Oxygenates in Water

This draft document was the subject of a workshop held in Washington, DC on October 7, 1997. It has been superseded by the final version of the document Oxygenates in Water: Critical Information and Research Needs, December 1998. This page and document are provided for your perusal to review the document development history.

Federal Register Notice for the External Review Draft

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency

ACTION: Notice of availability of external review draft

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of an external review draft of a document, Research Strategy for Oxygenates in Water, EPA/600/R-98/048, prepared by the Office of Research and Development of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of this document is to identify key issues related to assessing and managing the potential health and environmental risks of water contamination by oxygenates. The term oxygenates refers to chemicals added to fuels (which then may be known as "oxyfuels") to increase the oxygen content and thereby reduce certain emissions from use of the fuel. This research strategy builds on and extends an earlier document, Oxyfuels Information Needs (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1996, EPA/600/R-96/069), which included water issues but tended to focus more on inhalation health risk issues. As a research strategy, the present document focuses on those gaps and limitations in current information that constitute the most critical and immediate needs to be addressed. The document is primarily intended to serve as a starting point and general guide to planning needed research. It is not a comprehensive review of issues related to oxygenates in water, and it does not attempt to specify in detail the specific studies and projects that may be needed. An earlier draft of this document was peer reviewed in a workshop held on October 7, 1997, in Washington, DC. Comments received on the workshop draft were considered in preparing the current external review draft.

DATES: Anyone who wishes to comment on this document may do so in writing by August 28, 1998. Send the written comments to the Project Manager for Fuel Oxygenates, National Center for Environmental Assessment-RTP Office (MD-52), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the Research Strategy for Oxygenates in Water (External Review Draft) 1998, EPA/600/R-98/048, contact Diane H. Ray, National Center for Environmental Assessment-RTP Office (MD-52), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: 919-541-3637; facsimile: 919-541-1818; E-mail: ray.diane@epa.gov. Internet users may obtain a copy from the EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) home page. The URL is http://www.epa.gov/ncea/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. J. Michael Davis, National Center for Environmental Assessment-RTP Office (MD-52), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,.Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: 919-541-4162; facsimile: 919-541-0245; E-mail: davis.jmichael@epa.gov.

Billing Code: 6560-50