Industry Meeting with
EPA ORD
November 18, 2009
Dietary Intake of Dioxins is Declining Dramatically
Graph from Aylward et al., 2008
Dioxin Levels in Human Tissue Have Declined
over 70 Percent Since 1985
60
50
40
Estimated
Average
PCDD/F-TEQ
(in ppt)
30
20
10
0
1985
1995
2003-2004
Year
1985 and 1995 data: Lorber (2002)
2003-2004 data: US CDC (2005)
Dioxin Reassessment: Timelines for Completion
March 2008 Plan:
“Engage early and
often with
stakeholders.”
2008: Establish workgroups;
hold kick-off meetings: Dioxin
IWG, ARC, SAB and invited
experts.
2009: Conduct analysis:
update science; select key
studies and endpoints; solicit
review/convene workshops
and consultations.
2010: External peer
review of draft by SAB
with public notice and
comment period.
2011: Complete report:
final report includes
response to comments.
May 2009
Science Plan:
Response to
NAS Report
2009: Draft
response to
NAS Report
completed
and released
for SAB and
public
comment.
May 2009
Science Plan:
Dioxin
Reassessment
2009-2010:EPA will
EPA
expeditiously revise the
revises
draft reassessment.
Draft
Will there be public
Reassessment review of the revised
draft and IWG and
→
SAB review?
2010: SAB report
issued? Final
Response to NAS
Report issued.
Will it respond to
the SAB Report?
Dioxin Science Plan for Soil Clean-up Levels, TEFs and
UMDES
May 2009 Dioxin
Science Plan:
Soil Clean-up
Levels
May 2009
Dioxin
Science
Plan:
UMDES
2009: Review of
study completed;
EPA invites public
comment but only
“significant
technical
comments.” Are
these comments
in an accessible
docket? How
long is the
comment
period? Will
EPA revise its
review based on
public
comment?
→
?
May 2009 Dioxin
Science Plan:
TEFs
2009: OSWER to
announce updated
interim soil clean-up
level based on “the
latest science.” Is the
“latest science” the
science of the final
reassessment?
2010: End of public
comment period; guidance
on interim PRGs issued.
When will EPA revise the
interim PRGs again based
on the final
reassessment?
2009: External
Peer Review
Panel
teleconference;
peer review
report to be
issued. Will
there be public
comment on
the peer
review report?
EPA to issue
final TEFs
report.
Recommendations for Completing the
Dioxin Reassessment
To ensure that the final dioxin reassessment reflects the best available
science, EPA should consider:
• Inviting the public to submit relevant data and studies now.
• Providing opportunities for the public comment on the charge to the
SAB panel reviewing EPA’s Response to the NAS Report.
• Providing for public comment, peer review and IWG review of the
draft dioxin reassessment.
• Requesting the Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Federal
Advisory Committee examine the impacts of the Dioxin
Reassessment on agriculture, particularly on the Committee’s
strategy for livestock operations.
• Establishing a public docket now for the Dioxin Reassessment and
the interim PRGs to include all of the documents that the Agency is
reviewing, or has reviewed, in conjunction with this effort.