[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 173 (Monday, September 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 53192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21297]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0699; FRL-9916-24-OAR]


Release of Final Documents Related to the Review of the National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the 
availability of three final documents titled Policy Assessment for the 
Review of the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (PA); Health 
Risk and Exposure Assessment for Ozone (HREA); and Welfare Risk and 
Exposure Assessment for Ozone (WREA). The PA, HREA, and WREA have been 
prepared by staff in the EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards (OAQPS) as part of the Agency's ongoing review of the primary 
(health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) national ambient air 
quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone (O3). The PA presents 
analyses and staff conclusions regarding the policy implications of the 
key scientific and technical information that informs this review of 
the O3 NAAQS. The HREA and WREA present analyses of 
O3 exposures and risks.

DATES: The PA, HREA, and WREA will be made available on or about August 
29, 2014.

ADDRESSES: These documents will be available primarily via the Internet 
at the following Web site: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Susan Stone, Office of Air Quality 
Planning and Standards (mail code C504-06), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 
919-541-1146; 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 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 NAAQS for O3. The 
PA, HREA, and WREA build upon information presented in the Integrated 
Science Assessment for Ozone \1\ prepared for this review by the EPA's 
Office of Research and Development (ORD). Drafts of the PA, HREA, and 
WREA were reviewed by CASAC, and were commented upon by members of the 
public, at public meetings held on September 11-13, 2012, and March 25-
27, 2014. The CASAC issued final reports on the second drafts of these 
documents on June 18, 2014 (WREA), June 26, 2014 (PA), and July 1, 2014 
(HREA). The final versions of the PA, HREA, and WREA reflect staff's 
consideration of the comments and recommendations made by CASAC, as 
well as comments made by members of the public, in its review of the 
draft versions of these documents. The final PA, HREA, and WREA are 
available through the Agency's Technology Transfer Network (TTN) Web 
site at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_index.html.
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    \1\ Integrated Science Assessment of Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Washington, DC. EPA/600/R-10/076F. Available at: http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=247492#Download.

    Dated: August 27, 2014.
Mary Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2014-21297 Filed 9-5-14; 8:45 am]
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