[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 125 (Monday, June 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36801-36802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15155]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0146; FRL-9912-98-OAR]
Release of Integrated Review Plan for the Primary National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the
availability of a final document titled Integrated Review Plan for the
Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide
(IRP). This document contains the plans for the review of the air
quality criteria for health for oxides of nitrogen and the primary
national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for nitrogen dioxide
(NO2). The primary NO2 NAAQS provide for the
protection of public health from exposure to oxides of nitrogen in
ambient air.
DATES: The IRP will be available on or about June 30, 2014.
ADDRESSES: This document will be available primarily via the Internet
at the following Web site: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/nox/s_nox_2012_pd.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Beth Hassett-Sipple, Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards (mail code C504-06), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number:
919-541-4605; fax number: 919-541-0237; email address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Two sections of the Clean Air Act (CAA)
govern the establishment and revision of the NAAQS. Section 108 (42
U.S.C. 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, if appropriate, revise the NAAQS
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 primary NAAQS for
NO2.\1\ The final 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.\2\ Drawing from the workshop discussions, a draft
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 (79 FR 7184, February 6, 2014).\3\ The draft IRP
was reviewed by CASAC at a meeting on March 12, 2014 (79 FR 8701,
February 13, 2014). Comments from CASAC on the draft IRP were provided
to the EPA in a June 10, 2014, letter (Frey, 2014).\4\
[[Page 36802]]
The final IRP includes consideration of CASAC and public comments
received on the draft IRP. This document presents the current plan and
specifies the schedule for the entire review, the process for
conducting the review, and the key policy-relevant science issues that
will guide the review.
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\1\ The EPA's call for information for this review was issued on
February 10, 2012 (77 FR 7149).
\2\ The EPA held a workshop titled ``Kickoff Workshop to Inform
EPA's Review of the Primary NO2 NAAQS on February 29 to
March 1, 2012 (77 FR 7149, February 10, 2012).
\3\ The EPA released a draft plan for developing the Integrated
Science Assessment (ISA) for CASAC consultation and public review
(78 FR 26026, May 3, 2013). The EPA held a consultation with CASAC
on this draft plan during a public teleconference on June 5, 2013
(78 FR 27234, May 10, 2013). Individual CASAC member comments were
provided to the EPA in a letter from Dr. H. Christopher Frey, Chair,
Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee to the Honorable Bob
Perciasepe, Acting Administrator, U.S. EPA, Consultation on the
EPA's Draft Plan for the Development of the Integrated Science
Assessment for Nitrogen Oxides--Health Criteria (May 2013 Draft).
June 18, 2013. Available at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/
sabproduct.nsf/264cb1227d55e02c85257402007446a4/
08EF0A3789CDB13A85257B8E006A496E/$File/EPA-CASAC-13-
006+unsigned.pdf. CASAC and public comments on that draft plan were
considered in developing Chapter 4 of the draft IRP.
\4\ Letter from Dr. H. Christopher Frey, Chair, Clean Air
Scientific Advisory Committee to the Honorable Gina McCarthy,
Administrator, U.S. EPA. CASAC Review of the EPA's Integrated Review
Plan for the Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for
Nitrogen Dioxide (External Review Draft) (February 2014). June 10,
2014. Available at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/
264cb1227d55e02c85257402007446a4/89989229944F36B085257CF300692E2A/
$File/EPA-CASAC-14-001+unsigned.pdf.
Dated: June 19, 2014.
Mary Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2014-15155 Filed 6-27-14; 8:45 am]
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