80 FR 63780 - Notice of Public Meeting and Webinar and Request for Comment on the Draft Document “Technologies for Legionella Control: Scientific Literature Review”

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 203 (October 21, 2015)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the release of a draft document, ``Technologies for Legionella Control: Scientific Literature Review,'' for public review and comment, and a public meeting, during which EPA will be seeking input on the draft document. The purpose of the draft document is to characterize the current state of knowledge regarding the use and effectiveness of available control technologies and approaches that can be used to address Legionella public health concerns in building water systems. The term ``building water system'' refers to the pipe infrastructure inside a building used to deliver finished drinking water intended for human consumption. For the purpose of this draft document, the term excludes cooling towers. The draft document presents scientific information from peer reviewed literature related to control technologies. It does not rank or recommend any one technology over another. EPA developed the document to provide a non-regulatory tool to assist states and primacy agencies, building water system operators and building owners when making decisions about Legionella risk management options. Following the public review and comment opportunity, EPA will conduct an independent, expert peer review of the draft document before it is finalized and published.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 203 (Wednesday, October 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63780-63781]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26771]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0595; FRL-9935-88-OW]


Notice of Public Meeting and Webinar and Request for Comment on 
the Draft Document ``Technologies for Legionella Control: Scientific 
Literature Review''

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the 
release of a draft document, ``Technologies for Legionella Control: 
Scientific Literature Review,'' for public review and comment, and a 
public meeting, during which EPA will be seeking input on the draft 
document. The purpose of the draft document is to characterize the 
current state of knowledge regarding the use and effectiveness of 
available control technologies and approaches that can be used to 
address Legionella public health concerns in building water systems. 
The term ``building water system'' refers to the pipe infrastructure 
inside a building used to deliver finished drinking water intended for 
human consumption. For the purpose of this draft document, the term 
excludes cooling towers. The draft document presents scientific 
information from peer reviewed literature related to control 
technologies. It does not rank or recommend any one technology over 
another. EPA developed the document to provide a non-regulatory tool to 
assist states and primacy agencies, building water system operators and 
building owners when making decisions about Legionella risk management 
options. Following the public review and comment opportunity, EPA will 
conduct an independent, expert peer review of the draft document before 
it is finalized and published.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on November 9, 2015, from 1:00 
p.m. to 5:30 p.m., eastern time. Persons wishing to attend the meeting 
in-person or online via webinar must register by November 3, 2015, as 
described in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. EPA will consider 
written comments received prior to November 23, 2015, when preparing 
the document for the external peer review.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the EPA Potomac Yard 
South Building, 1st Floor Conference Center (One Potomac Yard, 2777 S. 
Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202). All attendees must show 
government-issued photo identification (e.g., a driver's license) when 
signing in. This meeting will be simultaneously broadcasted as a 
webinar, available on the Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical questions, contact 
C[eacute]sar Cordero, Standards and Risk Management Division, Office of 
Ground Water and Drinking Water at (202) 564-3716 or 
[email protected]. For questions regarding registration for the 
public meeting, contact Sarah Rains at (703) 247-6195 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. What is the scope and the intended audience of the draft document?

    The draft document provides an overview of Legionella ecology, 
physiology, occurrence and other topics relevant to the microorganism; 
an overview of systemic considerations for Legionella control; 
information on the current state of knowledge regarding the use and 
effectiveness of available control technologies for prevention and 
control of Legionella; a discussion about potential water quality 
issues that may result from the use of such technologies; and 
information on optimal operational conditions for the use of control 
technologies. Legionella control issues in cooling towers are beyond 
the scope of the document. The target audience for the document 
includes, but is not limited to, primacy agencies, building water 
system operators, building owners and technology developers and 
vendors.

