A RiskWorld news article by Amy Charlene Reed, staff editor
E-mail to: reed@tec-com.com

States outside of California are expected to benefit from several ecological risk assessment tools being developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency as part of its Guidelines for Assessing Ecological Risks Posed by Chemicals.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment of California EPA, which is overseeing creation of the guidelines and associated tools, has placed its development plan on line at http://www.calepa.cahwnet.gov/oehha/docs/ecotox.htm.

"In the workshops we held to gather information on what was needed, it was clear that what the risk community wanted even more than guidance was better tools for doing ecological risk assessments," said Senior Toxicologist Jim Donald, who is chief of the office’s eco-toxicology unit. "As a result our development plan emphasizes the tools we plan to provide."

These tools include a wildlife exposure factor/toxicity database, a population model for ecological risk assessment, and endpoint test methods, as well as guidelines for toxicity data extrapolation and consideration of non-chemical modulators of chemical toxicity.

"Many of these tools, especially the wildlife exposure factor/toxicity database we’ve developed, will be of use to anyone in North America doing ecological risk assessments," Donald said. "Our intention is to make it accessible through the Internet to those interested on both the national and the state levels. Once the database is up and running on the Internet, we may expand its content. Other states that find it useful may want to adopt it for species in their states. Our goal is for it to be as widely usable as possible."

Donald, who is heading the project, said that he is interested in any comments on the research tools or the guidelines. Comments can be sent directly to him via e-mail at e-mail sactopo.jdonald@hw1.cahwnet.gov, and he can be reached by telephone at (916) 445-5652.

In regard to both the guidelines for ecological risk assessments and the associated research tools, the California EPA plans to avoid overlapping the work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Donald said.

"Our position as a matter of policy is that we don’t want to reinvent the wheel," he said. "U.S. EPA has put time and resources into developing ecological risk assessment guidelines, and we’ve been involved in that as reviewers. We are comfortable with the good, general guidance of the U.S. EPA. The purpose for developing Cal EPA guidelines is to promote consistency within our agency, to give more detailed guidance to the regulated community, and to fill in gaps such as the need for certain tools."

Related Links

"Guidelines for Assessing Ecological Risks Posed by Chemicals - Developmental Plan"
http://www.calepa.cahwnet.gov/oehha/docs/ecotox.htm

"Guidelines for Assessing Ecological Risks Posed by Chemicals - Developmental Plan: Announcement of Availability for Public Review"
http://www.calepa.cahwnet.gov/oehha/docs/ecocrnr.htm

Instructions on downloading PDF file of "Guidelines For Assessing Ecological Risks Posed by Chemicals - Developmental Plan"
http://www.calepa.cahwnet.gov/oehha/docs/getecodp.htm

On-line directory of California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
http://www.calepa.cahwnet.gov/oehha/

Other scientific documents of the California EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
http://www.calepa.cahwnet.gov/oehha/scidocs.htm

Related Articles in RiskWorld

"California EPA Harmonizing Risk Assessment Activities with U.S. EPA"
Director William Farland of U.S. EPA’s National Center for Environmental Assessment and Director Richard Becker of California EPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment explain why a joint agreement between the two agencies is expected to eliminate duplication of risk research efforts, identify joint risk assessment projects, and harmonize risk guidelines.

"Using Sound Science and Common Sense To Implement California's Proposition 65"
Director Richard A. Becker of the California EPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment explains how the agency is improving the implementation of the state's landmark legislation involving risk assessment and management.

Posted February 16, 1998.

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