82 FR 6546 - Request for Nominations for Peer Reviewers and for Public Comment on Peer Review Materials To Inform the Derivation of a Water Concentration Value for Lead in Drinking Water
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 12 (January 19, 2017)
Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 12 (January 19, 2017)
| Page Range | 6546-6548 | |
| FR Document | 2017-01228 |
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2017)] [Notices] [Pages 6546-6548] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2017-01228] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OW-2016-0686; FRL-9958-49-OW] Request for Nominations for Peer Reviewers and for Public Comment on Peer Review Materials To Inform the Derivation of a Water Concentration Value for Lead in Drinking Water AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). [[Page 6547]] ACTION: Notice; request for nominations for peer reviewers and request for public comment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the release of materials for public comment that relate to the expert external peer review of documents intended to support the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act assessment of lead in drinking water. EPA invites the public to nominate scientific experts to be considered as peer reviewers for the contract-managed peer review. Nominations of peer review candidates will be accepted by EPA's contractor, Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG). EPA also requests public comment on the draft report entitled ``Proposed Modeling Approaches for a Health Based Benchmark for Lead in Drinking Water'' and the draft charge questions for the expert peer review panel. These materials will be reviewed by an expert peer review panel and public comments will be made available to the peer reviewers for consideration in their review. DATES: The nominations for expert peer review candidates must be received by ERG on or before February 21, 2017. Comments on the draft lead modeling report and draft peer review panel charge questions must be received by EPA on or before March 6, 2017. ADDRESSES: Any interested person or organization may nominate scientific experts to be considered as peer reviewers. Nominations should be submitted to ERG no later than February 21, 2017 by one of the following methods:Email: [email protected] (subject line: Lead in Drinking Water Peer Review) Mail: Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG), 110 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421, ATTN: Laurie Waite (must arrive by nomination deadline). Nominations should include all nominee information outlined in section III of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. Submit your comments on the draft lead modeling report and draft charge, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2016-0686, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. EPA may publish any comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. EPA will generally not consider comments or comment content located outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit http://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning nominations of expert peer reviewers should be directed to Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG), 110 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421; by email at [email protected] (subject line: Lead in Drinking Water Peer Review); or by phone: (781) 674-7362 (ask for Laurie Waite). For additional information concerning the draft lead modeling report and draft peer review charge questions, please contact Erik Helm at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Standards and Risk Management Division, (Mail Code 4607M), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; by phone: 202-566-1049; or by email: [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Information on EPA's Lead in Drinking Water Modeling EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water is in the process of considering National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Lead and Copper: Regulatory Revisions (LCR) to improve public health protection by making changes to rule requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). EPA has engaged with stakeholder groups and the public to inform revisions to the LCR. As part of this work, the EPA's National Drinking Water Advisory Committee (NDWAC) Lead and Copper Rule Working Group was established to inform NDWAC advice to the Administrator on recommendations to strengthen public health protections of the Lead and Copper Rule. In December 2015, the NDWAC provided specific recommendations to the EPA Administrator for LCR revisions related to lead service line replacement, public education, corrosion control treatment, copper, tap sampling, and the establishment of a ``household action level.'' The NDWAC recommended that water systems be required to notify the consumer and the local public health agency if this level was exceeded, with the expectation that individuals and local health officials will use this information to take prompt actions at the household level to mitigate lead risks. While EPA has not yet determined the specific role of a household action level in the revised LCR, the Agency has developed potential scientific modeling approaches to define the relationship between lead levels in drinking water and blood lead levels, particularly for sensitive life stages such as formula fed infants and children up to age seven. EPA is using the terminology ``health based benchmark'' to refer to this concept. EPA is conducting an expert peer review of alternative approaches to inform future consideration of a health based benchmark for the LCR revisions. The purpose of this review is to obtain