Ozone and Particulate Matter Research Act of 1997

Summary: Ozone and Particulate Matter Research Act of 1997 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to:  (1) request the National Academy of Sciences to convene an independent panel of scientists with expertise on the health effects of air pollution to establish priorities for research on the health effects of particulate matter; and (2) report the panel's recommendations to the Congress. 
Requires the President to establish the Particulate Matter Interagency Committee to develop recommendations for, and periodically evaluate, a program to coordinate the activities of Federal agencies engaged in research on health effects of particulate matter that ensures that such research advances the prioritized agenda of the panel. 
Directs the Administrator to:  (1) review the air quality criteria and standards under the Clean Air Act for ozone and particulate matter; and (2) determine whether to retain or revise such standards and criteria or promulgate new ones. 
Authorizes the Administrator to require State implementation plans under such Act to require ambient air quality monitoring for fine particulate matter.  Provides for grants to States to carry out such monitoring. 
Reinstates the national ambient air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter in effect on July 15, 1997.  Bars revision of such standards until the Administrator's scientific review under this Act is completed. 
Directs the National Institutes of Health to begin a research program to study the health effects of allergens on asthmatics, particularly in inner city areas. 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ozone and Particulate Matter 
Research Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) Public Law 101-549 (commonly known as the ``Clean Air 
        Act Amendments of 1990'') (104 Stat. 2399) established a number 
        of measures and programs that address ozone and particulate 
        matter pollution and the precursors to ozone and particulate 
        matter pollution;
            (2) most of the measures and programs are continuing or 
        have yet to be implemented;
            (3) the United States has made significant progress on 
        reducing atmospheric levels of ozone and particulate matter 
        since passage of Public Law 101-549 and will continue to make 
        significant progress in reducing atmospheric levels of ozone 
        and particulate matter through continued implementation of that 
        Act for the next 5 years;
            (4) changing the current national ambient air quality 
        standard for ozone, which is explicitly incorporated into part 
        D of title I of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7501 et seq.), 
        could nullify many of the ozone provisions in Public Law 101-
        549 and lead to disruptions and delays in the reduction of 
        ozone and the precursors to ozone;
            (5) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee have 
        recommended that additional research be conducted to determine 
        any adverse health effects of fine particles (including 
        research on the biological mechanism for adverse health 
        effects, toxicity and dose response levels, and specification 
        of the size and type of particle that might have adverse health 
        effects); and
            (6) currently available atmospheric data regarding fine 
        particle levels in the United States are inadequate to provide 
        an understanding of any adverse health effects of fine 
        particles or a basis for designating areas under title I of the 
        Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.).

SEC. 3. PARTICULATE MATTER RESEARCH PROGRAM.

    (a) Independent Panel.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency (referred to in this Act as the 
        ``Administrator'') shall request the National Academy of 
        Sciences to convene an independent panel of scientists with 
        expertise on the health effects of air pollution to establish 
        priorities for research on the health effects of particulate 
        matter.
            (2) Report.--Not later than February 1, 1998, the 
        Administrator shall report to Congress the recommendations of 
        the independent panel.
    (b) Research Priorities.--At a minimum, the independent panel shall 
consider--
            (1) the sizes and physical-chemical characteristics of the 
        constituents of particulate matter;
            (2) the health effects of individual exposure to 
        concentrations of fine particulate matter at ambient levels 
        verses indoor levels;
            (3) the identification and evaluation of biological 
        mechanisms for fine particulate matter as related to life 
        shortening, acute mortality, and morbidity;
            (4) controlled inhalation exposure as a determinant of 
        dose-response relationships; and
            (5) long-term health effect evaluations examining 
        individual exposure to fine particulate matter, other 
        particulate indicators, and other copollutants and airborne 
        allergens.
    (c) Interagency Committee.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the President shall establish a 
        committee to be known as the ``Particulate Matter Interagency 
        Committee'' (referred to in this Act as the ``Interagency 
        Committee'').
            (2) Purposes.--The Interagency Committee shall--
                    (A) not later than 180 days after the date of 
                enactment of this Act, develop recommendations for a 
                program to coordinate the activities of Federal 
                agencies engaged in research on human health effects of 
                particulate matter that ensures that the research 
                advances the prioritized agenda of the independent 
                panel; and
                    (B) monitor, review, and periodically evaluate the 
                program.
            (2) Composition of interagency committee.--
                    (A) Membership.--The Interagency Committee shall be 
                composed of 8 members, of whom--
                    (i) 1 shall be appointed by the Administrator;
                    (ii) 1 shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
                Agriculture;
                    (iii) 1 shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
                Defense;
                    (iv) 1 shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
                Energy;
                    (v) 1 shall be appointed by the Secretary of Health 
                and Human Services;
                    (vi) 1 shall be appointed by the Director of the 
                National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences;
                    (vii) 1 shall be appointed by the Director of the 
                National Institute of Standards and Technology; and
                    (viii) 1 shall be appointed by the Director of the 
                Office of Science and Technology Policy.
            (B) Chairperson.--The Interagency Committee shall elect a 
        chairperson from among its members appointed under clauses (ii) 
        through (viii) of subparagraph (A) who shall be responsible for 
        ensuring that the duties of the Interagency Committee are 
        carried out.
            (C) Staff.--Members of the Interagency Committee shall 
        provide appropriate staff to carry out the duties of the 
        Interagency Committee.
    (d) Report to Interagency Committee.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall request the 
        National Academy of Sciences to periodically submit to the 
        Interagency Committee, the Clean Air Science Advisory 
        Committee, and Congress a report that evaluates the prioritized 
        research activities under the program described in subsection 
        (c)(2)(A).
            (2) Expenses.--The Administrator shall be responsible for 
        expenses incurred by the National Academy of Sciences in 
        carrying out paragraph (1).

SEC. 4. SCIENCE REVIEW.

    No earlier than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator shall--
            (1) complete a thorough review of the air quality criteria 
        published under section 108 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
        7408) for ozone and fine particulate matter and a thorough 
        review of the standards in effect under that Act for ozone and 
        particulate matter; and
            (2) determine, in accordance with section 108 and 109 of 
        that Act (42 U.S.C. 7408, 7409), whether to--
                    (A) retain the criteria and standards in effect 
                under that Act for ozone and particulate matter;
                    (B) make revisions in the criteria and standards; 
                or
                    (C) promulgate new criteria and standards.

SEC. 5. PARTICULATE MONITORING PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator may require State implementation 
plans to require ambient air quality monitoring for fine particulate 
matter pursuant to section 110(a)(2)(B) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
7410(a)(2)(B)).
    (b) Grants.--The Administrator shall make grants to States to carry 
out monitoring required under subsection (a).

SEC. 6. REINSTATEMENT OF STANDARDS.

    (a) In General.--The national ambient air quality standards for 
ozone and particulate matter under section 109 of the Clean Air Act (42 
U.S.C. 7409), as in effect on July 15, 1997, are reinstated.
    (b) Revision of Standards.--The national ambient air quality 
standards for ozone and particulate matter reinstated under subsection 
(a) shall not be revised until completion of the scientific review 
under section 4.

SEC. 7. OZONE RESEARCH.

    The National Institutes of Health is directed to begin a research 
program to study the health effects of allergens on asthmatics, 
particularly in regards to urban inner city areas.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out sections 1-6 of 
this Act $75,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1998 through 2002. There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 7 of this Act 
$25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2002.