Draft Risk and Exposure Assessment Reports for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2, 20045-20047 [E8-7882]
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jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 72 / Monday, April 14, 2008 / Notices
submitted electronically or in paper,
will be made available for public
viewing at https://www.regulations.gov,
as EPA receives them and without
change, unless the comment contains
copyrighted material, Confidential
Business Information (CBI), or other
information whose public disclosure is
restricted by statute. For further
information about the electronic docket,
go to https://www.regulations.gov.
Title: NESHAP for Engine Test Cells/
Stands (Renewal).
ICR Numbers: EPA ICR Number
2066.04, OMB Control Number 2060–
0483.
ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to
expire on July 31, 2008. Under OMB
regulations, the Agency may continue to
conduct or sponsor the collection of
information while this submission is
pending at OMB. An Agency may not
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of
information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
The OMB control numbers for EPA’s
regulations in title 40 of the CFR, after
appearing in the Federal Register when
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9,
and displayed either by publication in
the Federal Register or by other
appropriate means, such as on the
related collection instrument or form, if
applicable. The display of OMB control
numbers in certain EPA regulations is
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
Abstract: The National Emission
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
(NESHAP), for Engine Test Cells/Stands
were proposed on May 14, 2002 (67 FR
34547), and promulgated on May 27,
2003 (68 FR 28785). These standards
apply to any existing, reconstructed, or
new affected sources. An affected source
is the collection of all equipment and
activities associated with engine test
cells/stands used for testing uninstalled
stationary or uninstalled mobile
engines. Respondents of affected
sources are subject to the requirements
of 40 CFR part 63, subpart A, the
General Provisions, unless the
regulation specifies otherwise.
Owners and operators must submit an
initial notification report upon the
construction, or reconstruction of any
engine test cells/stands used for testing
internal combustion engines. The
respondents are required to submit a
semiannual compliance report. If there
were no deviations from the emission
limitation and the continuous emission
monitoring system (CEMS) was
operating correctly, the semiannual
report must contain a statement that no
deviation occurred. If a deviation
occurred from an emission limit, the
report must contain detailed
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18:09 Apr 11, 2008
Jkt 214001
information of the nature of the
deviation. Performance test reports are
the Agency’s records of a source’s initial
capability to comply with the emission
standards, and serve as a record of the
operating conditions under which
compliance is to be achieved.
The information generated by
monitoring, recordkeeping and
reporting requirements described in this
ICR are used by the Agency to ensure
that facilities affected by the standard
continue to operate the control
equipment and achieve continuous
compliance with the regulation. Owners
or operators of engine test cells/stands
facilities subject to the rule must
maintain a file of these measurements,
and retain the file for at least five years
following the date of such
measurements, maintenance reports,
and records. All reports are sent to the
delegated state or local authority. In the
event that there is no such delegated
authority, the reports are sent directly to
the EPA regional office. This
information is being collected to assure
compliance with 40 CFR part 63,
subpart PPPPP, as authorized in section
112 and 114(a) of the Clean Air Act. The
required information consists of
emissions data and other information
that have been determined to be private.
An Agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
Control Number. The OMB Control
Number for EPA’s regulations are listed
in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15,
and are identified on the form and/or
instrument, if applicable.
Burden Statement: The annual public
reporting and recordkeeping burden for
this collection of information is
estimated to average 76 hours per
response. Burden means the total time,
effort, or financial resources expended
by persons to generate, maintain, retain,
or disclose or provide information to or
for a Federal agency. This includes the
time needed to review instructions;
develop, acquire, install, and utilize
technology and systems for the purposes
of collecting, validating, and verifying
information, processing and
maintaining information, and disclosing
and providing information; adjust the
existing ways to comply with any
previously applicable instructions and
requirements which have subsequently
changed; train personnel to be able to
respond to a collection of information;
search data sources; complete and
review the collection of information;
and transmit or otherwise disclose the
information.
Respondents/Affected Entities: Engine
test cells/stands.
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20045
Estimated Number of Respondents:
18.
Frequency of Response:
Semiannually, annually, and initially.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:
3,043.
Estimated Total Annual Cost:
$248,264. Including $5,400 in O&M
costs, no annualized capital costs, and
$242,864 in labor costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is no
change in the labor hours or cost in this
ICR compared to the previous ICR;
however, a rounding error was corrected
in the Annual Cost. There are no
changes due to two considerations.
First, the regulations have not changed
over the past three years and are not
anticipated to change over the next
three years. Secondly, the growth rate
for the industry is very low, negative or
non-existent, so there is no significant
change in the overall burden.
