FROM:

TO : SUBJECT : UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON , D.C
. 20460 

## FEB 

## 0 

# 1 2013

# ~~ JeffMorris ,

# ~ r

# r~:"'<!i4~~\.**..._"'"""o::::::==--** Deputy Di rector o r 

# t gr ams Office of Pollution Prevention and T oxics S il oxane Enfo rceable Consent Agreement Interested Parties OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION

S il oxane Enforceable Co nsent Agreement Negotiation : Next Steps I am writing to share th e latest developments in the effort to establish an enforceable consent agreement (ECA) to collect enviro nmental monitoring data on octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4). As you know, the ECA negotiation time period was recently extended to February 27, 2013. Thi s extens i on was granted at the request of the Silicones Environmental Health and Safety Counc il of North Amer ica (SEHSC) to allow time for the rev i sion of their monitoring proposal. It is clear that the scientific issues associated with developing a D4 monitoring program are numerous and complex. Because EPA p lans to conduct a risk assessment of D4**http: //** **ww~** .epa.gov / oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/ workplans.html) , it is important that any monitoring data that re sult from t he ECA are appropriate to th e scope and policy o bj ective of the risk assessment. T o that end , EPA is developing a risk assessment plan for D 4 and plans to have it reviewed in a peer consultation. This risk assessment plan will describe how EPA would assess D 4 hazards, exposures, and risks
. As part of the peer consultati on, EPA will as k for inp ut on aspects of t h e SEHSC and EPA monitoring proposal s di scussed in past ECA negotiation sessions
. Adv ice from the reviewers on monitoring data needs will inform the ECA negotiations
. The development and review of the ri sk assessment p lan cou ld take months. Therefore, interested parties shou ld expec t additional extensions of the ECA negoti ati on period until these activ it ies are completed. For background on peer consultation, including how it d if fers from peer review , please refer to EPA's Peer Rev iew H andbook at: http: //epa.gov/pecrrcvicw/pdfs/peer review handbook 20 l2.pdf.

I nternet Address ( URL)
. http
. //www.epa
. gov Page 1 of2 Recycled/Recyclable • Pnnted w i th Vegetab l e Oil Based I nks on 100 % Postconsumer Process Chlonne Free Recycled PaperRecognizing that interested parties may need additional information regarding the developments described above, the agency will be scheduling an ECA meeting for mid February 2013. We also hope to hear more about SEHSC's enhanced monitoring proposal at that meeting. If you have any questions about this letter, please feel free to contact either of the EPA leads for the ECA process, Ward Penberthy at (202) 564-8171 or Paul Lewis at (202) 564-6738.
Siloxane Enforceable Consent Agreement Interested Partics 1 Paul C. De Leo, American Cleaning Institute J Christopher York, Bluestar Silicones USA Corporation Kathleen P. Plotzke, Dow Corning Corporation Russell B. Mait, Evonik Goldschmidt Corporation Lisa M. DuMars, Momentive MPM Silicones, LLC Cynthia A. Finley, National Association of Clean Water Agencies John F. Krowka, Personal Care Products Council Jun 1-Iamuro, Shin-Etsu Silicones of America Inc. Karluss Thomas, Silicone Envirorunental Health and Safety Council of North America Trent M. Doyle , Keller and Heckman LLP Jack Linard, Unilever Hugh A Flack Jr., Wacker Chemical Corporation

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