Workshop to Obtain Input on Preliminary Draft Materials for the Lead (Pb) Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) (May and June 2022)

Meeting Details

EPA is currently updating its Lead (Pb) Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) as part of the review of the primary (health) and secondary (welfare) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Pb. The ISA will be completed by EPA's Office of Research and Development's (ORD) Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA). As part of the Pb review, EPA is announcing a series of webinar teleconference workshops to obtain input on preliminary draft materials of the Pb ISA from expert reviewers. The workshop will be open to attendance by interested public observers by webinar and teleconference only. Preliminary draft materials reviewed during this workshop will not be disseminated publicly, and will only be made available to the expert reviewers to guide discussions and inform the development of the ISA. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (External Review Draft) when it is made available for public comment and peer review at a later date.

The preliminary draft materials to be discussed in the workshops cover a range of subject areas including fate and transport of Pb in environmental media; human and ecological exposure to Pb; toxicological and epidemiologic evidence for human health effects; and effects of Pb on terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Expert evaluation of the preliminary draft materials will help ensure that the ISA is up-to-date and focuses on the key evidence necessary to inform the underlying scientific basis for the review of the Pb primary and secondary NAAQS. New scientific evidence – if any – that alters or substantiates findings on the effects of Pb in humans or biota or decreases uncertainties identified in the previous ISA, especially at near current exposure concentrations, is of particular interest.

The Clean Air Act (CAA) directs EPA to identify certain pollutants which cause or contribute to air pollution or may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare and to issue air quality criteria for them. Pb is one of the six criteria pollutants for which EPA has established NAAQS. The CAA also requires EPA to conduct periodic reviews of the air quality criteria for each air pollutant listed in the Act. Based on such reviews, EPA either retains or revises the NAAQS for a given pollutant as appropriate. As a major component of these reviews, EPA assesses newly available scientific information and develops ISAs that provide the scientific basis for the reviews of the NAAQS.

The workshop will be held by webinar and teleconference. The website information and call-in number for the webinar are available to registered participants.

Dates/Registration

The workshop will be held in 4 webinar and teleconference sessions on May 26, June 7, June 22, and June 29, 2022.

• May 26: Session 1. Effects of Pb in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems
• Jun 07: Session 2. Epidemiologic and Toxicological Evidence for Health Effects of Pb Exposure
• Jun 22: Session 3. Ambient Pb: Source to Concentration
• Jun 29: Session 4. Exposure, Toxicokinetics, and Pb Biomarkers

REGISTRATION: Members of the public may attend as observers, but you must register in advance by visiting the session links above to attend.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Please direct questions regarding workshop registration or logistics to EPA's contractor, ICF, by e-mail at EPA-Workshops@icf.com. For technical issues, please use the contact us form with the subject line "Lead ISA Peer Review Workshops."

Meeting Agenda

• Agenda for May 26: Session 1. Effects of Pb in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems
• Agenda for Jun 7: Session 2. Epidemiologic and Toxicological Evidence for Health Effects of Pb Exposure
• Agenda for Jun 20: Session 3. Ambient Pb: Source to Concentration
• Agenda for Jun 29: Session 4. Exposure, Toxicokinetic, and Pb Biomarkers

Meeting Objective

As part of the ISA review process, EPA is announcing a public workshop to evaluate preliminary draft materials that will inform the development of the Pb ISA. The workshop is being organized by EPA and will be held by webinar and teleconference on dates listed below. The workshop is open to attendance by interested public observers on a first-come, first-served basis and participation will be by webinar and teleconference only. Preliminary draft materials reviewed during the workshop will not be disseminated publicly, and will only be made available to the expert reviewers to guide discussions and inform the development of the ISA. External expert evaluation of the preliminary draft materials will help ensure that the ISA is up-to-date and focuses on the key evidence necessary to inform the underlying scientific basis for the review of the Pb primary and secondary NAAQS.

Meeting Materials

Preliminary draft materials reviewed during this workshop will not be disseminated publicly, and will only be made available to the expert reviewers to guide discussions and inform the development of the ISA. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (External Review Draft) when it is made available for public comment and peer review at a later date.

• See tab for the meeting materials

Meeting Materials