Release of a Final Document Related to the Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter, 5429-5430 [2020-01682]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 20 / Thursday, January 30, 2020 / Notices EPA to approve or disapprove the plan. Tribes may develop or submit attainment plans but are not required to do so. Form Numbers: None. Respondents/affected entities: State and local governments. Respondent’s obligation to respond: Mandatory (40 CFR parts 50, 51, and 93). Estimated number of respondents: 8. Frequency of response: Once per triggering event. Total estimated burden: 25,500 hours (per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b). Total estimated costs: $1,600,000 (per year), which includes no annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs. Changes in Estimates: There is a decrease of 65,100 annual hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease is primarily a result of a reduction in the number of designated nonattainment areas. Courtney Kerwin, Director, Regulatory Support Division. [FR Doc. 2020–01679 Filed 1–29–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OAR–2015–0072; FRL–10004–46– OAR] Release of a Final Document Related to the Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of a document titled, Policy Assessment for the Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter (PA). This document was prepared as part of the current review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter (PM). Building on the Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter (ISA), completed in December 2019, the PA is intended to ‘‘bridge the gap’’ between the currently available scientific information and the judgments required of the Administrator in determining whether to retain or revise the existing NAAQS for PM. DATES: The PA will be made available on or about January 27, 2020. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:56 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 250001 This document will be available primarily via the internet at https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/particulatematter-pm-air-quality-standards. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Scott Jenkins, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (Mail Code C504–06), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 919–541–1167; fax number: 919–541– 5315; email: jenkins.scott@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 his ‘‘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 . . .’’ (42 U.S.C. 7408(a)(1)(A)–(C)). 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(a)(2)). 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 Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). Presently, the EPA is reviewing the air quality criteria and NAAQS for PM. The EPA’s overall plan for this review is ADDRESSES: PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 5429 presented in the Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter (IRP).1 A draft of the Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter (ISA) was reviewed by the CASAC at a public meeting in December 2018 (83 FR 55529, November 6, 2018) and discussed on a public teleconference in March 2019 (84 FR 8523, March 8, 2019). The final ISA was made available in January 2020.2 The final PA announced today draws from the scientific evidence assessed in the ISA, together with the results of air quality and other quantitative analyses, as available. The PA, when final, is intended to ‘‘bridge the gap’’ between the scientific and technical information available in the review and the judgments required of the Administrator in determining whether to retain or revise the existing PM NAAQS. The EPA released the draft PA in September 2019 (84 FR 47944, September 11, 2019). The draft PA was reviewed by the chartered CASAC on October 24–25, 2019 at a public meeting held in Cary, NC. Public comments on the draft PA were received via a separate public teleconference on October 22, 2019 (84 FR 51555, September 30, 2019). A public meeting to discuss the CASAC letter and response to charge questions on the draft PA was held in Cary, NC on December 3, 2019 (84 FR 58713, November 1, 2019), and the CASAC provided its advice on the draft PA in a letter to the EPA Administrator dated December 16, 2019.3 The final PA reflects staff’s consideration of the advice and comments from CASAC, as well as public comments. The final PA will be available on or about January 27, 2020, on the EPA’s website at https:// www.epa.gov/naaqs/particulate-matterpm-air-quality-standards. The documents briefly described above do not represent, and should not be construed to represent, any final EPA policy, viewpoint, or determination. 1 The IRP (EPA–452/R–16–005, December 2016) is available at https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/ particulate-matter-pm-standards-planningdocuments-current-review. 2 The ISA for PM (EPA/600/R–19/188, December 2019 is available at https://www.epa.gov/isa/ integrated-science-assessment-isa-particulatematter. 3 The CASAC letter is available at https:// yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/ 264cb1227d55e02c85257402007446a4/ E2F6C71737201612852584D20069DFB1/$File/EPACASAC-20-001.pdf. E:\FR\FM\30JAN1.SGM 30JAN1 5430 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 20 / Thursday, January 30, 2020 / Notices Dated: January 27, 2020. Panagiotis Tsirigotis, Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. [FR Doc. 2020–01682 Filed 1–29–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [OMB 3060–0804; FRS 16432] Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. AGENCY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: 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; the accuracy of the Commission’s burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; 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; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number. DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before March 30, 2020. 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 contact listed below as soon as possible. ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email PRA@ fcc.gov and to Nicole.ongele@fcc.gov. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:56 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 250001 For additional information about the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, (202) 418–2991. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Control Number: 3060–0804. Title: Universal Service—Rural Health Care Program. Form Numbers: FCC Forms 460, 461, 462, 463, 465, 466, and 467. Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection. Respondents: Business or other forprofit; Not-for-profit institutions; Federal Government; and State, Local, or Tribal governments. Number of Respondents and Responses: 10,494 unique respondents; 93,687 responses. Estimated Time per Response: 0.30– 17 hours. Frequency of Response: On occasion, One-time, Annual, Quarterly, and Monthly reporting requirements. Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in sections 1– 4, 201–205, 214, 254, 303(r), and 403 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151–154, 201–205, 214, 254, 303(r), and 403, unless otherwise noted. Total Annual Burden: 382,741 hours. Total Annual Cost: No Cost. Privacy Impact Assessment: No Impact(s). Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents concerning this information collection. Information submitted on FCC Forms for the RHC Program is subject to public inspection and is used by USAC to update and expand the RHC Program dataset as part of its Open Data Platform. However, respondents may request materials or information submitted to the Commission or to USAC be withheld from public inspection under 47 CFR 0.459 of the FCC’s rules. Needs and Uses: The Commission seeks OMB approval of revisions (change in reporting and recordkeeping requirements) to this information collection as a result of the 2019 Promoting Telehealth Report and Order (WC Docket No. 17–310; FCC 19–78; 84 FR 54952, October 11, 2019). This collection is utilized for the RHC support mechanism of the Commission’s universal service fund (USF). The collection of this information is necessary so that the Commission and the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will have sufficient information to determine if entities are eligible for funding FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 pursuant to the RHC universal service support mechanism, to determine if entities are complying with the Commission’s rules, and to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. This information is also necessary in order to allow the Commission to evaluate the extent to which the RHC Program is meeting the statutory objectives specified in section 254(h) of the 1996 Act, and the Commission’s performance goals for the RHC Program. This information collection is being revised to: (1) Extend some of the existing information collection requirements for the Healthcare Connect Fund and Telecommunications (Telecom) Programs; (2) revise some of the information collection requirements for the Healthcare Connect Fund and Telecom Programs and (3) add some new information collection requirements applicable to both the Healthcare Connect Fund Program and the Telecom Program as a result of the 2019 Promoting Telehealth Report and Order. As part of this information collection, the Commission is also revising the FCC Form templates for both programs, reformatting and revising the Telecommunications Program Invoice Template, and creating a new Post-Commitment Request Form consistent with the changes adopted in the 2019 Promoting Telehealth Report and Order and to promote transparency into the RHC Program procedures and requirements. The Healthcare Connect Fund Program currently includes FCC Forms 460, 461, 462, and 463 and the Telecom Program currently includes FCC Forms 465, 466, and 467. The revisions to these FCC Form templates, where applicable, are intended to make the RHC Program information requests consistent between the programs, to the extent possible, and help to ensure and verify that RHC Program participants are not engaging in fraudulent conduct or otherwise violating the Commission’s rules. Some of the changes to the FCC Form templates have different effective dates. Therefore, for administrative ease, we have indicated the applicable funding year of the FCC Form template, and where a specific form includes changes applicable to funding year 2020 and others to funding year 2021, we have provided separate forms applicable to each funding year. In the 2019 Promoting Telehealth Report and Order, the Commission directed USAC to streamline the data collection requirements and consolidate the program forms to the extent possible. Such streamlining and consolidation will not affect the underlying information collected as part of this E:\FR\FM\30JAN1.SGM 30JAN1

