Public Meetings on the Enforceable Consent Agreement (ECA) Process

Background

Schedule and Summaries of Past Meetings

Background

All ECA negotiating meetings were open to the public. Although the public could comment throughout the process, only registered, interested parties could directly participate in ECA discussions. The plenary session was held on June 6, 2003 at EPA Headquarters in Washington D.C. Participants included all registered, interested parties, such as other federal and state agencies, industry, non-governmental organizations, and the public.

The plenary's purpose was to:

Oversee the development of testing program and data reporting proposals suitable for incorporation into ECAs

Federal Register Notice dated April 16, 2003

Provide opportunity for public comment

Make recommendations to EPA regarding the adequacy of workgroup products developed from the PFOA-ECA process.

The technical workgroups were chartered by the plenary and tasked with addressing the technical aspects involved in the development of one or more proposals for developing data or with providing insight into the overarching topics for plenary consideration.

Discussions at the technical workgroup included working out the details of test methods, identifying a means to select test substances to include in proposed ECA testing programs, and other specifics related to the development of ECA proposals.

Technical workgroups tasked smaller "expert subgroups" to address specific technical and scientific issues and to establish drafting parties to develop products for discussion with the larger technical workgroups. Technical workgroup products, such as the reports, ECA proposal testing programs, and test methods, were submitted back to the plenary for consensus discussion and to ensure that all interested parties had the opportunity to participate in the PFOA- ECA process development discussions, even if they did not have the technical expertise to contribute effectively in the smaller technical workgroups and expert subgroups. The technical workgroup and expert subgroup meetings were intended to be technically oriented working meetings and as such they were inherently smaller than the plenary session.

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Schedule and Summaries of Past ECA Meetings

August 2003

Expert Subgroup Meetings:

Telomer Incineration Test Methods, August 14, 9:00-Noon, Room 4225

Telomer Biodegradation Test Methods, August 14, 1:00-4:00 PM, Room 4225

Telomer Monitoring Subgroup, August 15, 9:00-4:00, Room 4225

Fluoropolymer Incineration Test Methods, August 19, 9:00-4:00, Room 4225

Fluoropolymer Aged Article Analysis, August 20, 9:00-4:00, Room 4225

Fluoropolymer Monitoring Subgroup, August 21, 9:00-4:00, Room 4225

September 2003

Expert Subgroup Meetings:

Telomer Degradation Subgroup Teleconference, September 9, 10:00-1:00, Room 4225

September 2003

Technical Workgroup Meetings:

Telomer Technical Workgroup, September 16, 9:00-4:00, Room 1133

Fluoropolymer Technical Workgroup, September 17, 9:00-4:00, Room 1133

Monitoring Technical Workgroup, September 18, 9:00-4:00, Room 1133

October 2003

Expert Subgroup Meetings:

Telomer Monitoring Technical Expert Subgroup, October 9, 2003, 9:00-1:00, Room 1117A

Technical Workgroup Meetings:

Telomer Technical Workgroup, October 27, 9:00-4:00, Room 1133

Monitoring Technical Workgroup, October 28, 9:00-4:00, Room 1133

Fluoropolymer Technical Workgroup, October 29, 9:00-Noon, Room 1133

Third Plenary Session:

October 29, 1:00-4:00 PM, Room 1153, EPA East Building. 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

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December 2003

Technical Workgroup Meetings:

Telomer Technical Workgroup, December 8, 2003, 9:00-4:00, Room 1117A

Fluoropolymer Technical Workgroup, December 9, 2003, 9:00-4:00, Room 1117A

January 2004

Expert Subgroup Meetings:

Fluoropolymer Monitoring Subgroup, January 15, 2004, 11:00-4:00, Room 4225

Technical Workgroup Meetings:

Telomer Technical Workgroup, January 27, 2004, 9:00-4:00, Room 1117A

Fluoropolymer Technical Workgroup, January 28, 2004, 9:00-4:00, Room 1117A

Workgroup assignment to be determined, January 29, 2004, 9:00-Noon, Room 1117A

Fourth Plenary Session:

January 29, 2004, 1:00-4:00 PM, Room 1153, EPA East Building, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (PDF)(7 pp., 118 KB)

February 2004

Expert Subgroup Meetings:

Telomer Biodegradation Technical Expert Subgroup, February 19, 2004, 9:00-4:00, Room 2379

Fluoropolymer Monitoring Subgroup, February 26, 2004, 9:00-4:00, Room 1117A

March 2004

Technical Workgroup Meetings:

Telomer Technical Workgroup, March 30, 2004, 9:00-4:00

Fluoropolymer Technical Workgroup, March 31, 2004, 9:00-4:00

Expert Subgroup Meetings:

Fluoropolymer Monitoring Subgroup Teleconference, March 25, 2004, 10:00-1:00

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April 2004

Fifth Plenary Session:

April 1, 2004, 1:00-4:00 PM, Room 1153, EPA East Building, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (PDF)

Expert Subgroup Meetings:

Fluoropolymer Monitoring Subgroup Teleconference, April 21, 2004, 10:00-1:00

Fluoropolymer Monitoring Subgroup, April 29, 2004, 9:00-4:00, Sixth Floor, Society of the Plastics Industry, 1801 K Street, NW, Washington, DC

May 2004

Expert Subgroup Meetings:

Fluoropolymer Monitoring Subgroup Teleconference, May 19, 2004, 1:00-4:00

Fluoropolymer Monitoring Subgroup Teleconference, May 20, 2004, 9:00-Noon

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June 2004

Technical Workgroup Meetings:

Telomer Technical Workgroup, June 9, 2004, 9:00-4:00, Room 4225, US EPA East Building, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

Fluoropolymer Technical Workgroup, June 23, 2004, 9:00-4:00, Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) conference room, Sixth Floor, 1801 K Street, NW, Washington, DC.

Sixth Plenary Session:

June 24, 2004, 1:00-4:00, Room 1153, US EPA East Building, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (PDF) (7 pp., 130KB)

July 2004

Expert Subgroup Meetings:

Telomer Degradation Technical Expert Subgroup, July 15, 2004, 9:00-4:00, Room 2379, US EPA East Building, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

October 2004 Technical Workgroup Meetings:

Telomer Technical Workgroup Meeting, October 12, 2004, 12:00-4:00, Room 1117A, US EPA East Building, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

Fluoropolymer Technical Workgroup Meeting, October 13, 2004, 12:00-4:00, Room 1117A, US EPA East Building, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

Seventh Plenary Session: