[Federal Register: April 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 71)]
[Notices]
[Page 17939-17941]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ap03-52]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL -7482-8]
Science Advisory Board, Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee,
Notification of Public Advisory Committee Meeting; Teleconference
Consultation on Risk Analysis Plans for Coarse Particulate Matter
(PM10-2.5) and PM10
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Science Advisory
Board (SAB), announces the conduct of a publically-accessible
teleconference of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC)
Particulate Matter (PM) Review Panel to review the Agency's risk
analysis plans for coarse-fraction PM10-2.5 and
PM10.
DATES: The conference call meeting will take place on Thursday, May 1,
2003, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. eastern time. Participation will be by
teleconference only.
ADDRESSES: Members of the public who wish to obtain the call-in number
and access code to participate must contact Ms. Delores Darden, EPA
Science Advisory Board Staff, at telephone/voice mail: (202) 564-2282,
via e-mail at: darden.delores@epa.gov; or at mailing address: EPA
Science Advisory Board, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1400A),
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC, 20460 (FedEx/Courier Zip
Code: 20004), in order to register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing
further information about this conference call should contact Mr. Fred
Butterfield, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science Advisory
Board Staff; at telephone/voice mail: (202) 564-4561; or via e-mail at:
butterfield.fred@epa.gov. General information concerning the CASAC or
the EPA Science Advisory Board can be found on the EPA Web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/sab.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Summary. The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee was
established by 42 U.S.C. 7409 in part to provide advice, information
and recommendations on the scientific and technical aspects of issues
related to the criteria for national ambient air quality standards
(NAAQS). The CASAC Particulate Matter Review Panel will report to the
Administrator of EPA through the CASAC, which is
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administratively located under the EPA Science Advisory Board. The SAB
was established by 42 U.S.C. 4365 to provide independent scientific and
technical advice, consultation, and recommendations to the EPA
Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and
regulations. Both the CASAC and the SAB are Federal advisory committees
chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended
(5 U.S.C. App.). The CASAC Particulate Matter Review Panel will comply
with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB procedural
policies.
On April 9, 2003, EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards (OAQPS) will make available for public review and comment a
draft memorandum, ``Preliminary Recommended Methodology for
PM10 and PM10-2.5 Risk Analyses in Light of
Reanalyzed Study Results'' (hereafter, draft Risk Analysis Methodology
for PM10 and PM10-2.5). This document outlines
the overall scope proposed for the quantitative risk assessments for
PM10 and coarse-fraction PM (PM10-2.5) that will
be conducted as part of the periodic review of the NAAQS for PM,
pursuant to sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).
2. Background. On January 28, 2002 (67 FR 3897), OAQPS made
available for public and CASAC review a draft document, ``Proposed
Methodology for Particulate Matter Risk Analyses for Selected Urban
Areas'' (hereafter, draft PM Risk Analysis Methodology), that describes
EPA's plans and approach for conducting PM health risk analyses
primarily for fine particles (PM2.5). The PM risk analyses
will be performed to assist in the preparation of the OAQPS PM Staff
Paper, the purpose of which is to evaluate the policy implications of
the key scientific and technical information contained in the Agency's
PM Air Quality Criteria Document (AQCD) and identify critical elements
that EPA staff believe should be considered in reviewing the PM NAAQS.
The Staff Paper is intended to ``bridge the gap'' between the
scientific review contained in the AQCD and the public health and
welfare policy judgments required of the Administrator in reviewing the
NAAQS. On February 27, 2002, the CASAC PM Review Panel met via public
teleconference to provide advice to EPA on the proposed methodology;
and, on May 23, 2002, the CASAC issued an Advisory providing its advice
to the EPA Administrator entitled, ``Review of the Agency's Draft
Proposed Methodology for Particulate Matter Risk Analysis for Selected
Urban Areas; an Advisory by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee
(EPA-SAB-CASAC-ADV-02-002), located on the EPA Science Advisory Board
Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/casacadv02002.pdf.
In response to the advice provided in the May 2002 CASAC Advisory,
OAQPS has proposed to expand the scope of the PM health risk analyses
to include risk analyses for PM10. The charge to the CASAC
PM Panel during their consultation on May 1, 2003, is to provide
feedback on the scope and approach proposed by EPA for the
PM10 and PM10-2.5 components of the risk
analyses. EPA is making available the draft Risk Analysis Methodology
for PM10 and PM10-2.5 to facilitate discussion
and review of the proposed approach by the CASAC and general public.
