Request for Nominations of Drinking Water Contaminants for the Contaminant Candidate List, 60704-60708 [E6-17099]

Download as PDF jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES 60704 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 199 / Monday, October 16, 2006 / Notices EPA’s contractor for the external peerreview panel prior to the workshop. EPA is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of predissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. This draft document has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. Versar, Inc., invites the public to register to attend this workshop as observers. In addition, Versar, Inc., invites the public to give oral and/or provide written comments at the workshop regarding the draft document under review. The draft document and EPA’s peer-review charge are available primarily via the Internet on NCEA’s home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at https://www.epa.gov/ncea. In preparing a final report, EPA intends to consider Versar, Inc.’s report of the comments and recommendations from the external peer-review workshop and any public comments that EPA receives in accordance with this notice. DATES: The peer-review panel workshop will begin on October 26, 2006, at 9 a.m. and end on October 27, 2006, at 5 p.m. The second day of the workshop is closed to the public and to EPA so that the peer-review panel members can consider the draft document and prepare their individual comments. On September 15, 2006, EPA announced a thirty-day public comment period for the draft document, which began September 15, 2006, and ends October 16, 2006 (71 FR 54481). Technical comments should be in writing and must be received by EPA by October 16, 2006. For more information on how to submit comments, please refer to the September 15, 2006, Federal Register notice (71 FR 54481). ADDRESSES: The peer-review workshop will be held at the U.S. EPA, Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (AWBERC) Building, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268. The EPA contractor, Versar, Inc., is organizing, convening, and conducting the peer-review workshop. To attend the workshop, register by October 20, 2006, by visiting https:// epa.versar.com/waterborne. You can also register by calling Keith E. Drewes at Versar, Inc. (386) 852–8322, sending a facsimile to (386) 322–6051, or sending an e-mail to drewekei@Versar.com. The draft document, ‘‘Approaches to Estimating the Waterborne Disease Outbreak Burden in the United States: Uses and Limitations of the Waterborne VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:16 Oct 13, 2006 Jkt 211001 Disease Outbreak Surveillance System,’’ is available primarily via the Internet on the National Center for Environmental Assessment’s home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at https:// www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of paper copies are available from the Technical Information Staff, NCEACincinnati by telephone: (513) 569–7257 or by facsimile: (513) 569–7916. If you are requesting a paper copy, please provide your name, mailing address, and the document title, ‘‘Approaches to Estimating the Waterborne Disease Outbreak Burden in the United States: Uses and Limitations of the Waterborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System.’’ Copies are not available from Versar, Inc. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding information, registration, and logistics for the external peer-review workshop should be directed to Keith E. Drewes of Versar, Inc., via e-mail: drewekei@versar.com, telephone: (386) 852–8322, or facsimile: (386) 322–6051. For information on the public comment period, contact the Office of Environmental Information Docket by telephone: (202) 566–1752, facsimile: (202) 566–1753, or e-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov. If you need technical information about the document, please contact Glenn Rice, National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), by telephone: (513) 569–7813, facsimile: (513) 487–2539, or e-mail: rice.glenn@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Summary of Information About the Project/Document Information about waterborne disease outbreaks (WBDOs) in the United States is voluntarily reported by State, territorial and local public health agencies to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC and EPA jointly maintain a WBDO database. The database describes outbreak attributes including, among other things, the drinking water system deficiency, the etiologic agent, and the number of individuals who became ill. Underreporting of such events is assumed but the magnitude of underreporting is unknown. This draft document presents an approach for estimating the epidemiologic and economic burden of disease associated with 665 WBDOs reported in the U.S. between 1971 and 2000. The term disease burden broadly refers to the magnitude of the impact incurred by society as a consequence of PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 disease in the community (e.g., decrements in a population’s health or the associated economic effects) and there are various metrics that can be employed by analysts to quantify burden. In order to capture some of the benefits of drinking water regulations, EPA has typically expressed waterborne disease impacts in terms of epidemiologic and monetary measures; this WBDO burden analysis employs those same measures. Because not all WBDOs in the United States and associated cases of illness are reported, the WBDO database on which this draft document is based is not comprehensive. The extent to which WBDOs are not recognized is unknown and is not examined in this analysis. This draft report develops several quantitative sensitivity analyses to characterize some of the uncertainty in the burden estimates but does not provide an evaluation of the potential impact of under- or overreporting of WBDOs or their associated severity characteristics. The draft report includes recommendations for the collection and reporting of additional outbreak information that would improve the usefulness of the WBDO database for future disease burden estimates. II. Workshop Information Members of the public may attend the workshop as observers, and there will be a limited time for comments from the public in the afternoon. Please let Versar, Inc., know if you wish to make comments during the workshop. Space is limited, and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The second day of the workshop is closed to the public and to EPA so that the peer-review panel members can consider the draft document and prepare their individual comments. Dated: October 10, 2006. George Alapas, Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment. [FR Doc. E6–17098 Filed 10–13–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OW–2005–0039; FRL–8231–3] Request for Nominations of Drinking Water Contaminants for the Contaminant Candidate List Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting nominations E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM 16OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 199 / Monday, October 16, 2006 / Notices of chemical and microbial contaminants for possible inclusion in the third drinking water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 3). EPA is also requesting information that shows the nominated contaminant may have an adverse health effect on people and the contaminant occurs or is likely to occur in public water systems. DATES: Nominations must be received on or before December 15, 2006. ADDRESSES: Submit your nominations to the CCL3 Nominations Web site https:// www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/ccl3.html by following the on-line instructions for submitting nominations or mail to CCL Nominations, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code: 4607M, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426–4791 or e-mail: hotlinesdwa@epa.gov. For technical questions about this notice contact Clifton Townsend, Standards and Risk Management Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564–1576; e-mail address: townsend.clifton@epa.gov. For technical inquiries regarding EPA’s CCL 3 Nominations Web site, please contact Zeno Bain at (202) 564–5970 or e-mail: bain.zeno@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION I. General Information A. Does This Action Apply to Me This action requests drinking water contaminant candidate nominations and provides information on how the public can submit nominations to the Agency. jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES B. How Can I Get Copies of This Document and Other Related Information? 