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Announcement of Public Comment Period and Workshop for the Draft Public Health Goal for Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency is hereby announcing a rescheduling of the public workshop and extension of the comment period on the proposed Public Health Goal (PHG) for trihalomethanes in drinking water. The draft PHG document is currently posted on the OEHHA Web site (www.oehha.ca.gov) and OEHHA is soliciting comments on it from all interested parties. The public workshop had been scheduled on a Friday which has now been declared a furlough day for the office. The public workshop is therefore rescheduled for August 13, 2009 at the Elihu Harris Building, 1515 Clay Street, Oakland, 94612, Room 12, 10 a.m.-12 noon, or until business is concluded. OEHHA follows the requirements set forth in Health and Safety Code Sections 57003(a) and 116365 for conducting the workshop and receiving public input.

Written comments must be received at the OEHHA address below by 5:00 p.m. on August 13, 2009 to be considered during this document revision period. The workshop is provided to encourage a dialogue between OEHHA scientists and the public, to discuss the scientific basis of the proposed PHG, and to receive comments. Following the workshop, OEHHA will evaluate all the comments received, revise the document as appropriate, and make it available for another 30-day comment period. After any subsequent revisions, the final document will be posted on our Web site along with responses to the major comments from the public at the workshop and during the public review and scientific comment periods.

The PHG technical support documents provide 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 19961 requires OEHHA to develop PHGs based exclusively on public health considerations.2 PHGs published by OEHHA are considered by the California Department of Public Health in setting drinking water standards (Maximum Contaminant Levels, or MCLs).3

If you would like to receive further information on this announcement or have questions, please contact our office at (510) 622-3170 or the address below.

Hermelinda Jimenez (Hermelinda.Jimenez@oehha.ca.gov)
Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology Branch
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
California Environmental Protection Agency
1515 Clay St., 16th floor
Oakland, California 94612

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

2Health and Safety Code section 116365(c)

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

[Update] Workshop rescheduled 07/31/09

[Update] Draft document updated 09/09/10