Environmental Protection Agency May 20, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2008. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below.

EPA is announcing the availability of a final report titled, ``EPA's 2008 Report on the Environment'' (EPA/600/R-07/045F), which was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) with significant input from partners across EPA and other federal agencies. EPA's 2008 Report on the Environment (2008 EPA ROE) compiles the most reliable indicators available to help understand important trends in the environment and human health. The indicators are supported by data that are as current as possible (data included in the 2008 EPA ROE are as recent as October 2007). Additionally, the report identifies key limitations of these indicators and gaps where reliable indicators do not yet exist. These gaps and limitations highlight the disparity between the current state of knowledge and the goal of full, reliable, and insightful representation of environmental conditions and trends, and provide direction for future research and monitoring efforts.

Based on its review of the air quality criteria and national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for lead (Pb), EPA proposes to make revisions to the primary and secondary NAAQS for Pb to provide requisite protection of public health and welfare, respectively. EPA proposes to revise various elements of the primary standard to provide increased protection for children and other at-risk populations against an array of adverse health effects, most notably including neurological effects, particularly neurocognitive and neurobehavioral effects, in children. With regard to the level and indicator of the standard, EPA proposes to revise the level to within the range of 0.10 to 0.30 [mu]g/ m\3\ in conjunction with retaining the current indicator of Pb in total suspended particles (Pb-TSP) but with allowance for the use of Pb- PM10 data, and solicits comment on alternative levels up to 0.50 [mu]g/m\3\ and down below 0.10 [mu]g/m\3\. With regard to the averaging time and form of the standard, EPA proposes two options: To retain the current averaging time of a calendar quarter and the current not-to-be-exceeded form, revised to apply across a 3-year span; and to revise the averaging time to a calendar month and the form to the second-highest monthly average across a 3-year span. EPA also solicits comment on revising the indicator to Pb-PM10 and on the same broad range of levels on which EPA is soliciting comment for the Pb-TSP indicator (up to 0.50 [mu]g/m\3\). EPA also invites comment on when, if ever, it would be appropriate to set a NAAQS for Pb at a level of zero. EPA proposes to make the secondary standard identical in all respects to the proposed primary standard. EPA is also proposing corresponding changes to data handling procedures, including the treatment of exceptional events, and to ambient air monitoring and reporting requirements for Pb including those related to sampling and analysis methods, network design, sampling schedule, and data reporting. Finally, EPA is providing guidance on its proposed approach for implementing the proposed revised primary and secondary standards for Pb. Consistent with the terms of a court order, by September 15, 2008 the Administrator will sign a notice of final rulemaking for publication in the Federal Register.