[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 102 (Thursday, May 26, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 31965-31966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-10972]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR 52

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0072; FRL-8635-04-OAR]


Release of the Policy Assessment for the Reconsideration of the 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability; policy assessment.

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SUMMARY: On or about May 23, 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) will make available the document, Policy Assessment for the 
Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for 
Particulate Matter (PA). This document was prepared as a part of the 
current reconsideration of the 2020 final decision on the National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter (PM). 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 
PM NAAQS.

DATES: This document will be available on or about May 23, 2022.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Lars Perlmutt, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards, (Mail Code C539-04), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 
919-541-3037, fax number: 919-541-5315; 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). In December 2020, the 
EPA announced its final decision to retain the primary and secondary 
PM2.5 and PM10 standards, without revision (85 FR 
82684, December 18, 2020).\1\ On June 10, 2021, the Agency announced 
its decision to reconsider the 2020 p.m. NAAQS final action.\2\ In its 
announcement of the reconsideration of the PM NAAQS, the Agency 
explained that, in support of the reconsideration, it would develop a 
supplement to the 2019 Integrated Science Assessment (ISA Supplement) 
\3\ and an updated PA. A draft of the ISA Supplement was released in 
September 2021 (86 FR 54186, September 30, 2021) and a draft of the PA 
was released in October 2021 (86 FR 56263, October 8, 2021). The draft 
ISA Supplement and the draft PA were reviewed by the seven-member 
chartered CASAC, with support from the PM CASAC Panel.4 5 
The final PA reflects consideration of the advice and comments from the 
CASAC, as well as public comments, on the draft PA. The PA serves to 
``bridge the gap'' between the scientific and technical information in 
the 2019 ISA and ISA Supplement and any air quality, exposure and risk 
analyses available in the reconsideration, and the judgments required 
of the Administrator in determining whether to retain or revise the 
existing PM NAAQS. The PA builds upon the information presented in the 
2019 ISA, the ISA Supplement, and the 2020 PA. The PA document will be 
available on or about May 23, 2022, on the EPA's website at https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/particulate-matter-pm-air-quality-standards.
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    \1\ The welfare effects considered in this reconsideration 
include visibility impairment, climate effects, and materials 
effects (i.e., damage and soiling). Ecological effects of PM, such 
as those related to deposition of nitrogen- and sulfur-containing 
compounds in vulnerable ecosystems, are being considered in the 
separate, on-going review of the secondary NAAQS for oxides of 
nitrogen and oxides of sulfur.
    \2\ The press release for this announcement is available at: 
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-reexamine-health-standards-harmful-soot-previous-administration-left-unchanged
    \3\ The 2019 ISA and the ISA Supplement are available at: 
https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/particulate-matter-pm-standards-integrated-science-assessments-current-review
    \4\ For more information, see: https://casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/f?p=105:18:667108909508:::RP,18:P18_ID:2606
    \5\ For more information, see: https://casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/f?p=105:18:13023836743815:::RP,18:P18_ID:2607#meeting.
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    The document briefly described above does not represent and should 
not be construed to represent any final EPA policy, viewpoint, or 
determination.


[[Page 31966]]


    Dated: May 16, 2022.
Panagiotis Tsirigotis,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2022-10972 Filed 5-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P