2000 Accomplishments and Priorities

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) protects and enhances public health and the environment by objective scientific evaluation of risks posed by hazardous substances.

Accomplishments during Second Half of 2000

1. Proposition 65. 

• Addition to Proposition 65 List. In August, OEHHA administratively added o-phenylphenol to the list of chemicals that cause cancer. 
• Medical Device Warning Regulations Workshop. OEHHA held a public workshop in September to discuss the need for warning regulations specific to medical devices. The workshop was held in response to a petition from the Advanced Medical Technology Association. Comments are currently being considered and the next appropriate action will be determined early in 2001. 
• Safe Harbor Numbers Workshop. Businesses are required by Proposition 65 to provide clear and reasonable warnings prior to exposing individuals to chemicals listed as known to the State to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm in amounts above specified risk levels. Establishing safe harbor numbers for these chemicals helps businesses determine the need for product and operational warnings. OEHHA held a public workshop in November to solicit input from interested parties on the process of developing safe harbor numbers under Proposition 65. A recent budget augmentation will allow OEHHA to begin developing safe harbor numbers for the first time in six years. 
• Carcinogen Identification Committee (CIC). In November, the CIC met to consider the following three chemicals for addition to the Proposition 65 list: 1,3-hexachlorbutadiene, 4-methylquinoline, and MX (3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2-(5H)-furanone). OEHHA staff compiled Hazard Identification Documents on each of these chemicals, summarizing the evidence of carcinogenicity for the Committee’s consideration. MX was unanimously approved for listing. Both 4-Methylquinoline and Hexachloro-1,3-Butadiene were rejected, but it was recommended that OEHHA request further study of both chemicals.

2. Emerging Environmental Challenges (EEC).

• Summary of EEC Workshops. In September 2000, OEHHA released a summary of the EEC Workshops held in 1999/2000 (two public workshops in November 1999 and one workshop for Cal/EPA staff in January 2000). The workshops were designed to collect ideas from various interested parties regarding possible environmental challenges that may confront Cal/EPA and its programs in the next five to ten years. 
• Workshop. In November, OEHHA convened a workshop for high-level policy-makers within Cal/EPA to obtain collective input into the selection of up to three emerging environmental challenges for further characterization. Ideas collected during the series of public and staff workshops were screened and scored by OEHHA. The highest ranked challenges were presented at the November 14 workshop, along with background information reflecting preliminary research conducted by staff. These, as well as additional emerging issues identified by participants, were ranked at the workshop. The three highest scoring issues will be the subjects of further investigation by the EEC program. 

3. Registered Environmental Assessor (REA) Web Site and Database On-line. The REA program completed the development of enhancements to its Web site and database. The new database was brought on-line in December 2000. The database and ties to the REA website enable REA registrants to update address and web address information on-line. Parties can use their own search parameters to create a list of REAs by geographic area, area code, area of expertise, or any combination of these factors.
4. Fish Advisories.

• Lake Pillsbury. In September, OEHHA finalized the report, "Methylmercury in Fish from Lake Pillsbury (Lake County): Guidelines for Sport Fish Consumption." The report represents an evaluation of methylmercury in fish from Lake Pillsbury and provides guidelines for limiting consumption of fish from this lake, located in Lake County. 
• Bear/Yuba Rivers and Deer Creek. In October, the Departments of Environmental Health from Nevada, Placer, and Yuba County issued a public health notification regarding fish consumption for lakes and watercourses in the Bear/Yuba Rivers and Deer Creek watersheds. This advisory was based on OEHHA’s evaluation of findings in a United States Geological Survey (USGS) report of elevated mercury levels in sport fish from several of the affected watercourses. 
• Tomales Bay. In November, OEHHA provided a preliminary evaluation and guidance to Marin County based on findings of elevated mercury in sport fish from Tomales Bay. The county issued an interim advisory in December. 

5. Physicians’ Pesticide Training. OEHHA is continuing its program of medical education designed to alert physicians and other health care professionals to the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and reporting of pesticide poisoning. Presentations on “Pesticide Illness Reporting, Recognition and Management” were held in San Luis Obispo and Oakland, California. A physician’s training presentation on medical supervision was also conducted in Firebaugh, California.   
6. Air Toxics Hot Spots Program.   

