[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 69 (Monday, April 10, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19036-19037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8782]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice No. 3276]


Bureau of Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific 
Affairs; Public Meeting to Discuss Progress on International 
Harmonization of Chemical Hazard Classification and Labeling

SUMMARY: The United States Government, through an interagency working 
group, is preparing for a series of international meetings to further 
develop a harmonized system of chemical hazard classification and 
labeling, an effort referred to as the ``globally harmonized system'' 
or GHS. The Department of State is announcing a public meeting to 
review the progress since the last public meeting on October 6, 1999, 
and to outline the issues likely to arise in upcoming international 
meetings. The public meeting will take place on Thursday, April 27, 
2000, from 10:00 am until noon in Room 311 of the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Crystal Mall 2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
Arlington, Virginia. To facilitate entry, attendees should bring 
picture identification with them. No advance registration is necessary. 
For further information, please contact Marie Ricciardone, U.S. 
Department of State, Office of Environmental Policy (OES/ENV), Room 
4325, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520; telephone (202) 647-9799; 
fax (202) 647-5947; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Department of State is issuing this 
notice to help ensure that interested organizations and individuals are 
aware of and knowledgeable about the effort to internationally 
harmonize chemical hazard classification and labeling, and have an 
opportunity to offer comments. Several agencies participate in the U.S. 
government interagency group, including: Department of State, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Commerce, 
Department of Agriculture, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and 
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. For more complete 
information on the harmonization process, please refer to State 
Department Public Notice 2526, pages 15951-15957 of the Federal 
Register of April 3, 1997.
    This meeting will provide an update on GHS activities since the 
previous public meeting on October 6, 1999 (see Department of State 
Public Notice 3121 on page 49834 of the Federal Register of September 
14, 1999):
     Fourth Meeting of the Inter-Organization Program for the 
Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC)/International Labor Organization 
(ILO) Working Group on Hazard Communication, November 1-4, 1999, 
Washington, DC;
     Fifteenth Consultation of the IOMC Coordinating Group for 
the Harmonization of Chemical Classification Systems, November 5, 1999, 
Washington, DC;
     Fifth Meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation 
and Development Expert Group on Classification Criteria for Chemical 
Mixtures, November 8-9, 1999, Washington, DC;
     Seventeenth Session of the UN Subcommittee of Experts on 
the Transport of Dangerous Goods, December 6-16, 1999, Geneva, 
Switzerland;
     Fifth Meeting of the Expert Group on Aquatic Environmental 
Hazards, February 14-15, 2000, Paris, France;
     Third Meeting of the OECD Ad Hoc Expert Group on Target 
Organ/Systemic Toxicity of the Task Force on Harmonization of 
Classification and Labeling, February 16-17, 2000, Paris, France;

[[Page 19037]]

     Ninth Meeting of the OECD Task Force on Harmonization of 
Classification and Labeling, February 17-18, 2000, Paris, France.
    Members of the interagency working group will also provide an 
overview of the U.S. preparations for upcoming international meetings:
     The Fifth Meeting of the IOMC/ILO Working Group of Hazard 
Communication, May 22-25, 2000, Geneva, Switzerland will consider 
hazard communication label elements for the public and specialized 
audiences, and material safety data sheets for workers;
     The Sixteenth Consultation of the IOMC Coordinating Group 
for the Harmonization of Chemical Classification Systems, May 26, 2000, 
Geneva, Switzerland will consider GHS implementation issues;
     The Sixth Meeting of the OECD Expert Group on 
Classification Criteria for Chemical Mixtures, May 29-31, 2000, Paris, 
France will develop approaches and options for a harmonized system of 
classifying mixtures according to their health and environmental 
hazards;
     The Eighteenth Session of the UN Subcommittee on Experts 
on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, July 3-13, 2000, Geneva, 
Switzerland will consider classification criteria for flammable 
aerosols.
    Interested organizations and individuals are invited to present 
their views orally and/or in writing at the public meeting. Those 
organizations/individuals that cannot attend the April 27, 2000 
meeting, but wish to submit a written comment or remain informed, 
should provide Eunice Mourning of the Office of Environmental Policy, 
U.S. Department of State (telephone 202-647-9266; fax 202-647-5947) 
with their statement and/or name, organization, address, telephone and 
fax numbers, and e-mail address. All written comments will be placed in 
the OSHA public docket (H-022H), which is open Monday through Friday, 
from 10 am until 4 pm, at the Department of Labor, Room 2625, 200 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC; telephone 202-219-7894; fax: 
202-219-5046. Interested organizations /individuals that wish to 
receive future notifications of GHS-related developments by email 
should contact Mary Frances Lowe of the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency at ``[email protected]''.

    Dated: April 4, 2000.
Daniel T. Fantozzi,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 00-8782 Filed 4-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-06-U