Draft Staff Paper for Ozone, 69761-69763 [05-22816]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 221 / Thursday, November 17, 2005 / Notices or loan programs, or the rights and obligations of recipients thereof; or (4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal mandates, the President’s priorities, or the principles set forth in the Executive Order. It has been determined that this action is not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’ under the terms of Executive Order 12866 and is, therefore, not subject to OMB review. Today’s notice is not a rule; it is essentially an information sharing activity which does not impose regulatory requirements or costs. Therefore, the requirements of Executive Order 13132 (Federalism), Executive Order 13175 (Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments), Executive Order 13045 (Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks), Executive Order 13211 (Actions Concerning Regulations that Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use), the Regulatory Flexibility Act, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, and the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act, do not apply to today’s notice. Also, this notice does not contain any information collection requirements and, therefore, is not subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq. Deadline for receiving nominations is Friday, December 2, 2005. Please submit a resume or curriculum vitae with each nomination via mail or e-mail to the addresses below. Appointments will be made by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joanne Rodman, Designated Federal Officer, Office of Children’s Health Protection, USEPA, MC 1107A, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, (202) 564–2188, rodman.joanne@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee is a body of researchers, academicians, health care providers, environmentalists, children’s advocates, professionals, government employees, and members of the public who advise EPA on regulations, research, and communication issues relevant to children. For additional information go to: https://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ ochpweb.nsf/content/ whatwe_advisory.htm. Dated: November 10, 2005. William L. Wehrum, Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. [FR Doc. 05–22817 Filed 11–16–05; 8:45 am] ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY BILLING CODE 6560–50–P AGENCY: [FRL–7998–2] EPA Accepting Nominations for the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invites nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for appointments to fill specific vacancies on the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee (CHPAC). Nominations are sought in the following two areas: Experience relating to children’s environmental health on Tribal lands and experience with children’s environmental health in public health nursing. In addition to this notice other avenues may be used to identify potential candidates. 17:38 Nov 16, 2005 Jkt 208001 BILLING CODE 6560–50–U [OAR–2005–0172; FRL–7998–3] Draft Staff Paper for Ozone Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of a draft for public review and comment. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY VerDate Aug<31>2005 Dated: November 10, 2005. Joanne Rodman, Designated Federal Official. [FR Doc. 05–22818 Filed 11–16–05; 8:45 am] SUMMARY: On or about November 14, 2005, the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) of EPA will make available for public review and comment a draft document, Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information (Draft Staff Paper). The purpose of the Staff Paper is to evaluate the policy implications of the key scientific and technical information contained in a related EPA document, Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants, required under sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for use in the periodic review of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone. The OAQPS also will make available for public review and comment related draft technical support documents, Ozone Population Exposure Analysis for PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 69761 Selected Urban Areas (draft Exposure Analysis) and Ozone Health Risk Assessment for Selected Urban Areas (draft Risk Assessment). DATES: Comments on the draft Staff Paper, draft Exposure Analysis, and draft Risk Assessment should be submitted on or before December 30, 2005. Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. OAR–2005– 0172, by one of the following methods: • Agency Web site: EDOCKET, EPA’s electronic public docket and comment system, is EPA’s preferred method for receiving comments. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. • E-mail: Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to a-and-rDocket@epa.gov, Attention Docket ID No. OAR–2005–0172. • Fax: Fax your comments to: 202– 566–1741, Attention Docket ID. No. OAR–2005–0172. • Mail: Send your comments to: Air and Radiation Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail code: 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No. OAR–2005–0172. • Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver your comments to: EPA Docket Center, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Room B102, Washington, DC 20004. Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. OAR–2005–0172. The EPA’s policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change and may be made available online at https:// www.epa.gov/edocket, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes 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 EDOCKET, regulations.gov, or e-mail. The EPA EDOCKET and the federal regulations.gov Web sites are ‘‘anonymous access’’ systems, 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 e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through EDOCKET or regulations.gov, your email address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD–ROM ADDRESSEES: E:\FR\FM\17NON1.SGM 17NON1 69762 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 221 / Thursday, November 17, 2005 / Notices you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. 