[Federal Register: May 21, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 98)]
[Notices]               
[Page 27805-27806]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21my03-36]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7501-8]

 
A Review of the Reference Dose and Reference Concentration 
Processes

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of a final report.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Risk 
Assessment Forum (RAF) announces the availability of a final report, A 
Review of the Reference Dose and Reference Concentration Processes 
(EPA/630/P-02/002F, December 2002).

ADDRESSES: The document is available electronically through the Risk 
Assessment Forum's Web site (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/raf/recordisplay.cfm?deid=55365
 ). A limited number of paper copies will be 
available from the EPA's National Service Center for Environmental 
Publications (NSCEP), P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242; telephone: 
1-800-490-9198 or 513-489-8190; facsimile: 513-489-8695. Please provide 
your name and mailing address and the title and EPA number of the 
requested publication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Carole Kimmel, National Center for 
Environmental Assessment, (8623D), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 
202-564-3307; facsimile: 202-565-0078; email: kimmel.carole@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This report, entitled, ``A Review of the 
Reference Dose and Reference Concentration Processes,'' summarizes the 
review and deliberations of the Risk

[[Page 27806]]

Assessment Forum's RfD/RfC Technical Panel and its recommendations for 
improvements in the process of deriving reference values, including 
setting less than lifetime as well as chronic reference values. It 
discusses revisions to the overall framework for the derivation of 
reference values that broaden and expand the information considered in 
setting reference values. The document is a review, not guidance, and 
it evaluates the current state-of-the-art for hazard characterization 
with a focus on protection of potentially sensitive subpopulations. The 
report make a number of recommendations that should be considered in 
the implementation of changes in the current process and/or development 
of needed guidance. The Technical Panel views the RfD/RfC process as 
one that should be continually evolving as new information becomes 
available and new scientific and risk assessment approaches are 
developed. This does not mean that current RfDs or RfCs are invalid, 
but these new scientific issues should be included in the process of 
re-evaluating current reference values. As a follow-up to the 
recommendation for deriving less than lifetime reference values, the 
report includes a review of current testing guideline protocols to 
determine what data are collected that can be used in setting these 
reference values. The Technical Panel has provided specific 
recommendations for deriving reference values and the development of 
guidance in some cases and more general conclusions and recommendations 
in others. Case studies are included to illustrate the recommendations 
of the Technical Panel.

    Dated: May 15, 2003.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 03-12762 Filed 5-20-03; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P