1. Docket. EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OW–2005–0039. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically through https:// www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center. Note: The EPA Docket Center suffered damage due to flooding during the last week of June 2006. The Docket Center is continuing to operate. However, during the cleanup, there will be temporary changes to Docket Center telephone numbers, addresses, and hours of operation for people who wish to visit the Public Reading Room to view documents. Consult EPA’s Federal Register notice at 71 FR 54815 (September 19, 2006) VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:16 Oct 13, 2006 Jkt 211001 or the EPA Web site at https://www.epa.gov/ epahome/dockets.htm for current information on docket status, locations and telephone numbers. 2. Electronic Access. You may access this Federal Register document electronically through the EPA Internet under the Federal Register listings at https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/. II. Background A. What Is the CCL? There are thousands of naturally occurring and man-made contaminants that have the potential to enter sources of drinking water (e.g., pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, industrial chemicals). Some of these contaminants may pose no risk to human health, but others may cause cancer or have endocrine disrupting, reproductive, or developmental effects. Naturally occurring microbial contaminants may also cause acute illness. To ensure that public health is protected, EPA must assess the universe of unregulated drinking water contaminants to determine if they may require regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The CCL is the primary vehicle used by EPA to target and prioritize unregulated contaminants in drinking water for research and analysis to determine which new contaminants should be regulated. SDWA requires that EPA publish, every five years, a list of unregulated chemical and microbial contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems and which may require regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SWDA Section 1412(b)(1)). EPA is also required to consult with the scientific community and provide notice and opportunity for public comment prior to publication of the CCL. SDWA also requires EPA to determine whether to regulate at least five contaminants from the CCL every five years. In making regulatory determinations, the Agency must consider the following three statutory criteria: 1. Is the contaminant likely to cause an adverse effect on the health of persons? 2. Is the contaminant known or likely to occur in public water systems at a frequency and level of concern? 3. Does regulation of the contaminant present a meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction for persons served by public water systems? PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 60705 B. How Did EPA Develop Previous Contaminant Candidate Lists? The first CCL (CCL 1) was published on March 2, 1998 (63 FR 10273). The contaminants were categorized based on four priority areas in drinking water research: occurrence, health effects, treatment, and analytical methods. CCL 1 was developed based on a review by technical experts of readily available information and contained 50 chemicals and 10 microbial contaminants. EPA consulted with the scientific community and the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) on a process for developing the first CCL. Based on the NDWAC recommendations, the Agency developed and used screening and evaluation criteria to develop a list of chemical contaminants for CCL 1. For microbiological contaminants, the Agency followed NDWAC recommendations and sought external expertise to identify and select potential waterborne pathogens. The Agency convened a workshop of microbiologists and public health experts who developed criteria for screening and evaluation and subsequently developed an initial list of potential microbiological contaminants. On July 18, 2003 (68 FR 42897), EPA announced its final regulatory determination for nine contaminants from CCL 1, which concluded that sufficient data and information was available to make the determination not to regulate nine contaminants (eight chemicals and one microbial). The second CCL (CCL2) was published on February 24, 2005 (70 FR 9071) and carried forward the remaining 51 chemical and microbial contaminants listed on CCL 1. Currently, the Agency is evaluating data and research on these chemicals and microbes to make regulatory determinations as it continues work to develop the CCL 3. C. How Is EPA Developing Future CCLs? After publication of CCL 1, the Agency recognized the need for a more robust and transparent process for identifying and narrowing the list of potential contaminants for future CCLs and sought advice from the National Academies of Science (NAS) on how to improve the CCL process. The 2001 NAS report, Classifying Drinking Water Contaminants for Regulatory Consideration (NAS 2001), proposed a broader, more comprehensive screening process to assist EPA in identifying those contaminants for the CCL. The NAS recommended that EPA develop and use a process for creating future E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM 16OCN1 60706 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 199 / Monday, October 16, 2006 / Notices CCLs whereby a broadly defined ‘‘universe’’ of potential drinking water contaminants is identified, assessed, and reduced to a preliminary CCL (PCCL) using simple screening criteria that indicate public health risk and the likelihood of occurrence in drinking water. All of the contaminants on the PCCL would then be assessed in more detail using a classification approach and tools along with expert judgment to evaluate the likelihood that specific contaminants could occur in drinking water at levels and at frequencies that pose a public health risk. The outcome of the detailed classification approach results in the draft CCL. The contaminants initially considered for the CCL (i.e. CCL Universe) include naturally occurring substances, emerging waterborne pathogens, chemical agents, byproducts and degradants of chemical agents, and biological toxins. The PCCL will include contaminants that occur, or have the potential to occur, in drinking water and cause, or may cause adverse health effects. In 2002, EPA consulted with NDWAC and received advice for implementing the 2001 NAS recommendations. NDWAC recommended that EPA move forward with the NAS recommendations using an adaptive management approach. This approach provides a framework to implement recommendations in phases and refine and adjust the CCL process as more information and experience are attained. NDWAC provided specific recommendations on eliciting public participation and suggested that EPA seek contaminant nominations from the public for inclusion on the CCL. Implementing the nominations process provides a mechanism for early public participation in the CCL process and allows the Agency to obtain suggestions for contaminants that should be on the CCL (NDWAC 2004). D. How Will EPA Use Data Sources To Identify Contaminants for the CCL Universe? Based upon recommendations from NAS and NDWAC, the Agency is using the following guiding principles to construct the CCL Universe: (1) The universe should include those contaminants that have demonstrated or have potential occurrence in drinking water, and (2) the universe should include those contaminants that have demonstrated or have potential adverse health effects. These inclusionary principles apply to the selection of CCL contaminants for initial consideration in the CCL Universe. EPA has evaluated over 280 resources (referred to as ‘‘data sources’’) to determine whether they are appropriate for use in identifying potential drinking water contaminants for the CCL. The data sources vary widely in their development and use (e.g., research, surveys, and compliance monitoring); type of data (e.g., concentrations, health effects, microbiological occurrence, and environmental fate); data format; availability; and possible applicability to the universe of contaminants for consideration. The Agency recognizes that there are significant differences in the methods and information used to characterize chemical and microbiological contaminants. Chemical contaminants tend to be characterized by toxicological and occurrence data that can be modeled or estimated if measurement is not possible. These discrete characteristics are often captured in data sources. To identify chemical contaminants, consistent with recommendations for developing the Universe, the Agency recognizes that the most appropriate data sources for use in the CCL classification process will provide information in a number of areas including concentrations, health effects, occurrence, and environmental fate. EPA has identified four factors that should be met for data sources to be considered useable. Sources are screened for relevance, completeness, redundancy (those sources with the most comprehensive sources are selected, while less comprehensive sources with the same information are rejected), and retrievability to determine use in the CCL classification process. Table 1 provides a list of the data sources that EPA will use in compiling the Chemical CCL Universe. TABLE 1.