Since there are no changes in the
regulatory requirements and there is no
significant industry growth, the labor
hours and cost figures in the previous
ICR are used in this ICR, and there is no
change in burden to industry.
Dated: April 8, 2008.
Sara Hisel-McCoy,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
[FR Doc. E8–7878 Filed 4–11–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OAR–2006–0922; FRL–8553–6]
Draft Risk and Exposure Assessment
Reports for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of draft reports for public
review and comment.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: On April 4, 2008, the Office
of Air Quality Planning and Standards
(OAQPS) of EPA is making available for
public review and comment two draft
documents. The first document is titled
‘‘Risk and Exposure Assessment to
Support the Review of the NO2 Primary
National Ambient Air Quality Standard:
First Draft.’’ The title of the second
document is ‘‘Risk and Exposure
Assessment to Support the Review of
the NO2 Primary National Ambient Air
Quality Standard: Draft Technical
Support Document (TSD).’’ The purpose
of these draft documents is to convey
the approach taken to assess exposures
to ambient NO2 and to characterize
associated health risks, as well as to
present the results of those assessments.
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20046
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 72 / Monday, April 14, 2008 / Notices
Comments on the above reports
must be received on or before May 1,
2008.
DATES:
Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
OAR–2006–0922, by one of the
following methods:
• https://www.regulations.gov: 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. EPA–HQ–OAR–2006–0922.
• Fax: Fax your comments to 202–
566–9744, Attention Docket ID. No.
EPA–HQ–OAR–2006–0922.
• Mail: Send your comments to: Air
and Radiation Docket and Information
Center, Environmental Protection
Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No.
EPA–HQ–OAR–2006–0922.
• Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver
your comments to: EPA Docket Center,
1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Room
3334, Washington, DC. Such deliveries
are only accepted during the Docket’s
normal hours of operation, and special
arrangements should be made for
deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2006–
0922. 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.regulations.gov, 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 https://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The
https://www.regulations.gov Web site is
an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, 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 https://
www.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 you submit. If EPA
cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact
you for clarification, EPA may not be
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:09 Apr 11, 2008
Jkt 214001
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 the EPA
Docket Center homepage at https://
www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the docket
are listed in the https://
www.regulations.gov index. Although
listed in the index, some information is
not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other
material, such as copyrighted material,
will be publicly available only in hard
copy. Publicly available docket
materials are available either
electronically in https://
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the Air Docket in the EPA Docket
Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 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–
1742; fax 202–566–9744.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Scott Jenkins, Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards (Mailcode
C504–06), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle
Park, NC 27711; e-mail:
Jenkins.scott@epa.gov; telephone: 919–
541–1167; fax: 919–541–0237.
General Information
A. What Should I Consider as I Prepare
My Comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this
information to EPA through https://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly
mark the part or all of the information
that you claim to be CBI. For CBI
information in a disk or CD–ROM that
you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the
disk or CD–ROM as CBI and then
identify electronically within the disk or
CD–ROM the specific information that
is claimed as CBI. In addition to one
complete version of the comment that
includes information claimed as CBI, a
copy of the comment that does not
contain the information claimed as CBI
must be submitted for inclusion in the
public docket. Information so marked
will not be disclosed except in
accordance with procedures set forth in
40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for Preparing Your Comments.
When submitting comments, remember
to:
• Identify the rulemaking by docket
number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal
Register date and page number).
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
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• Follow directions—The agency may
ask you to respond to specific questions
or organize comments by referencing a
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part
or section number.
• Explain why you agree or disagree;
suggest alternatives and substitute
language for your requested changes.
• Describe any assumptions and
provide any technical information
and/or data that you used.
• If you estimate potential costs or
burdens, explain how you arrived at
your estimate in sufficient detail to
allow for it to be reproduced.
• Provide specific examples to
illustrate your concerns, and suggest
alternatives.
• Explain your views as clearly as
possible, avoiding the use of profanity
or personal threats.
• Make sure to submit your
comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under
section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act
(CAA), the Administrator identifies and
lists certain pollutants which ‘‘cause or
contribute to air pollution which may
reasonably be anticipated to endanger
public health or welfare.’’ The EPA then
issues air quality criteria for listed
pollutants, which are commonly
referred to as ‘‘criteria pollutants.’’ The
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, in varying
quantities.’’ Under section 109 of the
CAA, EPA establishes NAAQS for each
listed pollutant, with the NAAQS based
on the air quality criteria. Section 109(d)
of the CAA requires periodic review
and, if appropriate, revision of existing
air quality criteria. The 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 revise the
NAAQS, if appropriate, based on the
revised criteria.
