
[Federal Register: July 24, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 143)]
[Notices]               
[Page 43226-43228]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24jy08-62]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8696-8; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2006-0260]

 
Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Sulfur Oxides--Health 
Criteria

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of an extension of the public comment period for the 
Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Sulfur Oxides--Health Criteria.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is announcing an extension of the public comment 
period for the draft document titled, ``Integrated Science Assessment 
for Sulfur Oxides--Health Criteria; Second External Review Draft'' (EPA 
600/R-08/047). The draft document was prepared by the National Center 
for Environmental Assessment within EPA's Office of Research and 
Development as part of the Agency's review of the primary (health-
based) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for sulfur 
dioxide (SO2).
    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 began on May 30, 2008. This notice 
announces the extension of the deadline for public comment from July 
25, 2008, to August 11, 2008. Comments must be received on or before 
August 11, 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

[[Page 43227]]

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 that ``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 CASAC via a publicly 
accessible teleconference consultation on May 11, 2007 (72 FR 20336). A 
review of the secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS for Sulfur Oxides is 
being conducted separately, in conjunction with the review of the 
secondary NAAQS for Oxides of Nitrogen. 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). The second draft document was 
released for CASAC and public review on May 30, 2008 (73 FR 31113); 
this draft document incorporated revisions to address comments raised 
by CASAC and the public. The Annexes to the draft ISA were made 
available for review on June 17, 2008. In response to requests from the 
public, EPA is extending the deadline for public comments from July 25 
to August 11, 2008.
    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 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 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

[[Page 43228]]

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: July 16, 2008.
Rebecca Clark,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E8-16979 Filed 7-23-08; 8:45 am]

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