—INITIAL CLASSIFICATION OF CHEMICAL DATA SOURCES Data source name Organizations ATSDR CERCLA Priority List ......................................................................................................... Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan. EPA. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). EPA. ATSDR Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) .............................................................................................. jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES Chemical Toxicity Database—Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan ........................................... Chemical Update System/Inventory Update Rule (CUS/IUR) ........................................................ Cumulative Estimated Daily Intake/Acceptable Daily Intake (CEDI/ADI) Database ...................... Database of Sources of Environmental Releases of Dioxin-Like Compounds in the United States. Distributed Structure Searchable Toxicity Public Database Network (DSSTox) ............................ Everything Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS) Database ............................................. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) List ................................................. Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) Substance List ................................................................... Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (CADW): Summary of Guidelines ..................... World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality: Summary Tables ....... Health Advisories (HA) Summary Tables ....................................................................................... High Production Volume (HPV) Chemical List ............................................................................... Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) ................................................................................... Indirect Additives Database ............................................................................................................ International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs .............................................. International Toxicity Estimates for Risk (ITER) Database ............................................................ Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) ..................................................................................... Joint Meeting On Pesticide Residues (JMPR)—2001. Inventory of Pesticide Evaluations ........... National Drinking Water Contaminant Occurrence Database (NCOD)—Round 1 & 2 .................. National Drinking Water Contaminant Occurrence Database (NCOD)—Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR). VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:16 Oct 13, 2006 Jkt 211001 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 EPA. FDA. EPA. FDA. Health Canada. WHO. EPA. EPA. National Library of Medicine. FDA. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA). EPA. World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization EPA. EPA. E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM 16OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 199 / Monday, October 16, 2006 / Notices 60707 TABLE 1.—INITIAL CLASSIFICATION OF CHEMICAL DATA SOURCES—Continued Data source name Organizations National Inorganics and Radionuclides Survey (NIRS) .................................................................. National Pesticide Use Database ................................................................................................... EPA. National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). National Reconnaissance of Emerging Contaminants (NREC)—USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program. National Toxicology Program (NTP) Studies .................................................................................. National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) .............................................................................. OSHA 1988 Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) .......................................................................... Pesticide Data Program .................................................................................................................. Pesticides Pilot Monitoring Program ............................................................................................... Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS)—Department of Energy—Chemical Factors ......... Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS)—Health Effects Data ............................................. State of California EPA Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity. Storage and Retrieval (STORET) ................................................................................................... Substance Registry System (SRS) ................................................................................................. Syracuse Research Corporation (SRC)—BIODEG ........................................................................ The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) ............................................................................................... Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) List ..................................................................................... Toxicity Criteria Database—California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). University of Maryland—Partial List of Acute Toxins/Partial List of Teratogens ............................ jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES For microbes, the adverse health effects from exposure are characterized by clinical or epidemiological data and there are few analytical methods to estimate or model the occurrence of microbes. Limited sources of tabular data for microbes may require evaluation of primary literature, technical reports, monographs and reference books to identify the universe of microbes for consideration. The Agency is using human pathogens as the starting point for identifying microorganisms considered for inclusion in the CCL Universe. The primary source of information on human pathogens is Risk Factors for Human Disease Emergence (Taylor et al. 2001), which provides a list of 1,415 human pathogens. In addition to the Taylor et al study, the Agency will use the nominations process to ensure that the CCL universe captures emerging pathogens. E. Why Is EPA Soliciting Contaminant Nominations? EPA is requesting contaminant nominations from the public to ensure that contaminants that may not be identified for consideration as part of the recommended CCL process are considered. The Agency is making significant progress in developing a contaminant classification approach and continues to implement the NAS and NDWAC recommendations. While NAS and NDWAC recommended a data driven step-wise approach to classifying contaminants, these experts also recognized the importance of providing an additional VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:16 Oct 13, 2006 Jkt 211001 pathway for the public to identify new and emerging contaminants that may not be identified in an evaluation of the data sources. A public nominations process allows the Agency to consider new and emerging contaminants that might not otherwise be considered because new information has not been widely reported or recorded. Following the recommendations of NAS and NDWAC, the Agency has compiled a universe of contaminants and will add nominated contaminants from the public to the CCL Universe. The nominees will be considered as EPA evaluates NAS and NDWAC recommendations to screen the CCL universe and develops criteria to classify contaminants for the draft CCL. III. EPA CCL Nominations Process This contaminant nominations process is the first opportunity to make nominations to the new CCL (CCL 3). The Agency will also accept nominations during the notice and comment period following EPA’s publication of the draft CCL 3. A. How can Stakeholders, Agencies, Industry, and the Public Nominate Contaminants for the CCL? EPA’s preferred method for submission of contaminant nominations is through the EPA CCL 3 Nomination Web site. Interested parties can nominate chemicals, microbes, or other materials for consideration on the new CCL by sending information electronically, or in hard copy to EPA. Do not submit confidential business information (CBI) through e-mail. If you PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 National Cancer Institute. USGS. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). USDA. USGS/EPA. U.S. Department of Energy. Department of Energy. State of California. EPA. EPA. Syracuse Research Corporation. EPA. EPA. California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. University of Maryland. wish to submit CBI, first contact EPA (see ADDRESSES section) for instructions on how to submit CBI. When submitting a nomination, it is preferred that the nominators include a name, affiliation, phone number, mailing address, and email address; however, this information is not required and nominations can be submitted anonymously. The nominator should also address the following questions for each contaminant nominated to the CCL: 1. What is the contaminant’s name, CAS number, and/or common synonym (if applicable)? 2. What factors make this contaminant a priority for the CCL 3 process (e.g., widespread occurrence; anticipated toxicity to humans; potentially harmful effects to susceptible populations (e.g., children, elderly and immunocompromised); potentially contaminated source water (surface or ground water), and/or finished water; released to air, land, and/or water; contaminants manufactured in large quantities with a potential to occur in source waters)? 3. What are the significant health effects and occurrence data available, which you believe supports the CCL requirement(s) that a contaminant may have an adverse effect on the health of persons and is known or anticipated to occur in public water systems? Please provide complete citations, including author(s), title, journal and date. Contact information for the primary investigator would also be helpful. E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM 16OCN1 60708 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 199 / Monday, October 16, 2006 / Notices B. How Do I Submit Nominations Through EPA’s Nominations Web Site? The Web site is designed to provide key information to the Agency, as described in Section III. A of this notice, for each contaminant nominated to the CCL process. The Web address to nominate a contaminant can be found at https:// www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/ccl3.html. C. How do I Submit Nominations in Hard Copy? You may submit nominations by mail. To allow full Agency consideration of your nomination, please ensure that your nominations are received or postmarked by midnight December 15, 2006. The addresses for submittal of nominations by mail are listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. D. What Will Happen to My Nominations After I Submit Them? The Agency will include nominated contaminants into the CCL Universe. EPA will evaluate the information available for the nominated contaminants to determine the appropriateness of inclusion on the PCCL and finally the CCL. While EPA does not intend to respond to the nominations directly or individually, the Agency will fully explain nominated contaminants for the CCL3. Dated: October 6, 2006. Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator, Office of Water. [FR Doc. E6–17099 Filed 10–13–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P IV. References Copies of these documents are found at https://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID No. EPA–OW–2005–0039. NAS 2001. National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council. 2001. Classifying Drinking Water Contaminants for Regulatory Consideration. National Academy Press. Washington, DC. Available at https:// books.nap.edu/books/0309074088/html/ index.html NDWAC 2004. National Drinking Water Advisory Council. National Drinking Water Advisory Council Report on the CCL Classification Process to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, May 18, 2004. Available at https://www.epa.gov/ safewater/ndwac/pdfs/report_ccl_ndwac_0706-04.pdf. Taylor, Latham, and Woolhouse. 2001. Risk factors for human disease emergence (Appendix A). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Biology: 256:983–98. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting; Deletion of Agenda Items; From October 12, 2006, Open Meeting and FCC to Hold an Additional Open Meeting, Friday, October 13, 2006, at 11 a.m. October 11, 2006. The following items have been deleted from the list of Agenda items scheduled for consideration at the Thursday, October 12, 2006, open meeting and previously listed in the Commission’s Notice of Thursday, October 5, 2006. These items will be considered at an additional open meeting scheduled for Friday, October 13, 2006, at 11 a.m. in the Commission Meeting Room, TW-C305, at 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC. Item no. Bureau Subject 4 .......... Wireline Competition .................................... 5 .......... Wireline Competition .................................... Title: AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corporation Application for Transfer of Control (WC Docket No. 06–74). Summary: The Commission will consider a Memorandum Opinion and Order regarding the transfer of control application of AT&T and BellSouth. Title: Broadband Industry Practices. Summary: The Commission will consider a Notice of Inquiry regarding broadband industry practices. The prompt and orderly conduct of Commission business permits less than 7-days notice be given. Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD–12) and that individuals be fully informed about collection of their personal information. Federal Communications Commission. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary. [FR Doc. 06–8726 Filed 10–12–06; 12:05 pm] EFFECTIVE DATE: BILLING CODE 6712–01–P The system of records will become effective without further notice on November 27, 2006 unless comments received on or before that date result in a contrary determination. Dated: September 21, 2006. Cheryl Paige, Acting Director, Office of Information Management. GSA/HRO–37 SYSTEM NAME: Personnel Security files. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION: GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION Call or e-mail the GSA Privacy Act Officer: telephone 202–501–1452; e-mail gsa.privacyact@gsa.gov. Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of Updated System of Records ADDRESSES: GSA Privacy Act Officer (CIB), General Services Administration, 1800 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20405. SYSTEM LOCATION: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: General Services Administration. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The General Services Administration (GSA) is providing notice of a revision to the record system Personnel Security Files (GSA/HRO– 37). The system provides control over personnel security. The revisions ensure that the system of records meet the requirements of Homeland Security jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:16 Oct 13, 2006 Jkt 211001 To comply with new requirements of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD–12) GSA updated its personnel security system. This notice explains the new categories of records in the system and the authorities for maintaining the system. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Some records in the system are classified under Executive Order 12958 as amended. Personnel security files are maintained with other appropriate records in the Personnel Security Requirements Division (CPR), GSA Building, 1800 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20405. CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM: Employees, applicants for employment, former employees of GSA and of commissions, committees, small agencies serviced by GSA, contractors, E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM 16OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 199 (Monday, October 16, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60704-60708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17099]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OW-2005-0039; FRL-8231-3]


