4910 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 18 / Thursday, January 28, 2016 / Notices 

Council address: North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council, 605 W. 

4th Ave., Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 

99501–2252; telephone: (907) 271–2809. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim 

Armstrong, Council staff; telephone: 

(907) 271–2809. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Agenda 

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 

The agenda includes updating the 

status of the Statewide Scallop Stocks 

and Stock Assessment and Fishery 

Evaluation (SAFE) report-catch 

specifications, update on Alaska Pacific 

University’s Fisheries, Aquatic Science 

and Technology lab projects, update on 

new scallop assessment programs and a 

review of research priorities. The 

Agenda is subject to change, and the 

latest version will be posted at http:// 

www.npfmc.org/. 

Special Accommodations 

The meeting is physically accessible 

to people with disabilities. Requests for 

sign language interpretation or other 

auxiliary aids should be directed to 

Shannon Gleason at (907) 271–2809 at 

least 7 working days prior to the 

meeting date. 

Dated: January 25, 2016. 

Tracey L. Thompson, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2016–01679 Filed 1–27–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[FRL–9941–00–OW] 

National Coastal Condition 

Assessment 2010 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

availability of the final National Coastal 

Condition Assessment (NCCA) 2010. 

The NCCA describes the results of a 

nationwide coastal probabilistic survey 

that was conducted in the summer of 

2010 by the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) and its state, tribal, and 

federal partners. Results include 

estimates of coastal area with good, fair, 

and poor biological quality, water 

quality, sediment quality, and ecological 

fish tissue quality. Results are presented 

nationally and regionally for the 

Northeast, Southeast, Gulf of Mexico, 

West, and Great Lakes coasts. The 

NCCA 2010 also includes information 

on how the survey was implemented, 

and future actions and challenges. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Hugh Sullivan, Office of Wetlands, 

Oceans and Watersheds, Office of 

Water, Washington DC Phone: 202–564– 

1763; email: sullivan.hugh@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information 

To better answer questions about the 

condition of waters across the country, 

EPA and its state and tribal partners 

have embarked on a series of surveys 

under the National Aquatic Resource 

Surveys (NARS) program. The NCCA 

2010 is the most recent in this series of 

surveys. The key goals of the NCCA 

2010 are to describe the ecological 

condition of the nation’s coastal and 

Great Lakes nearshore waters, how those 

conditions are changing, and the key 

stressors affecting those waters. An 

important component of the NCCA is 

collaboration with state, tribal, and 

federal partners in developing new 

monitoring tools and analytical 

approaches and in advancing the 

science of coastal monitoring. The 

survey uses a statistical design to 

sample 1,104 randomly-selected sites 

that represent the condition of the larger 

population of coastal waters in the 

conterminous United States. This is the 

first time the nearshore waters of the 

Great Lakes have been included in a 

national statistically-based survey. 

The report finds that more than half 

of the nation’s coastal and Great Lakes 

nearshore waters are rated in good 

condition for biological and sediment 

quality, while about one third are rated 

in good condition for water quality and 

less than one percent are rated in good 

condition based on the potential harm 

that fish tissue contaminants pose to 

predator fish, birds, and wildlife. 

Excessive phosphorus is the greatest 

contributor to the poor water quality 

rating. Selenium is the greatest 

contributor to the poor rating for 

potential harm to predator fish, birds 

and wildlife from fish tissue 

contaminants. The draft report has 

undergone peer, state and EPA review. 

A. How can I get copies of the NCCA 

2010 and other related information? 

You may access the NCCA 2010 from 

EPA’s Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ 

national-aquatic-resource-surveys/ncca. 

Dated: January 13, 2016. 

Joel Beauvais, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of 

Water. 

