Document 10ZXD3q4gMG2ZwBYxqrNx1zBd

AU JA 6 _ lUJL UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 SEP 25 2002 OFFICE OF PREVENTION, PESTICIDES AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: Summary of PFOA Exposure Conference Call, September 12, 2002 FROM: TO: Charles M. Auei Director Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics Administrative Record AR-226: PFOS, PFAS, PFOA, Telomers, and Related Chemicals Following the August 13, 2002 meeting between Steve Johnson and the manufacturers and users of perfluorooctanoic acid and its salts (PFOA) and related telomer chemicals, the industry participants arranged an Internet conference call with EPA on September 12, 2002 to discuss data gaps on exposure issues with respect to PFOA and telomers. At the request of industry, EPA supplied a draft document prior to the call outlining sample issues that could be included in the discussion. This draft discussion document is available separately in Administrative Record file AR-226. A technical incompatibility between the Agency firewall and the conference website prevented EPA from connecting with the Internet presentation, and the industry instead provided the draft presentation slides via facsimile while discussion took place over telephone lines. Subsequent to the call, the Fluoropolymer Manufacturing Group (FMG), which coordinated the call, delivered clean copies of the slides, together with the complete list of conference call participants, to the Agency to be included in AR-226. That submission has been filed separately from this summary. The industry participants structured their presentation to indicate whether data addressing the draft gaps identified by the Agency were already available, were being generated, or were not available and were not presently included in any of the current research plans on PFOA and telomers. In most instances, they indicated that data either existed or were being generated, and they announced their intention to consolidate these data into one complete summary package including specific references to scientific documentation. EPA emphasized that the gaps identified in its draft discussion document were illustrative only. The industry participants indicated that they understood that the draft EPA document did not provide a comprehensive checklist of data gaps, and noted that the document issues would be used as a starting point rather than as a gauge of completion. corcmmrAJN no hp Internet Address (URL) http://www.epa.gov RecycledIRecyclable Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on Recycled Paper (Minimum 50% Postconsumer content) 2 EPA emphasized its need to know when exposure data would be available, since no schedule for data submission was included in the industry slides. EPA also requested additional clarification on which data gaps would remain unfilled. In connection with the outline proposed by industry for their next meeting with Steve Johnson, which included sections on summarizing existing toxicity and environmental fate and effect information, EPA noted that, based on the toxicology meeting held on August 30, 2002 and separately summarized in AR-226, it was the Agency's understanding that there was substantial agreement on the toxicity issue. EPA specifically requested that any disagreements with the Agency's interpretation of PFOA toxicity studies be raised and resolved with staff prior to any meeting with Steve Johnson. The call participants did not acknowledge any difference of opinion on the hazard issues. The call participants indicated that the manufacturer and user groups would present a summary of their efforts to fill the remaining exposure data gaps, together with their plan for further analytical work, and would share their work on a communications package to respond to any media issues that may be raised. They agreed to include timeline information that would indicate when the Agency could expect to receive critical pieces of data. No further meetings have yet been scheduled.