
[Federal Register: May 30, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 105)]
[Notices]               
[Page 31113-31114]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30my08-45]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8572-9; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2006-0260]

 
Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Sulfur Oxides--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 Sulfur Oxides--Health 
Criteria'' (EPA/600/R-08/047). 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 sulfur 
oxides.
    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 May 30, 2008. 
Comments must be received on or before July 25, 2008.

ADDRESSES: The ``Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Sulfur 
Oxides--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. Ellen Lorang by phone (919-541-2771), fax (919-541-5078), or e-mail 
(lorang.ellen@epa.gov) to request either of these, and please provide 
your name, your mailing address, and the document title, ``Draft 
Integrated Science Assessment for Sulfur Oxides--Health Criteria'' 
(EPA/600/R-08/047) to facilitate processing of your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information, contact Dr. 
Jee Young Kim, NCEA; telephone: 919-541-4157; facsimile: 919-541-2985; 
or e-mail: kim.jee-young@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 ``cause or contribute to air 
pollution which 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.
    Sulfur oxides are 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 May 16, 2006 (71 FR 28023), EPA formally initiated its current 
review of the criteria for Sulfur Oxides, 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 for Sulfur Oxides'' was made available in February 
2007, for public comment and was discussed by the Clean Air Science 
Advisory Committee (CASAC) via a publicly accessible teleconference 
consultation on May 11, 2007 (72 FR 20336). The plan was finalized and 
made available in October, 2007 (http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/
standards/so2/s_so2_cr_pd.html). 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 sulfur oxides. The first external review 
draft of this ISA was released for public comment and review by the 
CASAC on September 28, 2007 (72 FR 55207), and was reviewed by CASAC at 
a public meeting held on December 5-6, 2007 (72 FR 64216). This second 
draft document incorporates revisions to address comments raised by 
CASAC and the public.
    The second external review draft ISA for Sulfur Oxides 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

[[Page 31114]]

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 2006-
0260, 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.
     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-
2006-0260. 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 http://
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 home page 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: May 22, 2008.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
 [FR Doc. E8-11977 Filed 5-29-08; 8:45 am]

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