feedback on various lead modeling methods that can be used to characterize the relationship between lead in drinking water and children's blood lead levels. EPA has developed three approaches that model how lead in drinking water influences blood lead levels (BLLs) of children. All the approaches use the Integrated Exposure Uptake and Biokinetic (IEUBK) Model for Lead in Children. Approaches 1 and 2 assess the relationship between water lead concentration and potential BLLs at different points in the IEUBK predicted distribution of BLLs. Approach 3 uses EPA's Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation model for multimedia, multipathway chemicals (SHEDS-Multimedia), coupled with IEUBK, to determine the drinking water lead concentrations that would result in BLLs at particular percentiles of a simulated national distribution of BLLs for children at various ages. II. How To Obtain the Draft Lead Modeling Report and the Draft Peer Review Charge Questions EPA's draft lead modeling report entitled ``Proposed Modeling Approaches for a Health Based Benchmark for Lead in Drinking Water'' and the draft charge for the peer review panel are available electronically and can be accessed using the Public Docket at http://www.regulations.gov (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2016-0686). All written comments must be submitted during the public comment period. III. How To Submit Nominations for Peer Reviewers Expertise sought: EPA is seeking candidates who are nationally and/ or [[Page 6548]] internationally recognized scientific experts to serve as external peer reviewers for the draft report regarding approaches to modeling children's BLL associated with lead in drinking water. The review is not intended to provide EPA with advice on the public health implications of alternative BLLs. As such, EPA is seeking nominees who possess a strong background and demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following areas: (1) Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic modeling, particularly with regard to lead, (2) environmental lead exposure analyses, particularly with regard probabilistic modeling. Selection criteria: Selection criteria for individuals nominated to serve as external peer reviewers of the draft report include the following: (1) Demonstrated expertise through relevant peer reviewed publications; (2) professional accomplishments and recognition by professional societies; (3) demonstrated ability to work constructively and effectively in a committee setting; (4) absence of financial conflicts of interest; (5) no actual conflicts of interest or appearance of lack of impartiality; (6) willingness to commit adequate time for the thorough review of the draft report; and (7) availability to participate in-person in a one-day or two-day peer review meeting in the Washington, DC metro area, projected to occur in June 2017 (exact date will be published in the Federal Register at least 30 days prior to the external peer review meeting). Further logistical information regarding the external peer review meeting will be announced at a later date in the Federal Register. Required nominee information: To receive full consideration, the following information should be submitted to ERG at [email protected] (the subject line should read: Lead in Drinking Water Peer Review): (1) Contact information for the person making the nomination; (2) contact information for the nominee; (3) the disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the nominee; (4) the nominee's curriculum vitae; and (5) a biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current position, educational background, past and current research activities, recent service on other advisory committees, peer review panels, editorial boards or professional organizations, sources of recent grant and/or contract support and other comments on the relevance of the nominee's expertise to this peer review topic. Compensation for non-federal peer reviewers will be provided by ERG. Selection process: EPA's contractor, ERG, will notify nominees of selection or non-selection. ERG may also conduct an independent search for candidates to assemble a balanced group representing the expertise needed to fully evaluate EPA's draft report, entitled ``Proposed Modeling Approaches for a Health Based Benchmark for Lead in Drinking Water.'' ERG will consider and screen all nominees against the criteria previously listed. Following the screening process, ERG will narrow the list of potential reviewers to approximately 10-16 candidates. Prior to selecting the final peer reviewers, a Federal Register document will be published (exact date to be determined) to solicit comments on the interim list of candidates. In that document, the public will be requested to provide relevant information or documentation on the nominees within 30 days of the announcement of the interim list of candidates. Once ERG has considered the public comments on the interim list of candidates, ERG will select the final list of peer reviewers, based on who, collectively, will best provide expertise spanning the disciplines previously listed and (to the extent feasible) best provide a balance of perspectives. Dated: January 10, 2017. Joel Beauvais, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water. [FR Doc. 2017-01228 Filed 1-18-17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
![6546 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 12 / Thursday, January 19, 2017 / Notices
obtained thus far relating to the one of the methods described under N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Docket
conditions of use for the ten chemical ADDRESSES. While on-site registration ID No.: EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016–0743.
