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Regulations


EPA is committed to considering risks to children in developing standards to protect human health and the environment. This commitment is reflected in:

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Rulemaking Guidance

New Agency action development guidance document entitled Guide to Considering Children's Health When Developing EPA Actions: Implementing Executive Order 13045 and EPA's Policy on Evaluating Health Risks to Children (PDF) (42 pp, 728K) available. This Guide is designed to help Agency staff involved in developing regulatory actions determine whether Executive Order 13045 "Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks" and/or EPA's policy on evaluating health risks to children (Children's Health Policy) applies to an Agency action and, if so, how to implement the Executive Order and/or EPA's Policy. EO 13045 requires that each Federal agency: "(a) shall make it a high priority to identify and assess environmental health risks and safety risks that may disproportionately affect children; and (b) shall ensure that its policies, programs, activities, and standards address disproportionate risks to children that result from environmental health risks or safety risks." In addition, the Children's Health Policy requires EPA "to consider the risks to infants and children consistently and explicitly as a part of risk assessments generated during its decision making process, including the setting of standards to protect public health and the environment." Since the issuance of the first EPA's Rule Writer's Guide to Executive Order 13045 in 1998,EPA has published several new guidance documents relating to risk assessment, regulatory policy and action development. We have revised the Guide to reflect these new developments. In addition, this Guide more clearly integrates EPA's Policy on Children's Health with the Action Development Process, and provides an updated listing of additional guidance documents.

Guidelines for Preparing Analytic Blueprints. EPA typically prepares an Analytic Blueprint when developing rules, policies, and other actions. An Analytic Blueprint describes the Agency's plans for data collection and analyses to support developing the action. To ensure that children's health is properly considered, the Guidelines identify the need for analyses related to children's health including determining whether the action may disproportionately affect children, assessing risks to children, and analyzing the distribution of the costs and benefits. For more information on how EPA writes regulations and the EPA regulatory management process, see www.epa.gov/lawsregs/brochure/index.html and www.epa.gov/opei/orpm.html.

Children's Health Valuation Handbook (October 2003). EPA developed the Children's Health Evaluation Handbook as a reference tool for analysts conducting economic analyses of EPA regulations and policies that may affect risks to children's health. This handbook focuses on valuing changes in risks to children's health caused by environmental improvement or degradation. It addresses incorporating children's health considerations in efficiency assessments and distributional analyses.

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Transparency in Regulatory Development

On April 14, 2008, EPA announced that it is making Federal environmental regulation more transparent by providing online information as soon as the agency begins the development of a new rule.

EPA is now using Action Initiation Lists (AILs) to notify the public about new rules and other regulatory actions. The AILs provide summaries, agency contacts, and other information about the rules EPA has approved for development. AILs will be posted on the EPA Web site at roughly the end of each month; each will describe those actions that were approved for commencement during the given month. Formerly, the public had to wait for EPA's Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, which is updated only every six months, to learn about new regulatory actions. Learn more about EPA's Action Initiation Lists.

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Development of Rules and Policies

Children's health concerns have been important in the development in many EPA programs, such as the following:



Clean Air

National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone. On March 12, 2008, EPA announced new revised 8-hour standard for ozone. The new primary 8-hour standard is 0.075 parts per million (ppm) and the new secondary standard is set at a form and level identical to the primary standard. The final secondary standard is different than the proposal that set a seasonal secondary standard at 21 ppm-hour to protect vegetation from ozone damage. The previous primary and secondary standards were identical 8-hour standards, set at 0.08 ppm. Because ozone is measured out to three decimal places, the standard effectively became 0.084 ppm: areas with ozone levels as high as 0.084 ppm were considered as meeting the 0.08 ppm standard, because of rounding. EPA estimates that the final standards will yield health benefits valued between $2 billion and $19 billion. Those benefits include preventing cases of bronchitis, aggravated asthma, hospital and emergency room visits, nonfatal heart attacks and premature death, among others. EPA's Regulatory Impact analysis shows that benefits are likely greater than the cost of implementing the standards. Cost estimates range from $7.6 billion to $8.5 billion. As part of this action, EPA also has updated the Air Quality Index (AQI) for ozone to reflect the change in the health standard. The AQI is EPA's color-coded tool for communicating daily air quality to the public.

