[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 237 (Friday, December 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76972-76973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31683]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0108; FRL-9502-8]


Release of Final Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient 
Air Quality Standards for Lead

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: On or about November 18, 2011, the EPA will make available to 
the public the final document, Integrated Review Plan for the National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Lead. This document contains the 
plans for the review of the air quality criteria and national ambient 
air quality standards (NAAQS) for lead (Pb). The Pb NAAQS provide for 
the protection of public health and the environment from Pb emitted to 
ambient air.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Deirdre Murphy, Office of Air 
Quality

[[Page 76973]]

Planning and Standards (Mail code C504-06), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 
(919) 541-0729; fax number: (919) 541-0237; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. How can I get copies of this document and related information?

    1. Docket. The EPA has established a docket for this action under 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0108. A separate docket established for 
the Integrated Science Assessment being prepared for this action (EPA-
HQ-ORD-2011-0051) is also incorporated into the rulemaking docket for 
this review. Publicly available docket materials are available 
electronically through http://www.regulations.gov or may be viewed 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.
    2. The document announced today and related information will be 
available via the Internet at the EPA's Technology Transfer Network 
(TTN) Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pb/s_pb_index.html. The document announced today will be accessible in the 
``Documents from Current Review'' section under ``Planning Documents.''

II. Information Specific to This Document

    Two sections of the Clean Air Act govern the establishment and 
revision of the NAAQS. Section 108 (42 U.S.C. section 7408) directs the 
Administrator to identify and list certain air pollutants and then to 
issue air quality criteria for those pollutants. The Administrator is 
to list those air pollutants that in her ``judgment, cause or 
contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to 
endanger public health or welfare;'' ``the presence of which in the 
ambient air results from numerous or diverse mobile or stationary 
sources;'' and ``for which * * * [the Administrator] plans to issue air 
quality criteria * * *'' Air quality criteria are intended 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 * * *.'' 42 U.S.C. 7408(b). Under section 
109 (42 U.S.C. 7409), the EPA establishes primary (health-based) and 
secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS for pollutants for which air quality 
criteria are issued. Section 109(d) 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. Section 109(d)(2) requires that an 
independent scientific review committee ``shall complete a review of 
the criteria * * * and the national primary and secondary ambient air 
quality standards * * * and shall recommend to the Administrator any 
new * * * standards and revisions of existing criteria and standards as 
may be appropriate * * *.'' Since the early 1980's, this independent 
review function has been performed by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory 
Committee (CASAC).
    Presently, the EPA is reviewing the NAAQS for Pb.\1\ The document 
announced today has been developed as part of the planning phase for 
the review. This phase began with a science policy workshop to identify 
issues and questions to frame the review. Drawing from the workshop 
discussions, a draft integrated review plan (IRP) was prepared jointly 
by the EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment, within the 
Office of Research and Development, and the EPA's Office of Air Quality 
Planning and Standards, within the Office of Air and Radiation. The 
draft IRP was the subject of a consultation with CASAC on May 5, 2011, 
and was available for public comment (76 FR 20347). The final IRP 
announced today has been prepared after consideration of CASAC and 
public comments. This document presents the EPA's current plans for the 
schedule for the entire review, the process for conducting the review, 
and the key policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review. 
This document does not represent and should not be construed to 
represent any final EPA policy, viewpoint, or determination.
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    \1\ The EPA's call for information for this review was issued on 
February 26, 2010 (75 FR 8934).

    Dated: December 5, 2011.
Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2011-31683 Filed 12-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P