83_FR_29907 83 FR 29784 - Call for Information on Adverse Effects of Strategies for Attainment and Maintenance of National Ambient Air Quality Standards

83 FR 29784 - Call for Information on Adverse Effects of Strategies for Attainment and Maintenance of National Ambient Air Quality Standards

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 123 (June 26, 2018)

Page Range29784-29785
FR Document2018-13718

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), is soliciting information to facilitate the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee's (CASAC) consideration of any adverse public health, welfare, social, economic, or energy effects which may result from various strategies for attainment and maintenance of national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 123 (Tuesday, June 26, 2018) 
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29784-29785]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13718]



[[Page 29784]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0365; FRL-9979-05-OAR]


Call for Information on Adverse Effects of Strategies for 
Attainment and Maintenance of National Ambient Air Quality Standards

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; call for information.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), is soliciting information to 
facilitate the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee's (CASAC) 
consideration of any adverse public health, welfare, social, economic, 
or energy effects which may result from various strategies for 
attainment and maintenance of national ambient air quality standards 
(NAAQS).

DATES: All comments and information submitted in response to this call 
for information should be received by the EPA by October 24, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments and related information, identified by 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0365, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: 
https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Robin Langdon, Office of Air 
Quality Planning and Standards (Mail Code C-439-02), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 
919-541-5695; fax number 919-541-0804; or email: langdon.robin@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background Information

    Sections 109(d)(2)(A) and (B) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act) 
require appointment of an independent scientific review committee that 
is charged with periodically reviewing the existing air quality 
criteria and NAAQS and recommending any new standards and revisions of 
existing criteria and standards as may be appropriate. Since the early 
1980s, the requirement for an independent scientific review committee 
has been fulfilled by the CASAC.
    Sections 109(d)(2)(C)(i)-(iii) of the Act additionally require the 
independent scientific review committee to advise the EPA Administrator 
of areas in which additional knowledge is required to appraise the 
adequacy and basis of existing, new, or revised NAAQS; describe the 
research efforts necessary to provide the required information; and 
advise the EPA Administrator on the relative contribution to air 
pollution concentrations of natural as well as anthropogenic activity. 
Section 109(d)(2)(C)(iv) of the Act further requires the independent 
scientific review committee to ``advise the EPA Administrator of any 
adverse public health, welfare, social, economic, or energy effects 
which may result from various strategies for attainment and maintenance 
of such'' NAAQS. As noted in the Administrator's May 9, 2018, 
memorandum, ``Back-to-Basics Process for Reviewing National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards,'' \1\ these topics may include information which is 
not relevant to the standard-setting process,\2\ but they provide 
important policy context for the public, co-regulators, and the EPA.
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    \1\ Available at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-05/documents/image2018-05-09-173219.pdf.
    \2\ The Supreme Court has held that section 109(b) 
``unambiguously bars cost considerations from the NAAQS-setting 
process.'' Whitman v. Am. Trucking Associations, 531 U.S. 457, 471 
(2001).
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    To facilitate the CASAC's consideration of such effects, the EPA 
requests interested parties to submit information on any adverse public 
health, welfare, social, economic, or energy effects which may result 
from various strategies for attainment and maintenance of existing, 
new, or revised NAAQS for consideration by the CASAC.
    Interested parties are encouraged to identify all relevant 
information, with a particular emphasis on peer-reviewed research 
studies that have been published or accepted for publication and other 
analyses in the following categories: Assessments of the impacts of 
various types of strategies for attainment and maintenance of NAAQS, 
including requirements for stationary sources, area sources, and/or 
mobile sources of emissions; evaluations of the effects of permitting 
requirements, both new source review and prevention of significant 
deterioration requirements, on economic growth and other relevant 
effects listed; examinations of the potential impacts of nonattainment 
status, including the effects on overall economic growth and 
employment; and evaluations of potential impacts on public health, 
public welfare, energy production and consumption, and other social 
effects of interest.
    The EPA also seeks information on inter-pollutant trade-offs from 
strategies to attain and maintain existing, new or revised NAAQS, and 
information on distributional effects, including changes in exposures 
and risk, resulting from alternate attainment strategies for NAAQS, as 
well as other information related to adverse public health, welfare, 
social, economic, or energy effects that may result from attainment of 
existing, new or revised NAAQS. Some aspects of this information may 
also be relevant to the EPA's review of the air quality criteria, which 
section 108(a)(2) of the Act describes as reflecting ``the latest 
scientific knowledge useful in indicating the kind and extent of all 
identifiable effects on public health or welfare which may be expected 
from the presence of such pollutant in the ambient air, in varying 
quantities.'' Section 109(d)(1) of the Act requires that the EPA review 
these criteria periodically. To ensure this statutory requirement is 
met for ozone and other photochemical oxidants, elsewhere in today's 
Federal Register we are announcing initiation of a new periodic review 
of the criteria for ozone and other photochemical oxidants and issuing 
a call for information that would facilitate the EPA's review of these 
criteria.

