[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16590-16592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7738]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPTS-00274B; FRL-6552-6]


Voluntary Children's Health Chemical Testing Program, Stakeholder 
Involvement Process; Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:  Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA will hold a third public meeting to involve stakeholders 
in the design and development of a voluntary program to ensure that 
test data are publicly available for industrial chemicals to which 
children and prospective parents may have a high likelihood of 
exposure. The purpose of the voluntary testing program is to obtain 
data needed to assess the potential health risk of chemical exposure to 
children and prospective parents. At this meeting, stakeholders will 
have an opportunity to give their reactions to EPA's revised Framework 
Document for a testing program either as individuals or as 
representatives of organizations.

DATES: The meeting will be held on April 26 and 27, 2000, from 9 a.m. 
to 5 p.m. Requests to pre-register for the meeting must be received on 
or before April 21, 2000. Written comments on the Framework Document, 
identified by docket control number OPPTS-00274B, must be received on 
or before May 12, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the National Rural Electric 
Cooperative Association (NRECA) Conference Center at 4301 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, VA.; telephone number: (703) 907-5500. Requests 
to pre-register for the meeting should be directed to the technical 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Comments may be 
submitted by mail, electronically, or in person. Please follow the 
detailed instructions for each method as provided in Unit I.D. To 
ensure proper receipt by EPA, your comments must identify docket 
control number OPPTS-00274B in the subject line on the first page of 
your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: 
Barbara Cunningham, Director, Office Program Management and Evaluation 
(7401), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental 
Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    For technical information contact: Ward Penberthy, Chemical Control 
Division (7405), OPPT, Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios 
Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: (202) 260-0508; e-mail address: [email protected]. 
Electronic messages must identify docket control number OPPTS-00274B 
and the heading, ``Voluntary Children's Health Chemical Testing 
Program, Stakeholder Involvement Process,'' in the subject line on the 
first page of your message.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information:

A. Does this Notice Apply To Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of interest to those chemical manufacturers and processors 
who are or may be required to conduct testing of chemical substances 
under section 4 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), individuals 
or groups concerned with chemical testing and children's health, animal 
welfare groups, or other members of the general public. Since other 
entities may also be interested, the Agency has not attempted to 
describe all the specific entities that may be affected by this action. 
If you have any questions regarding the applicability of this action to 
a particular entity, consult the technical person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this 
Document or Other Related Documents?

    1. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this 
document, and certain other related documents that might be available 
electronically, from the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/. 
To access this document, on the Home Page select ``Laws and 
Regulations'' and then look up the entry for this document under the 
``Federal Register--Environmental Documents.'' You can also go directly 
to the Federal Register listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    To access the revised Framework Document, additional information 
about the third stakeholder meeting, an electronic copy of this 
document, or information on the first and second stakeholder meetings, 
you may go directly to the website at http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/childhlt.htm. The Framework Document and the meeting agenda should be 
on this website by April 12, 2000.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this meeting under docket control number OPPTS-00274B. The official 
record consists of the documents specifically referenced in this 
notice, any public comments received during an applicable comment 
period, and other information related to the Voluntary Children's 
Health Chemical Testing Program, including any information claimed as 
Confidential Business Information (CBI). This official record includes 
the documents that are physically located in the docket, as well as the 
documents that are referenced in those documents.

[[Page 16591]]

The public version of the official record, which includes printed, 
paper versions of any electronic comments that may be submitted during 
an applicable comment period, is available for inspection in the TSCA 
Nonconfidential Information Center, North East Mall Rm. B-607, 401 M 
St., SW., Washington, DC. The Center is open from noon to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number 
of the Center is (202) 260-7099.
    3. By telephone. If you need additional information about this 
action, you may also contact the persons identified under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
    A copy of the Framework Document may be obtained by calling the 
TSCA Hotline at (202) 554-1404. A request to the TSCA Hotline can be 
made before April 12, 2000, but cannot be filled until April 12, 2000.

C. How Can I Pre-register for this Meeting?

    You may request to pre-register for this meeting through the mail, 
by phone, or electronically. Direct your request to the technical 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Your request must 
be received by EPA on or before April 20, 2000, and must identify 
yourself, your organization, and a telephone number or e-mail address 
where you may be reached. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, you must 
identify docket control number OPPTS-00274B and the heading, 
``Voluntary Children's Health Chemical Testing Program, Stakeholder 
Involvement Process,'' in the subject line of the first page of your 
request.

D. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or 
electronically. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify docket control number OPPTS-00274B in the subject line on 
the first page of your response.
    1. By mail. Submit your comments to: Document Control Office 
(7407), OPPT, Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    2. In person or by courier. Deliver your comments to: OPPT Document 
Control Office (DCO) in East Tower Rm. G-099, Waterside Mall, 401 M 
St., SW., Washington, DC. The DCO is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the 
DCO is (202) 260-7093.
    3. Electronically. You may submit your comments electronically by 
e-mail to: ``[email protected],'' or mail your computer disk to the 
address identified above. Do not submit any information electronically 
that you consider to be CBI. 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 standard disks 
in WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or ASCII file format. All comments in electronic 
form must be identified by docket control number OPPTS-00274B. 
Electronic comments may also be filed online at many Federal Depository 
Libraries.

E. How Should I Handle CBI Information That I Want to Submit to the 
Agency?

    Do not submit any information electronically that you consider to 
be CBI. You may claim information that you submit to EPA in response to 
this document as CBI by marking any part or all of that information as 
CBI. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance 
with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. Please note that, in the 
absence of steps by EPA leading to disclosure, none of the information 
marked ``CBI'' will be available for consideration in the Stakeholder 
Involvement Process; commenters may want to consider this point in 
developing their submissions. In addition to one complete version of 
the comment that includes any information claimed as CBI, a copy of the 
comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be 
submitted for inclusion in the public version of the official record. 
Information not marked confidential will be included in the public 
version of the official record without prior notice. If you have any 
questions about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, please consult 
the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

F. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    We invite you to provide your views on the general approach 
presented in the ``Framework Document'' cited in Unit I.B. and 
discussed in Units II. and III. EPA also invites your views on new 
approaches we have not considered, the potential benefits or impacts of 
these various options (including possible unintended consequences), and 
any data or information that you would like the Agency to consider 
during the development of a voluntary testing program via the 
stakeholder process. You may find the following suggestions helpful for 
preparing your comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns regarding 
benefits and impacts.
    6. Offer alternative ways to improve the voluntary testing program.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this 
notice.
    8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
control number OPPTS-00274B in the subject line on the first page of 
your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

G. Are There Issues on Which EPA is Particularly Interested in 
Receiving Comment?

    EPA encourages interested parties to submit comments on chemical 
toxicity testing and exposure information which are relevant to 
children's health and any aspect of this notice. Commenters are 
encouraged to identify other criteria for identifying children's 
exposure to industrial chemicals and additional relevant data sources. 
Comments on the test battery previously submitted to EPA's Scientific 
Advisory Panel (SAP) need not be resubmitted.

II. Background

    EPA is holding a series of public meetings to involve stakeholders 
in the design and development of a voluntary program to ensure that 
toxicity test data and exposure information on industrial chemicals to 
which children and prospective parents may have a high likelihood of 
exposure are made publicly available. The toxicity and exposure data 
developed by the voluntary program will be used to assess the potential 
health risk to children and prospective parents associated with that 
chemical exposure. EPA is using a stakeholder involvement process to 
bring together and obtain the individual opinions of knowledgeable 
persons who represent parties that could be affected by any forthcoming 
program. The stakeholders that have provided their opinions so far 
include child health advocates, pediatricians, chemical manufacturers 
and processors, trade associations, Federal agencies, and animal 
welfare advocates. In the Federal Register notice announcing the 
stakeholder involvement process

[[Page 16592]]