B. How can I get copies of the draft document and other related 
information, and submit written comments?

    The draft document and other related information will be available 
in the Water Docket, identified by docket identification (ID) number 
EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0595, which is available at http://www.regulations.gov 
or at the Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Room 3334, 
1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The 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 Public Reading Room is 
(202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Water Docket is (202) 
566-2426. Please review the visitor instructions and additional 
information about the docket, available at http://www2.epa.gov/dockets.
    Comments: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OW-2015-0595, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to 
be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. If you need to include CBI as part 
of your comment, please visit http://www2.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html 
for instructions. The written comment is considered the official 
comment and should include discussion of all points that you wish to 
make about the scientific aspects of the Legionella control 
technologies.
    For additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment 
policy and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit 
http://www2.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.
    When preparing the document for external peer review, EPA will 
consider written comments received prior to November 23, 2015.

C. How may I participate in this meeting/webinar?

    Persons wishing to attend the public meeting in-person or online 
via webinar must register in advance no later than 5:00 p.m., eastern 
time on November 3, 2015. To register, go online to Eventbrite at 
https://us-epa-legionella-drinking-

[[Page 63781]]

water.eventbrite.com. Teleconferencing will be available for 
individuals participating via the webinar. The number of seats and 
webinar connections available for the meeting is limited and will be 
offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Early registration is 
strongly encouraged to ensure proper accommodations. EPA will do its 
best to include all those interested in either meeting in-person or 
online via webinar.
    At the public meeting, EPA will present an overview of the draft 
document and will solicit public comments about the scientific aspects 
of available Legionella control technologies. The agenda for the public 
meeting will include time for public comment. To ensure adequate time 
for public comment, individuals or organizations interested in making a 
statement should mention their intent when they register.
    Meeting Materials: Meeting materials will be sent by email to the 
registered attendees prior to the public meeting; copies will also be 
provided for attendees at the meeting and available in the Water 
Docket, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0595.
    Special Accommodations: Individuals with disabilities who wish to 
attend the meeting in person can request special accommodations by 
contacting Jini Mohanty at [email protected]. Please allow at least 
five business days prior to the meeting to give EPA time to process 
your request.

II. Background

    Legionella is a bacterium commonly found in aquatic environments. 
It grows best in warm water environments and can be found in premise 
plumbing in large buildings, hot tubs, hot water tanks, decorative 
fountains, large plumbing systems (such as might be found in hospitals) 
and cooling towers. People who breathe in a mist or vapor that has been 
contaminated with Legionella can contract Legionnaire's disease or 
Pontiac fever (both referred to as legionellosis). Legionellosis is a 
major health concern associated with drinking water. Cases of 
legionellosis and fatalities have been associated with the occurrence 
of Legionella in building water systems. In response to the threat to 
public health, some building owners have installed supplemental 
treatment systems to prevent and control for Legionella. Some states 
have requested technical assistance from EPA with regards to evaluating 
effectiveness of control technologies. The agency expects the final 
document will help to further improve public health by helping states, 
building owners and operators make science-based, risk management 
decisions regarding treatment and control of Legionella in buildings.

III. How will the Agency finalize the document?

    Through this notice, EPA is announcing an opportunity for the 
public to provide input on the draft document in writing and/or 
verbally at the public meeting and webinar. EPA will conduct an 
independent, expert peer review following the public review and comment 
period.
    Comments from the public and external peer reviewers will be 
considered as EPA finalizes the document.

IV. What input is the Agency seeking from the public?

    The Agency is particularly interested in input from the public 
related to the following questions:
    1. How well does the document accurately characterize the 
available, peer reviewed literature on the effectiveness of different 
technologies for control of Legionella?
    2. What is your perspective on whether the characterization of each 
technology is balanced and supported by the available, peer reviewed 
scientific information?
    3. What suggestions do you have to improve the document so that it 
can better support informed public health protection decisions and 
avoid or minimize unintended consequences?

    Dated: October 13, 2015.
Kenneth J. Kopocis,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2015-26771 Filed 10-20-15; 8:45 am]
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