substances. To assist EPA in this will be available, seating will be on a Pigment Violet 29 (Anthra[2,1,9-
scoping process, EPA is providing the first-come, first-served basis, with def:6,5,10-d’e’f]diisoquinoline-
public with an opportunity to identify priority given to early registrants, until 1,3,8,10(2H,9H)-tetrone). Docket ID No.:
information specifically related to the room capacity is reached. The Agency EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016–0725.
conditions of use (i.e., the anticipates that approximately 125 Trichloroethylene (TCE). Docket ID
circumstances under which a chemical people will be able to attend the No.: EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016–0737.
substance is intended, known, or meeting in person. For registrants not Tetrachloroethylene (also known as
reasonably foreseen to be manufactured, able to attend in person, the meeting Perchloroethylene). Docket ID No.:
processed, distributed in commerce, will also provide remote access EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016–0732.
used, or disposed of). EPA plans to use capabilities; registered participants will Information can be submitted by one
this information as it develops scoping be provided information on how to of the following methods:
documents for the TSCA risk connect to the meeting prior to its start. Online using the Federal eRulemaking
evaluations for the ten chemical Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
B. Required Registration Information Follow the online instructions for
substances.
In view of the statutory deadline to Members of the public may register to submitting information or comments.
complete these ten risk evaluations, it attend as observers or speak if planning Once submitted, this information cannot
will be difficult, and may not be to offer oral comments during the be edited or withdrawn. EPA may
possible, for EPA to adjust the scope of scheduled public comment period. To publish any information received to its
the evaluations following release of the register for the meeting online, you must public docket. Do not submit
scoping document under TSCA section provide your full name, organization or electronically any information you
6(b)(4)(D). In addition, EPA notes that affiliation, and contact information to consider to be CBI or other information
the scoping document is a foundation the on-line signup or to the meeting whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
for determining the scope of preemption registration contact person listed under Multimedia submissions (audio, video,
arising after final risk evaluations FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Do etc.) must be accompanied by a written
(TSCA section 18(a)(1)(B)). Thus, EPA not submit any information in your statement or information. The written
requests that members of the public request that is considered Confidential information should include discussion
provide any available information Business Information (CBI). Requests to of all points you wish to make. Learn
relating to the scope of the risk participate in the meeting, identified by more about CBI or multimedia
evaluations at the February meeting or docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OPPT–2017– submissions, and general guidance on
to the docket by March 1, 2017. EPA 0002, must be received on or before making effective comments or providing
will likely not be able to accommodate February 10, 2017. useful information by visiting EPA’s
information as to scope received after Web site at https://www.epa.gov/
C. Risk Evaluation Dockets for the Ten
that time. dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
Chemical Substances
Mail: Document Control Office
III. Meeting You may also elect to provide (7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention
A. Remote Access information to EPA’s dockets for the ten and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental
chemical substances for which risk Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
The meeting will be accessible evaluations have begun. EPA has Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460–
remotely for registered participants. established separate dockets for each of 0001.
Registered participants will receive the ten chemical substances for risk Hand Delivery: To make special
information on how to connect remotely evaluation to facilitate receipt of arrangements for hand delivery or
to the meeting prior to its start. information which may be useful to the delivery of boxed information, please
B. Public Participation at the Meeting Agency’s risk evaluations. As noted follow instructions at http://
Anyone may register to attend the above, EPA is asking the public for www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
meeting as observers and may also assistance in identifying information Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2605.
register to provide oral comments on the specifically related to the conditions of
use (i.e., intended, known or reasonably Dated: January 12, 2017.
day of the meeting. A registered speaker James J. Jones,
is encouraged to focus on issues directly foreseen uses) that would assist the
Agency in identifying potential Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical
relevant to the meeting’s subject matter. Safety and Pollution Prevention.
