[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66353-66354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29591]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9090-9; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-0517]
Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the
availability of a final document titled, ``Integrated Science
Assessment for Particulate Matter'' (EPA/600/R-08/139F) and the
supplementary annexes (EPA/600/R-08/139FA). The document was prepared
by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's
Office of Research and Development as part of the review of the
national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter.
DATES: The document will be available on or about December 15, 2009.
ADDRESSES: The ``Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter''
will be available primarily via the Internet
[[Page 66354]]
on the National Center for Environmental Assessment's home page under
the Recent Additions and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea.
A limited number of CD-ROM or paper copies will be available. Contact
Ms. Deborah Wales by phone (919-541-4731), fax (919-541-5078), or e-
mail (wales.deborah@epa.gov) to request either of these, and please
provide your name, your mailing address, and the document title,
``Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter'' (EPA/600/R-08/
139F and EPA/600/R-08/139FA) to facilitate processing of your request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
For technical information, contact Dr. Lindsay Wichers Stanek,
NCEA; telephone: 919-541-7792; facsimile: 919-541-2985; or e-mail:
stanek.lindsay@epa.gov.
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 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 national ambient
air quality standards (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 to revise the
NAAQS, if appropriate, based on the revised air quality criteria.
Particulate matter (PM) is one of six principal (or ``criteria'')
pollutants for which EPA has established NAAQS. Periodically, EPA
reviews the scientific basis for these standards by preparing an
Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) (formerly called an Air Quality
Criteria Document). The ISA and supplementary annexes, in conjunction
with additional technical and policy assessments, provide the
scientific basis for EPA decisions on the adequacy of the current NAAQS
and the appropriateness of possible alternative standards. The Clean
Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), an independent science
advisory committee whose existence and whose review and advisory
functions are mandated by Section 109(d)(2) of the Act, is charged
(among other things) with independent scientific review of EPA's air
quality criteria.
On June 28, 2007 (72 FR 35462), EPA formally initiated its current
review of the air quality criteria for PM, requesting the submission of
recent scientific information on specified topics. A draft of EPA's
''Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standard
for Particulate Matter'' (EPA/452/P-08-006) was made available in
October 2007 for public comment and was discussed by the CASAC PM
Review Panel via a publicly accessible teleconference consultation on
November 30, 2007 (72 FR 63177). EPA finalized the plan and made it
available in March 2008 (EPA/452/R-08-004; http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pm/s_pm_2007_pd.html). In June 2008 (73 FR 30391),
EPA held a workshop to discuss, with invited scientific experts,
initial draft materials prepared in the development of the PM ISA and
its supplementary annexes.
The First External Review Draft ISA for PM (EPA/600/R-08/139 and
EPA/600/R-08/139A; http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=201805) was released on December 22, 2008 (73 FR
77686). This document was reviewed by the CASAC and discussed at a
public meeting on April 1 and 2, 2009 (74 FR 7688). The CASAC held a
follow-up public teleconference on May 7, 2009 (74 FR 18230) to review
and approve the CASAC PM Review Panel's draft letter providing comments
to the Agency on the First External Review Draft ISA for PM (http://
yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/73ACCA834AB44A10852575BD0064346B/
$File/EPA-CASAC-09-008-unsigned.pdf).
The Second External Review Draft ISA for PM (EPA/600/R-08/139B and
EPA/600/R-08/139BA; http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=210586) was released on July 31, 2009 (74 FR
38185) and reviewed and discussed by CASAC at a public meeting on
October 5 and 6, 2009 (74 FR 46586). The CASAC held a follow-up public
teleconference on November 12, 2009 to review and approve the CASAC PM
Review Panel's draft letter providing comments to the Agency on the
Second External Review Draft ISA for PM (http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/MeetingCal/24CDD0F35DB3EC9F8525762400482B2F?OpenDocument). EPA has considered
comments by CASAC and by the public in preparing this final ISA.
Dated: December 1, 2009.
Rebecca Clark,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E9-29591 Filed 12-14-09; 8:45 am]
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