[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 140 (Friday, July 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37957-37958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18197]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7015-5]


Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS); Notice; Request for 
Information

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; administrative changes in the Integrated Risk 
Information System.

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SUMMARY: IRIS is an EPA data base that contains EPA scientific 
consensus positions on human health effects that may result from 
chronic exposure to chemical substances in the environment. In this 
action, EPA is announcing an upcoming change to the location and phone 
number of EPA's contractor-operated IRIS hotline and publically-
accessible records center, and a redesign of the IRIS web site, 
available for public view and comment.

DATES: Comments should be submitted by September 18, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the redesigned web site should be made to the 
IRIS webmaster via the questionnaire on line at www.epa.gov/iris/whatsnew.htm. Comments on the web site may also be mailed to the IRIS 
Submission Desk, c/o Courtney R. Johnson, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, (8601D), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the IRIS 
program, contact Amy Mills (Mail Code 8601D), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, 
or call

[[Page 37958]]

(202) 564-3204, or send electronic mail inquiries to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    IRIS is an EPA data base containing Agency consensus scientific 
positions on potential adverse human health effects that may result 
from chronic (or lifetime) exposure to chemical substances found in the 
environment. IRIS currently provides health effects information on over 
500 specific chemical substances. A companion Federal Register notice 
today provides additional background on the IRIS program and data base, 
and requests public comment on which substances to add or update.
    EPA has provided outreach to facilitate the use and understanding 
of the data base. These efforts include a telephone hotline (513-569-
7254) which provides answers to public inquiries about access to IRIS, 
the content of specific IRIS health assessments, and risk assessment 
methodologies. EPA also operates a reading room (located in EPA's 
Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center, 26 West Martin 
Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH) where the public may, by appointment, 
view background files supporting IRIS assessments. Further, EPA 
provides IRIS on the Internet for public access at www.epa.gov/iris.

Today's Actions

    (1) EPA is moving the hotline function and reading room to the 
Washington, DC area. The hotline will be accessed via a new phone 
number, fax number, and email address. This information will be shown 
on the IRIS web site (www.epa.gov/iris) no later than September 30, 
2001. The address of the new reading room will be provided concurrently 
on the IRIS web site.
    (2) In response to user requests, EPA has undertaken a redesign of 
the IRIS web site. This change does not involve a change to the 
scientific content of IRIS; rather, it presents the data base in a more 
easily navigable and searchable format. The new redesign will be 
available by August 1, 2001, for public view and comment for 60 days. 
It will be accessible from the IRIS web site at www.epa.gov/iris. EPA 
invites IRIS users to visit the new site and provide feedback to 
several questions posted. After the test period ends and all comments 
are considered, EPA plans to replace the current web site with the 
redesigned site.

    Dated: July 10, 2001.
George W. Alapas,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 01-18197 Filed 7-19-01; 8:45 am]
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