published in the Federal Register of August 26, 1999 (64 FR 46673) 
(FRL-6089-1), EPA identified three issues on which the Agency would 
like to receive stakeholder input. These included:
    1. Which chemicals should be tested?
    2. Which tests should be used?
    3. How should the program be implemented?
    At the kickoff meeting held September 22, 1999, EPA oriented the 
stakeholders to the background and future plans and goals for this 
project. EPA informed the stakeholders of the Agency's initial efforts 
to identify the chemicals to which children and prospective parents may 
be highly exposed and the testing needed to assess the risk of that 
exposure. EPA then took comment on its initial efforts and on other 
issues which were of special interest to stakeholders. Also at the 
kickoff meeting, the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) announced 
that its members had developed a voluntary testing program which would 
conduct the same testing contemplated by EPA but in three tiers and 
with hazard and exposure triggers. A summary of this meeting and the 
text of most of the presentations are available to the public; to 
access this information, see instructions provided in Units I.B.1. and 
I.B.2.
    Following the first meeting, EPA initially developed a Framework 
Document which described how a voluntary program could be structured. 
The Framework Document addressed how chemicals could be selected for 
the program and how tests could be tiered and triggered. In mid 
November 1999, EPA released the Framework Document as a ``strawman'' 
proposal and announced it would be a major point of discussion at the 
second public stakeholder meeting on November 30-December 1, 1999. For 
the second stakeholder meeting, EPA invited participants from diverse 
stakeholder interests to participate in roundtable discussions with 
EPA. EPA had asked stakeholders to participate in the selection of the 
invited participants via a Nomination Process which had been announced 
at the first meeting and on the website: http://www.epa.gov/chemrtk/nominate.htm. EPA did not ask the invited participants to reach 
agreement or provide any collective recommendations. EPA's intent was 
to obtain information about their individual perspectives based on 
their unique experiences and background. Accordingly, EPA did not 
organize the stakeholder involvement process as an advisory committee 
as defined in the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 
Although the meeting was centered around the discussions between EPA 
and the invited participants, this was a public meeting that other 
stakeholders and members of the public could attend and, at the 
conclusion of each discussion, present their opinions to the group. The 
primary focus of the second meeting was the Framework Document and how 
tiered testing and triggers could best be used to obtain needed 
toxicity data. A summary of this meeting is available to the public; to 
access this information, see instructions provided in Units I.B.1. and 
I.B.2.

III. Public Stakeholder Meeting

    The third public meeting of the Stakeholder Involvement Process 
will be held April 26-27, 2000. This meeting will follow the format of 
the second meeting in which invited participants and EPA 
representatives discuss the issues of concern to stakeholders. EPA is 
preparing a revised Framework Document to reflect EPA's current 
thinking on how the voluntary program could be structured to meet EPA's 
objective of obtaining needed data to ensure that toxicity test data 
and exposure information are made publicly available. This Document 
will be the major focus of discussion at the third meeting, as it will 
serve as a second ``strawman'' proposal. The revised Framework Document 
and the meeting agenda will be made available by April 12, 2000. 
Instructions for obtaining a copy of the Framework Document are 
provided in Unit I.B. Instructions for obtaining the meeting agenda are 
provided in Units I.B.1. and I.B.2.
    The meeting will be an open public meeting. As such, there will be 
opportunities for public comment from anyone who wishes to provide oral 
comments at the conclusion of each roundtable discussion between the 
invited participants and EPA. Oral comments from the public may be 
limited to 5 minutes to allow all those who wish to comment a chance to 
speak. Commenters with prepared statements are requested to provide at 
least 35 written copies of their statements. It is encouraged that 
commenters bring copies sufficient for the number of people who plan to 
attend the meeting; this number will be under ``Meeting Information'' 
on website www.epa.gov/chemrtk/childhlt.htm several days before the 
meeting. The written statements will become a part of the public 
version of the official record. To enable as many interested parties as 
possible to contribute their ideas and provide opinions, EPA plans to 
have a professional facilitator lead the meeting.
    Although this is a public meeting, there may be space limitations. 
Therefore, EPA encourages those who wish to attend to register in 
advance by following the instructions in Unit I.C. Seating of others at 
the meeting will be on a first-come basis after those who have 
registered in advance of the meeting have been accommodated.
    In addition to the opportunity to present oral comments at the 
meeting, the public may also submit written comments on the Framework 
Document. In order to provide sufficient time for persons interested in 
responding in writing, including those persons unable to attend the 
public meeting, the Agency will accept such comments until May 12, 
2000. Instructions for submitting written comments are provided in Unit 
I.D.
    The purpose of the meeting is for EPA to obtain information and the 
individual perspectives of the invited participants and the public. EPA 
is not asking the roundtable participants to reach agreement or provide 
any collective recommendations. Accordingly, EPA does not intend to 
organize the stakeholder involvement process as an advisory committee 
as defined in the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. The 
information which is obtained in the course of this process may also be 
considered in the development of a possible test rule under TSCA 
section 4.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Children, Hazardous 
substances, Health and safety.

    Dated: March 24, 2000.
Susan H. Wayland,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Prevention, Pesticides and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 00-7738 Filed 3-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F