294026
Epa's integrated risk information system program: What it is, why it's important, and opportunities for stakeholder engagement
Monday, November 4, 2013
: 4:30 p.m. - 4:50 p.m.
Samantha Jones, Ph.D.,
Integrated Risk Information System Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Arlington, VA
EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Program is committed to proactive stakeholder engagement, increased transparency, and the use of the best available science in IRIS assessments. IRIS is a human health assessment program that evaluates quantitative and qualitative information on effects that may result from exposure to chemical substances found in the environment. Through the IRIS Program, EPA provides high quality science-based human health assessments to support the Agency's regulatory activities. The IRIS database contains information that can be used to support the first two steps (hazard identification and dose-response evaluation) of the risk assessment process. When IRIS toxicity values are combined with specific exposure information, government and private entities can use IRIS to help characterize the public health risks of chemical substances, supporting risk management decisions to protect public health. Engaging with stakeholders is a critical part of supporting sound decisions because it helps to facilitate the development of the health assessment and promotes public discussion of key scientific issues. On November 13, 2012, EPA's IRIS Program convened its first public stakeholder meeting to discuss the IRIS Program. The meeting was intended to begin a series of dialogues between the IRIS Program and a broad and diverse group of stakeholders. Opportunities for stakeholder engagement are part of the IRIS assessment development process, and additional initiatives to more robustly engage stakeholders are being explored. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the IRIS Program and describe stakeholder engagement efforts, including the November 2012 meeting, highlighting how stakeholders can be involved in the assessment development process and why stakeholder engagement during the process of developing an IRIS assessment is important for this program and for environmental public health.
Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences
Learning Objectives:
Explain why EPA's IRIS Program is important for environmental public health.
Discuss how stakeholders can be involved in this program.
Keyword(s): Chemical Analyses, Environmental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As the Associate Director for Science in EPAâs Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Program, which developments human health assessments, I work to resolve complex scientific issues and identify opportunities for enhancing the quality of scientific assessments. More recently, I led a small team that organized and facilitated our first public stakeholder meeting with over 400 stakeholders participating in-person or remotely, via webinar as part of our efforts to enhance stakeholder engagement in the IRIS process.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
