United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
AiT
Air Risk Information Support Center EPA 450/3-89-32
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 September 1989
EPA
AIR RISK
INFORMATION SUPPORT CENTER
Status Report
February 1988 - June 1989
INFORMATION SUPPORT CENTER
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AIR RISK INFORMATION SUPPORT CENTER
STATUS REPORT
FEBRUARY 1988 - JUNE 1989
PREPARED FOR
AIR RISK INFORMATION SUPPORT CENTER
PREPARED BY
DANIEL J. GUTH, PH.D.
WINONA VICTERY, PH.D.
EMISSIONS STANDARDS DIVISION
OFFICE OF AIR QUALITY PLANNING AND STANDARDS
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC 27711
ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA AND ASSESSMENT OFFICES
OFFICE OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC 27711
CINCINNATI, OH 45268
WASHINGTON, DC 20460
CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INFORMATION
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
CINCINNATI, OH 45268
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Background 1
Organization of Air RISC 1
Steering Committee Members 3
Announcement of Air RISC 3
Assistance Provided by Air RISC 4
Air RISC Activity 6
Air RISC Data Base 16
Technical Assistance Projects 17
Technical Guidance Projects 18
Air RISC Budget 21
Future Plans 23
Acknowledgments 24
Appendices
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FIGURES AND TABLES
Figure 1. Air RISC Calls (February 1988-June 1989) 7
Figure 2. Origin of Air RISC Calls 8
(February 1988-June 1989)
Figure 3. Air RISC Calls from State Agencies 9
Figure 4. Air RISC Calls from Local Agencies H
Table 1. Use of Air RISC by EPA Regional Offices 10
Table 2. Distribution of Air RISC Calls by Pollutant 12
Table 3. Distribution of Air RISC Calls by Subject 14
Table 4. List of Projects Using Quick Response 15
Hotline Support Contractors
Table 5. Air RISC Budget for FY 1988 21
Table 6. Air RISC Budget for FY 1989 22
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APPENDICES
Appendix 1. Air RISC Steering Committee Operating Protocol
Appendix 2. Air RISC Regional Office Coordination Procedures
Appendix 3. Review of Air RISC Outputs
Appendix 4. Clearance Monitoring Committee of Written Air RISC Responses
Appendix 5. Air RISC Data Base
Appendix 6. Technical Assistance Response Program Screen
iii
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Background
The Air Risk Information Support Center (Air RISC) was initiated in early
1988 as a new EPA-sponsored technology transfer effort which would focus on
providing assistance to State and local environmental agencies and to EPA
Regional Offices in the areas of health, risk, and exposure assessment for
toxic air pollutants. Provision of technical assistance to the State and
local agencies is the key to the greater regulatory role for these agencies as
envisioned in the EPA's National Air Toxics Strategy announced in 1985.
Because there is an increased emphasis on control of toxic air pollutants as a
shared responsibility between EPA and the State and local agencies, EPA has
responded by developing new programs to provide such technical information and
expertise. The Control Technology Center (CTC) and the National Air Toxics
Information Clearinghouse (NATICH) are examples of other technical assistance
programs involved in air pollution control.
Although public promotion of the Air RISC did not begin until mid-1988,
and contractual arrangements in support of the Air RISC hotline were not in
place until mid-1988, the initiation of Air RISC dates to February 1988. In
February 1988, the first meeting of the Air RISC Steering Committee took
place. Also in February 1988, requests for assistance to Air RISC began to be
recorded and maintained in permanent records. This Status Report on Air RISC
activities covers the period from February 1988 through June 1989. Its
intended audience is the Air RISC Steering Committee, the Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), the Office of Health and Environmental
Assessment (OHEA), the Center for Environmental Research Information, the
other participanting EPA offices (Health Effects Research Laboratory and the
EPA Library at Research Triangle Park), the State and Territorial Air
Pollution Program Administrators (STAPPA), and the Association of Local Air
Pollution Control Officials (ALAPCO).
Organization of Air RISC
The Air RISC was initiated by the Pollutant Assessment Branch (PAB),
OAQPS, and the Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office-Research Triangle
Park (ECAO-RTP), OHEA, and in cooperation with STAPPA/ALAPCO, in order to
formalize and expand the assistance to State and local air pollution control
agency personnel that had previously been provided on an ad hoc basis by EPA
staff. Air RISC adopted an organizational structure analogous to that used by
the CTC. This involved establishing a Steering Committee composed of five
voting members from the OHEA, six voting members from the OAQPS and one voting
member from the Center for Environmental Research Information (CERI). One
advisory member each from the Health Effects Research Laboratory,
STAPPA/ALAPCO, EPA Regional Offices and the EPA Library also sit on the
Steering Committee. A chairperson and chairperson-elect are appointed and the
Chair rotates between OAQPS and OHEA on a fiscal year basis.
The Steering Committee met for the first time in February 1988. The
committee meets on a monthly basis to discuss policy and budgetary matters, as
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well as future projects to be undertaken by Air RISC. Its purpose is to
provide oversight and direction for the program. Details of the operating
procedures of A.ir RISC are included in Appendix 1 as adopted by the Steering
Committee. The first meetings were held in the Research Triangle Park area.
By late summer, the committee agreed to hold the meetings via a monthly
conference call. In February 1989, the Committee held an all-day session in
order to review and plan for the coming year.
In addition to the Steering Committee's operating protocol, several other
operating guidelines have been adopted by the Steering Committee. Recognizing
the importance of coordination within EPA, a set of guidelines were drafted
concerning Regional Office Coordination. These procedures require that the
Regional Offices be represented by an advisory member on the Air RISC
Steering Committee and that the Regional air toxics contact be copied on all
written responses to Air RISC questions. If it is determined that a person
calling the Air RISC Hotline with a request has also contacted the Regional
Office, Air RISC will coordinate its response with the Regional Office. In
addition, the Regional Coordination procedures require that Air RISC send a
quarterly report tabulating all requests for assistance from each Region to
the Regional Office. The Air RISC Regional Office coordinating procedures are
included in Appendix 2.
Minutes of all meetings are prepared and distributed to Steering
Committee members, management of the EPA Offices involved, Regional Air Toxics
staff, Regional Office of Research and Development staff, representatives of
the Air Toxics Subcommittee of STAPPA/ALAPCO, the Chairpersons of the CTC, and
other interested offices within EPA.
