EPA Requests Nominations for SACC Review of Draft Documents Related to Cumulative Risk Assessment under TSCA

Released on December 21, 2022

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling for nominations of ad hoc expert reviewers to assist the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) with peer review of two draft documents related to cumulative risk assessment under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

EPA plans to release the following documents for public comment in late February 2023, and they will be reviewed by the SACC at a public virtual meeting on May 8-11, 2023.

• Draft Proposed Principles of Cumulative Risk Assessment Under the Toxic Substances Control Act: This document will describe the fundamental principles of cumulative risk assessment of chemicals and how they may be applied within the regulatory requirements of TSCA to ensure TSCA risk evaluations are based on the best available science and are protective of human health.
• Draft Proposed Approach for Cumulative Risk Assessment of High-Priority Phthalates and a Manufacturer Requested Phthalate Under the Toxic Substance Control Act: This document will describe EPA’s proposed approach for evaluating a subset of high-priority and manufacturer-requested phthalates for cumulative risk to human health under TSCA based on the principles of cumulative risk assessment described in EPA’s draft principles document referenced above.

Nominations must be submitted on or before Jan. 20, 2023. These nominations will be used to assist the Agency in selecting approximately eight to 12 ad hoc reviewers to assist the SACC with its review. Nominations must be submitted to the Designated Federal Official, Dr. Alaa Kamel, via email at kamel.alaa@epa.gov. Do not email any information you consider to be confidential business information or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.

Individuals nominated for this SACC peer review, should have expertise in one or more of the following areas: chemical mixtures risk assessment (especially with experience using dose additive component-based mixtures approaches, including relative potency factors); mode of action (MOA); phthalate toxicology; male reproductive toxicology; exposure assessment (occupational, consumer, and general population exposure); biomonitoring data; and biostatistics. Nominees should be scientists who have sufficient professional qualifications, including training and experience, to be capable of providing expert comments on the scientific issues for this review.

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 additional information, please see the Federal Register notice or contact the Designated Federal Official, Dr. Alaa Kamel (kamel.alaa@epa.gov).