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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 32 (Friday, February 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11172-11173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03471]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9780-2]

Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related Photochemical 
Oxidants

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is announcing the availability of a final document 
titled, ``Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants'' (EPA/600/R-10/076F). The document was prepared 
by the National Center for Environmental Assessment within EPA's Office 
of Research and Development as part of the review of the national 
ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone.

DATES: The document will be available on February 15, 2013.

ADDRESSES: The ``Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants'' will be made available primarily through the 
Internet on the National Center for Environmental Assessment's home 
page under the Recent Additions and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of CD-ROM or paper copies will be 
available. Contact Ms. Marieka Boyd by phone (919-541-0031), fax (919-
541-5078), or email (boyd.marieka@epa.gov) to request either of these, 
and please provide your name, your mailing address, and the document 
title, ``Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants'' (EPA/600/R-10/076F) to facilitate processing 
of your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information, contact Dr. 
James Brown, NCEA; telephone: 919-541-0765; facsimile: 919-541-1818; or 
email: Brown.James@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act directs the Administrator to 
identify certain pollutants which, among other things, ``cause or 
contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to 
endanger public health or welfare'' and to issue air quality criteria 
for them. These air quality criteria are to ``accurately reflect the 
latest scientific knowledge useful in indicating the kind and extent of 
all identifiable effects on public health or welfare which may be 
expected from the presence of [a] pollutant in the ambient air * * *. 
'' Under section 109 of the Act, EPA is then to establish NAAQS for 
each pollutant for which EPA has issued criteria. Section 109(d) of the 
Act subsequently requires periodic review and, if appropriate, revision 
of existing air quality criteria to reflect advances in scientific 
knowledge on the effects of the pollutant on public health or welfare. 
EPA is also to periodically review and, if appropriate, revise the 
NAAQS, based on the revised air quality criteria.
    Ozone (O3) is one of six principal (or ``criteria'') 
pollutants for which EPA has established NAAQS. Periodically, EPA 
reviews the scientific basis for these standards by preparing an 
Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) (formerly called an Air Quality 
Criteria Document). The ISA provides a concise review, synthesis, and 
evaluation of the most policy-relevant science to serve as a scientific 
foundation for the review of the NAAQS. The Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee (CASAC), an independent science advisory committee 
whose existence and whose review and advisory functions are mandated by 
Section 109(d)(2) of the Clean Air Act, is charged (among other things) 
with independent scientific review of EPA's air quality criteria.
    On September 29, 2008 (73 FR 56581), EPA formally initiated its 
current review of the air quality criteria for ozone, requesting the 
submission of recent scientific information on specified topics. A 
draft of EPA's ''Integrated Review Plan for the Ozone National Ambient 
Air Quality Standards Review'' (EPA/452/P-09/001) was made available in 
September 2009 for public comment and was discussed by the CASAC Ozone 
Review Panel (CASAC panel) via a publicly accessible teleconference 
consultation on November 13, 2009 (74 FR 54562). In August 2010, EPA 
held a workshop to discuss, with invited scientific experts, initial 
draft materials prepared in the development of the ISA (75 FR 42085). 
The first external review draft ISA for Ozone and Related Photochemical 
Oxidants was released on March 4, 2011 (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=217463). The CASAC panel met at a public meeting 
on May 19, 2011, to review the draft ISA (76 FR 23809). Subsequently, 
on August 10, 2011, the CASAC panel provided a consensus letter for 
their review to the Administrator of the EPA (http://yosemite.epa.gov/
sab/sabproduct.nsf/4620a620d0120f93852572410080d786/
45A59F1BC8912FEE852578E80066021C/$File/EPA-CASAC-11-009-unsigned.pdf). 
The second external review draft ISA for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants was released on September 30, 2011 (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=226363). The CASAC panel 
met at a public meeting on January 9, 2012, to review the draft ISA (76 
FR 76725). Subsequently, on March 13, 2012, the CASAC panel provided a 
consensus letter for their review to the Administrator of the EPA 
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/
4620a620d0120f93852572410080d786/1336B2B88034AEB6852579C0007070CA/
$File/EPA-CASAC-12-004-unsigned.pdf).
    The third external review draft ISA for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants was released on June 19, 2012 (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=242490). The CASAC panel 
met at a public meeting

[[Page 11173]]

on September 11, 2012, to review the draft ISA (77 FR 46755). 
Subsequently, on November 14, 2012, the CASAC panel provided a 
consensus letter for their review to the Administrator of the EPA 
(http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/
4620a620d0120f93852572410080d786/60C2732674A5EEF385257AB6007274B9/
$File/EPA-CASAC-13-001+unsigned.pdf).
    EPA has considered comments by the CASAC panel and by the public in 
preparing this final ISA.

    Dated: January 24, 2013.
Debra B. Walsh,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2013-03471 Filed 2-14-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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