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EPA Letter on Status of TCE Health Risk Assessment

Brownfields Subcommittee

Dear Congresswoman DeGette:

Thank you for your October 18, 2004 letter encouraging the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to move decisively to finalize its health risk
assessment of trichloroethylene (TCE). As you note, TCE is a chemical of
great importance at many sites, and the scientific assessment of the
risks of TCE is a priority for EPA and many stakeholders including
federal, state and local government agencies, industry, environmental
and health advocacy groups, as well as private citizens. With regard to
your request for EPA to strengthen TCE clean up standards, EPA is
current evaluating a number of interim approaches for screening levels
while awaiting a final TCE risk assessment. Final clean up standards are
determined, as always, on a site-specific basis. We would also like to
provide you with an update as to our plans for finalizing the TCE health
risk assessment.

Because of the high visibility and because addressing the issues raised
by the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) will require incorporating new
scientific information and analyses, EPA has engaged in a number of
mechanisms to gather additional scientific input. In February 2004, we
held a symposium on recently published scientific findings related to
TCE. Presentations and a transcript of the meeting are available on the
following EPA Web page:

http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=75934

or upon request. In addition, EPA, in cooperation with a number of other
federal agencies, has initiated a scientific consultation with the
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to obtain the best available advice
on addressing key scientific issues related to TCE. Part of this
consultation will include a number of public meetings so that the NAS
expert panel can gain additional insights from the federal agencies,
concerned parties, and other scientists.

The advice from the NAS, along with comments from the EPA SAB and
recently published scientific literature, will be incorporated into a
revised EPA risk assessment of TCE, strengthening its scientific basis.
Because of the substantial amount of new information and analysis that
is expected in the revised assessment, we anticipate that a revised
draft will undergo further peer review and public comment prior to being
finalized. We believe this process will not only address the EPA SAB's
comments, but also provide a risk assessment of the highest quality and
scientific credibility.

Should you have any questions, please contact me or your staff may
contact Pamela Hanifer in EPA's Office of Congressional and
Intergovernmental Relations ... Thank you for your interest in this
important environmental health issue.

Sincerely yours,

Henry L. Longest, II
Acting Assistant Administrator