[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47101-47102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18030]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8881-01-ORD]


Request for Nominations of Experts for the Review of EPA's Draft 
Toxicological Reviews of Perfluorodecanoic Acid (PFDA), 
Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA), Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA), 
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), and Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; request for nominations.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Center for Public 
Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA) requests public nominations 
of scientific experts for the upcoming peer reviews of five Integrated 
Risk Information System (IRIS) assessments including: Perfluorodecanoic 
acid (PFDA; CASRN 335-76-2), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA; CASRN 375-
24-4), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA, CASRN 307-24-4), 
perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS, CASRN 355-46-4), and 
perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA, CASRN 375-22-4), and their related salts 
which are all members of the group per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances 
(PFAS). Each assessment will undergo independent external scientific 
peer review managed by Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG), a contractor 
to EPA. A single peer review panel will review all five (5) PFAS IRIS 
assessments. Interested stakeholders will be provided 30-days to submit 
nominations for expert reviewers to ERG for their consideration.

DATES: The 30-day public comment period to provide nominations begins 
August 23, 2021 and ends September 22, 2021. Comments must be received 
on or before September 22, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit nominations by emailing them to [email protected] 
(subject line: EPA PFAS assessments peer review) at ERG no later than 
September 22, 2021. Please be advised that public comments are subject 
to release under the Freedom of Information Act, including 
communications on these nominations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    For general information please contact: Vicki Soto, CPHEA; email: 
[email protected].
    For questions about the peer review, including the nomination 
process, please contact: Laurie Waite, ERG, by email at 
[email protected] (subject line: EPA PFAS assessments peer review); or 
by phone: (781) 674-7362.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Information on IRIS PFAS Assessments

    Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of 
man-made chemicals widely used in consumer products and industrial 
processes. The basic structure of PFAS consists of a carbon chain 
surrounded by fluorine atoms, with different chemicals possessing 
different end groups. The five IRIS toxicity assessments are being 
developed according to the scope and methods outlined in the publicly 
posted systematic review protocol (https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=345065) and they build upon several 
other PFAS assessments that have already been developed, and represent 
only one component of the broader PFAS action plan underway at the U.S. 
EPA (https://www.epa.gov/pfas/epas-pfas-action-plan).
    EPA is releasing the announcement to notify the public of upcoming 
peer review activities related to five IRIS five per- and 
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Integrated Risk Information System 
(IRIS) assessments including: Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA; CASRN 335-
76-2), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA; CASRN 375-24-4), perfluorohexanoic 
acid (PFHxA, CASRN 307-24-4), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS, 
CASRN 355-46-4), and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA, CASRN 375 22 4), and 
their related salts which are all members of the group per- and 
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These documents will undergo 
independent external scientific peer review managed by ERG, a 
contractor to EPA. EPA has instructed ERG to formulate a single pool of 
eighteen (18) candidate external reviewers to provide independent 
external reviews of all five PFAS IRIS assessments. After consideration 
of peer reviewer nominations submitted to ERG in response to this FRN 
and after consideration of public comments on the List of Candidates 
(to be announced in a future FRN), ERG will select from this pool the 
final list of up to nine (9) peer reviewers in a manner consistent with 
EPA's Peer Review Handbook 4th Edition, 2015 (EPA/100/B-15/001). EPA 
will provide updates on the status of the peer review via the IRIS 
website (https://www.epa.gov/iris). EPA encourages all interested 
stakeholders to register for the IRIS listserv by visiting the IRIS 
website at https://www.epa.gov/iris/forms/staying-connected-integrated-risk-information-system#connect. Specific questions or comments on the 
peer review process should be directed to ERG.

II. Information About This Peer Review

    ERG is seeking nominations of nationally and internationally 
recognized scientists with demonstrated expertise and research on per- 
and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in one or more of the following 
areas: Environmental epidemiology with experience in the application of 
systematic review principles to environmental exposures and/or 
immunotoxicity expertise; experimental toxicology with experience in 
the application of systematic review principles to environmental 
exposures and/or immunotoxicity expertise, hepatic effects, thyroid 
effects, developmental effects, biological mechanisms of human disease/
health effects, and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion 
(ADME) knowledge; and physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) 
modeling, toxicokinetics, and dose-response modeling of animal data. 
Questions regarding this review should be directed to Laurie Waite, 
ERG, by email at [email protected] (subject line: EPA PFAS assessments 
peer review); or by phone: (781) 674-7362. For EPA, a balanced review 
panel includes candidates who possess the necessary domains of 
knowledge, the relevant scientific perspectives (which, among other 
factors, can be influenced by work history and affiliation), and the 
collective breadth of experience to adequately address the peer review 
charge. In forming this expert panel, ERG will consider public comments 
on the List of Candidates, information provided by the candidates 
themselves, and background information. Selection criteria to be used 
for panel membership include: (a) Scientific and/or technical 
expertise, knowledge, and experience (primary factors); (b) 
availability and willingness to serve; (c) absence of any potential 
organizational or personal conflicts of interest; (d) skills working in 
committees, subcommittees and advisory panels; and, (e) for the panel 
as a whole, diversity of expertise and scientific points of view.
    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate qualified

[[Page 47102]]

individuals in the areas of expertise described above. Nominations 
should be submitted in electronic format to ERG via email: 
[email protected] (subject line: EPA PFAS assessments peer review). To 
receive full consideration, nominations should include all of the 
information requested below. ERG requests contact information about the 
person making the nomination; contact information about the nominee; 
the nominee's disciplinary and specific areas of expertise; the 
nominee's resume or curriculum vitae; sources of recent grant and/or 
contract support; and a biographical sketch of the nominee indicating 
current position, educational background, research activities, and 
recent service on other national advisory committees or national 
professional organizations. Persons having questions about the 
nomination procedures, or who are unable to submit nominations via 
email, should contact Laurie Waite, ERG, as noted above. ERG will 
acknowledge receipt of nominations. The names and biosketches of 
qualified nominees identified by respondents to this Federal Register 
Notice along with additional experts identified by ERG will be posted 
on the IRIS website and will be available for public comment. The 
process for public comment on the pool of nominees will be announced in 
a subsequent Federal Register Notice, on the IRIS website, and through 
the IRIS Listserv.

Timothy Watkins,
Acting Director, Center for Public Health & Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2021-18030 Filed 8-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P