Additional Proposed Indicators for the U.S. EPA's 2007 Report on the Environment: Technical Document (External Peer Review)

The purpose of the Report on the Environment (ROE) is to use available indicators to answer questions pertaining to national environmental and human health conditions. An initial set of proposed indicators for the ROE underwent public and independent scientific comment and peer review in July 2005. As a result, a number of additional indicators were recommended during that review, several of which were developed and are part of the present review. In addition, substantial changes were made to several indicators evaluated during the July review and are included here as well. The purpose of this second peer review is to obtain expert opinion on whether the additional indicators proposed should be included in the ROE and are supported by data that are technically sound, meet the established indicator definition and criteria, and help answer the questions posed in the ROE.

After the peer review of the proposed indicators, the comments and recommendations received from the experts and public will be considered and the resulting indicator revisions and any changes to the list of proposed indicators will be discussed within EPA and with EPAs federal agency partners.

EPA plans to release an external review draft of ROE in summer/fall 2007 for Science Advisory Board (SAB) Review. Once SAB comments are reviewed and incorporated, the Final EPA ROE Technical Document is planned to be published later in 2007/2008.

Comments on these additional proposed indicators can be viewed at thehttp://www.regulations.gov/ Web site.

Select Advanced search and key in the Docket Number ORD-2005-0021, for the docket entitled, Proposed Indicators - EPA Report on the Environment 2006.