82 FR 56235 - Peer Review To Inform the Safe Drinking Water Act Decision Making on Perchlorate in Drinking Water

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 227 (November 28, 2017)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a public peer review meeting and the final list of expert peer review panelists assembled by EPA's contractor, Versar, Inc. Versar is conducting the external peer review of scientific materials contained in the report titled ``Draft Report: Proposed Approaches to Inform the Derivation of a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for Perchlorate in Drinking Water'' (draft MCLG Approaches Report).

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56235-56236]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25714]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2016-0439; FRL-9971-18-OW]


Peer Review To Inform the Safe Drinking Water Act Decision Making 
on Perchlorate in Drinking Water

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of final peer reviewer selection and public peer review 
meeting.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 
public peer review meeting and the final list of expert peer review 
panelists assembled by EPA's contractor, Versar, Inc. Versar is 
conducting the external peer review of scientific materials contained 
in the report titled ``Draft Report: Proposed Approaches to Inform the 
Derivation of a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for Perchlorate in 
Drinking Water'' (draft MCLG Approaches Report).

DATES: The public peer review meeting will be held on January 29 and 
30, 2018. The meeting will be held from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 5 
p.m., eastern time, on January 29, and from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 
3 p.m., eastern time, on January 30. The registration deadline to 
attend the meeting in-person or via teleconference or to request to 
make a brief oral statement at the meeting is January 17, 2018. See the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for instructions of how to register.

ADDRESSES: The peer review meeting will be held at the Crystal City 
Marriott at Reagan National Airport, located at 1999 Jefferson Davis 
Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. The phone number for the teleconference 
line will be provided to registered observers prior to the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding logistics or 
registration for the public peer review meeting should be directed to 
Versar, Inc., at 6850 Versar Center, Springfield, VA 22151 (ATTN: 
Tracey Cowen); by email: [email protected] (subject line: 
Perchlorate Peer Review); or by phone: (301) 304-3121 (ask for Tracey 
Cowen). For additional information concerning the draft MCLG Approaches 
Report, please contact Samuel Hernandez at the U.S. EPA, Office of 
Ground Water and Drinking Water, Standards and Risk Management Division 
(Mail Code 4607M), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone: (202) 564-1735; or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Registration Instructions

    To attend the peer review meeting as an observer, either in-person 
or via teleconference, register no later than January 17, 2018. You may 
register (1) by sending an email to [email protected] (subject 
line: Perchlorate Peer Review Registration) and include your name, 
title, affiliation, full address, email, and phone number; or (2) by 
calling Versar at (301) 304-3121 (ask for Tracey Cowen); or (3) by 
mailing Versar, Inc., at 6850 Versar Center, Springfield, VA 22151 
(ATTN: Tracey Cowen). Please indicate which day(s) you plan to attend 
the meeting and whether you plan to attend via teleconference or in-
person. Space is limited, and registrations will be accepted on a 
first-come, first-served basis. There will be a limited amount of time 
for oral statements from the public at the beginning of the peer review 
meeting on the first day. If you wish to make an oral statement during 
the meeting, you must notify Versar of your request to speak no later 
than January 17, 2018. Versar will notify speakers of specific time 
limits for their oral statements. Versar will accept requests to make 
oral statements on a first-come, first-served basis, and may limit the 
amount of time for each speaker as well as the number of speakers due 
to time constraints. Please be advised that public comments are subject 
to release under the Freedom of Information Act.

II. Information on Draft Approaches To Inform the Derivation of a 
Perchlorate MCLG

    EPA announced the release of the draft MCLG Approaches Report for 
public comment on September 15, 2017, in the Federal Register (82 FR 
43354); on October 12, 2017 (82 FR 47507), EPA announced a 21-day 
extension of the public comment period on the draft MCLG Approaches 
Report. The 66-day public comment period on the draft report ended on 
November 20, 2017. The draft report and public comments received during 
the comment period are publicly available at http://www.regulations.gov 
(Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2016-0438). EPA will consider public comments 
and peer review recommendations in future revisions to the draft MCLG 
Approaches Report.

III. Information on Final Peer Review Charge Questions

    EPA announced a request for public comments on the draft peer 
review charge questions on September 15, 2017, in the Federal Register 
(82 FR 43361). The 21-day public comment period on the draft charge 
questions ended on October 6, 2017. EPA considered public comments as 
it finalized the peer review charge questions. The final peer review 
charge questions are available through the docket at http://www.regulations.gov (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2016-0439).

IV. Information About the Peer Reviewers

    Consistent with agency guidelines for the peer review of highly 
influential scientific assessments, EPA tasked its contractor, Versar, 
to assemble a panel of experts to evaluate the draft MCLG Approaches 
Report. Versar evaluated 12 candidates for the peer review panel and 
solicited public comments on an

[[Page 56236]]

interim list of peer review panelists on September 15, 2017, in the 
Federal Register (82 FR 43361).
    After review and consideration of public comments and consultation 
with EPA's Scientific Integrity Official, Versar has selected eight 
peer reviewers, who will, collectively, best provide expertise spanning 
the previously mentioned areas of knowledge and experience and, to the 
extent feasible, best provide a balance of perspectives. The final list 
of eight selected expert peer reviewers is provided as follows:

Name of Nominee, Degree, Place of Employment

1. Hugh A. Barton, Ph.D., Pfizer, Inc.
2. Nancy Carrasco, M.D., Yale School of Medicine
3. Jonathan Chevrier, Ph.D., McGill University Faculty of Medicine
4. Claude Emond, Ph.D., University of Montreal
5. Dale Hattis, Ph.D., George Perkins Marsh Institute, Clark University
6. Angela M. Leung, M.D., M.Sc., UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
7. Stephen M. Roberts, Ph.D., University of Florida
8. Joanne F. Rovet, Ph.D., The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto)

EPA requests that no individual or organization contact in any way 
Versar or the peer review panel members regarding the subject of the 
peer review meeting, send them written materials regarding the subject 
of the meeting, or make any offers or requests to any of them that 
appear to be linked to their participation in the peer review. Versar 
will direct the peer review panel members to report any such contacts 
to Versar, Inc., who will take appropriate action in consultation with 
EPA to ensure the independence and impartiality of the peer review.

V. Information About the Peer Review Meeting

    Versar, Inc., has charged the peer review panelists with evaluating 
and preparing written comments on the draft MCLG Approaches Report. 
Specifically, reviewers will provide general comments, their overall 
impressions of the document, and responses to charge questions. 
Reviewers will also consider the appropriateness of the quality, 
accuracy, and relevance of the data in the document. Prior to the 
meeting, Versar will provide copies of the public comments submitted to 
EPA's public docket (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2016-0438) on the draft 
MCLG Approaches Report to the peer review panelists for their 
consideration.

    Dated: November 17, 2017.
Michael H. Shapiro,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2017-25714 Filed 11-27-17; 8:45 am]
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