Notice2024-02427
Integrated Science Assessment for Lead
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
February 7, 2024
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the availability of a final document titled, "Integrated Science Assessment for Lead" (EPA/600/R-23/375). The 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 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and represents an update of the 2013 Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Lead (EPA/600/R-10/ 075F). The final lead ISA, in conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, will provide the scientific foundation for EPA's decisions on the adequacy of the current lead NAAQS and, if appropriate, on potential alternative standards.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 26 (Wednesday, February 7, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 7, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8425-8426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02427]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-0701; FRL-11654-01-ORD]
Integrated Science Assessment for Lead
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the
availability of a final document titled, ``Integrated Science
Assessment for Lead'' (EPA/600/R-23/375). The 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
national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and represents an update
of the 2013 Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Lead (EPA/600/R-10/
075F). The final lead ISA, in conjunction with additional technical and
policy assessments, will provide the scientific foundation for EPA's
decisions on the adequacy of the current lead NAAQS and, if
appropriate, on potential alternative standards.
DATES: The document will be available on or about January 31, 2024.
ADDRESSES: The ``Integrated Science Assessment for Lead'' will be
available primarily 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> or the public docket at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>,
Docket ID: No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-0701; FRL-11654-01-ORD.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information, contact
Evan Coffman (919-541-0567 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#66250900000b070848231007082603160748010910"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="26654940404b474808635047486643564708414950">[email protected]</span></a>) or Meredith
Lassiter (919-541-3200 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#75391406061c0110075b38100710111c011d351005145b121a03"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7d311c0e0e1409180f5330180f18191409153d180d1c531a120b">[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 lead. As
part of that review, EPA prepared an ISA that reflects the latest
scientific knowledge on the public health and welfare effects of lead
exposures, per section 108(a) of the Act. The final lead ISA, in
conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, will
provide the scientific
[[Page 8426]]
foundation for EPA's decisions on the adequacy of the current lead
NAAQS and, if appropriate, on potential alternative standards. The
Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), an independent
scientific advisory committee with review and advisory functions that
are mandated by section 109(d)(2) of the Act, provides independent
scientific review of the draft ISA and related draft technical and
policy assessments.
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 lead and the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based)
NAAQS, requesting the submission of scientific and policy-relevant
information on specified topics. This information was incorporated into
Volume 2 of EPA's ``Integrated Review Plan for the Review of the Lead
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (External Review Draft),'' which
was available for public comment (87 FR 13732, March 10, 2022) and
discussed by the CASAC via a publicly accessible teleconference
consultation (87 FR 15985, March 21, 2022). Volume 2 of the
``Integrated Review Plan for the Review of the Lead National Ambient
Air Quality Standards'' is focused on planning for the review and the
ISA and was posted to the EPA website in March 2022 (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/lead-pb-standards-planning-documents-current-review">https://www.epa.gov/naaqs/lead-pb-standards-planning-documents-current-review</a>).
In developing the lead ISA, webinar workshops were held on May 26,
June 7, June 22, and June 29, 2022, to discuss initial draft materials
with invited EPA and external scientific experts (87 FR 27147, May 6,
2022). The input received during these webinar workshops aided in
developing the ``Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (External
Review Draft)'', released on March 31, 2023 (EPA/600/R-23/061, 88 FR
19302), and made available at: <a href="https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=357282">https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=357282</a>. The CASAC met at a public meeting on June
13 and June 14, 2023 (88 FR 17218, March 22, 2023), to review the draft
lead ISA. A public teleconference was then held on August 23 and August
24, 2023, for CASAC to review their draft letter to the Administrator
on the draft lead ISA (88 FR 45415, July 17, 2023). Subsequently, on
September 18, 2023, the CASAC provided a consensus letter of their
review to the EPA Administrator (EPA-CASAC-23-003), available at:
<a href="https://casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/r/sab_apex/casac/activity?p18_id=2637&clear=18&session=363677211680#report">https://casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/r/sab_apex/casac/activity?p18_id=2637&clear=18&session=363677211680#report</a>. The letter
from the CASAC, as well as public comments received on the draft lead
ISA, can also be found in the Docket (EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-0701).
The EPA Administrator responded to the CASAC's letter on the draft
lead ISA on October 30, 2023, and the letter is available at: <a href="https://casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/r/sab_apex/casac/ar?session=8387849145801">https://casac.epa.gov/ords/sab/r/sab_apex/casac/ar?session=8387849145801</a>. EPA
has considered comments by the CASAC panel and by the public in
preparing this final ISA. More information can be found in Appendix 12,
Section 12.7.5, of the final lead ISA (EPA/600/R-23/375).
Wayne Cascio,
Director, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2024-02427 Filed 2-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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