Proposed Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is today publishing a document entitled Proposed Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment (hereafter ``Proposed Guidelines''). These Proposed Guidelines were developed as part of an interoffice guidelines development program by a Technical Panel of the Risk Assessment Forum within EPA's Office of Research and Development. These Proposed Guidelines are a revision of EPA's 1986 Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment (hereafter ``1986 cancer guidelines'') published on September 24, 1986 (51 FR 33992). When final, these guidelines will replace the 1986 guidelines. In a future Federal Register notice, the Agency intends to publish for comment how it will implement the Proposed Guidelines once they are finalized. The plans will propose and seek comment on how the Guidelines will be used for Agency carcinogen risk assessment and, in particular, will address the impact of the Guidelines on the Agency's existing assessments, and any mechanisms for handling reassessments under finalized Guidelines.