-22430 Filed 8-31-11; 8:45 am]
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