Draft Risk and Exposure Assessment Report for Review of the Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of Sulfur, 50965-50967 [E8-20136]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 169 / Friday, August 29, 2008 / Notices in the July 16, 2008, Federal Register notice (73 FR 40871). ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ADDRESSES [EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0518; FRL–8380–5] Chloropicrin, Dazomet, Metam Sodium/ Potassium, and Methyl Bromide Reregistration Eligibility Decisions; Notice of Availability; Extension of Comment Period II. What is the Agency’s Authority for Taking this Action? Section 4(g)(2) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended, directs that, after submission of all data concerning a pesticide active ingredient, the Administrator shall determine whether pesticides containing such active ingredient are eligible for reregistration. Further provisions are made to allow a public comment period. However, the Administrator may extend the comment period if additional time for comment is requested. In this case, the Methyl Bromide Industry Panel (MBIP), California Specialty Crops Council, the Chloropicrin Manufacturers’ Task Force (CMTF), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA), the California Strawberry Nurserymen’s Association, the Agricultural Retailers Association, the American Forest and Paper Association, and McDermott, Will, and Emery LLP, on behalf of the Minor Crop Farmer Alliance (MCFA), have requested additional time to develop comments. These groups represent manufacturers and users of the soil fumigants. The Agency believes that an additional 45 days is warranted. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice; extension of comment period. AGENCY: mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES SUMMARY: On July 16, 2008, EPA issued a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Reregistration Eligibility Decisions (REDs) for the soil fumigant pesticides chloropicrin, dazomet, metam sodium/ potassium, and methyl bromide. The notice also announced a 60–day public comment period. This document is extending the comment period for 45 days, from September 15, 2008, to October 30, 2008. DATES: Comments, identified by the docket identification (ID) number must be received on or before October 30, 2008. ADDRESSES: Follow the detailed instructions as provided under ADDRESSES in the Federal Register notice of July 16, 2008. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For pesticide-specific information contact: The Chemical Review Manager listed in the Federal Register notice of July 16, 2008. For general information contact: John Leahy, Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460– 0001; telephone number: (703) 305– 6703; fax number: (703) 308–8090; email address: leahy.john@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. What Action is EPA Taking? This document extends the public comment period for the fumigants chloropicrin, dazomet, metam potassium/sodium, and methyl bromide established in the Federal Register issued on July 16, 2008 (73 FR 40871, FRL–8372–3). In that document, EPA announced the availability of the REDs and opened a 60–day public comment period. EPA is hereby extending the comment period, which was set to end on September 15, 2008, to October 30, 2008. To submit comments, or access the public docket, please follow the detailed instructions as provided under VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:32 Aug 28, 2008 Jkt 214001 List of Subjects Environmental protection, Fumigants, Pesticides and pests. Dated: August 25, 2008. Steven Bradbury, Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs. [FR Doc. E8–20141 Filed 8–28–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OAR–2007–1145; FRL–8709–3] Draft Risk and Exposure Assessment Report for Review of the Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of Sulfur Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of draft report for public review and comment. AGENCY: SUMMARY: On or about August 27, 2008, the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) of EPA is making available for public review and comment a draft document titled ‘‘Risk PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 50965 and Exposure Assessment to Support the Review of the Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of Sulfur: First Draft.’’ The purpose of this draft document is to convey the approach EPA has taken to assess environmental exposures to ambient oxides of nitrogen and sulfur and to characterize associated public welfare risks, as well as to present the results of those assessments. We anticipate the release of an additional chapter(s) on or about the week of September 15, 2008. DATES: Comments on the above report must be received on or before October 15, 2008. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OAR–2007–1145, 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–2007–1145. • Fax: Fax your comments to 202– 566–9744, Attention Docket ID. No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2007–1145. • 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–2007–1145. • 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–2007– 1145. 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 E:\FR\FM\29AUN1.SGM 29AUN1 50966 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 169 / Friday, August 29, 2008 / Notices 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. Anne Rea, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (Mailcode C539–02), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; e-mail: rea.anne@epa.gov; telephone: 919–541– 0053; fax: 919–541–0840. mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES 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 VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:32 Aug 28, 2008 Jkt 214001 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. PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 EPA is currently conducting a joint review of the existing secondary (welfare-based) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Because NOX, SOX, and their associated transformation products are linked from an atmospheric chemistry perspective as well as from an environmental effects perspective, and because of the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) 2004 recommendations to consider multiple pollutants in forming the scientific basis for the NAAQS, EPA has decided to jointly assess the science, risks, and policies relevant to protecting the public welfare associated with oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulfur. This is the first time since NAAQS were established in 1971 that a joint review of these two pollutants has been conducted. Since both the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and EPA have recognized these interactions historically, and the science related to these interactions has continued to evolve and grow to the present day, there is a strong basis for considering them together. As part of its review of the secondary