EPA Seeks Nominations for Ad Hoc Expert Reviewers for Review of Draft Supplement to the 1,4-Dioxane Risk Evaluation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on March 23, 2023, that it is seeking public nominations of scientific and technical experts that EPA can consider for service as ad hoc reviewers assisting the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) with the peer review of the “2023 Draft Supplement to the 1,4-Dioxane Risk Evaluation.” 88 Fed. Reg. 17566. EPA states that it will release the draft supplement for public review and comment in June 2023. EPA also plans to submit the draft supplement to the SACC for peer review and is scheduling a four-day virtual public meeting for the SACC to consider and review the draft supplement in September 2023. Nominations are due April 24, 2023.
According to EPA, the focus of the four-day virtual public meeting is the SACC peer review of the methodologies that have not been previously peer reviewed and are used in the 2023 1,4-dioxane supplemental risk evaluation. EPA will consider feedback from this review in the development of the final supplement to the 1,4-dioxane risk evaluation. EPA notes that in addition, SACC reviewer feedback may help refine EPA’s methods for conducting release assessments and evaluating general population exposures in risk evaluations of other chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
EPA intends to publish a separate document in the Federal Register to announce the availability of and solicit public comment on the draft supplement, at which time EPA will provide instructions for submitting written comments and registering to provide oral comments at the peer review meeting planned for September 2023. EPA also intends to provide a meeting agenda for each day of the meeting, and as needed, may provide updated times for each day in the meeting agenda that will be posted in the docket and on the SACC website.
SACC serves as a scientific peer review mechanism of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP). It provides independent scientific advice and recommendations to EPA on the scientific basis for risk assessments, methodologies, pollution prevention measures, and approaches for chemicals regulated under TSCA.