United States Environmental Protection Agency Aug. 1988 SEPA Air Risk Information Support Center Assistance for State and Local Agencies - AIR RISK INFORMATION SUPPORT CENTER- ------- WHY AN Air RISC? Many State and locaf agencies are developing or have implemented programs to control toxic air pollutants. As part of many of these programs, health risks resulting from exposure to toxic air pollutants are assessed. Agencies are faced with the evaluation of many pollutants and source types with a wide array of methods available for evaluating public exposures and risks. Information may be difficult to find quickly and may be ambiguous or difficult to interpret. The Air Risk Information Support Center (Air RISC) is available to provide, in a timely fashion, technical guidance and information relative to health, exposure, and risk analyses. WHAT IS Air RISC? The Air RISC has been developed to assist State and local air pollution control agencies and EPA Regional Offices on technical matters pertaining to health, exposure, and risk assessments for toxic air pollutants. Its primary goal is to serve as a focal point for obtaining information and, where needed, provide assistance in the review and interpretation of that information. The Air RISC is operated by EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Office of Health and Environmental Assess- ment, and the Center for Environmental Research Information. The EPA has worked with the State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators (STAPPA), the Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials (ALAPCO), and EPA Regional Offices in the design and development of the Air RISC to ensure that the center will be useful for State and local agencies as well as EPA Regional Offices. The^Air RISC can provide support for a wide range of activities. This support may include, but is not limited to the following: • Providing health and risk assessment information for chemicals being evaluated in the permit review process • Ensuring telephone access to EPA experts as an initial quick response to individual problems • Providing review of and/or consultation on site-specific risk assessments or urban air toxics evaluations • Providing guidance on current methods available to conduct health, exposure, and risk analyses The Air RISC also provides an interactive mechanism for State and local agencies to identify to EPA the technical support needs of their agencies in the areas of health, exposure, and risk assessment. Policy guidance and risk management advice are outside the scope of the Air RISC. ------- WHAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY THE Air RISC? Three levels of assistance are available from the Air RISC: • HOTLINE • Detailed Technical Assistance • General Technical Assistance Air RISC HOTLINE The primary purpose of the Air RISC HOTLINE is to provide an initial quick response based upon available health and exposure data and the expertise of EPA and its contractors. The HOTLINE can put you 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 Anyone on the staff of a State or local air pollution control agency or in an EPA Regional Office can call the HOTLINE and ask for help! Detailed Technical Assistance In some cases, an in-depth evaluation and/or retrieval of information may be more appropriate than a rapid response. By contacting the HOTLINE, you may request detailed technical assistance. An EPA staff member will help you obtain the information you need. Consideration will be given to resource availability and the length of time required to respond to the request. Detailed technical assistance could include the following: - Assistance in understanding exposure and risk assessment methodologies - Review and interpretation of toxicological literature - Review of site-specific exposure assessments, risk assessments or both for adequacy of methods used and related interpretation features. ------- General Technical Guidance General technical guidance offered by Air RISC will address topics involving health, exposure, and risk assessment issues that have broad national interest. These topics may be ones that were identified by State and local agencies through the HOTLINE or by other means. General technical guidance prepared by the Air RISC could cover such topics as the methodologies available for evalua- ting multipollutant exposures, the identification of appropri- ate informational resources (e.g., clearinghouses, other hotlines), etc. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON Air RISC SERVICES, CONTACT: Air RISC HOTLINE (919) 541-0888; (FTS) 629-0888 or U.S. EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Emission Standards Division Pollutant Assessment Branch MD-13 Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (919) 541-5519; (FTS) 629-5519 U.S. EPA Office of Health and Environmental Assessment Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office MD-52 Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (919) 541 -4828; (FTS) 629-4828 ------- Introducing Air Risk Information Support Center (Air RISC) An EPA cooperative effort to provide health, exposure, and risk assessment assistance to State and local air pollution control agencies sponsored by: Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Research Triangle Park, NC Office of Health and Environmental Assessment Research Triangle Park, NC , Cincinnati, OH Washington, DC Center for Environmental Research Information Cincinnati, OH In cooperation with ... 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