Notice2023-12972
Public Comment on the Cumulative Risk Assessment Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 16, 2023
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 60-day public comment period on the draft Cumulative Risk Assessment (CRA) Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation. The CRA Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation describe steps for the planning and problem formulation of CRAs and offer guidelines for when cumulative risk assessments could be appropriate. Planning defines both the process for conducting the risk assessment and its general scope, while problem formulation identifies major factors considered in a specific assessment to inform its technical approach. The draft CRA Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation are not final, and do not represent, and should not be construed to represent, Agency policy or views.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 116 (Friday, June 16, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 116 (Friday, June 16, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39424-39425]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12972]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-0292; FRL-11021-01-ORD]
Public Comment on the Cumulative Risk Assessment Guidelines for
Planning and Problem Formulation
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a
60-day public comment period on the draft Cumulative Risk Assessment
(CRA) Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation. The CRA
Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation describe steps for the
planning and problem formulation of CRAs and offer guidelines for when
cumulative risk assessments could be appropriate. Planning defines both
the process for conducting the risk assessment and its general scope,
while problem formulation identifies major factors considered in a
specific assessment to inform its technical approach. The draft CRA
Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation are not final, and do
not represent, and should not be construed to represent, Agency policy
or views.
DATES: The 60-day public comment period begins June 16, 2023 and ends
August 15, 2023. Comments must be received on or before August 15,
2023to be considered by EPA.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
ORD-2013-0292, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>
(our preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
<bullet> Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket
Center, [insert Program Office Name] Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460.
<bullet> Hand Delivery or Courier: EPA Docket Center, WJC West
Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004.
The Docket Center's hours of operations are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday (except Federal Holidays).
Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket ID
No. for this notice. Comments received may be posted without change to
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>, including any personal information
provided. For detailed instructions on sending comments and additional
information on the public comment process, see the PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
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#95d1faf6fef0e1cadac7d1d5f0e5f4bbf2fae3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="95d1faf6fef0e1cadac7d1d5f0e5f4bbf2fae3">[email protected]</span></a>. For technical information on the draft guidelines
or information on the public comment period, contact Dr. Lawrence
Martin, via email at: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e68b8794928f88c88a87919483888583a6839687c8818990"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="14797566607d7a3a78756366717a7771547164753a737b62">[email protected]</span></a>; or via phone/voicemail
at 202-308-5642.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Public Participation
Written Comments: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No.
EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-0292, at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> (our preferred
method), or the other methods identified in the ADDRESSES section. 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 to EPA's docket at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> any information
you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI), Proprietary
Business Information (PBI), or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. If you are commenting on specific text in the
document, please use the page and line number to identify the text to
which you refer. General recommendations or comments are best tied to a
specific section in the text that comes closest to addressing the issue
you are commenting upon. If no such section exists, then a
recommendation for a new section heading is helpful. Please provide
citations for any technical information and/or data used to support the
information you provide. 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). Please visit <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets</a> for additional submission
methods; the full EPA public comment policy; information about CBI,
PBI, or multimedia submissions; and general guidance on making
effective comments.
II. Background on the CRA Guidelines for Planning and Problem
Formulation
The draft CRA Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation is
available at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/risk/guidelines-cumulative-risk-assessment-planning-and-problem-formulation">https://www.epa.gov/risk/guidelines-cumulative-risk-assessment-planning-and-problem-formulation</a> and in the public docket at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2013-0292.
The CRA Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation focus on
this first phase of a cumulative risk assessment. The document does not
address other elements of the cumulative risk assessment process,
including conducting an analysis, risk characterization, risk
communication, or risk management. Public comments focused on the
planning and problem formulation phase of a cumulative risk assessment
would be most useful.
EPA undertook the development of methods for CRA beginning with the
1997 Guidance on Cumulative Risk Assessment, Part 1, Planning and
Scoping. In 2003, EPA published A Framework for Cumulative Risk
Assessment. EPA continued to advance CRA methods to support
understanding and reducing risks to people in disproportionately
impacted communities, in 2008 publishing Concepts, Methods, and Data
Sources for Cumulative Health Risk Assessment of Multiple Chemicals,
Exposures and Effects. This draft CRA Guidelines for Planning and
Problem Formulation build off the 2003 CRA Framework and updates the
1997 CRA Guidance. The draft CRA Guidelines for Planning and Problem
Formulation provides methods by which stressors are identified and
incorporated into problem formulation and a conceptual model. In June
2021, the draft CRA Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation
received an independent contractor-led external panel peer review.
Subsequent revision has produced the draft CRA Guidelines for Planning
and Problem Formulation that is now released for public comment.
III. How will comments be used?
Public comment received on the draft CRA Guidelines for Planning
and Problem Formulation will be reviewed and considered to be
incorporated into or modify text in the final revised draft of the
Guidelines. The final draft Guidelines will then undergo internal
[[Page 39425]]
EPA review and revision, and then be finalized for publication.
Mary A. Ross,
Director, Office of Science Advisor, Policy and Engagement.
[FR Doc. 2023-12972 Filed 6-15-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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