The announcement of the new ozone standard was followed by the Administrator outlining principles for overhauling and enhancing the Clean Air Act “to allow decision-makers to consider benefits, costs, risk tradeoffs, and feasibility in making decisions about how to clean the air.” While the Administrator stated that these changes are needed to modernize the Clean Air Act, the nation will still benefit from the new standard.

National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Lead. On December 5, 2007, EPA released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) as part of its review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for lead. The purpose of the ANPR is to invite comment from the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and all interested parties on a wide variety of issues, including policy options, related to the agency's ongoing review of the lead NAAQS - before the agency issues its proposal. The ANPR invites comment on:

EPA will consider CASAC recommendations and comments received from the public on the ANPR in developing the agency’s proposed decision on the adequacy of the current standards and on any revisions to the lead NAAQS that may be appropriate.

EPA will propose whether to revise or retain the current lead standards no later than May 1, 2008 and take final action by September 1, 2008, pursuant to a court order. Learn more about EPA's review of the Lead NAAQS: http://www.epa. gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/pb/s_pb_index.html.

Clean Air Fine Particle Implementation Rule. On March 29, 2007, EPA issued a final rule defining requirements for state plans to clean the air in 39 areas where particle pollution levels do not meet national air quality standards. These standards were issued in 1997. Fine particles or "PM2.5" can aggravate heart and lung diseases and have been associated with premature death and a variety of serious health problems including heart attacks, chronic bronchitis, and asthma attacks. Those particularly sensitive to PM2.5 exposure include older adults, people with heart and lung disease, and children. This rule will help state and tribal environmental agencies develop and implement plans that will improve air quality for millions of Americans.

Under the Clean Air Act, states must develop plans by April 2008 for meeting the 1997 air quality standards for fine particles, or PM2.5, which are 15.0 ug/m3 annual and 65 ug/m3 daily. In addition to coming into attainment with the 1997 PM2.5 standard, by 2020 states will also have to comply with the more stringent daily PM2.5 standard (35 ug/m3) that EPA issued in 2006. The Clean Air Fine Particle Implementation Rule includes detailed guidance that interprets the Clean Air Act's requirements for these plans.

National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter. On March 5, 2008, EPA released its final plan for the next NAAQS review for particulate matter. The plan outlines the key policy and scientific issues to be addressed in the review such as : 1) the extent to which new information has become available to assess and determine how particle pollution is defined by particle size/mass, composition, and sources/environments (e.g., urban and rural areas) and 2) whether there is new or emerging evidence of health effects beyond cardiovascular and respiratory endpoints (e.g., systemic effects, developmental effects) that suggest additional sensitive subpopulations should be given increased focus in this review (e.g., fetuses, neonates). For more information, see www.epa.gov/ttn /naaqs/standards/pm/s_pm_index.html

EPA will hold a PM Peer Review/Author Workshop as part of the process of developing a first draft Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for PM. NCEA has set the dates for June 16 -17, 2008. The workshop will be held in the EPA Auditorium in RTP, NC.

On, September 22, 2006, EPA announced National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to address fine and coarse particle pollution, also known as particulate matter (PM). PM is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets in the air (i.e., dust, soot, and particles too small to see). The standards address two categories of particle pollution: fine particles and inhalable coarse particles. Fine particles are 2.5 micrometers in diameter and smaller; inhalable coarse particles have diameters between 2.5 and 10 micrometers. Exposure to particle pollution is linked to a variety of significant health problems ranging from aggravated asthma and lung function decrements in children to premature death in people with heart and lung disease.

The decision included tightening the daily fine particle standard to 35 micrograms of particles per cubic meter of air down from 65 micrograms of particles per cubic meter. EPA is retaining the current annual standard for long-term exposure to fine particles at 15 micrograms per cubic meter. EPA is retaining the existing daily PM10 standard of 150 micrograms per cubic meter. This standard protects against premature deaths and increased hospital admissions for individuals with heart and lung disease. EPA is revoking the annual coarse particle standard because the available evidence does not suggest an association between long-term exposure to coarse particles at current ambient levels and health effects. States must meet the revised standards by 2015, with a possible extension to 2020, depending on local conditions and the availability of controls. For more information about the final standards visit www.epa.gov/pm/naaqsrev2006.html. For general information about particulate matter, visit www.epa.gov/pm/.

