[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4968-4969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-2178]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6531-6]


Technical Workshop to Peer Review Toxicology Testing Initiative 
on Styrene-Acrylonitrile Trimer

AGENCY:  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:  Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY:  EPA is announcing a workshop to be conducted by the Eastern 
Research Group, Inc. (ERG), an EPA contractor, for the external 
scientific peer review of the proposed toxicology testing initiative 
and associated experimental protocols for styrene-acrylonitrile 
(SAN2) trimer, a contaminant at the Reich Farm Superfund 
site in Ocean County, New Jersey, which has migrated into the ground 
water. The peer review workshop is being organized to assist in 
conducting the most scientifically credible and relevant testing for 
carcinogenicity of the trimer, particularly during the perinatal 
period, and for chronic non-cancer health effects. The one-day workshop 
will be held in Toms River, New Jersey, on March 7, 2000, and will be 
open to members of the public as observers. It will be conducted in 
accordance with EPA's 1998 Peer Review Handbook. Stakeholders in the 
issue who have additional information which is relevant to the testing 
initiative are invited to submit written comments and/or make brief 
oral comments at the peer review workshop.

DATES:  The workshop will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2000, from 8:00 
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Members of the public may attend as observers. There 
will be a 30-minute session at the commencement of the workshop in 
which observers will have the opportunity to make brief comments 
relevant to the proposed testing initiative. Observers who wish to make 
such comments should register to do so with ERG by March 1, 2000. The 
time allotted for each comment will be limited based upon the number of 
persons requesting to make comments, but will be no more than five (5) 
minutes. Interested parties who wish to submit written comments for 
consideration by the peer reviewers should submit them so that ERG 
receives them on or before February 25, 2000.

ADDRESSES:  The meeting will be held in the L. Manuel Hirshblond 
Meeting Room, at the Township of Dover Municipal Building, 33 
Washington Street, Toms River, New Jersey 08753. Since seating capacity 
is limited, please contact Ms. Meg Vrablik of ERG, by telephone, at 
781-674-7374; by facsimile, at 781-674-2906; or by E-mail, at 
[email protected], by March 1, 2000, to register to attend the workshop 
as an observer. Also please register with Ms. Vrablik to make brief 
comments at the workshop. Kindly send written comments to Ms. Vrablik 
at Eastern Research Group, Inc., 110 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 
02421-3136, by February 25, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  To register and for logistical 
inquires, contact Ms. Vrablik or Ms. Kate Schalk at Eastern Research 
Group at the above numbers. For information on documents cited in this 
notice, contact Dr. Dorothy Canter, US EPA, at 202-260-2230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Spent process streams from the manufacture of styrene acrylonitrile 
polymer by Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) were disposed of at the 
Reich Farm property in Ocean County, New Jersey. The waste contains 
SAN2 trimer, a chemical mixture which has migrated from the 
Reich Farm property into groundwater. Levels of SAN2 trimer 
measured in water drawn from groundwater wells have been in the parts 
per billion and lower. The site is on the National Priorities List 
(NPL) of hazardous waste sites, and remedial activities are currently 
underway.
    Increased incidences of certain forms of cancer in children, 
specifically certain types of leukemia, neuroblastoma, and brain and 
central nervous system cancers, have been observed in Ocean County, 
Dover Township and Toms River. To develop scientific data on the 
toxicologic and carcinogenic potential of the SAN2 trimer 
and to address concerns of citizens in the area about the toxicity of 
this previously untested mixture, UCC undertook an initial round of 
toxicology experiments, which consisted of genotoxicity studies, an 
acute toxicity study in rats and a 14-day repeated dose study in rats. 
The results from these studies are now available.
    The Interagency Workgroup for the Toxicity Testing of the SAN2 
Trimer was formed to provide guidance to UCC on the testing of the 
SAN2 trimer. In late 1998, the National Toxicology Program 
(NTP) of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences joined 
the Workgroup based upon its commitment to perform rodent 
carcinogenicity studies which include perinatal exposures. The current 
governmental agencies represented on the Workgroup are the US 
Environmental Protection Agency, the Agency for Toxic Substances and 
Disease Registry, NTP, the New Jersey Department of Environmental 
Protection, and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior 
Services. Representatives of UCC and the consultant representing the 
Ocean County Department of Health also participate in the Workgroup.
    The Workgroup has met four times since November 1998, evaluating 
the results of the studies previously performed by UCC, and reviewing 
additional studies proposed to be performed by the NTP and UCC. The 
Workgroup has developed a consensus testing strategy with associated 
experimental protocols. A key step in the finalization of this testing 
strategy will be the external peer review workshop on March 7, 2000. 
The Workgroup also formed a subgroup which developed a group of 
pharmacokinetics studies that will be conducted concurrently with the 
range finding studies of the NTP toxicity testing initiative.
    Twelve independent scientists with expertise in general toxicology, 
carcinogenesis, developmental toxicology, neurotoxicology, 
pharmacokinetics, genetic toxicology, biostatistics, veterinary 
pathology, and analytical chemistry were selected by ERG from among the 
experts nominated by stakeholders for possible service on the peer 
review panel. In making the selections, ERG determined that the panel 
members had no real or perceived conflicts of interest. The panel will 
evaluate only those issues which are relevant to the toxicologic 
potential of the SAN2 trimer.
    Following the peer review workshop, ERG will prepare a summary 
report on the workshop which will present the panel's recommendations. 
This report will be available to dinterested parties

[[Page 4969]]

and will be posted on EPA's website. The Interagency Workgroup will 
address the panel recommendations in finalizing the toxicology testing 
initiative for the SAN2 trimer.

    Dated: January 21, 2000.
Timothy Fields, Jr.,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
[FR Doc. 00-2178 Filed 2-1-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-U