[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 74 (Monday, April 18, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-9287]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 18, 1994]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPPTS-42052Q; FRL-4776-5]

 

Notice of Opportunity to Participate in Negotiations for Testing 
of ETBE and TAME Under TSCA Section 4

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice invites manufacturers and processors of ethyl 
tert-butyl ether (ETBE)(CAS No. 637-92-3) and tertiary-amyl methyl 
ether (TAME)(CAS No. 994-05-8) and other interested persons who wish to 
participate in or monitor consent agreement negotiations pursuant to 40 
CFR 790.22(b) to contact the EPA in writing. In addition, this notice 
announces a public meeting to initiate testing negotiations for these 
chemicals.
DATES: A meeting to initiate testing negotiations for these chemicals 
will be held at the Environmental Protection Agency from 1 p.m. to 3 
p.m., May 9, 1994. For a person to be designated an ``interested 
party'' for these negotiations, written notice must be received by EPA 
on or before May 2, 1994.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Environmental 
Protection Agency, Room 1605, Northeast Mall, 401 M St., SW., 
Washington, DC. Submit written requests to be designated an interested 
party to TSCA Docket Receipts (7407), Office of Pollution Prevention 
and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. ET G-99, 401 M St., 
SW., Washington, DC 20460. Submissions should bear the document control 
number [OPPTS-42052Q]. The public docket supporting this action is 
available for public inspection in Room ET G-102 at the above address 
from 12 noon to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan B. Hazen, Director, 
Environmental Assistance Division, (7408), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. E-543B, 401 
M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460, (202) 260-7335.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces an opportunity to 
participant in negoatiations for an enforceable consent agreement for: 
ETBE (Docket No. 42052Q/42179) and TAME (Docket No. 42052Q/42180).

I. Background

    Requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. 7401-1671q, 
along with reports of adverse human health effects associated with the 
use of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) in winter-blend gasoline, 
have contributed to the need for health effects testing of ETBE and 
TAME.
    MTBE, ETBE and TAME are fuel oxygenates which may be used to 
satisfy the following requirements under the CAA. Under section 211(m) 
of the CAA, 42 U.S.C. 7545, states which have certain nonattainment 
areas for carbon monoxide (CO) must require that any gasoline sold or 
dispensed to ultimate consumers in a specified portion of the 
nonattainment area be blended, during wintertime, to contain not less 
than 2.7 percent oxygen by weight (or applicable percentage to meet the 
national primary air quality standard for CO by the established 
attainment date). Under section 211(k), reformulated gasoline must be 
used in nine major metropolitan areas designated as ozone nonattainment 
areas as well as various nonattainment ``opt-in'' areas by 1995 and the 
oxygen content of this gasoline must be equal to or exceed 2 percent by 
weight. See Final Rule, Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: 
Standards for Reformulated and Conventional Gasoline, February 16, 1994 
(59 FR 7716). In addition, a proposed regulation would require that at 
least 30 percent of the oxygen content in reformulated gasoline come 
from renewable oxygenates, which would include ETBE (Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, Regulation of Fuels and Additives: Renewable Oxygenate 
Requirement for Reformulated Gasoline, December 27, 1993 (58 FR 
68343)).
    Recently there have been reports from the State of Alaska and 
several areas in the lower 48 of adverse human effects associated with 
the use of MTBE in winter-blend gasoline. See Assessment of Potential 
Health Risks of Gasoline Oxygenated with MTBE, Office of Research and 
Development, U.S. EPA, November 1993.
    EPA believes that additional health effects test data on fuel 
oxygenates are needed to allow government agencies and industry to 
compare the health risks associated with the use of these substances to 
augment or substitute for MTBE as a fuel oxygenate. For this reason, 
researchers and policy makers from EPA's Office of Air and Radiation 
(OAR) and Office of Research and Development (ORD) initiated a 
conference with the State of Alaska, the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, and the chemical and petroleum industries in Research 
Triangle Park, NC on December 7-8, 1993 to discuss research on the 
health effects of and human exposure to fuel oxygenates.
    One of the products of this meeting was a research project proposal 
to conduct toxicity testing to develop a broad base of health effects 
data on ETBE and TAME. The research proposal was developed to expedite 
the process of identifying data needs on these substances. The research 
proposal recommends testing of ETBE and TAME for the following 
endpoints:

    1st Tier genotoxicity
    90-day inhalation subchronic
    Neurotoxicity (Functional observational battery, neuropathology, 
motor activity)
    Developmental toxicity
    Reproductive effects
    Pharmacokinetics

II. Testing Program

    EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) administers 
the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the TSCA section 4 testing 
program. Under TSCA section 4, 15 U.S.C. 2603, EPA may require, in 
specific circumstances, that chemical manufacturers and processors 
provide to EPA test data that can be used to assess the impact on human 
health and the environment from exposure to such chemicals. In addition 
to imposing section 4 testing requirements by rulemaking, OPPT has 
developed an enforceable consent agreement (ECA) process for obtaining 
needed testing often with less time and resources and more flexibility 
than under a test rule. See 40 CFR part 790. Finally, industry may 
conduct voluntary testing of specific chemicals in anticipation of data 
needs.
    In a memorandum dated March 1, 1994, EPA's OAR requested OPPT to 
inquire regarding the likelihood that industry would develop a 
voluntary testingprogram for ETBE and TAME. In the absence of such a 
voluntary commitment, OAR requested that OPPT use its authority under 
TSCA to require such testing.
    OPPT sent out a form letter dated March 1, 1994 to approximately 45 
chemical and petroleum companies. The letter described the December 7, 
1993 meeting and enclosed a copy of the research proposal developed at 
that meeting, and sought to establish a dialogue with industry 
regarding the testing of ETBE and TAME. Subsequently, OPPT elected to 
pursue the testing of ETBE and TAME through the ECA process. The 
purpose of the meeting on May 9, 1994 is to initiate negotiations for 
the development of an ECA for the testing of ETBE and TAME. If an ECA 
approach does not appear feasible, EPA will initiate rulemaking under 
section 4 of TSCA to require the development of data on ETBE and TAME.
    EPA is adding ETBE and TAME to the Master Testing List (MTL), which 
sets priorities for OPPT's testing agenda, because EPA considers 
testing of these substances to be a high priority. EPA has been using 
the MTL since 1990 to set the Agency's testing agenda and communicate 
it to the public.

III. Public Docket

    The following documents are available for public inspection in the 
public docket. The location and hours of the public docket supporting 
this action are set forth under the ``Addresses'' section above.
    1. Assessment of Potential Health Risks of Gasoline Oxygenated with 
MTBE, Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, November 1993.
    2. Report of Meeting to Develop Proposed Research Projects for 
Oxyfuels, Research Triangle Park, NC, December 7-8, 1993.
    3. Letter from Mary T. Smith, Director of Field Operations and 
Support Division, Office of Air and Radiation, to Charles M. Auer, 
Director of Chemical Control Division, Office of Prevention, Pesticides 
and Toxic Substances, March 1, 1994.
    4. Letter from Joseph S. Carra, Deputy Director of Office of 
Pollution Prevention and Toxics, to approximately 45 chemical and 
petroleum companies, and attachment (plus addressee list).
    5. Unsolicited proposal for testing of ETBE and TAME from the 
American Petroleum Institute.
    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2603.

    Dated: April 8, 1994.
Charles M. Auer,
Director, Chemical Control Division.

[FR Doc. 94-9287 Filed 4-14-93; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F