Air Toxics and Dry Cleaners. On July 13, 2006, EPA announced a new rule to reduce emissions of perchloroethylene (perc) from all dry cleaners that use perc, including a phase-out of the chemical in existing dry cleaners located in residential buildings. Also, the rule prohibits the use of perc in any new co-residential dry cleaners. About 28,000 dry cleaners across the country, many in major cities such as New York and Washington DC, use perc in the wash cycle to clean clothes. Of the total, 1,300 operate in residential buildings. Because apartments in these buildings are located very close to dry cleaners, residents' exposures and their estimated cancer risks can be much higher than for typical area source dry cleaners. Perc has been shown in animal studies to cause cancer. In addition, recent studies on residential exposures to perchloroethylene have found neurological effects in residents living near dry cleaning facilities. Perc can cross the placenta and effects on developing nervous systems could pose a special concern for fetuses and young children. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/air/drycleaningrule.

Reducing Diesel Emissions from Locomotive and Marine Vessels. On March 14, 2008, EPA announced new stringent emissions standards that will reduce pollution from locomotive and marine diesel engines. When fully implemented, these new standards will reduce soot or particulate matter (PM) by 90 percent or 27,000 tons and reduce nitrogen oxides emissions (NOx) by 80 percent or nearly 800,000 tons. The rule cuts emissions from all types of diesel locomotives, including line-haul, switch, and passenger rail, as well as from a wide range of marine sources, including ferries, tugboats, Great Lake freighters and all types of marine auxiliary engines. This rule requires remanufacturing standards for marine engines, reductions in engine idling, and the use of after treatment technology that will further reduce diesel emissions. Phasing in tighter long-term standards for PM and NOx will begin in 2014 for marine diesel engines and in 2015 for locomotive engines. Advanced after-treatment technology will apply to both types of engines. The effective dates for NOx will be two years earlier than last year's proposal.

Nationwide, this regulation will help prevent 1,400 premature deaths and 120,000 lost workdays annually by 2030. The estimated annual health benefits are valued between $8.4 billion and $12 billion. When these older locomotive and marine engines reach the end of their useful life, and new engines enter into the nation's diesel fleet, the benefits of this action will increase.

For more information about this action visit:

Proposed New Emission Standards for Gasoline, Vehicles, and Portable Gas Containers. On March 1, 2006, EPA announced proposed new emission standards to reduce toxic fumes from gasoline, vehicles, and gas containers and to reduce health risks. By 2030, EPA's proposed Mobile Source Air Toxic (MSAT) regulations and fuel and vehicle standards already in place will reduce toxic emissions from passenger vehicles to 80 percent below 1999 emissions.

The proposed MSAT standards would take effect in 2011 for fuel requirements, 2010 for passenger vehicles, and 2009 for fuel containers. A 60-day comment period will begin when the proposal is published in the Federal Register. The proposal, supporting documentation, and information about submitting comments are online at: www.epa.gov/otaq/toxics.htm#mobile.

Clean Air Interstate Rule. The final Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), was signed March 10, 2005. It is designed to dramatically reduce air pollution that moves across state boundaries in 28 eastern states. EPA estimates that by 2015, CAIR will provide health and environmental benefits valued at over 25 times the cost of compliance. When fully implemented, CAIR is expected to reduce SO2 emissions by over 70 percent and NOx emissions by over 60 percent from 2003 levels in the affected areas.

Clean Air Mercury Rule. The Clean Air Mercury Rule was signed March 15, 2005. It is designed to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants across the country. Taken together, the recently issued Clean Air Interstate Rule and the new Clean Air Mercury Rule it is expected to reduce electric utility mercury emissions by nearly 70 percent from 1999 levels when fully implemented.