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 EDOCKET on-line or see the Federal Register of May 31, 2002 (67 FR 38102). Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the EDOCKET index at the Web address provided under ‘‘Instructions’’ above. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically in EDOCKET or in hard copy at the Air Docket in the EPA Docket Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. This Docket Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket telephone number is (202) 566–1744; fax (202) 566–1741. Availability of Related Information: Documents referred to in this notice are available from the following sources: • Public Docket. The EPA has established an official public docket for this action under Docket ID No. OAR–2005–0172. The official public docket consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any public comments received, and other information related to the ozone NAAQS review. Although a part of the official docket, the public docket does not include CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. The official public docket is the collection of materials that is available for public viewing at the Air Docket in the EPA Docket Center at the address listed above. A reasonable fee may be charged for copying. • Electronic Access. An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA’s electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may use EPA Dockets at https://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to access the documents specifically referenced in this action. These documents are also available at https:// www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ ozone/s_ozone_index.html; the draft Staff Paper is available under ‘‘Staff Papers’’ the draft Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment technical support VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:38 Nov 16, 2005 Jkt 208001 documents are available under ‘‘Technical Documents’’ and the draft Health Assessment Plan is available under ‘‘Planning Documents.’’ FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. David McKee, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (mail code C539–01), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; e-mail: mckee.dave@epa.gov; telephone: (919) 541–5288; fax: (919) 541–0237. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 108(a) of the CAA directs the Administrator to identify certain pollutants which ‘‘may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and 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 CAA, EPA is then to establish NAAQS for each pollutant for which EPA has issued criteria. Section 109(d) of the CAA 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 and welfare. Also, EPA is to revise the NAAQS, if appropriate, based on the revised criteria. Ozone is one of six ‘‘criteria’’ pollutants for which EPA has established air quality criteria and NAAQS. Presently, EPA is reviewing the criteria and NAAQS for ozone. This review includes preparation of two key documents, the Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (‘‘Criteria Document’’) and a related ‘‘Staff Paper.’’ The EPA completed its second external review draft Criteria Document for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants in August 2005 (70 FR 51810, August 31, 2005). The purpose of the draft Staff Paper is to evaluate the policy implications of the key scientific and technical information contained in the second external review draft Air Quality Criteria Document and identify critical elements that EPA staff believe should be considered in reviewing the NAAQS. The Staff Paper is intended to ‘‘bridge the gap’’ between the scientific review contained in the Air Quality Criteria Document and the public health and welfare policy judgments required of the Administrator in reviewing the NAAQS. In January 2005, a first external review draft of the Air Quality Criteria PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Document was released by EPA for public review and comment and for review by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) of EPA’s Science Advisory Board (70 FR 4850, January 31, 2005) at a public meeting held in May 2005. Comments received from review of the first draft document have been considered in preparing the second draft Air Quality Criteria Document. Based on the information contained in the Air Quality Criteria Document, the draft Staff Paper includes assessments and analyses related to: (1) Air quality characterization; (2) integration and evaluation of health information; (3) exposure analysis; (4) health risk assessment; and (5) evaluation of information on vegetation damage and other welfare effects. The draft Staff Paper contains no staff conclusions and recommendations with respect to possible revisions to the current standards but recommends alternative standards for purposes of conducting exposure and risk analyses. A second draft of the Staff Paper will include staff conclusions and recommendations on potential revision or retention of the primary (healthbased) and secondary (welfare-based) ozone NAAQS. The draft Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment technical support documents describe and present the results from an ozone exposure analysis and health risk assessment in several urban areas. A draft plan, Ozone Health Assessment Plan: Scope and Methods for Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment, was previously reviewed by CASAC and the public. Comments received on that plan have been considered in developing the draft Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment technical support documents being released at this time. The Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment methodologies and results are also discussed in the draft Staff Paper. The EPA is soliciting early advice and recommendations from the CASAC by means of a consultation on the first draft Staff Paper, first draft Exposure Analysis, and first draft Risk Assessment at an upcoming