[Federal Register: March 6, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 44)]
[Notices]
[Page 10723-10724]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06mr03-59]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7459-3]
Draft Exposure and Human Health Evaluation of Airborne Pollution
from the World Trade Center Disaster
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of extension of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of
Research and Development (ORD) is announcing the extension of the
public comment period for the external review draft (ERD) document,
Exposure and Human Health Evaluation of Airborne Pollution from the
World Trade Center Disaster (EPA/600/P-02/002A, October 2002). This
draft document was prepared by ORD's National Center for Environmental
Assessment (NCEA) within the Office of Research and Development.
DATES: In the December 27, 2002, Federal Register (67 FR 79089), EPA
announced a limited comment period through February 25, 2003. The
Agency is now extending the public comment period to April 7, 2003.
Technical comments should be in writing and must be postmarked by April
7, 2003.
ADDRESSES: The primary distribution method for the ERD will be via
ORD's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ncea/wtc.htm. This draft report,
ORD's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ncea/wtc.htm. This draft report,
in PDF format, can be viewed and downloaded from the Internet for
review and comment. In addition, a limited number of CD-ROM and paper
copies of the ERD are available by contacting the Technical Information
Staff, NCEA-W (8623D), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone: (202) 564-3261; facsimile: (202) 565-
0050; e-mail: nceadc.comment@epa.gov. Please provide your name and
mailing address, and the title and EPA number of the requested
publication.
Comment Submission: Comments on the ERD may be mailed to the
Technical Information Staff, NCEA-W (8623D), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460; telephone: (202) 564-3261;
facsimile: (202) 565-0050. Comments should be in writing. Please submit
one unbound original with pages numbered consecutively, and three
copies of the comments. For attachments, provide an index, number pages
consecutively with the comments, and submit an unbound original and
three copies. Electronic comments may be e-mailed to:
nceadc.comment@epa.gov.
Please note that all technical comments received in response to
this notice will be placed in a public record. For that reason,
commentors should not submit personal information (such as medical data
or home address), Confidential Business Information, or information
protected by copyright. Due to limited resources, acknowledgments will
not be sent.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment
period, contact the Technical Information Staff of the National Center
for Environmental Assessment-Washington, telephone: (202) 564-3261;
facsimile: (202) 565-0050; e-mail: nceadc.comment@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Immediately following the September 11,
2001, terrorist attack on New York City's World Trade Center, many
federal agencies, including the EPA, were called upon to focus their
technical and scientific expertise on the national emergency issues.
EPA, other federal agencies, New York City, and New York State public
health and environmental authorities focused on numerous air monitoring
activities to better understand the ongoing human health impact of the
disaster. Many EPA offices and programs quickly became involved with
these activities, providing scientific, engineering, public health, and
management expertise to help cope with the aftereffects of the collapse
of the World Trade Center.
As part of these activities, a human health evaluation of exposure
to air pollutants resulting from the World Trade Center disaster was
initiated. The primary purpose and scope of this draft report were to
evaluate the environmental levels of various air pollutants to which
the public could potentially be exposed as a result of the collapse of
the towers. The draft report evaluates the measured outdoor levels of
various air pollutants to which the public potentially had been
exposed. These data were evaluated in terms of available health
benchmarks and typical background concentrations for New York City or
other urban areas. The draft evaluation concludes that, with the
exception of those exposed immediately following the collapse and
perhaps during the next few days, people in the surrounding community
are not likely to suffer from serious long-or short-term health
effects.
While the primary focus of EPA's draft evaluation is on outdoor
levels of various air pollutants to which the public could potentially
be exposed as a result of the collapse of the towers, some information
on indoor and occupational exposures is summarized. The incursion of
dust and other contaminants into residences and buildings is being
addressed via a number of other studies initiated in conjunction with
the plans by EPA and its federal, state, and city partners to clean up
residences impacted by the collapse of the World Trade Center.
The draft report also includes a discussion of rodent respiratory
toxicology studies, conducted by EPA scientists, that exposed mice to
fallen dust samples collected at or near Ground Zero on September 12
and 13, 2001. The purpose of these studies was to evaluate the toxicity
of fine particulate matter dust on the respiratory tract of mice and to
compare well-studied particulate matter reference samples, ranging from
essentially inert to quite toxic, to those collected at the World Trade
Center site. These studies found that fine particles were dominated by
calcium containing compounds derived from World Trade Center building
materials, and that a high exposure to World Trade Center fine
particulate matter could cause mild lung inflammation and airflow
obstruction in mice. These findings suggest that a similarly high
exposure in people could cause short-term respiratory effects such as
inflammation and cough.
Further, it is important to note that while this ERD is undergoing
public review and comment, a process of external independent expert
scientific peer review also is underway. These review processes are the
usual steps that EPA takes to ensure full and open participation by
interested parties. These steps also help EPA identify areas where a
draft document could be improved to strengthen both clarity and
completeness of the draft. Comments from the public and from the expert
peer reviewers will be used to improve the draft report before it is
finalized.
Finally, EPA scientists, in collaboration with other Federal and
State environmental health
[[Page 10724]]
professionals, as well as colleagues in academia and medical
institutions, will continue to analyze available data on human
exposures to environmental contaminants resulting from the World Trade
Center disaster. This continuing work will help us to better understand
the potential human health impacts.
Dated: February 27, 2003.
Art Payne,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 03-5322 Filed 3-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P