Coke Oven Residual Risk Rule. On Thursday, March 31, EPA issued the first in a series of emissions reductions requirements known as residual risk standards, requiring further reductions in emissions of toxic air pollutants from coke ovens. EPA amended maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards for coke ovens to include more stringent requirements to address health risks remaining after implementing EPA's October 1993 air toxics emission standards.

These final amendments also include requirements for new or reconstructed coke oven batteries that reflect improvements in emission control practices that have occurred in the years since the 1993 standard. These standards will reduce health risks remaining after a category of industrial sources has fully implemented technology-based emissions standards for toxic air pollutants. This rule is the first to apply the new Cancer Guidelines and Supplemental Guidance on Early Life Exposure.

Standards for Particulate Matter and Sulfur Dioxide. EPA has taken several actions to improve ambient air quality to help reduce the incidence of asthma in children, including developing and implementing a voluntary air toxics reduction program, issuing guidance documents, and conducting research activities. Also, EPA is helping to reduce the risks of childhood asthma through rulemakings addressing particulate matter (PM) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

NESHAP for Mercury Cell Chlor-alkali Plants (PDF) (43 pp, 270K). Mercury has known adverse human health effects, particularly in children. EPA promulgated a final rule on August 25, 2003 to reduce mercury emissions from mercury cell chlor-alkali plants. This rule replaces the previous standard, which was established in 1973 and developed without considering children's health. The new rule is estimated to reduce nationwide mercury emissions from chlor-alkali plants by over 70 percent.


Clean Water

Biosolids. As suggested by a National Research Council (NRC) study on the application of biosolids (e.g., sewage sludge) to the land, EPA is investigating the scientific basis of the existing Clean Water Act Part 503 rules on biosolids use and disposal, including the risks to children and other sensitive populations. EPA has published a strategy explaining how the Agency plans to respond to NRC report.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). EPA published the CAFOs final rule in February 2003 to control runoff from agricultural feeding operations, preventing billions of pounds of pollutants from entering America's waters. The rule will limit nitrate concentrations in surface and drinking water, among other objectives. Excess nitrate reduces the capacity of blood to carry oxygen, turning skin blue, causing shortness of breath, and depriving the brain of oxygen, which impairs metabolism, thinking and other bodily functions. These symptoms can develop rapidly in infants.

Mercury Water Quality Criterion. EPA establishes water quality criteria under the Clean Water Act that states and tribes use to establish enforceable water quality standards. In January 2001, EPA published a recommended water quality criterion for methylmercury and withdrew its previous, less stringent criterion. The new criterion was the first water quality criterion expressed as a fish and shellfish tissue value rather than as a water column value. The approach is a direct consequence of the scientific consensus that consumption of contaminated fish and shellfish is the primary human route of exposure to mercury.



Drinking Water

EPA's current drinking water standards are designed to protect children and adults. The standards take into account the potential effects of contaminants on segments of the population that are most at risk. When EPA sets each standard, the agency conducts a risk assessment, in which scientists evaluate whether fetuses, infants, children, or other groups are more vulnerable to a contaminant than the general population. The standard is set to protect the most vulnerable group. Children's health has been an important consideration in several National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) efforts, such as:

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Possible Drinking Water Contaminants. EPA is asking for public comment on 104 possible drinking water contaminants that may need to be regulated in the future to ensure the continued protection of drinking water. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA includes on the draft Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) currently unregulated contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems and which may require regulation. This draft, CCL3, is the third such listing and lists 93 chemical contaminants or groups and 11 microbes, and describes the process and basis for selecting these contaminants. The comment period is open for 90 days beginning the day of publication in the Federal Register. Learn more about the latest CCL.

Preliminary Regulatory Determinations for Priority Contaminants on the Second Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List. The EPA Administrator signed Preliminary Regulatory Determinations for Priority Contaminants on the Second Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL2) on April 11, 2007. The drinking water CCL is the primary source of priority contaminants for conducting research and making decisions about whether drinking water regulations are needed. EPA has evaluated available occurrence, exposure, and health effects information for CCL2 contaminants. EPA is announcing preliminary determinations for 11 of these 51 contaminants. Based on health and occurrence information, EPA had determined not to regulate these 11 contaminants, including MTBE and perchlorate. Regarding perchlorate, the Agency believes additional information may be needed to more fully characterize perchlorate exposure and determine whether it is appropriate to regulate perchlorate in drinking water (i.e., whether setting a national primary drinking water standard would provide a meaningful opportunity to reduce risk for people served by public water systems). The notice describes how the Agency is considering FDA food data and CDC human exposure data to see if it can help us determine whether it is appropriate to regulate perchlorate. Learn more about the second CCL.

