Release of Draft Policy Assessment for the Review of the Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide, 65353-65354 [2016-22681]

Download as PDF asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 184 / Thursday, September 22, 2016 / Notices The three updated Control Cost Manual chapters are: Section 1, Chapter 2, Cost Estimation: Concepts and Methodology; Section 3.1, Chapter 1, Refrigerated Condensers; and Section 3.2, Chapter 2, Incinerators/Oxidizers. Section 3.2, Chapter 2, ’’Incinerators’’ will now include oxidizers, for this type of control device is commonly used for destruction of volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions, which is the primary function of incinerators. These three revised Control Cost Manual chapters can be found in the docket for the Control Cost Manual update (Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR– 2015–0341). The current Control Cost Manual version (sixth edition) is available at https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/ ecas/cost_manual.html, and was last updated in 2003. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 requested that the EPA begin development of a seventh edition of the Control Cost Manual. The EPA has met with state, local, and tribal officials to discuss plans for the Control Cost Manual update as called for under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014. The EPA has met with other groups as well at their request. The EPA recently updated the selective noncatalytic reduction (SNCR) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) chapters (Section 4, Chapters 1 and 2) which were made available to the public in May 2016 (81 FR 38702, June 14, 2016). To help focus review of the three chapters, Cost Estimation: Concepts and Methodology (Section 1, Chapter 2,); Refrigerated Condensers (Section 3.1, Chapter 1); and Incinerators/Oxidizers (Section 3.2, Chapter 2), we offer the following list of questions that the EPA is particularly interested in addressing in the updated chapters. Commenters are welcome to address any aspects of these chapters. Please provide supporting data for responses to these questions and other aspects of the chapters. For the Cost Estimation: Concepts and Methodology chapter: (1) Is the cost methodology included in this chapter consistent with best practices for cost estimation of pollution control equipment installation, operation and maintenance? (2) Is the use of the equivalent uniform annual cost method appropriate for estimating costs for pollution control devices, particularly end-of-pipe controls? (3) Are the cost items included in the definition of capital cost or total capital investment valid? Are the cost items included in the definition of annual costs valid? VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:58 Sep 21, 2016 Jkt 238001 For the Refrigerated Condensers chapter: (1) What is a reasonable estimate of equipment life (defined as design or operational life) for this control measure? (2) Is the description of refrigerated condensers complete, up to date, and accurate, particularly with regard to control of VOC? (3) Are the cost correlations, factors, and equations for refrigerated condensers accurate? If not, how should they be revised? (4) Are the estimates of VOC destruction efficiency for refrigerated condensers accurate? (5) Is the discussion on the effect of fouling on refrigerated condensers accurate? For the Incinerators/Oxidizers chapter: (1) What is a reasonable estimate of equipment life (defined as design or operational life) for this control measure? (2) Is the description of incinerator technologies complete, up to date, and accurate? For oxidizers? (3) Are the cost correlations, factors, and equations for incinerators and oxidizers accurate? If not, how should they be revised? (4) Are the estimates of incinerators VOC destruction efficiency accurate? For oxidizers? Dated: September 8, 2016. Stephen Page, Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. [FR Doc. 2016–22846 Filed 9–21–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OAR–2013–0146; FRL–9952–68– OAR] Release of Draft Policy Assessment for the Review of the Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing the primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2). On or about September 23, 2016, the EPA will make available for public review the document titled Policy Assessment for the Review of the Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide— SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 65353 External Review Draft (draft PA). This draft PA is intended to facilitate the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee’s (CASAC’s) advice and public input as part of the ongoing review of the primary NAAQS for NO2. DATES: Comments should be received on or before December 8, 2016. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OAR–2013–0146, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. The EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the Web, Cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/ commenting-epa-dockets. The draft PA will be available primarily via the Internet at https:// www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/nox/ s_nox_index.html. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Jennifer Nichols, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Mail Code C504–06, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 919–541– 0708; fax number: 919–541–5315; email: nichols.jennifer@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. General Information A. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for the EPA? 1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through https:// regulations.gov or email. 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 E:\FR\FM\22SEN1.SGM 22SEN1 65354 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 184 / Thursday, September 22, 2016 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 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 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 2. 