Each speaker is allowed no more than exposure scenarios (pathways, routes
5 minutes to provide oral comments. To and populations). EPA is requesting that [FR Doc. 2017–01236 Filed 1–18–17; 8:45 am]
accommodate as many registered any such information by submitted by BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
speakers as possible, speakers may March 1, 2017.
1,4-Dioxane. Docket ID No.: EPA–
present oral comments only, without ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
HQ–OPPT–2016–0723.
visual aids or written material. 1-Bromopropane. Docket ID No.: AGENCY
C. Submitting Written Materials EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016–0741.
[EPA–HQ–OW–2016–0686; FRL–9958–49–
Asbestos. Docket ID No.: EPA–HQ–
Anyone may submit written materials OW]
OPPT–2016–0736.
to the dockets described in Unit IV.C.
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Carbon Tetrachloride. Docket ID No.: Request for Nominations for Peer
IV. How can I request to participate in EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016–0733. Reviewers and for Public Comment on
this meeting? Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster Peer Review Materials To Inform the
(Hexabromocyclododecane or HBCD). Derivation of a Water Concentration
A. Registration Docket ID No.: EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016– Value for Lead in Drinking Water
To attend the meeting in person or to 0735.
receive remote access, you must register Methylene Chloride. Docket ID No.: AGENCY: Environmental Protection
no later than February 10, 2017, using EPA–HQ–OPPT–2016–0742. Agency (EPA).
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![6548 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 12 / Thursday, January 19, 2017 / Notices
internationally recognized scientific or non-selection. ERG may also conduct ability to deliver programmatic results
experts to serve as external peer an independent search for candidates to by making at least one loan or subgrant.
reviewers for the draft report regarding assemble a balanced group representing The award of these funds is based on
approaches to modeling children’s BLL the expertise needed to fully evaluate the criteria described at CERCLA
associated with lead in drinking water. EPA’s draft report, entitled ‘‘Proposed 104(k)(4)(A)(ii).
The review is not intended to provide Modeling Approaches for a Health The Agency is now accepting requests
EPA with advice on the public health Based Benchmark for Lead in Drinking for supplemental funding from RLF
implications of alternative BLLs. As Water.’’ ERG will consider and screen grantees. Requests for funding must be
such, EPA is seeking nominees who all nominees against the criteria submitted to the appropriate EPA
possess a strong background and previously listed. Following the Regional Brownfields Coordinator
demonstrated expertise in one or more screening process, ERG will narrow the (listed below) by March 1, 2017.
of the following areas: (1) list of potential reviewers to Funding requests for hazardous
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic approximately 10–16 candidates. Prior substances and/or petroleum funding
modeling, particularly with regard to to selecting the final peer reviewers, a will be accepted. Specific information
lead, (2) environmental lead exposure Federal Register document will be on submitting a request for RLF
analyses, particularly with regard published (exact date to be determined) supplemental funding is described
probabilistic modeling. to solicit comments on the interim list below and additional information may
Selection criteria: Selection criteria of candidates. In that document, the be obtained by contacting the EPA
for individuals nominated to serve as public will be requested to provide Regional Brownfields Coordinator.
external peer reviewers of the draft relevant information or documentation
report include the following: (1) DATES: This action is effective January
on the nominees within 30 days of the
Demonstrated expertise through 19, 2017.
announcement of the interim list of
relevant peer reviewed publications; (2) candidates. Once ERG has considered ADDRESSES: A request for supplemental
professional accomplishments and the public comments on the interim list funding must be in the form of a letter
recognition by professional societies; (3) of candidates, ERG will select the final addressed to the appropriate Regional
demonstrated ability to work list of peer reviewers, based on who, Brownfields Coordinator (see listing
constructively and effectively in a collectively, will best provide expertise below) with a copy to Pankaj Arora,
committee setting; (4) absence of spanning the disciplines previously arora.pankaj@epa.gov.
financial conflicts of interest; (5) no listed and (to the extent feasible) best FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
actual conflicts of interest or appearance provide a balance of perspectives.
of lack of impartiality; (6) willingness to Pankaj Arora, U.S. EPA, (202) 566–1388
commit adequate time for the thorough Dated: January 10, 2017. or the appropriate Brownfields Regional
review of the draft report; and (7) Joel Beauvais, Coordinator.
availability to participate in-person in a Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
one-day or two-day peer review meeting Water.