Proposed Revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule. EPA is proposing seven targeted regulatory changes to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR) for lead and copper. This proposal strengthens the implementation of the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) in the following areas: monitoring, treatment processes, customer awareness, and lead service line replacement. These changes will provide more effective protection of public health by reducing exposure to lead in drinking water. The proposed changes do not affect the basic requirements of the LCR, the lead or copper maximum contaminant level goals, or the lead and copper action levels. Comments must be received on or before September 18, 2006. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/safewater/lcrmr/index.html#2006.

Toolkit to Help Schools and Child Care Facilities Reduce Lead in Drinking Water. EPA’s Office of Water released a specialized toolkit to encourage school officials and child care facilities to reduce lead in their drinking water. The "3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Child Care Facilities Toolkit" contains materials to implement a voluntary Training, Testing, and Telling strategy. Testing water in schools and child care centers is important because children spend a significant portion of their days there.

Lead in Drinking Water. EPA is initiating the Drinking Water Lead Reduction Plan to strengthen, update and clarify existing requirements for water utilities and states to test for and reduce lead in drinking water. This action, which follows extensive analysis and assessment of current implementation of these regulations, will tighten monitoring, treatment, lead service line management and customer awareness. The plan also addresses lead in tap water in schools and child care facilities to further protect vulnerable populations.

Six Year Review of Drinking Water Standards. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires EPA to review each NPDWR at least once every six years and revise them, if appropriate. Any revision must maintain or increase public health protection. The results of the most recent review were published in July 2003.

Microbial/Disinfection Byproducts Rules. EPA is finalizing a series of regulations addressing the challenge of balancing the risks from microbial pathogens in drinking water and the risks from the byproducts of disinfecting the water against such pathogens. In analyzing both types of risks, EPA considers sensitive populations including fetuses and children.

Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List. SDWA requires EPA to establish a list of contaminants to aid in priority-setting for the Agency's drinking water program. In establishing the list, EPA has divided the contaminants among those that are priorities for additional research, those that need additional occurrence data, and those that are priorities for consideration for rulemaking. EPA considers risks to children and other sensitive populations in developing priorities.



Pesticides

Protecting children from potential effects of pesticides is an important aspect of EPA's program. EPA regulates pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). FQPA requires EPA to place particular emphasis on children in making regulatory decisions about pesticides. EPA carefully considers the potential for children to be more sensitive to pesticides than adults, for example. Risk assessments include evaluations for children in various age groups, since children's eating and activity patterns change as they grow up. Some examples of regulatory and outreach activities related to children are provided below. To learn more about how EPA is protecting children from pesticides at home and at school, visit our Protecting Children page.

Safety Measures for Rodent-Control Products to Protect Children and Wildlife. On May 29, 2008, EPA announced new safety measures for 10 rodent-control products, known as rodenticides, after fully assessing human health and ecological effects, as well as benefits. EPA is requiring that rodenticides marketed to consumers be enclosed in bait stations, making the pesticides inaccessible to children and pets. The measures also prohibit loose bait for use in homes.

Rodenticide products containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, and difenacoum are known to pose the greatest risk to wildlife and will no longer be allowed to be sold or distributed in the consumer market. However, livestock producers and professional applicators will still have access to a variety of effective and affordable products.

EPA is requiring that companies manufacturing these products respond to EPA within 90 days regarding their intention to comply with the new requirements.

Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Evaluation Report on EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs. On August 1, 2006, EPA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released an evaluation report of the U.S. EPA entitled, "Measuring the Impact of the Food Quality Protection Act: Challenges and Opportunities." This report contains findings that describe problems the OIG identified and corrective actions OIG recommends. OIG found that although EPA has made progress in implementing the requirements of the FQPA, the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has primarily measured its success and the impact of FQPA by adherence to its reregistration schedule rather than by reductions in risk to children’s health. By integrating existing data into a suite of performance measures, OPP can better track the effectiveness of regulatory decisions and program performance. View the full report (PDF) (37 pp, 468K) or the supplement al report (PDF) (14 pp, 508K).

