[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 180 (Monday, September 19, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54922-54923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-18578]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7970-5]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee (CASAC); CASAC Ozone Review Panel; Notification of 
Public Advisory Committee Meeting (Teleconference)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference of 
the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Ozone Review Panel 
(Panel) to conduct a consultation on EPA's draft Ozone Environmental 
Assessment Plan: Scope and Methods for Exposure, Risk and Benefits 
Assessment (August 2005).

DATES: The teleconference meeting will be held on October 3, 2005, from 
1 to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wishes to 
obtain the teleconference call-in numbers and access codes; would like 
to submit written or brief oral comments; or wants further information 
concerning this teleconference meeting, should contact Mr. Fred 
Butterfield, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science Advisory 
Board (1400F), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; via telephone/voice mail: (202) 343-
9994; fax: (202) 233-0643; or e-mail at: [email protected]. 
General information concerning the CASAC or the EPA SAB can be found on 
the EPA Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: Under section 108 of the Clean 
Air Act (CAA or Act), the Agency is required to establish National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for each pollutant for which EPA 
has issued criteria, including ozone (O3). Section 109(d) of 
the CAA subsequently requires periodic review and, if appropriate, 
revision of existing air quality criteria and standards to reflect 
advances in scientific knowledge on the effects of the pollutant on 
public health and welfare. The Agency revised the NAAQS for 
O3 in July 1997. EPA's Office of Research and Development 
(ORD) released a draft updated air quality criteria document for 
O3 (draft Ozone AQCD) in January 2005. The CASAC Ozone 
Review Panel met in a public meeting to conduct a peer review on this 
draft Ozone AQCD on May 4-5, 2005. EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning 
and Standards (OAQPS), within the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), is 
in the process of developing a draft updated Staff Paper for 
O3 as part of its review of the O3 NAAQS. This 
draft Staff Paper will evaluate the policy implications of the key 
scientific and technical information contained in the draft Ozone AQCD 
and identify critical elements that EPA believes should be considered 
in the review of the O3 NAAQS. The O3 Staff Paper 
is intended to ``bridge the gap'' between the scientific review 
contained in the Ozone AQCD and the public health and welfare policy 
judgments required of the EPA Administrator in reviewing the 
O3 NAAQS. OAQPS has developed a draft Ozone Environmental 
Assessment Plan, which outlines the scope, approaches, and key issues 
in estimating vegetation exposure, risk, and impacts on economic values 
posed by O3.
    EPA is soliciting advice and recommendations from the CASAC, by 
means of a consultation on the draft Ozone Environmental Assessment 
Plan, on the overall scope, approaches, and key issues in advance of 
the completion of such analyses and presentation of results in the 
draft O3 Staff Paper. The CASAC, which is comprised of seven 
members appointed by the EPA Administrator, was established under 
section 109(d)(2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) (42 U.S.C. 7409) as 
an independent scientific advisory committee, in part to provide 
advice, information and recommendations on the scientific and technical 
aspects of issues related to air quality criteria and national ambient 
air quality standards (NAAQS) under sections 108 and 109 of the Act. 
The CASAC is a Federal advisory committee chartered under the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C., App. The CASAC 
Ozone Review Panel complies with the provisions of FACA and all 
appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.
    Technical Contact: Any questions concerning the draft Ozone 
Environmental Assessment Plan should be directed to Ms. Vicki 
Sandiford, OAQPS, at phone: (919) 541-2629, or e-mail: 
[email protected].

Availability of Meeting Materials

    The draft Ozone Environmental Health Assessment Plan can be 
accessed via the Agency's Technology Transfer Network (TTN) Web site 
at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_index.html 
under ``Planning Documents.'' In addition, a

[[Page 54923]]

copy of the draft agenda for this meeting will be posted on the SAB Web 
Site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab (under the ``Agendas'' subheading) in 
advance of this CASAC Ozone Review Panel meeting. Other meeting 
materials, including the charge to the CASAC Ozone Review Panel, will 
be posted on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/panels/casacorpanel.html prior to this meeting.

Providing Oral or Written Comments at SAB Meetings

    The SAB Staff Office accepts written public comments of any length, 
and will accommodate oral public comments whenever possible. The SAB 
Staff Office expects that public statements presented at its face-to-
face meetings and teleconferences will not repeat previously-submitted 
oral or written statements.
    Oral Comments: In general, each individual or group requesting an 
oral presentation at a CASAC meeting or teleconference is limited to a 
total time of five minutes (unless otherwise indicated). However, no 
more than 30 minutes will be allotted for all oral public comments at 
this teleconference; therefore, the time allowed for each speaker's 
comments will be adjusted accordingly. In addition, for scheduling 
purposes, requests to provide oral comments must be in writing (e-mail, 
fax or mail) and received by Mr. Butterfield no later than September 
26, 2005 in order to reserve time on the meeting agenda.
    Written Comments: Written comments should be received in the SAB 
Staff Office by September 26, 2005 so that the comments may be made 
available to the CASAC PM Review Panel for their consideration. 
Comments should be supplied to Mr. Butterfield (preferably via e-mail) 
at the address/contact information noted above, as follows: one hard 
copy with original signature, and one electronic copy via e-mail 
(acceptable file format: Adobe Acrobat PDF, WordPerfect, MS Word, MS 
PowerPoint, or Rich Text files (in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP format)).

Meeting Accommodations

    Individuals requiring special accommodation to access this meeting, 
should contact the DFO at least five business days prior to the meeting 
so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

    Dated: September 13, 2005.
Anthony Maciorowski,
Associate Director for Science, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff 
Office.
[FR Doc. 05-18578 Filed 9-16-05; 8:45 am]
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