[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70040-70041]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27979]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9903-22-ORD; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-0232]


Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Nitrogen Oxides--Health 
Criteria

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period.

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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a 60-day public comment period for the draft 
document titled, ``First External Review Draft Integrated Science 
Assessment for Nitrogen Oxides--Health Criteria'' (EPA/600/R-13/202). 
The draft 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 primary (health-based) 
national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for nitrogen dioxide 
(NO2). The Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), in 
conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, provide 
the scientific basis for EPA decisions on the adequacy of the current 
NAAQS and the appropriateness of possible alternative standards. EPA 
intends to develop a separate ISA, and NAAQS review, for the secondary 
(welfare-based) NAAQS for NO2, in conjunction with a review 
of the secondary NAAQS for sulfur dioxide.
    EPA is releasing this draft document to seek review by the Clean 
Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and the public (meeting date 
and location to be specified in a separate Federal Register notice). 
This draft document is not final as described in EPA's information 
quality guidelines, and it does not represent and should not be 
construed to represent Agency policy or views. EPA will consider any 
public comments submitted in response to this notice when revising the 
document.

DATES: The 60-day public comment period begins November 22, 2013, and 
ends January 21, 2014. Comments must be received on or before January 
21, 2014.

ADDRESSES: The ``First External Review Draft Integrated Science 
Assessment for Nitrogen Oxides--Health Criteria'' will be available 
primarily via the Internet on NCEA's home page under the Recent 
Additions and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea or the 
public docket at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID: EPA-HQ-ORD-
2013-0232. A limited number of CD-ROM copies will be available. Contact 
Ms. Marieka Boyd by phone: 919-541-0031; fax: 919-541-5078; or email: 
[email protected] to request a CD-ROM, and please provide your name, 
your mailing address, and the document title, ``First External Review 
Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Nitrogen Oxides--Health 
Criteria'' to facilitate processing of your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment 
period, contact the ORD Docket at the EPA Headquarters Docket Center; 
telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-9744; or email: [email protected].
    For technical information, contact Dr. Molini Patel, NCEA; 
telephone: 919-541-1492; facsimile: 919-541-1818; or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Document

    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 required to review and, if appropriate, revise the NAAQS, 
based on the revised air quality criteria (for more information on the 
NAAQS review process, see http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/review.html).
    Nitrogen oxides are one of six criteria pollutants for which EPA 
has established NAAQS. Periodically, EPA reviews the scientific basis 
for these standards by preparing an ISA (formerly called an Air Quality 
Criteria Document). The ISA, in conjunction with additional technical 
and policy assessments, provides the scientific basis for EPA decisions 
on the adequacy of the current NAAQS and the appropriateness of 
possible alternative standards. The CASAC, an independent science 
advisory committee whose review and advisory functions are mandated by 
Section 109 (d) (2) of the Clean Air Act, is charged (among other 
things) with independent scientific review of EPA's air quality 
criteria.
    On February 10, 2012 (77 FR 7149), EPA formally initiated its 
current review of the air quality criteria for the health effects of 
nitrogen oxides and the primary (health-based) NO2 NAAQS, 
requesting the submission of recent scientific information on specified 
topics. EPA held a workshop February 29 to March 1, 2012, to discuss 
with invited scientific experts from internal and external to EPA, key 
science and policy issues relevant to the review of the health effects 
of nitrogen oxides (77 FR 7149). EPA's ``Draft Plan for Development of 
the Integrated Science Assessment for Nitrogen Oxides--Health 
Criteria'' was made available for public comment on May 3, 2013 (78 FR 
26026), and was discussed by the CASAC via a publicly accessible 
teleconference consultation on June 5, 2013 (78 FR 27234). On June 11, 
2013, EPA held a workshop to discuss, with invited scientific experts, 
initial draft materials prepared in the development of the ISA (78 FR 
27374).
    A draft Integrated Review Plan (IRP) is being developed that will 
characterize all of the phases of the review of the primary NAAQS for 
NO2, including the schedule for the entire review, the 
process for conducting the various phases of the review, and the key 
policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review. The draft 
IRP will incorporate a revised plan for ISA development after 
consideration of CASAC and public comments on the draft plan for 
development of the ISA. The draft IRP will be reviewed by CASAC and the 
public together with the first draft ISA at a public meeting. The 
availability of the draft IRP for review by CASAC and the public, and 
the date and location of the public meeting, will

[[Page 70041]]

be announced in separate Federal Register notices.
    The ``First External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment for 
Nitrogen Oxides--Health Criteria'' will be discussed at a public 
meeting for review by CASAC and the public. In addition to the public 
comment period announced in this notice, the public will have an 
opportunity to address CASAC. A separate Federal Register notice will 
inform the public of the exact date and time of the CASAC meeting and 
of the procedures for public participation in that CASAC meeting.

II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at 
www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-
0232, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-9744.
     Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket 
Center (ORD Docket), Mail Code: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-566-1752.
     Hand Delivery: The ORD Docket is located in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 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. Such deliveries are only accepted during 
the docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should 
be made for deliveries of boxed information. If you provide comments by 
mail or hand delivery, please submit three copies of the comments. For 
attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the 
comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2013-0232. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is 
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information through 
www.regulations.gov or email that you consider to be CBI or otherwise 
protected. 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 email comment directly to EPA without going through 
www.regulations.gov, your email 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. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the 
EPA Docket Center homepage at www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: 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, are publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the ORD Docket in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: October 30, 2013.
Debra B. Walsh,
Acting Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2013-27979 Filed 11-21-13; 8:45 am]
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