Secretaries' Science Advisory Board
About the Board
In August 2017, Governor Roy Cooper expanded the scope of the Science Advisory Board on Toxic Air Pollutants. Under the board's new charter, the scope of its work has expanded to a broader focus on the impact of new and emerging chemicals. The board will help the state departments of Environmental Quality and Health and Human Services by examining new and emerging chemicals and providing guidance on how to manage the compounds to better protect public health and the environment. The new charter increases the membership of the board from eight to 16 members. All members of the board are appointed by the DEQ and DHHS secretaries. Members come from academic institutions and the public and private sectors.
Among its duties, the board will help DEQ and DHHS by reviewing and evaluating contaminants released to the environment; acting as consultants on DEQ’s determinations to regulate releases of contaminants; and assisting the agencies in identifying contaminants of emerging concern and helping determine whether the contaminants should be studied further. Experts on the panel will also help evaluate the human health impacts of exposure to hazardous contaminants and give input to DHHS as the agency establishes health goals for emerging contaminants.
Tom Augspurger, Ph.D., a supervisory fish and wildlife biologist/environmental contaminants specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Raleigh, and an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences Toxicology Program at N.C. State University, assumed the role of chair effective Nov. 27, 2018. Dr. Augspurger will continue his work with the federal agency and NCSU while serving in a private capacity as board chairman. The board provides technical assistance and advice on ways North Carolina can better address issues related to chemicals in the environment, including hexavalent chromium and new and emerging contaminants such as GenX.
Science Advisory Board Members
Science Advisory Board Charter
Future Meeting Schedule
| Date and Time | Location | Agenda | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday April 2, 2025 10 a.m. | Archdale Ground Floor Hearing Room 512 N. Salisbury St. Raleigh, NC 276014 | sign up to speak available upon arrival |
*Dates subject to change
The Board may schedule Special Topic meetings as needed in 2025.
Meeting Materials and Recordings
Meeting Presentations:
Chemours Consent Order Toxicity Studies – Status Update and Results
Draft Response to Legislative Request about Fluoride in Drinking Water
Groundwater Quality Standards PFAS Rulemaking Status and IMACs Update
Human Health Risk Assessment for 1,4-Dioxane in Drinking Water Briefing and Request
Summary of the Hexavalent Chromium IRIS Update
Revisiting the Board's PFMOAA Recommendation
Meeting Presentations:
- PFAS Water Quality Standards Rulemaking Update
- Human Health Risk Assessment for 1,4-Dioxane in Drinking Water Update
- PFMOAA Toxicity Studies presentation
- Update on the National Toxicology Program's pending report on “Fluoride: Assessment for Developmental Neurotoxicity”
- Consent Order toxicity study status update
Agenda .
Meeting Materials
EPA ORD Human Health Toxicity Value for Perfluoropropanoic Acid (PFPrA)
DEQ PFPrA Analytical Capabilities and Environmental Occurrence
Overview of Cape Fear Public Utility Authority PFAS Response and Request for Assistance from SSAB
DWR Update: 2023 PFAS Sampling of NC Public Water Systems
Meeting Recording
* note: due to technical difficulties, the recording does not include the first :30 minuts of the meeting.
Meeting Materials
Development of a New Transcriptomics Based Assessment Product for Data Poor Chemicals
NC DAQ Priorities for Future SSAB Work
NCDHHS Middle and Lower Cape Fear River PFOS Fish Consumption Advisories
Meeting Recording on YouTube
Other Materials
- NCDEQ Priority PFAS List presentation - Dr. Frannie Nilsen
- NCDEQ PFAS Assessment Methods Exploration presentation - Dr. Frannie Nilsen
Other Materials
- Fish and Water Status Update presentation - Dr. Frannie Nilsen
- Consent Order Toxicity Studies - Status Update presentation - Dr. Frannie Nilsen
- The GenX Exposure Study Update presentation - Dr. Jane Hoppin
- Evaluation of literature PFOA & PFOS Bioaccumulation Factors for use in Surface Water Standards Development presentation - Christopher Ventaloro
Meeting Recording on YouTube
Other Materials
- Status of Chemours Consent Order Toxicity Studies presentation - Dr. Frannie Nilsen
- NC DEQ and the EPA PFAS Values presentation - Dr. Frannie Nilsen
- Summer 2022 Water and Fish Collection Event presentation - Dr. Frannie Nilsen
Other Materials
- DHHS Fish Consumption Advisories Presentation - Kennedy Holt
- DWM PFAS Signatures in Water Presentation - Dr. Amy Delinsky
- DEQ Reference Dose Scoping Presentation - Dr. Frannie Nilsen
Other Meeting Materials
December 7, 2020 Meeting
- December 7. 2020 Agenda
- Meeting Recording
- Meeting Minutes
- Hexavalent Chromium Proposed Final Draft
- PFAS Presentations
October 5, 2020 Meeting
August 31, 2020 Meeting
- Agenda
-
PFAS Research Updates:
February 24, 2020 Meeting
- Agenda
- Meeting Minutes
- SAB Audio Recording - Part 1
- SAB Audio Recording - Part 2
- PFAS Research Updates
- Hexavalent Chromium Updates
December 2, 2019
- SAB Audio Recording
- PFAS Research Updates
October 7, 2019
- SAB Audio Recording
- PFOA and PFOS 2L Groundwater standard
- Request for Review and Comment on 15A NCAC 02L .0202 Groundwater Quality Standard for PFOA and PFOS
- Groundwater Standard Summary Document by the Division of Water Resources
- Subchapter 2L - Groundwater Classification and Standards
- EPA Drinking Water Health Advisory for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
- EPA Drinking Water Health Advisory for Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)
- Division of Water Resources Standard Operating Procedure for Reviewing Groundwater Standards Established Pursuant to 15A NCAC 02L .0200
- Draft PFOS - PFOA total updated EPA values
- ITRC PFAS Factsheet Tables (Jan. 2019)
- UCMR4
- Methyl Bromide Update
- Update on Methyl Bromide Rule-Making (Mike Abraczinskas)
- Hexavalent Chromium (Tom Augspurger, PhD)
June 3, 2019
- OPP draft documents
April 1, 2019
- SAB Audio Recording
- Methyl Bromide Acceptable Ambient Level comment summary table
- Methyl Bromide Acceptable Ambient Level combined public comments
- Methyl Bromide AAL public comments_SELC attachements
- 1986 NCAS Air Toxics Panel Recommendations
- Human Risk Assessment for Methyl Bromide by Dr. Vincent J. Piccirillo, DABT
- Methyl Bromide Proposed Ambient Air Level Recommendation by Ecolab Inc.
