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[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29262-29263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11122]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9946-21-ORD]

Webinar Workshop To Review Initial Draft Materials for the 
Particulate Matter (PM) 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 for the 
particulate matter (PM) primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-
based) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), EPA is 
announcing a webinar workshop to evaluate initial draft materials for 
the PM Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for health and welfare 
effects, 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: June 9th, 13th, 
20th, and 22nd, 2016. 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 Thursday, June 9, 2016, beginning 
at 11:30 a.m. and ending at 3:30 p.m.; Monday, June 13, 2016, beginning 
at 11:30 a.m. and ending at 1:30 p.m.; Monday, June 20, 2016, beginning 
at 11:30 a.m. and ending at 1:45 p.m.; and Wednesday, June 22, 2016, 
beginning at 11:30 a.m. and ending at 3:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held by teleconference and webinar. The 
call in number and Web site information for the webinar are available 
to registered participants. Please register by going to http://pm-isa-peerinput-webinars.eventbrite.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct questions regarding 
workshop registration or logistics to Canden Byrd at 
EPA_NAAQS_Workshop@icfi.com or by phone at 919-293-1660. Questions 
regarding the scientific and technical aspects of the workshop should 
be directed to Mr. Jason Sacks; telephone: 919-541-9729; facsimile: 
919-541-1818; email: sacks.jason@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Summary of Information About the Workshop

    Section 109(d) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) requires the U.S. EPA to 
conduct periodic reviews of the air quality criteria for each air 
pollutant listed under section 108 of the Act. Based on such review, 
EPA is to retain or revise the NAAQS for a given pollutant as 
appropriate. 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 PM. 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 criteria and allowing an adequate 
margin of safety, are requisite to protect the public health.'' A 
secondary standard, as defined in section 109(b)(2) of the CAA, 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 discuss the 
scientific content of the initial draft written materials prepared for 
the PM 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 PM. 
Workshop sessions will include a

[[Page 29263]]

discussion of preliminary draft written materials on the atmospheric 
chemistry of and human exposure to PM; welfare effects of PM; modes of 
action and dosimetry of PM, and the relationship between PM and cancer; 
and the health effects evidence from animal toxicology, human clinical, 
and epidemiology 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 as an external draft, but 
will be used to guide workshop discussions. EPA is planning to release 
the first external review draft PM ISA for health and welfare effects 
for review by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and the 
public in 2017.

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 http://pm-isa-peerinput-webinars.eventbrite.com.

    Dated: May 3, 2016.
Mary A. Ross,
Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2016-11122 Filed 5-10-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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