EPA Extends Public Comment Period for Draft Screening Level Approach for Fenceline Communities and Releases Registration Information for SACC Meeting

(WASHINGTON, February 7, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the extension of the public comment period for the proposed Screening Level Approach for Assessing Ambient Air and Water Exposures to Fenceline Communities Version 1.0 under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  The proposed screening level methodology uses reasonably available data, information, and models to quantify environmental releases, evaluate exposures to fenceline communities and characterize risks associated with such releases and exposures for certain air and water pathways previously not evaluated in published TSCA risk evaluations. The comment period is currently scheduled to end on February 22, 2022 and will be extended until March 22, 2022 to give stakeholders additional time to provide input.

The agency encourages written comments for consideration by the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) during the upcoming peer review be submitted by the original deadline of February 22, 2022. Comments submitted after this date will be provided to the SACC members, however members may not have adequate time to consider those comments prior to the meeting’s discussions. The SACC is unable to consider comments submitted after the March 15-17, 2022 meeting. However, EPA will consider all comments submitted by March 22, 2022. To ensure proper receipt of comments, please identify docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OPPT–2021–0415 in the subject line on the first page of your comments and follow the instructions in the Federal Register Notice.

Additionally, registration is now open for the March 15-17, 2022 virtual meeting of the SACC to peer review the proposed methodology. The SACC’s virtual meeting is open to the public and registration is required. Register here.

If you would like to provide oral comments during this peer review virtual meeting, you must register by 12:00 p.m. EST on February 25, 2022. You may register as a listen-only attendee at any time until the end of the meeting on March 17, 2022.

The SACC serves as a primary scientific peer review mechanism of the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and is structured to provide scientific advice, information and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the scientific basis for risk assessments, methodologies, and pollution prevention measures and approaches for chemicals regulated under TSCA.