• Risk Assessment Guidelines. The final version of the Air Toxics Hot Spots Program Risk Assessment Guidelines, Part IV: the Director of OEHHA adopted Exposure Assessment and Stochastic Technical Support Document in October 2000. This document addresses the risk assessment of airborne pollutants from stationary sources. It proposes that simple risk assessment approaches be used first and that more complicated stochastic methods should only be employed when necessary. This document is the fourth part of a five-part set of guidelines being developed for use by the local air pollution control districts. 
• Reference Exposure Levels (RELs). OEHHA prepared 22 draft chronic RELs, addendum to Part III of the Air Toxics Hot Spots Risk Assessment Guidelines, with revisions in response to public and Scientific Review Panel (SRP) members’ comments on earlier drafts. The draft RELs have been submitted to the SRP for review and comment. 
• Facility Risk Assessments. OEHHA reviewed 34 facility risk assessments for various air districts, conducted under the Air Toxics Hot Spots program.   

7. Public Health Goals. In September, OEHHA published the final Public Health Goal (PHG) documents for six chemicals: carbofuran, carbon tetrachloride, dichloromethane, diquat, thiobencarb, and vinyl chloride. Six more PHG documents are in the final stages of completion, after revisions and preparation of responses to extensive comments on the posted drafts. These chemicals are aluminum, benzene, nickel, simazine, perchlorethylene, and uranium. 
8. Multimedia Risk Assessment Project. OEHHA released the final draft of the Multimedia Risk Assessment Project Phase I Report on Exposure Assessment, entitled “Practices, Needs and Methodologies for Human Exposure Assessment at Cal/EPA”. The report contains results of a survey on current uses of human exposure assessment in California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) programs. It also contains summaries of selected resource documents on topics related to exposure assessment. 
9. Environmental Protection Indicators for California (EPIC). The EPIC project is developing environmental indicators that will allow Cal/EPA to communicate the state of California’s environment to the public and provide policymakers with the tools to set priorities and evaluate regulatory performance. In August 2000, OEHHA began the selection of contractors, project staff, and advisory group members for the EPIC Project. Information on existing environmental indicator models, developed by local, state, national and international groups, has been compiled and is being reviewed to assist in the selection of a sound process that is based on science. Project staff have also started identifying candidate environmental issues and indicators as a first step in developing a framework for selecting a list of initial environmental indicators for evaluation. 
10. Water Quality Consults and Assessments. OEHHA provided consultation to California’s Regional Water Quality Control Boards on 28 contaminated sites. Work plans and/or risk assessments were formally reviewed for 21 of these sites.
11. Methyl Bromide.

• Soil Fumigation Regulations. OEHHA provided comments and scientific consultation to the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) on proposed methyl bromide soil fumigation regulations. 
• Soil Fumigation Guidance. OEHHA participated in the development of DPR’s Guidance Manual for Methyl Bromide Field Soil Fumigation. 
• Commodity and Structural Fumigation Regulations. OEHHA issued its concurrence with DPR’s regulations for both methyl bromide commodity and structural fumigation. 

12. Birth Defect Prevention Act (SB 950). OEHHA reviewed and submitted comments to DPR on its draft risk characterization of the active pesticide ingredients, thiabendazole and chlorpyrifos. Staff reviewed the DPR data on denatonium saccharide and concurred with the recommended SB 950 data waiver. They also reviewed and commented on the registration for Abate (temephos), an organophosphate pesticide used only to control mosquito larvae. 
13. Toxic Air Contaminants (Pesticides) (AB 1807). OEHHA completed its mandated review and submission of comments to DPR on molinate as a toxic air contaminant and finalized its findings on both molinate and azinphos-methyl. (Review for azinphos-methyl was completed during the first half of 2000.) 
14. Lompoc Activities. As part of a continuing evaluation of available health data for Lompoc, California, OEHHA issued an updated analysis of hospital discharges, “Lompoc Hospital Discharges: Analysis Extending 1991-1994 to 1995-1997,” to the Lompoc Interagency Work Group (LIWG). At the request of the LIWG, OEHHA also provided a draft community health survey protocol for review and discussion. Additionally, OEHHA, DPR, and Department of Health Services (DHS) developed and finalized screening levels for pesticides in air to support ongoing monitoring efforts. The study was initiated in 1998 to determine if certain illnesses were more frequent in Lompoc, compared to other areas in California.   
15. Drinking Water Action Levels. OEHHA established Action Levels for cumene, sec-butyl benzene and tert-butyl benzene, 2-chlorotoluene, naphthalene, and vanadium. 
16. Pesticide Exposure Field Investigations. At the request of local county health officials, following the November 1999 exposure of Earlimart, California residents to metam sodium, OEHHA planned and coordinated a survey of residents, developed the survey questionnaire (in English and Spanish), coordinated questionnaire and survey plans with the DPR and the DHS, and initiated the epidemiological field study.   
17. SB 25: Children’s Environmental Health Protection Act.   

