[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43361-43362]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19702]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OW-2016-0439; FRL-9967-70-OW]
Request for Public Comments To Be Sent to Versar, Inc., on an
Interim List of Perchlorate in Drinking Water Expert Peer Reviewers and
Draft Peer Review Charge Questions
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a
request for public comment on an interim list of peer review candidates
and materials that relate to the expert peer review to support EPA's
Safe Drinking Water Act decision making for perchlorate. This request
is one of two Federal Register notices being published concurrently,
seeking public comment on two separate sets of materials. This notice
requests comments to be sent to EPA's contractor, Versar, Inc., on the
interim list of peer review candidates and the draft charge questions.
Versar, Inc., will consider the comments received on this notice in
selecting the final peer review panel, which will collectively provide
appropriate expertise spanning the subject matter areas covered by the
draft report and, to the extent feasible, best provide a balance of
perspectives. EPA will consider comments received on this notice to
help inform the final peer review panel's charge. The companion notice
requests comments (to be sent to EPA) on a draft report entitled
``Draft Report: Proposed Approaches to Inform the Derivation of a
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for Perchlorate in Drinking Water''
(draft MCLG Approaches Report).
DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 6, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to Versar, Inc., no later than October
6, 2017 by one of the following methods:
Email: [email protected] (subject line: Perchlorate
Peer Review)
Mail: Versar, Inc., 6850 Versar Center, Springfield, VA
22151 (ATTN: Tracey Cowen).
Please be advised that public comments are subject to release under
the Freedom of Information Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the interim list
of expert peer review candidates and draft peer review charge questions
should be directed to Versar, Inc., at 6850 Versar Center, Springfield,
VA 22151; by email [email protected] (subject line: Perchlorate
Peer Review); or by phone: (301) 304-3121 (ask for Tracey Cowen).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Process of Obtaining Candidate Reviewers
EPA announced a public nomination period from March 1, 2016, to
March 31, 2016, in the Federal Register (81 FR 10617; March 1, 2016),
during which members of the public were able to nominate scientific
experts with knowledge and experience in one or more of the following
areas: (1) Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK),
physiologically-based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) and/or
biologically based dose-response (BBDR) modeling, (2) fetal and
neonatal thyroid endocrinology (clinical and experimental), (3) iodide
homeostasis, and (4) perchlorate toxicology and mode of action or
adverse outcome pathway. On June 3, 2016, in the Federal Register (81
FR 35760), EPA invited the public to also nominate scientific experts
with knowledge and experience in one or
[[Page 43362]]
more of the following areas of human health risk assessment: (1) An
understanding of thyroid function (preferably in the sensitive life
stages of interest), (2) the importance of maternal thyroid hormone
homeostasis in each stage of gestation, (3) hypothyroxinemia, (4)
neurodevelopmental assessment indices for young children including the
Bayley's Scale, (5) the toxicity of perchlorate, (6) epidemiological
assessment techniques, and (7) statistics.
Versar, Inc., considered the nominated peer review candidates and
also conducted an independent search for scientific experts to augment
the list of publically-nominated candidates.
Selection Process: Versar, Inc., considered and screened all
candidates against the selection criteria described in the March 1,
2016, and June 3, 2016, Federal Register notices (81 FR 10617 and 81 FR
35760, respectively), which included the candidates being free of any
conflict of interest and being available to participate in-person in a
two-day, public, peer review meeting in the Washington, DC, area.
Versar, Inc., narrowed the list of potential reviewers for the second
panel to 12 candidates. EPA is now soliciting comments on the interim
list of 12 candidates.
EPA requests that the public provide relevant information or
documentation on the experts that the contractor should consider in
evaluating these candidates. Once the public comments on the interim
list of candidates have been reviewed and considered, the contractor
will select the final list of peer reviewers.
Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers: Peer reviewers will be charged
with evaluating and preparing written comments on EPA's draft MCLG
Approaches Report. Versar, Inc., will provide reviewers with a summary
and compilation of public comments on the draft MCLG Approaches Report
submitted to EPA's docket (ID number EPA-HQ-OW-2016-0438) during the
45-day public comment period, for their consideration. Reviewers will
participate in a two-day meeting expected to be held in the Washington,
DC, metro area, projected to occur in late fall of 2017 (exact date to
be determined), to discuss the scientific basis supporting these
materials. Following the meeting, Versar, Inc., will provide a report
to EPA, summarizing the peer reviewers' evaluation of the scientific
and technical merit of the draft MCLG Approaches Report and the peer
reviewers' full responses to the charge questions. EPA will make the
final peer review report available to the public (exact date to be
determined). In preparing the final MCLG Approaches Report, EPA will
consider the peer review report as well as the written public comments
submitted to the docket.
II. Interim List of Peer Reviewers
Versar, Inc., is considering the following candidates for the peer
review panel. Biosketches are available through the EPA docket at
http://www.regulations.gov (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2016-0439). After
review and consideration of public comments and consultation with EPA's
Scientific Integrity Official, Versar, Inc., will select from this
list, the final list of 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. EPA will announce the peer review panel meeting date,
location and registration details, along with the final list of peer
reviewers selected by Versar, Inc., at least 30 days prior to the
meeting.
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. Judy S. LaKind, Ph.D., LaKind Associates, LLC
7. Angela M. Leung, M.D., M.Sc., UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
8. Paul H. Lipkin, M.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
9. Elizabeth N. Pearce, M.D., M.Sc., Boston Medical Center/Boston
University School of Medicine
10. Stephen M. Roberts, Ph.D., University of Florida
11. Joanne F. Rovet, Ph.D., The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto)
12. Craig Steinmaus, M.D., M.P.H., University of California, Berkeley
III. Draft Peer Review Charge Questions
The draft peer review charge questions are available through the
EPA docket at http://www.regulations.gov (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2016-
0439).
Dated: September 6, 2017.
Michael H. Shapiro,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2017-19702 Filed 9-14-17; 8:45 am]
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