[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 173 (Monday, September 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 53192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21297]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0699; FRL-9916-24-OAR]
Release of Final Documents Related to the Review of the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the
availability of three final documents titled Policy Assessment for the
Review of the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (PA); Health
Risk and Exposure Assessment for Ozone (HREA); and Welfare Risk and
Exposure Assessment for Ozone (WREA). The PA, HREA, and WREA have been
prepared by staff in the EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards (OAQPS) as part of the Agency's ongoing review of the primary
(health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) national ambient air
quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone (O3). The PA presents
analyses and staff conclusions regarding the policy implications of the
key scientific and technical information that informs this review of
the O3 NAAQS. The HREA and WREA present analyses of
O3 exposures and risks.
DATES: The PA, HREA, and WREA will be made available on or about August
29, 2014.
ADDRESSES: These documents will be available primarily via the Internet
at the following Web site: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_index.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Susan Stone, Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards (mail code C504-06), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number:
919-541-1146; fax number: 919-541-0237; email address:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Two sections of the Clean Air Act (CAA)
govern the establishment and revision of the NAAQS. Section 108 (42
U.S.C. 7408) directs the Administrator to identify and list certain air
pollutants and then to issue air quality criteria for those pollutants.
The Administrator is to list those air pollutants that in her
``judgment, cause or contribute to air pollution which may reasonably
be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare;'' ``the presence
of which in the ambient air results from numerous or diverse mobile or
stationary sources;'' and ``for which . . . [the Administrator] plans
to issue air quality criteria . . .'' Air quality criteria are intended
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 . . .'' 42 U.S.C. 7408(b). Under section
109 (42 U.S.C. 7409), the EPA establishes primary (health-based) and
secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS for pollutants for which air quality
criteria are issued. Section 109(d) requires periodic review and, if
appropriate, revision of existing air quality criteria. The EPA is also
required to periodically review and, if appropriate, revise the NAAQS
based on the revised criteria. Section 109(d)(2) requires that an
independent scientific review committee ``shall complete a review of
the criteria . . . and the national primary and secondary ambient air
quality standards . . . and shall recommend to the Administrator any
new . . . standards and revisions of existing criteria and standards as
may be appropriate . . .'' Since the early 1980's, this independent
review function has been performed by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory
Committee (CASAC).
Presently, the EPA is reviewing the NAAQS for O3. The
PA, HREA, and WREA build upon information presented in the Integrated
Science Assessment for Ozone \1\ prepared for this review by the EPA's
Office of Research and Development (ORD). Drafts of the PA, HREA, and
WREA were reviewed by CASAC, and were commented upon by members of the
public, at public meetings held on September 11-13, 2012, and March 25-
27, 2014. The CASAC issued final reports on the second drafts of these
documents on June 18, 2014 (WREA), June 26, 2014 (PA), and July 1, 2014
(HREA). The final versions of the PA, HREA, and WREA reflect staff's
consideration of the comments and recommendations made by CASAC, as
well as comments made by members of the public, in its review of the
draft versions of these documents. The final PA, HREA, and WREA are
available through the Agency's Technology Transfer Network (TTN) Web
site at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_index.html.
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\1\ Integrated Science Assessment of Ozone and Related
Photochemical Oxidants. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Washington, DC. EPA/600/R-10/076F. Available at: http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=247492#Download.
Dated: August 27, 2014.
Mary Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2014-21297 Filed 9-5-14; 8:45 am]
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