II. How To Submit Information to the Docket

    Submit information, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-
0365, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submissions. Once submitted, 
information cannot be edited or withdrawn. The EPA may publish any 
comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any 
information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) 
or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a 
written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment 
and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA 
will generally not consider comments or comment contents located 
outside of the primary submission (e.g., on the Web, Cloud, or other 
file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full EPA 
public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, 
and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
    When submitting comments, remember to:
     Identify the action by docket number and other identifying 
information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number).
     Describe any assumptions and provide any technical 
information and/or data that you used.

[[Page 29785]]

     Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and 
suggest alternatives.
     Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the 
use of profanity or personal threats.
     Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period 
deadline identified.
    When considering submitting CBI, do not submit this information to 
the EPA through www.regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark the part or 
all of the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in 
a disk or CD-ROM that you mail to the EPA, mark the outside of the disk 
or CD-ROM as CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or 
CD-ROM the specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to 
one complete version of the comment that includes information claimed 
as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information 
claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. 
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with 
procedures set forth in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 2.

    Dated: June 12, 2018.
Panagiotis Tsirigotis,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2018-13718 Filed 6-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

29784 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 123 / Tuesday, June 26, 2018 / Notices ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION advise the EPA Administrator on the NAAQS, as well as other information AGENCY relative contribution to air pollution related to adverse public health, concentrations of natural as well as welfare, social, economic, or energy [EPA–HQ–OAR–2018–0365; FRL–9979–05– anthropogenic activity. Section effects that may result from attainment OAR] 109(d)(2)(C)(iv) of the Act further of existing, new or revised NAAQS. Call for Information on Adverse Effects requires the independent scientific Some aspects of this information may of Strategies for Attainment and review committee to ‘‘advise the EPA also be relevant to the EPA’s review of Maintenance of National Ambient Air Administrator of any adverse public the air quality criteria, which section Quality Standards health, welfare, social, economic, or 108(a)(2) of the Act describes as energy effects which may result from reflecting ‘‘the latest scientific AGENCY: Environmental Protection various strategies for attainment and knowledge useful in indicating the kind Agency (EPA). maintenance of such’’ NAAQS. As and extent of all identifiable effects on ACTION: Notice; call for information. noted in the Administrator’s May 9, public health or welfare which may be 2018, memorandum, ‘‘Back-to-Basics expected from the presence of such SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Process for Reviewing National Ambient pollutant in the ambient air, in varying Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air Air Quality Standards,’’ 1 these topics quantities.’’ Section 109(d)(1) of the Act Quality Planning and Standards may include information which is not requires that the EPA review these (OAQPS), is soliciting information to relevant to the standard-setting criteria periodically. To ensure this facilitate the Clean Air Scientific process,2 but they provide important statutory requirement is met for ozone Advisory Committee’s (CASAC) policy context for the public, co- and other photochemical oxidants, consideration of any adverse public regulators, and the EPA. elsewhere in today’s Federal Register health, welfare, social, economic, or To facilitate the CASAC’s we are announcing initiation of a new energy effects which may result from consideration of such effects, the EPA periodic review of the criteria for ozone various strategies for attainment and requests interested parties to submit and other photochemical oxidants and maintenance of national