[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 37 (Wednesday, February 25, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8656-8657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4129]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7626-9]
Generic Ecological Assessment Endpoints
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of a final report
titled,
[[Page 8657]]
Generic Ecological Assessment Endpoints (EPA/630/P-02-004F), which was
prepared by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Risk Assessment
Forum Technical Panel.
DATES: This document will be available on or about February 25, 2004.
ADDRESSES: The document will be made available electronically through
the RAF web site (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/raf/recordisplay.cfm?deid=55131.) A limited number of paper copies will be
available from the EPA's National Service Center for Environmental
Publications (NSCEP), P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242; telephone:
1-800-490-9198 or 513-489-8190; facsimile: 513-489-8695. Please provide
your name, your mailing address, the title and the EPA number of the
requested publication.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Technical Information Staff,
National Center for Environmental Assessment/Washington Office (8623D),
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20460. Telephone: 202-564-3261; fax: 202-565-0050; e-
mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Ecological risk assessment is a process for
evaluating the likelihood that adverse ecological effects may occur or
are occurring as a result of exposure to one or more stressors. A
critical early step in conducting an ecological risk assessment is
deciding which aspects of the environment will be selected for
evaluation. This step is often challenging because of the remarkable
diversity of species, ecological communities, and ecological functions
from which to choose and because of statutory ambiguity regarding what
is to be protected.
The purpose of this document is to build on existing EPA guidance
and experience to assist those who are involved in ecological risk
assessments in carrying out this step, which in the parlance of
ecological risk assessment is termed ``selecting assessment
endpoints.'' The document describes a set of endpoints, known as
generic ecological assessment endpoints (GEAEs), that can be considered
and adapted for specific ecological risk assessments. The document is
intended to enhance the application of ecological risk assessment at
EPA, thereby improving the scientific basis for ecological risk
management decisions. However, the document is not a regulation, nor is
it intended to substitute for federal regulations. It describes general
principles and is not prescriptive. Rather, it is intended to be a
useful starting point that is flexible enough to be applied to many
different types of ecological risk assessments. Risk assessors and risk
managers at EPA are the primary audience; the document also may be
useful to others outside the Agency.
Dated: February 19, 2004.
P. W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 04-4129 Filed 2-24-04; 8:45 am]
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