The Air RISC program develops support materials to aid the health risk
assessment process of State and local agencies and EPA Regional Offices on a
very broad range of risk assessment topics. As requests for assistance come
in or ideas for technology assistance are developed, the Air RISC Steering
Committee reviews the level of assistance needed and develops guidance or
assistance projects. Therefore, an important topic that has been the subject
of much discussion among Steering Committee members is the review of Air RISC
products. Recognizing that both scientific credibility and timeliness are
critical to the Air RISC service, it was considered important to develop a
mechanism for review of Air RISC products that ensured the former without
compromising the latter. Thus, a general guideline for determining the extent
of review needed was developed, and a subcommittee was established to provide
oversight of the review process. These procedures provide essential review
and quality control for Air RISC written responses and are included in
Appendices 3 and 4.
Durinq the early planning and implementation of Air RISC, a meeting was
held with the Air Toxics Subcommittee of STAPPA/ALAPCO to obtain feedback from
the intended clients of Air RISC during the planning phases At that meeting,
discussion of the types of questions that could be expected from State and
iocTagencies helped to clarify the role that Air RISC could play The Air
RISC staff continues to meet regularly (about twice a year) with the
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STAPPA/ALAPCO Air Toxics Subcommittee; the same subcommittee advises the CTC
and NATICH. The purpose of these meetings is both to update the subcommittee
on Air RISC activities and to obtain feedback on future Air RISC projects.
In preparation for the implementation of Air RISC, four all-day staff
development workshops were held in the spring of 1988. The purpose of these
workshops was to provide information needed by staff who would be involved in
Air RISC, to explain the concepts of various technical assistance programs
within EPA, to promote awareness of other EPA information resources, and to
learn about Personal and Federal Liability in answering questions in the
context of this service. The programs were well-attended; reports summarizing
each of the workshops are available.
Steering Committee Members
The members of the Air RISC Steering Committee as originally formed
change with time due to various reasons. The names of the original committee
members and those currently serving are listed below:
February 1988
Karen Blanchard, Chair
Winona Victery, Chair-elect
Robert Schell, OAQPS
John Crenshaw, OAQPS
Michael Trutna/Martha Keating,
Michael Dutzetzina, OAQPS
Robert Kellam, OAQPS
William Ewald, ECAO-RTP
Cindy Sonnich-Mullin, ECAO-CIN
Richard Walentowicz, EAG
Charles Ris, CAG
Doug Williams, CERI
Advisory
Joseph Elder, HERL
Elizabeth Smith, EPA Library
Joann Held, NJ Dept. of Env.
Margaret McDonough, Region I
June 1989
Winona Victery, Chair
Daniel Guth, Chair-elect
Robert Kellam, OAQPS
William Harnett, OAQPS
OAQPS Michael Trutna/Martha Keating,
Melissa McCullough, OAQPS
Karen Blanchard, OAQPS
William Ewald, ECAO-RTP
Cindy Sonich-Mullen, ECAO-CIN
Richard Walentowicz, EAG
Charles Ris, HHAG
Doug Williams, CERI
Joseph Elder, HERL
Elizabeth Smith, EPA Library
Joann Held, NJ Dept. of Env.
Fran Dougherty, Reg. Ill
OAQPS
Announcement of Air RISC
When the Air RISC service was first offered for use to State and local
agencies and Regional Offices, its availability was promoted by word of mouth
only to allow Air RISC staff to test draft procedures, demand, and capability
for quick response. Increased effort to promote Air RISC was undertaken
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beginning in mid-1988 which included written articles, brochures, and
presentations. The following activities have been used to promote Air RISC:
• Brochures produced and mailed to State and local Agencies
• Article in NATICH Newsletter announcing Air RISC
• Letter to State/local Air Directors
• Articles on Air RISC in NATICH Newsletters
• Presentations at National and local chapters of Society
for Risk Analysis
• Letters to State/local Air Directors
on Workshops
• Presentation to National Technical Guidance Workgroup and
Superfund Air Contacts
Denver
Baltimore
• Air RISC Workshops on Risk Assessment & Risk Communication
Raleigh
Wisconsin
California
• Paper presented at AWMA Annual Meeting
July 1988
July 1988
September 1988
November 1988
December 1988
November 1988
December 1988
February 1989
February 1989
March 1989
April 1989
May-June 1989
June 1989
Each of these presentations has introduced the Air RISC to additional
potential clients and these activities have led to a fairly constant level of
use of Air RISC by the intended clients over much of the first year of Air
RISC operation.
Assistance Provided bv Air RISC
The Air RISC is patterned after the CTC in that three levels of assistance are
available:
Hotline
Detailed Technical Assistance
General Technical Guidance
The Air RISC provides support for a wide range of activities. This
support includes, but is not limited to, the following:
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1. providing health and risk assessment information for chemicals being
evaluated in the permit review process;
2. ensuring telephone access to EPA experts as an initial quick response
to individual problems;
3. providing review of and/or consultation on site-specific risk
assessments or urban air toxics evaluation; and
4. providing guidance on current methods available to conduct health,
exposure, and risk analyses.
Hotline
The primary purpose of the Air RISC Hotline is to provide an initial
quick response based upon available health and exposure information available
through the expertise of EPA staff, EPA resources (documents, databases, and
other means) and its contractors. The Hotline can put the requestor in direct
contact with experts in a variety of areas or identify other appropriate
information resources.
The Air RISC Hotline telephone number is: (919) 541-0888 or
(FTS) 629-0888. The Hotline operates Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Anyone on the staff of a
State or local air pollution control agency or in an EPA Regional Office can
call the Hotline to request assistance.
The telephone line is staffed by EPA staff either in the PAB, OAQPS or
in the ECAO-RTP. The person receiving the call answers with his/her expertise
or determines who best can handle the question and transfers the
responsibility to another staff person. Most calls can be handled this way,
others may be referred to the other contributing offices, to the Health
Effects Research Laboratory scientists, to the Office of Toxic Substances, or
some other Agency program if appropriate. The Air RISC and the CTC have
developed guidelines for coordination of Hotline requests.
Technical Assistance and Guidance
In some cases, an in-depth evaluation and/or retrieval of information may
be more appropriate than a rapid response. In this case a detailed technical
assistance project may be initiated. Consideration is given to resource
availability and the length of time required to respond to the request.
Detailed technical assistance projects have included the following:
a. assistance in understanding exposure and risk assessment
methodologies,
b. review and interpretation of toxicological literature,
c. review of site-specific exposure assessments, risk assessments or
both for adequacy of methods used and related interpretation features.
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General technical guidance offered by Air RISC addresses topics involving
health, exposure, and risk assessment issues that appear to have broad
national interest. These topics may be identified from information requested
by State and local agency staff through the Hotline or by input from EPA staff
or the Air RISC and the CTC Steering Committee.