Request for Nominations of Drinking Water Contaminants for the 
Contaminant Candidate List

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting 
nominations

[[Page 60705]]

of chemical and microbial contaminants for possible inclusion in the 
third drinking water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 3). EPA is also 
requesting information that shows the nominated contaminant may have an 
adverse health effect on people and the contaminant occurs or is likely 
to occur in public water systems.

DATES: Nominations must be received on or before December 15, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your nominations to the CCL3 Nominations Web site 
https://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/ccl3.html by following the on-line 
instructions for submitting nominations or mail to CCL Nominations, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code: 4607M, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact the 
EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or e-mail: hotline-
sdwa@epa.gov. For technical questions about this notice contact Clifton 
Townsend, Standards and Risk Management Division, Office of Ground 
Water and Drinking Water, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 
564-1576; e-mail address: townsend.clifton@epa.gov. For technical 
inquiries regarding EPA's CCL 3 Nominations Web site, please contact 
Zeno Bain at (202) 564-5970 or e-mail: bain.zeno@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. General Information

A. Does This Action Apply to Me

    This action requests drinking water contaminant candidate 
nominations and provides information on how the public can submit 
nominations to the Agency.

B. How Can I Get Copies of This Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established a docket for this action under 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2005-0039. Publicly available docket materials 
are available either electronically through https://www.regulations.gov 
or in hard copy at the Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center.


    Note: The EPA Docket Center suffered damage due to flooding 
during the last week of June 2006. The Docket Center is continuing 
to operate. However, during the cleanup, there will be temporary 
changes to Docket Center telephone numbers, addresses, and hours of 
operation for people who wish to visit the Public Reading Room to 
view documents. Consult EPA's Federal Register notice at 71 FR 54815 
(September 19, 2006) or the EPA Web site at https://www.epa.gov/
epahome/dockets.htm for current information on docket status, 
locations and telephone numbers.


    2. Electronic Access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the EPA Internet under the Federal Register 
listings at https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.