This draft document takes into consideration the availability of
reanalyses using alternative statistical approaches for some PM health
effect studies identified by EPA as being of high priority for policy
considerations (see the following URL: http://www.epa.gov/ncea/partmatt.htm
, for more information). This document outlines the overall
scope proposed for the quantitative risk assessments for
PM10 and PM10-2.5 including health endpoints to
be analyzed, health studies that serve as the source of concentration-
response functions, and cities to be examined.
Following the May 1, 2003, CASAC Particulate Matter Review Panel
teleconference to review the draft Risk Analysis Methodology for
PM10 and PM10-2.5, EPA will prepare a technical
report describing the risk analysis methodology in greater detail and
including preliminary risk estimates taking into account public and
CASAC comments. The methodology and preliminary estimates will be
summarized in the next draft of the OAQPS PM Staff Paper, which will be
released for public and CASAC review later this year.
Any questions concerning the draft Risk Analysis Methodology for
PM10 and PM10-2.5 should be directed to Mr.
Harvey Richmond, OAQPS's Health and Ecosystems Effects Group, at
telephone/voice mail: (919) 541-5271; or via e-mail at:
richmond.harvey@epa.gov. 3. Availability of Additional Meeting Materials. A copy of the
draft memorandum, ``Preliminary Recommended Methodology for
PM10 and PM10-2.5 Risk Analyses in Light of
Reanalyzed Study Results'' will be available through EPA's Technology
Transfer Network (TTN) Web site under the technical area for National
Ambient Air Quality Standards, under the heading of ``Particulate
Matter--Technical Documents'' at the following URL address: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pm/s_pm_cr_td.html
after April 9,
2003. In addition, the draft agenda for the teleconference that is the
subject of this notice will be posted on the EPA Science Advisory Board
Web Site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab (under the ``Agendas'' subheading)
approximately 10 days before the publically-accessible teleconference.
4. Providing Oral or Written Comments at SAB Meetings. It is the
policy of the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) to accept written public
comments of any length, and to accommodate oral public comments
whenever possible. The EPA SAB expects that public statements presented
at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted oral or
written statements. Oral Comments: In general, each individual or group
requesting an oral presentation at a face-to-face meeting will be
limited to a total time of 10 minutes (unless otherwise indicated). For
conference call meetings, opportunities for oral comment will usually
be limited to no more than three minutes per speaker and no more than
15 minutes total. Interested parties should contact the CASAC DFO, Mr.
Fred Butterfield, at the telephone number or e-mail address provided
above, at least one week prior to the meeting in order to be placed on
the public speaker list for the meeting. Speakers may attend the
meeting and provide comment up to the meeting time. Speakers should
bring at least 35 copies of their comments and presentation slides for
distribution to the reviewers and public at the meeting. Written
Comments: Although the SAB accepts written comments until the date of
the meeting (unless otherwise stated), written comments should be
received in the SAB Staff Office at least one week prior to the meeting
date so that the comments may be made available to the review panel for
their consideration. Written comments should be supplied to Ms. Delores
Darden, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff, at the e-mail address or
mailing address provided above, or via fax at: (202) 501-0582, in the
following formats: one hard copy with original signature, and one
electronic copy via e-mail (acceptable file format: Adobe Acrobat,
WordPerfect, Word, or Rich Text files (in IBM-PC/Windows 95/98 format).
Those providing written comments and who attend the meeting are also
asked to bring 35 copies of their comments for public distribution. Any
written comments supplied at the meeting should be provided to the DFO
up to or
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immediately following the meeting. The SAB allows a grace period of 48
hours after adjournment of the public meeting to provide written
comments supporting any verbal comments stated at the public meeting to
be made a part of the public record.
5. Meeting Access. Individuals requiring special accommodation to
access this teleconference should contact Ms. Delores Darden, EPA
Science Advisory Board Staff, at the telephone or e-mail address
provided above, at least five business days prior to the meeting so
that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Dated: April 7, 2003.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 03-9040 Filed 4-11-03; 8:45 am]
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