[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 60 (Thursday, March 30, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15702-15704]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-06317]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-0620 and Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-
0128; FRL-9959-72-ORD]


First External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment for 
Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur, and Particulate Matter--
Ecological Criteria

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a public 
comment period for the draft document titled, ``First External Review 
Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of 
Sulfur, and Particulate Matter--Ecological Criteria'' (EPA/600/R-16/
372). The draft document was prepared by the National Center for 
Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and 
Development (ORD) as part of the review of the secondary (welfare-
based) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for oxides of 
nitrogen, oxides of sulfur, and particulate matter. The Integrated 
Science Assessment (ISA), in conjunction with additional technical and 
policy assessments, provides the scientific basis for EPA's decisions 
on the adequacy of the current NAAQS and the appropriateness of 
possible alternative standards. On January 28, 2016, EPA released a 
separate ISA as part of an independent review for the primary (health-
based) NAAQS for oxides of nitrogen (EPA/600/R-15/068). In addition, 
EPA is currently developing separate ISAs to support the primary NAAQS 
review for oxides of sulfur and the primary and non-ecological 
secondary (e.g., visibility, climate, materials damage) NAAQS review 
for particulate matter.
    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. When revising the 
document, EPA will consider any public comments submitted during the 
public comment period specified in this notice.

DATES: The public comment period begins on March 30, 2017, and ends on 
May 24, 2017. Comments must be received on or before May 24, 2017.

ADDRESSES: The ``First External Review Draft Integrated Science 
Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur, and Particulate 
Matter--Ecological Criteria'' will be available primarily via the 
internet on EPA's Integrated Science Assessment home page at https://www.epa.gov/isa/integrated-science-assessment-isa-oxides-nitrogen-and-sulfur-ecological or the public docket at http://www.regulations.gov, 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-0620 and Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-
0128. 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 Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of 
Sulfur, and Particulate Matter--Ecological 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; 
phone: 202-566-1752; fax: 202-566-9744; or email: [email protected].
    For technical information, contact Dr. Tara Greaver, NCEA; phone: 
919-541-2435; fax: 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

[[Page 15703]]

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 (for more information on the 
NAAQS review process, see https://www.epa.gov/naaqs).
    Oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulfur, and particulate matter are 
three 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's 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 the EPA's air quality criteria.
    On August 21, 2013 (78 FR 53452), EPA formally initiated its 
current review of the air quality criteria for the ecological effects 
of oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulfur, and the associated 
secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS, requesting the submission of recent 
scientific information on specified topics. Similarly, on December 3, 
2014 (79 FR 71764), EPA formally initiated its current review of the 
air quality criteria for the particulate matter NAAQS. EPA conducted 
two workshops--the first on March 4 to 6, 2014, for oxides of nitrogen 
and oxides of sulfur (79 FR 8644, February 13, 2014), and the second on 
February 11, 2015 (79 FR 71764, December 3, 2014), for particulate 
matter--to gather input from invited scientific experts, both internal 
and external to EPA, as well as from the public, regarding key science 
and policy issues relevant to the review of the these secondary NAAQS. 
These science and policy issues were incorporated into EPA's ``Draft 
Integrated Review Plan for the Secondary National Ambient Air Quality 
Standard for Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of Sulfur'' as well as the 
``Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
for Particulate Matter.'' The Draft Integrated Review Plan (IRP) for 
oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulfur was available for public 
comment (80 FR 69220, November 9, 2015) and discussion by the CASAC via 
publicly accessible teleconference consultation (80 FR 65223, February 
10, 2016). The Draft IRP for particulate matter was available for 
public comment (81 FR 2297, April 19, 2016) and discussion by the CASAC 
via publicly accessible teleconference consultation (81 FR 13362, March 
14, 2016) prior to release of the final document (81 FR 87933, December 
6, 2016). The final ``Integrated Review Plan for the Secondary National 
Ambient Air Quality Standard for Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur, 
and Particulate Matter'' will be announced by a separate Federal 
Register notice.
    Teleconference workshops with invited scientific experts, both 
internal and external to EPA, were held on August 25, 26, and 27, 2015 
(80 FR 48316, August 12, 2015), and June 13, 2016 (81 FR 89262, May 11, 
2016), to discuss initial draft materials prepared in the development 
of the draft ISA.
    The ``First External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment for 
Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur, and Particulate Matter--
Ecological 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 the 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.

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-
0620 and Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0128, by one of the following 
methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the online 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 20004.
    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 phone 
number for the Public Reading Room is 202-566-1744. 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-
2013-0620 and Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0128. 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 https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

[[Page 15704]]

    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 
on www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the ORD Docket in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: February 14, 2017.
Mary A. Ross,
Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2017-06317 Filed 3-29-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P