Agencies

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5429-5430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01682]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0072; FRL-10004-46-OAR]


Release of a Final Document Related to the Review of the National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the 
availability of a document titled, Policy Assessment for the Review of 
the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter (PA). 
This document was prepared as part of the current review of the 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter 
(PM). Building on the Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate 
Matter (ISA), completed in December 2019, the PA is intended to 
``bridge the gap'' between the currently available scientific 
information and the judgments required of the Administrator in 
determining whether to retain or revise the existing NAAQS for PM.

DATES: The PA will be made available on or about January 27, 2020.

ADDRESSES: This document will be available primarily via the internet 
at https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/particulate-matter-pm-air-quality-standards.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Scott Jenkins, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards (Mail Code C504-06), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 
919-541-1167; fax number: 919-541-5315; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  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 his 
``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 . . .'' (42 U.S.C. 7408(a)(1)(A)-(C)). 
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(a)(2)). 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 Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC).
    Presently, the EPA is reviewing the air quality criteria and NAAQS 
for PM. The EPA's overall plan for this review is presented in the 
Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards 
for Particulate Matter (IRP).\1\ A draft of the Integrated Science 
Assessment for Particulate Matter (ISA) was reviewed by the CASAC at a 
public meeting in December 2018 (83 FR 55529, November 6, 2018) and 
discussed on a public teleconference in March 2019 (84 FR 8523, March 
8, 2019). The final ISA was made available in January 2020.\2\ The 
final PA announced today draws from the scientific evidence assessed in 
the ISA, together with the results of air quality and other 
quantitative analyses, as available.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The IRP (EPA-452/R-16-005, December 2016) is available at 
https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/particulate-matter-pm-standards-planning-documents-current-review.
    \2\ The ISA for PM (EPA/600/R-19/188, December 2019 is available 
at https://www.epa.gov/isa/integrated-science-assessment-isa-particulate-matter.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The PA, when final, is intended to ``bridge the gap'' between the 
scientific and technical information available in the review and the 
judgments required of the Administrator in determining whether to 
retain or revise the existing PM NAAQS. The EPA released the draft PA 
in September 2019 (84 FR 47944, September 11, 2019). The draft PA was 
reviewed by the chartered CASAC on October 24-25, 2019 at a public 
meeting held in Cary, NC. Public comments on the draft PA were received 
via a separate public teleconference on October 22, 2019 (84 FR 51555, 
September 30, 2019). A public meeting to discuss the CASAC letter and 
response to charge questions on the draft PA was held in Cary, NC on 
December 3, 2019 (84 FR 58713, November 1, 2019), and the CASAC 
provided its advice on the draft PA in a letter to the EPA 
Administrator dated December 16, 2019.\3\ The final PA reflects staff's 
consideration of the advice and comments from CASAC, as well as public 
comments. The final PA will be available on or about January 27, 2020, 
on the EPA's website at https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/particulate-matter-pm-air-quality-standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The CASAC letter is available at https://yosemite.epa.gov/
sab/sabproduct.nsf/264cb1227d55e02c85257402007446a4/
E2F6C71737201612852584D20069DFB1/$File/EPA-CASAC-20-001.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The documents briefly described above do not represent, and should 
not be construed to represent, any final EPA policy, viewpoint, or 
determination.


[[Page 5430]]


    Dated: January 27, 2020.
Panagiotis Tsirigotis,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2020-01682 Filed 1-29-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

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