[Federal Register: November 14, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 220)]
[Notices]
[Page 68133-68134]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14no00-48]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6900-4]
Notice of Availability of Draft Reference Dose Document for
Methylmercury
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
[[Page 68134]]
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft reference dose document for
methylmercury.
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SUMMARY: Section 304(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act requires the
Environmental Protection Agency to develop and publish, and from time
to time revise, criteria for water to accurately reflect the latest
scientific knowledge. EPA is revising its reference dose in support of
a revised ambient water quality criterion for methylmercury. Today, EPA
is notifying the public of the availability of the draft reference dose
document and is also announcing that the draft document is ready for
external scientific peer review.
EPA is notifying the public about the availability of this draft
document and its peer review in accordance with the Agency's new
process for developing or revising criteria (63 FR 68354, December 10,
1998). As indicated in the December 10, 1998 Federal Register document,
the Agency believes it is important to provide the public with an
opportunity to submit scientific information on draft criteria. EPA is
soliciting views from the public on issues of science pertaining to the
information used in deriving the draft reference dose.
DATES: All significant scientific information must be submitted to the
Agency under docket number W-00-29. All submissions of significant
scientific information are requested to be submitted on or before
December 14, 2000. Information submitted after this date may not
receive the degree of consideration of information submitted earlier.
The Administrative Record supporting this draft reference dose document
is available at the Water Docket, Room EB-57, Environmental Protection
Agency, 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 20460 on Monday through
Friday, excluding Federal holidays, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. For
access to docket materials call (202) 260-3027 for an appointment. A
reasonable fee will be charged for photocopies.
ADDRESSES: Send an original and three copies of any written significant
scientific information to W-00-15 Comment Clerk, Water Docket, Ariel
Rios 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Comments may be
hand-delivered to the Water Docket, Room EB57, 401 M Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20460. Issues may also be submitted electronically to
OW-Docket@epa.gov. Information should be submitted as a WP5.1, 6.1 and/
or 8.0 or an ASCII file with no form of encryption.
Copies of the draft reference dose document entitled, Reference
Dose for Methylmercury, may be obtained from EPA's Water Resource
Center by phone at (202) 260-7786, or by e-mail to center.water-
resource@epa.gov or by conventional mail to EPA Water Resource Center,
RC-4100, 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 20460. Alternatively, consult
www.epa.gov/ost/criteria/methylmercury/ for download availability.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Mary Manibusan, Health and
Ecological Criteria Division (4304), US EPA, Ariel Rios Building, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; (202) 260-3688;
manibusan.mary@epa.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
What Is a Reference Dose?
The reference dose is defined as an estimate, with uncertainty
spanning perhaps one order of magnitude, of a daily exposure to the
human population (including sensitive subgroups) that is likely to be
without an appreciable level of risk of deleterious effects during a
lifetime. The RfD is useful as a reference point from which to gauge
the potential effects of the chemical at other doses. Usually, doses
less than the RfD are not likely to be associated with adverse health
risks and are, therefore, less likely to be of regulatory concern. As
the frequency and/or magnitude of the exposures exceeding the RfD
increase, the probability of adverse effects in a human population
increases. However, it should not be categorically concluded that all
doses below the RfD are ``acceptable'' or risk-free and that all doses
in excess of the RfD are ``unacceptable'' or will result in adverse
effects.
Why Is EPA Notifying the Public About the Draft Reference Dose
Document and Peer Review?
Today, in order to expand the public's involvement in the criteria
development process, EPA is notifying the public about the availability
of the draft reference dose document for methylmercury and its peer
review.
In following the Agency's new process, EPA notified the public of
its intentions to revise the ambient water quality criteria in the
Federal Register on October 12, 2000 (65 FR 60664). At that time EPA
made available to the public a list of all references identified by a
recent literature review and solicited any additional pertinent data or
scientific views that would be useful in revising the ambient water
quality criteria. EPA is revising the ambient water quality criteria
for methylmercury based on new data and new analyses. The draft
reference dose document to support the ambient water quality criterion
is ready for external scientific peer review.
As indicated in the December 10, 1998 Federal Register document,
the Agency believes it is important to provide the public with an
opportunity to submit scientific information on draft criteria. EPA is
soliciting views from the public on issues of science pertaining to the
information used in deriving the draft reference dose. EPA will review
and consider significant scientific information submitted by the public
that might not have otherwise been identified during development of
this criterion.
Geoffrey H. Grubbs,
Director, Office of Science and Technology.
[FR Doc. 00-29061 Filed 11-13-00; 8:45 am]
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