Air quality criteria have been
established for the nitrogen oxides
(NOX) and NAAQS have been
established for nitrogen dioxide (NO2),
an indicator for NOX. Presently, EPA is
reviewing the air quality criteria for
NOX and the NAAQS for NO2. As part
of its review of the NAAQS, EPA is
preparing an assessment of exposures
and health risks associated with
ambient NO2. A draft plan describing
the proposed approaches to assessing
exposures and risks is described in the
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 72 / Monday, April 14, 2008 / Notices
draft document, Nitrogen Dioxide
Health Assessment Plan: Scope and
Methods for Exposure and Risk
Assessment. This document was
released for public review and comment
in September, 2007 and was the subject
of a consultation with the Clean Air
Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC)
on October 24 and 25, 2007. Comments
received from that consultation have
been considered in developing the draft
risk and exposure assessment
documents being released at this time.
The draft documents convey the
approach taken to assess exposures to
ambient NO2 and to characterize
associated health risks, as well as to
present the results of those assessments.
These draft documents will be available
online at: https://www.epa.gov/ttn/
naaqs/standards/nox/
s_nox_cr_rea.html.
The EPA is soliciting advice and
recommendations from the CASAC by
means of a review on the draft
documents 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
the CASAC and the public in preparing
a second draft risk and exposure
assessment report. The release of the
second draft report will be followed by
another CASAC meeting and ultimately
by a final risk and exposure assessment
report.
Dated: April 4, 2008.
Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning
and Standards.
[FR Doc. E8–7882 Filed 4–11–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–8553–5]
Application of Watershed Ecological
Risk Assessment Methods to
Watershed Management
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the
availability of a final report titled,
‘‘Application of Watershed Ecological
Risk Assessment Methods to Watershed
Management’’ (EPA/600/R–06/037F),
which was prepared by the National
Center for Environmental Assessment
(NCEA) within EPA’s Office of Research
and Development (ORD).
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18:09 Apr 11, 2008
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This document will be available
on or about April 14, 2008.
ADDRESSES: The document will be
available electronically through the
NCEA Web site at https://www.epa.gov/
ncea. A limited number of paper copies
will be available from the EPA’s
National Service Center for
Environmental Publications (NSCEP),
P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242;
telephone: 1–800–490–9198; facsimile:
301–604–3408; e-mail: nscep@bpslmit.com. Please provide your name,
your mailing address, the title and the
EPA number of the requested
publication.
DATES:
The
Information Management Team,
National Center for Environmental
Assessment (8601P), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20460. Telephone:
703–347–8561; fax: 703–347–8691; email: nceadc.comment@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Ecological
risk assessment (ERA) is a process for
analyzing environmental problems and
is intended to increase the use of
ecological science in decision making in
order to evaluate the likelihood that
adverse ecological effects may occur or
are occurring as a result of exposure to
one or more stressors. Applying ERA
principles to watershed management
makes scientific information more
relevant to the needs of environmental
managers. Watershed ERAs are complex
because addressing impacts from
multiple sources and stressors on
multiple endpoints presents a scientific
challenge and because multiple
stakeholders have diverse interests. The
needs of managers and stakeholders
may change, and the need to take action
may require using the best available
information at the time, sometimes
before an ERA is completed. Therefore,
some flexibility of ERA methods is
needed when performing watershed
ERAs. It is also important that risk
assessors and managers interact
regularly and repeatedly.
This report supplements the
Guidelines for Ecological Risk
Assessment (U.S. EPA, 1998a) by
addressing issues unique to ecological
assessments of watersheds. Using
lessons learned from watershed ERAs,
the report presents guidance and
examples for scientists performing
watershed ecological assessments. The
report also can be useful to risk
assessors, watershed associations,
landscape ecologists, and others seeking
to increase the use of environmental
assessment data in decision making.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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20047
Each activity and phase of the
watershed ERA process is explained
sequentially in this report. Guidance on
how to involve stakeholders to generate
environmental management goals and
objectives is provided. The processes for
selecting assessment endpoints,
developing conceptual models, and
selecting the exposure and effects
pathways to be analyzed are described.
Suggestions for predicting how multiple
sources and stressors affect assessment
endpoints are also provided; these
include using multivariate analyses to
compare land use with biotic
measurements. In addition, the report
suggests how to estimate, describe, and
communicate risk and how to evaluate
management alternatives.
Dated: April 3, 2008.
