EPA Calls for Comments on Candidates for Peer Review of 1,3-Butadiene
Released November 14, 2024
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling for public comments on candidates who are interested and available to serve as ad hoc reviewers assisting the Agency’s Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) in the peer review of the draft Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk evaluation for 1,3-butadiene. This call for comments follows the Agency’s September 2024 call for nominations of prospective candidates.
1,3-Butadiene is a colorless gas with a mild odor similar to gasoline, and it is highly flammable. 1,3-Butadiene is used in manufacturing various products, including plastic and rubber products (including rubber tires). It’s also used in adhesives and sealants, fuels, automotive care products, lubricants, and paints and coatings.
Biographies for all candidates are available via docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2024-0425 and through the SACC website. Comments should be submitted to the docket on regulations.gov. Comments are due November 29, 2024. When providing comments, do not submit any information you consider to be confidential business information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Members of the public should also be aware that personal contact information, if included in any written comments, may be posted on the internet.
During the nomination and selection process, peer reviewer candidates are asked to submit confidential financial information. This confidential financial information must fully disclose, among other financial interests, the candidate's employment, stocks and bonds, and where applicable, sources of research support. EPA evaluates the candidates' financial disclosure forms to assess whether there are financial conflicts of interest, appearance of a loss of impartiality, or any prior involvement with the development of the documents under consideration (including previous scientific peer review) before the candidates are considered further.
The SACC peer review will take place at a public meeting to be scheduled for early 2025. EPA is specifically seeking the SACC’s feedback on the approach and methodologies used in the draft risk evaluation. The SACC’s peer review will inform the Agency’s final risk evaluation under TSCA. The final selection of the ad hoc peer reviewers will depend upon the scientific expertise needed to address the SACC peer review charge and obtaining a breadth and balance of different scientific viewpoints across the SACC and ad hoc peer reviewers.
The SACC serves as a scientific peer review mechanism of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. It provides independent scientific advice and recommendations to EPA on the scientific basis for risk assessments, methodologies and pollution prevention measures and approaches for chemicals regulated under TSCA.
For more information, contact the Designated Federal Official, Alie Muneer, muneer.alie@epa.gov.