- Matching Exposure and Toxicity Averaging Times in Risk Assessment by Exponent
- External GenX and Hexavalent Chromium Review Updates presented by DEQ staff
- ToxStrategies, Inc. Hexavalent Chromium RfD presentation
Feb. 4, 2019
- February 4, 2019 SAB Meeting Agenda
- Meeting Minutes
- SAB Audio Recording
- Methyl Bromide AAL Report 012819
- Methyl Bromide States AAL Survey
- SAB Approval TCE Vapor Intrusion Action Levels
Monday, Dec. 3, 2018
- Meeting Agenda
- Meeting Minutes
- SAB Audio Recording
- Dr. Tom Augspurger new SAB Chairman
- Methyl Bromide AAL Report Addendum
- TCE Action Level public comments-part 1
- TCE Action Level public comments-American Chemistry Council
- EPA Draft GenX RfD Update-DHHS
- USEPA Fact Sheet-GenX and PFBS Draft RfD
- USEPA GenX RfD Public Comment Draft
- USEPA PFBS RfD Public Comment Draft
Oct. 22, 2018
- Agenda
- Meeting Minutes
- SAB Audio Recording
- DEQ TCE Indoor Air Action Level Report
- Note: Following distribution and review at the Oct. 22 meeting, this report was made available for public comment through Nov. 21, 2018.
- GenX Report - Final, Oct. 30, 2018
- GenX Report Public Comments
- GenX Report Public Comments Summary
- SELC GenX Report comments
- Shea GenX Report comments
- Methyl Bromide AAL Recommendation report Methyl Bromide AAL slides
- TCE Vapor Intrusion presentation_USEPA Region 4
- TCE toxicity summary 2/15/2018_USEPA Region 4
Sept. 24, 2018
- Meeting cancelled due to Hurricane Florence.
Aug. 29, 2018: Draft GenX Report Update
Aug. 20, 2018
- Agenda
- August 20 Meeting Minutes
- SAB Audio Recording
- SAB Report: Review of the North Carolina Drinking Water Provisional Health Goal for GenX
- Note: This is the version of the report that was distributed and reviewed during the Aug. 20 meeting. Changes proposed during the meeting are being incorporated into the document. Once that work is complete, the revised report will be posted to the website.
- Reference documents: NC DHHS BMD Report May 2018, NC DHHS BMD Supplemental Report June 2018
- AWWA Cr6 Primer
- Duke Energy Basins & Groundwater
- Duke Energy Letter to SAB June 2018
- Duke Energy Statement on Duke University Study
- Duke Energy Private Well Testing Update Nov. 2016
- Duke University News Release Oct. 2016
- Haley Aldrich Report
- Study of Cr (VI) and V Standards April 2016
- California's Public Health Goal for Hexavalent Chromium
- Hexavalent Chromium: Development of a Guidance Value Protective of Cancer
June 18, 2018
- Meeting Agenda
- Minutes
- SAB Audio Recording
- Man-made Lake Preliminary PFAS Study
- TCE Short-Term Inhalation Action Levels
- TCE Vapor Intrusion Draft Guidance for Sensitive Populations
- GenX BMD Model Report
- Derivation of Oral Cancer Slope Factor for Hexavalent Chromium
- CEQ Cancer-Based RfD for Hexavalent Chromium
- EPA Update on Development of GenX Toxicity Values
April 30, 2018 Meeting
- Meeting Agenda
- March 19 Meeting Minutes
- SAB Audio Recording
- Total Chromium Presentation
- Hexavalent Chromium Presentation
March 19, 2018 Meeting
- Meeting Agenda
- Jan. 29 Meeting Minutes
- SAB Audio Recording
- Report: PPARα‑dependent rodent liver tumor response
- Report: Human relevance of rodent liver tumors
- PFAS Study from PLOS Biology
- Shea Letter to SAB
- DeWitt-Belcher Letter to SAB
- GenX Benchmark Dose Presentation
- Drinking Water Standards Presentation
- Water Quality Standards Presentation
- GenX Toxicity Study Summary Tables for Benchmark Dose Modeling
Jan. 29, 2018 Meeting
- Meeting Agenda
- Overview of Precautionary Principle
- Issues Related to Deriving Water Quality Standards
- Chemours Health Studies
- View WebEx Recording