
[Federal Register: March 5, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 44)]
[Notices]               
[Page 11916-11917]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05mr08-68]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8537-4; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2005-0029]

 
Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen-Health 
Criteria

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing 
the availability of the second external review draft of a document 
titled, ``Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen--
Health Criteria'' (EPA/600/R-099aB). The document was prepared by the 
National Center for Environmental Assessment within EPA(s Office of 
Research and Development as part of the review of the primary (health-
based) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for oxides of 
nitrogen.
    EPA is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of 
seeking public comment and for review by the Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee (CASAC) (meeting date and location to be specified 
in a separate Federal Register notice). It does not represent and 
should not be construed to represent any Agency policy, viewpoint, or 
determination. EPA will consider any public comments submitted in 
accordance with this notice when revising the document.

DATES: The public comment period begins on or about March 6, 2008. 
Comments must be received on or before May 5, 2008.

ADDRESSES: The ``Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of 
Nitrogen--Health Criteria'' 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 http://
www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of CD-ROM or paper copies will be 
available. Contact Ms. Emily Lee by telephone: 919-541-4169, facsimile: 
919-541-1818, or e-mail: lee.emily@epa.gov to request either of these, 
and please provide your name, your mailing address, and the document 
title, ``Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen--
Health Criteria'' (EPA/600/R-099aB) to facilitate processing of your 
request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Kotchmar, NCEA; telephone: 919-
541-4158; facsimile: 919-541-1818; or e-mail: kotchmar.dennis@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Information About the Document

    Section 108 (a) of the Clean Air Act directs the Administrator to 
identify certain pollutants that ``may reasonably be anticipated to 
endanger public health and 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 and welfare. EPA is also to revise the 
NAAQS, if appropriate, based on the revised air quality criteria.
    Oxides of nitrogen 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 (AQCD). The ISA and supplementary annexes, in 
conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, provide 
the scientific basis for EPA decisions on the adequacy of a current 
NAAQS and the appropriateness of new or revised standards. The Clean 
Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), an independent science 
advisory committee mandated by the Clean Air Act and part of the EPA's 
Science Advisory Board (SAB), is charged with independent expert 
scientific review of EPA's draft ISAs.
    On December 9, 2005 (70 FR 73236), EPA formally initiated its 
current review of the criteria for Oxides of Nitrogen, requesting the 
submission of recent scientific information on specified topics. A 
draft of EPA's ``Integrated Plan for Review of the Primary National 
Ambient Air Quality Standard'' was made available in February 2007 for 
public comment and was discussed by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory 
Committee (CASAC) via a publicly accessible teleconference consultation 
on May 11, 2007 (72 FR 20336). A review of the secondary (welfare-
based) NAAQS for Oxides of Nitrogen is being conducted separately, in 
conjunction with the review of the secondary NAAQS for Sulfur Oxides. 
In February 2007 (72 FR 6238), a workshop was held to discuss, with 
invited scientific experts, initial draft materials prepared in the 
development of the ISA and supplementary annexes for oxides of 
nitrogen. The first external review draft of this ISA was released for 
public comment and review by the CASAC on August 31, 2007 (72 FR 
50107), and was reviewed by CASAC at a public meeting held on October 
24-25, 2007. This second draft document incorporates revisions to 
address comments raised by CASAC and the public.
    The second external review draft Integrated Science Assessment for 
Oxides of Nitrogen 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 http://
www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2005-
0029, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
     Fax: 202-566-1753.

[[Page 11917]]

     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.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2005-0029. 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 
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 that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-
mail. The http://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 http://
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 http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the http://
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 http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the 
EPA Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: February 26, 2008.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E8-4232 Filed 3-4-08; 8:45 am]

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