Can the EPA get its Integrated Risk Information System back up to date? They seem to be trying. The agency on Thursday announced a public comment period for the external review draft document titled, Toxicological Review of 1,4-Dioxane: In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS).

According to an agency release, the public comment period and the external peer-review workshop, which will be scheduled at a later date and announced in the Federal Register, are separate processes that provide opportunities for all interested parties to comment on the document. The EPA said it intends to forward the public comments that are submitted in accordance with this notice to the external peer-review panel prior to the meeting for their consideration.

The EPA said it is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of pre- dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines, noting that the "document has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination."

The draft document and EPA's peer-review charge are available via the Internet on the NCEA home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. The 60-day public comment period begins May 7, 2009, and ends July 6, 2009.