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Second Public Comment Period - Draft Technical Support Document on the Proposed Updates of Public Health Goals for Carbofuran, Diquat, Endrin, Picloram, and Thiobencarb in Drinking Water

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the availability of the revised draft technical support document for the proposed updates of Public Health Goals (PHGs) for carbofuran, diquat, endrin, picloram, and thiobencarb in drinking water.  The PHG technical support document provides information on the health effects of contaminants in drinking water.  The PHG is a level of drinking water contaminant at which adverse health effects are not expected to occur from a lifetime of exposure.  The California Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996[1] requires OEHHA to develop PHGs based exclusively on public health considerations.[2]  PHGs published by OEHHA are considered by the State Water Resources Control Board in setting drinking water standards (Maximum Contaminant Levels, or MCLs).[3]

This draft document presents updates of the carbofuran, diquat, endrin, picloram, and thiobencarb PHGs, originally published in 2000, 2000, 1999 (updated in 2008), 1997, and 2000, respectively.  OEHHA provided a 45-day public comment period and held a public workshop for the first draft document on September 28, 2015.  Subsequently, an external scientific peer review of the draft PHGs document was conducted pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 116365 (c)(3)(D).  External scientific peer review and public comments did not result in changes to the proposed updated PHGs of 0.7 parts per billion (ppb) for carbofuran, 6 ppb for diquat, 0.3 ppb for endrin, 166 ppb for picloram, and 42 ppb for thiobencarb, all based on non-cancer effects.

OEHHA is soliciting comments on the second draft technical support document during a 30-day comment period.  This public comment period is the second request for public input.  The second draft technical document is posted on the OEHHA web site.  OEHHA will evaluate all the comments received and revise the document as appropriate.  Written comments must be received by the PHG program at PHG.Program@oehha.ca.gov or at the postal address below by 5:00 p.m. on August 29, 2016 to be considered.  After any subsequent revisions, OEHHA intends to post the final document on its web site along with responses to the major comments submitted during the external scientific peer review and the public comment periods.

If you would like to receive further information on this announcement or have questions, please contact Hermelinda Jimenez at the email address above or at (916) 324-7572.

Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology Branch
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
California Environmental Protection Agency
1515 Clay St., 16th floor
Oakland, California 94612
Attention: PHG Program

 

Footnotes and References

[1] Codified at Health and Safety Code, section 116270 et. seq.

[2] Health and Safety Code section 116365(c)

[3]Health and Safety Code section 116365(a) and (b)