[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31200-31201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08753]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[ORD-2023-0435; FRL-11881-01-ORD]


Workshop To Inform Review of the Ozone National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of workshop.

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SUMMARY: The Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment 
(CPHEA) within U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development is 
announcing a workshop entitled ``Workshop to Discuss Policy-Relevant 
Science to Inform EPA's Integrated Plan for the Review of the Ozone 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards''. This workshop is being 
organized by CPHEA and the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards 
within U.S. EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. This will be a four-day 
virtual workshop and will be open to the public through a public event 
registration website.

DATES: The workshop will be held on May 13 through May 16, 2024. Start 
and end times will vary each day and range from 9:50 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
EST. Registrants will have access to the workshop agenda once they 
register.

ADDRESSES: This is a virtual workshop. An EPA contractor, ICF 
International, is providing logistical support for the workshop. To 
register, please visit the website: https://EPA-ozone-NAAQS-workshop.eventbrite.com. Interested parties can listen and ask 
questions via a virtual webinar. The pre-registration deadline is 
Friday, May 10, 2024. Please direct questions regarding workshop 
registration or logistics to Joshua Cleland at (401) 854-8675, or 
[email protected]. For specific questions regarding technical 
aspects of the workshop see For Further Information Contact section in 
this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information, contact 
Qingyu Meng (919-541-2563 or [email protected]) or Jeff Herrick (919-
541-7745 or [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Project

    Section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) directs the Administrator 
to identify and to list certain air pollutants and then to issue ``air 
quality criteria'' for those pollutants. 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 such 
pollutant in the ambient air. . . .'' Under section 109 of the CAA, EPA 
is then to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for 
each pollutant for which EPA has issued criteria. Section 109(d)(1) of 
the CAA additionally 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 
and welfare. EPA is also to periodically review and, if appropriate, 
revise the NAAQS, based on the revised air quality criteria.
    Photochemical oxidants, including ozone, are one of six 
``criteria'' pollutants for which EPA has established NAAQS, and ozone 
is the current indicator for that NAAQS. In its periodic review of the 
air quality criteria for these pollutants, EPA reviews the currently 
available science and prepares an Integrated Science Assessment (ISA). 
The evidence assessed and conclusions presented in the ISA directly 
inform the technical and policy assessments. Collectively, the ISA and 
any technical and policy assessments developed from the scientific and 
technical bases for the Administrator's decisions on the adequacy of 
existing NAAQS and the appropriateness of possible alternative 
standards.
    On August 25, 2023, EPA released the Call for Information on the 
Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related Photochemical 
Oxidants to announce the development of the Ozone ISA (88 FR 58264). 
The Notice of Workshop also seeks information from the public regarding 
the design and scope of the review of the air quality criteria to 
ensure that this review addresses key policy-relevant issues and 
considers the new science relevant to informing our understanding of 
these issues. The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), part 
of EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) whose review and advisory 
functions are mandated by section 109(d)(2) of the Clean Air Act, is 
charged with independent scientific review of the air quality criteria 
among other responsibilities. In conjunction with the

[[Page 31201]]

CASAC review, the public will have an opportunity to review and comment 
on the draft ozone ISA. As the process proceeds, in conjunction with 
CASAC review, the public will have opportunities to review and comment 
on drafts of other technical and policy assessments that are developed. 
These opportunities will also be announced in the Federal Register.
    As part of this review of the ozone NAAQS, EPA intends to sponsor a 
four-day workshop from May 13 through May 16, 2024, to provide the 
opportunity for internal and external experts to highlight significant 
new and emerging research on ozone and related photochemical oxidants. 
Experts will be asked to discuss how new evidence can best be used to 
build upon the analyses and scientific evidence that supported 
decisions made in the last review of the ozone NAAQS and to make 
recommendations to the Agency regarding the design and scope of the 
review for the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) 
ozone standards to ensure that it addresses key policy-relevant issues 
and considers the new and emerging science that is relevant to 
informing EPA's understanding of these issues. EPA intends that 
workshop discussions will build upon four prior publications by the 
Agency:
    1. Review of the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards: 
Final Decision (85 FR 87256, December 31, 2020). The preamble to the 
final rule included detailed discussions of policy-relevant issues 
central to the last review.
    2. Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants--Final Report. (EPA/600/R-20/012, April 2020). 
The 2020 Ozone ISA, completed by CPHEA, included consideration of 
studies published through January 1, 2018.
    3. The final Policy Assessment for the Review of the Ozone National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards (EPA-452/R-20-001, May 2020). This 
document presents an evaluation, for consideration by the EPA 
Administrator, of the policy implications of the currently available 
scientific information, assessed in the ISA, any quantitative air 
quality, exposure, or risk analyses based on the ISA findings, and 
related limitations and uncertainties.
    4. The draft document titled, Policy Assessment for the 
Reconsideration of the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards, 
External Review Draft Version 2 (EPA-452/P-23-002, March 2023). This 
draft document was prepared as a part of the reconsideration of the 
2020 final decision on the ozone NAAQS, which has been incorporated 
into this review.
    Workshop participants are encouraged to review these documents 
thoroughly before the meeting, as they provide important background 
information on the scientific findings and analytical approaches 
considered in the previous review, as well as insights into the key 
policy-relevant questions from that review. Participants may also want 
to review related documents including:
    1. Technical memos considered by the CASAC Ozone Panel as part of 
the reconsideration of the 2020 decision (available on the CASAC 
website under ``meeting materials'' at https://casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/r/sab_apex/casac/meeting?p19_id=976&clear=19&session=15138357514835).
    2. Letter from Elizabeth A. Sheppard, Chair, Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee, to Administrator Michael S. Regan. Re: CASAC Review 
of the EPA's Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants (Final Report--April 2020). November 22, 2022. 
EPA-CASAC-23-001. Available at: https://casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/f?p=105:18:8476900499267:::RP,18:P18_ID:2614.
    3. Letter from Elizabeth A. Sheppard, Chair, Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee, to Administrator Michael S. Regan. Re: CASAC Review 
of the EPA's Policy Assessment (PA) for the Reconsideration of the 
Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (External Review Draft 
Version 2) (June 9, 2023) (EPA-CASAC-23-002). Available at https://casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/f?p=113:18:7093179574667:::RP,18:P18_ID:2636#meeting.
    Following the workshop, EPA will develop a workshop proceedings 
document and a three-volume Integrated Review Plan (IRP) for the review 
of the ozone NAAQS. Volume 1 will provide background on the ozone 
NAAQS. Volume 2 is the planning document for the review and the ISA, 
and will outline the schedule, process, and approaches for evaluating 
the relevant scientific information and addressing the key policy-
relevant issues to be considered in this review. Lastly, Volume 3 is 
the planning document for technical air quality, exposure, and risk 
analyses. CASAC will be asked to consult with the Agency on Volumes 2 
and 3, and the public will also have the opportunity to comment. The 
IRP, with input received from the CASAC and the public, will provide 
the framework to guide the review and development of the draft ISA and 
policy assessments.

Wayne Cascio,
Director, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2024-08753 Filed 4-23-24; 8:45 am]
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