EPA's drinking water Contaminant Candidate List and Regulatory Determinations process

The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments require EPA to: (a) identify and list potential drinking water contaminants, (b) determine whether a federal regulation is appropriate for a particular contaminant, and (c) establish a health goal and an National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for contaminants identified for regulation.

Throughout the regulatory decision-making process, the Agency uses peer-reviewed science and data to support its intensive evaluation efforts. Many of the factors evaluated in the regulatory decision-making process include the following: the occurrence of a contaminant in drinking water; the risks of adverse health effects in the general population and sensitive subpopulations; analytical measurement and treatment feasibility; and the impacts of regulation on public water systems, the economy and public health.

The purpose of this presentation is to describe two of the major components of EPA's regulatory decision-making process: The Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) and the Regulatory Determination. First, EPA uses the CCL to identify and establish a list of priority contaminants that are not currently regulated. This presentation will provide an overview of the methods and information used to develop EPA's most recently published CCL. The second process, Regulatory Determination, includes a formal decision on whether EPA should issue an NPDWR for contaminants listed on the CCL. This presentation will describe the process and criteria used to make decisions about whether or not to regulate a contaminant.