[Federal Register: June 15, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 116)]
[Notices]
[Page 32621-32622]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15jn01-62]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6996-3]
Preliminary Draft Staff Paper for Particulate Matter
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of a draft for public review and comment.
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SUMMARY: On June 13, 2001, the Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards (OAQPS)of EPA will make available for public review and
comment a preliminary draft document, Review of the National Ambient
Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter: Policy Assessment of
Scientific and Technical Information (Preliminary Draft Staff Paper).
The purpose of the Staff Paper is to evaluate the policy implications
of the key scientific and technical information contained in a related
EPA document, Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter, required
under sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for use in the
periodic review of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS)
for particulate matter (PM). The OAQPS also will make available for
public review and comment a draft EPA document entitled, Particulate
Matter NAAQS Risk Analysis Scoping Plan.
DATES: Comments on the preliminary draft Staff Paper and draft Risk
Analysis Scoping Plan should be submitted on or before July 12, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the preliminary draft Staff Paper should be
submitted to Dr. Mary Ross, Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards (MD-15), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research
Triangle Park, NC 27711; e-mail: ross.mary@epa.gov;
[[Page 32622]]
telephone: (919) 541-5170; fax: (919) 541-0237.
Comments on the draft Risk Analysis Scoping Plan should be
submitted to Mr. Harvey Richmond, Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards (MD-15), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research
Triangle Park, NC 27711; e-mail: richmond.harvey@epa.gov; telephone:
(919) 541-5271; fax: (919) 541-0237.
Availability of Related Information
Single copies of the preliminary draft Staff Paper and draft Risk
Analysis Scoping Plan may be obtained without charge by contacting Mary
Ross at the address or telephone number listed above. Please include
name, address, telephone number, e-mail if available, and delivery
preference (mail or e-mail delivery).
Electronic Availability
The preliminary draft Staff Paper and draft Risk Analysis Scoping
Plan can also be obtained online at the Agency's OAQPS Technology
Transfer Network (TTN) under the technical area of Office of Air and
Radiation Policy and Guidance (OAR P&G), and under the heading of
``Staff Papers'' at the following internet web site: http://
www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1sp.html If assistance is needed in accessing
the system, call the help desk at (919) 541-5384 in Research Triangle
Park, NC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Mary Ross at the address and
telephone number given above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EPA is currently reviewing the NAAQS for
PM. Sections 108 and 109 of the CAA require that EPA carry out a
periodic review and revision, where appropriate, of the scientific
criteria and the NAAQS for ``criteria'' air pollutants such as PM.
Details of EPA's plans for review of the NAAQS for PM were announced in
a previous Federal Register notice (62 FR 55201, October 23, 1997). The
second external review draft of the Air Quality Criteria for
Particulate Matter was recently made available for public review and
comment (66 FR 18929, April 12, 2001).
The purpose of the Staff Paper is to evaluate the policy
implications of the key scientific and technical information contained
in the Air Quality Criteria document and identify critical elements
that EPA staff believe should be considered in reviewing the NAAQS. The
Staff Paper is intended to ``bridge the gap'' between the scientific
review contained in the Air Quality Criteria document and the public
health and welfare policy judgments required of the Administrator in
reviewing the NAAQS (Natural Resources Defense Council v.
Administrator, 902 F.2d 962, 967 (D.C. Cir. 1990).
This preliminary draft Staff Paper includes preliminary assessments
of the scientific and technical information contained in the draft Air
Quality Criteria document and discusses proposed analyses to be
conducted for inclusion in a subsequent draft Staff Paper. Staff
conclusions and recommendations on the PM NAAQS are not included in
this preliminary draft but will be included in a subsequent draft to be
made available for further review and comment as indicated below.
The draft Risk Analysis Scoping Plan describes EPA's plans and
approach for conducting PM health risk analyses that will be summarized
and discussed in the next draft of the Staff Paper.
The preliminary draft Staff Paper and draft Risk Analysis Scoping
Plan, along with the second external review draft of the Air Quality
Criteria for PM, will be reviewed at an upcoming public meeting of the
Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) of EPA's Science
Advisory Board. A future Federal Register notice will inform the public
of the date and location of that meeting. Following the CASAC meeting,
EPA will prepare a revised draft Staff Paper, taking into account
public and CASAC comments, and will make the revised draft available
for further review and comment by CASAC and the public.
Dated: June 7, 2001.
Anna B. Duncan,
Acting Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 01-15146 Filed 6-14-01; 8:45 am]
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