December 13, 1999
EPA-SAB-EC-CON-99-003
Honorable Carol M. Browner
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Subject: Notification of a Consultation on the Study of the Integrated Risk
Information System (IRIS)
Dear Ms. Browner:
The Executive Committee (EC) of the Science Advisory Board (SAB) met on November
29, 1999 with staff from the Office of the Research and Development to conduct a Consultation
on the study of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) that was described in a report from
the Senate Appropriations Committee:
"The Committee is concerned about the accuracy of information contained in the
Integrated Risk Information system [IRIS] data base which contains health effects
information on more than 500 chemicals. The Committee directs the Agency to consult
with the Science Advisory Board (SAB) on the design of a study that will a) examine a
representative sample of IRIS health assessments completed before the IRIS Pilot
Project, as well as a representative sample of assessments completed under the project
and b) assess the extent to which these assessments document the range of uncertainty
and variability of the data. The results of that study will be reviewed by the SAB and a
copy of the study and the SAB's report on the study sent to the Congress within one year
of enactment of this Act."
As the first step in this process, the Agency came to the EC for a Consultation on their plan to
conduct the IRIS study. The results of the study will be reviewed by a Subcommittee of the EC
at a later date.
The SAB has developed the Consultation as a mechanism to advise the Agency on
technical issues that should be considered in the development of regulations, guidelines, or
technical guidance before the Agency has taken a position. A Consultation is conducted under
the normal requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which include advance notice of
the public meeting in the Federal Register.
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As is our customary practice, there will be no formal report from the SAB as a result of
this Consultation, nor do we expect any formal response from the Agency. However, the Board
looks forward to conducting a formal review of the results of study when they become available.
Dr. Joan M. Daisey, Chair
Science Advisory Board
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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
CHAIR
Dr. Joan M. Daisey, Senior Scientist, Department Head, Indoor Environment Department,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
MEMBERS
Dr. Henry A. Anderson, Chief Medical Officer, Wisconsin Division of Public Health, Madison,
WI
Dr. Richard J. Bull, Senior Staff Scientist, Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
Molecular Biosciences, Richland, WA
Dr. Maureen L. Cropper, Principal Economist, DECRG, The World Bank, Washington, DC
Dr. Kenneth W. Cummins, Distinguished Scientist, South Florida Water Management District,
Tarpon Bay Environmental Laboratory, Sanibel, FL
Dr. Linda Greer, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, DC
Dr. Hilary I. Inyang, University Professor and Director, Center for Environmental Engineering,
Science and Technology (CEEST), University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
Dr. Janet A. Johnson, Senior Radiation Scientist, Shepherd Miller, Inc., Fort Collins, CO
Dr. Roger E. Kasperson, University Professor, Clark University, Worcester, MA
Dr. Morton Lippmann, Professor, Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York
University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY
Dr. Joe L. Mauderly, Director & Senior Scientist, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute,
Albuquerque, NM
Dr. M. Granger Morgan, Head, Department of Engineering & Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon
University, Pittsburgh, PA
Dr. William Randall Seeker, Senior Vice President, Energy and Environmental Research Corp.,
Irvine, CA
Dr. William H. Smith, Professor of Forest Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Dr. Robert N. Stavins, Professor, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University,
Cambridge, MA
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Dr. Mark J. Utell, Professor of Medicine and Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester
Medical Center, Pulmonary Unit, Rochester, NY
Dr. Terry F. Young, Senior Consulting Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund, Oakland, CA
LIAISON FOR CHILDRENS HEALTH PROTECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Mr. J. Thomas Carrato, Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory Affairs, Monsanto Company,
St. Louis, MO
LIAISON FOR SCIENCE ADVISORY PANEL
Dr. Ronald Kendall, Director and Professor, The Institute of Environmental & Human Health,
Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Reese Center,
Reese Center, Lubbock, TX
LIAISON FOR ORD BOARD OF SCIENTIFIC COUNSELORS
Dr. Costel D. Denson, Vice Provost for Research, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD STAFF
Dr. Donald G. Barnes, Staff Director/Designated Federal Officer, Environmental Protection
Agency, Science Advisory Board (1400A), Washington, DC
Ms. Priscilla Y. Tillery-Gadson, Program Specialist, Environmental Protection Agency, Science
Advisory Board (1400A), Washington, DC
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NOTICE
This report has been written as part of the activities of the Science Advisory Board, a
public advisory group providing extramural scientific information and advice to the Administrator
and other officials of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Board is structured to provide
balanced, expert assessment of scientific matters related to problems facing the Agency. This
report has not been reviewed for approval by the Agency and, hence, the contents of this report
do not necessarily represent the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor
of other agencies in the Executive Branch of the Federal government, nor does mention of trade
names or commercial products constitute a recommendation for use.
Distribution and Availability: This Science Advisory Board report is provided to the EPA
Administrator, senior Agency management, appropriate program staff, interested members of the
public, and is posted on the SAB website (www.epa.gov/sab). Information on its availability is
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also provided in the SAB's monthly newsletter (Happenings at the Science Advisory Board).
Additional copies and further information are available from the SAB Staff.
IV
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