[FR Doc. 2016–01561 Filed 1–27–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2013–0232; 

FRL–9941–74–ORD] 

Integrated Science Assessment for 

Oxides of Nitrogen—Health Criteria 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) is announcing the 

availability of a final document titled, 

‘‘Integrated Science Assessment for 

Oxides of Nitrogen—Health Criteria’’ 

(EPA/600/R–15/068). The document 

was prepared by the National Center for 

Environmental Assessment National 

Center for Environmental Assessment 

(NCEA) within the EPA’s Office of 

Research and Development (ORD) as 

part of the review of the primary 

(health-based) National Ambient Air 

Quality Standards (NAAQS) for nitrogen 

dioxide (NO2). The Integrated Science 

Assessment (ISA), in conjunction with 

additional technical and policy 

assessments, provides the scientific 

basis for decisions by the EPA on the 

adequacy of the current NAAQS and the 

appropriateness of possible alternative 

standards. The EPA is developing a 

separate ISA and conducting a separate 

review for the secondary (welfare-based) 

NAAQS for NO2, in conjunction with a 

review of the secondary NAAQS for 

sulfur dioxide. 

DATES: The document will be available 

on or around January 28, 2016. 

ADDRESSES: The ‘‘Integrated Science 

Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen— 

Health Criteria’’ will be available 

primarily via the Internet on the EPA’s 

Integrated Science Assessment for 

Nitrogen Dioxide (Health Criteria) home 

page at http://www.epa.gov/isa/

integrated-science-assessment-isanitrogen-dioxide-health-criteria or the 

public docket at http:// 

www.regulations.gov, Docket ID: EPA– 

HQ–ORD–2013–0232. A limited number 

of CD–ROM 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 

a CD–ROM, and please provide your 

name, your mailing address, and the 

document title, ‘‘Integrated Science 

Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen— 

Health Criteria’’ to facilitate processing 

of your request. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

technical information, contact Dr. 

Molini Patel, NCEA; telephone: 919– 

541–1492; fax: 919–541–1818; or email: 

patel.molini@epa.gov. 


wgreen on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 18 / Thursday, January 28, 2016 / Notices 4911 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Information About the Document 

Section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act 

directs the Administrator to identify 

certain pollutants that, 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. Further, section 108(a)(2) of 

the Act provides that 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 [the] pollutant in the 

ambient air . . . .’’ Under section 109 of 

the Act, the EPA is then to establish 

National Ambient Air Quality Standards 

(NAAQS) for each pollutant for which 

the 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. The EPA is also 

required to review and, if appropriate, 

revise the NAAQS, based on the revised 

air quality criteria (for more information 

on the NAAQS review process, see 

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/

review.html). 

Oxides of nitrogen are one of six 

criteria pollutants for which EPA has 

established NAAQS. Periodically, EPA 

reviews the scientific basis for these 

standards by preparing an ISA (formerly 

called an Air Quality Criteria 

Document). The ISA, in conjunction 

with additional technical and policy 

assessments, provides the scientific 

basis for decisions by EPA on the 

adequacy of the current NAAQS and the 

appropriateness of possible alternative 

standards. The Clean Air Scientific 

Advisory Committee (CASAC), an 

independent science advisory 

committee with review and advisory 

functions mandated by section 109(d)(2) 

of the Clean Air Act, is charged with, 

among other things, independent 

scientific review of the EPA’s air quality 

criteria. 

On February 10, 2012 (77 FR 7149), 

EPA formally initiated its current 

review of the air quality criteria for the 

health effects of oxides of nitrogen and 

the primary (health-based) nitrogen 

dioxide (NO2) NAAQS, requesting the 

submission of recent scientific 

information on specified topics. EPA 

held a workshop on February 29 to 

March 1, 2012, to gather input from 

scientific experts, both internal and 

external to EPA, as well as from the 

public regarding key science and policy 

issues that will frame the review of the 

health effects of the oxides of nitrogen 

and the primary NO2 NAAQS (77 FR 

7149). 

