[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 26, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38318-38319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15144]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9827-4]


Integrated Science Assessment for Lead

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the availability of a final document titled, 
``Integrated Science Assessment for Lead'' (EPA/600/R-10/075F). The 
document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental 
Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development as 
part of the review of the national ambient air quality standards 
(NAAQS) for lead (Pb).

DATES: The document will be available on or around June 26, 2013.

ADDRESSES: The ``Integrated Science Assessment for Lead'' will be made 
available primarily through the Internet on the NCEA home page under 
the Recent Additions and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. 
A limited number of CD-ROM or paper copies will be available. Contact 
Ms. Marieka Boyd by phone: 919-541-0031; fax: 919-541-5078; or email: 
[email protected] to request either of these, and please provide 
your name, your mailing address, and the document title, ``Integrated 
Science Assessment for Lead'' (EPA/600/R-10/075F) to facilitate 
processing of your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information, contact Dr. 
Ellen Kirrane, NCEA; telephone: 919-541-1340; facsimile: 919-541-2985; 
or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 108 (a) of the Clean Air Act directs the Administrator to 
identify certain pollutants, which among other things, ``cause or 
contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to 
endanger public health or welfare'' and to issue air quality criteria 
for them. These 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. . . .'' 
Under section 109 of the Act, EPA is then to establish NAAQS for each 
pollutant for which EPA has issued criteria. Section 109 (d) of the Act 
subsequently requires periodic review and, if appropriate, revision of 
existing air quality criteria to reflect advances in scientific 
knowledge on the effects of the pollutant on public health or welfare. 
EPA is also to periodically review and, if appropriate, revise the 
NAAQS, based on the revised air quality criteria.
    Pb is one of six ``criteria'' pollutants for which EPA has 
established NAAQS. Periodically, EPA reviews the scientific basis for 
these standards by preparing an Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) 
(formerly called an Air Quality Criteria Document). The ISA provides a 
concise review, synthesis, and evaluation of the most policy-relevant 
science to serve as a scientific foundation for the review of the 
NAAQS. The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), an 
independent science advisory committee whose review and advisory 
functions are mandated by Section 109

[[Page 38319]]

(d) (2) of the Clean Air Act, is charged (among other things) with 
independent scientific review of EPA's air quality criteria.
    On February 26, 2010 (75 FR 8934), EPA formally initiated its 
current review of the air quality criteria for Pb, requesting the 
submission of recent scientific information on specified topics. Soon 
after, a science policy workshop was held to identify key policy issues 
and questions to frame the review of the Pb NAAQS (75 FR 20843). 
Drawing from the workshop discussions, a draft of EPA's ``Integrated 
Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Lead'' 
(EPA/452/D-11/001) was developed and made available in March 2011 for 
public comment and was discussed by the CASAC Pb Review Panel (CASAC 
panel) via a publicly accessible teleconference consultation on May 5, 
2011 (76 FR 20347, 76 FR 21346). The final Integrated Review Plan was 
released in December 2011 (76 FR 76972) and is available at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pb/s_pb_2010_pd.html.
    As part of the science assessment phase of the review, EPA held a 
workshop in December 2010 to discuss, with invited scientific experts, 
initial draft materials prepared in the development of the ISA (75 FR 
69078). The first external review draft ISA for Pb was released on May 
6, 2011 (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=226323). 
The CASAC panel met at a public meeting on July 20, 2011, to review the 
draft ISA (76 FR 36120). Subsequently, on December 9, 2011, the CASAC 
provided a consensus letter for their review to the Administrator of 
the EPA (http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr--
activites/D3E2E8488025344D852579610068A8A1/$File/EPA-CASAC-12-002-
unsigned.pdf). The second external review draft ISA for Pb was released 
on February 2, 2012 (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=235331). The CASAC panel met at a public meeting 
on April 10, 2012, to review the draft ISA (77 FR 14783). Subsequently, 
on July 20, 2012, the CASAC provided a consensus letter for their 
review to the Administrator of the EPA (http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/
sabproduct.nsf/13B1FD83815FA11885257A410064E0DC/$File/EPA-CASAC-12-005-
unsigned.pdf). The third external review draft ISA for Pb was released 
on November 27, 2012 (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=242655). The CASAC panel met at a public meeting 
on February 5, 2013, to review the draft ISA (78 FR 938). Subsequently, 
on June 4, 2013, the CASAC provided a consensus letter for their review 
to the Administrator of the EPA (http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/
sabproduct.nsf/0/39A3C8177D869EA085257B80006C7684/$File/EPA-CASAC-13-
004+unsigned.pdf). The letters from CASAC, as well as public comments 
received on the ISA drafts can be found in Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2011-0051.
    EPA has considered comments by the CASAC panel and by the public in 
preparing this final ISA.

    Dated: June 18, 2013.
Abdel M. Kadry,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2013-15144 Filed 6-25-13; 8:45 am]
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