NAAQS for NOX and SOX, EPA is preparing an assessment of exposures and characterization of risks for adverse ecological effects associated with atmospheric NOX and SOX deposition. A draft plan describing the proposed approaches to assessing ecological exposures and effects is described in the draft document, Draft Scope and Methods Plan for Risk/Exposure Assessment: Secondary NAAQS Review for Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of Sulfur. This document was released for public review and comment in March, 2008 and was the subject of a consultation with the CASAC on April 2 and 3, 2008. Comments received from that consultation have been considered in developing the first draft risk and exposure assessment for the secondary NOX/SOX NAAQS review being released at this time. The first draft risk and exposure assessment for the secondary NOX/SOX NAAQS review released at this time conveys our approach to assess ecological effects due to the deposition of ambient NOX and SOX, and present the results of these analyses. This draft document will be available online at: https://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/ standards/no2so2sec/cr_rea.html. The EPA is soliciting advice and recommendations from the CASAC by means of a review on the draft document at an upcoming public meeting of the CASAC scheduled for October 1–2, 2008 in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Following the CASAC E:\FR\FM\29AUN1.SGM 29AUN1 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 169 / Friday, August 29, 2008 / Notices 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 which will be announced in a future Federal Register notice and ultimately EPA will release a final risk and exposure assessment document taking into consideration comments from the CASAC and public. Dated: August 21, 2008. Jennifer N. Edmonds, Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. [FR Doc. E8–20136 Filed 8–28–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the schedule and summary agenda for a meeting of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and describes the functions of the Council. Notice of this meeting is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Dates and Place: September 16, 2008, Washington, DC. The meeting will be held in Room 100 at the Keck Center of the National Academies at 500 5th St., NW., Washington DC. Type of Meeting: Open. Further details on the meeting agenda will be posted on the PCAST Web site at: https://ostp.gov/cs/pcast/ meetings_agendas. Proposed Schedule and Agenda: The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) is scheduled to meet in open session on Tuesday September 16, 2008, at approximately 9 a.m. The chairs of the PCAST subcommittee on universityprivate sector research partnerships are tentatively scheduled to lead a discussion on the findings of the PCAST study on this issue. The PCAST also is tentatively scheduled to convene three panels. The first panel will address broad policy issues associated with science and engineering education. The second panel will explore the impact of science policy on innovation. Additionally, PCAST is tentatively scheduled to have a panel providing an update on energy-related technologies. This session will end at approximately 4 p.m. Additional information and the VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:32 Aug 28, 2008 Information regarding agenda, time, and location is available at the PCAST Web site at: https://ostp.gov/cs/pcast/ meetings_agendas. Questions about the meeting should be directed to PCAST Executive Director Dr. Scott Steele at (202) 456–6549 prior to 3 p.m. on Friday, September 5, 2008. Please note that public seating for this meeting is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Meeting of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology ACTION: final agenda will be posted at the PCAST Web site at: https://ostp.gov/cs/ pcast/meetings_agendas. Public Comments: There will be time allocated for the public to speak on the above agenda items. This public comment time is designed for substantive commentary on PCAST?s work topics, not for business marketing purposes. Please submit a request for the opportunity to make a public comment five (5) days in advance of the meeting. The time for public comments will be limited to no more than 5 minutes per person. Written comments are also welcome at any time following the meeting. Please notify Dr. Scott Steele, PCAST Executive Director, at (202) 456–6549, or fax your request/ comments to (202) 456–6040. Jkt 214001 The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology was established by Executive Order 13226, on September 30, 2001. The purpose of PCAST is to advise the President on matters of science and technology policy, and to assist the President’s National Science and Technology Council in securing private sector participation in its activities. The Council members are distinguished individuals appointed by the President from non-Federal sectors. The PCAST is co-chaired by Dr. John H. Marburger, III, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and by E. Floyd Kvamme, a Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Stanley S. Sokul, Chief of Staff and General Counsel, Office of Science and Technology Policy. [FR Doc. E8–20027 Filed 8–28–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3170–W8–P PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 50967 FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Public Information Collection Requirement Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval, Comments Requested August 22, 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, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13. 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 collection techniques or other forms of information technology. DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be submitted on or before September 29, 2008. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contacts listed below as soon as possible. ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of Management and Budget, via Internet at Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov or via fax at (202) 395–5167 and to Cathy Williams, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1–C823, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC or via Internet at Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov or PRA@fcc.gov. To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted to OMB: (1) go to the Web page https:// www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, (2) look for the section of the Web page called ‘‘Currently Under Review,’’ (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the ‘‘Select Agency’’ box below the ‘‘Currently Under Review’’ heading, (4) E:\FR\FM\29AUN1.SGM 29AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 169 (Friday, August 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50965-50967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-20136]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-1145; FRL-8709-3]