public meeting of the CASAC. A Federal Register notice will inform the public of the date and location of that meeting. Following the CASAC meeting, EPA will consider comments received from CASAC and the public in preparing a second draft of the Staff Paper and the Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment technical support documents. E:\FR\FM\17NON1.SGM 17NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 221 / Thursday, November 17, 2005 / Notices Dated: November 10, 2005. Jeffrey S. Clark, Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. [FR Doc. 05–22816 Filed 11–16–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Change in Bank Control Notices; Acquisition of Shares of Bank or Bank Holding Companies The notificants listed below have applied under the Change in Bank Control Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)) and § 225.41 of the Board’s Regulation Y (12 CFR 225.41) to acquire a bank or bank holding company. The factors that are considered in acting on the notices are set forth in paragraph 7 of the Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(7)). The notices are available for immediate inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank indicated. The notices also will be available for inspection at the office of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their views in writing to the Reserve Bank indicated for that notice or to the offices of the Board of Governors. Comments must be received not later than December 1, 2005. A. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (Donna J. Ward, Assistant Vice President) 925 Grand Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64198-0001: 1. Scott Neil Selko, Mead, Nebraska; to acquire voting shares of Selko Banco, Inc., and thereby indirectly acquire voting shares of Bank of Mead, both of Mead, Nebraska. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, November 10. 2005. Robert deV. Frierson, Deputy Secretary of the Board. [FR Doc. E5–6358 Filed 11–16–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6210–01–S FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Formations of, Acquisitions by, and Mergers of Bank Holding Companies The companies listed in this notice have applied to the Board for approval, pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 et seq.) (BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR part 225), and all other applicable statutes and regulations to become a bank holding company and/or to acquire the assets or the ownership of, control of, or the power to vote shares of a bank or bank holding company and all of the banks and nonbanking companies VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:38 Nov 16, 2005 Jkt 208001 owned by the bank holding company, including the companies listed below. The applications listed below, as well as other related filings required by the Board, are available for immediate inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank indicated. The application also will be available for inspection at the offices of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their views in writing on the standards enumerated in the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the proposal also involves the acquisition of a nonbanking company, the review also includes whether the acquisition of the nonbanking company complies with the standards in section 4 of the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1843). Unless otherwise noted, nonbanking activities will be conducted throughout the United States. Additional information on all bank holding companies may be obtained from the National Information Center website at https://www.ffiec.gov/nic/. Unless otherwise noted, comments regarding each of these applications must be received at the Reserve Bank indicated or the offices of the Board of Governors not later than December 12, 2005. A. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (Patrick M. Wilder, Assistant Vice President) 230 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60690-1414: 1. STC Bancshares Corp., Saint Charles, Illinois; to become a bank holding company by acquiring 100 percent of the voting shares of STC Capital Bank, Saint Charles, Illinois (in organization). In connection with this application, Applicant also has applied to engage in extending credit and servicing loans, pursuant to section 225.28(b)(1) of Regulation Y. B. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Glenda Wilson, Community Affairs Officer) 411 Locust Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63166-2034: 1. Community First Bancshares, Inc., Harrison, Arkansas; to acquire additional voting shares, for a total of 23.2 percent of the voting shares, of White River Bancshares Company, Fayetteville, Arkansas, and thereby indirectly acquire voting shares of Signature Bank of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, November 10, 2005. Robert deV. Frierson, Deputy Secretary of the Board. [FR Doc. E5–6357 Filed 11–16–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6210–01–S PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 69763 OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS Updated OGE Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics (OGE). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the appointment of members of the updated OGE Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance Review Board. EFFECTIVE DATE: November 17, 2005. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel D. Dunning, Deputy Director for Administration and Information Management, Office of Government Ethics, Suite 500, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20005– 3917; Telephone: 202–482–9300; TDD: 202–208–9293; FAX: 202–482–9237. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 5 U.S.C. 4314(c) requires each agency to establish, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management at 5 CFR part 430, subpart C and § 430.310 thereof in particular, one or more Senior Executive Service performance review boards. As a small executive branch agency, OGE has just one board. In order to ensure an adequate level of staffing and to avoid a constant series of recusals, the designated members of OGE’s SES Performance Review Board are being drawn, as in the past, in large measure from the ranks of other agencies. The board shall review and evaluate the initial appraisal of each OGE senior executive’s performance by his or her supervisor, along with any recommendations in each instance to the appointing authority relative to the performance of the senior executive. This notice updates the membership of OGE’s SES Performance Review Board as it was last published at 69 FR 59230– 59231 (October 4, 2004). Approved: November 10, 2005. Marilyn L. Glynn, General Counsel, Office of Government Ethics. The following officials have been selected as regular members of the SES Performance Review Board of the Office of Government Ethics: Jane S. Ley [Chair], Deputy Director for Government Relations and Special Projects, Office of Government Ethics; Daniel D. Dunning [Alternate Chair], Deputy Director for Administration and Information Management, Office of Government Ethics; Stephen Epstein, Director, Standards of Conduct Office, Department of Defense; Rosalind A. Knapp, Deputy General Counsel, Department of Transportation; E:\FR\FM\17NON1.SGM 17NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 221 (Thursday, November 17, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69761-69763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-22816]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OAR-2005-0172; FRL-7998-3]


Draft Staff Paper for Ozone

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of a draft for public review and comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On or about November 14, 2005, the Office of Air Quality 
Planning and Standards (OAQPS) of EPA will make available for public 
review and comment a draft document, Review of the National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and 
Technical Information (Draft Staff Paper). The purpose of the Staff 
Paper is to evaluate the policy implications of the key scientific and 
technical information contained in a related EPA document, Air Quality 
Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants, required under 
sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for use in the periodic 
review of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone. 
The OAQPS also will make available for public review and comment 
related draft technical support documents, Ozone Population Exposure 
Analysis for Selected Urban Areas (draft Exposure Analysis) and Ozone 
Health Risk Assessment for Selected Urban Areas (draft Risk 
Assessment).

DATES: Comments on the draft Staff Paper, draft Exposure Analysis, and 
draft Risk Assessment should be submitted on or before December 30, 
2005.

ADDRESSEES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. OAR-2005-
0172, by one of the following methods:
     Agency Web site: EDOCKET, EPA's electronic public docket 
and comment system, is EPA's preferred method for receiving comments. 
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) 
to a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov, Attention Docket ID No. OAR-2005-0172.
     Fax: Fax your comments to: 202-566-1741, Attention Docket 
ID. No. OAR-2005-0172.
     Mail: Send your comments to: Air and Radiation Docket 
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail code: 6102T, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No. 
OAR-2005-0172.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver your comments to: EPA 
Docket Center, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Room B102, Washington, DC 
20004.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. OAR-2005-0172. 
The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the 
public docket without change and may be made available online at http:/
/www.epa.gov/edocket, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes 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 EDOCKET, regulations.gov, or e-
mail. The EPA EDOCKET and the federal regulations.gov Web sites are 
``anonymous access'' systems, 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 e-mail comment directly to EPA without 
going through EDOCKET or regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be 
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you 
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name 
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any 
disk or CD-ROM

[[Page 69762]]

you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical 
difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be 
able to consider your comment. 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 
EDOCKET on-line or see the Federal Register of May 31, 2002 (67 FR 
38102).
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the EDOCKET index 
at the Web address provided under ``Instructions'' above. Although 
listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, i.e., 
CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on 
the Internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in EDOCKET or in hard copy at the Air Docket in the EPA Docket Center, 
(EPA/DC) EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, 
DC. This Docket Facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket telephone number 
is (202) 566-1744; fax (202) 566-1741.
    Availability of Related Information: Documents referred to in this 
notice are available from the following sources:
     Public Docket.
    The EPA has established an official public docket for this action 
under Docket ID No. OAR-2005-0172. The official public docket consists 
of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any public 
comments received, and other information related to the ozone NAAQS 
review. Although a part of the official docket, the public docket does 
not include CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by 
statute. The official public docket is the collection of materials that 
is available for public viewing at the Air Docket in the EPA Docket 
Center at the address listed above. A reasonable fee may be charged for 
copying.