Strengthened Protections for Human Studies Research. On January 26, 2006, EPA announced new rules that ban all third-party intentional dosing research on pesticides involving children and pregnant women intended for submission to EPA and announcing that EPA will neither conduct nor support any intentional dosing studies that involve pregnant women or children for all substances EPA regulates. These final new rules also establish stringent enforceable ethical safeguards to protect individuals who volunteer to participate in third-party intentional dosing research.

Implementing the Food Quality Protection Act. The 1996 law amended the major pesticide laws to establish a more consistent, protective regulatory scheme, grounded in sound science. The law also incorporates language to implement key recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences report, "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children," in that it:

Pesticide tolerances that were in place as of August 1996, when the Food Quality Protection Act was signed, are subject to reassessment within 10 years. EPA has completed nearly all of this work, having reassessed over 99% of the 9,721 tolerances required. In accordance with FQPA, all tolerance decisions take into account the special susceptibility of children to pesticides. EPA has cancelled use of several OP pesticides on many "kid" foods, such as apples, and utilizes an additional tenfold safety factor as appropriate in setting and reassessing tolerances. Learn more about the Food Quality Protection Act and information about what EPA is doing protect children from pesticides.

Farm Worker Protection Standard (WPS). Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA addresses childhood and prenatal exposures to pesticides through WPS, including labeling,reentry intervals, personal protective equipment, worker education and training, and posting of signs. To minimize the impact of pesticide exposure on children below the age of 12 who work in agriculture or are otherwise present in pesticide-treated fields, EPA has crafted a four-part strategy that includes enhancing enforcement of the regulations, improving education, developing better exposure data, and using risk assessment methods in making risk management decisions.

Pesticide Tolerances for Organophosphates. Organophosphate pesticides can cause cholinesterase inhibition in humans, which results in an overstimulation of the nervous system causing nausea, dizziness, confusion, and, at very high exposures, respiratory paralysis and death. Since these pesticide tolerances were initially developed, new information has become available on children's differential exposures and unique susceptibilities. Thus, EPA has chosen the organophosphate pesticides as one of the first groups to go through tolerance reassessment under FQPA.

EPA has taken action to reduce exposure to organophosphate pesticides. Some examples include eliminating indoor and outdoor residential uses of:

Registration of Reduced Risk Pesticides. Since FQPA was enacted in 1996, EPA has registered 125 active ingredients (PDF) (12 pp, 45K) that pose less risk to human health and the environment compared to older, conventional chemicals. EPA has also worked closely with other federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and growers to ensure that safer alternatives were available for pesticide uses that were being phased out.

Atrazine Reregistration. EPA is in the process of reviewing the pesticide atrazine, a triazine herbicide. Atrazine has been one of the most widely used agricultural herbicides in the United States. It has been detected in drinking water in the Midwest and other parts of the country. In January 2003, EPA issued an Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) that included monitoring requirements to ensure that community water supplies in the most vulnerable watersheds do not reach levels of concern. If levels of concern are exceeded, further action will be triggered. EPA issued an addendum to the IRED in October 2003, primarily dealing with potential association between atrazine exposure and cancer and ecological issues. A final reregistration decision will be made in 2006, upon completion of the cumulative assessment of the triazine pesticides.

CCA-Treated Wood. Chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a chemical preservative used to treat wood to protect wood from rotting due to insects, is no longer being produced for use in most residential settings, including decks and playsets. By working with manufacturers of this pesticide to voluntarily phase out its use for wood products around the home and in children's play areas, we have taken steps to reduce the exposure of children to arsenic, which is a known human carcinogen. Based on the data EPA has on wood preservative use, an estimated 60 million pounds of CCA (treating nearly 3 billion board feet of lumber) has been removed from the market as a result of the phaseout. The cancellation of treatment of wood with CCA for residential uses became effective December 31, 2003. There are now safer substitutes available in the marketplace. In addition, a two-year study of the effectiveness of sealants in preventing leaching of arsenic from CCA-treated wood is underway. Results from the first year of the study are expected to be released early next year.

