[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 80 (Friday, April 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20176-20177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10726]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPTS-42008K; FRL 5712-4]


Testing For Unsubstituted Phenylenediamines; Request to Delete 
Triggered Flow-Through Fish Early Life Stage Study on P-
Phenylenediamine

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Request for Comment.

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SUMMARY: This notice invites public comment on the request of E.I. 
DuPont Nemours Co., to delete as unnecessary a triggered flow-through 
fish early life stage study for p-phenylenediamine (p-pda)(CAS No. 106-
50-3) currently required under the TSCA section 4 test rule for 
unsubstituted phenylenediamines (OPTS-42008F).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 27, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Each comment must bear the docket control number OPPTS-
42008G. All comments should be sent in triplicate to: TSCA Document 
Control Officer (7407), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Room G-099, East 
Tower, Washington, DC 20460. Persons submitting information any portion 
of which they believe is entitled to treatment as confidential business 
information (CBI) by EPA must assert a confidentiality claim in 
accordance with 40 CFR 2.203(b) for each such portion. This claim must 
be made at the time that the information is submitted to EPA. If a 
submitter does not assert a confidentiality claim at the time of 
submission, EPA will treat the information as non-confidential and may 
make it available to the public without further notice to the 
submitter. Three sanitized copies of any comments containing 
information claimed as CBI must also be submitted and will be placed in 
the public record for this action.
    Comments and data may also be submitted electronically by following 
the instructions under ``SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION''. No CBI should be 
submitted through e-mail.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan B. Hazen, Director, 
Environmental Assistance Division (7408), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics, Rm. ET-543B, USEPA, 401 M St., SW., Washington, 
DC 20460; telephone: (202) 554-1404, TDD: (202) 554-0551; e-mail: TSCA-
H[email protected]. For specific information regarding this notice

[[Page 20177]]

contact Keith Cronin, Project Manager, Chemical Control Division 
(7405), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 
(202) 260-8157 fax: (202) 260-1096; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of November 30, 
1989, EPA issued a final test rule requiring testing of three 
phenylenediamine isomers, o-pda, m-pda, and p-pda (54 FR 49285, 
November 30, 1989). The rule required specific aquatic acute toxicity 
testing and, depending on the results of that testing, further testing 
for chronic toxicity (a fish early life stage test). EPA notified E.I. 
DuPont Nemours Co. by letter on August 12, 1992 that based on its 
review, the acute testing data submitted triggered the fish early life 
stage testing for p-pda. DuPont questioned EPA's conclusions concerning 
the requirements for triggering chronic testing, challenged the 
usefulness of the triggered chronic testing for p-pda, and requested 
that EPA delete the requirement for the triggered flow-through fish 
early life stage test for p-pda. DuPont also claimed that completing 
this requirement would not yield any additional information as the 
half-life of the chemical is very short.
    EPA has reviewed DuPont's request and now agrees with its 
assessment that the chronic toxicity testing required should be 
revoked. The decision to not require chronic toxicity testing is based 
on p-pda's very short half-life in water (115 minutes) and the data 
from the Toxic Release Inventory indicating that the environmental 
exposure to p-pda is limited. From a risk perspective, p-pda does not 
appear to pose an unreasonable risk to aquatic life.
    Under 40 CFR 790.55(b)(3), EPA may make changes that affect the 
scope of the test rule, but EPA must provide notice and an opportunity 
for comment before such changes become effective. Furthermore, if 
adverse comments are received, EPA will issue a proposed rule 
addressing this issue and will provide a 30 day period for public 
comment. Interested parties therefore have 30 days from publication of 
this notice to provide written comments on the elimination of the fish 
early life stage study for p-pda from the final rule on unsubstituted 
phenylenediamines. If the 30-day deadline passes and no adverse public 
comments have been received, EPA will grant the proposed modification 
without further notice.
     The official record for this notice, as well as the public 
version, has been established for this notice under docket number 
[OPPTS-42008K] (including comments and data submitted electronically as 
described below). A public version of this record, 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 official record is located at the address 
in ``ADDRESSES'' at the beginning of this document.
    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. 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 number [OPPTS-42008K]. Electronic comments on 
this notice may be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.

    Dated: April 18, 1997.

Charles M.Auer,

Director, Chemical Control Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics.

[FR Doc. 97-10726 Filed 4-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F