[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53472-53473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23126]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2018-0274; FRL-9985-64-ORD]


Webinar Workshop To Review Initial Draft Materials for the Ozone 
Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Health and Welfare Effects

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of workshop.

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SUMMARY: As part of the review of the air quality criteria and the 
primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) National Ambient 
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone, Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) is announcing a webinar workshop to

[[Page 53473]]

evaluate initial draft materials for the Integrated Science Assessment 
(ISA) for ozone, which is being organized by EPA's National Center for 
Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within the Office of Research and 
Development. The workshop will be held over four days: October 29th, 
31st, November 1st, and 5th, 2018. The workshop will be open to webinar 
attendance by interested public observers on a first-come, first-served 
basis.

DATES: The workshop will be held on Monday, October 29, 2018; 
Wednesday, October 31, 2018; Thursday, November 1, 2018; and Monday, 
November 5, 2018.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held by teleconference and webinar. The 
call-in number and website information for the webinar are available to 
registered participants. Please register by going to https://epa-naaqs-isa-ozone.eventbrite.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct questions regarding 
workshop registration or logistics to Ms. Canden Byrd at 
[email protected] or by phone at 919-293-1660. Questions 
regarding the scientific and technical aspects of the workshop should 
be directed to Ms. Rebecca Daniels; telephone: 919-541-5734; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Summary of Information About the Workshop

    Section 109(d)(1) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) requires the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to periodically review, and if 
appropriate, revise, the air quality criteria for each air pollutant 
listed under section 108 of the Act. Under the same provision, EPA is 
also to periodically review, and if appropriate, revise the NAAQS, 
based on the revised air quality criteria. As part of these reviews, 
NCEA assesses newly available scientific information and develops ISA 
documents that provide the scientific basis for the reviews of the 
NAAQS.
    NCEA is holding this webinar workshop to inform EPA's evaluation of 
the scientific evidence for the review of the primary and secondary 
NAAQS for ozone. Section 109(b)(1) of the CAA defines primary NAAQS as 
standards ``the attainment and maintenance of which in the judgment of 
the Administrator, based on such [air quality] criteria and allowing an 
adequate margin of safety, are requisite to protect the public 
health.'' Under section 109(b)(2) of the CAA a secondary standard must 
``specify a level of air quality the attainment and maintenance of 
which in the judgment of the Administrator, based on such criteria, is 
requisite to protect the public welfare from any known or anticipated 
adverse effects associated with the presence of [the] pollutant in the 
ambient air.''
    The purpose of the webinar workshop is to obtain review and discuss 
the scientific content of initial draft written materials prepared for 
the draft ozone ISA for health and welfare effects to help ensure that 
the ISA is up-to-date and focuses on the key evidence to inform the 
scientific understanding for the review of the primary and secondary 
NAAQS for ozone. Workshop sessions will include review and discussion 
of preliminary draft written materials on the atmospheric chemistry and 
background sources of ozone, welfare effects of ozone, human exposure 
to ozone and animal toxicological studies, and the health effects 
evidence from human clinical and epidemiological studies.
    In addition, roundtable discussions will help identify key studies 
or concepts within each discipline to assist EPA in integrating 
relevant literature within and across disciplines. These preliminary 
materials are not being released to the public as external review 
drafts, but they will be used to guide workshop discussions. EPA is 
planning to release an external review draft ISA for health and welfare 
effects of ozone for review by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory 
Committee (CASAC) and the public in 2019.

II. Workshop Information

    Members of the public may attend the webinar as observers. Space in 
the webinar may be limited, and reservations will be accepted on a 
first-come, first-served basis. Registration for the workshop is 
available online at https://epa-naaqs-isa-ozone.eventbrite.com.

    Dated: October 12, 2018.
 James Avery,
Acting Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2018-23126 Filed 10-22-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


