April 13, 2022
EPA advisors are supporting many of the agency’s conclusions in draft documents to be used to set enforceable drinking water limits for two well-characterized per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including its scientific basis for conservative risk values, a finding that one of the substances is a likely carcinogen and its method for assessing PFAS mixtures.
But in an April 1 draft report, the panel is citing deficiencies in the agency’s documents and stressing the need for clarifications and “a strong and transparent rationale” on health outcomes and other aspects of the agency’s assessment.
“In general, the [Science Advisory Board (SAB)] agreed with many of the conclusions presented in the assessments, framework and analysis,” the SAB PFAS Review Panel writes in its draft report to EPA Administrator Michael Regan.
But the panel says it also “identified many areas that would benefit from further clarification to enhance their transparency and increase their utility,” echoing panelists’ statements during their review earlier this year.
