EPA Requesting Experts to Consider Approaches to Deriving Perchlorate MCLG
The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) staff office is requesting public nominations for technical experts to form an SAB panel to review the Agency’s approaches for deriving a maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) for perchlorate. EPA is seeking nominations of nationally and internationally recognized scientists and engineers with demonstrated expertise and research in one or more of the following areas: drinking water, public health, epidemiology, toxicology, endocrinology, approaches to deriving MCLGs, physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models, and health implications of perchlorate ingestion. State drinking water program or health department staff with the required expertise would be good candidates for this SAB panel.
In 2011, EPA announced its decision to regulate perchlorate under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and publish a proposal no later than February 2013. The SDWA requires EPA to request comments from the SAB prior to proposal of an MCLG and national primary drinking water regulation. EPA has therefore requested an SAB review of the scientific and technical bases for the approaches being considered to derive an MCLG for perchlorate. The Agency seeks review of a draft Health Effects Support Document for Perchlorate. This draft document is under development and is expected to be available in early 2012. The document will include the following information: EPA’s use and interpretation of reference doses (RfDs); statutory requirements for MCLGs and approaches for deriving MCLGs that EPA has used in the past; a discussion of the 2005 National Research Council report, “Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion”, and discussion of PBPK modeling related to perchlorate health effects. This Health Effects Support Document will also be available for review by the public and interested states on EPA’s website in the near future.
Nominations should be submitted by January 13, 2012. You can obtain more details on the request, including information on where to submit applications, from the December 16th Federal Register notice available here.
