In May 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Pesticide
Programs (OPP) presented two ecological risk assessment case studies to the FIFRA
Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) for comment on its methods and procedures. While
recognizing and generally reaffirming the utility of the current ecological assessment
process for screening purposes, the Panel offered a number of suggestions for improving
the process.
Foremost among the suggestions was that OPP move beyond the present single point
deterministic assessment process and develop the tools and methodologies necessary to do probabilistic
assessments of risk. Such assessments would address the magnitude of the expected
impact as well as the uncertainty and variation involved in the estimates. In addition,
the SAP identified several areas in the assessments that could be expanded to present a
more complete perspective or characterization of the potential environmental risk for the
pesticides examined.
Following the recommendations of the SAP and building on previous efforts, the
Environmental Fate and Effects Division (EFED) within OPP began a new initiative in 1997
to revise the assessment process. The purpose of this initiative is to strengthen the core
elements of the ecological assessment process by identifying, developing, and validating
tools and methodologies to conduct probabilistic assessments and to improve risk
characterization. These methodologies are intended for use by OPP to evaluate the effects
of pesticides on terrestrial and aquatic species. Thus, they need to be developed within
the context of the FIFRA regulatory framework and consider OPP resource and time
constraints.
In recognition of the importance of involving stakeholders in redesigning its
ecological assessment process, OPP initiated several channels for external involvement.
This led to the formation of the Ecological Committee on FIFRA Risk Assessment
Methods (ECOFRAM), who was charged with conducting the primary review of the
current assessment process and developing new tools and methodologies for aquatic and
terrestrial assessments.
ECOFRAM is comprised of scientific experts drawn from government agencies, academia,
contract laboratories, environmental advocacy groups, and industry. Participants were
selected based on expertise, affiliation, and availability to ensure that the appropriate
disciplines were represented along with a cross-section of affiliations. ECOFRAM was
divided into Aquatic and Terrestrial Workgroups. ECOFRAM's Terrestrial Workgroup has been
developing methods and tools that could be used for revising the assessment process for
evaluating pesticide impacts on terrestrial species.
The recent draft final
repor