2011-9211. Science Advisory Board Staff Office, Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Lead Review Panel

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Lead Review Panel to provide consultative advice on EPA's draft Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Lead (draft IRP).

DATES:

The public teleconference will be held on Thursday, May 5, 2011 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern Time).

Location: The public teleconference will be conducted by telephone only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Any member of the public wishing to obtain information concerning the public meeting may contact Mr. Aaron Yeow, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office (1400R), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; by telephone/voice mail at [phone] or at [e-mail]. General information about the CASAC, as well as any updates concerning the meeting announced in this notice, may be found on the EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/​casac.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background: The CASAC was established pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1977, codified at 42 U.S.C. 7409D(d)(2), to provide advice, information, and recommendations to the Administrator on the scientific and technical aspects of issues related to the criteria for air quality standards, research related to air quality, sources of air pollution, and the strategies to attain and maintain air quality standards and to prevent significant deterioration of air quality. The CASAC is a Federal Advisory Committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., App. 2. Pursuant to FACA and EPA policy, notice is hereby given that the CASAC Lead Review Panel will hold a public meeting to provide consultative advice on EPA's draft Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Lead. The CASAC Lead Review Panel and the CASAC will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.

Section 109(d)(1) of the CAA requires that the Agency periodically review and revise, as appropriate, the air quality criteria and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for the six “criteria” air pollutants, including lead. EPA is currently reviewing the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS for lead. Accordingly, the SAB Staff Office solicited nominations for the CASAC Lead Review Panel on October 28, 2009 (74 FR 55548-55549). Membership of the Panel is listed at http://yosemite.epa.gov/​sab/​sabpeople.nsf/​WebCommitteesSubcommittees/​CASAC%20Lead%20Review%20Panel%20%282010-2013%29.

EPA's Integrated Review Plan (IRP) will serve as the framework for its review of the lead NAAQS. The draft IRP presents the current plan and specifies the schedule for the entire review, the process for conducting the review, and the key policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review. The draft document also describes the different phases of the review, including the science assessment, risk/exposure assessment, and policy assessment/rulemaking, for which EPA will prepare documents which will be submitted for later CASAC review and public comment. The purpose of this teleconference is for the CASAC Panel to provide consultative advice on the draft Integrated Review Plan for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Lead.

Availability of Meeting Materials: Agendas and materials in support of this meeting will be placed on the EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/​casac in advance of the meeting. For technical questions and information concerning the review materials please contact Dr. Deirdre Murphy of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation at [phone], or [e-mail].

Procedures for Providing Public Input: Public comment for consideration by EPA's federal advisory committees and panels has a different purpose from public comment provided to EPA program offices. Therefore, the process for submitting comments to a federal advisory committee is different from the process used to submit comments to an EPA program office.

Federal advisory committees and panels, including scientific advisory committees, provide independent advice to EPA. Members of the public can submit comments for a federal advisory committee to consider as it develops advice for EPA. Input from the public to the CASAC will have the most impact if it provides specific scientific or technical information or analysis for CASAC panels to consider or if it relates to the clarity or accuracy of the technical information. Members of the public wishing to provide comment should contact the Designated Federal Officer directly. Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation at a teleconference will be limited to three minutes. Each person making an oral statement should consider providing written comments as well as their oral statement so that the points presented orally can be expanded upon in writing. Interested parties should contact Mr. Aaron Yeow, DFO, in writing (preferably via e-mail) at the contact information noted above by April 28, 2011 for the teleconference, to be placed on the list of public speakers. Written Statements: Written statements should be supplied to the DFO via email at the contact information noted above by April 28, 2011 for the teleconference so that the information may be made available to the Panel members for their consideration. Written statements should be supplied in one of the following electronic formats: Adobe Acrobat PDF, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP format. It is the SAB Staff Office general policy to post written comments on the Web page for the advisory meeting or teleconference. Submitters are requested to provide an unsigned version of each document because the SAB Staff Office does not publish documents with signatures on its Web sites. Members of the public should be aware that their personal contact information, if included in any written comments, may be posted to the SAB Web site. Copyrighted material will not be posted without explicit permission of the copyright holder.

Accessibility: For information on access or services for individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Aaron Yeow at [phone] or [e-mail]. To request accommodation of a disability, please contact Mr. Yeow preferably at least ten days prior to each meeting to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request.

Dated: March 31, 2011.

Vanessa T. Vu,

Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.