[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 13, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31154-31155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-14431]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPPTS-42185; FRL-4960-3]
RIN 2070-033


Testing Consent Agreement Development for Alkyl Glycidyl Ethers; 
Solicitation of Interested Parties and Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is soliciting ``interested parties'' to monitor or 
participate in negotiations on an enforceable consent agreement (ECA) 
for alkyl glycidyl ethers. In addition, EPA invites all interested 
parties to attend a public meeting on the ECA for alkyl glycidyl 
ethers.

DATES: To be designated an ``interested party'' for alkyl glycidyl 
ethers, written notice must be received by EPA on or before July 13, 
1995.

ADDRESSES: Submit a written request to be an interested party, in 
triplicate, to TSCA Document Receipts Office (7407), Rm. East Tower G-
99, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St. SW., Washington, DC 
20460. All submissions should bear the document control number OPPTS-
42185; FRL-4960-3. The public docket supporting this action, including 
comments, is available for public inspection at the TSCA 
Nonconfidential Information Center, Rm. NE-B607, USEPA, 401 M St. SW., 
Washington, DC 20460, from 12 noon to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except legal holidays.
    Comments and data may also be submitted electronically by sending 
electronic mail (e-mail) to [email protected]. Electronic comments 
must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special 
characters and any form of encryption. Comments and data will also be 
accepted on disks in WordPerfect in 5.1 file format or ASCII file 
format. All comments and data in electronic form must be identified by 
the docket control number (OPPTS-42185; FRL-4960-3). No CBI should be 
submitted through e-mail. Electronic comments on this notice may be 
filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries. Additional 
information on electronic submissions can be found in section IV of 
this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan B. Hazen, Director, 
Environmental Assistance Division (7408), Rm. East Tower 543B, Office 
of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, USEPA, 401 M St. SW., Washington, 
DC 20460; telephone: (202) 554-1404, TDD: (202) 554-0551. For specific 
information regarding this action or related matters, contact Keith J. 
Cronin, Project Manager, Chemical Testing and Information Branch 
(7405), Rm. East Tower 201E, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
USEPA, 401 M St. SW., Washington, DC 20460, telephone: (202) 260-8157.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On November 7, 1991, EPA published a proposed test rule for the 
category glycidol and its derivatives (56 FR 57144). The proposal 
contained testing requirements for, among others, the following six 
chemical substances: lauryl glycidyl ether (CAS No. 2461-18-9); 
hexadecyl glycidyl ether (CAS No. 15965-99-8); n-octadecyl glycidyl 
ether (CAS No. 16245-97-9); tetradecyl glycidyl ether (CAS No. 38954-
75-5); alkyl (C10-C16) glycidyl ether (CAS No. 68081-84-5); 
and alkyl (C12-C14) glycidyl ether (CAS No. 68609-97-2). The 
proposal designated these six [[Page 31155]] chemical substances as 
subcategory II-A.
    On July 17, 1992, EPA published a Federal Register notice (57 FR 
31714) establishing an ``open season.'' The open season was a period of 
time during which industry and other interested parties could submit to 
EPA proposals for enforceable consent agreements (ECAs) to test 
chemical substances for which the Agency had not issued final test 
rules. In the July 17, 1992 notice, EPA indicated that it would review 
these submissions and select candidates for negotiation of ECAs 
pursuant to 40 CFR 790.22. EPA also indicated that it would, at a 
future date, publish a Federal Register notice soliciting persons 
interested in participating in or monitoring negotiations for the 
development of ECAs on the chemical substances selected, to notify the 
Agency in writing.
    On August 18, 1993, EPA published a Federal Register notice (58 FR 
43893) that solicited all ``interested parties'' who wished to monitor 
or participate in ECA negotiations for testing the above-named six 
chemical substances contained in the proposed test rule (subcategory 
II-A) to identify themselves in writing to the Agency.

II. Testing Proposal

    In response to the open season initiative, a testing proposal for 
alkyl glycidyl ethers was submitted. Alkyl (C12-C13) glycidyl 
ether (CAS No. 120547-52-6) was recommended as the test substance. This 
mixture, also known as oxirane, mono[(C12-C13-
alkyloxy)menthyl]-derivatives, is subsumed within alkyl (C12-
C14) glycidyl ether (CAS No. 68609-97-2) and alkyl (C10-
C16) glycidyl ether (CAS No. 68081-84-5), and, therefore, within 
subcategory II-A of the proposed test rule.

