[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 112 (Tuesday, June 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 39982]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14632]



[[Page 39982]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL -7229-3]


Draft Action Plan for the Development of a Framework for Metals 
Assessment and Guidance for Characterizing and Ranking Metals (External 
Review Draft)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of a draft for public review and comment.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the External Review 
Draft of a document, Draft Action Plan for the Development of a 
Framework for Metals Assessment and Guidance for Characterizing and 
Ranking Metals, EPA/630/P-02/003A, prepared by a cross-agency workgroup 
under the auspices of the Science Policy Council. This External Review 
Draft of the Project Work Plan will be reviewed by the EPA's Science 
Advisory Board in an advisory capacity. The EPA also is announcing a 
public comment period for the draft document. EPA will consider the 
SAB's advice and public comment submissions in revising the Draft 
Action Plan. The plan may be modified and amended from time to time, as 
necessary, to reflect actual project requirements and progress. 
Information on the date and location of the SAB public review meeting 
(anticipated mid-summer 2002) will be published in a future Federal 
Register notice.

DATES: Comments may be submitted through the day of the SAB Advisory 
meeting, however in order for the Agency to consider comments in the 
development of the final charge to the SAB, comments should be received 
no later than July 2, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to the Technical Information Staff 
(8623D), NCEA-W, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, or delivered to the 
Technical Information Staff at 808 17th Street, NW., 5th Floor, 
Washington, DC 20006; telephone: 202-564-3261; facsimile: 202-565-0050. 
The EPA mail room does not accept courier deliveries. Electronic 
comments may be e-mailed to: [email protected].
    The document is available primarily via the Risk Assessment Forum 
Publications Page at http://www.epa.gov/ncea/raf/rafpub.htm. A limited 
number of paper copies will be made available upon individual request 
to the Technical Information Staff. Please provide the document's 
title, Draft Action Plan for the Development of a Framework for Metals 
Assessment and Guidance for Characterizing and Ranking Metals, EPA/630/
P-02/EPA/630/P-02/003A, as well as your name and address to properly 
process your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. William P. Wood, Risk Assessment 
Forum, National Center for Environmental Assessment (8601-D), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 202 
564-3361; fax: 202 565-0062; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Many EPA programs are faced with deciding 
whether and how to regulate toxic metals. These decisions range from 
setting regulatory standards for environmental releases, to 
establishing safe levels in different environmental media, to setting 
priorities for regulatory or voluntary efforts. A basic input to the 
decision-making process for most EPA programs is an assessment of the 
potential hazards and risks posed by the metal(s) to human health and 
the environment. Hazard and risk assessments of metals and metal 
compounds raise issues not generally encountered with organic 
chemicals. In recognition of the unique assessment issues raised by 
metals and the complexity of addressing these issues consistently 
across the Agency's various programs, the Agency's Science Policy 
Council tasked an Agency work group to devise an Action Plan. The goal 
of this Action Plan is to establish a process for developing guidance 
that will assure (1) a consistent application of scientific principles 
for assessing hazard and risk for metals, (2) state-of-the-science 
application of methods and data, (3) A transparent process (i.e. 
articulating assumptions and uncertainties), and (4) the flexibility to 
address program-specific issues. The Action Plan includes brief 
descriptions of the Agency's metals assessment activities, and 
identifies critical assessment issues that need to be addressed by the 
cross-agency guidance.

    Dated: June 5, 2002.
George W. Alapas,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 02-14632 Filed 6-10-02; 8:45 am]
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