Air RISC Activity
Requests for assistance include calls to the Air RISC Hotline as well as
calls directly to staff members that are documented. Although calls are
considered to be Air RISC calls only if they are from State, local, or
Regional Office personnel and concern health, exposure, or risk assessment of
air toxics, calls to the Hotline from other sources or on other topics are
also documented. Calls received are logged in by the receiver; information is
stored in a data base developed by ECAO-RTP specifically for recording
technical assistance. This data base is stored on personal computers at PAB
and ECAO-RTP. An example of the Technical Assistance Response Program screen
is included in Appendix 6.
For the period covered by this Status Report, the information on all
calls logged in during the period of February 1988 to June 1989 were collected
and tallied for type of agency (State, local, Regional, Federal or other), by
States, by regions, by pollutant, by subject matter, by response time, etc.
The total number of calls logged in-for th'is period was 662.
Figure 1 depicts the number of Air RISC calls per month over the first
16 months. An average of 41 calls each month have been documented.
The origin of Air RISC calls is depicted in Figure 2. State agencies
constitute 54 percent, EPA Regional offices make up 21 percent, with local
agencies having 14 percent. The remaining calls come from Federal agencies (5
percent) and from other sources (6 percent). Thus, 89 percent of these Air
RISC calls originate from the intended client community. Many other calls
from private citizens or Federal government are received and handled but are
not documented as Air RISC unless received on the Air RISC Hotline number.
At the completion of each call, the responders enter the estimated time
spent handling the response. The average time spent responding to Air RISC
calls is greatest for calls received from State agencies (2.0 hours/call)
followed by local agencies (0.95 hour/call) and Regional Offices (0.94
hour/call). The median time spent in responding to calls was 0.5 hours and 38
percent of the calls required less than 20 minutes of Air RISC staff time for
the response. Time spent has ranged from 0.1 hour to over 100 hours. Ninety
percent of calls required 2.0 hours or less.
An important measure of the value of the Air RISC service is the extent
of usage of the service by its intended clients. Figure 3 shows the
distribution of State agencies that have made requests of Air RISC. A total
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Figure 1. Air RISC Calls
Feb. 88 - June 89
70 - c
^ 60
o
U 50
*o
L. 40
o>
JQ
E 30
20
10
0
FebMarAprMayJun Jul AugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
1988 1989
Month
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Figure 2. Origin of Air RISC Calls
Feb. 88 - June 89
State Agencies
00
Regional Offices
Federal Agencies
Other
Local Agencies
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Figure 3. Air RISC Calls From State Agencies
Number of Calls Received, Feb. 88
£LL_-_i_
5-10
June, 89
Over 10
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of 65 different State agencies (mostly environmental regulatory and public
health agencies) from 44 States have received assistance from Air RISC. Eight
States have made more than 10 requests and 17 States have made 5 to 10
requests. It appears that Air RISC has successfully reached this segment of
its intended clients, based on the number and distribution of calls.
Figure 4 depicts requests from local agencies. Calls have been received
by Air RISC from 52 different local agencies in a total of 25 States. Very
few (7) of these agencies have made more than two requests. It may be
necessary to determine reasons for this. Perhaps it may be due to a small
number of local agencies with large air toxics problems, or local agencies may
be a segment of the Air RISC client base that has not been effectively
reached.
Requests from the EPA Regional Offices are shown in Table 1. The number
of calls from individual regions range from 2 in Region VII to 26 in Region V.
This disparity suggests that the Regional Offices have not been consistently
reached or that the Regional Offices have the expertise to solve their air
toxics problems.
Table 2 lists pollutants about which questions were asked, as well as the
number of calls received about the pollutant. This list does not reflect the
actual extent of information requested in the Air RISC calls since many
requests were for information on more than one pollutant. In these cases, the
pollutants are listed individually in the data base but only the first
chemical listed is summarized in this Table. It is clear, however, from the
table that the range of pollutants about which information is being requested
is very large. Approximately 120 individual chemicals have been encountered
in the current log of Air RISC calls, about half of which have had a single
request concerning them. A large fraction of the calls involve questions
regarding complex mixtures of chemicals.
TABLE 1. Use of Air RISC by EPA Regional Offices, February 1988 Through
June 1989
Region Number of Calls
I
II
III
IV
v
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
11
8
18
6
42
12
14
15
10
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Figure 4. Air RISC Calls From Local Agencies
Number of Calls Received, Feb. 88 - Feb. 89
• 1-2 o3-5 * over 5
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TABLE 2. Distribution of Air RISC Calls by Pollutant1
February 1988 through June 1989
Pollutant Number of Calls
Dioxin 27
Asbestos 18
Benzene 17
Styrene 16
Formaldehyde 14
Methylene Chloride 13
Chromium 13
Hydrogen Sulfide 11
Arsenic 10
Mineral Fibers 10
Hydrogen Chloride 9
Perchloroethylene 8
Chloroform 8
Lead 7
Fiberglass 7
PCBs 7
Chloropyrofos 6
Trichloroethylene 6
Mercury 5
Metals 5
Ethylene Oxide 5
Toluene 5
Ammonia 5
Methyl Chloroform 4
Gasoline 4
Toluene diisocyanate 4
Asphalt 4
Benzo(a)pyrene 4
Creosote 4
CFC 4
Methanol 4
Isocyanates 4
Boron and and Compounds 3
Coal 3
Nickel 3
Triethylamine 3
Arsine 3
Cadmium 3
Chlorine 3
Furans 3
Beryllium 2
Dimethyl Formamide 2
JMany questions refer to several pollutants. Only the first chemical
listed in entered in the table.
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TABLE 2. Distribution of Air RISC Calls by Pollutant2
February 1988 through June 1989 (Continued)
Pollutant Number of Calls
Nitrobenzene 2
Particulate Matter 2
Xylene 2
Butadiene 2
Carbon Disulfide 2
Chlorobenzene 2
Ethylene Bichloride 2
Fly Ash 2
Methyl Bromide 2
Phosgene 2
PAH 2
Combustion Products 2
Hexachlorobutadiene 2
Chemicals with a single entry 63
General questions 88
Questions regarding 167
complex mixtures
Table 3 provides a listing of the distribution of subject areas of the
calls for this reporting period. Some of the topics included are within the
scope of health risk assessment while other subjects are listed by type of
source, industry, or process. For some calls, both of these pieces of
information are available, but for most, only one or the other is available.