Rebecca Clark,
Deputy Director, National Center for
Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E8–7774 Filed 4–11–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
Notice of Public Information
Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the
Federal Communications Commission
for Extension Under Delegated
Authority, Comments Requested
April 7, 2008.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications
Commission, as part of its continuing
effort to reduce paperwork burden
invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to take this
opportunity to comment on the
following information collection(s), as
required by the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520. An
agency may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid control
number. No person shall be subject to
any penalty for failing to comply with
a collection of information subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that
does not display a valid control number.
Comments are requested concerning (a)
whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Commission, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the Commission’s
burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on the respondents,
including the use of automated
E:\FR\FM\14APN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 72 (Monday, April 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20045-20047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7882]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0922; FRL-8553-6]
Draft Risk and Exposure Assessment Reports for Nitrogen Dioxide
(NO2)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of draft reports for public review and comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On April 4, 2008, the Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards (OAQPS) of EPA is making available for public review and
comment two draft documents. The first document is titled ``Risk and
Exposure Assessment to Support the Review of the NO2 Primary
National Ambient Air Quality Standard: First Draft.'' The title of the
second document is ``Risk and Exposure Assessment to Support the Review
of the NO2 Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standard:
Draft Technical Support Document (TSD).'' The purpose of these draft
documents is to convey the approach taken to assess exposures to
ambient NO2 and to characterize associated health risks, as
well as to present the results of those assessments.
[[Page 20046]]
DATES: Comments on the above reports must be received on or before May
1, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2006-0922, by one of the following methods:
https://www.regulations.gov: 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. EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-
0922.
Fax: Fax your comments to 202-566-9744, Attention Docket
ID. No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0922.
Mail: Send your comments to: Air and Radiation Docket and
Information Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T,
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0922.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver your comments to: EPA
Docket Center, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Room 3334, Washington, DC.
Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of
operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of
boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2006-0922. 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.regulations.gov, 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 https://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The https://www.regulations.gov Web site
is an ``anonymous access'' system, 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 https://www.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 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 the EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/
epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https://
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in https://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Air Docket in the
EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 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 202-566-1742; fax 202-566-9744.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Scott Jenkins, Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards (Mailcode C504-06), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; e-mail:
Jenkins.scott@epa.gov; telephone: 919-541-1167; fax: 919-541-0237.
General Information
A. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through
https://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly mark the part or all of
the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk
or CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM
as CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the
specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one
complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as
CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information
claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket.
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for Preparing Your Comments. When submitting comments,
remember to:
Identify the rulemaking by docket number and other
identifying information (subject heading, Federal Register date and
page number).
Follow directions--The agency may ask you to respond to
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives
and substitute language for your requested changes.
Describe any assumptions and provide any technical
information and/or data that you used.
If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how
you arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be
reproduced.
Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and
suggest alternatives.
Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the
use of profanity or personal threats.
Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act
(CAA), the Administrator identifies and lists certain pollutants which
``cause or contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be
anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.'' The EPA then issues
air quality criteria for listed pollutants, which are commonly referred
to as ``criteria pollutants.'' The 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, in varying quantities.'' Under section
109 of the CAA, EPA establishes NAAQS for each listed pollutant, with
the NAAQS based on the air quality criteria. Section 109(d) of the CAA
requires periodic review and, if appropriate, revision of existing air
quality criteria. The 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 revise
the NAAQS, if appropriate, based on the revised criteria.
Air quality criteria have been established for the nitrogen oxides
(NOX) and NAAQS have been established for nitrogen dioxide
(NO2), an indicator for NOX. Presently, EPA is
reviewing the air quality criteria for NOX and the NAAQS for
NO2. As part of its review of the NAAQS, EPA is preparing an
assessment of exposures and health risks associated with ambient
NO2. A draft plan describing the proposed approaches to
assessing exposures and risks is described in the
[[Page 20047]]
draft document, Nitrogen Dioxide Health Assessment Plan: Scope and
Methods for Exposure and Risk Assessment. This document was released
for public review and comment in September, 2007 and was the subject of
a consultation with the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC)
on October 24 and 25, 2007. Comments received from that consultation
have been considered in developing the draft risk and exposure
assessment documents being released at this time.
The draft documents convey the approach taken to assess exposures
to ambient NO2 and to characterize associated health risks,
as well as to present the results of those assessments. These draft
documents will be available online at: https://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/
standards/nox/s_nox_cr_rea.html.
The EPA is soliciting advice and recommendations from the CASAC by
means of a review on the draft documents 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 the CASAC and the public in
preparing a second draft risk and exposure assessment report. The
release of the second draft report will be followed by another CASAC
meeting and ultimately by a final risk and exposure assessment report.
Dated: April 4, 2008.
Mary E. Henigin,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. E8-7882 Filed 4-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P