[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 213 (Thursday, November 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57313-57314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-26692]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8977-6; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-0217]


Draft Toxicological Review of Chloroprene: In Support of the 
Summary Information in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of listening session.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a listening session to be held on November 
23, 2009, during the public comment period for the external review 
draft document entitled, ``Toxicological Review of Choroprene: In 
Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information 
System (IRIS).'' The purpose of the listening session is to allow all 
interested parties to present scientific and technical comments on 
draft IRIS health assessments to EPA and other interested parties 
during the public comment period and prior to the external peer review 
meeting. EPA welcomes the scientific and technical comments that will 
be provided to the Agency by the listening session participants. The 
comments will be considered by the Agency as it revises the draft 
assessment in response to the independent external peer review and 
public comments. All presentations will become part of the official and 
public record.
    The EPA's draft assessment and peer review charge are available via 
the Internet on the National Center for

[[Page 57314]]

Environmental Assessment's (NCEA) home page under the Recent Additions 
and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea.

DATES: The listening session on the draft IRIS health assessment for 
chloroprene will be held on November 23, 2009, beginning at 9 a.m. and 
ending at 4 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. If you wish to make a 
presentation at the listening session, you should register by November 
16, 2009, indicate that you wish to make oral comments at the session, 
and indicate the length of your presentation. At the time of your 
registration, please indicate if you require audio-visual aid (e.g., 
lap top and slide projector). In general, each presentation should be 
no more than 30 minutes. If, however, there are more requests for 
presentations than the allotted time will allow, then the time limit 
for each presentation will be adjusted accordingly. A copy of the 
agenda for the listening session will be available at the meeting. If 
no speakers have registered by November 16, 2009, the listening session 
will be cancelled. EPA will notify those registered to attend of the 
cancellation.
    The public comment period for review of this draft assessment was 
announced previously in the Federal Register (FR) (74 FR 49874) on 
September 29, 2009. As stated in that FR notice, the public comment 
period began on September 29, 2009, and ends November 30, 2009. Any 
technical comments submitted during the public comment period should be 
in writing and must be received by EPA by November 30, 2009, according 
to the procedures outlined below. Only those public comments submitted 
using the procedures identified in the September 29, 2009, FR notice by 
the November 30, 2009, deadline will be provided to the independent 
peer-review panel prior to the peer-review meeting. The date and 
logistics for the peer-review meeting will be announced later in a 
separate FR notice.
    Listening session participants who wish to have their comments 
available to the external peer reviewers should also submit written 
comments during the public comment period using the detailed and 
established procedures included in the aforementioned September 29, 
2009, FR notice (74 FR 49874). Comments submitted to the docket prior 
to the end of the public comment period will be submitted to the 
external peer reviewers and considered by EPA in the disposition of 
public comments. Comments received in the docket after the public 
comment period closes will not be submitted to the external peer 
reviewers.

ADDRESSES: The listening session on the draft chloroprene assessment 
will be held at the EPA offices at Two Potomac Yard (North Building), 
7th Floor, Room 7100, 2733 South Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia 
22202. To attend the listening session, please register by November 16, 
2009, by contacting Ms. Karie Riley, of Versar, Inc, by e-mail at 
[email protected] (subject line: Chloroprene Listening Session), or by 
phone: (703) 750-3000, ext. 579 or toll free at 1-800-2-VERSAR (1-800-
283-7727), ext. 579. Ask for the Chloroprene Listening Session 
Coordinator, Karie Riley. Please note that to gain entrance to this EPA 
building to attend the meeting, attendees must have photo 
identification with them and must register at the guard's desk in the 
lobby. The guard will retain your photo identification and will provide 
you with a visitor's badge. At the guard's desk, attendees should give 
the name Christine Ross and the telephone number, 703-347-8592, to the 
guard on duty. The guard will contact Ms. Ross who will meet you in the 
reception area to escort you to the meeting room. Upon your exit from 
the building please return your visitor's badge and you will receive 
the photo identification that you provided.
    A teleconference line will also be available for registered 
attendees/speakers. The teleconference number is 866-299-3188 and the 
access code is 926-378-7897 followed by the pound sign (). The 
teleconference line will be activated at 8:45 am, and you will be asked 
to identify yourself and your affiliation at the beginning of the call.
    Information on Services for Individuals with Disabilities: EPA 
welcomes the attendance of the public at the ``Chloroprene Listening 
Session'' and will make every effort to accommodate persons with 
disabilities. For information on access or services for individuals 
with disabilities, please contact Christine Ross at 703-347-8592 or 
[email protected]. To request accommodation of a disability, 
please contact Ms. Ross, preferably at least 10 days prior to the 
meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public 
listening sessions, please contact Christine Ross, IRIS Staff, National 
Center for Environmental Assessment, (8601P), U.S. EPA, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 703-347-
8592; facsimile: 703-347-8689; or e-mail: [email protected]. If 
you have questions about the draft chloroprene assessment, contact 
Allen Davis, IRIS Staff, National Center for Environmental Assessment, 
U.S. EPA, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, B243-01, Durham, NC 27711; 
telephone: 919-541-3789; facsimile: 919-541-0245; or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: IRIS is a database that contains potential 
adverse human health effects information that may result from chronic 
(or lifetime) exposure to specific chemical substances found in the 
environment. The database (available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/iris) contains qualitative and quantitative health effects 
information for more than 540 chemical substances that may be used to 
support the first two steps (hazard identification and dose-response 
evaluation) of a risk assessment process. When supported by available 
data, the database provides oral reference doses (RfDs) and inhalation 
reference concentrations (RfCs) for chronic health effects, and oral 
slope factors and inhalation unit risks for carcinogenic effects. 
Combined with specific exposure information, government and private 
entities can use IRIS data to help characterize public health risks of 
chemical substances in a site-specific situation and thereby support 
risk management decisions designed to protect public health.

    Dated: October 27, 2009.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E9-26692 Filed 11-4-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P