[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 75 (Monday, April 19, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20940-20941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-8720]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration


Advisory Committee on Special Studies Relating to the Possible 
Long-Term Health Effects of Phenoxy Herbicides and Contaminants (Ranch 
Hand Advisory Committee); Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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    This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory 
committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The meeting will 
be open to the public.
    Name of Committee: Advisory Committee on Special Studies Relating 
to the Possible Long-Term Health Effects of Phenoxy Herbicides and 
Contaminants (Ranch Hand Advisory Committee).
    General Function of the Committee: To advise the Secretary and the 
Assistant Secretary for Health concerning its oversight of the conduct 
of the Ranch Hand study by the U.S. Air Force and to provide scientific 
oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs Army Chemical Corps 
Vietnam Veterans Health Study and other studies in which the Secretary 
or the Assistant Secretary for Health believes involvement by the 
committee is desirable.
    Date and Time: The meeting will be held on April 30, 2004, from 8 
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
    Location: The meeting will be held at the Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1066, Rockville, MD 20857.
    Contact Person: Leonard Schechtman, National Center for 
Toxicological Research, Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, rm. 16-85, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-6696, or FDA Advisory 
Committee Information Line, 1-800-741-8138 (301-443-0572 in the 
Washington, DC area), code 3014512560. Please call the Information Line 
for up-to-date information on this meeting.
    Agenda: The Air Force will provide the following items: (1) Summary 
of the meeting on long-term studies, (2) proposal for future use of 
biological samples, (3) reviews of Chapter 1

[[Page 20941]]

(Introduction), Chapter 2 (Dioxin Assay/Appendix A), Chapter 3 
(Questionnaire Methodology), Chapter 4 (Physical Examination/Appendix 
B), Chapter 6 (Quality Control/Appendix D), and Chapter 9 (General 
Health/Appendix F1), and Chapter 17 (Renal/Appendix F9) of the special 
study relating to the possible long-term health affects of phenoxy 
herbicides and contaminants.
    Procedure: Interested persons may present data, information, or 
views, orally or in writing, on issues pending before the committee. 
Written submissions may be made to the contact person by April 23, 
2004. Oral presentations from the public will be scheduled on April 30, 
2004, between approximately 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Time allotted for 
each presentation may be limited.
    Those desiring to make formal oral presentations should notify the 
contact person before April 19, 2004, and submit a brief statement of 
the general nature of the evidence or arguments they wish to present, 
the names and addresses of proposed participants, and an indication of 
the approximate time requested to make their presentation.
    Persons attending FDA's advisory committee meetings are advised 
that the agency is not responsible for providing access to electrical 
outlets.
    FDA welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee 
meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with 
physical disabilities or special needs. If you require special 
accommodations due to a disability, please contact Leonard Schechtman 
at least 7 days in advance of the meeting.
    FDA regrets that it was unable to publish this notice 15 days prior 
to the April 30, 2004, Advisory Committee on Special Studies Relating 
to the Possible Long-Term Health Effects of Phenoxy Herbicides and 
Contaminants (Ranch Hand Advisory Committee) meeting. Because the 
agency believes there is some urgency to bring these issues to public 
discussion and qualified members of the Advisory Committee on Special 
Studies Relating to the Possible Long-Term Health Effects of Phenoxy 
Herbicides and Contaminants (Ranch Hand Advisory Committee) meeting 
were available at this time, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs 
concluded that it was in the public interest to hold this meeting even 
if there was not sufficient time for the customary 15-day public 
notice.
    Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. app. 2).

    Dated: April 12, 2004.
Peter J. Pitts,
Associate Commissioner for External Relations.
[FR Doc. 04-8720 Filed 4-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-01-S