Outreach to Hispanic Community. EPA is working to reach out to population groups that have been underserved in past outreach efforts, including people who primarily speak languages other than English. We have translated outreach materials into Spanish and developed public service announcement and other tools to reach such groups. For example, EPA sponsored a public service announcement campaign on the radio show "Planeta Azul." The PSAs included integrated pest management tips, such as preventing cockroach infestation in the home, as well as highlighting the link between cockroaches and asthma. Other PSAs provided information about protecting kids from exposure to pesticides and responsible use, storage, and disposal of pesticides. The audio files from the show will be available on EPA’s Pesticide Web site.

New Web Site on Child-Resistant Packaging Established for Pesticide Manufacturers. To protect children from poisonings around the home, the law requires that certain household pesticides be in child-resistant packaging. Pesticide manufacturers can now access on EPA's web site criteria for determining whether a pesticide product requires child-resistant packaging and information on the types of child-resistant packaging available, along with photographs, and how to obtain the packaging.

Toxics

Lead Renovation and Repair Rule. On March 31, 2008, EPA issued new rules for contractors who renovate or repair housing, child-care facilities or schools built before 1978. Under the new rules, workers must follow lead-safe work practice standards to reduce potential exposure to dangerous levels of lead during renovation and repair activities.

The "Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" rule, which will take effect in April 2010, prohibits work practices creating lead hazards. Requirements under the rule include implementing lead-safe work practices and certification and training for paid contractors and maintenance professionals working in pre-1978 housing, child-care facilities and schools. To foster adoption of the new measures, EPA will also conduct an extensive education and outreach campaign to promote awareness of these new requirements.

The rule covers all rental housing and non-rental homes where children under six and pregnant mothers reside. The new requirements apply to renovation, repair or painting activities where more than six square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed in a room or where 20 square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed on the exterior. The affected contractors include builders, painters, plumbers and electricians. Trained contractors must post warning signs, restrict occupants from work areas, contain work areas to prevent dust and debris from spreading, conduct a thorough cleanup, and verify that cleanup was effective.

Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in paint and was banned for residential use in 1978. Exposure to lead can result in health concerns for both children and adults. Children under six years of age are most at risk because their developing nervous systems are especially vulnerable to lead's effects and because they are more likely to ingest lead due to their more frequent hand-to-mouth behavior. Almost 38 million homes in the United States contain some lead-based paint.

For more information visit: www.epa.gov/lead. For copies of the educational brochures on this new program, call 1-800-424-LEAD [5323].

EPA's Roadmap for Mercury. On July 5, 2006, EPA released "EPA's Roadmap for Mercury," a comprehensive overview of agency mercury activities, which describes progress and ongoing efforts in reducing mercury in the environment, both domestically and internationally.

The roadmap highlights the agency's efforts to address mercury risks to human health and the environment and will help the agency maximize coordination of its diverse efforts in advancing its long-term goal of reducing risks associated with mercury. The report also provides important information about EPA's mercury efforts to other federal agencies, partners in state, tribal and local governments, and to the public.

2010/15 PFOA Stewardship Program. On January 25, 2006, EPA invited fluoropolymer and telomer manufacturers to participate in a global stewardship program on PFOA and related chemicals. PFOA, also known as C8 or Ammonium Perfluorooctanoate (APFO), is used in the manufacturing process of fluoropolymers. Fluoropolymers impart desirable properties, including fire resistance and oil, stain, grease, and water repellency. They are used to provide non-stick surfaces on cookware and waterproof, breathable membranes for clothing. PFOA can also be found as an impurity in the production of some products. PFOA is persistent in the environment, it has been detected in low levels in wildlife and humans, and animal studies conducted have indicated effects of concern.

Participating companies were asked to commit to reducing PFOA from emissions and product content by 95 percent no later than 2010, and to work toward eliminating PFOA from emissions and product content no later than 2015. Company commitments were requested by March 1, 2006.

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