Recent Additions for 2016

EPA announced the release of the final report, Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas: Impacts from the Hydraulic Fracturing Water Cycle on Drinking Water Resources in the United States. This report provides a review and synthesis of available scientific information concerning the relationship between hydraulic fracturing activities and drinking water resources in the United States. It is organized around activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle and their potential to impact drinking water resources. Following the release of this report, EPA released the response to SAB comments of the review of the draft report in January 2017.

EPA is announcing the availability of the Second External Review Draft of the Integrated Science Assessment for Sulfur Oxides- Health Criteria for public comment and independent peer review in a December 9, 2016 Federal Register Notice. The deadline for comments is March 20, 2017.

EPA is announcing the availability a new model called "ExpoFIRST", or Exposure Factors Interactive Resource for Scenarios Tool. ExpoFIRST brings EPA's Exposure Factors Handbook: 2011 Edition (EFH) data to an interactive tool that maximizes flexibility and transparency for exposure assessors and is available as a comprehensive downloadable MS Access file.

EPA is announcing the release of the draft IRIS assessment of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) for external review by EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC). Additional information regarding the peer review can be found on the SAB website. In addition, EPA has announced a public teleconference that will be held on November 17, 2016 to learn about the development of the draft assessment and discuss the draft charge questions. A public face-to-face meeting to conduct a peer review of the report will be done December 12-14, 2016 in Washington, DC. [SAB Federal Register Notice Sep 29, 2016]

EPA is announcing the release of the IRIS Toxicological Review of Ammonia - Noncancer Inhalation (Final Report). The Interagency Science Discussion Draft of the Ammonia IRIS Assessment and accompanying comments were also released.

EPA is announcing the release of the IRIS Toxicological Review of Trimethylbenzenes (Final Report). This assessment includes an evaluation of three isomers: 1,2,3-TMB, 1,2,4-TMB and 1,3,5-TMB. The Interagency Science Discussion Draft of the Trimethylbenzenes IRIS Assessment and accompanying comments were also released.

EPA is announcing the availability of the IRIS Toxicological Review of Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE) (Public Comment Draft) for a 60-day review period and that it will be discussed at the upcoming October 26, 2016 IRIS Public Science Meeting. EPA also released the interagency science consultation documents, comments from reviewers, and EPA's response to major comments. [Federal Register Notice: Sep 1, 2016]

EPA announces the availability of the final report, Ecosystem Services Ecological Risk Assessment Endpoints Guidelines. The purpose of this report is to assist EPA risk assessors conducting ecological risk assessments in considering ecosystem services when selecting assessment endpoints. The accompanying Technical Background Paper on Ecosystem Services as Assessment Endpoints for Ecological Risk Assessment describes the science linking the use of ecosystem services to the structure and function of ecosystems and traditional ecological endpoints.

EPA is announcing the availability of the summary report, Estimating Greenspace Exposure and Benefits for Cumulative Risk Assessment Applications, from an EPA hosted science meeting held on May 4-5, 2015 to discuss greenspace and its relationship to cumulative risk assessment.

EPA will be releasing the external peer review draft report, Evaluating Urban Resilience to Climate Change: A Multi-Sector Approach, on or about June 21, 2016. This report describes an assessment tool that uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative indicators to help cities identify areas of resilience and vulnerability to climate change impacts across different sectors. The report has been released for 30-day public comment and peer review period as announced in a June 21, 2016 Federal Register Notice

EPA announced the availability of the final report, Stormwater Management in Response to Climate Change Impacts: Lessons from the Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes Regions. This report shares insights gleaned from workshops and assessments that EPA and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) held with local planners on ways to further the adoption of climate change adaptation practices in stormwater management. [Federal Register Notice May 19, 2016]

EPA is announcing the release of the IRIS Toxicological Review of tert-butyl Alcohol (tert-Butanol) (Public Comment Draft) for a 60-day public comment and review period. tert-Butanol will be one of the chemicals for discussion at the upcoming June 29-30, 2016 IRIS Public Science Meeting. [Federal Register Notice May 16, 2016]

EPA's Office of Land Management and Emergency Management (OLEM) announced the availability of updated Regional Screening Level (RSL) tables. The New Tables were generated to reflect changes in the toxicity and chemical-specific parameters as per the RSL hierarchies.

EPA is announcing the availability of the draft report, "Updates to the Demographic and Spatial Allocation Models to Produce Integrated Climate and Land Use Scenarios (ICLUS) Version 2" for a 30-day public comment period as announced in an April 29, 2016 Federal Register Notice.

USGCRP announced the availability of the final report, The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment. This assessment's findings represent an improvement in scientific confidence in the link between climate change and a broad range of threats to public health, while recognizing populations of concern and identifying emerging issues. These considerations provide the context for understanding Americans' changing health risks and allow us to identify, project, and respond to future climate change health threats. The overall findings underscore the significance of the growing risk climate change poses to human health in the United States

EPA is announcing the release of the IRIS Toxicological Review of Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) public comment draft for a 60-day review period and that it will be the chemical for discussion at the upcoming May 10, 2016 IRIS Public Science Meeting. [Federal Register Notice: Mar 10, 2016]

EPA is announcing the release of the final report, Regional Monitoring Networks (RMNs) to Detect Changing Baselines in Freshwater Wadeable Streams in a February 29, 2016 Federal Register Notice.

EPA is announcing the availability of the Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen - Health Criteria (2016 Final Report). This report provides the EPA's evaluation and synthesis of the most policy-relevant science related to the health effects of gaseous oxides of nitrogen. [Federal Register Notice: Jan 28, 2016]

EPA is announcing the availability of the "Guidelines for Human Exposure Assessment (External Review Draft)" for a 45-day public comment period. EPA is seeking public comment prior to external peer review. This draft guideline extends topics covered from the previous 1992 guidelines including planning and scoping for an assessment, data acquisition and use, modeling and consideration of uncertainty, and new materials on conducting an observational human exposure measurement study and considerations of lifestages and sensitive populations in exposure assessments. [Federal Register Notice Jan 7, 2016]