[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 217 (Monday, November 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66721-66722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-26623]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0146; FRL-9919-00-OAR]


Release of Integrated Review Plan for the Primary National 
Ambient Air Quality Standard for Sulfur Dioxide

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

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 Standard for Sulfur Dioxide (IRP). 
This document contains the plans for the review of the air quality 
criteria for health for sulfur oxides and the primary national ambient 
air quality standard (NAAQS) for sulfur dioxide (SO2). The 
primary SO2 NAAQS provide for the protection of public 
health from exposure to sulfur oxides in ambient air.

DATES: The IRP will be available on or about October 30, 2014.

ADDRESSES: This document will be available primarily via the Internet 
at the following Web site: http://

[[Page 66722]]

www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/so2/s_so2_2013_pd.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Michael J. Stewart, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards (mail code C504-06), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 
919-541-7524; 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 
SO2.\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 EPA's 
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, within the Office of Air 
and Radiation (79 FR 14035). The draft IRP was reviewed by CASAC at a 
teleconference on April 22, 2014 (79 FR 16325). Comments from the CASAC 
on the draft IRP were provided to us in a July 24, 2014, letter (Frey 
and Diez-Roux, 2014).\3\ 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 
May 10, 2013 (78 FR 27387).
    \2\ The EPA held a workshop entitled ``Workshop to Discuss 
Policy Relevant Science to Inform EPA's Integrated Plan for Review 
of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Sulfur Oxides'' on 
June 12-13, 2013 (78 FR 27387).
    \3\ Letter from Dr. H. Christopher Frey and Dr. Ana Diez-Roux, 
Chairs, Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee to the Honorable 
Gina McCarthy, Administrator, US EPA. CASAC Review of the EPA's 
Integrated Review Plan for the Primary National Ambient Air Quality 
Standard for Sulfur Dioxide (External Review Draft--March 2014). 
July 24, 2014. Available at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/
sabproduct.nsf/4620a620d0120f93852572410080d786/
CB76219103736A8185257D20006D033D/$File/EPA-CASAC-14-
006+unsigned.pdf.

    Dated: November 3, 2014.
Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2014-26623 Filed 11-7-14; 8:45 am]
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