2. Tips for Preparing your Comments. When submitting comments, remember to: • Identify the notice 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 CFR part or section number. • Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternative 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. II. Information About the Document Two sections of the Clean Air Act (CAA) govern the establishment and revision of the NAAQS. Section 108 (42 U.S.C. 7408) directs the Administrator to identify and list certain air pollutants and then to issue air quality criteria for those pollutants. The Administrator is to list those air pollutants that in her ‘‘judgment, cause or contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare;’’ ‘‘the presence of which in the ambient air results from numerous or diverse mobile or stationary sources;’’ and ‘‘for which * * * [the Administrator] plans to issue air quality criteria * * *.’’ Air quality criteria are intended to ‘‘accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge useful in indicating the kind and extent of all identifiable effects on public health or welfare which may be expected from the presence of [a] pollutant in the ambient air * * * ’’ (42 U.S.C. 7408(b)). Under section 109 (42 U.S.C. 7409), the EPA establishes primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS for VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:58 Sep 21, 2016 Jkt 238001 pollutants for which air quality criteria are issued. Section 109(d) 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. Section 109(d)(2) requires that an independent scientific review committee ‘‘shall complete a review of the criteria * * * and the national primary and secondary ambient air quality standards * * * and shall recommend to the Administrator any new * * * standards and revisions of the existing criteria and standards as may be appropriate * * *.’’ Since the early 1980s, this independent review function has been performed by the CASAC. Presently, the EPA is reviewing the primary NAAQS for NO2. The first draft Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen (Health Criteria) (ISA) was released on November 22, 2013 (78 FR 70040), and the draft Integrated Review Plan for the Primary NAAQS for Nitrogen Dioxide (IRP) was released on February 6, 2014 (79 FR 7184). Both documents were reviewed by the CASAC at a public meeting in March 2014, announced in a separate notice (79 FR 8701, February 13, 2014). The final IRP was released in June 2014 (79 FR 36801, June 30, 2014) and is available at https://www.epa.gov/ttn/ naaqs/standards/nox/s_nox_2012_ pd.html. The second draft ISA was made available to both the CASAC and the public (80 FR 5110, January 30, 2015), and was reviewed in addition to the Risk and Exposure Assessment Planning Document (REA Planning Document) (80 FR 27304, May 13, 2015) at a public meeting in June 2015 (80 FR 22993, April 24, 2015). The final ISA was then released in January 2016 (81 FR 4910, January 28, 2016) after taking into consideration the CASAC’s advice and public comments. The PA, when final, will serve to ‘‘bridge the gap’’ between the scientific information and the judgments required of the Administrator in determining whether to retain or revise the existing primary NAAQS for NO2, and, if revision is considered, what revisions may be appropriate. The draft PA announced today builds upon information presented in the final ISA and the REA Planning Document. The draft PA will be available on or about September 16, 2016, through the agency’s Technology Transfer Network (TTN) Web site at https:// PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 www3.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ nox/s_nox_index.html. The EPA is soliciting advice and recommendations from the CASAC by means of a review of this draft document at an upcoming public meeting of the CASAC, scheduled for November 9–10, 2016. Information about this public meeting will be published as a separate notice in the Federal Register. Following the CASAC meeting, the EPA will consider comments received from the CASAC and the public in preparing revisions to this document. The EPA will also consider public comments submitted in response to this notice when revising the document. Comments should be submitted to the docket, as described above. The document that is the subject of today’s notice does not represent and should not be construed to represent any final EPA policy, viewpoint or determination. Dated: September 15, 2016. Stephen Page, Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. [FR Doc. 2016–22681 Filed 9–21–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OPP–2009–0317; FRL–9952–53] Registration Review; Draft Malathion Human Health Risk Assessment; Notice of Availability Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: This notice announces the availability of EPA’s draft human health risk assessment for the registration review of malathion (case 0248) for public review and comment. Registration review is EPA’s periodic review of pesticide registrations to ensure that each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory standard for registration, that is, the pesticide can perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. As part of the registration review process, the Agency has completed a comprehensive draft human health risk assessment for malathion. After reviewing comments received during the public comment period, EPA may issue a revised human health risk assessment, explain any changes to the draft risk assessment, respond to comments, and may request public input on risk mitigation before completing its proposed registration SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\22SEN1.SGM 22SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 184 (Thursday, September 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65353-65354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-22681]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

