Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
management. measures. appropriate. for. a. given. life-cycle. phase. of. such. substance..
According.to.the.Overview.Document:
The.In-Depth.Program.would.be.expected.to.focus.on.a.more.limited.number.of.engi-
neered. nanoscale. materials,. generating. and. reporting. more. in-depth. information. as.
identiied.by.EPA.as.necessary.to.allow.the.Agency.to.conduct.a.full.risk.assessment.
of.the.identiied.materials.and.associated.uses..For.each.volunteered.material,.produc-
ers,.processors,.users,.and.researchers.and/or.consortia.of.such.entities.would.submit.
Basic.Program.information.and.would.concurrently.begin.to.generate.the.additional,.
more. in-depth. information,. although. it. is. expected. that. it. will. take. longer. to. gener-
ate.the.new.information..In-depth.information.on.the.engineered.nanoscale.materials.
would.be.submitted.on.a.prescribed.set.of.elements,.developed.by.EPA.in.advance.of.
program. launch,. on. material. characterization,. human. health. hazard,. environmental.
hazard,.and.release.and.exposure..The.information.would.be.generated.with.an.aim.to.
avoid.redundancy.and.ensure.eficient.use.of.resources.[17].
Under. the. In-Depth. Program,. volunteers. also. would. agree. to. work. to. extend.
application.of.protective.risk.management.practices.identiied.by.the.EPA.along.their.
supply. chains,. and. to. conduct. monitoring. of. workplaces,. environmental. releases,.
and.worker.health.
An. aspect. of. the. voluntary. program. that. attracted. considerable. attention. was.
program.evaluation..The.program.is.intended.to.be.time.limited,.and.it.is.expected.
that.the.EPA.will.determine.a.point.in.time.at.which.it.will.conduct.a.full-scale.pro-
gram.evaluation.to.assess.at.least.the.following:
•
•
•
Degree.to.which.the.program.is.meeting.its.goals
Rate.of.participation
Amount. and. quality. of. the. information. generated. by. the. program.
participants
Adequacy. and. potential. effectiveness. of. existing. risk. management.
practices
Lessons.and.conclusions.that.can.be.drawn.from.the.program.experience
•
•
NPPTAC.members,.and.especially.the.Interim.Ad.Hoc.Work.Group.members,.
expressed. keen. interest. in. ensuring. that. the. program. did. not. simply. get. off. the.
ground,.but.also.that.it.meet.the.EPA's.intended.goals.within.a.reasonable.period.of.
time.
On.October.18,.2006,.the.Ofice.of.Prevention,.Pesticides,.and.Toxic.Substances.
(OPPTS). Assistant. Administrator,. Jim. Gulliford,. sent. a. letter. to. stakeholders. for-
mally.announcing.the.development.of.the.NMSP.and.inviting.stakeholder.participa-
tion.in.it.[19]..According.to.the.letter,.the.EPA's.goal.“is.to.implement.TSCA.in.a.way.
that. enables. responsible. development. of. nanotechnology. and. realizes. its. potential.
environmental. beneits,. while. applying. sound. science. to. assess. and,. where. appro-
priate,. manage. potential. risks. to. human. health. and. the. environment. presented. by.
nanoscale.materials”.[19]..The.letter.explained:
