Notice2021-14150
Request for Information on Drinking Water Contaminants of Emerging Concern for the National Emerging Contaminant Research Initiative; Reopening of Comment Period
Primary source
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Published
July 1, 2021
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentNational Institutes of Health
Abstract
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), on behalf of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), published a Notice in the Federal Register on May 25, 2021, requesting input from all interested parties on research needed to identify, analyze, monitor, and mitigate drinking water contaminants of emerging concern (DW CECs). Comments provided through this Request for Information (RFI) will inform the development of a National Emerging Contaminant Research Initiative (NECRI). The NECRI will be the precursor to Federal coordination of DW CEC research; and agencies will publish external grant solicitations that align with the goals of the NECRI. The purpose of this Notice is to provide a reopening of the comment period for an additional 30 days to provide more time to receive comments by interested parties.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 124 (Thursday, July 1, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 124 (Thursday, July 1, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35097-35099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14150]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Request for Information on Drinking Water Contaminants of
Emerging Concern for the National Emerging Contaminant Research
Initiative; Reopening of Comment Period
AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.
ACTION: Notice; reopening of comment period.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National
Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS), on behalf of the Office of Science and Technology
Policy (OSTP), published a Notice in the Federal Register on May 25,
2021, requesting input from all interested parties on research needed
to identify, analyze, monitor, and mitigate drinking water contaminants
of emerging concern (DW CECs). Comments provided through this Request
for Information (RFI) will inform the development of a National
Emerging Contaminant Research Initiative (NECRI). The NECRI will be the
precursor to Federal coordination of DW CEC research; and agencies will
publish external grant solicitations that align with the goals of the
NECRI. The purpose of this Notice is to provide a reopening of the
comment period for an additional 30 days to provide more time to
receive comments by interested parties.
DATES: This Request for Information has been reopened for public
comment for 30 days. Responses must be received by August 2, 2021 to
ensure consideration.
ADDRESSES: Responses to this RFI may be submitted online to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c987808c819a8a8c8a89a7a0a1e7aea6bf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="652b2c202d36262026250b0c0d4b020a13">[email protected]</span></a>. Email submissions should be machine-readable [PDF,
Word] and should not be copy-protected. Submissions should include
``RFI Response: Drinking Water Contaminants of Emerging Concern'' in
the subject line of the email.
Response to this RFI is voluntary. Each individual or organization
is requested to submit only one response. Please feel free to respond
to one or as many statements as you choose. Responses must not exceed
10 pages in 12 point or larger font (exclusive of attachments), with a
page number provided on each page. Responses should include the name of
the person(s) or organization(s) filing the response.
Responses containing references, studies, research, and other
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of
or electronic links to the referenced materials. Responses containing
profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate language or
content will not be considered.
Comments submitted in response to this RFI are subject to the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Responses to this RFI may also be
posted, without change, on a Federal website. Therefore, we request
that any proprietary information, copyrighted information, or
personally identifiable information be omitted from your response to
this RFI.
This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed
as a solicitation for applications or proposals, or as an obligation in
any way on the part of the United States Federal government. The
Federal government will not pay for the preparation of any information
submitted or for the government's use. Additionally, the government
cannot guarantee the confidentiality of the information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about this request for
information should be directed to Christopher P. Weis, Ph.D., DABT,
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Telephone:
301-496-3512, Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#de9db6acb7adaab1aeb6bbacf089bbb7ad9eb0b7b6f0b9b1a8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="15567d677c66617a657d70673b42707c66557b7c7d3b727a63">[email protected]</span></a>; or David M. Balshaw,
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Telephone:
984-287-3234, Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1d7f7c716e757c6a5d737478756e33737475337a726b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4022212c33282137002e292528336e2e29286e272f36">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), on behalf of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), published a Notice in the Federal
Register on May 25, 2021, pages (28120-28121), 86 FR 28120, requesting
input from all interested parties on research needed to identify,
analyze, monitor, and mitigate drinking water contaminants of emerging
concern (DW
[[Page 35098]]
CECs). In accordance with 42 U.S.C. 285l, of the Public Health Service
Act, as amended, NIEHS is reopening the comment period for 30 days to
allow additional time to receive comments by interested parties.
Drinking water contaminants of emerging concern (DW CECs) are newly
identified or re-emerging manufactured or naturally occurring physical,
chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials that may cause
adverse effects to human health or the environment and do not currently
have a national primary drinking water regulation. Through this RFI,
NIH/NIEHS seeks input from non-governmental entities (e.g., industry,
academia, civil society), State and local governments, and other
institutions with scientific and material interest in DW CEC research.
Comments provided in response to this RFI will inform the development
of a National Emerging Contaminant Research Initiative (NECRI) for
protection of U.S. drinking water quality. Responses may also be used
to address requests from the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to
identify research questions and priorities in the area of sustainable
chemistry. The initiative will build on the National Science and
Technology Council's (NSTC) cross-agency Plan for Addressing Critical
Research Gaps Related to Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water
published in 2018. The NECRI will be the precursor to Federal
coordination of DW CEC research; and, in compliance with the NDAA for
Fiscal Year 2020, Title LXXIII, Subtitle D, Sections 7341 and 7342,
agencies will ``issue a solicitation for research proposals consistent
with the Federal research strategy and that agency's mission.''