II. Background

A. What Is the CCL?

    There are thousands of naturally occurring and man-made 
contaminants that have the potential to enter sources of drinking water 
(e.g., pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, industrial 
chemicals). Some of these contaminants may pose no risk to human 
health, but others may cause cancer or have endocrine disrupting, 
reproductive, or developmental effects. Naturally occurring microbial 
contaminants may also cause acute illness. To ensure that public health 
is protected, EPA must assess the universe of unregulated drinking 
water contaminants to determine if they may require regulation under 
the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
    The CCL is the primary vehicle used by EPA to target and prioritize 
unregulated contaminants in drinking water for research and analysis to 
determine which new contaminants should be regulated. SDWA requires 
that EPA publish, every five years, a list of unregulated chemical and 
microbial contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public 
water systems and which may require regulation under the Safe Drinking 
Water Act (SWDA Section 1412(b)(1)). EPA is also required to consult 
with the scientific community and provide notice and opportunity for 
public comment prior to publication of the CCL.
    SDWA also requires EPA to determine whether to regulate at least 
five contaminants from the CCL every five years. In making regulatory 
determinations, the Agency must consider the following three statutory 
criteria:
    1. Is the contaminant likely to cause an adverse effect on the 
health of persons?
    2. Is the contaminant known or likely to occur in public water 
systems at a frequency and level of concern?
    3. Does regulation of the contaminant present a meaningful 
opportunity for health risk reduction for persons served by public 
water systems?

B. How Did EPA Develop Previous Contaminant Candidate Lists?

    The first CCL (CCL 1) was published on March 2, 1998 (63 FR 10273). 
The contaminants were categorized based on four priority areas in 
drinking water research: occurrence, health effects, treatment, and 
analytical methods. CCL 1 was developed based on a review by technical 
experts of readily available information and contained 50 chemicals and 
10 microbial contaminants. EPA consulted with the scientific community 
and the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) on a process 
for developing the first CCL. Based on the NDWAC recommendations, the 
Agency developed and used screening and evaluation criteria to develop 
a list of chemical contaminants for CCL 1. For microbiological 
contaminants, the Agency followed NDWAC recommendations and sought 
external expertise to identify and select potential waterborne 
pathogens. The Agency convened a workshop of microbiologists and public 
health experts who developed criteria for screening and evaluation and 
subsequently developed an initial list of potential microbiological 
contaminants.
    On July 18, 2003 (68 FR 42897), EPA announced its final regulatory 
determination for nine contaminants from CCL 1, which concluded that 
sufficient data and information was available to make the determination 
not to regulate nine contaminants (eight chemicals and one microbial).
    The second CCL (CCL2) was published on February 24, 2005 (70 FR 
9071) and carried forward the remaining 51 chemical and microbial 
contaminants listed on CCL 1. Currently, the Agency is evaluating data 
and research on these chemicals and microbes to make regulatory 
determinations as it continues work to develop the CCL 3.

C. How Is EPA Developing Future CCLs?

    After publication of CCL 1, the Agency recognized the need for a 
more robust and transparent process for identifying and narrowing the 
list of potential contaminants for future CCLs and sought advice from 
the National Academies of Science (NAS) on how to improve the CCL 
process. The 2001 NAS report, Classifying Drinking Water Contaminants 
for Regulatory Consideration (NAS 2001), proposed a broader, more 
comprehensive screening process to assist EPA in identifying those 
contaminants for the CCL. The NAS recommended that EPA develop and use 
a process for creating future

[[Page 60706]]

CCLs whereby a broadly defined ``universe'' of potential drinking water 
contaminants is identified, assessed, and reduced to a preliminary CCL 
(PCCL) using simple screening criteria that indicate public health risk 
and the likelihood of occurrence in drinking water. All of the 
contaminants on the PCCL would then be assessed in more detail using a 
classification approach and tools along with expert judgment to 
evaluate the likelihood that specific contaminants could occur in 
drinking water at levels and at frequencies that pose a public health 
risk. The outcome of the detailed classification approach results in 
the draft CCL.
    The contaminants initially considered for the CCL (i.e. CCL 
Universe) include naturally occurring substances, emerging waterborne 
pathogens, chemical agents, byproducts and degradants of chemical 
agents, and biological toxins. The PCCL will include contaminants that 
occur, or have the potential to occur, in drinking water and cause, or 
may cause adverse health effects.
    In 2002, EPA consulted with NDWAC and received advice for 
implementing the 2001 NAS recommendations. NDWAC recommended that EPA 
move forward with the NAS recommendations using an adaptive management 
approach. This approach provides a framework to implement 
recommendations in phases and refine and adjust the CCL process as more 
information and experience are attained. NDWAC provided specific 
recommendations on eliciting public participation and suggested that 
EPA seek contaminant nominations from the public for inclusion on the 
CCL. Implementing the nominations process provides a mechanism for 
early public participation in the CCL process and allows the Agency to 
obtain suggestions for contaminants that should be on the CCL (NDWAC 
2004).

