Notice2023-05740
Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (Pb) (External Review Draft)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 31, 2023
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 60- day public comment period for the draft document titled, "Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (External Review Draft)". This draft document was prepared by the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) as part of the review of the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). It represents an update of the 2013 Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Lead (Pb) (EPA/600/R-10/075F). The ISA, in conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, provides the scientific foundation for EPA's decisions on the adequacy of the current NAAQS and the appropriateness of possible alternative standards. EPA is releasing the draft ISA for Pb to seek review by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and input from the public. The date and location of a public meeting for the CASAC to discuss its review of this document will be specified in a separate Federal Register notice (FRN). The draft ISA is not final and does not represent, and should not be construed to represent, any final Agency policy or views. When revising the document, EPA will consider any public comments submitted during the public comment period specified in this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 62 (Friday, March 31, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 62 (Friday, March 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19302-19304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05740]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-0701; FRL-10796-01-ORD]
Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (Pb) (External Review
Draft)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice; public comment period.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 60-
day public comment period for the draft document titled, ``Integrated
Science Assessment for Lead (External Review Draft)''. This draft
document was prepared by the Center for Public Health and Environmental
Assessment (CPHEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development
(ORD) as part of the review of the primary (health-based) and secondary
(welfare-based) Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS). It represents an update of the 2013 Integrated Science
Assessment (ISA) for Lead (Pb) (EPA/600/R-10/075F). The ISA, in
conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, provides
the scientific foundation for EPA's decisions on the adequacy of the
current NAAQS and the appropriateness of possible alternative
standards. EPA is releasing the draft ISA for Pb to seek review by the
Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and input from the
public. The date and location of a public meeting for the CASAC to
discuss its review of this document will be specified in a separate
Federal Register notice (FRN). The draft ISA is not final and does not
represent, and should not be construed to represent, any final 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 March 31, 2023 and ends May 30,
2023. Comments must be received on or before May 30, 2023.
ADDRESSES: The ``Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (Pb) (External
Review Draft)'' will be available on or about March 31, 2023 via the
internet on EPA's Integrated Science Assessment Lead page at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/isa/integrated-science-assessment-isa-lead">https://www.epa.gov/isa/integrated-science-assessment-isa-lead</a> and in the
public docket at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2020-0701. You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
ORD-2020-0701, by any of the methods discussed in the ``How to Submit
Technical Comments to the
[[Page 19303]]
Docket'' heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this
document.
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; facsimile: 202-566-9744; or email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#731c01175d171c10181607331603125d141c05"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="68071a0c460c070b030d1c280d1809460f071e">[email protected]</span></a>.
For technical information, contact Evan Coffman; phone: (919) 541-
0567; facsimile: 919-541-5078; or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dc9fb3babab1bdb2f299aabdb29cb9acbdf2bbb3aa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="692a060f0f040807472c1f0807290c1908470e061f">[email protected]</span></a> or
Meredith Lassiter; phone (919) 541-3200; facsimile: 919-541-5078; or
email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f5b99486869c819087dbb8908790919c819db5908594db929a83"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f2be9381819b869780dcbf978097969b869ab2978293dc959d84">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Information About the Document
Section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act (the Act) directs the EPA
Administrator to identify and list certain air pollutants that ``may
reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare'' and
``the presence of which in the ambient air results from numerous or
diverse mobile or stationary sources.'' The Act further directs the
Administrator to issue air quality criteria for these pollutants. The
air quality criteria are to ``accurately reflect 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 . . .'' Under section 109
of the Act, EPA is then to establish NAAQS for each pollutant for which
the Agency has issued air quality criteria. Section 109(d)(1) requires
periodic review and, if appropriate, revision of air quality criteria
and the NAAQS to reflect advances in scientific knowledge on the
effects of the pollutant on public health or welfare. Information on
EPA's process for reviewing the air quality criteria and the NAAQS is
available at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/naaqs">https://www.epa.gov/naaqs</a>.
EPA has established NAAQS for six criteria pollutants. Presently
the EPA is reviewing the air quality criteria and NAAQS for Pb. As part
of that review, EPA is preparing an updated ISA to reflect the latest
scientific knowledge on the public health and welfare effects of Pb
exposures, per section 108(a) of the Clean Air Act. When final, the
ISA, in conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments,
will provide the scientific foundation for EPA's decisions on the
adequacy of the current Pb NAAQS and, if appropriate, on potential
alternative standards. The CASAC, an independent scientific advisory
committee with review and advisory functions that are mandated by
section 109(d)(2) of the Clean Air Act, will provide an independent
scientific review of the draft ISA.
On July 7, 2020, (85 FR 40641), EPA formally initiated its current
review of the air quality criteria for the health and welfare effects
of Pb, requesting the submission of recent scientific information on
specified topics. Key background information on the air quality
criteria for the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based)
NAAQS for Pb was summarized in Volume 1 of EPA's ``Integrated Review
Plan for the Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards,'' and the
general approach to developing the Pb ISA was incorporated into Volume
2 of EPA's ``Integrated Review Plan for the Lead National Ambient Air
Quality Standards,'' which was available for public comment (87 FR
13732, March 10, 2022) and was discussed by the CASAC at a publicly
accessible teleconference consultation (87 FR 15985, March 21,
2022).\1\
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\1\ Volume 3 of the IRP will describe key considerations in
EPA's planning for any exposure/risk analyses. Volume 3 will also be
the subject of a future consultation with the CASAC.
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Webinar workshops were held on May 26, June 7, June 22, and June
29, 2022, for invited EPA and external scientific experts to discuss
initial Pb ISA draft materials and for the public to have an
opportunity to listen in to these discussions (87 FR 27147, May 6,
2022). Input received during these webinar workshops aided in the
development of the draft ISA for Pb being released at this time.
The next step is for the CASAC to review the draft ISA and to
discuss its review at a public meeting. This meeting will include an
opportunity for members of the public to address comments to the CASAC
for its consideration. A separate FRN will inform the public of the
date and time of the CASAC meeting and of the procedures for public
participation.
II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket
Submit your materials identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-
0701 by one of the following methods:
<bullet> <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>: Follow the on-line instructions for
submitting comments.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bcd3ced892d8d3dfd7d9c8fcd9ccdd92dbd3ca"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4a25382e642e2529212f3e0a2f3a2b642d253c">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Fax: 202-566-9744. Due to COVID-19, there may be a delay
in processing comments submitted by fax.
<bullet> Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket
Center, Office of Research and Development Docket, Mail Code 28221T,
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is
202-566-1752.
<bullet> Hand Delivery or Courier: EPA Docket Center, WJC West
Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004.
The Docket Center's hours of operation are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday (except Federal Holidays). If you provide materials by
mail or hand delivery, please submit three copies of these materials.
For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the
materials, and submit an unbound original and three copies.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2020-0701. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will
be marked ``late,'' and will only be considered if time permits. It is
EPA's policy to include all materials it receives in the public docket
without change and to make the materials available online at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information provided,
unless materials include information claimed to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to
be CBI or otherwise protected through <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> or email. The
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> website 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 directly
to EPA without going through <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, your email address
will be automatically captured and included as part of the materials
that are placed in the public docket and made available on the
internet. If you submit electronic materials, EPA recommends that you
include your name and other contact information in the body of your
materials and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read
your materials due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider the materials you
submit. 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 EPA's Docket
Center homepage at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available,
[[Page 19304]]
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 in <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> or
in hard copy at the ORD Docket in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center.
Wayne Cascio,
Director, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office
of Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 2023-05740 Filed 3-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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