Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (Second External Review Draft)

Note: EPA has updated this document, but this version is provided as a courtesy to the public as a matter of public record.

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Notice

The Second External Review Draft of the U.S. EPA document, Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Other Photochemical Oxidants, now includes Chapter 8 (the Integrative Synthesis of Human Exposure and Health Effects Information) and the Executive Summary.

Comments on this document (Vol I-III) may be submitted and viewed using EPA's http://www.epa.gov/edocket Select "search" and key in the Docket Number ORD-2004-0015. As published in the August 31, 2005, Federal Register Notice, all comments must be submitted by November 30, 2005. Comments received by this date will be considered by the EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee(CASAC) during their review.

This second external review draft of the Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants, Volumes I-III (Ozone Criteria Document) is being released for public comment and for review by EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) review.

Background:

The Clean Air Act mandates periodic review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six common air pollutants, also referred to as criteria pollutants, including ozone. Under the review process, EPA's Office of Research and Development develops a "criteria document" -- a compilation and evaluation by U.S. EPA scientific staff and other expert authors of the latest scientific knowledge useful in assessing the health and welfare effects of the air pollutant. In this case, the Ozone Criteria Document presents the latest available pertinent information on atmospheric science, air quality, exposure, dosimetry, health effects, and environmental effects of ozone and other related photochemical oxidants. In developing criteria documents, EPA must consider the advice of CASAC.

History/Chronology:

The following is a brief history of the development of the Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants.

• 2000 - EPA begins the mandated periodic revision of the Ozone Criteria Document.
• 2002 - CASAC and the public review and comment on the Project Work Plan for the Ozone Criteria Document (see Related Entries).
• 2003-04 - EPA prepares initial draft chapters of the Ozone Criteria Document, which are discussed at peer consultation workshops and meetings.
• 2004 - EPA revises the chapters, taking into account comments from those discussions.
• 2005 - EPA releases the first external review draft of the Ozone Criteria document (see Related Entries).
• 2005 - EPA releases the second external review draft of the Ozone Criteria Document (see Downloads).

Next Steps:

CASAC will hold a public meeting to review the second external review draft of the Ozone Criteria Document from December 6-8, 2005. A federal register notice will announce the meeting and it's location. EPA will then review this feedback and recommendations with plans to publish the final version by the end of February 2006.

Other Sources

• Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Ozone Review Panel Documents and links
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Citation