The subject is listed by source type first whenever that information is
available. Many calls are recorded under the general categories such as
health effects, unit risk estimates, documents, or regulatory status. Over
100 different source types have been listed, most with only one or a few
requests.
^Many questions refer to several pollutants. Only the first chemical
listed in entered in the table.
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TABLE 3. Distribution of Air RISC Calls by Subject February 1988 - June 1989
Subject Number of Calls
Health Effects 86
EPA Documents 47
Unit Risks 46
Cancer Risk Assessment 39
Regulatory Status 30
Inhalation RfD 25
Risk Assessment 23
Hazardous Waste 18
Ambient Air Guidelines 17
Burning (Misc. Substances) 17
Air RISC 17
Indoor Air 16
Municipal Waste Combustion 15
Superfund Site 13
Air Toxics Programs 13
Exposure Assessment 10
Hospital Waste Incinerator 8
Risk Communication 7
Source Identification 7
Ambient Monitoring 6
Treated Wood 6
Pulp and Paper 5
SARA 313 4
Waferboard Mfg. 4
Coking Operations 4
Gasoline Marketing 4
Emissions Inventory 4
Painting 4
Pollutant Prioritization/MHAPPS 4
EPA Project Status 4
Atmospheric Fate 3
Asphalt Production and Use 3
Electroplating 3
Coal and Oil Combustion 3
Sand Blasting 3
Mining 3
NATICH 3
Publicly Owned Treatment Works 3
State Program Information 3
Tire Burning 3
Toxic Equivalency 3
Sterilizers 3
Air Quality Trends 2
Electronics 2
Epidemiology 2
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TABLE 3. Distribution of Air RISC Calls by Subject February 1988-.
June 1989 (Continued)
Subject Number of Calls
Landfill Emissions 2
List of Carcinogens 2
Cool ing Towers 2
Welding 2
Woodsmoke 2
Treshold Limit Values 2
Emission Factors 2
Gold Processing 2
Odor Thresholds 2
Waxman Press Release 2
Dry Cleaning/Degreasing 2
Subjects with a single entry 105
Table 4 lists the projects that have been initiated using the quick
response Hotline support mechanism. This mechanism allows for the use of
contractor support for projects requiring a two or three week turn around and
is used when EPA staff are not available to do the research or review needed
for a quick response. This mechanism has been a vital tool for the Air RISC
Hotline and has allowed for quality and timeliness in responses in some cases
that would not otherwise have been possible.
TABLE 4. List of Projects Using Quick Response
Hot!ine Support Contractors
Pro.iect
Review of Draft Health Impact Protocol from Incineration - Quincy, MA
Comparison of Upper Bound Confidence Limit and Maximum Likelihood Estimate
Review of Carbon Disulfide Document for Virginia
Review of Aluminum Facility Exposure Assessment
Hexachlorobutadiene - Health Effects
Triethylamine - Health Effects
Coal Dust - Health Effects
Butyl Cellusolve - Health Effects
Review of Aluminum Facility Health/Risk Assessment Plan
Review of Toxicity of Alkanes and Alkenes - for MA DEQE
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TABLE 4. List of Projects Using Quick Response
Hotline Support Contractors (Continued)
Carcinogenicity Data for List of Chemicals for Kentucky Air Toxics Program
Review of Risk Assessment Work Plan for Point Source for Chattanooga-Hamilton
County
Review of Exposure Assessment Portion of Gasoline Document
Review of NH Method for Deriving Ambient Air Guidelines
Summaries of Toxicity Data for 7 Chemicals for Oregon State Agency
Air RISC Data Base
The data base is used both as a means to store information and as a source
of information. Extensive use of the data base has been made by Air RISC
staff in responding to requests when a similar request had been received
previously. The data base is also used as a management tool for reviewing and
reporting on the status of the calls to Air RISC, the clients using Air RISC,
the subject of the calls, and the time spent by EPA staff on Air RISC
activities. During the period covered by this report, February 1988 through
June 1989, 662 calls were entered into the Air RISC data base. A more
detailed description of the development and capabilities of the Air RISC Data
Base is included in Appendix 5.
As the number of records grow in the data base, there are many
interesting and important issues in health, exposure and risk assessment
entered in the database. A few questions have suggested the need for
compilation of information on certain sources (e.g., tire burning, asphalt
fumes). Some have resulted in collaborative efforts within the Agency to
provide information to a State involved in regulating a specific site (air
emissions of carbon disulfide from a rayon manufacturing facility) and
developing and verifying a Inhalation Reference Dose for the pollutant. Some
have raised questions that led to research efforts that are involving
scientists in the AEERL and HERL (burning of and mutagenicity testing of
agricultural black plastic, determination of combustion products of tire
burning). Frequently, projects can be coordinated with the CTC resulting in a
better overall effort (characterization of emissions followed by exposure
modelling and then estimation of risk from complex sources). Certainly, the
database could provide guidance for evaluation of areas of particular concern
to the State, local and Regional air toxics staff. This is an area for future
investigation and followup as staff time and resources permit.
Information transfer between OHEA and OAQPS has been done via diskette,
although ECAO has attempted to provide a dedicated PC linked to OAQPS via
modem. Because the staff at OAQPS do not all have PC's at their desks, this
is awkward and needs improvement. Data entry consistency is a continuing
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is awkward and needs improvement. Data entry consistency is a continuing
problem and requires almost constant monitoring of the data base records.
Efforts are currently underway to improve data transfer capability so that
both OAQPS and OHEA staffs will have access to a complete and current file of
Air RISC calls.
Technical Assistance Pro.iects
The following section provides a brief summary and status report of
completed and ongoing technical assistance projects as of the end of June
1989.
Mutagenicitv of Agricultural Plastics Burning
Status: Complete
Summary: A cooperative project between the CTC and Air RISC was initiated as
a result of a request from the State of Florida's Department of Environmental
Regulation to CTC on emissions and health effects from burning of agricultural
black plastic. The CTC funded test burns, emission sampling, and simulation
of two modes of burning. The Air RISC funded the evaluation of the
mutagenicity of the emissions in the Ames Test. No mutagenic activity was
observed in whole vapor or vapor/particulate emissions, but concentrated
organic extracts of the particulate sample were moderately mutagenic. The
mutagenic activity was approximately equal, on an activity per unit heat
production basis, to the mutagenic activity of emissions from residential wood
burning which had been studied previously.
Product: Publication of peer-reviewed journal article.
Health Effects of Tire Burning
Status: Ongoing.
