Federal Register: April 9, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 68)

DOCID: FR Doc 03-8660

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Environmental Protection Agency

FRL ID: [FRL-7479-6]

NOTICE: NOTICES

ACTION: Meetings:

DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of peer-review workshop and public meeting.

SUBJECT CATEGORY:

Peer-Review Workshop on the Environmental Effects of Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants

DATES: The peer-review workshop will begin on Tuesday, April 22, 2003, at 9 a.m., and end on Wednesday, April 23, 2003, at 5 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend as observers.

DOCUMENT SUMMARY:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a peer review workshop to facilitate preparation of the Environmental Effects Chapter to be included in a revised version of the EPA document Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (Ozone Criteria Document, EPA 600/P93/004aFcF). Draft sections for this chapter, prepared (with the assistance of qualified scientists under contract) by the EPA's National Center for Environmental AssessmentResearch Triangle Park Division (NCEARTP) within EPA's Office of Research and Development, will be reviewed at the Workshop. NCEA will then consider the peerreview advice in revising the sections and incorporating them into the overall Environmental Effects Chapter of the First External Review Draft Ozone Criteria Document to be released later for public comment.

SUMMARY:

Air quality criteria; ozone and related photochemical oxidants; peer-review workshop,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

As discussed in a previous call for information (65 FR 57810, September 26, 2000), EPA is undertaking to review and, where appropriate, update and revise the Ozone Criteria Document last issued in July 1996. Pursuant to section 109 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 740, EPA periodically reviews, and when appropriate, updates and revises, the air quality criteria for ozone published under Section 108 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 7408. EPA then considers these air quality criteria when it periodically reviews the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (``NAAQS'') for ozone. See 42 U.S.C. 7409(d). As part of the review of the air quality criteria for ozone, a series of peer review workshops will be convened to discuss draft sections and chapters for the revised Ozone Criteria Document. Preliminary outlines for the proposed chapters were presented in the draft Project Work Plan released for public comment (66 FR 67524, December 31, 2001) and for review by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) of EPA's Science Advisory Board (68 FR 3527, January 24, 2003). The first workshop (to be held April 2223, 2003) will cover draft sections on the environmental effects of ozone, followed at a later date by workshops on tropospheric ozone formation, concentrations, exposure aspects, and health effects. Copies of the draft materials will be made available to the public at the workshops. Peerreview comments and workshop discussions will be taken into account in revising the draft sections and chapters in preparation for release to the public as part of the First External Review Draft of the Ozone Criteria Document. Ample opportunity will be provided at that time for public review and submission of written comments.

Interested parties are invited to assist the EPA in further developing and refining the scientific information base by identifying and submitting pertinent new information on potential health and environmental effects of ozone. In order to be considered for possible inclusion in the criteria document, submitted information should be published or be accepted for publication in a peerreviewed scientific journal. Such information should be provided to Dr. Robert W. Elias via the abovenoted contact information.

Dated: April 3, 2003.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 038660 Filed 4803; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 656050P

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

For workshop information and logistics, contact SAIC at: telephone: 7033184678; facsimile: 703 7360826. For technical information, contact Dr. Robert W. Elias, U.S. EPA, NCEARTP, B24301, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: 9195414167; facsimile: 9195411818; or email: elias.robert@epa.gov.