Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter, 77686-77687 [E8-30197]

Download as PDF 77686 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 245 / Friday, December 19, 2008 / Notices contains the New Hampshire waiver request and other supporting, relevant documents underlying the State’s request and EPA’s proposed approval in response to the request. Dated: November 30, 2008. Robert W. Varney, Regional Administrator, EPA New England. [FR Doc. E8–30201 Filed 12–18–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL–8754–8; Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD– 2007–0517] Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period. SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of its ‘‘First External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter’’ (EPA/600/R–08/139 and EPA/600/R–08/ 139A). The document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA(s Office of Research and Development as part of the review of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter. EPA is releasing this draft document to seek review by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and the public (meeting date and location to be specified in a separate Federal Register notice). The draft document does not represent, and should not be construed to represent, any final EPA policy, viewpoint, or determination. EPA will consider any public comments submitted in response to this notice when revising the document. DATES: The public comment period begins on or about December 19, 2008. Comments must be received on or before March 13, 2009. ADDRESSES: The ‘‘First External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter’’ will be available primarily via the Internet on the National Center for Environmental Assessment’s home page under the Recent Additions and Publications menus at https://www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of CD–ROM or paper copies will be available. Contact Ms. Debbie Wales by phone (919–541–4731), fax (919–541–5078), or e-mail (wales.deborah@epa.gov) to request VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:29 Dec 18, 2008 Jkt 217001 either of these, and please provide your name, your mailing address, and the document title, ‘‘First External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter’’ (EPA/600/R–08/139 and EPA/600/R–08/139A) to facilitate processing of your request. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information, contact Dr. Lindsay Wichers Stanek, NCEA; telephone: 919–541–7792; facsimile: 919–541–2985; or e-mail: stanek.lindsay@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Information About the Document Section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act directs the Administrator to identify certain pollutants which, among other things, ‘‘cause or contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or 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 Act, EPA is then to establish national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for each pollutant for which EPA has issued criteria. Section 109 (d) of the Act 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 or welfare. EPA is also to revise the NAAQS, if appropriate, based on the revised air quality criteria. Particulate matter (PM) is one of six principal (or ‘‘criteria’’) pollutants for which EPA has established NAAQS. Periodically, EPA reviews the scientific basis for these standards by preparing an Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) (formerly called an Air Quality Criteria Document). The ISA and supplementary annexes, in conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, provide the scientific basis for EPA decisions on the adequacy of the current NAAQS and the appropriateness of possible alternative standards. The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), an independent science advisory committee whose existence and whose review and advisory functions are mandated by Section 109 (d) (2) of the Clean Air Act, is charged (among other things) with independent scientific review of EPA’s air quality criteria. On June 28, 2007 (72 FR 35462), EPA formally initiated its current review of PO 00000 Frm 00096 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 the air quality criteria for PM, requesting the submission of recent scientific information on specified topics. A draft of EPA’s ‘‘Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Particulate Matter’’ (EPA/452/P–08/006) was made available in October 2007 for public comment and was discussed by the CASAC via a publicly accessible teleconference consultation on November 30, 2007 (72 FR 63177). EPA finalized the plan and made it available in March 2008 (EPA/452/R–08/004; https://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/ standards/pm/s_pm_2007_pd.html). In June 2008 (73 FR 30391), EPA held a workshop to discuss, with invited scientific experts, initial draft materials prepared in the development of the PM ISA and its supplementary annexes. The first external review draft ISA for PM will be discussed at a public meeting for review by CASAC, and public comments received will be provided to the CASAC review panel. A future Federal Register notice will inform the public of the exact date and time of that CASAC meeting. II. How to Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at https:// www.regulations.gov Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2007– 0517, by one of the following methods: • https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. • E-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov. • Fax: 202–566–1753. • Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket (Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202–566–1752. • Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center, Room 3334 EPA West Building, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is 202–566–1744. Such deliveries are only accepted during the docket’s normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. If you provide comments by mail or hand delivery, please submit three copies of the comments. For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies. E:\FR\FM\19DEN1.SGM 19DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 245 / Friday, December 19, 2008 / Notices Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2007– 0517. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will be marked ‘‘late,’’ and may only be considered if time permits. It is EPA’s policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket without change and to make the comments available online at https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information through https://www.regulations.gov or e-mail that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected. 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: 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 materials, such as copyrighted material, are 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 OEI Docket in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center. VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:29 Dec 18, 2008 Jkt 217001 Dated: December 11, 2008. Rebecca Clark, Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment. [FR Doc. E8–30197 Filed 12–18–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER–FRL–8588–6] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564–1399 or https://www.epa.gov/ compliance/neap/. Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 12/08/2008 Through 12/12/2008. Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9. EIS No. 20080513, Draft EIS, AFS, AK, Central Kupreanof Timber Harvest Project, Proposes To Harvest up to 70.2 Million Board Feet of Timber, Kupreanof Island, Petersburg Ranger District, Tongass National Forest, AK, Comment Period Ends: 02/02/2009, Contact: Tiffany Benna 907–772– 3871. EIS No. 20080514, Final EIS, AFS, ID, Corralled Bear Project, Management of Vegetation, Hazardous Fuels, and Access, Plus Watershed Improvements, Palouse Ranger District, Clearwater National Forest, Latah County, ID, Wait Period Ends: 01/20/2009, Contact: Kara Chadwick 208–875–1131. EIS No. 20080515, Final EIS, BLM, WY, West Antelope Coal Lease Application (Federal Coal Lease Application WYW163340), Implementation, Converse and Campbell Counties, WY, Wait Period Ends: 01/20/2009, Contact: Sarah Bucklin 307–261–7541. EIS No. 20080516, Draft EIS, NPS, AK, LEGISLATIVE—Glacier Bay National Park Project, Authorize Harvest of Glaucous-Winged Gull Eggs by the Huna Tlingit, Implementation, AK, Comment Period Ends: 03/06/2009, Contact: Mary Beth Moss 907–317– 1270. EIS No. 20080517, Final EIS, FHW, NY, Kosciuszko Bridge Project, Propose Rehabilitation or Replacement a 1.1 mile Segment Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (-278) from Morgan Avenue in Brooklyn and the Long Island Expressway (1495) in Queens, Kings and Queens Counties, NY, Wait Period Ends: 01/23/2009, Contact: Jeffrey Kolb 518–431–4125. EIS No. 20080518, Draft EIS, BLM, NV, Bald Mountain Mine Norther PO 00000 Frm 00097 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 77687 Operations Area Project, Proposes To Expand Current Mining Operations at Several Existing Pits, Rock Disposal Areas, Heap Leach Pads, Processing Facilities, and Interpit Area, Combining the Bald Mountain Mine Plan of Operations Boundary and the Mooney Basin Operation Area Boundary, White Pine County, NV, Comment Period Ends: 02/02/2009, Contact: Lynn Bjorklund 775–289– 1893. EIS No. 20080519, Draft EIS, NPS, PA, White-tailed Deer Management Plan, Develop a Deer Management Strategy That Supports Protection, Preservation and Restoration of Native Vegetation, Implementation, Valley Forge National Historical Park, King of Prussia, PA, Comment Period Ends: 02/17/2009, Contact: Kristina M. Heister 610–783–1008. EIS No. 20080520, Draft EIS, CGD, 00, USCG Pacific Operations: Districts 11 Area, California and Districts 13 Area, Oregon and Washington, Improve the Protection and Conservation of Marine Protected Species and Marine Protected Areas, CA, OR and WA, Comment Period Ends: 02/17/2009, Contact: Lt. Jeff Bray 202–372–3752. EIS No. 20080521, Draft EIS, NPS, ND, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Elk Management Plan, Implementation, Billing and McKenzie Counties, ND, Comment Period Ends: 03/19/2009, Contact: Valerie Naylor 701–623–4466. EIS No. 20080522, Final EIS, NRC, GA, GENERIC—License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 34 to NUREG–1437, Regarding Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 1 and 2 (VEGP) near Waynesboro, GA, Comment Period Ends: 01/20/2009, Contact: Samuel Hernandez 301–415– 4049. EIS No. 20080523, Draft EIS, BLM, 00, UNEV Pipeline Project, Construction of a 399-Mile Long Main Petroleum Products Pipeline, Salt Lake, Tooele, Juab, Millard, Iron, and Washington Counties, UT, and Clark County, NV, Comment Period Ends: 02/02/2009, Contact: Joe Incardine 801–524–3833. EIS No. 20080524, Draft EIS, STB, AK, Northern Rail Extension Project, Construct and Operate a Rail Line Between Norther Pole, AK, and Delta Junction, AK, Comment Period Ends: 02/02/2009, Contact: Dave Navecky 202–245–0294. EIS No. 20080525, Final EIS, FHW, NJ, I–295/I–76/Route 42 Direct Connection Project, To Improve Traffic Safety and Reduce Traffic Congestion, Funding and U.S. Army COE Section 10 and 404 Permits, Borough of Bellmawr, Borough of E:\FR\FM\19DEN1.SGM 19DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 245 (Friday, December 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77686-77687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30197]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8754-8; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-0517]


Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing 
the availability of its ``First External Review Draft Integrated 
Science Assessment for Particulate Matter'' (EPA/600/R-08/139 and EPA/
600/R-08/139A). The document was prepared by the National Center for 
Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA(s Office of Research and 
Development as part of the review of the national ambient air quality 
standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter.
    EPA is releasing this draft document to seek review by the Clean 
Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and the public (meeting date 
and location to be specified in a separate Federal Register notice). 
The draft document does not represent, and should not be construed to 
represent, any final EPA policy, viewpoint, or determination. EPA will 
consider any public comments submitted in response to this notice when 
revising the document.

DATES: The public comment period begins on or about December 19, 2008. 
Comments must be received on or before March 13, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The ``First External Review Draft Integrated Science 
Assessment for Particulate Matter'' will be available primarily via the 
Internet on the National Center for Environmental Assessment's home 
page under the Recent Additions and Publications menus at https://
www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of CD-ROM or paper copies will be 
available. Contact Ms. Debbie Wales by phone (919-541-4731), fax (919-
541-5078), or e-mail (wales.deborah@epa.gov) to request either of 
these, and please provide your name, your mailing address, and the 
document title, ``First External Review Draft Integrated Science 
Assessment for Particulate Matter'' (EPA/600/R-08/139 and EPA/600/R-08/
139A) to facilitate processing of your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information, contact Dr. 
Lindsay Wichers Stanek, NCEA; telephone: 919-541-7792; facsimile: 919-
541-2985; or e-mail: stanek.lindsay@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Document

    Section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act directs the Administrator to 
identify certain pollutants which, among other things, ``cause or 
contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to 
endanger public health or 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 Act, EPA is then to establish national ambient 
air quality standards (NAAQS) for each pollutant for which EPA has 
issued criteria. Section 109 (d) of the Act 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 or welfare. EPA is also to revise the 
NAAQS, if appropriate, based on the revised air quality criteria.
    Particulate matter (PM) is one of six principal (or ``criteria'') 
pollutants for which EPA has established NAAQS. Periodically, EPA 
reviews the scientific basis for these standards by preparing an 
Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) (formerly called an Air Quality 
Criteria Document). The ISA and supplementary annexes, in conjunction 
with additional technical and policy assessments, provide the 
scientific basis for EPA decisions on the adequacy of the current NAAQS 
and the appropriateness of possible alternative standards. The Clean 
Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), an independent science 
advisory committee whose existence and whose review and advisory 
functions are mandated by Section 109 (d) (2) of the Clean Air Act, is 
charged (among other things) with independent scientific review of 
EPA's air quality criteria.
    On June 28, 2007 (72 FR 35462), EPA formally initiated its current 
review of the air quality criteria for PM, requesting the submission of 
recent scientific information on specified topics. A draft of EPA's 
``Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standard 
for Particulate Matter'' (EPA/452/P-08/006) was made available in 
October 2007 for public comment and was discussed by the CASAC via a 
publicly accessible teleconference consultation on November 30, 2007 
(72 FR 63177). EPA finalized the plan and made it available in March 
2008 (EPA/452/R-08/004; https://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pm/s_
pm_2007_pd.html). In June 2008 (73 FR 30391), EPA held a workshop to 
discuss, with invited scientific experts, initial draft materials 
prepared in the development of the PM ISA and its supplementary 
annexes.
    The first external review draft ISA for PM will be discussed at a 
public meeting for review by CASAC, and public comments received will 
be provided to the CASAC review panel. A future Federal Register notice 
will inform the public of the exact date and time of that CASAC 
meeting.

II. How to Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at https://
www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-
0517, by one of the following methods:
     https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: 202-566-1753.
     Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket 
(Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-
566-1752.
     Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center, Room 3334 EPA West Building, 1301 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public 
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public 
Reading Room is 202-566-1744. Such deliveries are only accepted during 
the docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should 
be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    If you provide comments by mail or hand delivery, please submit 
three copies of the comments. For attachments, provide an index, number 
pages consecutively with the comments, and submit an unbound original 
and three copies.

[[Page 77687]]

    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2007-0517. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is 
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available online at https://
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information through https://
www.regulations.gov or e-mail that you consider to be CBI or otherwise 
protected. 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: 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 materials, 
such as copyrighted material, are 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 OEI Docket in the 
EPA Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: December 11, 2008.
Rebecca Clark,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
 [FR Doc. E8-30197 Filed 12-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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