     Electronic Access.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may 
use EPA Dockets at https://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to access the documents 
specifically referenced in this action. These documents are also 
available at https://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_ozone_
index.html; the draft Staff Paper is available under ``Staff Papers'' 
the draft Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment technical support 
documents are available under ``Technical Documents'' and the draft 
Health Assessment Plan is available under ``Planning Documents.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. David McKee, Office of Air Quality 
Planning and Standards (mail code C539-01), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; e-mail: 
mckee.dave@epa.gov; telephone: (919) 541-5288; fax: (919) 541-0237.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 108(a) of the CAA directs the 
Administrator to identify certain pollutants which ``may reasonably be 
anticipated to endanger public health and 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 CAA, 
EPA is then to establish NAAQS for each pollutant for which EPA has 
issued criteria. Section 109(d) of the CAA 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 and welfare. Also, EPA is to revise the 
NAAQS, if appropriate, based on the revised criteria.
    Ozone is one of six ``criteria'' pollutants for which EPA has 
established air quality criteria and NAAQS. Presently, EPA is reviewing 
the criteria and NAAQS for ozone. This review includes preparation of 
two key documents, the Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants (``Criteria Document'') and a related ``Staff 
Paper.'' The EPA completed its second external review draft Criteria 
Document for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants in August 2005 
(70 FR 51810, August 31, 2005).
    The purpose of the draft Staff Paper is to evaluate the policy 
implications of the key scientific and technical information contained 
in the second external review draft Air Quality Criteria Document and 
identify critical elements that EPA staff believe should be considered 
in reviewing the NAAQS. The Staff Paper is intended to ``bridge the 
gap'' between the scientific review contained in the Air Quality 
Criteria Document and the public health and welfare policy judgments 
required of the Administrator in reviewing the NAAQS.
    In January 2005, a first external review draft of the Air Quality 
Criteria Document was released by EPA for public review and comment and 
for review by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) of 
EPA's Science Advisory Board (70 FR 4850, January 31, 2005) at a public 
meeting held in May 2005. Comments received from review of the first 
draft document have been considered in preparing the second draft Air 
Quality Criteria Document. Based on the information contained in the 
Air Quality Criteria Document, the draft Staff Paper includes 
assessments and analyses related to: (1) Air quality characterization; 
(2) integration and evaluation of health information; (3) exposure 
analysis; (4) health risk assessment; and (5) evaluation of information 
on vegetation damage and other welfare effects. The draft Staff Paper 
contains no staff conclusions and recommendations with respect to 
possible revisions to the current standards but recommends alternative 
standards for purposes of conducting exposure and risk analyses. A 
second draft of the Staff Paper will include staff conclusions and 
recommendations on potential revision or retention of the primary 
(health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) ozone NAAQS.
    The draft Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment technical support 
documents describe and present the results from an ozone exposure 
analysis and health risk assessment in several urban areas. A draft 
plan, Ozone Health Assessment Plan: Scope and Methods for Exposure 
Analysis and Risk Assessment, was previously reviewed by CASAC and the 
public. Comments received on that plan have been considered in 
developing the draft Exposure Analysis and Risk Assessment technical 
support documents being released at this time. The Exposure Analysis 
and Risk Assessment methodologies and results are also discussed in the 
draft Staff Paper.
    The EPA is soliciting early advice and recommendations from the 
CASAC by means of a consultation on the first draft Staff Paper, first 
draft Exposure Analysis, and first draft Risk Assessment at an upcoming 
public meeting of the CASAC. A Federal Register notice will inform the 
public of the date and location of that meeting. Following the CASAC 
meeting, EPA will consider comments received from CASAC and the public 
in preparing a second draft of the Staff Paper and the Exposure 
Analysis and Risk Assessment technical support documents.


[[Page 69763]]


    Dated: November 10, 2005.
Jeffrey S. Clark,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 05-22816 Filed 11-16-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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