Summary: Several calls have been received by Air RISC regarding health effect
of tire burning emissions and by CTC regarding characterization of emissions
from tire burning. A cooperative project between CTC and Air RISC was
initiated to study the emissions from tire burning and health effects related
to the emissions. The CTC project involves performing a test burn and
emissions sampling. The Air RISC contractor will review the health effects
associated with the chemicals identified as emissions from open tire burning.
Projected Products: CTC Document on characterization of the fumes; Air RISC
Document on exposure modeling and toxicity information.
Hpalth Effects of Asphalt Fumes
Status: Ongoing
Summary: Several requests have been received for health-related information
on emissions from production and various uses of asphalt. The principal
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concern seems to be odor rather than any long-term health effect. The Air
RISC initiated a project to review the health effects of asphalt fumes. The
CTC has assisted in the initial phase of the project by providing currently
available information on asphalt production and use emissions. Since the data
are limited, additional emissions data may be needed. Health effects of
chemicals emitted from asphalt production and use will be reviewed and
summarized.
Projected Product: Publication of document on findings.
Steel Mill Health Effects
Status: Ongoing
Summary: The Region VIII office requested support from Air RISC in performing
a risk assessment on a steel mill in Utah. The CTC also participated by
performing a project on characterizing emissions from integrated steel mills.
A draft document outlining the steel making process, the emissions produced in
each phase, and the cancer and noncancer health effects of these emissions has
been received from the contractor and is undergoing revisions.
Projected Product: Publication of health assessment information.
Technical Guidance Pro.iects
Glossary
Status: Complete
Summary: A Glossary of Terms Related to Health, Exposure, and Risk Assessment
for toxic air pollutants was prepared by an Air RISC contractor with
substantial input from the Steering Committee. The Glossary is intended as a
resource tool for State and local air pollution control agencies and EPA
Regional Offices.
Product: Document; distributed to attendees at the Air RISC workshops.
Additional requests for distribution will be filled by Air RISC.
Directory
Status: Ongoing
Summary: A Directory of Information Resources Related to Health, Exposure,
and Risk Assessment of Air Toxics was prepared under contract with Air RISC.
The directory is intended to assist State, local and Regional Office personnel
in finding appropriate sources of information on these topics. The directory
lists 23 information sources, both within and outside of EPA, which are
designed to provide information on specific topics. Many offices within EPA
that are involved in health, exposure, or risk assessment are also listed.
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The publication of the directory has been delayed by several major
reorganizations that have occurred in EPA offices. The directory is ready for
printing.
Product: Document, containing resources for use by State and local air
agencies.
Air RISC Workshops on Risk Assessment and Risk Communication
Status: Complete
Summary: The Air RISC has offered a 3-day workshop on risk assessment and
risk communication for State and local air pollution control agency personnel.
The workshops were held in three locations, as follows: May 23-25 in Raleigh,
North Carolina; May 30-June 1 in the Chicago, Illinois, area; and June 13-15
in the San Francisco, California, area.
Since the 1987 National Air Toxics Workshops, the Agency has received
many requests from State and local officials for additional training and
information on these subjects. As part of the Agency's mission to support
State and local air pollution control programs and personnel, the workshop on
risk assessment and risk communication provided the most recent Agency
approaches and information on important topics in these areas.
The objective of the workshop was to provide training in risk assessment
and risk communication to state and local personnel and to meet the needs of
people with various levels of expertise in these areas. The workshops
provided sessions on health and exposure assessment for staff involved in many
aspects of risk assessment or risk communication. For some topics in
toxicology and risk assessment, concurrent sessions were held. One session
provided an overview of toxicology and risk assessment for staff new to or not
directly involved in evaluation of health effects. Experienced participants
received lectures on pulmonary toxicology, inhalation reference dose
methodology, non-cancer risk assessment, pharmacokinetics, and new concepts in
cancer risk assessment. Exposure assessment lectures and discussions of the
toxicology and risk assessment of chemical mixtures were presented to a joint
session. A course in risk communication (initially developed by the Office of
Policy, Planning and Evaluation and modified by Air RISC for State and local
air agencies) was then taught in smaller group format. A combination of
presentations, discussions, videotaped segments, and case studies illustrated
important concepts in risk communication, including public involvement,
explanation of technical issues, risk perception, conducting public meetings
and dealing with the media. Attendees participated in a case study which
applied material developed in the risk assessment sessions to risk
communication tasks.
In preparation for the workshops, Air RISC sent announcements to State
and local Air Directors, prepared and distributed about 1,200 brochures, and
printed an article in the NATICH Newsletter. The draft agenda for the
workshops was reviewed by the Air RISC Steering Committee and by STAPPA and
ALAPCO representatives before being finalized. Logistics and preparation of
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course material were coordinated with EPA and contractor staff. EPA speakers
were provided from OAQPS, OHEA-DC, ECAO-RTP, and ECAO-Cinc, as well as two
contractor speakers.
The workshops were attended by 161 people representing 27 different
State agencies from 24 States, and 29 different local agencies, as well as EPA
Regional and Headquarters Offices. Course surveys indicated a high level of
satisfaction and particular interest in the risk communication portion of the
course.
Odor Thresholds
Status: Ongoing
Summary: A project has been initiated by Air RISC to characterize several
hundred toxic air pollutants with regard to odor detection threshold, sensory
irritation, and critical target organ. Such information is envisioned as
useful in relating the presence of odor or sensory irritation to the
likelihood of serious pulmonary damage or damage to other organs in acute
exposure situation.
Quantitative Risk Assessment Principles and Procedures: Descriptive Guidance
Status: Ongoing
Summary: A project was approved by the Steering Committee and is being
defined which would provide guidance to state and local air pollution
officials in performing a site-specific risk assessment for point sources.
Various quantitative risk assessment methodologies commonly used by EPA
to evaluate potential carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks associated with
air pollution will be outlined. Techniques used by State and local agencies
may also be included, if possible. This will be referenced to a list of
existing guidance documents, indicating areas of conflict. Issues that remain
unresolved will be presented, and options and resources for completing the
report will be 1isted.
State Assistance Risk Communication
Status: Ongoing
Summary: This project has been broken into two parts: (1) the public
education materials and (2) the public participation manual.
In response to a request from a State agency, this project has been
approved by the Steering Committee and is being planned. The project will
provide guidance to agencies for including risk communication and public
involvement as part of air toxics programs.
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Air RISC Budget
The Air RISC budget summary for FY 1988 is shown in Table 5. A
substantial amount of the money allocated for the Quick Response Hotline
support was left unspent at the end of the fiscal year. This resulted from
the delay in getting the Air RISC publicity started, and delay in getting
these work assignments in place. With the exception of 3K, these work
assignments were extended into FY 1989. The FY 1989 budget as of the end of
June 1989 is summarized in Table 6.
