[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 234 (Tuesday, December 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87933-87934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29231]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0072; FRL-9955-78-OAR]


Release of the Final Integrated Review Plan for the National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the 
availability of the final document titled Integrated Review Plan for 
the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter 
(IRP). The IRP presents the planned approach and anticipated schedule 
for the review of the air quality criteria for particulate matter (PM) 
and the primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards 
(NAAQS) for PM. The primary and secondary NAAQS for PM are set to 
protect the public health and public welfare, respectively, from 
exposures to PM in ambient air.

DATES: The IRP will be available on or about December 5, 2016.

ADDRESSES: The IRP will be available primarily via the Internet at 
https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pm/s_pm_2014_pd.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Scott Jenkins, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards (Mail code C504-06), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 
919-541-1167; email: [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 his or 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. 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 the existing criteria and 
standards as may be appropriate . . . .'' Since the early 1980s, this 
independent review function has been performed by the Clean Air 
Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC).
    Presently, the EPA is reviewing the criteria and the primary and 
secondary NAAQS for PM.\1\ The IRP being 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. The draft IRP presented the anticipated plan and 
schedule for the entire review, the process for conducting the review, 
and the key policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review. 
The draft IRP was reviewed by the CASAC at a teleconference on May 23, 
2016. The CASAC's advice on the draft IRP was conveyed in a letter to 
the Administrator dated August 31, 2016.\3\ The final IRP being 
released at this time reflects consideration of the CASAC's advice and 
public comments received on the draft IRP.
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    \1\ The EPA's call for information for this review was issued on 
December 3, 2014 (79 FR 71764).
    \2\ The EPA held a workshop titled ``Workshop to Discuss Policy-
Relevant Science to Inform EPA's Review of the Primary and Secondary 
NAAQS for PM'' on February 9-11, 2015 (79 FR 71764).
    \3\ Available at: https://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/
4620a620d0120f93852572410080d786/9920C7E70022CCF98525802000702022/
$File/EPA-CASAC+2016-003+unsigned.pdf.


[[Page 87934]]


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    Dated: December 1, 2016.
Stephen Page,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2016-29231 Filed 12-5-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P