[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 202 (Thursday, October 17, 1996)] [Notices] [Pages 54195-54196] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-26811] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [OPPTS-42188; FRL-5571-2] Endocrine Disruptors; Notice of Public Meeting AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of public meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: EPA is holding a public meeting with interested stakeholder groups to assist the Agency in forming a committee under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) to provide advice on the screening and testing of chemicals and pesticides for their potential to disrupt endocrine function in humans and wildlife. This is the second of such meetings. The first meeting was held May 15-16, 1996, in Washington DC. Persons who attended the first meeting or placed their names on a list to be kept informed of further developments will be notified of this meeting by letter, and will receive additional information regarding the formation of the committee and nominees for committee membership. DATES: The public meeting will be held on October 31 and November 1, 1996, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in Washington, DC, at the Sheraton City Centre Hotel, 1143 New Hampshire Ave NW (3 blocks NE of the Foggy Bottom Metro station at New Hampshire Ave and M St. NW). Telephone: 202-775-0800. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons who want to attend this meeting should register with Donald Walker no later than October 24, 1996. Reservations will be accepted on a first-come basis. Persons with reservations should arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting to ensure that their seat is not given to someone on the waiting list. Persons who do not have a reservation will be admitted to the meeting only if space is available. To register or to obtain additional information (such as the summary of the May 15 and 16 meeting) please contact: Donald Walker, TASCON Corp; telephone: (301) 907-3844 x 247; fax: (301) 907-9655; e- mail: [email protected]. For technical information, contact Anthony Maciorowski (202) 260-3048, e-mail: [email protected] or Gary Timm (202) 260-1859, e-mail: [email protected] at EPA. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A growing body of scientific research indicates that many man-made chemicals may interfere with the normal functioning of human and wildlife endocrine systems. These endocrine disruptors may cause a variety of problems with development, behavior, and reproduction. Although many chemicals have undergone extensive toxicological testing, it is unclear whether this testing has been adequate to detect the potential for these chemicals to disrupt endocrine functioning or what additional testing is needed for EPA to assess and characterize risk. Notwithstanding recognition that the scientific knowledge related to endocrine disruptors is still evolving, there is widespread agreement that the development of a screening and testing program is appropriate. Recent legislation (reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act and passage of the Food Quality Protection Act) has mandated that such a screening and testing program be developed by EPA. Further, underlying authority for EPA to consider implementation of such a program is found in the existing Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances is taking the lead for EPA on endocrine disruption screening and testing issues. EPA began its efforts to develop a screening and testing strategy by obtaining the views of stakeholders at a meeting on May 15- 16, 1996 (61 FR 20814, May 8, 1996) (FRL-5369-8). At the May stakeholder's meeting participants generally agreed that government, industry, academia and public interest groups should work collaboratively to develop a screening and testing strategy. EPA has concluded that a FACA chartered committee would be the best means of providing assistance in developing such a strategy and proposes to establish the Endocrine Disrupter Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC). The purpose of EDSTAC will be to provide advice and counsel to the Agency on a strategy to screen and test endocrine disrupting chemicals in humans, fish, and wildlife. This strategy will be aimed at developing information and methods for reducing risk to human health and the environment. EPA expects the EDSTAC to take a consensus approach to reaching their findings and recommendations. Subject to consideration by the members of the proposed EDSTAC, the goals of an EPA-led dialogue on screening and testing for endocrine disruption may be to: 1. Develop a flexible process to select and prioritize chemicals for screening, recognizing the need to obtain and use appropriate exposure information in setting appropriate priorities. 2. Develop a process for identifying new and existing screening tests and mechanisms for their validation. 3. Agree on a set of available, validated screening tests for early application. 4. Develop a process and criteria for deciding when additional tests, beyond screening tests, are needed and how any of these additional tests will be validated. These goals are likely to be pursued sequentially. These goals will also be pursued in a manner that recognizes that the data that will be available as a result of the endocrine disrupter screening and testing program will be used to reduce risk to human health. It is anticipated that this overarching risk management goal will eventually require the development of approaches to: Synthesize exposure and hazard information; and incorporate synthesized exposure and hazard information into risk reduction and risk management decisions. For the EDSTAC to be successful, the Committee will have to clearly communicate to the public areas of agreement and recommendations. In addition, as components of a screening and testing program are agreed upon and implemented, processes need to be developed to clearly communicate to [[Page 54196]] the public the information resulting from priority setting, screening, testing, and risk management decision-making. EPA's intention is for the EDSTAC to be a consensus-building process. EDSTAC, therefore, needs to be structured in a manner conducive to collaboration and consensus building. In particular, EDSTAC's structure needs to balance the demand for inclusion of key stakeholders and relevant expertise with the need for a manageable number of participants. EPA believes that it is important to have representatives of the chemicals industry, Federal and state government; representatives from environmental, public health, and labor organizations; and scientific expertise from academia on the Committee. EDSTAC members will discuss both policy and scientific issues in an attempt to develop consensus recommendations on how to create and implement an endocrine disrupter screening and testing program. The group is expected to meet approximately once every two months over a period of one year. Because it will not be possible to include all of those who have an interest in this issue, opportunities will be provided during the course of EDSTAC's deliberations to ensure that all voices will be heard. One of the primary agenda items for the October 31-November 1, 1996, meeting is to address questions of formation and membership of EDSTAC and procedures for ensuring that all stakeholders have an opportunity to be heard on the issues. Dated: October 11, 1996. Lynn R. Goldman, Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. [FR Doc. 96-26811 Filed 10-16-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-50-F