III. Identification of Interested Parties

    Since alkyl (C12-C13) glycidyl ether (CAS No. 120547-52-
6) is subsumed within subcategory II-A of the proposed test rule, EPA 
believes that the August 18, 1993 Federal Register notice provides 
sufficient notice to parties that may be interested in monitoring or 
participating in ECA negotiations to test the six chemical substances 
specifically named in subcategory II-A and alkyl (C12-C13) 
glycidyl ether. However, to ensure that all potentially interested 
parties have an opportunity to identify themselves to the Agency, EPA 
is soliciting interested parties to monitor or participate in ECA 
negotiations on the following substances: lauryl glycidyl ether (CAS 
No. 2461-18-9); hexadecyl glycidyl ether (CAS No. 15965-99-8); n-
octadecyl glycidyl ether (CAS No. 16245-97-9); tetradecyl glycidyl 
ether (CAS No. 38954-75-5); alkyl (C10-C16) glycidyl ether 
(CAS No. 68081-84-5); alkyl (C12-C14) glycidyl ether (CAS No. 
68609-97-2); and alkyl (C12-C13) glycidyl ether (CAS No. 
120547-52-6).
    These negotiations will be conducted pursuant to the procedures 
described in 40 CFR 790.22. Submitters of testing proposals in response 
to the Federal Register notices of July 17, 1992, and August 13, 1993, 
are already considered interested parties and do not need to respond to 
this notice. Any persons who respond to this notice on or before July 
13, 1995 will be given the status of interested parties and will be 
afforded an opportunity to monitor or participate in the negotiation 
process. Interested parties will not incur any obligations by being so 
designated.
    Negotiations will be conducted in one or more meetings open to the 
public. Interested parties will have an opportunity at the public 
meeting(s) to make comments concerning the possible inclusion of alkyl 
(C12-C13) glycidyl ether in the ECA, and any other relevant 
subject. If EPA and the interested parties are not able to agree upon 
the terms of an ECA, negotiations will be terminated and testing will 
be required under a test rule.

IV. Notice of Public Meeting

    A public meeting is scheduled for July 26, 1995, to initiate 
negotiations on an ECA to test the seven chemical substances identified 
in section III., paragraph one of this notice, for which the Agency is 
soliciting interested parties. The public meeting will be held in Rm. 
East Tower 217 at USEPA Headquarters, 401 M St. SW., Washington, DC 
20460, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. EPA will use its best efforts to send 
copies of a draft ECA to interested parties prior to the public 
meeting.
    Those persons who identify themselves as interested parties may 
submit written comments to EPA by July 13, 1995. Submit written 
comments in triplicate, to TSCA Document Receipts Office (7407), Rm. 
East Tower G-99, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St. SW., 
Washington, DC 20460. All submissions should bear the document control 
number OPPTS-42185; FRL-4960-3. EPA will address these comments at the 
public meeting. A transcript of the public meeting will be made 
available as part of the public docket.
    EPA believes that generally under 40 CFR 790.22(b)(3), the Agency 
need only inform interested parties of a public meeting to negotiate an 
ECA and is not obligated to announce the meeting in the Federal 
Register. The Agency is announcing this public meeting in the Federal 
Register to ensure that all parties interested in ECA negotiations on 
any of the seven chemical substances identified in section III., 
paragraph one of this notice, as opposed to the six specifically named 
in subcategory II-A of the proposed test rule, will have notice and the 
opportunity to be designated interested parties.
    A record has been established for this notice under docket control 
number OPPTS-42185, FRL-4960-3 (including comments and data submitted 
electronically as described below). A public version of this docket, 
including printed, paper versions of electronic comments, which does 
not include any information claimed as confidential business 
information (CBI), is available for inspection from 12 noon to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The public docket is 
located in the TSCA Nonconfidential Information Center, Rm. NE-B607, 
401 M St. SW., Washington, DC 20460. Written requests for copies of 
documents contained in this docket may be sent to the above address or 
faxed to (202) 260-9555.
    Electronic comments can be sent directly to EPA at:
    [email protected]
    Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the 
use of special characters and any form of encryption.
    The official record for this notice, as well as the public version, 
as described above will be kept in paper form. Accordingly, EPA will 
transfer all comments received electronically into printed, paper form 
as they are received and will place the paper copies in the official 
notice record which will also include all comments submitted directly 
in writing. The official notice record is the paper record maintained 
at the address in ADDRESSES at the beginning of this document.

    Dated: June 6, 1995.
Charles M. Auer,
Director, Chemical Control Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics.
[FR Doc. 95-14431 Filed 6-12-95; 8:45 am]
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