[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 110 (Thursday, June 6, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28883-28884]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-14150]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service


National Toxicology Program; Fiscal Year 1995 Annual Plan

    The National Toxicology Program (NTP) announces the availability of 
the NTP Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 1995, solicits comments on it, and 
urges all interested persons to propose chemicals for possible 
toxicological evaluation.
    The seventeenth edition consists of two parts, First, the NTP 
Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 1995 describes FY 1995 NTP plans in 
research, applied studies, methods development and validation efforts, 
as well as resources and FY 1994 program accomplishments. Second, the 
Review of Current DHHS, DOE, and EPA Research related to Toxicology 
lists chemicals being studied by the various DHHS agencies, the 
Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency, and 
describes toxicology research and toxicology methods currently being 
developed by these agencies.

Background

    The National Toxicology Program (NTP) was established within the 
Public Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services 
(DHHS) in November 1978. The continuing broad goals of the NTP are to 
coordinate and strengthen DHHS basic and applied toxicology research 
and methods development and validation, and to provide toxicological 
information for use by health research and regulatory agencies and 
others in protecting the public health. Overall objectives are to:
     Broaden the spectrum of toxicological information obtained 
on selected chemicals;
     Develop and validate more sensitive and more specific test 
methods;
     Develop improved stategies for generating scientific data 
that strengthen the scientific foundation for risk assessments; and
     Communicate Program plans and results to government 
agencies, the medical and scientific communities, and the public.
    The NTP coordinates selected toxicology activities of the National 
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of 
Health; the National Center for Toxicological Research, Food and Drug 
Administration; and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Director of the 
NTP is also the Director of the National Institute of Environmental 
Health Sciences.
    Primary program oversight is provided by the NTP Executive 
Committee, which links DHHS health research institutes and centers with 
Federal health regulatory agencies to ensure that the basic and applied 
toxicology research and development activities are responsive to 
regulatory and public health needs. Agencies represented on the 
Executive Committee are:
     Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
     Consumer Product Safety Commission
     Environmental Protection Agency
     Food and Drug Administration
     National Cancer Institute
     National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

[[Page 28884]]

     National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
     National Institutes of Health
     Occupational Safety and Health Administration
    The NTP Board of Scientific Counselors provides scientific 
oversight, advising the NTP Director and the NTP Executive Committee on 
scientific content and evaluating the scientific merit and overall 
quality of NTP science. The members (listed in the 1995 Annual Plan) 
are appointed by the Secretary, DHHS.
    Scientific activities are divided into several major program areas: 
carcinogenesis; genetic toxicology; mechanism-based toxicology; 
alternative methods; and toxicology. The latter area covers activities 
in immunologic, neurobehavioral, and respiratory toxicologies, as well 
as reproductive and developmental toxicology. There are special 
projects on studying toxicities of AIDS therapeutics and toxicity of 
Superfund chemicals. Program and project leaders, along with addresses 
and telephone numbers, are identified in the 1995 Annual Plan.
    The chemical nomination and selection process is integral to the 
effective long-term operation of the NTP with respect to toxicological 
studies of chemicals using modern techniques and to the development and 
validation of new assay methods. Thus, the NTP welcomes nominations of 
chemicals for study from everyone. At a minimum, the nominator should 
give the name of the chemical or substance, the rationale for the 
nomination, and recommend the type study(s) to be considered. In 
addition, it is desirable, but not essential, to supplement each 
nomination with the following information, if known:

    I. Chemical and physical properties.
    II. Production, use, occurrence, and analysis data.
    III. Toxicology information.
    IV. Chemical disposition and structure-activity relationships.
    V. Planned or ongoing or recently completed toxicological and 
environmental studies.

    To receive the NTP Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 1995, and the FY 
1995 Review of Current DHHS, DOE, and EPA Research Related to 
Toxicology, please write or telephone the NTP Central Data Management, 
P.O. Box 12233, MD E1-02, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27709, 
(telephone 919/541-3419).
    Comments on the FY 1995 NTP Annual Plan are requested and welcome. 
These should be addressed to Dr. Larry Hart, National Toxicology 
Program, P.O. Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27709, (telephone 
919/541-3971).

    Dated: May 21, 1996.
Kenneth Olden,
Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 96-14150 Filed 6-5-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M