[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 37 (Wednesday, February 25, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8656-8657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4129]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7626-9]


Generic Ecological Assessment Endpoints

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of a final report 
titled,

[[Page 8657]]

Generic Ecological Assessment Endpoints (EPA/630/P-02-004F), which was 
prepared by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Risk Assessment 
Forum Technical Panel.

DATES: This document will be available on or about February 25, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The document will be made available electronically through 
the RAF web site (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/raf/recordisplay.cfm?deid=55131.) A limited number of paper copies will be 
available from the EPA's National Service Center for Environmental 
Publications (NSCEP), P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242; telephone: 
1-800-490-9198 or 513-489-8190; facsimile: 513-489-8695. Please provide 
your name, your mailing address, the title and the EPA number of the 
requested publication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Technical Information Staff, 
National Center for Environmental Assessment/Washington Office (8623D), 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. Telephone: 202-564-3261; fax: 202-565-0050; e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Ecological risk assessment is a process for 
evaluating the likelihood that adverse ecological effects may occur or 
are occurring as a result of exposure to one or more stressors. A 
critical early step in conducting an ecological risk assessment is 
deciding which aspects of the environment will be selected for 
evaluation. This step is often challenging because of the remarkable 
diversity of species, ecological communities, and ecological functions 
from which to choose and because of statutory ambiguity regarding what 
is to be protected.
    The purpose of this document is to build on existing EPA guidance 
and experience to assist those who are involved in ecological risk 
assessments in carrying out this step, which in the parlance of 
ecological risk assessment is termed ``selecting assessment 
endpoints.'' The document describes a set of endpoints, known as 
generic ecological assessment endpoints (GEAEs), that can be considered 
and adapted for specific ecological risk assessments. The document is 
intended to enhance the application of ecological risk assessment at 
EPA, thereby improving the scientific basis for ecological risk 
management decisions. However, the document is not a regulation, nor is 
it intended to substitute for federal regulations. It describes general 
principles and is not prescriptive. Rather, it is intended to be a 
useful starting point that is flexible enough to be applied to many 
different types of ecological risk assessments. Risk assessors and risk 
managers at EPA are the primary audience; the document also may be 
useful to others outside the Agency.

    Dated: February 19, 2004.
P. W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 04-4129 Filed 2-24-04; 8:45 am]
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