[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 124 (Friday, June 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36511-36513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15123]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0173; FRL-9912-63]


Request for Nominations of Scientific Peer Reviewers for EPA's 
Approach for Estimating Exposures and Incremental Health Effects From 
Lead During Renovation, Repair, and Painting Activities in Public and 
Commercial Buildings

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA invites the public to nominate scientific experts to be 
considered as peer reviewers for the draft document entitled, 
``Approach for Estimating Exposures and Incremental Health Effects from 
Lead During Renovation, Repair, and Painting Activities in Public and 
Commercial Buildings'' (Technical Approach Document). A nominee, if 
selected, will assess the accuracy, content, and interpretation of 
findings of the Technical Approach Document, ensuring that they are 
factual and scientifically sound. The peer review will assure the 
Agency of the soundness of the technical approach.

DATES: The nomination period begins on June 27, 2014 and ends on July 
18, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit the nominations, identified by docket ID number EPA-
HQ-OPPT-2010-0173. In addition, the nomination, must include the 
nominee's full name, address, affiliation, telephone number, email 
address, and a statement on the nominee's expertise. Use one of the 
following submission methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html. Additional 
instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more 
information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    For technical information contact: Stan Barone, Jr., Risk 
Assessment Division (7403M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number (202) 564-1169; email 
address: [email protected].
    For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 
554-1404; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you are in 
environmental and human health; independent contractors and contracting 
companies involved in renovation, repair, and painting; members of the 
public interested in the assessment of chemical risks. The following 
list of North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes 
is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide to help 
readers determine whether this document applies to them. Potentially 
affected entities may include:
     Building construction (NAICS code 236).
     Specialty trade contractors (NAICS code 238).
     Real estate (NAICS code 531).
     Other general governmental support (NAICS code 921).

B. What should I consider as I prepare my nominations for EPA?

    When submitting a nomination, remember to:

[[Page 36512]]

    i. Identify the nomination by docket ID number and other 
identifying information (subject heading, Federal Register date and 
page number).
    ii. Follow directions. The Agency may ask you to respond to 
specific questions.
    iii. Explain as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of profanity 
or personal threats.
    iv. Make sure to submit your nomination by the deadline identified.

II. Background

    The work described in the Technical Approach Document is being 
performed as part of EPA's continuing comprehensive approach to assess 
and manage risk from lead contamination in painted surfaces under the 
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Subtitle IV (15 U.S.C. 2681 et 
seq.), and specifically to identify lead-based paint hazards created by 
renovation, repair and painting (RRP) activities in public and 
commercial buildings (P&CBs), under TSCA section 403. The focus of the 
Technical Approach Document is to assess the U.S. population's exposure 
and incremental health effects from renovation and repair activities in 
P&CBs. EPA published a Federal Register notice on May 30, 2014 (79 FR 
31072) (FRL-9910-44) that described an approach under consideration for 
identifying and evaluating hazards in P&CBs. Estimates of incremental 
health effect changes associated with exposure to lead in the modeled 
renovation scenarios in the Technical Approach Document will be used by 
the Agency as we consider how to identify and evaluate hazards, and 
make a hazard finding as required by TSCA. EPA plans to publish the 
Technical Approach Document with a presentation of results in the 
docket and announce its availability in the Federal Register later this 
calendar year.
    The EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) has 
identified the Technical Approach Document as an influential product 
and according to Agency peer review guidance is required to conduct an 
external peer review of that document, supplemental files, appendices, 
and attendant models used for exposure scenarios. The reviewers are 
asked to assess the accuracy, content, and interpretation of findings 
ensuring that they are factual and scientifically sound. The review 
shall generate comments from the individual expert reviewers.

