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Overview of the Second List of Chemicals for Tier 1 Screening

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Second List of Chemicals for Tier 1 - Federal Register Notice

Second List of Chemicals

EPA published the second list of chemicals for Tier 1 Screening on November 17, 2010. This list of 134 chemicals includes a large number of pesticides, two perfluorocarbon compounds (PFCs), and three pharmaceuticals (erythromycin, nitroglycerin, and quinoline).  This list also consists of an array of other chemicals, ranging from those used for industrial manufacturing processes, as plasticizers, or in the production of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs). 

The public should not presume the listing of a chemical or substance indicates it interferes with the endocrine systems of humans or other species simply because it has been listed for screening under the EDSP.  EPA believes that these chemicals or substances should be candidates, at least for screening purposes, under EDSP testing based only on their pesticide registration status and/or because such substances may occur in sources of drinking water to which a substantial population may be exposed.

Basis for Selection

EPA focused on a subset of chemicals and substances that have been listed as priorities within EPA’s drinking water and pesticides programs.  First, the Agency identified candidate chemicals that are either contaminants regulated with a national primary drinking water regulation (NPDWR) or are unregulated contaminants that are listed on the third Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 3).  EPA began with the 85 regulated drinking water contaminants with existing NPDWRs and the 116 unregulated contaminants listed on CCL 3 because these represent many of the priority contaminants for the drinking water program.

Second, EPA identified candidate chemicals from the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) based on pesticides that were scheduled for Registration Review during fiscal years 2007 and 2008.  This selection is part of the Agency’s intent to efficiently expedite the testing of pesticides by conducting the testing in parallel or as part of the OPP Registration Review program.

The Agency then consolidated the lists from the Office of Water (OW) and OPP, resulting in over 200 chemicals.  EPA streamlined this list by excluding any chemical that fell into one or more of the following categories:

  1. Biological agent and naturally-occurring chemicals (e.g., microbials, microbial toxins, inorganics, radionuclides).
  2. Chemicals for which the manufacturer, importer or registrant cannot be clearly identified (e.g., disinfection byproducts or DBPs, microbes, microbial toxins, degradate compounds with more than one possible source etc.).
  3. Chemicals already included on the first EDSP list.
  4. Chemicals that are hormones with confirmed endocrine effects.
  5. Chemicals that are not likely to be biologically active or which are incompatible with testing assays for various reasons due to one or more of their physiochemical properties (e.g., gases, strongly acidic or basic, solubility, vapor pressure molecular weight).
  6. Pesticides that are scheduled for registration review after FY 2008.

The resulting list contains 134 chemicals that the Agency intends to include in its EDSP.  Through the issuance of orders, the Agency intends to require the submission of Tier 1 Screening data for these chemicals.

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How to Submit Relevant Information

EPA is interested in receiving information that may inform the exclusion or inclusion of chemicals on the second EDSP list.  The Agency does not plan to respond formally to information that may be submitted, but will add such information to the notice docket as public record.  EPA will consider such information before publishing the Schedule for Issuance of Orders for the second EDSP list. In addition, please note the Agency is not soliciting comments on any of the individual lists used to create the second list of chemicals being considered for Tier 1 Screening.

Comments will be accepted on or before December 17, 2010. All comments should be identified by docket identification (ID) no. EPA–HQ–OPPT–2009-0477.

Publicly available docket materials are available in the electronic docket, Regulations.gov.

Submit relevant information, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2009-0477, by one of the following methods:

For further information contact William Wooge (wooge.william@epa.gov or 202-564-8476).

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