[Federal Register: December 20, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 243)]
[Notices]
[Page 75950-75951]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20de04-82]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7846-9]
Notice of Availability and Opportunity To Provide Comment on the
Framework for Inorganic Metals Risk Assessment (External Review
Draft)(ORD-2004-0017)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of Availability and Public Comment Period.
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SUMMARY: EPA is today announcing the availability of the draft
Framework for Inorganic Metals Risk Assessment and the beginning of the
public comment period on the draft document. This draft document will
be peer reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)
Science Advisory Board at a public meeting that will be announced in a
separate Federal Register notice.
DATES: Comments should be received by Tuesday, January 18, 2005.
ADDRESSES:
Document Availability
The Framework for Inorganic Metals Risk Assessment (External Review
Draft, November 2004, EPA/630/P-04068c) will be available on or about
December 20, 2004, on the Internet at http://cfpub2.epa.gov/ncea/raf/recordisplay.cfm?deid=88903.
A limited number of paper copies will be
available from the EPA's Technical Information Staff, National Center
for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), Mail Code 8623D, Washington, DC
20460; telephone: 202-564-3261; facsimile: 202-565-0050. Please provide
your name and mailing address and the title and EPA number of the
requested publication.
Submitting Comments
One of three methods may be chosen to submit comments. First,
comments may be submitted through EPA's electronic public docket and
comment system, EPA Dockets. EPA Dockets is available at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/.
Once in the system, select ``Submit Comments,''
then key in the appropriate Docket Identification Number (ORD-2004-
0017). Second, comments may be submitted via e-mail to
``ORD.Docket@epa.gov.'' Third, paper copies of comments may be
submitted (in duplicate if possible) to the Docket at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Office of
Research and Development Docket (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW., Washington, DC 20460. Please refer to Docket Identification Number
ORD-2004-0017 in e-mail and in paper correspondence. Acknowledgments
will not be sent for electronic or paper comment submissions. Persons
providing information or comments should not submit personal
information (such as medical data or home address), Confidential
Business Information, or information protected by copyright because all
comments will be made available for public viewing.
Viewing Comments
EPA intends to make all comments received in response to this
Federal Register notice available via Internet (http://www.epa.gov/edocket/
), including documents originally submitted in paper format. To
view comments select ``Quick Search,'' then key in the appropriate
Docket Number (ORD-2004-0017). Alternatively you may visit the EPA
Office of Environmental Information(OEI) Docket in the Headquarters EPA
Docket Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West Building, Room B102, 1301 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading
Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the
[[Page 75951]]
Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the
OEI Docket is (202) 566-1752; facsimile: (202) 566-1753; or e-mail:
ORD.Docket@epa.gov. Visitors to the Public Reading Room are required to
show photographic identification and sign the Agency's visitor log.
There may be a reasonable fee for copying docket materials, as provided
in 40 CFR part 2.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. William P. Wood, Risk Assessment
Forum (Mail Code 8601D), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, telephone 202-564-3361,
or send electronic mail inquiries to risk.forum@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Agency recognizes that inorganic metals and metal compounds
present unique issues and the added challenge of addressing the
complexity of these issues in a consistent manner across the Agency's
programs. The draft metals framework reflects an EPA effort to develop
cross-agency internal guidance for assessing metals. The overarching
goals of the framework are to outline key metal-specific scientific
principles and consistent approaches for conducting metals risk
assessment, based on the best currently available science. Given the
complexity of issues surrounding metals risk assessment, EPA
commissioned recognized scientific experts to develop papers on key
scientific issues related to risk assessment of metals. These issues
included environmental chemistry, exposure, human health effects,
ecological effects, and bioavailability and bioaccumulation. The draft
framework relies heavily on these issue papers. Development of the
framework has also involved extensive consultation with the scientific
community, stakeholders, and intended users, including risk assessors
in other federal agencies, in different regions, and in the states.
Throughout the development process, the Agency has held stakeholder
meetings and made the issue papers open for public comment. After peer
review deliberation by EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) is complete
and the framework is finalized, EPA program offices will be in a
position to review their current practices against the recommendations
of the metals framework and incorporate adjustments as necessary,
consistent with the principles of the framework.
Disposition of Comments
EPA requests comments on today's framework and will consider
comments in finalizing the document. EPA's SAB will peer-review the
framework and will be asked to consider the public comments. A separate
notice of the planned SAB meeting also will appear in the Federal
Register.
Dated: December 3, 2004.
Peter Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 04-27667 Filed 12-15-04; 8:45 am]
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