D. How Will EPA Use Data Sources To Identify Contaminants for the CCL 
Universe?

    Based upon recommendations from NAS and NDWAC, the Agency is using 
the following guiding principles to construct the CCL Universe: (1) The 
universe should include those contaminants that have demonstrated or 
have potential occurrence in drinking water, and (2) the universe 
should include those contaminants that have demonstrated or have 
potential adverse health effects. These inclusionary principles apply 
to the selection of CCL contaminants for initial consideration in the 
CCL Universe.
    EPA has evaluated over 280 resources (referred to as ``data 
sources'') to determine whether they are appropriate for use in 
identifying potential drinking water contaminants for the CCL. The data 
sources vary widely in their development and use (e.g., research, 
surveys, and compliance monitoring); type of data (e.g., 
concentrations, health effects, microbiological occurrence, and 
environmental fate); data format; availability; and possible 
applicability to the universe of contaminants for consideration.
    The Agency recognizes that there are significant differences in the 
methods and information used to characterize chemical and 
microbiological contaminants. Chemical contaminants tend to be 
characterized by toxicological and occurrence data that can be modeled 
or estimated if measurement is not possible. These discrete 
characteristics are often captured in data sources.
    To identify chemical contaminants, consistent with recommendations 
for developing the Universe, the Agency recognizes that the most 
appropriate data sources for use in the CCL classification process will 
provide information in a number of areas including concentrations, 
health effects, occurrence, and environmental fate. EPA has identified 
four factors that should be met for data sources to be considered 
useable. Sources are screened for relevance, completeness, redundancy 
(those sources with the most comprehensive sources are selected, while 
less comprehensive sources with the same information are rejected), and 
retrievability to determine use in the CCL classification process. 
Table 1 provides a list of the data sources that EPA will use in 
compiling the Chemical CCL Universe.

        Table 1.--Initial Classification of Chemical Data Sources
------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Data source name                      Organizations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ATSDR CERCLA Priority List...................  Agency for Toxic
                                                Substances and Disease
                                                Registry.
ATSDR Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs).............  Agency for Toxic
                                                Substances and Disease
                                                Registry.
Chemical Toxicity Database--Ministry of        Ministry of Health and
 Health and Welfare, Japan.                     Welfare, Japan.
Chemical Update System/Inventory Update Rule   EPA.
 (CUS/IUR).
Cumulative Estimated Daily Intake/Acceptable   U.S. Food and Drug
 Daily Intake (CEDI/ADI) Database.              Administration (FDA).
Database of Sources of Environmental Releases  EPA.
 of Dioxin-Like Compounds in the United
 States.
Distributed Structure Searchable Toxicity      EPA.
 Public Database Network (DSSTox).
Everything Added to Food in the United States  FDA.
 (EAFUS) Database.
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and            EPA.
 Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) List.
Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) Substance    FDA.
 List.
Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water         Health Canada.
 Quality (CADW): Summary of Guidelines.
World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines     WHO.
 for Drinking Water Quality: Summary Tables.
Health Advisories (HA) Summary Tables........  EPA.
High Production Volume (HPV) Chemical List...  EPA.
Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)........  National Library of
                                                Medicine.
Indirect Additives Database..................  FDA.
International Agency for Research on Cancer    International Agency for
 (IARC) Monographs.                             Research on Cancer.
International Toxicity Estimates for Risk      Toxicology Excellence for
 (ITER) Database.                               Risk Assessment (TERA).
Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)....  EPA.
Joint Meeting On Pesticide Residues (JMPR)--   World Health
 2001. Inventory of Pesticide Evaluations.      Organization, Food and
                                                Agriculture Organization
National Drinking Water Contaminant            EPA.
 Occurrence Database (NCOD)--Round 1 & 2.
National Drinking Water Contaminant            EPA.
 Occurrence Database (NCOD)--Unregulated
 Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR).

[[Page 60707]]

 
National Inorganics and Radionuclides Survey   EPA.
 (NIRS).
National Pesticide Use Database..............  National Center for Food
                                                and Agricultural Policy.
National Reconnaissance of Emerging            U.S. Geological Survey
 Contaminants (NREC)--USGS Toxic Substances     (USGS).
 Hydrology Program.
National Toxicology Program (NTP) Studies....  National Cancer
                                                Institute.
National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA)....  USGS.
OSHA 1988 Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs).  National Institute for
                                                Occupational Safety and
                                                Health (NIOSH).
Pesticide Data Program.......................  USDA.
Pesticides Pilot Monitoring Program..........  USGS/EPA.
Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS)--    U.S. Department of
 Department of Energy--Chemical Factors.        Energy.
Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS)--    Department of Energy.
 Health Effects Data.
State of California EPA Chemicals Known to     State of California.
 the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive
 Toxicity.
Storage and Retrieval (STORET)...............  EPA.
Substance Registry System (SRS)..............  EPA.
Syracuse Research Corporation (SRC)--BIODEG..  Syracuse Research
                                                Corporation.
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)...........  EPA.
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) List.....  EPA.
Toxicity Criteria Database--California Office  California Office of
 of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment      Environmental Health
 (OEHHA).                                       Hazard Assessment.
University of Maryland--Partial List of Acute  University of Maryland.
 Toxins/Partial List of Teratogens.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For microbes, the adverse health effects from exposure are 
characterized by clinical or epidemiological data and there are few 
analytical methods to estimate or model the occurrence of microbes. 
Limited sources of tabular data for microbes may require evaluation of 
primary literature, technical reports, monographs and reference books 
to identify the universe of microbes for consideration. The Agency is 
using human pathogens as the starting point for identifying 
microorganisms considered for inclusion in the CCL Universe. The 
primary source of information on human pathogens is Risk Factors for 
Human Disease Emergence (Taylor et al. 2001), which provides a list of 
1,415 human pathogens. In addition to the Taylor et al study, the 
Agency will use the nominations process to ensure that the CCL universe 
captures emerging pathogens.

