[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 234 (Tuesday, December 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87933-87934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29231]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0072; FRL-9955-78-OAR]
Release of the Final Integrated Review Plan for the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the
availability of the final document titled Integrated Review Plan for
the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter
(IRP). The IRP presents the planned approach and anticipated schedule
for the review of the air quality criteria for particulate matter (PM)
and the primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards
(NAAQS) for PM. The primary and secondary NAAQS for PM are set to
protect the public health and public welfare, respectively, from
exposures to PM in ambient air.
DATES: The IRP will be available on or about December 5, 2016.
ADDRESSES: The IRP will be available primarily via the Internet at
https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pm/s_pm_2014_pd.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Scott Jenkins, Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards (Mail code C504-06), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number:
919-541-1167; email: [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 his or 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. Revised air
quality criteria reflect advances in scientific knowledge on the
effects of the pollutant on public health or welfare. 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 the existing criteria and
standards as may be appropriate . . . .'' Since the early 1980s, this
independent review function has been performed by the Clean Air
Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC).
Presently, the EPA is reviewing the criteria and the primary and
secondary NAAQS for PM.\1\ The IRP being announced today has been
developed as part of the planning phase for the review. This phase
began with a science policy workshop to identify issues and questions
to frame the review.\2\ Drawing from the workshop discussions, a draft
IRP was prepared jointly by the EPA's National Center for Environmental
Assessment, within the Office of Research and Development, and the
EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, within the Office
of Air and Radiation. The draft IRP presented the anticipated plan and
schedule for the entire review, the process for conducting the review,
and the key policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review.
The draft IRP was reviewed by the CASAC at a teleconference on May 23,
2016. The CASAC's advice on the draft IRP was conveyed in a letter to
the Administrator dated August 31, 2016.\3\ The final IRP being
released at this time reflects consideration of the CASAC's advice and
public comments received on the draft IRP.
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\1\ The EPA's call for information for this review was issued on
December 3, 2014 (79 FR 71764).
\2\ The EPA held a workshop titled ``Workshop to Discuss Policy-
Relevant Science to Inform EPA's Review of the Primary and Secondary
NAAQS for PM'' on February 9-11, 2015 (79 FR 71764).
\3\ Available at: https://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/
4620a620d0120f93852572410080d786/9920C7E70022CCF98525802000702022/
$File/EPA-CASAC+2016-003+unsigned.pdf.
[[Page 87934]]
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Dated: December 1, 2016.
Stephen Page,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2016-29231 Filed 12-5-16; 8:45 am]
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