• Ambient Air Quality. OEHHA prepared a report entitled “Adequacy of California Ambient Air Quality Standards: Senate Bill No. 25 - Children’s Environmental Health,” which prioritizes the criteria air pollutants for which ambient air quality standards (AAQS) will be reviewed under SB 25. Prepared in cooperation with the Air Resources Board (ARB), the report is based on focused reviews of the scientific literature pertaining to health effects of the pollutants, particularly in children. The ARB approved the report at its December 7, 2000 meeting. 
• Toxic Air Contaminants. Staff began the prioritization of the existing 200 toxic air contaminants (TACs) to determine those TACs that potentially have a more significant impact on children. Focused literature reviews for 33 of these TACs were completed in December 2000. 

18. Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium VI). OEHHA provided technical support to legislators, government organizations, and the public regarding the presence of hexavalent chromium in southern California’s drinking water and issues related to the PHG for this chemical.   
19. Forest Fire Workshop. OEHHA held a workshop on public health responses to forest fires, including air monitoring needs, measures to reduce exposures, measuring health impacts, and guidance for local health departments and air quality management districts. Workshop participants included staff from DHS, ARB, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, several air quality management districts, a county health department, and several university faculty. U.S. EPA staff has indicated the proceedings from this workshop will be used as the basis for a similar national program to address forest fire health impacts.   

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Priorities for the First Half of 2001   

1. Proposition 65.   

• “Authoritative Body” Listings. OEHHA will consider the listing of as many as 14 chemicals under the “authoritative body” mechanism. 
• “Formally Required to be Labeled” Chemicals. OEHHA will consider the listing of as many as 14 chemicals under the “formally required to be labeled or identified” mechanism. 
• “State’s Qualified Experts” Mechanism. OEHHA will announce and initiate the preparation of at least three hazard identification documents for the possible listing or delisting of chemicals under Proposition 65. 
• Development of Safe Harbor Levels. OEHHA will develop “safe harbor” levels for as many as 20 chemicals on the Proposition 65 list. A safe harbor level is the level of exposure to a chemical that does not pose a significant risk of cancer or reproductive harm, as defined by Proposition 65. The safe harbor numbers will be enacted in regulation and will help businesses determine whether they need to provide Proposition 65 warnings.   

2. Complex Mixtures Associated with Gasoline. OEHHA will draft a report characterizing the health effects of exposure to complex mixtures associated with gasoline. The report will estimate quantitative cancer risks, based on 1996-1998 air monitoring data, and present qualitative non-cancer chronic respiratory health risks for the same period. OEHHA will also begin data collection for the fuel-related pollution respiratory health impacts study.   
3. Review Cancer Risk Assessment Guidelines. OEHHA will review existing state and federal cancer risk guidelines and consider the extent to which those guidelines address risk for exposures occurring early in life. The OEHHA review is part of Cal/EPA’s Children’s Health Initiative.   
4. Environmental Emerging Challenges (EEC). By May 2001, OEHHA will convene a multi-disciplinary panel of experts to investigate one of the three emerging challenges selected by policymakers at the November 14, 2000 EEC workshop. The panel will evaluate the issue and its multiple aspects by available scientific information, along with extrapolations, forecasts, and possible future scenarios, developed using futures research methods. OEHHA intends to partner with UC Davis to convene this panel. Information generated at the workshop (along with background information presented at the workshop) will be incorporated into an issue paper characterizing the emerging challenge.   
5. Registered Environmental Assessor (REA) Program. OEHHA will continue the development of enhancements to the REA Web site and database. These enhancements will result in savings of staff and resources by moving toward paperless registration and inquiry processes.   
6. Fish Advisories.   