Contaminants of emerging concern may be present in drinking water
and in some cases have been shown to cause adverse effects on human
health. The 2020 NDAA instructed Office of Science and Technology
Policy (OSTP) to establish the NECRI to improve the ``identification,
analysis, monitoring, and treatment methods of contaminants of emerging
concern'' and subsequently develop ``any necessary program, policy, or
budget'' to further DW CEC research. The 2020 NDAA also directs the
Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an
Interagency Working Group on Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC IWG)
to facilitate coordination of Federal research on CEC. OSTP
collaborated with the CEC IWG to identify approaches, tools, and
methods to accelerate DW CEC research, and metrics and indicators to
assess progress in reaching the goals of the NECRI.
Information Requested
This RFI requests feedback on two sections: The need for
coordination of efforts and the scientific focus of a DW CEC effort.
Respondents are free to address one or both of the sections listed
below and respond to as many items in each section as they choose,
while remaining within the 10-page limit, exclusive of attachments.
Section 1--Feedback on Improving and Coordinating DW CEC Efforts:
This RFI requests feedback on methods to focus and coordinate DW CEC
research efforts. Please consider how U.S. Government and external
stakeholder action could contribute to DW CEC research, take advantage
of emerging science and technology opportunities, measure outcomes, and
develop a DW CEC research initiative with the goal to provide safe
drinking water for the American people. Please comment on:
1. Barriers that prevent or limit you or your organization's DW CEC
research capabilities and success.
2. Potential opportunities to improve coordination and partnership
among public and private entities participating in DW CEC research and
prevent unnecessarily duplicative efforts.
3. The types of outreach efforts most useful to communicate DW CEC
research results for impacted Federal, State, local, and Tribal
communities. Please provide examples where possible.
4. Metrics or indicators that you or your organization adopted to
measure the success of your DW CEC research or other related research
efforts.
5. Metrics or indicators that would be valuable in measuring the
success of a National DW CEC research initiative.
6. As an affected community member, the most significant concerns
and recommendations for DW CECs.
Section 2--Feedback on DW CEC Research Areas: This RFI requests
feedback on needs for broad areas of DW CEC research (detailed below)
and research needed for shaping the NECRI.
DW CEC Research Areas
Below are descriptions of four areas of DW CEC research identified
by the CEC IWG. When submitting your feedback, please indicate which DW
CEC research area(s) you are responding to.
Research Area 1: Exposure
Exposure to DW CECs can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or
dermal routes. Exposure-related research includes contaminant
identification and monitoring from source-to-tap and informs downstream
efforts to understand the biological effects of CEC exposures,
characterize their risk, and develop mitigation tools. Monitoring can
be performed routinely to assess water composition, during acute
exposure events, or to estimate the effect of CEC mitigation efforts.
Exposure science includes efforts to estimate the type and
concentration of contaminants through a range of activities from
targeted analysis of specific CEC, non-targeted analysis for the
discovery of unknown CEC, and modeling activities. Please include
thoughts on identification and measurement tools, such as sensors, to
conduct analyses.
Research Area 2: Human Health and Environmental Effects
Emerging contaminants may cause adverse effects on human health and
the environment. Biological effects research encompasses the
identification and characterization of these adverse effects, including
factors that influence susceptibility to disease or disfunction.
Research tools may include in-silico and receptor-based approaches,
predictive modeling, new toxicological assessments, and data analytics
strategies. In the context of this research initiative, environmental
effects research considers indicators of adverse human health effects.
Research Area 3: Risk Characterization To Inform Risk Mitigation
Risk characterization synthesizes available information and
communicates uncertainty about exposure, biological effects, and other
relevant considerations to inform risk mitigation actions. Risk
mitigation actions include research into preventative approaches such
as source reduction. Sustainable chemistry efforts may also fall into
risk mitigation actions. In addition, treatments, technological
development and application, and other interventions may also be
considered to reduce or otherwise mitigate risk for individual,
mixtures, or classes of CEC.
Research Area 4: Risk Communication
Risk communication relays information to relevant groups about
risks to human health and actions that could address those risks. The
scope of relevant groups includes those affected by exposures, the
general public, decision makers, scientists, industry, and other
technical experts. Risk communication research includes techniques and
media formats used to inform stakeholder groups and studies on the
psychosocial aspects of risks,
[[Page 35099]]
such as general perceptions of risk, the adoption of risk reduction
behaviors, and perceptions framed by scientific controversy or
misinformation.
The following statements are provided to obtain feedback to fill
existing gaps in DW CEC knowledge and practice in these research areas.
Please comment on:
1. The critical, impactful research questions and topics that
should be addressed in order to better protect American public health
in regard to DW CEC.
2. Research priorities within each of the four areas described
below.
3. New or innovative tools, technologies, software, modeling,
methods, data/information sharing, etc. that should be developed or
employed to address these research areas.
This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed
as a solicitation for applications or proposals, or as an obligation in
any way on the part of the United States Federal government. The
Federal government will not pay for the preparation of any information
submitted or for the government's use.
Additionally, the government cannot guarantee the confidentiality
of the information provided.
Dated: June 28, 2021.
Christopher P. Weis,
Toxicology Liaison, National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-14150 Filed 6-30-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P
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