E. Why Is EPA Soliciting Contaminant Nominations?

    EPA is requesting contaminant nominations from the public to ensure 
that contaminants that may not be identified for consideration as part 
of the recommended CCL process are considered. The Agency is making 
significant progress in developing a contaminant classification 
approach and continues to implement the NAS and NDWAC recommendations.
    While NAS and NDWAC recommended a data driven step-wise approach to 
classifying contaminants, these experts also recognized the importance 
of providing an additional pathway for the public to identify new and 
emerging contaminants that may not be identified in an evaluation of 
the data sources. A public nominations process allows the Agency to 
consider new and emerging contaminants that might not otherwise be 
considered because new information has not been widely reported or 
recorded.
    Following the recommendations of NAS and NDWAC, the Agency has 
compiled a universe of contaminants and will add nominated contaminants 
from the public to the CCL Universe. The nominees will be considered as 
EPA evaluates NAS and NDWAC recommendations to screen the CCL universe 
and develops criteria to classify contaminants for the draft CCL.

III. EPA CCL Nominations Process

    This contaminant nominations process is the first opportunity to 
make nominations to the new CCL (CCL 3). The Agency will also accept 
nominations during the notice and comment period following EPA's 
publication of the draft CCL 3.

A. How can Stakeholders, Agencies, Industry, and the Public Nominate 
Contaminants for the CCL?

    EPA's preferred method for submission of contaminant nominations is 
through the EPA CCL 3 Nomination Web site. Interested parties can 
nominate chemicals, microbes, or other materials for consideration on 
the new CCL by sending information electronically, or in hard copy to 
EPA. Do not submit confidential business information (CBI) through e-
mail. If you wish to submit CBI, first contact EPA (see ADDRESSES 
section) for instructions on how to submit CBI. When submitting a 
nomination, it is preferred that the nominators include a name, 
affiliation, phone number, mailing address, and e-mail address; 
however, this information is not required and nominations can be 
submitted anonymously. The nominator should also address the following 
questions for each contaminant nominated to the CCL:
    1. What is the contaminant's name, CAS number, and/or common 
synonym (if applicable)?
    2. What factors make this contaminant a priority for the CCL 3 
process (e.g., widespread occurrence; anticipated toxicity to humans; 
potentially harmful effects to susceptible populations (e.g., children, 
elderly and immunocompromised); potentially contaminated source water 
(surface or ground water), and/or finished water; released to air, 
land, and/or water; contaminants manufactured in large quantities with 
a potential to occur in source waters)?
    3. What are the significant health effects and occurrence data 
available, which you believe supports the CCL requirement(s) that a 
contaminant may have an adverse effect on the health of persons and is 
known or anticipated to occur in public water systems? Please provide 
complete citations, including author(s), title, journal and date. 
Contact information for the primary investigator would also be helpful.

[[Page 60708]]

B. How Do I Submit Nominations Through EPA's Nominations Web Site?

    The Web site is designed to provide key information to the Agency, 
as described in Section III. A of this notice, for each contaminant 
nominated to the CCL process.
    The Web address to nominate a contaminant can be found at https://
www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/ccl3.html.

C. How do I Submit Nominations in Hard Copy?

    You may submit nominations by mail. To allow full Agency 
consideration of your nomination, please ensure that your nominations 
are received or postmarked by midnight December 15, 2006. The addresses 
for submittal of nominations by mail are listed in the ADDRESSES 
section of this document.

D. What Will Happen to My Nominations After I Submit Them?

    The Agency will include nominated contaminants into the CCL 
Universe. EPA will evaluate the information available for the nominated 
contaminants to determine the appropriateness of inclusion on the PCCL 
and finally the CCL. While EPA does not intend to respond to the 
nominations directly or individually, the Agency will fully explain 
nominated contaminants for the CCL3.

IV. References

    Copies of these documents are found at https://www.regulations.gov, 
Docket ID No. EPA-OW-2005-0039.

    NAS 2001. National Academy of Sciences, National Research 
Council. 2001. Classifying Drinking Water Contaminants for 
Regulatory Consideration. National Academy Press. Washington, DC. 
Available at https://books.nap.edu/books/0309074088/html/ 
NDWAC 2004. National Drinking Water Advisory Council. National 
Drinking Water Advisory Council Report on the CCL Classification 
Process to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, May 18, 2004. 
Available at https://www.epa.gov/safewater/ndwac/pdfs/report_ccl_
ndwac_07-06-04.pdf.
    Taylor, Latham, and Woolhouse. 2001. Risk factors for human 
disease emergence (Appendix A). Philosophical Transactions of the 
Royal Society of London Biology: 256:983-98.

    Dated: October 6, 2006.
Benjamin H. Grumbles,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
 [FR Doc. E6-17099 Filed 10-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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