ambient air information on any adverse public issuing a call for information that would quality standards (NAAQS). health, welfare, social, economic, or facilitate the EPA’s review of these DATES: All comments and information energy effects which may result from criteria. submitted in response to this call for various strategies for attainment and maintenance of existing, new, or revised II. How To Submit Information to the information should be received by the Docket EPA by October 24, 2018. NAAQS for consideration by the CASAC. Submit information, identified by ADDRESSES: Submit your comments and Interested parties are encouraged to Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2018– related information, identified by identify all relevant information, with a 0365, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OAR–2018– particular emphasis on peer-reviewed https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 0365, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: research studies that have been online instructions for submissions. https://www.regulations.gov. published or accepted for publication Once submitted, information cannot be FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. and other analyses in the following edited or withdrawn. The EPA may Robin Langdon, Office of Air Quality categories: Assessments of the impacts publish any comment received to its Planning and Standards (Mail Code C– of various types of strategies for public docket. Do not submit 439–02), U.S. Environmental Protection attainment and maintenance of NAAQS, electronically any information you Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC including requirements for stationary consider to be Confidential Business 27711; telephone number: 919–541– sources, area sources, and/or mobile Information (CBI) or other information 5695; fax number 919–541–0804; or sources of emissions; evaluations of the whose disclosure is restricted by statute. email: langdon.robin@epa.gov. effects of permitting requirements, both Multimedia submissions (audio, video, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: new source review and prevention of etc.) must be accompanied by a written I. Background Information significant deterioration requirements, comment. The written comment is on economic growth and other relevant considered the official comment and Sections 109(d)(2)(A) and (B) of the effects listed; examinations of the should include discussion of all points Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act) require potential impacts of nonattainment you wish to make. The EPA will appointment of an independent status, including the effects on overall generally not consider comments or scientific review committee that is economic growth and employment; and comment contents located outside of the charged with periodically reviewing the evaluations of potential impacts on primary submission (e.g., on the Web, existing air quality criteria and NAAQS public health, public welfare, energy Cloud, or other file sharing system). For and recommending any new standards production and consumption, and other additional submission methods, the full and revisions of existing criteria and social effects of interest. EPA public comment policy, standards as may be appropriate. Since The EPA also seeks information on information about CBI or multimedia the early 1980s, the requirement for an inter-pollutant trade-offs from strategies submissions, and general guidance on independent scientific review to attain and maintain existing, new or making effective comments, please visit committee has been fulfilled by the revised NAAQS, and information on https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/ CASAC. distributional effects, including changes commenting-epa-dockets. Sections 109(d)(2)(C)(i)–(iii) of the Act in exposures and risk, resulting from When submitting comments, additionally require the independent sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES alternate attainment strategies for remember to: scientific review committee to advise • Identify the action by docket the EPA Administrator of areas in which 1 Available at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/ number and other identifying additional knowledge is required to production/files/2018-05/documents/image2018- information (subject heading, Federal appraise the adequacy and basis of 05-09-173219.pdf. 2 The Supreme Court has held that section 109(b) Register date and page number). existing, new, or revised NAAQS; ‘‘unambiguously bars cost considerations from the • Describe any assumptions and describe the research efforts necessary NAAQS-setting process.’’ Whitman v. Am. Trucking provide any technical information and/ to provide the required information; and Associations, 531 U.S. 457, 471 (2001). or data that you used. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:24 Jun 25, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\26JNN1.SGM 26JNN1

Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 123 / Tuesday, June 26, 2018 / Notices 29785 • Provide specific examples to frame the review. The ISA will build on Committee (CASAC). Section illustrate your concerns, and suggest the scientific assessment conducted for 109(d)(2)(C) of the Act additionally alternatives. the last O3 review, focusing on assessing requires the independent scientific • Explain your views as clearly as newly available information since the review committee to advise the EPA possible, avoiding the use of profanity last assessment. Interested parties are Administrator of areas in which or personal threats. invited to assist the EPA by submitting additional knowledge is required to • Make sure to submit your information regarding significant new appraise the adequacy and basis of comments by the comment period O3 research and policy-relevant issues existing, new, or revised NAAQS; deadline identified. for consideration in this review of the describe the research efforts necessary When considering submitting CBI, do primary (health-based) and secondary to provide the required information; not submit this information to the EPA (welfare-based) O3 standards. advise the EPA Administrator on the through www.regulations.gov or email. DATES: All communications and relative contribution to air pollution Clearly mark the part or all of the information submitted in response to concentrations of natural as well as information that you claim to be CBI. this call for information should be anthropogenic activity; and, advise the For CBI information in a disk or CD– received by the EPA by August 27, 2018. EPA Administrator of any adverse ROM that you mail to the EPA, mark the ADDRESSES: Submit your comments and public health, welfare, social, economic, outside of the disk or CD–ROM as CBI related information, identified by or energy effects which may result from and then identify electronically within Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2018– various strategies for attainment and the disk or CD–ROM the specific 0274 to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: maintenance of such NAAQS. To ensure information that is claimed as CBI. In http://www.regulations.gov. this final statutory requirement is fully addition to one complete version of the met, elsewhere in today’s Federal FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For comment that includes information Register we are issuing a call for information regarding the IRP, contact information that would facilitate the claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment Dr. Deirdre L. Murphy, OAQPS, that does not contain the information committee’s consideration of these telephone: 919–541–0729, or email: issues. claimed as CBI must be submitted for murphy.deirdre@epa.gov. For inclusion in the public docket. In its periodic review of the air information regarding the ISA, contact quality criteria, the EPA reviews the Information so marked will not be Dr. Tom Luben, NCEA, telephone: 919– disclosed except in accordance with currently available scientific 541–5762, or email: luben.tom@epa.gov. information and prepares an ISA. The procedures set forth in 40 Code of SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ISA and other key documents prepared Federal Regulations (CFR) part 2. I. Information About the Project in the review receive independent and Dated: June 12, 2018. expert scientific review by the CASAC. Panagiotis Tsirigotis, Section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act Photochemical oxidants, including Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and (CAA or the Act) directs the O3, are one of six ‘‘criteria’’ pollutants Standards. Administrator to identify and list for which EPA has established NAAQS, [FR Doc. 2018–13718 Filed 6–25–18; 8:45 am] certain air pollutants and then issue ‘‘air and O3 is the current indicator for that BILLING CODE 6560–50–P quality criteria’’ for those pollutants. NAAQS. The O3 NAAQS were most The air quality criteria are to recently revised in fall of 2015. In ‘‘accurately reflect the latest scientific consideration of the statutory deadline ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION knowledge useful in indicating the kind for the next periodic review of the air AGENCY and extent of all identifiable effects on quality criteria and standards, the EPA public health or welfare which may be is accelerating initiation of the planning [Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2018–0274; expected from the presence of such FRL–9979–56–ORD] phase for the review, including pollutants in the ambient air . . . .’’ development of the IRP for the review. Review of the National Ambient Air CAA section 108(a)(2). Under section The IRP will describe the overall plan Quality Standards for Ozone—Call for 109 of the Act, EPA is then to establish for the review, outlining the anticipated Scientific and Policy-Relevant NAAQS for each pollutant for which schedule, process, and approaches for Information EPA has issued criteria. Section evaluating the relevant scientific 109(d)(1) of the Act requires periodic information, as well as the key policy- AGENCY: Environmental Protection review and, if appropriate, revision of relevant issues that will frame the Agency (EPA). existing air quality criteria to reflect review. We intend that the IRP will ACTION: Notice; call for information. advances in scientific knowledge on the build upon key documents from the last effects of the pollutant on public health review (available from: https:// SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental and welfare. Under the same provision, www.epa.gov/naaqs/ozone-o3-air- Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing EPA is also to periodically review and, quality-standards). Such documents that the Office of Air Quality Planning if appropriate, revise the NAAQS, based include the preamble to the final and Standards (OAQPS) and the Office on the revised air quality criteria. rulemaking decision, which included of Research and Development’s National Section 109(d)(2) of the Act requires detailed discussions of policy-relevant Center for Environmental Assessment appointment of an independent issues central to that review (80 FR (NCEA) are preparing an Integrated scientific review committee that is to 65292, October 26, 2015), and the Review Plan (IRP) and an Integrated periodically review the existing air Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Science Assessment (ISA) as part of the quality criteria and NAAQS and to sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES Ozone and Related Photochemical review of the air quality criteria and the recommend any new standards and Oxidants (Final Report, Feb. 2013), National Ambient Air Quality Standards revisions of existing criteria and EPA/600/R–10/076F. Interested parties (NAAQS) for ozone (O3) and related standards as may be appropriate. Since are invited to assist the EPA by photochemical oxidants. The IRP will the early 1980s, the requirement for an submitting information regarding summarize the plan for the review, independent scientific review significant new O3 research and policy- including the initial identification of committee has been fulfilled by the relevant issues for consideration in this policy-relevant issues and questions to Clean Air Scientific Advisory review of the primary (health-based) VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:24 Jun 25, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\26JNN1.SGM 26JNN1


Document Created: 2018-06-26 00:51:33
Document Modified: 2018-06-26 00:51:33
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice; call for information.
DatesAll comments and information submitted in response to this call for information should be received by the EPA by October 24, 2018.
ContactMs. Robin Langdon, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (Mail Code C-439-02), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone number: 919-541-5695; fax number 919-541-0804; or email: [email protected]
FR Citation83 FR 29784 
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