Notice2022-02050
Availability of the Draft IRIS Toxicological Review of Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) and Related Salts
Primary source
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Published
February 2, 2022
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 60- day public comment period associated with release of the draft Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Toxicological Review of Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) and Related Salts. The draft document was prepared by the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). EPA is releasing this draft IRIS assessment for public comment in advance of an independent external peer review organized by ERG, a contractor to EPA. The external peer reviewers will be provided with all written comments submitted in response to this notice for their consideration as they conduct their review. To receive future notification about the peer review, sign up for EPA's IRIS listserv, as described in this notice. EPA will consider all comments received when revising the document post-peer review. This draft assessment is not final as described in EPA's information quality guidelines, and it does not represent, and should not be construed to represent Agency policy or views.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 22 (Wednesday, February 2, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 2, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5819-5820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02050]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-ORD-2021-0561; FRL-9486-01-ORD]
Availability of the Draft IRIS Toxicological Review of
Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) and Related Salts
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 60-
day public comment period associated with release of the draft
Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Toxicological Review of
Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) and Related Salts. The draft document
was prepared by the Center for Public Health and Environmental
Assessment (CPHEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development
(ORD). EPA is releasing this draft IRIS assessment for public comment
in advance of an independent external peer review organized by ERG, a
contractor to EPA. The external peer reviewers will be provided with
all written comments submitted in response to this notice for their
consideration as they conduct their review. To receive future
notification about the peer review, sign up for EPA's IRIS listserv, as
described in this notice. EPA will consider all comments received when
revising the document post-peer review. This draft assessment is not
final as described in EPA's information quality guidelines, and it does
not represent, and should not be construed to represent Agency policy
or views.
DATES: The 60-day public comment period begins February 2, 2022 and
ends April 4, 2022. Comments must be received on or before April 4,
2022.
ADDRESSES: The IRIS Toxicological Review of Perfluorohexanoic Acid
(PFHxA) and Related Salts will be available via the internet on the
IRIS website at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/iris/iris-recent-additions">https://www.epa.gov/iris/iris-recent-additions</a> and in
the public docket at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
ORD-2021-0561.
[[Page 5820]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment
period, contact the ORD Docket at the EPA Headquarters Docket Center;
telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-9744; or email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#20644f434b45547f6f7264604550410e474f56"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d49626e66687952425f494d687d6c236a627b">[email protected]</span></a>.
For technical information on the IRIS Toxicological Review of
Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) or information on the public comment
period, contact Dr. Andrew Kraft, CPHEA; telephone: 202-564-0286; or
email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2a41584b4c5e044b444e584f5d6a4f5a4b044d455c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="69021b080f1d4708070d1b0c1e290c1908470e061f">[email protected]</span></a>. The IRIS Program will provide updates
through the IRIS website (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/iris">https://www.epa.gov/iris</a>) and via EPA's IRIS
listserv. To register for the IRIS listserv, visit the IRIS website
(<a href="https://www.epa.gov/iris">https://www.epa.gov/iris</a>) or visit <a href="https://www.epa.gov/iris/forms/staying-connected-integrated-risk-information-system#connect">https://www.epa.gov/iris/forms/staying-connected-integrated-risk-information-system#connect</a>.
For questions about the peer review, please contact: Laurie Waite,
ERG, by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ae6ebfff8e3efa4fdebe3feefcaeff8eda4e9e5e7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="177b7662657e723960767e6372577265703974787a">[email protected]</span></a> (subject line: EPA PFHxA 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 (<a href="https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=345065">https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=345065</a>) 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 (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/epas-pfas-action-plan">https://www.epa.gov/pfas/epas-pfas-action-plan</a>).
EPA previously announced 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. These documents will undergo
independent external scientific peer review managed by ERG, a
contractor to EPA. EPA will provide updates on the status of the peer
review for PFHxA via the IRIS website (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/iris">https://www.epa.gov/iris</a>) and
IRIS listserv. EPA encourages all interested stakeholders to register
for the IRIS listserv by visiting the IRIS website at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/iris/forms/staying-connected-integrated-risk-information-system#connect">https://www.epa.gov/iris/forms/staying-connected-integrated-risk-information-system#connect</a>. Specific questions or comments on the peer review
process should be directed to ERG.
II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>
Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2021-
0561 for the Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) IRIS Assessment, by one of
the following methods:
<bullet> <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>: Follow the on-line instructions for
submitting comments.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5c18333f37392803130e181c392c3d723b332a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cf8ba0aca4aabb90809d8b8faabfaee1a8a0b9">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Fax: 202-566-9744. Due to COVID-19, there may be a delay
in processing comments submitted by fax.
<bullet> Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket
Center (ORD Docket), Mail Code: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-566-1752. Due to COVID-
19, there may be a delay in processing comments submitted by mail.
For information on visiting the EPA Docket Center Public Reading
Room, visit <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>. Due to public health concerns
related to COVID-19, the EPA Docket Center and Reading Room may be
closed to the public with limited exceptions. The telephone number for
the Public Reading Room is 202-566-1744. The public can submit comments
via <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> or email.
Instructions: Direct your comments to docket number EPA-HQ-ORD-
2021-0561 for the Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) IRIS Assessment.
Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified
comment period. Comments received after the closing date will be marked
``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is EPA's
policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket without
change and to make the comments available online at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information provided,
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information for which disclosure is
restricted by statute. Do not submit information through
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> or email that you consider to be CBI or otherwise
protected. The <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> website is an ``anonymous access''
system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you
send an email comment directly to EPA without going through
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, your email address will be automatically captured
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket
and made available on the internet. If you submit an electronic
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you
submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or
viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the
EPA Docket Center homepage at <a href="http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm">www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm</a>.
Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other materials,
such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> or in hard copy at the ORD Docket in the EPA
Headquarters Docket Center.
Timothy Watkins,
Acting Director, Center for Public Health & Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2022-02050 Filed 2-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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