III. Expertise Sought

    Any interested person or organization may nominate him or herself 
or any qualified individual in the areas of the expertise described in 
this unit. Peer reviewers should have demonstrated expertise in one or 
more of the following areas:
    1. Multimedia routes of human exposure to lead. Includes knowledge 
of measurement methods and observed environmental concentrations for 
multimedia human exposure pathways (relevant concentrations for various 
sources: Soil, dust, drinking water, food, and lead-based paint).
    2. Modeling of multimedia human exposures. Includes, modeling of 
multimedia human exposure uptake/absorption of lead to predict internal 
biokinetic distribution (blood/bone lead burdens).
    3. Lead exposure pathway assessment. Expertise in the physical and 
chemical properties of lead and the biogeochemical processes involved 
in the pathways involved in human exposure to lead. These pathways 
include:
    i. Air (both direct inhalation and deposition to surfaces likely to 
be contacted by humans).
    ii. Soil/dust ingestion.
    4. Lead uptake/absorption. Expertise in the processes of uptake or 
absorption of lead in the digestive tract and lungs, including 
knowledge of digestive processes that affect the form of lead thus 
making it more (or less) available for absorption. Experience on the 
fate of inhaled particles is also desirable, including olfactory 
uptake.
    5. Internal biokinetic distribution and physiological effects of 
lead. Expertise on the physiological processes that determine the 
distribution of absorbed lead among the various organs and tissues of 
the human body. This would include expertise on the mechanisms of 
transport within the human body, the organs and tissues that accumulate 
significant amounts of lead, the concentrations at the organ/tissue 
level that might impair physiological processes, and the residence 
times (or other measures of potential impact) of lead in these tissues 
and organs. In addition, expertise on the various mechanisms and routes 
of elimination and the mechanisms of this elimination is desirable.
    6. Tissue concentrations of lead. Includes expertise on measurement 
methods and observed concentrations for various biological tissues, 
including blood, teeth, and bone lead concentrations and lead levels in 
soft tissues such as brain, kidney, etc.
    7. Human growth and activity patterns. Expertise on growth patterns 
and typical human activity patterns from prenatal to elderly, including 
recreational, occupational, leisure, and household activities. This 
would include knowledge of published data and of modeling applications.
    8. Exposure assessment modeling. Expertise and experience in 
measuring human population exposure to lead and/or in modeling human 
exposure to ambient and indoor pollutants. Expertise in relating 
indicators of human exposure to potential health outcomes and 
quantification of risk related to adverse health outcomes.
    9. Lead-induced health effects. Experience in using statistical 
methods such as Cox regression for modeling concentration response data 
from epidemiologic/clinical evaluation of lead-induced effects on:
    i. Neurological development and other neurological endpoints.
    ii. Cardiovascular function.
    iii. Renal effects.
    iv. Developmental toxicity.
    10. Risk assessment and uncertainty characterization. Expertise in 
human health risk assessment for lead or other pollutants causing non-
cancer and cancer health effects, including Bayesian statistical 
approaches and biostatistics. Expertise in designing uncertainty 
characterization frameworks for complex multi-media health assessments 
involving use of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models, 
empirical data, micro environmental exposure modeling, and 
concentration-response functions drawing on both toxicological and 
epidemiological data. Specific areas of expertise should include 
probabilistic methods and Bayesian techniques.

IV. Peer Panel Selection Criteria

    Selection criteria for individuals nominated to serve as external 
peer reviewers include the following:
    1. Demonstrated expertise through relevant peer reviewed 
publications.
    2. Professional accomplishments and recognition by professional 
societies.
    3. Demonstrated ability to work constructively and effectively in a 
committee setting.
    4. Absence of financial conflicts of interest.
    5. No actual conflicts of interest or the appearance of lack of 
impartiality.
    6. Skills working on committees and advisory panels.
    7. Background and experiences that would contribute to the 
diversity of viewpoints on the panel, e.g., workforce sector; 
geographical location; social, cultural, and educational backgrounds; 
and professional affiliations.
    8. Willingness to commit adequate time for the thorough review of 
the draft external peer review document in July-September 2014 (exact 
date to be determined).

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    9. Availability to participate in-person in a 2-day peer review 
meeting in the Washington, DC metro area in August or September 2014 
(exact date will be published in the Federal Register at least 30 days 
prior to the external peer review meeting).
    Further information regarding the external peer review meeting will 
be announced at a later date in the Federal Register.

V. Peer Panel Selection Process

    EPA's contractor will notify candidates of selection or non-
selection. EPA's contractor will follow-up with nominees and request 
additional information such as:
    1. The disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the nominee.
    2. The nominee's curriculum vita.
    3. A biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current 
position; educational background; past and current research activities; 
recent service on other advisory committees, peer review panels, 
editorial boards, or professional organizations; sources of recent 
grant and/or contract support; and other comments on the relevance of 
the nominee's expertise to this peer review topic.
    EPA's contractor may also conduct an independent search for 
candidates to assemble a balanced group representing the expertise 
needed to fully evaluate EPA's draft documents. EPA's contractor will 
consider and screen all candidates against the criteria listed in Unit 
III. and the Agency's Conflict of Interest (COI) and appearance of bias 
guidance (http://www.epa.gov/peerreview/pdfs/spc_peer_rvw_handbook_addendum.pdf and http://www.epa.gov/osa/pdfs/epa-process-for-contractor.pdf). Following the screening process, EPA's contractor will 
narrow the list of potential reviewers. Prior to selecting the final 
peer reviewers, a second Federal Register notice will be published to 
solicit comments on the interim list of 12-15 candidates. The public 
will be requested to provide relevant information or documentation on 
the nominees that EPA's contractor should consider in evaluating the 
candidates within 21 days following the announcement of the interim 
candidates. Once the public comments on the interim list of candidates 
have been reviewed, EPA's contractor will select the final peer 
reviewers who, collectively, best provide expertise spanning the 
multiple areas listed Unit III. and, to the extent feasible, best 
provide a balance of perspectives. Compensation of non-Federal peer 
reviewers will be provided by EPA's contractor.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Business and industry, Commercial 
buildings, Renovation, Risk assessment, Lead.

    Dated: June 20, 2014.
 Jeff Morris,
Acting Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 2014-15123 Filed 6-26-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P