81 FR 89097 - Second External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Sulfur Oxides-Health Criteria

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 237 (December 9, 2016)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a public comment period ending on March 20, 2017, for the draft document titled, ``Second External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Sulfur Oxides--Health Criteria'' (EPA/600/R-16/351). The draft document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within 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 sulfur dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>). The Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), in conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, provides the scientific basis for EPA's decisions on the adequacy of the current NAAQS and the appropriateness of possible alternative standards. EPA intends to develop a separate ISA as part of an independent review for the secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS for oxides of nitrogen and sulfur. EPA is releasing this draft document to seek review by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and the public (meeting date and location to be specified in a separate Federal Register notice). This draft document is not final as described in EPA's information quality guidelines, and it does not represent, and should not be construed to represent, Agency policy or views. When revising the document, EPA will consider any public comments submitted during the public comment period specified in this notice.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 237 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89097-89098]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29438]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-0357; FRL-9956-24-ORD]


Second External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment for 
Sulfur Oxides--Health Criteria

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 
public comment period ending on March 20, 2017, for the draft document 
titled, ``Second External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment 
for Sulfur Oxides--Health Criteria'' (EPA/600/R-16/351). The draft 
document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental 
Assessment (NCEA) within 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 sulfur dioxide (SO2). The 
Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), in conjunction with additional 
technical and policy assessments, provides the scientific basis for 
EPA's decisions on the adequacy of the current NAAQS and the 
appropriateness of possible alternative standards. EPA intends to 
develop a separate ISA as part of an independent review for the 
secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS for oxides of nitrogen and sulfur.
    EPA is releasing this draft document to seek review by the Clean 
Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and the public (meeting date 
and location to be specified in a separate Federal Register notice). 
This draft document is not final as described in EPA's information 
quality guidelines, and it does not represent, and should not be 
construed to represent, Agency policy or views. When revising the 
document, EPA will consider any public comments submitted during the 
public comment period specified in this notice.

DATES: The public comment period begins on December 9, 2016, and ends 
on March 20, 2017. Comments must be received on or before March 20, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: The ``Second External Review Draft Integrated Science 
Assessment for Sulfur Oxides--Health Criteria'' will be available 
primarily via the internet on EPA's Integrated Science Assessment for 
Sulfur Dioxide (Health Criteria) home page at http://www2.epa.gov/isa/integrated-science-assessment-isa-sulfur-dioxide-health-criteria or the 
public docket at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID: EPA-HQ-ORD-
2013-0357. 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: 
[email protected] to request a CD-ROM, and please provide your name, 
your mailing address, and the document title, ``Second External Review 
Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Sulfur Oxides--Health 
Criteria'' to facilitate processing of your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment 
period, contact the ORD Docket at the EPA Headquarters Docket Center; 
phone: 202-566-1752; fax: 202-566-9744; or email: [email protected].
    For technical information, contact Dr. Tom Long, NCEA; phone: 919-
541-1880; fax: 919-541-1818; or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Document

    Section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act directs the Administrator to 
identify certain pollutants which, 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. These air quality criteria are to ``accurately reflect the 
latest scientific knowledge useful in indicating the kind

[[Page 89098]]

and extent of all identifiable effects on public health or welfare 
which may be expected from the presence of [a] pollutant in the ambient 
air . . .'' Under section 109 of the Act, EPA is then to establish 
NAAQS for each pollutant for which 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. 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).
    Sulfur oxides 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 EPA's 
decisions on the adequacy of the current NAAQS and the appropriateness 
of possible alternative standards. The CASAC, an independent science 
advisory committee whose review and advisory functions are mandated by 
Section 109(d)(2) of the Clean Air Act, is charged (among other things) 
with independent scientific review of the EPA's air quality criteria.
    On May 10, 2013 (78 FR 27387), EPA formally initiated its current 
review of the air quality criteria for the health effects of sulfur 
oxides and the primary (health-based) SO2 NAAQS, requesting 
the submission of recent scientific information on specified topics. 
EPA held a workshop on June 12-13, 2013, to gather input from invited 
scientific experts, both internal and external to EPA, as well as from 
the public, regarding key science and policy issues relevant to the 
review of the health effects of sulfur oxides and the primary 
SO2 NAAQS (78 FR 27387). These science and policy issues 
were incorporated in EPA's ``Integrated Review Plan for the Primary 
National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Sulfur Dioxide'' (EPA-452/R-
14-007), which was finalized in October 2014 (79 FR 66721) with a prior 
draft available for public comment (79 FR 14035) and discussion by the 
CASAC via publicly accessible teleconference consultations (79 FR 
16325, 79 FR 30137, 79 FR 34739). On June 23-24, 2014, EPA held a 
workshop to discuss, with invited internal and external scientific 
experts, initial draft materials prepared in the development of the ISA 
(79 FR 33750). EPA considered comments on these draft materials in 
preparing the first external review draft of the ISA, which was 
released on November 24, 2015 (80 FR 73183). The first draft ISA was 
discussed at a public CASAC meeting on January 27-28, 2016 (80 FR 
79330). Subsequently, on April 15, 2016, the CASAC panel provided a 
consensus letter to the EPA Administrator summarizing their review. The 
second draft ISA has been developed with consideration of comments from 
the CASAC and the public, and includes consideration of scientific 
studies published through September 2016.
    The ``Second External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment 
for Sulfur Oxides--Health Criteria'' will be discussed by the CASAC at 
a public meeting. In addition to the public comment period announced in 
this notice, the public will have an opportunity to submit written and/
or oral comments related to this second external review draft ISA to 
the CASAC. A separate Federal Register notice will inform the public of 
the exact date and time of the CASAC meeting and of the procedures for 
public participation.

II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at 
www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-
0357, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-9744.
     Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket 
Center (ORD Docket), Mail Code: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-566-1752.
     Hand Delivery: The ORD Docket is located in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20004.
    The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The phone 
number for the Public Reading Room is 202-566-1744. Such deliveries are 
only accepted during the docket's normal hours of operation, and 
special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed 
information. If you provide comments by mail or hand delivery, please 
submit three copies of the comments. For attachments, provide an index, 
number pages consecutively with the comments, and submit an unbound 
original and three copies.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2013-0357. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is 
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information through 
www.regulations.gov or email that you consider to be CBI or otherwise 
protected. The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' 
system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send an email comment directly to EPA without going through 
www.regulations.gov, your email address will be automatically captured 
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket 
and made available on the internet. If you submit an electronic 
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact 
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you 
submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties 
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to 
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special 
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or 
viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the 
EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www2.epa.gov/dockets.
    Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other materials, 
such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
on www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the ORD Docket in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: November 22, 2016.
Mary A. Ross,
Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2016-29438 Filed 12-8-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P