[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 28 (Friday, February 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7257-7259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2712]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7872-2]


Draft Toxicological Review of n-Hexane: In Support of Summary 
Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of public comment period and external peer-review panel 
meeting.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing 
that the Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education (ORISE), 
Department of Energy, under an Interagency Agreement with EPA, will 
convene a panel of experts and organize and conduct an external peer-
review panel meeting to review the external review draft document 
entitled, ``Toxicological Review of n-Hexane: In Support of Summary 
Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' (NCEA-S-
1605). The EPA is also announcing a thirty-day public comment period 
for the draft document. The document was prepared by EPA's National 
Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) of the Office of Research 
and Development. EPA will use comments and recommendations from the 
public and the expert panel meeting to finalize the draft document.

DATES: The public comment period will begin on February 11, 2005 and 
continue for thirty days through March 11, 2005. The peer-review panel 
meeting will begin on March 30, 2005, at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. To 
attend the meeting, register by March 16, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The external peer-review panel meeting will be held at the 
American Geophysical Union (AGU) Headquarters, 2000 Florida Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC, 20009. Under an Interagency Agreement between EPA and 
the Department of Energy, the Oak Ridge Institute of Science and 
Education (ORISE) is organizing, convening, and conducting the peer-
review panel meeting. To attend the meeting, register by March 16, 
2005, by contacting ORISE, P.O. Box 117, MS 17, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-
0117, at (865) 241-5784 or (865) 241-3168 (facsimile). Interested 
parties may also register on-line at: http://www.orau.gov/nhexane. 
Space is limited, and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, 
first-served basis. Members of the public may submit comments to the 
EPA EDOCKET (see Supplementary Information below). Public comments 
submitted to the EPA EDOCKET by March 11, 2005 will be provided to the 
external peer review panel prior to the meeting. Members of the public 
are invited to provide oral statements at the commencement of the 
meeting (for more information refer to the instructions for 
registration below).
    A limited number of paper copies are available by contacting the 
IRIS Hotline at (202) 566-1676 or (202) 566-1749 (facsimile), 
[email protected] (e-mail). If you are requesting a paper copy, please 
provide your name, mailing address, and the document title and number, 
``Draft Toxicological Review of n-Hexane: In Support of Summary 
Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' (NCEA-S-
1605). Copies are not available from ORISE.

[[Page 7258]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding registration and 
logistics should be directed to Leslie Shapard, ORISE, P.O. Box 117, MS 
17, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117, at (865) 241-5784 or (865) 241-3168 
(facsimile), [email protected] (e-mail).
    If you have questions about the document, contact Jamie C. 
Benedict, IRIS Staff, National Center for Environmental Assessment, 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., (8601 D), Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone: 202-564-3386; facsimile: 202-565-0075; 
[email protected] (e-mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)

    IRIS is a database that contains information on the potential 
adverse human health effects that may result from chronic (or lifetime) 
exposure to specific chemical substances found in the environment. The 
database (available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/iris) 
contains qualitative and quantitative health effects information for 
more than 500 chemical substances that may be used to support the first 
two steps (hazard identification and dose-response evaluation) of the 
risk assessment process. When supported by available data, the database 
provides oral reference doses (RfDs) and inhalation reference 
concentrations (RfCs) for chronic health effects, and oral slope 
factors and inhalation unit risks for carcinogenic effects. Combined 
with specific exposure information, government and private entities use 
IRIS to help characterize public health risks of chemical substances in 
a site-specific situation and thereby support risk management decisions 
designed to protect public health.

EPA's E-Docket

    EPA has established an official public docket for this action under 
Docket ID No. ORD-2005-0007. The official public docket consists of the 
documents specifically referenced in this action, any public comments 
received, and other information related to this action. Although a part 
of the official docket, the public docket does not include Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. The official public docket is the collection of 
materials that is available for public viewing at the Office of 
Environmental Information (OEI) Docket in the Headquarters EPA Docket 
Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West Building, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open 
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is 202-566-
1744, and the telephone number for the OEI Docket is 202-566-1752; 
facsimile: 202-566-1753; or e-mail: ORD.D[email protected].
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may 
use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public 
comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official 
public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that 
are available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,'' 
then key in the appropriate docket identification number.
    Certain types of information will not be placed in the EPA Dockets. 
Information claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute, which is not included in the official public 
docket, will not be available for public viewing in EPA's electronic 
public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material will not be 
placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in 
printed, paper form in the official public docket.
    EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted 
electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing 
in EPA's electronic public docket as EPA receives them and without 
change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA 
identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide 
a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is 
placed in EPA's electronic public docket. The entire printed comment, 
including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public 
docket.
    Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or 
delivered to the docket will be transferred to EPA's electronic public 
docket. Public comments that are mailed or delivered to the Docket will 
be scanned and placed in EPA's electronic public docket. Where 
practical, physical objects will be photographed, and the photograph 
will be placed in EPA's electronic public docket along with a brief 
description written by the docket staff.
    You may submit comments electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or 
by hand delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the 
appropriate docket identification number in the subject line on the 
first page of your comment. Please ensure that your comments are 
submitted within the specified comment period. Comments received after 
the close of the comment period will be marked ``late.'' Late comments 
may be considered if time permits.
    If you submit an electronic comment as prescribed below, EPA 
recommends that you include your name, mailing address, and an e-mail 
address or other contact information in the body of your comment. Also 
include this contact information on the outside of any disk or CD ROM 
you submit, and in any cover letter accompanying the disk or CD ROM. 
This ensures that you can be identified as the individual who submitted 
the comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties or needs further information on 
the substance of your comment. EPA's policy is that EPA will not edit 
your comment, and any identifying or contact information provided in 
the body of a comment will be included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the official public docket, and made available in EPA's 
electronic public docket. If EPA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA 
may not be able to consider your comment.
    Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to submit comments to 
EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for receiving comments. Go 
directly to EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket, and follow the 
online instructions for submitting comments. To access EPA's electronic 
public docket from the EPA Internet Home Page, select ``Information 
Sources,'' ``Dockets,'' and ``EPA Dockets.'' Once in the system, select 
``search,'' and then key in Docket ID No. ORD-2005-0007. The system is 
an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your 
identity, e-mail address, or other contact information unless you 
provide it in the body of your comment.
    Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to 
ORD.D[email protected], Attention Docket ID No. ORD-2005-0007. In contrast 
to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system is not an 
``anonymous access'' system. If you send an e-mail comment directly to 
the Docket without going through EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's 
e-mail system automatically captures your e-mail address. E-mail 
addresses that are automatically captured by EPA's e-mail system are 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the official

[[Page 7259]]

public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
    You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM that you mail to the 
OEI Docket mailing address. These electronic submissions will be 
accepted in WordPerfect, Word, or ASCII file format. Avoid the use of 
special characters and any form of encryption.
    If you provide comments in writing, please submit one unbound 
original with pages numbered consecutively, and three copies of the 
comments. For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively 
with the comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies.

    Dated: February 7, 2005.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 05-2712 Filed 2-10-05; 8:45 am]
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