TABLE 5. Air RISC Budget for FY 1988
Available Funds
OAQPS 70K
OHEA 40K
Total 110K
Expenditures
Project
Quick Response/Hotline Support
Allocated Spent Carry Over
to FY 89
58,000 20,000 35,000*
Technical Assistance Projects
Agricultural Plastic 5,000 5,000
Tire Burning 10,500 0 10,000
Technical Guidance Projects
Glossary and Directory 16,000 17,000
Air RISC Administrative/Development
Data base program 7,000 7,000
Staff Development Workshops 15,000 17,500
Meeting Minutes 500 500
112,000 64,000 45,000
*3K not carried over.
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TABLE 6. Air RISC Budget for FY 1989
Available Funds
OAQPS 120,000
OHEA 50,000
FY 1988 Carry Over 45,000
Total 215,000
Pro.iected Expenditures
Project Amount
Hotline
Quick Response/Hotline
support 47,200
Technical Assistance
Tire Burning 12,500
Asphalt Fumes 15,000
Steel Mill 10,000
Technical Guidance
Workshops 58,000
Odor Thresholds 10,000
Site-specific Air Toxics
Risk Assessment 20,000
Directory 4,000
Risk Communication 20,000
Air RISC Administration
Data Base 6,000
Meeting Minutes 11,300
214,000
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Future Plans
After its 16 months of operation, informal feedback suggests the Air RISC
is a useful mechanism for providing technical assistance to State and local
agencies and EPA Regional Offices on a wide range of topics. Several areas in
need of further development in the coming year are discussed below.
Promotion of the Air RISC service will continue through the existing
means, and additional regular efforts are needed. Local agencies do not
appear to have been sufficiently well informed of the availability of Air RISC
assistance. Some Regional Offices also have made little use of Air RISC.
Improvements in the Air RISC data base are needed in order to increase
its usefulness, both as a method of record keeping and as a source of
information. For record keeping purposes, the data base requires some
modifications, such as the use of a unique tracking number for each call, the
need for and completion of Regional Office coordination, and whether the
record is an Air RISC call (for records on the ECAO Technical Assistance
Response Program (TARP) data base which includes other calls as well). For
information purposes, the data base program needs improved searching
capability. Improvement in the accessibility of the data base to all
participating staff could be obtained if a single central data base was used
and employed a Wide Area Network link, so that all staff in OAQPS and ECAO-RTP
would work in a current single data base, rather than the duplicate data bases
in OHEA and OAQPS. This is not possible with current level of computer
support. Development of the procedures and programming to allow access to a
central data base will continue.
Selection of topics for Technical Assistance Projects has been difficult
during the first year. The majority of Air RISC requests can be answered in a
short time and do not require extensive resources. Of those that would
benefit from a more in-depth response, the requestors often cannot wait the
necessary time for the response. The result is that relatively few individual
calls are an appropriate basis for a Technical Assistance Project. An
improved process for selection of Technical Assistance projects may include
more outreach programs to inform the client community that this service is
available and improved early review of the calls to identify potential
projects.
An evaluation of the service provided to State and local agencies and
Regional Offices (both in terms of the quality of the assistance provided and
the results in terms of air toxics regulation and risk reduction) should be
initiated and documented. Staff members who respond to Air RISC requests know
that the assistance provided is appreciated and often plays an important role
in a State or local regulatory decision, but a systematic evaluation has not
yet been attempted. An evaluation of the quality of Air RISC assistance will
be made in the next year, either by a follow-up on selected calls or by a
survey of Air RISC clients. It is more difficult to assess the impact of Air
RISC assistance on actual environmental risk or on risk reduction. The purpose
of Air RISC is to assist State and local agencies whose primary job is air
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pollution control. Results would ideally be demonstrable in terms of emission
reductions from specific sources or in terms of implementation of regulatory
programs which will protect the public health. Although it is unlikely that
the majority of calls could be clearly linked to results measured in these
terms, a significant number of calls were specifically related to such
regulatory actions being taken by State or local agencies. A follow-up of
selected calls might provide an indication of whether Air RISC assistance has
produced such results and a review of this kind will be initiated in the next
year.
Acknowledgments
Although many people have contributed to the success of Air RISC,
foremost among them is Karen Blanchard, without whose work and direction the
idea may not have become a reality. The development and continuing operation
of Air RISC owes a great deal to the current Chair of the Steering Committee,
Winona Victery. The staffs of the two lead offices, the Environmental
Criteria and Assessment Office and the Pollutant Assessment Branch, who have
responded to requests for assistance and assisted with other Air RISC projects
have contributed greatly to the development of Air RISC and it is their
continuing high quality assistance to requestors that is the basis of the
success of Air RISC. Acknowledgement is also made to the participation by the
members of the Steering Committee, Robert Kellam, Drs. Lester Grant and Judith
Graham for providing the direction and advice that has made the Air RISC a
success after only one year.
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Appendix 1
Air RISC Steering Committee Operating Protocol
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ve
Air RISC STEERING COMMITTEE
OPERATING PROTOCOL
1. The A1r Risk Information Support Center (A1r RISC) is a cooperati
effort between OAR and ORD, with OAQPS and ECAO (RTP) having lead
responsibility for coordinating A1r RISC activities.
2. The A1r RISC will be managed by a Steering Committee composed of
personnel from OAQPS and OHEA with:
6 voting members from OAQPS
(5 from ESD, 1 from AQMO)
5 voting members from OHEA
(2 from ECAO (RTP), 1 from ECAO (CIN), 1 from CAG/REAG,
1 from EAG)
1 voting member from CERI
1 advisory member from HERL
1 advisory member from S/L agencies
1 advisory member from Regional Offices
1 advisory member from EPA library
3. The Steering Committee will have a Chairperson and a Chairperson-
elect. Committee Chairs will be rotated between ESD/OAQPS and
OHEA/ECAO on a fiscal year basis. The Chairperson and Chairperson-elect
will conduct Steering Committee meetings, help Implement decisions
made by the Steering Committee, and coordinate A1r RISC work within their
respective organizations to ensure that the goals of the Steering
Committee are carried out effectively.
4. The Chairperson and Chairperson-elect will be responsible for the
knowing the status of projects 1n their respective organizations and
coordinating to ensure that each project is within the technical,
budget, and schedule guidelines established by the Steering Committee.