• Black Butte Reservoir. OEHHA will finalize its draft report on the presence of mercury in fish in Black Butte Reservoir in Glenn and Tehama Counties. 
• USGS Mercury Report. OEHHA will undertake a formal health evaluation of the USGS report, "Mercury Bioaccumulation in Fish in a Region Affected by Historic Gold Mining: the South Yuba River, Deer Creek, and Bear River Watershed, California, 1999." 
• Tomales Bay. OEHHA will undertake a formal health evaluation and report on data collected under the Coastal Fish Contamination Program showing elevated mercury in sport fish from Tomales Bay.   

7. Physician Pesticide Training. OEHHA will continue training physicians in the reporting, recognition, and management of pesticide illness, as well as continuing medical supervisor training. A revised edition of the booklet, Guidelines for Physicians, will be released.   
8. Asbestos. OEHHA will be providing scientific/technical support to the ARB during the development of the asbestos airborne toxic control measure (ATCM) in the first half of 2001.   
9. Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium VI). OEHHA will continue to provide technical support to the DHS and local agencies in assessing health risks stemming from the presence of hexavalent chromium in drinking water supplies. DHS, in consultation with OEHHA, is required to submit an exposure and risk assessment of hexavalent chromium in the San Fernando Basin by the end of 2001.   
10. Public Health Goals. Work is progressing on the development of more than a dozen new PHGs for drinking-water contaminants for the fourth year of the PHG program. Initial drafts are complete for most of these chemicals and have been submitted for internal reviews, discussions, and revisions.   
11. Environmental Protection Indicators for California (EPIC) Project. An EPIC Conference will be held January 18-19, 2001 to inform stakeholders about the project and provide an opportunity for input into the process, such as identification of priority issues. Following the conference, priority issues for indicator development will be identified in collaboration with Cal/EPA Boards and Departments and other agencies. An Interagency Advisory Group will be convened following the conference. The project framework, priorities for indicator development, and initial set of indicators will be determined and submitted for both internal and external review. A report of the final determinations will be submitted to Cal/EPA by June 2001.   
12. Toxic Air Contaminants (Pesticides). OEHHA is expecting the draft toxic air contaminant document for chlorpyrifos to be submitted for our review before the end of the second half of 2000. Mandated review, comments, and findings will be forwarded to DPR during the first half of 2001.   
13. Pesticide Exposure Field Investigations. During the first half of 2001, OEHHA will complete the epidemiological field study of the November 1999 pesticide incident in Earlimart (Tulare County), in which a number of residents reported health problems resulting from exposure to metam sodium.   
14. SB 25: Children’s Environmental Health Protection Act.   

• PM₁₀ Standard. OEHHA will begin assessment of the adequacy of the PM10 standard for protecting the general public, including infants and children, pursuant to SB 25. 
• Toxic Air Contaminants. OEHHA will continue the process of prioritizing TACs to be reviewed for their impact on children, pursuant to SB 25. Public comments will be solicited and the SRP will consider the proposed priorities. OEHHA will address all comments and concerns and submit a final recommended prioritized list of TACs to ARB for review. 
• Children’s Environmental Health Symposium. In April 2001, OEHHA will hold a symposium on Children’s Environmental Health. The first day will focus on pharmacokinetics, while the second day will emphasize neurotoxicity. 
• Risk Assessment Methods. OEHHA will continue to develop risk assessment methods that specifically address the toxicity of chemical exposure on infants and children.  

15. Air Toxics Hot Spots. OEHHA will complete preparation of the Air Toxics Hot Spots Risk Assessment Guidance Manual, solicit public comment and conduct public workshops, submit the manual for SRP review, and prepare the document for adoption by the Director. The guidance manual is designed to assist air districts and interested parties in assessing risks from Hot Spots facilities.

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