Draft Risk and Exposure Assessment Report for Review of the 
Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen 
and Oxides of Sulfur

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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

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

SUMMARY: On or about August 27, 2008, the Office of Air Quality 
Planning and Standards (OAQPS) of EPA is making available for public 
review and comment a draft document titled ``Risk and Exposure 
Assessment to Support the Review of the Secondary National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of Sulfur: First 
Draft.'' The purpose of this draft document is to convey the approach 
EPA has taken to assess environmental exposures to ambient oxides of 
nitrogen and sulfur and to characterize associated public welfare 
risks, as well as to present the results of those assessments. We 
anticipate the release of an additional chapter(s) on or about the week 
of September 15, 2008.

DATES: Comments on the above report must be received on or before 
October 15, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2007-1145, 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-2007-
1145.
     Fax: Fax your comments to 202-566-9744, Attention Docket 
ID. No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-1145.
     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-2007-1145.
     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-
2007-1145. 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

[[Page 50966]]

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. Anne Rea, Office of Air Quality 
Planning and Standards (Mailcode C539-02), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; e-mail: 
rea.anne@epa.gov; telephone: 919-541-0053; fax: 919-541-0840.

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.
    EPA is currently conducting a joint review of the existing 
secondary (welfare-based) national ambient air quality standards 
(NAAQS) for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide 
(SO2). Because NOX, SOX, and their 
associated transformation products are linked from an atmospheric 
chemistry perspective as well as from an environmental effects 
perspective, and because of the National Research Council's (NRC's) 
2004 recommendations to consider multiple pollutants in forming the 
scientific basis for the NAAQS, EPA has decided to jointly assess the 
science, risks, and policies relevant to protecting the public welfare 
associated with oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulfur. This is the 
first time since NAAQS were established in 1971 that a joint review of 
these two pollutants has been conducted. Since both the Clean Air 
Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and EPA have recognized these 
interactions historically, and the science related to these 
interactions has continued to evolve and grow to the present day, there 
is a strong basis for considering them together.
    As part of its review of the secondary NAAQS for NOX and 
SOX, EPA is preparing an assessment of exposures and 
characterization of risks for adverse ecological effects associated 
with atmospheric NOX and SOX deposition. A draft 
plan describing the proposed approaches to assessing ecological 
exposures and effects is described in the draft document, Draft Scope 
and Methods Plan for Risk/Exposure Assessment: Secondary NAAQS Review 
for Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of Sulfur. This document was released 
for public review and comment in March, 2008 and was the subject of a 
consultation with the CASAC on April 2 and 3, 2008. Comments received 
from that consultation have been considered in developing the first 
draft risk and exposure assessment for the secondary NOX/
SOX NAAQS review being released at this time.
    The first draft risk and exposure assessment for the secondary 
NOX/SOX NAAQS review released at this time 
conveys our approach to assess ecological effects due to the deposition 
of ambient NOX and SOX, and present the results 
of these analyses. This draft document will be available online at: 
https://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/no2so2sec/cr_rea.html.
    The EPA is soliciting advice and recommendations from the CASAC by 
means of a review on the draft document at an upcoming public meeting 
of the CASAC scheduled for October 1-2, 2008 in Research Triangle Park, 
N.C. Following the CASAC

[[Page 50967]]

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 which will be announced in a future Federal Register 
notice and ultimately EPA will release a final risk and exposure 
assessment document taking into consideration comments from the CASAC 
and public.

    Dated: August 21, 2008.
Jennifer N. Edmonds,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. E8-20136 Filed 8-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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