5. Contract funds programmed for the Air RISC by OAQPS and OHEA will be
pooled as a Air RISC budget. The Steering Committee will have full
responsibility for determining the use of contractor funds available to
the Air RISC. (S&E funds and FTEs are not- included in the pooled resources.)
6. All HOTLINE calls are considered Air RISC calls. The decision to
refer other requests to the Air 3ISC will be made by the EPA organizational
units receiving the request. Selection of projects for funding by the
Air RISC will be on a priority basis considering the following factors
and their relative importance (either high or medium).
High: o Needs identified by State and local agencies (as opposed to
our perception of their needs)
o Urgency of the problem as perceived by the State or local
agency
o Availability of the expertise necessary to provide a useful
product
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Medium: o Breadth of applicability of the product to air toxics
problems
o Investment of resources compared to the value of the
product
o Cost of the project compared to the funds available
o Relationship of the work to other ongoing projects 1n the
Agency (e.g. potential to "piggyback11 on or extend work of
other projects)
7. For projects less than $10,000 the Chairperson and Chairperson-elect
will make the decisions regarding selection of projects. These projects
may be Implemented by a team or by an Individual at the discretion of
the Chairperson and Chairperson-elect.
o The lead organization for the project will be designated by
the Chairperson and Chairperson-elect. The line managers of
the organizations Involved will be responsible for
recommending the appropriate personnel. The Chairperson
and Chairperson-elect will assist the lead organization in
selecting the appropriate personnel and must concur with
the selection.
o The Chairperson and Chairperson-elect will provide
technical, budget, and schedule guidance. The line managers
are responsible for meeting the guidelines established
and ensuring the quality of work performed for the Air RISC.
o The Chairperson and Chairperson-elect may concur on
additional project costs not to exceed a total project cost
of $12,000. Overruns causing a project of $10,000 or less
to exceed a total cost of $12,000 must be referred to the
Steering Committee.
8. Projects greater than $10,000 will be selected by concurrence of the
Steering Committee. These projects will be implemented by a team
composed of personnel from at least two of the participating organizations.
o Line managers of the lead organization designated by the
Steering Committee will be responsible for recommending a
team leader. Team ;nembers will be selected by the
respective line managers of the participating organization.
The Chairperson and Chairperson-elect will assist the
participating organizations in selecting the -i.npropriate
personnel.
o Teams will be approved wit'n the concurrence o? the Steering
Committee.
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o The Steering Committee will provide technical, budget, and
schedule guidance. The line managers are responsible for
meeting the guidelines established by the Steering Committee
and ensuring the quality of work performed for the Air RISC.
o The Chairperson and Chairperson-elect may concur on
additional project costs of up to 20% of the original
estimated cost. Overruns exceeding 20% of the approved cost
must be referred to the Steering Committee.
9. Reports Issued by the Air RISC will have the concurrence of all groups
Involved in conducting the work.
10. The Steering Committee will establish a system of communications
to Insure that the Steering Committee, project personnel, and managers
of all participants in Air RISC related work are kept informed of the
activities of the A1r RISC. As a part of this system, the Chairperson and
Chairperson-elect will prepare frequent status reports for the projects
for which their respective organization has lead responsibility.
11. Modifications to these operating procedures may be proposed by any
member of the Steering Committee. Approval of modification will be by a
two-thirds majority of the members present at the next regularly
scheduled meeting Immediately following the one at which the proposal
was Introduced.
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Appendix 2
Air RISC Regional Office Coordination Procedures
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AIR RISC
REGIONAL OFFICE COORDINATION PROCEDURES
1. The Air Toxics Contact in the appropriate Regional office
will be copied on written responses (except where the requestor
simply asked for copies of documents).
2. Hotline calls will be screened to determine whether the
Regional Office has been contacted already. If the Region has
been contacted, staff will ascertain with whom. Where
appropriate, the Air RISC staff will then call the Regional
Office person named and discuss the planned response. The
objective is threefold: (1) to coordinate with and inform the
Regional Office, (2) to minimize the likelihood of giving
conflicting or contradictory responses, and (3) to reduce
duplication of effort. The Air RISC staff will attempt to
ascertain if a request concerns a sensitive issue that should
involve Regional Office awareness or input.
3. Regional Offices will receive quarterly reports tabulating
requests for assistance received. These will be sorted by State
within each Region.
4. Any requests that can be determined to be related to
Superfund sites will be coordinated with Regional offices before
responses are given.
5. The Regional Office Air Toxics Contacts will be the people
with whom Air RISC staff will coordinate responses, if no other
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Regional office person is identified.
6. Region III will be lead Region, i.e., Fran Dougherty, to
represent the other Regional Offices. As such, Fran should seek
input from other Regional Offices on matters pertaining to Air
RISC, where appropriate.
7. The lead Region will be asked to review any guidance
documents that are prepared. This person will determine whether
review from other Regional offices is needed, and if so,
coordinate the review. In cases where technical assistance
reports are issued for specific sites, the Regional Office air
toxic contact will be given the opportunity to review documents.
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Appendix 3
Review of Air RISC Outputs
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10/16/88
REVIEW OF Air RISC OUTPUTS
A risk assessment and risk management review is both obligatory
for some types of outputs because of organization policy as well
as desirable from the aspect of quality control for the integrity
of Air RISC. The procedures adopted by the Air RISC steering
committee can be rigid or flexible, with a flexible approach
seemingly more advantageous, albeit within a framework.
The framework shown below lays identifies types of Air RISC
products, review levels and guiding principles.
Types of Products
1. Providing off-the-shelf (existing) information and/or
explanations of same or offering technical guidance about how to
do something that 1s highly specific to one OAQPS or OHEA office.
2. Preparation of updated risk characterizations (eg
assessment base already exists and some new data exists which
needs to be accounted for). Also the offering of technical
guidance on subjects where another office has expertise or
experience.
3. Preparation of a 1st time risk characterization (eg no
existing assessment basis). Also the offering of technical
guidance which 1s of full spectrum and would lead to a multi-
office follow up action.
4. Preparation of generic A1r RISC technical guidance or
material to be used 1n training.
5. Funding recommendations - small
6. Funding recommendations - large
7. Operational and administrative matters pertaining to the
dally functioning of A1r RISC.
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Principles of Operation
a. The selection of the review path rests with the lead
office who is handling the specific output. Steering committee
members to initially monitor the situation for a while (J.
