[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 9, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7412-7413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02733]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 141

[EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0114; FRL-8543-O3-OW]


Notice of Public Meeting: Environmental Justice Considerations 
for the Development of the Proposed Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances 
(PFAS) National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting two 
identical public meetings to discuss and solicit input on environmental 
justice considerations related to the development of the proposed per- 
and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) national primary drinking water 
regulation (NPDWR) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). In the 
context of developing this proposed regulation, environmental justice 
considerations include the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of 
all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with 
respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of 
environmental laws, regulations, and policies with a particular focus 
on unique challenges faced by communities disproportionately burdened 
by environmental harms and risks. EPA is holding these meetings to 
share information and provide an opportunity for communities to offer 
input on the development of the proposed PFAS NPDWR. Information on how 
to register and request to speak during one of the meetings is detailed 
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this announcement.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 20, 2022. The two 
identical public meetings will be held on March 2, 2022 (1 p.m. to 4 
p.m., eastern time) and April 5, 2022 (5 p.m. to 8 p.m., eastern time). 
The public meetings will be held in an online-only format.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OW-2022-0114, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0114 for this action. Comments received may be 
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov/, including any 
personal information provided. For detailed instructions on sending 
comments and additional information on the rulemaking process, see the 
``Public Participation'' heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of this announcement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical inquiries, contact 
Ashley Greene, Standards and Risk Management Division, Office of Ground 
Water and Drinking Water (MC 4607M), Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460 at (202) 566-1738 or 
[email protected]. For more information about the proposed PFAS 
NPDWR, visit: https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Participation

    These online meetings will be open to the public and EPA encourages 
input and will provide opportunities for public engagement.

A. Written Comments

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No, EPA-HQ-OW-2022-
0114 at https://www.regulations.gov; see instructions identified in the 
ADDRESSES section of this announcement. Once submitted, comments cannot 
be edited or removed from the docket. The EPA may publish any comment 
received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any 
information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) 
or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a 
written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment 
and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA 
will generally not consider comments or comment contents located 
outside of the primary submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or other 
file sharing system). For additional submission methods, the full EPA 
public comment policy, information about CBI or multimedia submissions, 
and general guidance on making effective comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

B. Participation in Public Meeting

    Registration: Individuals planning to participate in either of the 
online public meetings must register at https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas no later than March 1, 2022, for the 
March 2, 2022 meeting and April 4, 2022, for the April 5, 2022 meeting. 
Individuals are also invited to speak during the meetings. Those 
interested in speaking can sign-up to make brief verbal remarks as a 
part of their registration. EPA will do its best to include all those 
interested in attending and requesting verbal input, but may have to 
limit attendance due to web conferencing size or limit verbal remarks 
due to meeting time limitations; therefore, EPA urges people to 
register early. Meeting information and web conferencing meeting 
details, including telephone call-in information, will be emailed to 
registered participants in advance of each of the meetings. If you have 
any difficulty registering or have additional questions or comments 
about the public meeting, please email 
[email protected].
    Special Accommodations: For information on electronic access or 
accommodations for individuals with disabilities or other requested 
assistance (e.g., language translation), please contact Ashley Greene 
at (202) 566-1738 or by email at [email protected]. Please allow at 
least five business days prior to each of the meetings to give EPA time 
to process your request.

II. The Proposed PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation

    Under SDWA, EPA sets public health goals and enforceable standards 
for drinking water quality. On March 3, 2021, EPA published a final 
determination (https://www.epa.gov/ccl/regulatory-determination-4) to 
regulate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid 
(PFOS) in drinking water. EPA is currently developing a proposed NPDWR 
for PFOA and PFOS. EPA is also evaluating additional PFAS and assessing 
the available science to consider regulations for groups of PFAS. 
NPDWRs are legally

[[Page 7413]]

enforceable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) or treatment techniques 
that apply to public water systems. MCLs and treatment techniques 
protect public health by limiting the levels of contaminants in 
drinking water.
    In October 2021, EPA released the PFAS Strategic Roadmap (https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024) laying out an overall approach to addressing PFAS. Establishing 
an NPDWR for PFOA and PFOS is a key action in the Roadmap. EPA expects 
to issue a proposed regulation in fall 2022 (before the agency's 
statutory deadline of March 2023). EPA anticipates issuing a final 
regulation in fall 2023 after considering public comments on the 
proposal.

Jennifer L. McLain,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 2022-02733 Filed 2-8-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P