[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 21 (Friday, January 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4783-4784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2486]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service


National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; National 
Toxicology Program; Fiscal Year 1996 Annual Plan Now Available

    The National Toxicology Program (NTP) announces the availability of 
National Toxicology Program; Fiscal Year 1996 Annual Plan, solicits 
comments on it, and urges all interested persons to propose chemicals 
for possible toxicological evaluation.
    The eighteenth edition consists of two parts. First, the National 
Toxicology Program; Fiscal Year 1996 Annual Plan describes FY 1996 NTP 
plans in research, applied studies, methods development and validation 
efforts, as well as resources and FY 1995 program accomplishments. 
Second, the Review of Current DHHS, DOE, and EPA Research Related to 
Toxicology FY 1996 lists chemicals being studied by the various 
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) agencies, the Department 
of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and 
describes toxicology research and toxicology methods currently being 
developed by these agencies.
    The format for the FY 1996 Annual Plan differs somewhat from 
previous years in that there are two versions. New is the Fiscal Year 
1996 Annual Plan Summary which was prepared in response to a perceived 
need for a briefer and simpler version. The summary version is being 
sent to the larger mailing list and in response to general requests for 
information about the National Toxicology Program. The full version is 
similar to previous Annual Plans in length and detail and will be sent 
with the companion document, the Review of Current DHHS, DOE, and EPA 
Research Related to Toxicology FY 1996.

Background

    The National Toxicology Program was established within the Public 
Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services 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 specific test methods;
 develop improved strategies for generating scientific data 
that strengthen the scientific foundation for risk assessments; and
 communicate NTP plans and results to government agencies, the 
medical and scientific communities, and the public.

    To achieve these objectives, a balanced program, which uses chronic 
bioassays, short-term tests, collection and application of mechanistic 
information, model development, alternative methods, and human studies, 
has been created.
    The NTP coordinates selected toxicology activities of the National 
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 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
 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 Board has two standing Subcommittees, the 
Biennial Report on Carcinogens Subcommittee and the Technical Reports 
Review Subcommittee. The members are appointed by the Secretary, DHHS.
    Scientific activities are divided into several major program areas: 
Carcinogenesis; genetic toxicology; risk assessment research; 
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 Annual Plan.

[[Page 4784]]

    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:

 chemical and physical properties;
 production, use, occurrence, and analysis data;
 toxicology information, including human data;
 chemical disposition and structure-activity relationships; and
 planned, ongoing, or recently completed toxicological and 
environmental studies.

    To receive the National Toxicology Program Fiscal Year 1996 Annual 
Plan and the accompanying Review of Current DHHS, DOE, and EPA Research 
Related to Toxicology FY 1996, or the Fiscal Year 1996 Annual Plan 
Summary version, please contact the NTP Central Data Management, NIEHS, 
P.O. Box 12233, MD E1-02, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, (telephone 
919/541-3419, fax 919/541-3687, Internet e-mail [email protected].
    Comments on the above documents are requested and welcomed and 
should be addressed to Dr. Larry Hart, NTP, P.O. Box 12233, MD A3-07, 
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, (telephone 919/541-3971, fax 919/541-
0295, Internet e-mail [email protected]).
Kenneth Olden,
Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 97-2486 Filed 1-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M