Graham, C. Ris, R. Walentowiz, C. Mull in, B. Kellum)
b. The standard time period for a review shall be kept simple
in that 5 working days shall be set aside for mailing and other
communication actions and a 10 working day period set aside for
staff review. A TOTAL OF 3 WEEKS from start to finish -
NOMINALLY.
c. In those cases where staff are just not available or the
review task has complexity where more time is needed, this
information is passed on to the lead office where discussion
about the situation takes place and appropriate adjustments to
our plan are made.
d. The client should be contacted early on and told what is
happening with his request and what the circumstances are
regarding the completion of the staff work, a review of same, and
target timing for the ultimate final product. (Presumably such a
status call would be made anyway to the client, so the intent
here is to be sure and mention the review aspect). The client
may push to have a preliminary copy of the Air RISC output;
honoring such a request is at the discretion of the lead office,
HOWEVER, a do not quote or cite label shall be placed on every
page if a Air RISC review is to take place.
e. The Air RISC documents should contain a disclaimer,
perhaps, somewhat unique to the frequently used ones, to note
that since a comprehensive Agency review has not likely been
conducted...that the findings in this document does not
necessarily represent Agency policy etc,etc.
f. Realizing that a select few of the Air RISC outputs will
have characteristics that warrant an administrative policy review
(eg sign-off from OHEA Director, or AA-ORD, or OAR counterparts),
Air RISC will make provisions for such. An example would be the
Kateer AL activity in Region 10 where the Region and Kaiser may
be the first to try inovative cancer risk modeling for PAH's in
order to establish air permit levels. This case has two features
which qualify for the admin-policy sign-off,(1) the innovative
risk modeling, and (2) PAH specific levels.
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Scope of Review
REVIEW LEVEL » None Limited Moderate Full POLICY
(1 office) (all disci (all)
related)
PRODUCT TYPE
VV
Off-the-shelf X
Update X (FYI) X ?
New XX?
Generic X
Funding-small X*
Funding -large X*
Administrative X
* as already agreed to by Steering Committee
? a judgement call
disc » discipline, ie. all health assessment groups
ar.
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Appendix 4
Clearance Monitoring Committee of Written Air RISC Responses
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
i * Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office (MD-52)
*' - Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
DATE: October 25, 1988
SUBJECT: Clearance Monitoring Committee ^pf Written Air RISC
FROM: Judith A. Graham, Ph.D.,D.ATS
Associate Director, ECAO/RTP (Mt-5'2)
TO: Addressees
As agreed to by the Air RISC Steering Committee, we will constitute
a committee to monitor clearance procedures that were agreed to by the
Steering Committee (C.Ris recommendations, as modified). Although it is
necessary that Air RISC products be cleared promptly if clients are to be
served, it is equally necessary that management be assured that the
process meets the intent of EPA clearance procedures. Therefore, we will
monitor the process for 3-6 months and report our findings to the
Steering Committee and our respective managements.
We will observe the following procedures:
1. As described in the Air RISC Clearance Procedures, the lead
organization creating the product shall decide on the appropriate
clearance pathway and begin processing.
2. At the same time processing begins, the lead organization will
forward one copy of the product to each member of the monitoring
committee by E-mail or FAX, with the following coversheet:
Name of contact person
Name of lead organization
Name of requestor
Organization of requestor
A brief description of the request
Date response needed from Clearance Monitoring Committee
(Note: A minimum of three days)
3. Members of the Clearance Monitoring Committee will review the
decision on the pathway chosen and review the product for general
quality and policy issues, assuming that quality and policy will
receive more vigorous attention by the lead organization.
4. Members of the Clearance Monitoring Committee will comment to
Judy Graham (if unavailable, to Charlie Ris) no later than one
working day before the response is needed as indicated on the
coversheet. If a member does not comment by this time, his/her
concurrence will be assumed.
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5. Judy Graham (Charlie Ris) will make a record of the comments and
forward them to the contact person named on the coversheet.
6. In the event that the lead organization makes major changes in the
product as a result of the clearance, Judy Graham (Charlie Ris)
will review these vis-a-vis the comments of the Clearance Monitoring
Committee.
Addressees:
Charlie Ris
Richard Walentowicz
Cindy Sonich-Mullin
Robert Kellum
cc: Air RISC Steering Committee
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Appendix 5
Air RISC Data Base
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Air RISC Data Base
Development and Description of Capabilities:
The idea for tracking calls and requests for assistance was generated
early in the Air RISC program. The CTC had been logging in calls on a
multipart form which was distributed to the responder, completed, and returned
to the coordinator. It was emphasized in one of the EPA Information Resources
Workshops (described below), that the Office of General Council urged EPA
employees performing this type of one-on-one assistance to keep
contemporaneous records due to the availability of personal computers within
ECAO-RTP, this office took the lead in developing a program which would serve
to keep records of information in a systematic way. The TARP is Clipper
program which is dBase Ill-compatible. It has been developed, improved, and
has documentation written by ECAO staff along with contractual support.
Mailing labels and simple reports can be generated by any user. For example,
all requests for the new Inhalation Reference Dose Methodology Document have
been logged into TARP and will be mailed out to requestors when available.
Labels for the Air RISC Workshop announcement were printed and then affixed
for mailing to people who had used the Hotline or reached another EPA contact.
The data base in ECAO and OAQPS first existed in records stored in
individual computers until ECAO-RTP went to a Local Area Network (which
permits sharing of information, transferring of calls, and transmission to
other offices by e-mail). ECAO logs in all requests for technology
assistance, for criteria and air toxics, as well as indoor air, combinations
of toxics and criteria pollutants. This office receives and logs in calls
from all sources (private individuals, firms, international requests).
Information on the ECAO Air RISC calls has been transferred monthly by
providing a diskette to PAB. This is combined with the PAB calls to generate
the official Air RISC data base, which exists at OAQPS. ECAO-RTP receives
monthly diskettes from PAB, which are then stored in a separate data base file
for use as reference by ECAO scientists.
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Appendix 6
Technical Assistance Response Program Screen
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IPO TECHNICS ASSISTANCE RESPONSE PROGRAN
Date of Request: 02/05/89 Tine,1 16:48 Received by! H, Ilictery
Requestor Hane; Bill HacClarence Phone No.; (907) 563-6529
Affiliation; Alaska Dept, of Environ, Cons, Extension!
Address; 3601 C St., Suite 1350 Type: State Hotline? ¥
Address,'
City: Anchorage State: AX ZIP: 99503-
Country: Region 10/Seattle, UA
Subject: fertilizer plant emissions
Pollutant(s); IT Urea, aroonia and degradation product
CoMpletion Date: 03/20/88 Hours: 30,8 CoMpleted By: U, Victery
Record No, 1
Edit Inquiry Response Search Print Transfer Report
Purge, Reindex, Pack, Sort,
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