Background
in the Washington, DC metro area, [FR Doc. 2017–01228 Filed 1–18–17; 8:45 am]
projected to occur in June 2017 (exact BILLING CODE 6560–50–P The Small Business Liability Relief
date will be published in the Federal and Brownfields Revitalization Act
Register at least 30 days prior to the added section 104(k) to CERCLA to
external peer review meeting). Further ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION authorize federal financial assistance for
logistical information regarding the AGENCY brownfields revitalization, including
external peer review meeting will be [FRL–9958–16–OLEM] grants for assessment, cleanup and job
announced at a later date in the Federal training. Section 104(k) includes a
Register. FY2017 Supplemental Funding for provision for EPA to, among other
Required nominee information: To Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund things, award grants to eligible entities
receive full consideration, the following (RLF) Grantees to capitalize Revolving Loan Funds and
information should be submitted to ERG to provide loans and subgrants for
at peerreview@erg.com (the subject line AGENCY: Environmental Protection brownfields cleanup. Section
should read: Lead in Drinking Water Agency (EPA). 104(k)(4)(A)(ii) authorizes EPA to make
Peer Review): (1) Contact information ACTION: Notice of the availability of additional grant funds available to RLF
for the person making the nomination; funds. grantees for any year after the year for
(2) contact information for the nominee; which the initial grant is made
(3) the disciplinary and specific areas of SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection (noncompetitive RLF supplemental
expertise of the nominee; (4) the Agency (EPA) plans to make available funding) taking into consideration:
nominee’s curriculum vitae; and (5) a approximately $13 million to provide
(I) The number of sites and number of
biographical sketch of the nominee supplemental funds to Revolving Loan
communities that are addressed by the
indicating current position, educational Fund (RLF) capitalization grants
revolving loan fund;
background, past and current research previously awarded competitively
activities, recent service on other under section 104(k)(3) of the (II) the demand for funding by eligible
advisory committees, peer review Comprehensive Environmental entities that have not previously
panels, editorial boards or professional Response, Compensation and Liability received a grant under this subsection;
organizations, sources of recent grant Act (CERCLA). Brownfields Cleanup (III) the demonstrated ability of the
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
and/or contract support and other Revolving Loan Fund pilots awarded eligible entity to use the revolving loan
comments on the relevance of the under section 104(d)(1) of CERCLA that fund to enhance remediation and
nominee’s expertise to this peer review have not transitioned to section provide funds on a continuing basis;
topic. Compensation for non-federal 104(k)(3) grants are not eligible to apply and
peer reviewers will be provided by ERG. for these funds. EPA will consider (IV) such other similar factors as the
Selection process: EPA’s contractor, awarding supplemental funding only to [Agency] considers appropriate to carry
ERG, will notify nominees of selection RLF grantees who have demonstrated an out this subsection.
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Document Created: 2018-02-01 15:15:13
Document Modified: 2018-02-01 15:15:13
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice; request for nominations for peer reviewers and request for public comment. | |
| Dates | The nominations for expert peer review candidates must be received by ERG on or before February 21, 2017. Comments on the draft lead modeling report and draft peer review panel charge questions must be received by EPA on or before March 6, 2017. | |
| Contact | Questions concerning nominations of expert peer reviewers should be directed to Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG), 110 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421; by email at [email protected] (subject line: Lead in Drinking Water Peer Review); or by phone: (781) 674-7362 (ask for Laurie Waite). | |
| FR Citation | 82 FR 6546 |
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