[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 18435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9991]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service


National Toxicology Program; Call for Public Comments; Agents, 
Substances, Mixtures and Exposure Circumstances Proposed for Listing in 
or Removing From the Report on Carcinogens, Ninth Edition

    The National Toxicology Program (NTP) announces its intent to re-
review 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) (CAS #1746-01-6) for 
possible listing in the Report on Carcinogens, Ninth Edition as Known 
To Be A Human Carcinogen.

Background

    This Report is a Congressionally-mandated listing of Known Human 
Carcinogens and Reasonably Anticipated Human Carcinogens and its 
preparation is delegated to the National Toxicology Program by the 
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Section 
301(b)(4) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, provides that 
the Secretary, (HHS), shall publish a report which contains a list of 
all substances (1) which either are known to be human carcinogens or 
may reasonably be anticipated to be human carcinogens; and (2) to which 
a significant number of persons residing in the United States (US) are 
exposed. The law also states that the reports should provide available 
information on the nature of exposures, the estimated number of persons 
exposed and the extent to which the implementation of Federal 
regulations decreases the risk to public health from exposure to these 
chemicals.
    2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was reviewed in public 
session by the NTP Board of Scientific Counselors Subcommittee for the 
Report on Carcinogens on October 30 & 31, 1997. This review resulted in 
the Subcommittee's recommendation to upgrade the TCDD listing from 
Reasonably Anticipated to Be A Human Carcinogen to Known To Be A Human 
Carcinogen.

NTP Announces a Re-review of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin 
and Requests Public Comments

    Following his review of the proceedings of that meeting, the NTP 
Director has determined that the October 30 & 31 public review of TCDD 
may not have been adequate and has directed that the nomination of TCDD 
for upgrading to a Known to be Human Carcinogen in the Report on 
Carcinogens be formally reviewed again by the NTP Board of Scientific 
Counselors Subcommittee for the Report on Carcinogens in December 1998. 
The TCDD background document provided to the NTP Board Subcommittee and 
the public comments and the summary minutes of the October 30 & 31, 
1997, review by the NTP Board Subcommittee are available upon request. 
The NTP wants to insure that all relevant information for TCDD 
pertaining to its epidemiology and the mechanism of tumor formation in 
humans and laboratory animals is adequately considered and solicits 
additional relevant information in support of or against the nomination 
to list TCDD as a Known to be Human Carcinogen in the Report on 
Carcinogens, Ninth Edition. In light of the decision to re-review TCDD, 
the deadline for public comments on dioxin will be extended until June 
15, 1998 (see Federal Register: March 19, 1998, Volume 63, Number 53, 
Page 13418). All comments received will be considered in the 
preparation of any additional information to supplement the original 
background document. Any new or supplementary information to be 
provided to the NTP Board Subcommittee members will be available to the 
public approximately one month prior to the December peer review 
meeting.
    Requests for the background information described, comments, or 
questions should be directed to Dr. C. W. Jameson, National Toxicology 
Program, Report on Carcinogens, 79 Alexander Drive, Building 4401, P.O. 
Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; phone: (919) 541-4096, 
fax: (919) 541-2242, email: [email protected].

    Dated: April 8, 1998.
Kenneth Olden,
Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 98-9991 Filed 4-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M