 [EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0146; FRL-9952-68-OAR]


Release of Draft Policy Assessment for the Review of the Primary 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing the 
primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Nitrogen 
Dioxide (NO2). On or about September 23, 2016, the EPA will 
make available for public review the document titled Policy Assessment 
for the Review of the Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
for Nitrogen Dioxide--External Review Draft (draft PA). This draft PA 
is intended to facilitate the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee's 
(CASAC's) advice and public input as part of the ongoing review of the 
primary NAAQS for NO2.

DATES: Comments should be received on or before December 8, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2013-0146, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. The 
EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not 
submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must 
be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered 
the official comment and should include discussion of all points you 
wish to make. The EPA will generally not consider comments or comment 
contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the Web, 
Cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission 
methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or 
multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective 
comments, please visit https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
    The draft PA will be available primarily via the Internet at https://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/nox/s_nox_index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Jennifer Nichols, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards, Mail Code C504-06, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 
919-541-0708; fax number: 919-541-5315; email: 
nichols.jennifer@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information

A. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for the EPA?

    1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through 
https://regulations.gov or email. 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

[[Page 65354]]

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 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 2.
    2. Tips for Preparing your Comments. When submitting comments, 
remember to:
     Identify the notice 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 CFR part or 
section number.
     Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternative 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.

II. Information About the Document

    Two sections of the Clean Air Act (CAA) govern the establishment 
and revision of the NAAQS. Section 108 (42 U.S.C. 7408) directs the 
Administrator to identify and list certain air pollutants and then to 
issue air quality criteria for those pollutants. The Administrator is 
to list those air pollutants that in her ``judgment, cause or 
contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to 
endanger public health or welfare;'' ``the presence of which in the 
ambient air results from numerous or diverse mobile or stationary 
sources;'' and ``for which * * * [the Administrator] plans to issue air 
quality criteria * * *.'' Air quality criteria are intended to 
``accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge useful in 
indicating the kind and extent of all identifiable effects on public 
health or welfare which may be expected from the presence of [a] 
pollutant in the ambient air * * * '' (42 U.S.C. 7408(b)). Under 
section 109 (42 U.S.C. 7409), the EPA establishes primary (health-
based) and secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS for pollutants for which air 
quality criteria are issued. Section 109(d) requires periodic review 
and, if appropriate, revision of existing air quality criteria. 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. Section 109(d)(2) requires 
that an independent scientific review committee ``shall complete a 
review of the criteria * * * and the national primary and secondary 
ambient air quality standards * * * and shall recommend to the 
Administrator any new * * * standards and revisions of the existing 
criteria and standards as may be appropriate * * *.'' Since the early 
1980s, this independent review function has been performed by the 
CASAC.
    Presently, the EPA is reviewing the primary NAAQS for 
NO2. The first draft Integrated Science Assessment for 
Oxides of Nitrogen (Health Criteria) (ISA) was released on November 22, 
2013 (78 FR 70040), and the draft Integrated Review Plan for the 
Primary NAAQS for Nitrogen Dioxide (IRP) was released on February 6, 
2014 (79 FR 7184). Both documents were reviewed by the CASAC at a 
public meeting in March 2014, announced in a separate notice (79 FR 
8701, February 13, 2014). The final IRP was released in June 2014 (79 
FR 36801, June 30, 2014) and is available at https://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/nox/s_nox_2012_pd.html. The second draft ISA was made 
available to both the CASAC and the public (80 FR 5110, January 30, 
2015), and was reviewed in addition to the Risk and Exposure Assessment 
Planning Document (REA Planning Document) (80 FR 27304, May 13, 2015) 
at a public meeting in June 2015 (80 FR 22993, April 24, 2015). The 
final ISA was then released in January 2016 (81 FR 4910, January 28, 
2016) after taking into consideration the CASAC's advice and public 
comments.
    The PA, when final, will serve to ``bridge the gap'' between the 
scientific information and the judgments required of the Administrator 
in determining whether to retain or revise the existing primary NAAQS 
for NO2, and, if revision is considered, what revisions may 
be appropriate. The draft PA announced today builds upon information 
presented in the final ISA and the REA Planning Document. The draft PA 
will be available on or about September 16, 2016, through the agency's 
Technology Transfer Network (TTN) Web site at https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/nox/s_nox_index.html.
    The EPA is soliciting advice and recommendations from the CASAC by 
means of a review of this draft document at an upcoming public meeting 
of the CASAC, scheduled for November 9-10, 2016. Information about this 
public meeting will be published as a separate notice in the Federal 
Register. Following the CASAC meeting, the EPA will consider comments 
received from the CASAC and the public in preparing revisions to this 
document. The EPA will also consider public comments submitted in 
response to this notice when revising the document. Comments should be 
submitted to the docket, as described above. The document that is the 
subject of today's notice does not represent and should not be 
construed to represent any final EPA policy, viewpoint or 
determination.

    Dated: September 15, 2016.
Stephen Page,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2016-22681 Filed 9-21-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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