The discussions at this workshop 

guided the development of the EPA’s 

‘‘Draft Plan for Development of the 

Integrated Science Assessment for 

Nitrogen of Oxides—Health Criteria,’’ a 

draft ‘‘Integrated Review Plan for the 

Primary NAAQS for Nitrogen Dioxide’’ 

(EPA–452/R–14–003), and initial draft 

materials for the development of the 

ISA. The draft plan for the development 

of the ISA was made available for public 

comment on May 3, 2013 (78 FR 26026), 

and was discussed by the CASAC via a 

publicly accessible teleconference 

consultation on June 5, 2013 (78 FR 

27234). On June 11, 2013, EPA held a 

workshop to discuss, with invited 

scientific experts, initial draft materials 

prepared for the development of the ISA 

(78 FR 27374). The draft Integrated 

Review Plan (IRP) was made available 

in February 2014 for comment by the 

public and review by the CASAC (79 FR 

7184) and was reviewed by the CASAC 

at a public meeting on March 12, 2014 

(79 FR 8701). The CASAC panel 

provided a consensus letter for their 

review of the draft IRP to the 

Administrator of the EPA on June 10, 

2014 (http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/

sabproduct.nsf/264cb1227d55e02c8525

7402007446a4/89989229944F36B08525

7CF300692E2A/$File/EPA-CASAC-14- 

001+unsigned.pdf). The final IRP was 

released in June 2014 (79 FR 36801), 

and is available at: http://www.epa.gov/ 

ttn/naaqs/standards/nox/s_nox_2012_

pd.html. 

Comments on the draft plan for the 

ISA and discussion at the June 11, 2013, 

workshop guided development of the 

‘‘First External Review Draft Integrated 

Science Assessment for Oxides of 

Nitrogen—Health Criteria,’’ which was 

released on November 22, 2013 (78 FR 

70040), and is available at: http://cfpub.

epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm

?deid=259167. The CASAC review 

panel for the oxides of nitrogen met at 

a public meeting on March 12–13, 2014, 

to review the draft ISA along with the 

draft IRP (79 FR 8701). Subsequently, on 

June 10, 2014, the CASAC panel 

provided a consensus letter for their 

review to the Administrator of the EPA 

(http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sab

product.nsf/264cb1227d55e02c8525

7402007446a4/15E4619D3CD3409

A85257CF30069387D/$File/EPACASAC-14-002+unsigned.pdf). The 

second external review draft ISA was 

developed with consideration of 

comments received from the CASAC 

and the public on the first external 

review draft ISA and evaluated 

scientific studies published through 

August 2014. The CASAC panel met at 

a public meeting on June 2–3, 2015, to 

review the second draft ISA (79 FR 

22993). Subsequently, on September 9, 

2015, the CASAC provided a consensus 

letter for their review to the 

Administrator of the EPA (http://

yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/

6612DAF24438687B85257EBB0

070369C/$File/EPA-CASAC-15-001+

unsigned.pdf). The letters from the 

CASAC, as well as public comments 

received on the ISA drafts, can be found 

in Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2013– 

0232. 

EPA has considered comments by the 

CASAC panel and by the public in 

preparing this final ISA. 

Dated: January 15, 2016. 

Vincent Cogliano, 

Acting Deputy Director, National Center for 

Environmental Assessment. 

[FR Doc. 2016–01548 Filed 1–27–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY 

OFFICE 

Request for Medicare Payment 

Advisory Commission Nominations 

AGENCY: Government Accountability 

Office (GAO). 

ACTION: Request for letters of 

nomination and resumes. 

SUMMARY: The Balanced Budget Act of 

1997 established the Medicare Payment 

Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and 

gave the Comptroller General 

responsibility for appointing its 

members. For appointments to MedPAC 

that will be effective May 1, 2016, I am 

announcing the following: Letters of 

nomination and resumes will be 

accepted through March 9, 2016 to 

ensure adequate opportunity for review 

and consideration of nominees prior to 

appointment of new members. 

Acknowledgement of submissions will 

be provided within a week of 

submission. Please contact Mary Giffin 

at (202) 512–3710 if you do not receive 

an acknowledgment. 

ADDRESSES: Email: 

MedPACappointments@qao.qov. 

Mail: U.S. GAO, Attn: MedPAC 

Appointments, 441 G Street NW., 

Washington, DC 20548. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

GAO: Office of Public Affairs, (202) 

512–4800. 


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