[Federal Register: March 15, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 49)]
[Notices]
[Page 12683-12684]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15mr05-82]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7884-3]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Clean Air Scientific
Advisory Committee (CASAC); Notification of Advisory Committee Meeting
of the CASAC Particulate Matter Review Panel
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory
Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the Clean Air
Scientific Advisory Committee's (CASAC) Particulate Matter (PM) Review
Panel (Panel) to conduct a peer review of the Review of the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter: Policy Assessment
of Scientific and Technical Information (second draft PM Staff Paper,
January 2005); and a related draft technical support document,
Particulate Matter Health Risk Assessment for Selected Urban Areas:
Second Draft Report (second draft PM Risk Assessment, January 2005).
DATES: April 6-7, 2005. The meeting will be held Wednesday, April 6,
2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (eastern time), and Thursday, April
7, 2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (eastern time).
Location: The meeting will take place at the Marriott Durham Civic
Center Hotel, 210 Foster Street, Durham North Carolina, 27701.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wishes to
submit written or brief oral comments (five minutes or less); or wants
further information concerning this meeting, must 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: 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: Summary: 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 PM
Review Panel complies with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate
SAB Staff Office procedural policies.
This meeting is a continuation of the CASAC PM Review Panel's peer
review of the Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for
Particulate Matter: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical
Information (first draft PM Staff Paper, August 2003), and a related
draft technical report, Particulate Matter Health Risk Assessment for
Selected Urban Areas (first draft PM Risk Assessment, August 2003). The
report from the Panel's previous meeting to review these draft
documents, held on November 12-13, 2003 in Research Triangle Park
(RTP), NC, is posted on the SAB Web Site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/casac_04004.pdf.
The second draft PM Staff Paper and the second
draft PM Risk Assessment were made available for public review and
comment on January 31, 2005 by EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards (OAQPS), within the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR).
Background: Under section 108 of the CAA, the Agency is required to
establish NAAQS for each pollutant for which EPA has issued criteria,
including PM. 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 and welfare. EPA is also to revise the
NAAQS, if appropriate, based on the revised criteria. The purpose of
the second draft PM Staff Paper is to evaluate the policy implications
of the key scientific and technical information contained in a related
document, EPA's revised Air Quality Criteria Document (AQCD) for PM
(October 2004), and to identify critical elements that EPA staff
believes should be considered in the review of the PM NAAQS. The Staff
Paper for PM is intended to ``bridge the gap'' between the scientific
review contained in the PM AQCD and the public health and welfare
policy judgments required of the Administrator in reviewing the PM
NAAQS.
This second draft PM Staff Paper is based on the information in the
final PM AQCD, which had been the subject of review by the CASAC PM
Panel. The report from the Panel's final meeting to review the PM AQCD,
held via teleconference on September 20, 2004, is posted on the SAB Web
site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/casac05001.pdf. The Agency
subsequently announced the availability of a final document, Air
Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter (EPA/600/P-99/002aF, EPA/600/P-
99/002bF) in a previous Federal Register notice (69 FR 63111, October
29, 2004). In addition, the second draft PM Staff Paper builds upon the
first draft PM Staff Paper, which was the subject of review by the
CASAC PM Panel in November 2003.
Technical Contact: Any questions concerning the second draft Staff
Paper and the second draft PM Risk Assessment should be directed to Dr.
Mary Ross, OAQPS, at phone: (919) 541-5170, or e-mail:
ross.mary@epa.gov. Detailed summary information on EPA's second draft
PM Staff Paper and second draft PM Risk Assessment is contained in a
previous EPA Federal Register notice (70 FR 5443, February 2, 2005).
Availability of Meeting Materials: The Review of the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter: Policy Assessment
of Scientific and Technical Information (second draft PM Staff Paper,
January 2005); and the draft technical support document, Particulate
Matter Health Risk Assessment for Selected Urban Areas: Second Draft
Report (second draft PM Risk Assessment, January 2005) and several
additional staff technical support memos referenced in the second draft
PM Staff Paper can be accessed via the Agency's Technology Transfer
Network (TTN) Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pm/s_pm_index.html
under ``Staff Papers'' and ``Technical Documents,''
respectively. In addition, a copy of the draft agenda for the CASAC PM
Review Panel meeting will be posted on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab
(under the ``Agendas'' subheading) in advance of this
meeting. Other meeting materials, including the charge to the CASAC PM
Review Panel, will also be posted on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/panels/
[[Page 12684]]
casacpmpanel.html prior to this meeting.
Providing Oral or Written Comments at SAB Meetings: It is the
policy of the SAB Staff Office to accept written public comments of any
length, and to 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 be repetitive of
previously submitted oral or written statements. Oral Comments: In
general, each individual or group requesting an oral presentation at a
meeting or teleconference will be limited to a total time of five
minutes (unless otherwise indicated). Requests to provide oral comments
must be in writing (e-mail, fax or mail) and received by Mr.
Butterfield no later than noon eastern time five business days prior to
the meeting in order to reserve time on the meeting agenda. Speakers
should bring at least 75 copies of their comments and presentation
slides for distribution to the reviewers and public at the meeting.
Written Comments: Although the SAB Staff Office accepts written
comments until the date of the meeting (unless otherwise stated),
written comments should be received in the SAB Staff Office no later
than noon eastern time five business days prior to the meeting 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)). Those providing written comments and who
attend the meeting in person are also asked to bring 75 copies of their
comments for public distribution.
Meeting Access: Individuals requiring special accommodation at this
meeting, including telephone access to the meeting, or wheelchair
access to the conference room, should contact Mr. Butterfield at the
phone number or an e-mail address noted above at least at least five
business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can
be made.
Dated: March 4, 2005.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 05-5044 Filed 3-14-05; 8:45 am]
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