[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 100 (Friday, May 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 31182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11121]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0279; FRL-10009-30-OAR]


Release of Policy Assessment for the Ozone National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: On or about May 29, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) will make available the document, Policy Assessment for the Ozone 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (PA, EPA-452/R-20-001). This 
document was prepared as part of the current review of the national 
ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for photochemical oxidants 
including ozone (O3). The PA serves to ``bridge the gap'' 
between the currently available scientific and technical information 
and the judgments required of the Administrator in determining whether 
to retain or revise the existing O3 NAAQS. The primary and 
secondary O3 NAAQS are set to protect the public health and 
the public welfare from O3 and other photochemical oxidants 
in ambient air.

DATES: This document will be available on or about May 29, 2020.

ADDRESSES: This document will be available on the EPA's website at 
https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/ozone-o3-air-quality-standards. The document 
will be accessible under ``Policy Assessments'' from the current 
review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Deirdre L. Murphy, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards, (Mail Code C504-06), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 
919-541-0729, fax number: 919-541-0237; or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Two sections of the Clean Air Act (CAA or 
the Act) govern the establishment and revision of the NAAQS. Section 
108 directs the Administrator to identify and list certain air 
pollutants and then issue ``air quality criteria'' for those 
pollutants. The 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 such pollutant in the ambient air . . .'' 
(CAA section 108(a)(2)). Under section 109 of the Act, the EPA is then 
to establish primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS 
for each pollutant for which the EPA has issued air quality criteria. 
Section 109(d)(1) of the Act requires periodic review and, if 
appropriate, revision of existing air quality criteria. Revised air 
quality criteria are to reflect advances in scientific knowledge on the 
effects of the pollutant on public health and welfare. Under the same 
provision, the EPA is also to periodically review and, if appropriate, 
revise the NAAQS, based on the revised air quality criteria.
    The Act additionally requires appointment of an independent 
scientific review committee that is to periodically review the existing 
air quality criteria and NAAQS and to recommend any new standards and 
revisions of existing criteria and standards as may be appropriate (CAA 
section 109(d)(2)(A)-(B)). Since the early 1980s, the requirement for 
an independent scientific review committee has been fulfilled by the 
Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC).
    Presently the EPA is reviewing the air quality criteria and NAAQS 
for photochemical oxidants and O3.\1\ The EPA's overall plan 
for this review is presented in the Integrated Review Plan for the 
Ozone NAAQS (IRP).\2\ As described in the IRP, the EPA has prepared an 
Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related Photochemical 
Oxidants (ISA), a draft of which was released in September 2019 for 
public comment and review by the CASAC.\3\ A draft of the PA was also 
reviewed by the CASAC (84 FR 58713, November 1, 2019; 85 FR 4656, 
January 27, 2020). The final PA reflects consideration of the advice 
and comments from the CASAC,\4\ as well as public comments, on the 
draft PA. The PA serves to ``bridge the gap'' between the scientific 
and technical information in the final ISA and any air quality, 
exposure and risk analyses available in the review, and the judgments 
required of the Administrator in determining whether to retain or 
revise the existing ozone NAAQS. The PA builds upon information 
presented in the ISA and quantitative air quality, exposure and risk 
analyses (presented in appendices to the PA). The PA document will be 
available on or about May 29, 2020, on the EPA's website at https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/ozone-o3-air-quality-standards. The document briefly 
described here does not represent and should not be construed to 
represent any final EPA policy, viewpoint, or determination.
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    \1\ The EPA's call for information for this review was issued on 
June 26, 2018 (83 FR 29785).
    \2\ The IRP is available at https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/ozone-o3-standards-planning-documents-current-review.
    \3\ The ISA is available at: https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/ozone-o3-standards-integrated-science-assessments-current-review.
    \4\ The CASAC comments are available at: https://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/WebProjectsbyTopicCASAC!OpenView.

    Dated: May 19, 2020.
Panagiotis Tsirigotis,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2020-11121 Filed 5-21-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P