[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 62 (Friday, March 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19302-19304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05740]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-0701; FRL-10796-01-ORD]


Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (Pb) (External Review 
Draft)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 60-
day public comment period for the draft document titled, ``Integrated 
Science Assessment for Lead (External Review Draft)''. This draft 
document was prepared by the Center for Public Health and Environmental 
Assessment (CPHEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development 
(ORD) as part of the review of the primary (health-based) and secondary 
(welfare-based) Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
(NAAQS). It represents an update of the 2013 Integrated Science 
Assessment (ISA) for Lead (Pb) (EPA/600/R-10/075F). The ISA, in 
conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, provides 
the scientific foundation for EPA's decisions on the adequacy of the 
current NAAQS and the appropriateness of possible alternative 
standards. EPA is releasing the draft ISA for Pb to seek review by the 
Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and input from the 
public. The date and location of a public meeting for the CASAC to 
discuss its review of this document will be specified in a separate 
Federal Register notice (FRN). The draft ISA is not final and does not 
represent, and should not be construed to represent, any final 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 March 31, 2023 and ends May 30, 
2023. Comments must be received on or before May 30, 2023.

ADDRESSES: The ``Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (Pb) (External 
Review Draft)'' will be available on or about March 31, 2023 via the 
internet on EPA's Integrated Science Assessment Lead page at https://www.epa.gov/isa/integrated-science-assessment-isa-lead and in the 
public docket at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2020-0701. You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
ORD-2020-0701, by any of the methods discussed in the ``How to Submit 
Technical Comments to the

[[Page 19303]]

Docket'' heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this 
document.

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; facsimile: 202-566-9744; or email: 
[email protected].
    For technical information, contact Evan Coffman; phone: (919) 541-
0567; facsimile: 919-541-5078; or email: [email protected] or 
Meredith Lassiter; phone (919) 541-3200; facsimile: 919-541-5078; or 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Document

    Section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act (the Act) directs the EPA 
Administrator to identify and list certain air pollutants that ``may 
reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare'' and 
``the presence of which in the ambient air results from numerous or 
diverse mobile or stationary sources.'' The Act further directs the 
Administrator to issue air quality criteria for these 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 . . .'' Under section 109 
of the Act, EPA is then to establish NAAQS for each pollutant for which 
the Agency has issued air quality criteria. Section 109(d)(1) requires 
periodic review and, if appropriate, revision of air quality criteria 
and the NAAQS to reflect advances in scientific knowledge on the 
effects of the pollutant on public health or welfare. Information on 
EPA's process for reviewing the air quality criteria and the NAAQS is 
available at https://www.epa.gov/naaqs.
    EPA has established NAAQS for six criteria pollutants. Presently 
the EPA is reviewing the air quality criteria and NAAQS for Pb. As part 
of that review, EPA is preparing an updated ISA to reflect the latest 
scientific knowledge on the public health and welfare effects of Pb 
exposures, per section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act. When final, the 
ISA, in conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, 
will provide the scientific foundation for EPA's decisions on the 
adequacy of the current Pb NAAQS and, if appropriate, on potential 
alternative standards. The CASAC, an independent scientific advisory 
committee with review and advisory functions that are mandated by 
section 109(d)(2) of the Clean Air Act, will provide an independent 
scientific review of the draft ISA.
    On July 7, 2020, (85 FR 40641), EPA formally initiated its current 
review of the air quality criteria for the health and welfare effects 
of Pb, requesting the submission of recent scientific information on 
specified topics. Key background information on the air quality 
criteria for the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) 
NAAQS for Pb was summarized in Volume 1 of EPA's ``Integrated Review 
Plan for the Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards,'' and the 
general approach to developing the Pb ISA was incorporated into Volume 
2 of EPA's ``Integrated Review Plan for the Lead National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards,'' which was available for public comment (87 FR 
13732, March 10, 2022) and was discussed by the CASAC at a publicly 
accessible teleconference consultation (87 FR 15985, March 21, 
2022).\1\
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    \1\ Volume 3 of the IRP will describe key considerations in 
EPA's planning for any exposure/risk analyses. Volume 3 will also be 
the subject of a future consultation with the CASAC.
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    Webinar workshops were held on May 26, June 7, June 22, and June 
29, 2022, for invited EPA and external scientific experts to discuss 
initial Pb ISA draft materials and for the public to have an 
opportunity to listen in to these discussions (87 FR 27147, May 6, 
2022). Input received during these webinar workshops aided in the 
development of the draft ISA for Pb being released at this time.
    The next step is for the CASAC to review the draft ISA and to 
discuss its review at a public meeting. This meeting will include an 
opportunity for members of the public to address comments to the CASAC 
for its consideration. A separate FRN will inform the public of the 
date and time of the CASAC meeting and of the procedures for public 
participation.

II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket

    Submit your materials identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-
0701 by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-9744. Due to COVID-19, there may be a delay 
in processing comments submitted by fax.
     Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket 
Center, Office of Research and Development Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 
202-566-1752.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: EPA Docket Center, WJC West 
Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. 
The Docket Center's hours of operation are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday (except Federal Holidays). If you provide materials by 
mail or hand delivery, please submit three copies of these materials. 
For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the 
materials, and submit an unbound original and three copies.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2020-0701. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and will only be considered if time permits. It is 
EPA's policy to include all materials it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the materials available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless materials include information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or email. The 
www.regulations.gov website 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 directly 
to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov, your email address 
will be automatically captured and included as part of the materials 
that are placed in the public docket and made available on the 
internet. If you submit electronic materials, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
materials and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read 
your materials due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider the materials you 
submit. 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 EPA's Docket 
Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available,

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

Wayne Cascio,
Director, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office 
of Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 2023-05740 Filed 3-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P