[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 125 (Friday, June 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 36501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14623]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

 [FRL-8685-8]


Concepts, Methods, and Data Sources for Cumulative Health Risk 
Assessment of Multiple Chemicals, Exposures, and Effects: A Resource 
Document

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. EPA announces the availability of a final document 
entitled, ``Concepts, Methods, and Data Sources for Cumulative Health 
Risk Assessment of Multiple Chemicals, Exposures, and Effects: A 
Resource Document'' (EPA/600/R-06/013F), which was prepared by the 
National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within the U.S. 
EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD).
    This document represents a collaborative effort between the U.S. 
EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) that is designed to 
serve as an interim resource between U.S. EPA's 2003 ``Framework for 
Cumulative Risk Assessment'' (EPA/630/P-02/001F) and future documents 
on approaches and guidance to cumulative risk assessment. The document 
provides concepts, methods, and data sources for consideration and 
possible use in the conduct of a cumulative risk assessment. 
Specifically, the document focuses on two areas: (1) Initiating factors 
for a cumulative risk assessment, with procedures for data collection 
and organization, and (2) technical approaches for assessing human 
health risks associated with a subset of cumulative risk issues (i.e., 
multiple chemicals, exposures, and effects). Overall, this document 
demonstrates the feasibility of including combinations of chemicals, 
exposures, effects and their interactions into a cumulative risk 
assessment and is meant to assist with the conduct of multi-chemical, 
population-focused assessments.
    This document has undergone review within the U.S. EPA, independent 
external peer review by a panel of scientific experts, and it has also 
benefited from a 45-day public comment period. However, it has not 
undergone the scrutiny required of a guidance document and, thus, does 
not represent U.S. EPA policy.

DATES: This document will be available on or about June 26, 2008.

ADDRESSES: The document will be available electronically through the 
National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of paper copies will be available 
from the U.S. EPA's National Service Center for Environmental 
Publications (NSCEP); P.O. Box 42419; Cincinnati, OH 45242; (800) 490-
9198 (telephone); (301) 604-3408 (facsimile); lmit.com">nscep@bps-lmit.com. 
Please provide your name, your mailing address, the title and the EPA 
number of the requested publication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda K. Teuschler, Project Leader, 
NCEA-Cin; 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr. (A-G20); Cincinnati, OH 45268; 
(513) 569-7573 (telephone); (513) 487-2539 (fax); 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. EPA's 2003 ``Framework for 
Cumulative Risk Assessment'' and earlier reports from the 1990s on the 
initial planning and scoping phase needed to conduct a cumulative risk 
assessment laid a broad foundation for continued development of 
cumulative risk approaches. The 2003 Framework describes some basic 
considerations for conducting a cumulative risk assessment and outlines 
four areas of population vulnerability: Susceptibility or sensitivity, 
differential exposure (e.g., living in close proximity to pollutant 
sources), differential preparedness (e.g., lack of disease 
immunizations), and differential ability to recover from exposures. 
Since 1986, U.S. EPA technical and guidance documents have been 
published that address chemical mixture risk assessments which can be 
used for cumulative risk assessment, but additional research has been 
needed to address chemical mixtures in combination with multiple 
exposures and effects.
    In February 2001, the U.S. EPA began collaborating with the U.S. 
DOE in an effort to collect data and develop methods for use in 
cumulative risk assessments. This present document, ``Concepts, 
Methods, and Data Sources for Cumulative Health Risk Assessment of 
Multiple Chemicals, Exposures, and Effects: A Resource Document,'' is 
the final product of that effort. It further develops the knowledge 
base for conducting cumulative risk assessments by providing details 
regarding the evaluation of the human health and population aspects of 
cumulative risk assessment and by introducing practical ideas for 
addressing multiple chemicals, exposures, and effects.
    The U.S. EPA released the external review draft in March 2006 for a 
45-day public comment period (see 71 FR 16306-16307, March 31, 2006; 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2006-0223). The draft received an independent 
peer review conducted by the Eastern Research Group under U.S. EPA 
contract number 68-C-02-060. The peer review included a two-day 
workshop in May 2006 and featured an external panel of scientific 
reviewers (see 71 FR 26365-26366, May 4, 2006; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
ORD-2006-0223).

    Dated: June 20, 2008.
Rebecca Clark,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
 [FR Doc. E8-14623 Filed 6-26-08; 8:45 am]
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