United States
EPA’s “Fenceline Communities Screening Strategy” Aims to Advance Environmental Justice Agenda
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The agency’s draft strategy was released by EPA on Friday.
For examining the health and environmental risks of communities.
You may live near facilities that emit chemicals that are subject to TSCA review.
The “fenceline community screening strategy” is an
Initial and explicit injections of “environmental justice”.
Principles in the realm of chemical risk assessment and
management. The Biden Administration has identified and regularly
EJ is a priority and core focus of EPA.
“To protect the environment and human health, we must
All chemical exposures to communities must be evaluated and understood.
Communities that were historically underserved have been especially benefited from this program.
Generations of people are most at risk from pollution.”
-Michal Freedhoff is assistant EPA administrator chemical
Safety and pollution prevention
Particularly, the draft “TSCA Screening Level approach for
Assessing Ambient Air and water Exposures to Fenceline
Communities” is a screening method to evaluate
Potential exposures to and risks to human health near (1)
At-Risk Facilities with Chemical Emissions
Evaluation under TSCA section 6 and (2) waterbodies receiving
Substantial risk assessment of chemical exposures, including direct and indirect,
Section 6. EPA defines “fenceline communities”
as:
Members of the general public
You are located near an air emitting facility or a receiving facility
waterbody and may therefore be disproportionately exposed.
chemical undergoing risk evaluation under TSCA section 6. For the
air pathway, proximity to an air source goes out to 10,000m
Emitting source The water pathway does not use proximity to indicate its location.
A distance from a receiving waterbody to a specific point.
to members of the general populace who may interact with
The receiving waterbody may be exposed.
Notably, EPA will use the methodology for reassessing risks
From seven of the ten chemical substances for which the agency relatively
Recently published risk assessments under TSCA: 1-bromopropane
(1-BP), methylene chloride (MC), n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), carbon
Tetrachloride and trichloroethylene are and
1,4-dioxane. Draft strategy includes initial “case”
Studies” using the strategy to 1-BP and MC as examples
This is how the strategy should work.
For future TSCA Risk Evaluations, including the 20 chemicals
EPA is currently undergoing a risk evaluation.
This is the first version of this framework that includes a method for addressing
There are other potential environmental justice concerns that could be raised and cumulative or
aggregate exposures to chemicals.”
Commentaries on the draft strategy are due February 22nd.
Agency’s Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals will be
To allow peer review, a public meeting was held, almost March 15-17.
methodology. You can obtain a copy of the strategy as well as additional information.
Available at Website of the EPA.
This article is intended as a general overview.
guide to the subject matter It is a good idea to seek specialist advice
Learn more about your particular circumstances.
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